Florida Gators Recruiting Countdown: Day 6

Written by Michael Hayden, Gatorsfirst.com Recruiting Guru

The day of reckoning is coming.

No, Sally, people aren’t going to be raptured or left behind with heathens like myself. Signing Day 2009 is rapidly approaching. On Feb. 4th, recruits put pen to paper and sign away the next three to five years of their life, barring a transfer or the ol’ credit card of a dead person fraud thingy.

Programs get new blood to either reinvigorate a struggling program (FSWho?), or in the case of the Gators, add a few more bullets to the chamber. Sorry, Virginia Tech fans...

Tonight we focus on the fat boys, offensive linemen, a key to any successful program, no matter what style of offense you run. Coach Meyer has stated in the past that he wants his interior lineman to be roadgraders, about as round as they are tall. For the tackle position, however, Pope Urban likes guys who look more like large tight ends than your Andre Smiths of the world. They need to be more athletic to successfully execute our wide-open offense.
   
We lost some key players along the front lines to graduation, and probably the NFL. We lost three full or part-time starters, in fact. Jason Watkins and Phil Trautwein held down the tackle positions all year, protecting King Tebow, and Jim Tartt was the starting left guard until nagging injuries forced him to split time with Carl Johnson the rest of the year. The Pouncey twins and the aforementioned Johnson return, but there are definite holes along the depth chart.

So, on to the current verbally-committed offensive lineman recruits:

1. Nick Alajajian—Naples High School. Nick is an early enrollee, so we don’t have to worry about his signature. At 6-foot-4, 280 pounds, the four-star prospect will probably start out at tackle, but showed very well at the Army All-American Game at the center position. He has a chance to play early if he can add 15 pounds or so. He has a mean disposition on the field and can dominate at the point of attack.

2. Xavier Nixon—Jack Britt High School (Fayetteville, NC). Another huge four-star pickup from the Army AA game, at 6-foot-6, and a very athletic 265 pounds, Nixon looks like a future NFL tackle. With two hard-ass army parents, work ethic, and discipline will not be issues for Xavier. He’s like a Tebow in that I probably wouldn’t hang out with him on a Saturday night because I love the drinky drinky, but I would want him guarding my blindside. He may need a year just to get up to playing weight, but when he does, he could be a stud at tackle.

3. Jonotthan Harrison—South Lake HS (Groveland, FL). Jonotthan is another early enrollee with Alajajian, so we know we have two four-star linemen in the bag. At 6-foot-4, 290 pounds, Jonotthan could play inside or out, but likely projects as a guard. He may be the most physically ready lineman of the group, but how he adjusts to the college level is key as always.

4. Jon Halapio—St. Pete Catholic HS. Jon is a mammoth guard prospect at 6-foot-4, 302 pounds, and if he lives up to the rest of the Samoan/Polynesian football players, we may have gotten a steal in this three-star prospect. If you don’t believe me, watch Troy Polamalu during the Super Bowl this Sunday. Those long haired islanders are beasts, and I expect the same from Halapio in a couple of years.

5. Kyle Koehne—Indianapolis Cathedral HS. Mr. Koehne is your standard down-the-road prospect. He has the size, at 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds, and smarts to make it at this level, but will probably take a few years to mature athletically and get used to the change in competition level. By his junior year, he could be a valuable contributor or starter on the offensive line.

Fortunately, our best o-line recruit may already be on the team. Matt Patchan came in as a five-star offensive tackle recruit, and if he can avoid being caught in any more drive-bys and catching another violent, communicable disease, he should be able to get to a very athletic 295 pounds, and make some noise at tackle—if the coaches don't think he can make more of an impact than at defensive tackle.

Join me Thursday for a look at the defensive line, which is still an area of concern even after some major defensive line recruits the past two years. Please feel free to comment or add to my first recruiting blog, or tell me I’m a horrible writer, I really don’t give a damn.

Any Thoughts?

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