Scouting Report: Gators DB Commit Jamarrien Burt
The Florida Gators have been on a consistent hunt to replenish their defensive backs room with long and athletic talent throughout the 2022 recruiting class.
Receiving another commitment on Thursday, Florida saw versatile Forest athlete Jamarrien Burt pledge his allegiance to the secondary, becoming the second member of the cycle to do so alongside Julian Humphrey.
As a result, AllGators breaks down Burt’s film in a scouting report that outlines Burt’s strengths and room for improvement.
Scouting Report
Long and moldable frame
Playing at just 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, Burt will be deemed as an undersized coverage man when viewing the Ocala (Fla.) product on paper. However, when watching Burt's film, the undersized narrative takes a hit due to his incredibly long limbs evident at first glance.
Knowing how to utilize them to his advantage, Burt plays with a large range as a coverage man, making up for lost steps on his assignment with his long strides and impressive reach to get a hand on the football at its peak.
Having the lankiness and adequate speed that the new secondary staff has searched for early on in their recruiting endeavors, Burt’s addition to the UF recruiting class makes sense from a foundational standpoint.
However, Burt will need to continue to grow physically, creating yet another project for the Florida strength and conditioning coach Nick Savage.
Being asked to bulk up before seeing meaningful playing time in the Gators scheme, Burt will look to add considerable weight upon entry to the program. His slim frame suggests he can carry the additional pounds with ease without losing the athleticism that makes him desirable to UF, a promising sign for Montinar and company.
Positional versatility
Offense, defense and special teams. You name it, Burt does it.
Seeing a large portion of his snaps at the high school level coming on the offensive side of the football, Burt has garnered significant interest to play wide receiver for Power Five schools like Georgia and Arkansas.
However, operating as a Swiss army knife in the Forest High School system, his ability to play at multiple positions stands as a supreme quality of his skillset.
Playing at defensive back for Forest, Burt shows valuable instincts in the secondary, given his knowledge of how the wide receiver position likes to operate. As a result, Burt will assume a role defensively in blue and orange, projected to suit up for Montinar at cornerback.
Operating in a free-range nature as a coverage man, Burt works best when allowing his instincts to take over when the ball is in the air, suggesting an ability to switch positions interchangeably in the secondary over his collegiate career.
Seeing a number of his highlights coming from the safety position most often, Burt can excel in two-high concepts with the ability to work over the top in bracket coverage.
Also allotting time as a return specialist throughout his three-year run on varsity, Burt showed home-run hitting ability in his film by returning a punt for a touchdown as a junior and averaging 15.9 yards per return as a sophomore at Florida’s 3A level.
As a result, Burt presents intrigue to move around the formation defensively, see occasional offensive snaps give his background at wideout, and take reps as a special teamer in the early portions of his career as both a gunner and a return man.
With the Gators looking for a do-it-all piece to mix-and-match from their home state, Burt fits the bill.
Thoroughbred playmaker
The technical standpoints of Burt's game leave more to be desired. However, he holds skills that can be taught.
Namely, his ability to make plays.
Accounting for 85 total tackles, three interceptions and five pass breakups over three seasons, Burt has been a critical entity for the success of his high school squad.
Consistently making acrobatic receptions and interceptions utilizing an excellent high point ability and speed to undercut underthrown balls throughout his film, Burt’s aforementioned history as a wide receiver gives him a leg up where sure hands are concerned.
Meanwhile, the all-around athlete also has experience working into the backfield in the pass-rushing game — recording one strip-sack — which will correlate well when Todd Grantham elects to employ Burt on a DB blitz.
Showing the potential to make an impact in coverage, against the run and as a pass rusher, Burt's athletic prowess to not only make impressive breaks on the football but to occasionally turn his defensive efforts into immediate points on the scoreboard makes him an intriguing fit into Monintar's reconstruction efforts.
With the emphasis being put on ball skills and takeaways, Burt matches what the Florida staff wants to accomplish going forward.
Final Thoughts
It may not be the flashy pickup many Florida fans had hoped for when targeting their second defensive back prospect of the cycle.
However, with ready-now talent coming few and far between, keeping in-state prospects with potential for proper development at a position of need is understandable.
As a player that wins off heightened athleticism at the high school level, Burt will be tasked with fine-tuning the fundamental aspects of the cornerback position early on.
Once completing that process, Burt will likely see a hybrid role in the Florida secondary, given his ball skills and flashes of run-stopping when working downhill.
However, his value suggests more than just his contribution defensively.
At the very least, Burt will find himself operating as a special teamer in some capacity, a crucially important aspect for a Dan Mullen-coached team.