Florida Football Recruiting: What would Nitro Tuggle bring to the Gators?

It’s been a great day for Florida football and Billy Napier with the commitment of QB Austin Simmons. But Napier and crew couldn’t rest on their laurels as several recruits were on campus today to tour the facilities.

Among them was three-star wide receiver Nitro Tuggle. We look at his film and see what the South Bend, Indiana prospect could bring to Gainesville.

Florida Football: Nitro boost

Listed at 6’3″ and 185 pounds, NiTareon “Showtime” Tuggle checks off the size box we first look for in Florida recruits.

Tuggle uses his long frame to his advantage as he can high-point passes and reach over defenders to come up with catches in traffic. What is more impressive, considering his length, is his ability to get out of tight spaces to evade defenders.

Multiple times during his junior year highlight reel, he escapes situations where you would expect him to be trapped and brought down. He also does a great drop to adjust his body to underthrown passes to not only still catch them, but to find a way to still catch them in stride.

He is currently rated 478th in the country overall and the 79th-rated wide receiver by On3’s composite rankings. This rating feels about right for Tuggle.

While he lists a 4.49 40-yard dash and a 425-pound squat on his Hudl, his film doesn’t portray a guy that has the speed to straight-up run past guys. When he does get past guys, he usually relies on a pretty solid double move.

Napier does seem to be high on Tuggle, but it will be interesting to see where he ranks on Napier’s big board. We chronicled TJ Moore yesterday, and we know Florida football is after the Chaminade-Madonna Prep pair of Jeremiah Smith and Joshisa Trader.

But also knowing that Smith and Trader are favored elsewhere will benefit Napier to keep Tuggle engaged and in the look.