The Florida Gators have had several offensive linemen enter the transfer portal this offseason so far which has created a huge need for linemen in the 2023 class.
Offensive line signee Knijeah Harris (6-3, 335, Bradenton, FL. IMG) is one of those guys that will help and he says this new coaching staff is what sold him on the Gators.
“It was just a completely different feeling from the last staff to this one,” Harris said. “All of the coaches feel like they’re well connected, and they have a common goal. Much different than the last staff, there felt like there was some type of tension in the air a lot of time. All of these coaches were texting me all the time and making me feel like a priority.”
Harris who plays on the interior of the line says the Gators’ coaching staff hasn’t set one position for him but he’s ready to play anywhere he’s needed.
“I have no preference, I’m just ready to compete and get on the field,” he said. “I’m playing guard most of my career but also snapping and practicing center too. They’re just going to put me wherever they need me.”
Having both Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton on the coaching staff coaching the line was a big draw to the Gators’ but also how Napier goes about offering guys.
“That was a huge thing, the emphasis on the offensive line,” Harris said on having two offensive line coaches. “Coach Napier also has to approve every guy they offer so just knowing that they really wanted me, and they actually have five coaches dedicated to the offensive line.”
Harris says the relationship he has with not one but both offensive line coaches are something both he and his family like.
“I probably talk to them equally,” he said on the offensive line coaches. “I get a genuine feeling from both of them and I can tell they aren’t just giving me a recruiting pitch but they’re genuine talking to my family.”
The IMG product noticed just how good of a job both Sale and Stapleton did last year with the progress the offensive line made from last year to this year.
“It’s completely different, one of the best offensive lines in the SEC,” Harris said on the difference from last year to this year. “It shows on the field the work that they’ve put in and the work the coaches have put in. It’s pretty much a wholesale change, the offensive line was out there paving the way.”
With all the exits from linemen so far, Harris admits that he sees early playing time available in Gainesville.
“Yeah, for sure, I’m just ready to get to work and get in the system,” he said on seeing an opportunity to play early. “Wherever they need me, I’m ready to play and I’m excited to do that.”
Harris knows that he’s going to improve under Sale and Stapleton and he believes in those guys because of what they’ve done in the past.
“I’m excited to just grow and to compete,” Harris said on what he’s looking for in his first year. “I think the coaches can help get me ready for the college level, I’ve seen what they’ve done with O’Cyrus Torrence and other guys at UL that they’ve put in the league.”