Commitment Spotlight: De’Gabriel Floyd

Texas has made a huge splash in the recruiting world today, securing a commitment from elite California LB De’Gabriel Floyd. Floyd becomes the first linebacker commit in the Longhorns 2019 class and ranks as 40th best player in the country (3rd ranked LB), according to the 247composite rankings.

The addition of Floyd fills a huge need at the linebacker position, a position Tom Herman and Todd Orlando knew they needed to address in the recruiting cycle. On January 28th, Floyd was extended an offer. In Mid-February, he attended junior day and said afterwards that he was blown away and said the Longhorns were very high on his list. Floyd returned a month later during his spring break in March, and ultimately chose to commit to Texas, giving the Longhorns their highest ranked player so far in the 2019 class.

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Pros:

From the moment you turn on the film, the first thing that stands out is Floyd’s willingness to hit. The first play of his HUDL is him blowing up a running back trying to pass protect and then slinging the Quarterback to the ground

Floyd spent time on offense, defense and special teams during high school, and excelled in every well. On defense, he spent time at linebacker and DB.

Plays very well in space. Takes good angles to the balls and diagnoses plays well. Definitely a guy who knows what he is doing in pass coverage

Shows good patience in the run game. Chooses gaps wisely and rarely plays timid when attacking a running lane

Not afraid to mix it up between the tackles. Takes on offensive lineman willingly and will knock them on their backside if they aren’t ready.

Football savvy. Shows good instincts and high football IQ. [/one-half-first]

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Cons:

Loves to lower the shoulder to deliver the big hit, which worked out for him a lot in high school, but he will need to become more reliable as a tackler at the next level. He shows the ability to wrap-up and drive a ball-carrier, he just needs to do it consistently

Since he played all over the field, he will probably need at least a year to adjust to the ins and outs of playing college LB.

Testing results shows a lack of straight line speed, which is worrisome, but his play speed seems adequate on tape.

Have some questions about his coverage ability, but certainly seems athletic enough in space to be competent.

Depending on how the roster shakes out, he could be counted on early, but could benefit from a redshirt. [/one-half]

Summary

Watch the first play of Floyd’s HUDL, and you will be sold. Tom Herman often times talks about how he wants physicality to be a trademark of his program, and Floyd fits that category. The California native shows tremendous athleticism on film. At junior day, he talked about how Todd Orlando had been discussing the Rover role with him, and it’s easy to tell why. Floyd possesses the ability to play between the tackles and serve as a run stuffer, while also having the speed to play in space. Against the pass, he has the ability to both rush the passer and play in coverage. Unlike some recruits, he doesn’t need to bulk up too much or add a lot of weight. Overall, Floyd has all the tools and traits coaches drool over at the linebacker position, and it’s easy to see why Texas made him a priority target early in the process.

Final Verdict

Entering the 2019 recruiting cycle, there were some questions about where Texas was going to turn for linebackers. The LB depth in-state was not outstanding, but the Longhorns still had glad a glaring need that needed to be filled. Tom Herman and Todd Orlando deserve a lot of credit for building a relationship with Floyd and pulling him out of California when many thought it was not possible. It certainly does not hurt to bring Floyd into the fold with the Longhorns still heavily pursuing elite California CB Chris Steele. With several members of the 2017 signing class hailing from out of state, it appears Tom Herman and company are willing to go wherever they see fit to bring talent to the 40 acres.