Scouting Report: Gators 2023 OL Commit Knijeah Harris
Photo: Knijeah Harris; Credit: Zach Goodall
The long-awaited first major commitment of Billy Napier's first full class as head coach of the Florida Gators came in the form of offensive guard Knijeah Harris on Saturday.
The IMG Academy prospect became the second Ascender to commit to the Gators under Napier, joining former and future teammate Kamari Wilson, essentially ending discussions about the dreaded “IMG curse” Florida carried under previous coaching staffs.
For that reason, Harris’ commitment is a multi-faceted victory in the Gators' talent-acquisition department.
With Florida doubling up on the day — also adding athlete Creed Whittemore, brother of current wide receiver Trent Whittemore — to the list of 2023 prospects to announce their intentions to head to Gainesville, AllGators will analyze the skill sets each will bring to the roster next season.
We start with the first of the two commitments on the weekend in offensive guard commit Knijeah Harris.
Background
High school: IMG Academy (2023)
Size: 6-foot-3, 327 pounds
Projected position: Interior Offensive Line (Guard or Center)
Areas of strength
Florida took a significant step in the right direction where recruiting offensive line talent is concerned by landing Harris on Saturday.
In the early stages of offensive line recruiting under the new Gators staff, Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton have shown an apparent desire to equip the unit with size and length going into the future.
On the outside of the line, towering presences like Kamryn Waites and Jordan Herman — each of whom stands at 6-foot-8 — have been brought into the program from the transfer portal as depth. Meanwhile, a similar strategy has been assumed for targeting 2023 talent, with players like Payton Kirkland, Lucas Simmons and Monroe Freeling recording similar height, weight and length metrics.
That small sample size on the exterior can also help project the type of players the Gators will look toward to occupy the guard and center spots in the coming years as well, although size on the interior tends to be more muscle mass on shorter frames.
It is especially evident when looking at the frame the newest offensive line commit sports.
Standing at 6-foot-3, 327-pounds, the Harris is an imposing physical presence who is entering his third season as IMG’s starting left guard.
At first glance, Harris is the embodiment of modern guard prospects as a nimble but powerful entity who can work into the second and third levels with ease. Showing a strong prowess as a downhill blocker, Harris packs a strong initial punch to blow defenders back onto their heels.
However, he is more than power on impact.
Harris shows swift movement out of his stance at the snap to get out in front of blocks in the Ascenders rushing attack. Frequently, he features as a pulling guard where he can build up steam to expand holes for the ball carrier.
His desire to finish blocks and climb to the second level pops when watching his game film.
That mean streak makes him a perfect lead blocker in the run-first system Napier implemented in the spring.
Areas needing improvement
It’s natural for high school prospects to come to the college level with a raw skillset in need of further development.
While that process is drastically aided by the development staff at IMG, there are still areas Harris will need to progress before he’s game ready for the University of Florida.
Namely, while it’s not necessarily as much a weakness as a lack of volume, there is room for Harris to grow in pass protection.
Playing in a run-heavy system — understandable for an institution that has pumped out a bevy of highly touted offensive line prospects since its inaugural season — Harris hasn’t received a ton of reps where he isn’t tasked with working upfield.
When he has been asked to do so, Harris has displayed strong hands as well as adequate short and choppy steps to stonewall pass rushers from the interior. It’s merely a matter of cleaning up little things like reaching, grabbing and playing with a high pad level at points.
Another area that will be prioritized when Harris gets on campus is the need to reconfigure his body.
Hovering right around 330 pounds, Harris carries his weight well and — as mentioned above — aligns with the big prospects Florida is looking for upfront.
However, Harris currently sits a little too heavy up top. That can result in him being thrown off balance against more powerful and equally distributed defensive tackles at the next level.
Luckily for him, he steps into a program that has taken a newfound approach to their strength and condition as well as nutrition programs to ensure each player is granted an opportunity to meet playing form requirements going forward.
Harris can result as a beneficiary as he loses "bad" weight and redistributes it into his lower half.
While there will be a slight adjustment curve for Harris to grow into his own as a player, nothing — at least as a prospect — stands out as detrimental to getting on the field quickly.
Final Thoughts
As the Gators gear up to embark on a new offensive philosophy that incorporates more gap run scheme concepts than in the past, Harris possesses the ability to spearhead the unit in the trenches from any of the three interior offensive line spots.
Pairing multi-year experience playing in a similar system at IMG with versatility, Harris gives Gators some luxury to plug and play him based on need.
This will be paramount as Florida attempts to retool its depth chart upfront over the next few recruiting cycles.
However, if possible, keeping Harris at his natural guard position to maximize his already molded skillset and athleticism would be ideal. That’s not to say he wouldn’t continue to excel in a similar fashion if he is moved to center to replace the departing Kingsley Eguakun.
Harris projects to make an early impact on Florida as a result.
Not only does the On3Sports consensus four-star prospect kickstart the Gators' 2023 class, but he does so from the talent-rich institution of IMG, providing Florida with two monumental wins wrapped into one commitment.
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