OL Noel Portnjagin, of Germany, Signs With Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida's first offensive line acquisition of the 2024 Early Signing period is in the books, as offensive line prospect Noel Portnjagin submitted his National Letter of Intent to the university early Wednesday morning.
Portnjagin, a native of Germany who most recently played for the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns of the German Football League, committed to the Gators on June 14, accepting a scholarship offer from Florida as the program made an international effort to improve its offensive line of the future.
He's crossed the pond to visit Florida twice, first to attend the UF recruiting camp in which he received his offer and most recently on an official basis from Dec. 8-10.
"And I won't back down," Portnjagin posted to Instagram after the visit, lyrically referencing legendary rock artist Tom Petty, a native of Gainesville.
Portnjagin was the second of the four class of 2024 offensive line prospects currently committed to Florida to do so, after offensive tackle Mike Williams and before tackles Marcus Mascoll and Fletcher Westphal.
Additionally, Florida anticipates the signing of former San Diego State offensive lineman Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson from the winter transfer portal.
Portnjagin is considered the No. 78 interior offensive lineman in the 2024 recruiting class by the 247Sports composite rankings. He is likely to play guard for the Gators.
Learn more about Portnjagin's recruitment to Florida and his skill set via his All Gators recruit profile below.
One of Florida's most fascinating commitments in the class, Portnjagin was previously a little-known international prospect until the Gators' coaching staff presented his first Power 5 scholarship offer. Auburn, South Carolina and Liberty were quick to follow, but he picked UF before his recruitment could gain further traction. According to Europe's Elite scouting service, Portnjagin is a 6-foot-5, 315-pound guard prospect with a 6-foot-7 wingspan, although he is now over 330 pounds as determined in the camp setting. The website claims Portnjagin has produced a five-second 40-yard dash, a seven-foot broad jump, an 8.12-second 3-cone and a 4.85-second 20-yard shuttle. He projects as a guard at the college level.
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