Scouting Report: Gators DL Commit Kamran James

Breaking down the skill-set of Florida's latest defensive line commit, Kamran James.

The Florida Gators have really turned up the heat on the recruiting trail over the last month and changed, and that hot streak continued this weekend with the additions of 2023 blue-chip defensive linemen Kelby Collins, Will Norman and Kamran James, as well as 2024 linebacker Myles Graham.  

RELATED: Kamran James locks in commitment with Gators 

James, a product from Orlando (Fla.) Olympia, becomes the 20th commitment of the class and UF's fourth defensive line take. The Gators were able to keep him home and away from recruiting juggernauts like Georgia, Alabama, LSU and many others.

AllGators takes you into the film room to analyze James' skill-set and what he will bring to the table once he gets to Gainesville. 

Scouting Report

Off the top, the 6-foot-6, 265-pound James boasts an impressive frame that has room to add much more weight once he hits a college weight program. While he currently plays defensive end for his high school team, James’ frame alone suggests that he will have the versatility to play all over the defensive line at the next level.

From a technical aspect, James does a very good job of using violent hands to rip, swipe, swim and disengage from opposing offensive linemen. He shows good first step quickness which allows him to get into the backfield with ease and leads to a lot of tackles for loss, although his burst can continue to improve at the next level. 

His solid technique stands out at this point in his career, as he's relatively fresh to playing football on a full-time basis after primarily playing basketball while growing up.

What is most impressive is that James doesn’t just rely on his brute strength — although he's shown he can bull rush and impose his will on opponents pretty much whenever he wants — he shows some solid finesse in his pass rushing repertoire.

James also displays an impressive motor throughout the entirety of his tape. From start to finish, you see the relentless pursuit of the quarterback or ball carrier that leads to routine sacks, tackles for loss and chase-down tackles. He does a great job of quickly processing that the play is moving away from him before getting flat down the line of scrimmage to make the tackle before the running back can get going.

If there is one knock or weak point to James’ game, it would be that he often times plays too high. Now, that is to be expected with a prospect that stands at 6-foot-6 and is still learning technique as an inexperienced player. When he gets to the next level, he will have to make sure he fires out of his stance and keeps his pad level low to avoid being pushed off his spot or washed out while pass rushing.

Nevertheless, James is an outstanding addition for coach Sean Chaos' Spencer and a prospect that should climb the rankings quite a bit over the course of his senior season. Billy Napier and his staff continue to do a great job of recruiting the state of Florida and James is just another example of that. 

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