Flying under the radar as a prospect can often be a good thing. The hidden prospect is not often annoyed by the constant stress of interviews, expectations are more realistic and they are quietly given more time to develop from message board fans.
However, flying under the radar does not mean that that player cannot, and will not contribute right away. In fact, some of Florida’s biggest early contributors were not necessarily the headlining talent of their class. The role players, like Joey Ivie, are what help determine the potential success of a recruiting class.
While Joey Ivie may be flying under the radar, he is certainly talented and a high profile recruit. The four-star defensive tackle from Pasco High School was ranked as the 198th best player in the country according to Rivals.com.
Joey Ivie enrolled at the University of Florida in January.
Let’s look at his tape and see what we learn about Ivie and what his prospects look like in a Gator uniform.
Ivie is a converted defensive end that is slowly but surely growing into a defensive tackle. At 6-foot-4 and only 271 pounds, Ivie could still add a solid 20-25 pounds. While only at 271 pounds, Ivie did a good job disrupting plays and getting into the backfield. Ivie has good speed and good footwork. He is able to quickly change direction and has good balance. When Ivie adds weight, it may be tough for him to keep his top-tier speed. Ivie best uses his speed three to four steps into his rush and could use some improvement on his speed off of the line.
Ivie has good pad level and good hand placement. Although his highlight tapes show a lot of quick swim moves, Ivie has a few plays where you can see some solid technique in his play. Due to the level of competition being weaker, he was able to simply quickly over power offensive linemen and in doing so, developed a few bad habits. He will need to work on using his hands to get by the defender, as he won’t be able to simply rush by linemen in the SEC.
Ivie seems to have a good football IQ and can quickly dissect plays and make adjustments mid play. Coupled with his speed, he is always near the ball carrier on almost every play.
Ivie will likely be red shirting his freshman year. He does have a lot of the skills you are looking for in a solid defensive tackle and should be a contributor for the Gators in time. A lot of Ivie’s development and future, solely depends on his ability to add size and keep the same skill set. Ivie will likely be a starter toward the end of his career at Florida but will be a solid contributor throughout.