Florida Gators 2020 Signee Profile: Offensive Lineman Joshua Braun
Joshua Braun, offensive lineman
School: Suwannee (Live Oak, Fla.)
Height/Weight: 6-foot-6. 356 lbs.
247Sports Composite Rating: Four-star, No. 21 offensive tackle, No. 45 state (Fla.), No. 269 national
Recruitment History
Playing high school football just over an hour northwest of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Braun was recruited early on by Florida but other major programs too were eyeing his services. He ended up visiting Gainesville three times before his senior season at Suwannee.
Georgia ended up obtaining a commitment from Braun on June 10th. as Braun developed a close relationship with then-offensive line coach Sam Pittman. When Pittman accepted the head coaching position at Arkansas late in 2019, Braun quickly de-committed and flipped to Florida, before meeting Georgia's new offensive line coach Matt Luke. He called Pittman's departure his deciding factor when speaking with Sports Illustrated - AllGators in December.
Braun went on to sign early, enroll early, and even practice with Florida in the weeks leading up to the 2019 Orange Bowl against Virginia. Linebacker Jonathan Greenard praised Braun following the practices for his size, noting that he, fellow freshman lineman Richie Leonard IV, and freshman quarterback Anthony Richardson were accepting coaching well.
Long-Term Outlook
The question is: Where doesn't Braun fit?
The answer as of now is center, because he didn't play there in high school. Braun did see action at both guard and tackle spots, however, and could play either position at the next level depending on his development.
Being coached by his father at Suwannee in a run-heavy offense, Braun has picked up the intricacies of run blocking across different positions on the line. With great size and nimble footwork to pair, Braun consistently drives out blocks and is always looking for work after taking care of his initial assignment.
Braun is a capable pulling blocker and performs combo blocks well by quickly getting to the second level after clearing out his gap. Along the way, he should naturally progress as a pass blocker although he held up in that department well despite limited pass reps. Braun should only get stronger and more athletic, likely losing a little bit of weight along the way, to continue handling run blocks at the next level.
Given Florida's run blocking struggles in 2019, Braun's strengths as a run blocker could lead to early playing time or at least the opportunities to compete for a role. It would be surprising if Braun earned a redshirt for his 2020 season.
His current skill-set and size best translate to guard, but offensive line coach John Hevesy can get creative with Braun's development and place him just about anywhere.
