Scouting Report and Highlights: Gators DL Commit Michai Boireau

Although the five linemen Florida secured in the class of 2023 figure to bolster the Gators' defensive front in years to come, none were ideal nose tackle projections, making the position an important need to fill in the 2024 cycle.

Enter Michai Boireau, a fast-rising prospect from Fairburn (Ga.) Creekside. He committed to Florida on June 19, a monumental win on the trail for UF as Boireau picked the Gators over the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs, his home-state team.

Boireau's 6-foot-5, 360-pound frame makes him an ideal candidate to eventually take over the nose tackle position in Florida's defense — currently occupied by the combination of recent Memphis transfer Cam Jackson and rising junior Desmond Watson. But with impressive athleticism for a lineman of his size, Boireau won't be limited to playing one spot.

All Gators studied Boireau's junior season film to provide the following scouting report of his game. Highlights are included at the bottom of the story.

Scouting report: Gators DL commit Michai Boireau

Boireau is a forklift of a defensive lineman. He's huge, and he's strong, and he uses both of those attributes to his advantage to move blockers out of his way consistently.

The first play within Boireau's junior season highlights encapsulates his projection perfectly. Aligned as a true nose, zero-technique defensive tackle, Boireau immediately took on a three-on-one block by the opposing center and guards following the snap, and plowed his way through it for a sack.

Although not every play he has made in the backfield has involved beating a three-on-one, Boireau regularly people-moves his way to the ball carrier and causes blocking schemes to collapse as a result.

He simply overpowers his competition — which shouldn't be taken lightly as Creekside aligns with Class 5A of the Georgia High School Association.

Boireau has done this not only from the middle of the defensive line, but also as a three-technique tackle and even as a five-technique defensive end against generally longer-bodied offensive tackles. At the very least, he should be able to continue flexing between the nose tackle and three-tech spots at the next level.

But it is not just brute strength that provides Boireau physical advantages. He has developed several rush moves including the long arm, push-pull and swim move to defeat blockers with technique.

Boireau also possesses good athleticism for a lineman of his size. He has proven capable in pursuit of ball carriers moving outside of the tackle box and even beyond the line of scrimmage, showcasing encouraging hustle to make plays down the field. He displayed impressive movement skills in drills conducted during Florida's Friday Night Lights camp in June.

The combination of Boireau's physical and athletic profiles makes him an intimidating interior projection at the next level. He is the prototypical two-gap nose tackle prospect that commands attention from both sides of the offensive line, which should free up other members of Florida's front when Boireau is on the field.

Boireau was listed at 390 pounds following his junior season but has trimmed down significantly and in a hurry, having checked in under the 360-mark this summer.

It is likely he will continue to shed weight throughout his senior season, and paired with his presence in Florida's strength and conditioning program next offseason, Boireau will be a candidate to play early in his Gators career as he should be physically ready to take the field as a freshman.

Boireau is currently considered a consensus three-star prospect and the No. 88 defensive lineman in the class of 2024 by the 247Sports Composite. All Gators expects Boireau to rise in the rankings during his senior year as he gets lighter on his feet with increased exposure from his recruitment.

View Boireau's junior season highlights via HUDL below, and some of his performance from Florida's Friday Night Lights camp in the video at the top of this story.

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