Just call him “Mr. Versatility.” Matt Elam wears a lot of different hats for the Dwyer Panthers of Palm Beach Gardens: Runner, receiver, defender.
His dominance on both sides of the line of scrimmage was a big factor in spurring the Panthers on to a 12-2 season in 2008, and a berth in the Class 4A regional finals where the Panthers lost to eventual champion Tampa Plant in a controversial 33-21 decision.
While the 5-11, 205-pound Elam and his gridiron mates fell just a bit short in their quest for a state title, motivation will not be in short supply in 2009.
In working toward the 2009 season, Elam and teammate Gerald Christian took part in the Badger Sports/New Level Pass Camp in which they played alongside an all-star group of prospects from Palm Beach County. Fresh off a championship victory in the 7-on-7 tournament, Elam is eager for his team of Palm Beach stars to prove themselves against a national field of teams in Las Vegas. “I’m excited,” he said of the team’s upcoming trip. “I can’t wait to go and compete again, maybe win it and have some fun.”
Clearly, it doesn’t seem like much of a stretch for Elam to think this 7-on-7 team will take it all when it heads out west. “We’ve got too many athletes and too much talent,” Elam admitted.
As it relates to recruiting battles, this one was over long before it began. Matt Elam first got to know Urban Meyer when Meyer was a young assistant assigned to recruit the state of Florida as the wide receivers coach at Notre Dame.
During that time Meyer met a star player from Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach by the name of Abram Elam. Elam would sign with the Fighting Irish in 2000, but little did anyone know that the signing of the older Elam by Notre Dame would lay the ground work for Florida getting a verbal commitment from another Elam nearly 10 years later.
“I committed because of my relationship with the coaches,” Elam said. “I just wanted to get it over with so I can focus, so I can think about school.”
Relationships always play a huge factor in recruiting. While the talented safety prospect has a long-standing comfort level with Meyer, several Gator coaches worked to bring Elam into the fold.
“I’ve known him since I was younger,” Elam said. “It was him, then coach (Chuck) Heater, and coach (Billy) Gonzales. I talk to them a lot.”
Despite his commitment, a number of schools have offered Elam over the course of the winter. However, according to Elam, he hasn’t found the pursuit of schools looking to take him away from Florida to be overwhelming at this point. “They’re still talking to me, but it’s not as much as it was,” he said.
Elam’s spring plans are pretty simple. While a lot of prospects are starting to wander out on the road to check out schools and start pairing down lists, Elam has just one trip to make and already has the rest of his year mapped out.
“I’m going up for the (Orange and Blue) spring game,” Elam said. “I’ll be up there this summer, and then I’ll be enrolled in January.”
While Elam will start his Gator career “most likely at strong safety,” there are many out there who believe Elam would best serve his college destination by starting out on offense, and specifically at running back, where he excelled for Dwyer over the course of the 2008 season.
Elam isn’t necessarily opposed to the idea, either. Whatever makes the head ball coach happy he is all for.
“That’s something if coach Meyer wants me to do, I’ll have no choice,” Elam said. “I would love to play offense, but that’s his call. I like playing D. I like delivering the blow.”
By verbally committing to Florida so early, Matt Elam is delivering some mighty blows already.