Florida Gators Recruiting: 2022 OL to Keep Tabs On
The Florida Gators will have to address its offensive line prior to the 2022 season. While in 2021, Florida will appear to be relatively okay on paper, outside of the right tackle position, it will need to acquire much more talent to compete within the SEC, even with dual-threat quarterbacks at the helm.
Now that the 2021 recruiting cycle is finally squared away, the Gators can put their full attention and focus on the 2022 recruiting cycle, allowing a new slew of players to find themselves on a Florida roster, potentially competing for the SEC Championship.
While the 2022 recruiting cycle has begun, it has not yet brought Florida any offensive line prospects as commitments prior to Early Signing Day, expected to take place in December of this year.
So far, Florida has landed just two commitments, period. Both residing from the same school in Edison (Miami, Fla.) wide receiver Syveion Ellis and Edison defensive lineman Francois Nolton Jr.
We have already taken a look at what prospects fans and the like should keep their eyes out on for quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends. Now, it's time to take a look at the offensive linemen.
While we have taken a look at five various offensive line targets to keep an eye on, four of them are offensive tackles due to the high level of need at the position.
Here are five key offensive line targets for the Gators moving forward:
Tyler Booker, OT, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
Booker is likely the No. 1 target on Florida offensive line coach John Hevesy's radar for this year's cycle. The rising senior at IMG Academy is rated as one of the best offensive tackle prospects in the nation, and is worthy of the consideration of becoming a Florida Gator.
At 6-foot-5, 315 pounds, Booker will likely gain an inch or two, but already has the size and capability to play tackle within the SEC, going up against some of the best competition in Florida. He currently has several offers on the table, including from Florida, Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Penn State, all vying for his services to their respective programs.
During his freshman year, Booker was recruited as a defensive tackle, but his skills clearly translate to the offensive side of the football, showcasing why his recruitment is heavily focused there now. With his defensive mentality, Booker is able to have a leg up on other offensive linemen, understanding the game from both sides of the line of scrimmage.
At the start of this year, Booker released his top 10 teams list, including the Gators. In early 2020, Booker stated publically to Sports Illustrated All-American that the Gators would be in his top five. Florida will need to continue hoping that that remains true in time for ESD and National Signing Day.
Julian Armella, OT, Columbus (Miami, Fla.)
Armella, another offensive tackle prospect, is another recruit Florida will need to keep their eyes on as the process continues forward. Rated as one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the nation (No. 14), he certainly is not one to scoff at, giving any program he signs up for a leg up on the competition at the line of scrimmage.
Recently, Armella released his top 7 which included Florida, Alabama, Miami, LSU, Ohio State, Florida State and Clemson. That means Florida will be competing with nearly all of its rivals, including all three in-state rivals. This could end up being one of the most competitive recruiting battles Florida will face if they are to want to land Armella.
At 6-foot-6, 300 pounds, Armella is a massive human, able to move boulders when it comes to his competition at the line of scrimmage. His strength, at least according to the below video via social media, shouldn't be questioned.
Far too often, Florida hasn't taken advantage of the in-state elite recruits that the state of Florida produces, and landing someone like Armella will certainly be a step in the right direction.
Earnest Greene, OG, St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Ca.)
While it is not yet clear whether or not the Gators are pursuing Greene heavily just yet, the fact that the program even offered someone out of the state of California should speak volumes.
The only offensive guard on our list, Greene is built like a tank at 6-foot-4.5, 330 pounds. He already has the size to become a monster at the line of scrimmage within the SEC. Due to his ability to play at tackle, Florida should be highly invested in the prospect of landing Greene.
Our Brandon Carrol recently reviewed some of Greene's high school tape and had this to say about the 2022 prospect:
Ranked as the second-best guard prospect in the entire nation for the 2022 class, Greene provides the size, strength and aggressive nature that is sorely missing from the Gators' front lines.
The most vital factor of Greene's film upon first glance is his unwavering propensity to play through the whistle, similar to Booker. Whether it be an average run blocking scenario or in pass protection, Green consistently drives his opponents into the turf or making his way to the second level once rendering his first blocking assignment unavailing.
While the need is certainly on the edges of the Florida offensive line moving forward, getting a versatile offensive lineman such as Greene wouldn't hurt.
Dayne Shor, OT, King's Ridge Christian School (Alpharetta, Ga.)
There has been plenty of movement in Shor's high school career thus far. After transferring to IMG Academy in June of 2020, he suffered an injury, completely derailing his junior season. With COVID-19 continuing to run rampant throughout the United States, Shor recently transferred back to Kings Ridge Christian to move closer to his family.
While he has received an offer from plenty of universities, Shor has yet to release any top teams list, though he has stated in the past that he plans to release his top 12 teams in March, those schools will be the ones he will take visits to whenever the dead period has ended. No 2022 recruits have been able to take official visits due to the pandemic that has swept the nation since the start of 2020.
Shor, 6-foot-6, 290 pounds, has an ideal frame for the offensive tackle position and is currently athletic enough to compete within the SEC. With offers from Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and more, Shor has plenty of SEC schools vying for his services.
Aliou Bah, OT, IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
The Gators have had an eye on Bah for quite some time, originally offering him back in Sept. of 2020. At 6-foot-6, 325 pounds, Bah definitely has the size and traits to compete with the SEC. While he is a bit of an unknown, Bah could be one of the diamond-in-the-rough prospects Florida needs to develop for the long run.
In September last year, Bah recapped his offer with Florida with our Zach Goodall, stating that Hevesy seemed fired up to speak with him and present him with an offer.
"[Hevesy] sent me a fire edit, probably one of the best that I got today," Bah told Sports Illustrated-AllGators on September 1st. "It was so clean, you can use it for the story. It's that fire.
"He sent me a little paragraph and it was great, motivational, just telling me a lot about the program and stuff, how they'd love to have me. Then later on today I got a chance to talk with him again, man, he was just fired up about me, and he wanted to offer me a full scholarship."
Bah spoke about the program's fantastic athletics along with academics as the primary reasons why he will be will considering them in the future. While he is not the all-star prospect, at least according to some pundits, that Florida will pursue with earnest, he is certainly one of the many the program will have their eyes set on, with good reason.