American Heritage coach Patrick Surtain Sr. discusses school’s ‘pipeline’ to UF

BMF

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Good write up here....

American Heritage coach Patrick Surtain Sr. discusses school’s ‘pipeline’ to UF

http://gridironnow.com/american-heritage-patrick-surtain-gainesville-pipeline/

Florida signed three players from private-school power Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage in its 2017 recruiting class, and American Heritage coach Patrick Surtain says the pipeline between the Fort Lauderdale suburbs and Gainesville is supplying the Gators with three high-level player.

American Heritage won Florida’s Class 5A state championship in 2016 with a 14-0 record, and Surtain — a former NFL All-Pro cornerback — says he expects lineman Tedarrell Slaton, cornerback Marco Wilson and linebacker James Houston to make an impact at UF.

Houston (6 feet 1, 233 pounds) enrolled in January and will go through spring practice. Houston missed the 2016 season with a knee injury, and Surtain thinks the injury will make Houston more focused.

“I thought before he got hurt, James was a top-five middle linebacker in the country,” Surtain Sr. said. “His ACL derailed him. He was having a hell of a spring and fall camp for us. I think this will make him hungrier, being out his whole senior year.

“He’s on campus early, so he’s getting a head start and hopefully he will get cleared pretty soon to start full workouts. He’s definitely a big-time middle linebacker who runs sideline to sideline. He’s very good in coverage and he’s very instinctive, always in the right place at the right time. He also has some pass-rush ability, so I think they’re getting a hell of a player.”

Slaton (6-4, 360) announced on National Signing Day that he would be heading to Gainesville.

“He is just a physical freak for his size,” Surtain Sr. said. “He moves likes he’s a linebacker. A tremendous athlete that has tremendous strength, and I think his best football is ahead of him. Whether he plays on the offensive or defensive side of the ball, I think his upside is tremendous. I think he will have a heck of a career with the Gators.”

Slaton was a highly touted guard, but Florida was one of the schools that recruited him as a defensive lineman and Slaton seems all but certain to begin his Gators career as a defensive tackle.

Wilson (6-0, 180) is the brother of Florida cornerback Quincy Wilson, whose early departure for the NFL coincidentally could lead to playing time this fall for Marco.

“Marco was hurt his whole junior year with an ACL. He came back, had a hell of a senior year and led us,” Surtain Sr. said. “He’s a tremendous athlete. When I tell you he can do everything — he can run, jump, flip — but on top of those things he’s a technician and loves to work at his craft. He’s big, he’s fast and he has all the intangibles to be a big-time corner in the SEC.”

Surtain has another loaded team in 2018, with his top prospect being his son, five-star cornerback Patrick Surtain Jr. There’s also four-star cornerback Tyson Campbell, three-star defensive end Andrew Chatfield, speedy three-star wide receiver Anthony Schwartz and three-star defensive tackle Nesta Silvera, among others.
 

BMF

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I think Surtain is the top CB in the country.

I'd love to land him and the Safety from Jacksonville (Johnson, who just visited over the weekend). That would be a solid DB class.
 

kepler

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Crazy. I'm an alumnus of American Heritage, but when I was there it was a 1A school down a dirt road and we lost in just about everything. There were so few students we were basically required to play all sports to field a team. Interestingly my Senior year they brought in Brian Van Gorder as coach. Glad to see they are now becoming a feeder for my Gators. Hope it keeps up.
 

t-gator

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He loves Florida so much that he's sending his boy to LSU
 

ppinesgator

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The area around it is now an upscale neighborhood, and many of the students are from affluent homes. Part of the appeal is that the non-athletic kids are often smart enough to get into UF - we've got brand appeal among students and parents at American Heritage. Like so many other Florida private schools, they recruit good athletes. That's not against any rules, by the way.

My older son was QB at Archbishop McCarthy, right down the road, when Heritage beat them 52-0. There was nowhere to hide.
 

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