Speaking of recruiting OL's:
Mullen discusses difficulties recruiting offensive linemen
https://247sports.com/college/flori...ulties-recruiting-offensive-linemen-118623396
Florida’s offensive line in 2017 was one of the biggest issues on a team that finished the season 4-7. There has been some consternation amongst Florida faithful about the Gators’ recruiting efforts on the offensive line in recent years as well.
During new head coach Dan Mullen’s speech to the Broward County Gator Club, he was asked about Florida’s recruitment of highly ranked offensive line targets, and how few the Gators have been able to land. Mullen admitted, the offensive line position is very hard to evaluate for everyone.
“Offensive line is one of those you have to do a great job evaluating in recruiting,” Mullen opened. “That is one position where you are really projecting what this person is going to look like down the road. Maybe there is somebody that is small that’s going to get big, maybe there’s somebody that’s really big that’s going to get smaller and leaned up. You know, maybe there is somebody athletically, they have a great, tremendous feet, they can bend, they haven’t grown into their body yet.”
Physical development is only one variable. Mullen pointed out another when watching a prospect’s game film.
“It’s one of the most important positions, and harder positions, to evaluate, because you watch film sometimes, and I don’t care where you are, you don’t always know what they are being asked to do. Our guys will be doing different things than what they are doing now. I think that is a huge part evaluating and recruiting offensive linemen of what they are going to become. I don’t know if it’s Florida, it’s everywhere.”
Mullen also pointed out how rare it is to find a person with the physical traits to be an elite offensive lineman right away.
“A five-star offensive lineman is going to be somebody that’s probably 6-foot-5 to 6-foot-6, 315 pounds, and is really athletic. Okay, genetically, there’s not a lot of those. I mean, if you’re 6-foot-6, 315 [pounds] and a phenomenal athlete, stand up.”
That garnered a laugh from the crowd as, you would guess, no one stood up matching those measurements.
“Just pure numbers of genetics, it’s a hard thing to find guys that can do that. That means you have to do a great job of evaluating what they can be.”
The Florida Gators are looking to sign five offensive linemen in the 2019 recruiting class. That is even after inking four in the 2018 class. The Gators currently have two offensive tackles commit in the 2019 class with
Wardrick Wilson of Miami (Fla.) Doral Academy Charter and Ethan White of Clearwater (Fla.) Superior Collegiate Academy. Some of Florida’s top remaining offensive line targets include Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star offensive tackle
Evan Neal, Hogansville (Ga.) Callaway four-star offensive guard
Keiondre Jones, Brunswick (Ga.) four-star offensive tackle
Warren McClendon, Buford (Ga.) three-star offensive guard
Riley Simonds, Tampa (Fla.) Plant offensive guard
William Putnam and others.