![Florida Gators assistant coach for defensive line Gerald Chatman gestures during spring football practice at Heavener Football Complex at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6000,h_3375/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01kt6qvpxq1xr79v2hc0.jpg "Florida Gators assistant coach for defensive line Gerald Chatman gestures during spring football practice at Heavener Football Complex at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]")
One of the things that Jon Sumrall has stated throughout the offseason is that he doesn’t solely look at star ratings when evaluating a prospect. He has outright stated there are five-stars he won’t go after, and there are some three-stars he likes better at times.
It’s with that in mind that Florida is seemingly close to landing a defensive lineman whose star rankings are all over the map and could spawn some interesting debate if he does commit with the Gators.
Florida is close to landing DL Zahmar Tookes
Zahmar Tookes is a defensive lineman out of Rochester, NY. Listed at 6’4” and 260 pounds, he is a top 200 four-star with Rivals, a three-star with 247, and is unranked with ESPN.
On film, Tookes has the type of size that stands out right away, and there is no mistaking who he is on the field. What gets interesting to evaluate and is part of the reason why his star ranking is all over the map is the juxtaposition between his power and his explosiveness.
He doesn’t jump off the map with the type of power you would see from a higher-rated four-star, but when he does get a step on someone, his explosiveness is undeniable. His movement for a big man is top-notch, and there is even one clip where he is doubling as an offensive lineman, and he practically beats his running back 40 yards down the field.
Tookes just took his official visit with Florida, and all signs are pointing to him committing. 247 has logged multiple crystal ball predictions, and Rivals has its RPM at 96%. Tookes still has official visits scheduled with Penn State, Nebraska, and Georgia.
As it stands right now, Florida has three other players committed along the defensive line, most of whom fit the intriguing profile that Tookes has. There are bound to be arguments over his star ranking if, and when he does commit, we here at Hail Florida Hail would just say his film is solid enough to justify a four-star, and once he gets in a college strength program, he has a ceiling that is higher than most.
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