The Florida Gators currently sit with 21 commits in the class of 2024 and those commits are all watching this team closely this fall.
Offensive line commit Noel Portnjagin (6-5, 334, Germany) can’t visit Gainesville as much as he would like but he keeps in touch with the staff at Florida a lot.
“I talk with the staff regularly,” Portnjagin said of his talks with the staff. “Not only do I talk with the coaches but also with the staff that helps me with the process of getting to the United States so I’m very close with Florida.”
Portnjagin plans to enroll early at Florida in January and right now his sole focus is on improving his game on the field.
“I’m already done with school, so I’m fully focused on football right now,” he said. “I’m playing this season in Germany and when the season is done, I will be focused on being in Florida as fast as possible.”
Offensive line coaches Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton have explained to Portnjagin just where they see him playing once he gets to Florida.
“I’m going to play guard,” Portnjagin said on where he expects to play at once he gets to Florida. “Even though I play tackle in Germany, I’m a true guard and they told me that they’re going to use me as a true guard.”
When Portnjagin camped in Gainesville over the summer, he had a great experience with Sale and Stapleton and that relationship has continued to improve since then.
“I have a really good relationship with them,” he said on his relationship with Sale and Stapleton. “I’m in contact with both coaches, the work that we have done to this point is flawless with Sale and Stapleton. At the camp, they were respectful and tried to help me while we had a conversation.”
Portnjagin can watch the team on TV, and he watched the Utah game closely and he came away thinking that the Gators could make some improvements.
“I think there’s much potential is this team,” Portnjagin said on his thoughts on Florida’s team. “There were some discipline errors that should not happen, but I thought that the defense had a relatively good game [Utah game] and many stops.”
Despite not being able to visit campus with the other commits, Portnjagin stays in touch with the guys daily.
“We have a group chat and like every day we’re communicating,” he said on his relationship with the other commits. “We’re ready to form this program and take it to the next level again.”
Next up for Portnjagin will be a visit to Gainesville either for an official visit or potentially an unofficial visit.
“I may come back for a home game,” Portnjagin said on when he will return to Gainesville. “But if not then I will be back at my official visit on December 8th.”