- Sep 8, 2014
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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.
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.