Florida Football Recruiting: Jack Hines is a hidden monster

We promise that we here at Hail Florida Hail don’t hype up every recruit that Billy Napier and crew offer to become members of Florida football. If you have read our recruiting breakdowns throughout the year, you would know we provide genuine analysis of recruits regardless of their star ranking.

So it is easy to dismiss three-star offensive lineman prospect Jack Hines as a nobody that Florida shouldn’t pursue ahead of some other prospects.

His film tells a different story.

Florida Football: Jack be nimble

Listed at 6’7″ and 280 pounds, Hines fits right in size-wise with all the other top-rated prospects nationwide. His weight is towards the lower end of top 100 rated linemen, but part of that could be that he also plays lacrosse in addition to being an offensive tackle for Avon Old Farms School in Connecticut.

On film, Hines immediately jumps out as the most dominant player on the field, something that not every prospect we have covered can claim. He pancakes guys with ease, seeks out downfield blocks with enjoyment, and rag dolls guys the way a 6’7″ lineman playing in Connecticut should.

So how is a player like this rated so low by all the recruiting services? 247 Sports has him rated 1179th best prospect in the class of 2024, and On3 doesn’t even have a star rating for him.

Well, again, it is Connecticut, and the level of play that Hines is going up against isn’t up to par compared to many of the prospects we’ve covered from Florida and Georgia.

His weight, which also tends to be a big metric for these services, is right at the cut line compared to many of the others in the top 100 linemen. He is heavier than just 34 of the top 100, though he is tied with a number of others.

The Florida Gators offered Hines today, joining the ranks of Kentucky and Florida State, among others, that have extended an offer. Whether he becomes a member of Florida football remains to be seen, but don’t scoff at his star rating if he opts to become a Gator in 2024.