Florida Football Recruiting: Tyler Parker is an agile big man

As Florida football continues recruiting, Tyler Parker is visiting Gainesville this weekend. The big man out of California is a three-star defensive tackle with experience playing along the offensive line and has spent time as a wrestler.

There is a lot to like about Parker, but whether he projects as an SEC-level lineman might depend on factors out of his hands.

Florida Football: Far from a parked bus

One thing that stands out in Parker’s film is his activity level once the snap is taken. His motor is top-tier, and he never gives up on plays. Even when QBs scramble out of the pocket, he never stops to chase them down.

He has no problem fighting through double teams, and once he wraps up, the ball carrier doesn’t escape. Just a sophomore, he also has great play recognition, as demonstrated by his play one minute into his highlight reel where he starts upfield, sees it’s a screen, stops, and wraps up the running back for no gain.

The two downsides to Parker as it relates to Florida football are two things he can’t control. The first is the fact he is from California. Even when the Gators have had guys from the Golden State commit to Florida, they seem to struggle to make it to the field (see Jaden Rashada and Chris Steele). Getting homesick is a real thing.

The other knock is that while he is already 300 pounds, he is listed at 6’0″. As it stands, he would be the shortest member of the defensive line.

But suppose he can hit one more growth spurt and make assurances that he would be willing to come across the country to play his college football. In that case, Parker is a player that is a nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators to scheme for right now on the high school circuit.