Five Play Prospect: Gators DL Gervon Dexter Scouting Report
As the GatorMaven "Five Play Prospect" series continues - breaking down each of Florida's early signings with a five play scouting report - it's time to transition towards the defensive side of the ball and keep it rolling in the trenches.
Our next scouting report will cover Gators' defensive lineman Gervon Dexter.
Dexter is not your normal defensive tackle. He’s very tall, very athletic, and very raw. The Gators are receiving one of the highest upside players in the land.
Before going into the film, understand one thing: Dexter has only played two years of organized high school football. He’s as raw as a prospect comes, yet he was incredibly productive in high school. Those two categories do not generally go together, and when they do, you have loads of upside.
That's what the Gators are getting in Dexter, and with that being said, onto the film review.
Film Room
On our first play, Dexter is shot of a cannon. Yes, it’s a missed blocking assignment, but still, he just comes out of his stance like a 225-pound defensive end.
This type of quickness and explosion is even rare for a defensive tackle. It's the type of athleticism that makes defensive tackles first round prospects when they ascend to the NFL, mixed with elite size. Dexter brings both to the table when penetrating the interior.
Dexter, a 6-7, 286 lb. defensive lineman, forces the ball-carrier out of bounds 30 yards down the field.
Think about that.
Plays like these - and there are plenty of them from Dexter - personify what a defensive coordinator desires from all his players: All-out hustle. Covering that length of the field and making a play is something a defensive back could pull off and it would be considered a great play - and Dexter does it as a defensive lineman. Dexter is the type of player that will play full tilt.
While Dexter is raw, he has some rush moves and techniques in his arsenal that will continue to be developed at Florida under defensive line coach David Turner.
Dexter bull-rushes to split a double-team block with impressive lower body strength and dip to win the pad level battle, then proceeding to drive through the block and body-slam the quarterback.
While the end of the play is what will get everyone's attention, the way Dexter beat his block here is what will do him well in college.
This next play displays Dexter’s talent via his two-hand punch and a swim move, an impressive move to utilize in high school.
Dexter explodes low off the line and lands a two-handed punch to knock the offensive lineman off balance, proceeding to pull the lineman back and quickly completes a swim move over the lineman's head.
From there, Dexter hustles his way into a sack at the one yard line. That swim move will only get more dangerous as Dexter gets stronger and quicker.
This final play represents what Dexter will doing more and more as he progresses throughout his Florida career: Running twists and stunts very often with the speed that is projected to come off of Florida's edge from ends Khris Bogle, Mohamoud Diabate, and others.
It’s good to see that Dexter was patient in an effort to sell the line twist. Many linemen move too quickly and ruin the opportunity. Dexter did very well here.
Final Thoughts
Dexter needs no introduction to Gator recruiting fans. He’s a great prospect that committed a long time ago. I’ve seen this young man play live, and he’s a stud.
Dexter just needs to learn how to use proper hand technique and sharpen his footwork, which will happen very quickly under Turner. Once Dexter improves in those areas, he will be all but unblockable. He's is a future NFL player.
