Scouting Report and Highlights: Gators WR Commit Tawaski Abrams
One of the key question marks surrounding Florida's 2024 recruiting class entering the summer months involved elite quarterback commit DJ Lagway: Who would join him as a pass-catching weapon in the Gators' future offense?
It has been answered diligently with four additions since May, with wide receiver Tawaski "TJ" Abrams being the latest, flipping his pledge from Florida State on Tuesday to join wideouts Izaiah Williams and Jerrae "Tank" Hawkins Jr. and tight end Amir Jackson as Lagway's eventual receiving options in orange and blue.
There is one common theme among the receivers Florida has targeted since head coach Billy Napier took over in Gainesville and that is speed. Abrams is no different in that regard as he has recorded numerous sub-11-second 100-meter dash times, including a personal record of 10.62 in the race as a sophomore.
All Gators went to the tape to see exactly what kind of weapon Lagway and the Gators are getting in this southwest Florida speedster.
Scouting report: Gators WR commit Tawaski Abrams
The first thing that stands out on Abrams' film reel is his speed and acceleration. It doesn’t take him long to get to top speed, and once he’s there, opposing defenders won’t catch him. He is able to routinely turn short passes and bubble screens into long gains and touchdowns.
However, Abrams isn’t just a straight-line burner with track speed. He displays impressive elusiveness with the ball in his hands, consistently making defenders miss in space and picking up extra yards after the catch.
Because of this skill set, he has value as a kick and punt returner, roles in which he has proven to be a commodity within at the high school level.
While it seems that Abrams will exclusively play out of the slot in the collegiate ranks given his size, speed and experience primarily at that position to date, he has flashed the ability to line up at different spots throughout the offense.
Abrams saw quite a bit of time at running back during his junior season and looked extremely comfortable as a one-cut-and-go type of rusher. Averaging nearly 12 yards per carry out of the backfield suggests that Abrams could be a candidate for designed touches all over the field during his Florida career, making him a true mismatch weapon.
For a prospect of smaller stature, measuring in at 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, Abrams exhibits the tenacity and toughness required to compete and succeed in the more physical aspects of the game. While he isn’t an overwhelming presence as a blocker, he is certainly willing to get dirty and block for his teammates.
He also does a great job of not going down on first contact and continuing to fight for extra yards after the catch. Additionally, while he isn’t a jump ball threat in the red zone, he does possess the ability to go up and make catches outside of his framework when necessary.
It’s no secret that Napier and his staff have coveted speed from the wide receiver position since arriving in Gainesville and Abrams embodies that.
He will certainly need some time to polish up his route running once he gets to campus as he hasn’t been asked to develop his route tree to the fullest at this point. But Abrams has the tools to develop into a solid contributor for a quickly improving wide receiver room at Florida.
Watch highlights from Abrams' junior season below.
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