IMG Academy OL Knijeah Harris Remains High on Gators After Staff Change

IMG Academy offensive lineman was a priority recruit for Florida's former coaching staff, and appears to remain one for Billy Napier and Co.

Photo: Knijeah Harris; Credit: Zach Goodall

IMG Academy (Fla.) 2023 interior offensive lineman Knijeah Harris was prioritized by the Florida Gators' previous coaching staff before its ousting in November 2021. 

While Billy Napier and the Gators' new staff have yet to fully prioritize prospects in the class of 2023, being in the early stages of the cycle as well as the coaches' tenure at UF, Harris has already connected with several assistants that have kept his interest in the program high.

"I've been able to communicate with the new staff a lot in the past couple of weeks," Harris told AllGators after Thursday night's IMG Academy Pro Day event. "I actually was familiar with coach [Jamar] Chaney, he used to coach at my old high school. So that's a good relationship there. 

"And, I've talked to both offensive line coaches, coach [Rob] Sale and coach [Darnell] Stapleton."

Chaney, a linebackers analyst on Napier's staff, is a Fort Pierce (Fla.) native who previously operated in an off-field role at UF under former head coach Dan Mullen. He played a pivotal role in the Gators landing IMG Academy 2022 safety Kamari Wilson in December, and it appears as though Harris is one of the next Ascenders Chaney would like to get in an orange and blue uniform at the next level.

Sale and Stapleton, meanwhile, have coached under Napier previously and will split coaching duties along the offensive line moving forward. Hiring two offensive line coaches is a unique concept, and it is one that Harris is a fan of. Their experience in the NFL, Sale as a coach and Stapleton as a player, creates further intrigue.

"It's definitely huge," Harris said of Sale and Stapleton's additions. "It shows how much they care about the position and make it important."

Given his long-standing recruitment to the school, Harris has kept up with Florida's staff and culture change thus far and shared his excitement to see how Napier changes the program.

"I've heard a lot of good things about Coach Napier and what he's done at Louisiana," Harris explained. "I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what they do ... I love the school."

WIth offers continuing to roll in from across the country, Harris is anticipating a busy couple of months of visits ahead. Harris hopes to make it back to UF in March to meet the new coaching staff in person, take return trips to Alabama and Georgia, and check LSU and Southern California out for the first time.

Harris has received praise from schools across the country for his quickness and athleticism for a lineman of his size, listed at 6-foot-3, 327 pounds by On3Sports. He posted a seven-foot, eight-inch broad jump during Thursday's Pro Day event.

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