Comparing 2021 Florida Recruits to Former Gators: DE Tyreak Sapp

What Gators of the past do current recruits resemble?

Current Houston Texan, and former Florida Gator Jonathan Greenard began his college football journey at Louisville. The 6-foot-3, 263-pound beast of a man was a staple for the Cardinals defense until he broke his wrist as a redshirt junior in 2018, nine snaps into the season. 

That injury, along with graduation, prompted the exceptional defensive end to turn in his red and black for orange and blue in 2019 for one last go-round in college football. 

And he was sensational. 

After a six-tackle, sack-and-a-half performance in Florida's 2019 opener against Miami, it was evident that Greenard would become a name Gator fans heard often over the loudspeaker of whatever stadium UF played in that day. 

It was evident that a defensive coordinator in Todd Grantham, who is known for his aggression, sending linebackers and defensive backs to the quarterback on any given play, wouldn’t have to as much. He had a guy that could win on the edge as well as stop the run. From a defensive end perspective, Greenard was the whole package. 

He also delivered hits like this. 

Jonathan Greenard laid the BOOM 💥 pic.twitter.com/lNwlOUAEFl

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) December 1, 2019

Now, Florida has someone in its recruiting class that can bring Grantham’s defense just that same skill set. 

Defensive end, and St. Thomas Aquinas prospect Tyreak Sapp, looks similar to Greenard on tape. Sapp is explosive out of his stance and looks thicker than a lot of defensive end prospects do today, which makes him more effective stopping the run. He also possesses long arms, like Greenard, which provides an untapped potential for pass rush moves and to take on roles rushing along the interior.

However, at 6-foot-3, 255 pounds, with an eerily similar build to Greenard, he has pass rush skills as well. In college football, a defensive end that can get to the quarterback as well as contribute on a regular basis in stopping the run makes a defensive coordinator’s life significantly easier. 

More than anything, it means that one of his best defensive linemen can stay on the field for more snaps. Sapp and Greenard are both chameleons when it comes to defensive personnel. In heavy packages or in nickel and dime packages, these guys can stay on the field and be the best option at that position. 

When Sapp arrives on campus, his most important development will be quickness and agility. At his size, towering over high school athletes, keeping up with them as well is no problem. 

However, Greenard had a rare ability to keep up with even the quickest of quarterbacks and running backs. He had six tackles against Auburn despite facing the athletic talents of quarterback Bo Nix and running back JaTarvious Whitlow.

Sapp will need to continue to get lighter on his feet to make that type of thing happen in college. But with a strength and conditioning trainer like Nick Savage, there’s no reason to think it won’t happen.