OL Knijeah Harris Talks Commitment to Florida Gators
The Florida Gators made a massive addition to their 2023 recruiting class on Saturday in the form of IMG Academy (Fla.) offensive guard Knijeah Harris.
Harris had narrowed his finalists down to six almost a month before announcing his pledge, with the Gators, Alabama, Miami, Michigan State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M in contention for his services.
However, according to Harris, Florida became the team to beat weeks before he unveiled his final top schools list.
"In March on my visit for spring practice, I fell in love," Harris told CBS Sports during his commitment announcement. "That's the moment I found out I was going to be a Gator."
Matter of fact, Harris made two treks to Gainesville in March and a third in April for Florida's spring game. He was able to bond with the Gators' coaching staff plenty during his travels, specifically with head coach Billy Napier and offensive line coaches Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton.
Harris is the second IMG Academy prospect to pledge to Florida in the last six months, following 2022 safety Kamari Wilson. Prior to Wilson's signing in December 2021, UF had failed to get pen to paper with an Ascenders recruit since the high school powerhouse introduced its football program in 2013.
Harris credited his time at IMG for preparing him to make a seamless transition to college football.
RELATED: Scouting report on new Gators OL commit Knijeah Harris
"I think it's huge. Going to IMG is probably one of the best decisions I've ever made," Harris explained. "Competing against the best, it turned me into the player I am today."
About to enter his third season with the Ascenders, each as a starting member of their offensive line, Harris is looking forward to continuing to face the best of the best once he enrolls at Florida and embraces football in the SEC.
"Just the family feeling. You know, it felt like home," Harris said of UF. "Getting the best competition in the SEC to get prepared for the next level. I'm really excited to contribute early.
"Y'all getting the best offensive lineman in the country. I'm ready to make an impact early," Harris declared. "And we're not done, we're still recruiting."
Stay tuned to AllGators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @SI_AllGators on Twitter and Florida Gators on Sports Illustrated on Facebook.