Six Florida Gators Early Signees To Keep An Eye On
Yesterday, Florida wrapped up its early signing day with 21 signees at a variety of different positions of need. The Gators have continued to build their recruiting prowess throughout the years since Dan Mullen got here, trying to improve the talent that is currently on the roster year by year.
So far, the plan has been a success, as the 2021 class was widely regarded as a top 10 class by each recruiting service, continuing Florida's success of landing three straight top 10 classes.
Out of the 21 prospects that signed yesterday, these six have stuck out throughout the process from my own analysis, and are ones that you should keep tabs on as they ascend to the next level.
Desmond Watson, defensive line
Ever since I witnessed Watson face Lakeland High School as a junior (I'm from the Tampa area), I knew right away that he would be a monster at the next level. The nose tackle fits a 3-4 scheme like a glove, as he is massive and commands attention in the middle as the anchor of the defense.
Watson will have the tall task of filling the gaps that seniors Kyree Campbell and Tedarrell Slaton are leaving at the defensive tackle position, but should have no issue stepping in early as long as he fine-tunes his body before he steps onto the field for the first time at the college level.
The Gators locked up Watson's commitment earlier this summer on July 30th, beating out Texas A&M and LSU for the 6-foot-5, 385-pound menace.
In his early signing day press conference, Mullen explained his fascination with the Armwood alum.
"I love big Des, he is an athlete," said Mullen. "He is a 385-pound athlete and that might be generous. I haven’t seen him because of COVID. He has talking about that he lost weight. He slimmed down to 385."
Justus Boone, defensive line
Boone, a strongside defensive end from Sumter, South Carolina, is one of the most impressive guys on the defensive side of the ball in the 2021 class.
Boone was one of the first to jump on board after surprisingly joining the class as an out-of-state prospect in February. After turning on Boone's film when he committed, it was glaringly obvious that the Gators had found a diamond in the rough when it came to the recruiting rankings at the time. Other top teams such as Ohio State found Boone as well, but he made it evident that he wanted to play his college ball in Gainesville.
On the field, Boone's block-shedding ability is outstanding, allowing him to get in the backfield and disrupt plays with ease. In addition to his ability to quickly get off blocks, Boone's burst off the ball is immaculate, causing him to be a total bully on the defensive edge.
The 6-4, 250-pound defensive end is lengthy and it is apparent when you turn on his film. A guy like Boone has the ability to come into the program and learn quickly, especially if a veteran like SDE Zachary Carter can take him under his wing and help mentor him along with the coaches.
Once a position group that was filled with question marks, the 2021 defensive end outlook could be one of the best on the entire defense as it will be filled with young guys bursting with potential matched with a possible veteran in Carter if he decides to return.
Diwun Black, linebacker/defensive back
Although Black, 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, initially failed to qualify for UF as a 2019 prospect, the defensive wild card is back in the Gators 2021 class, showing resilience and perseverance to make his way back to Gainesville. Dan Mullen and his staff were loyal to the core and kept contact with Black throughout the entire JUCO process, ensuring that Black had a home at the University of Florida.
"I give him a lot of credit," Mullen said. "You see a lot of these guys as it pertains to junior college, you know, that's not an easy route. He went there, he did junior college, took care of his business, took care of the things he needed to academically. Started fast, which, the opposite of what happened to him in high school, and able to get his work done.
"And we're excited, because I know he's a phenomenal athlete, a great leader, a great personality, a guy you want around the program and a guy you want around the team."
Not only was Black a loyal recruit, but he also recruited high-profile prospects to the Gators in each of the past three recruiting classes.
On the field, the #1 JUCO player in America is a jack of all trades on the defensive side of the ball, proving he can be the best player on the field regardless of what the offense throws at him. At Mississippi Gulf Coast, Black was found dropping into coverage, blitzing, and making his presence known in the run game. He recorded 46 tackles, including 8.5 for loss, an interception, and five defended passes as a true freshman at Mississippi Gulf Coast CC.
Black projects to be a linebacker or safety at the next level, but he truly could find a home anywhere in the backend of the defense. His combination of speed, instincts, ball skills, and intelligence is very rare and are all traits of an NFL ready player.
Marcus Burke, wide receiver
With another round of receivers leaving UF this offseason, Florida addressed the position of need by reeling in multiple prospects including Marcus Burke.
Burke, who had quite the day on Wednesday, found himself signing to Florida early in the morning and also hoisted a state championship trophy Wednesday night as Trinity Christian Academy beat Chaminade 26-23 in Doak Campbell Stadium. Burke put his best play on display, carrying TCA to a 3A State Champion behind a 144 yard, two-touchdown performance.
The Jacksonville native is a freak on the football field, standing tall at 6-3, 180 pounds. A legitimate deep threat that consistently stood out as a senior, Burke may be the one of if not the best wide receiver prospect that Mullen has signed out of high school since he arrived at Florida.
Burke's skill set will translate well to the college game, as the Duval star has magnificent body control, soft hands, deceptive speed, and the frame to dominate in the SEC.
With at least three receivers leaving Florida this offseason, Burke will surely become an immediate contributor similar to the way Xzavier Henderson found his way on the field this past season.
Dakota Mitchell, nickel cornerback
Right behind Watson, Mitchell is as close as a scheme fit as you can find in the entire 2021 class at any position.
Mitchell. 5-11, 185 pounds, was recruited to play STAR nickel cornerback at the next level and he has everything you could ask for in a player that will play nickel.
I'm not the biggest fan of comparisons, but I see a good bit of former Gator Chauncey Gardner-Johnson's game in Mitchell's. Both are instinctual players that can process and angle well against the run to lay the wood, are smart and disciplined in both man and zone coverage, and simply have the play-making ability that changes games.
If Mitchell could fill in at STAR as Gardner-Johnson did, Gator fans all over should be very excited as Florida has struggled with filling the position since CGJ left.
Jordan Young, cornerback
Like Watson, Jordan Young is a prospect that I have had my eye on for quite some time since he was playing his ball at Jesuit (Tampa) at the start of his junior season.
After transferring to Gaither and making a commitment to the Gators this summer, Young found himself thriving during his senior season, including a stretch where he logged an interception in three consecutive games.
Young, a 6-0, 185-pound cornerback, has been a favorite of the coaching staff's for quite some time, as his press-man and ball skills are off the charts. The Tampa native is a ballplayer and makes his presence felt by shutting down his side of the field when the lights come on, with clean footwork, mirroring skills, and anticipation in coverage. The only knock on Young's game is his average speed, especially considering he will face speedy receivers weekly in the Southeastern Conference.
Adding Young to a class with SI99 prospect Jason Marshall ensures that Florida will have options at cornerback moving forward, continuing to strengthen its case for DBU.