OL Jalen Farmer Signs With the Florida Gators

2022 offensive lineman Jalen Farmer has signed with the Florida Gators despite a late push from the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Eastside (Covington, Ga.) Jalen Farmer has signed his national letter of intent with the Florida Gators and will enroll at UF, following a commitment that lasted nearly five months and took some interesting turns along the way.

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Despite his less than stellar rankings on recruiting sites, Farmer has obtained a handful of impressive offers since pledging to Florida in September, most recently earning an offer from Alabama in January and quickly officially visiting the school as he did not sign with the Gators during the early signing period. 

Yet, despite a push from the Crimson Tide as well as Kentucky and Auburn near the end of his recruitment, Farmer came to the conclusion that Florida was his best option. 

The Peach State native earned an offer from Florida on August 1 and attended two UF recruiting camps over the summer, once touring the school in June and returning for Friday Night Lights in July. Farmer visited the Gators again for the Alabama game during the 2021 season and again, officially, in January. New head coach Billy Napier and strength coach Mark Hocke visited Farmer in-home in December.

Farmer, 6-foot-6, 320 pounds, played on both sides of the ball for Eastside but will fill in along the Gators' offensive line once he reaches the next level. Farmer has experience at left guard particularly.

Farmer has officially joined David Conner and Christian Williams as offensive line signees in the Gators' 2022 recruiting class, as well as transfers O'Cyrus Torrence and Kamryn Waites.

You can find Farmer's Sports Illustrated All-American evaluation below.

Jalen Farmer became a hot commodity in January, throughout the SEC, and his senior tape shows plenty of promise. Standing a massive 6'6", 320-plus pounds, there is also great length to his frame and he maximizes it while both stationary and especially on the move. Beyond the reach, there is an aggression the interior projection plays with that fits in any era of offensive line play. He wins at the point of contact but shows a conscious effort to bury the opponent in the process. Farmer is quick off the snap, working his hands well and with efficiency, and has better leverage than his height would suggest.

The Peach State prospect works on both sides of the ball for Covington (Ga.) Eastside and his work at defensive tackle gives a glimpse of how the raw power compliments the length and frame. Farmer plays with really strong pad level relative to his size and shows some short-area burst when the ball carrier is in sight, again important as it pertains to his ability to pull and screen on the offensive interior. The hands also show up in a major way, combined with some savvy, walling off blockers en route to the assignment with one arm at times.

There is an understanding of angles and efficiency with Farmer's game that masks some of the technical questions with the projection. A lack of pass protection reps on tape could mean he has to begin his collegiate play on the interior, though his footwork, length and hand activity seem SEC level without the polish. As he develops into a three-down blocker, Farmer will likely reshape his frame and enhance strengths in the process, potentially developing into a multi-year starter down the line. 

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