Martez Ivey to Florida: Gators Land 5-Star OT Prospect

Martez Ivey, one of the top prospects in the class of 2015, signed his letter of intent Wednesday to play college football at Florida after receiving interest from numerous high-caliber programs.

Dan Wolken of USA Today provided word of the offensive tackle's decision to select the Gators:

Ivey is a 5-star prospect, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He also rates as the No. 2 overall recruit in the country thanks to a nearly perfect grade. 

The big question mark was how quickly he could recover from knee surgery in December of 2013. Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel passed along comments from Ivey after a March workout, his first extensive one since the surgery, and he was satisfied with how it went.

"I felt good for coming off my surgery," Ivey said. "It's the first time I pass-blocked in a while and the first time I actually really moved doing football-wise stuff, so it was, I'm not gonna say impressive for me, but it was OK."

With that behind him, Ivey was once again one of the best prospects available and weighed interest from nearly 20 different programs, according to 247Sports.

The reason is simple. Coaching staffs around the country see an offensive lineman with an ideal frame (6' 5.5'', 275 pounds), quick feet and advanced athleticism for a player his size. He excelled as a run-blocker in a run-heavy offensive attack at Apopka High School in Florida.

Despite the intense interest, Ivey told Cam Smith of USA Today that he tried to avoid the hoopla.

"I think I took the recruiting process as calm as I could take it," he said. "Everyone told me that the recruiting process would get hectic, I just said, 'Yeah.'"

He will need to bulk up at the collegiate level and must gain more experience in the passing game, but the raw tools are there for him to become a dominant left tackle. And in today's game, that's one of the most important positions on the field.

One of the biggest keys for offensive linemen when it comes to picking a school is finding the right system. While it's important for most recruits, linemen need to find a spot where their strengths will be highlighted and fully utilized to reach their potential.

Ivey has seemingly done that. Head coach Jim McElwain's offense will allow Ivey to showcase his terrific run-blocking ability. He'll also learn how to pass protect in a pro-style scheme. By the time he's an upperclassman, he should be close to the total package.

Exactly how quickly he'll be able to crack the starting lineup is unclear. He projects as a left tackle over the long term, but he could start out on the right side before switching over once he gains some college experience.

Either way, the outlook is promising for Ivey.