Over the next 72 days, GatorCountry will preview the players that make up the 2013 Florida Gators football team as we inch closer and closer to the season.
Each day we will count down using the player whose jersey number corresponds with how many days there are left until Florida kicks off against Toledo in the Swamp on August 31.
Today we take a look at redshirt senior offensive lineman Jonotthan Harrison.
History
Despite his 4-star status on most recruiting websites, Harrison wasn’t widely recruited as a high school senior. Harrison chose Florida over schools like Auburn, Duke, Florida State, Miami, South Carolina, USF and UCF.
Harrison earned a redshirt his first year on campus but still worked hard off the field, earning a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll with a 3.0 GPA.
Harrison’s redshirt freshman season saw him earn spot duty, as he was a backup for most of the season. He earned his first start of his career at left guard in the Outback Bowl. Starting with that game, Harrison has started 27-consecutive games for the Gators at left guard and center.
Harrison was named to the 2013 pre-season Rimington Award Watch List – an award given to the most outstanding center in college football.
Player Evaluation
Strengths
Harrison’s durability is his biggest asset. Florida’s offensive line has had major turnover the past three seasons due to injury, but Harrison has been an iron man during that span.
He’s a very smart player and has great size for the position. Harrison is physically impressive and looks more like a character out of the arcade game, Street Fighter, than a football player. He’s bought into Jeff Dillman’s weight conditioning program and it is clearly paying dividends for him.
Finally, Harrison is tough. He played through a dislocated elbow and finished out the season with a bulk brace on his elbow to keep it stabilized the rest of the year.
Weaknesses
Harrison can sometimes get sloppy with his technique. He occasionally comes out of his stance too high and gets pushed back off of the line of scrimmage. He has also had some erratic snaps, but for the most part Harrison is reliable in getting the ball back to his quarterback.
What to Expect
If the past is any indication of what to expect from Harrison, this season fans can expect to see him lined up at center for the Gators every single game of the season.
This is Harrison’s final season on campus and while he didn’t garner much attention from the NFL following his junior season, he should be able to put together another solid campaign this year and raise his draft stock with another solid season for the Gators.