Florida Gators 2023 Recruits to Know: Interior Offensive Line
Photo: Knijeah Harris; Credit: Zach Goodall
With the 2023 recruiting cycle now officially underway, the Florida Gators are looking to make significant moves on the trail with a new coaching staff in place led by head coach Billy Napier.
After previously breaking down some offensive tackle prospects to know, AllGators is taking a look at the early targets that have emerged on the Gators' board along the interior offensive line, as well as prospects that are worth keeping an eye on for an eventual offer.
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Knijeah Harris, IMG Academy (Fla.)
Harris is a prospect that has been courted by the Florida program dating back to the last coaching staff, but the IMG product has said that since Billy Napier and his army took over, the love has grown.
A native of the Sunshine State, hailing from Port St. Lucie (Fla.), Harris is familiar with the Florida program and has had contact with a number of UF coaches both on and off the field. Offensive line coaches Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton are at the forefront of Harris' recruitment but defensive analyst Jamar Chaney is as well.
Harris visited Gainesville on March 5 with a number of teammates from IMG and came away impressed. The Gators' coaching staff likes his versatility to play both guard and center and has the size to do so at 6-foot-3, 327 pounds.
Florida will be a program that sits at the top for Harris all the way until the very end but it won't be an easy pull by any means. The Gators will have some stiff competition for the talented interior lineman as programs such as Miami, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Ohio St and Texas are pushing for his services.
IMG Academy is a school that the Florida program had struggled to recruit and hadn't landed a prospect from there until Kamari Wilson recently. Billy Napier made it a point to say that they needed to be better there and it looks like he's following through on that with Harris being one of the many players Florida is recruiting.
Roderick Kearney, Orange Park (Fla.)
Just a month ago Kearney wasn't hearing much from the Florida staff but that seems to have changed as the 6-foot-4, 300-pound lineman has scheduled a visit to Florida for Friday.
Kearney is a versatile prospect that can play any position along the line. In fact, just last month Kearney was named OL MVP of the Under Armour camp down in Miami where he worked at both guard and tackle.
While Florida does seem to be playing a bit of catch-up with the blue-chip trench monster, expect them to press from here on out to try and get the Sunshine State native to stay home.
Kearney released a top 12 of Michigan, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan State, UCF, Miami, Arkansas, Rutgers, Tennessee, Penn State, and Cincinnati as well as Florida on February 28, but he has since received offers from LSU, Oregon, Clemson and North Carolina. Kearney already has a who's who of offer lists and the Gators will have stiff competition throughout his process.
Tommy Kinsler, Trinity Catholic (Fla.)
From nearby Ocala Trinity Catholic HS, Kinsler has had the Gators out in front of his recruit since Dan Mullen and his staff was in Gainesville and that hasn't changed since Napier got to town.
Kinsler is a prospect that currently plays tackle for his high school team but looks more like a guard at the next level standing at 6-foot-6, 330 pounds. He's a little raw in his technique but has the frame and tools to develop into an imposing OL at the next level.
Kinsler currently possesses 15 offers from schools like Florida State, Maryland, Mississippi State, Tennessee and UCF among others. But being from Ocala and growing up a fan of the Gators, you'd have to think he's Florida's to lose at this point.
Clay Wedin, Carrollwood Day (Fla.)
Wedin a 6-foot-6, 290-pound prospect from Tampa (Fla.) is someone that wasn't really being recruited by the last staff but that has changed under Napier.
Wedin visited Florida back in January and while he does not have anything set in stone for a return trip to Gainesville he did tell AllGators that he is in constant contact with assistant offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton.
Wedin is someone that has held the Florida program in high regard since initially receiving his offer and comes from a very Gator-friendly area in Tampa. While the interior offensive line may not be a huge need in this class and the number of prospects taken might be smaller as compared to other positions, expect the Gators to be in this recruitment until the very end.
Sam Pendleton, Reagan (N.C.)
Pendleton is a prospect that was offered by the Gators earlier this month. That offer came from inside linebackers coach Jay Bateman, and while it may seem odd that an LBs coach is offering an OL, it makes sense considering Bateman's ties to the area.
Pendleton has a prior relationship with Bateman, who was at UNC last year as the Tar Heels' defensive coordinator. Pendleton hails from Pfafftown (N.C.), a city that is only an hour and a half away from Chapel Hill.
While schools like Clemson, North Carolina State, and North Carolina seem to be at the top of Pendleton's list due to proximity, the Florida staff is working hard to try and get Pendleton down for a visit to throw their hat in the ring.
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