The Tampa area was outstanding for the Florida Gators in 2013. The Gators received Letters of Intent from 5-star defensive back Vernon Hargreaves, 4-star wide receiver Alvin Bailey, and 4-star defensive end Jordan Sherit. All three of these players are expected to play major roles on the Florida Gators football team over the next four years.
Jordan Sherit was exploding at Hillsborough High School in Tampa, FL before tearing his ACL. The Army All-American defensive end and “The Opening” participant, only four games into the season had six sacks and 21 tackles, coupled with six catches for 94 yards as a tight end. Sherit’s quick start, combined with his stellar junior year (110 tackles, nine sacks), made him one of the most coveted players in the country. The 4-star, 6-foot-4, 230-pound end held offers from Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, among others.
As the Florida Gators continue to build their defensive line, Jordan Sherit will be relied upon, after his recovery, to be a big part of the defensive line as a Florida Gator.
On video, Sherit has one of the most explosive films I have ever watched. What makes Sherit such a disruptive force?
Primarily, as an aside, Sherit is an incredible athlete that you can see on film, but if you look simply on paper he has an outstanding skillset. Sherit participated in SPARQ testing as a senior, registering a 4.73 40-yard dash, 4.28 20-yard shuttle, 36.9” vertical jump, 46.5-foot Powerball toss, and a 125.64 total SPARQ rating, ranking 22nd overall in the country. It should be noted, Sherit had the 2nd highest rating for a defensive linemen in the country.
However, let’s go back to the tape, but again this is pre-injury tape. While Sherit is expected to make a full recovery, it is always worth noting. The initial thing that sticks out about Sherit is his explosiveness off the end. Sherit has a very quick first step. He quickly gets out of his stance and, at the high school level, was much too fast for the tackles he went against. His reaction off the line combined with his speed, made him nearly unblockable in rushing situations. Further, throughout the tape once the ball was handed off to a running back, Sherit displayed great change of direction skills, which is a combination of agility, balance and quickness. Sherit displayed one skill you are always looking for in defensive ends, the knack of being around the football consistently, whether they are making the tackle or not.
Sherit has good hand skills, which is a combination of hand placement, swim moves and getting his hands in the air. Sherit’s hand placement and swim/power moves, allows him to shed blockers and compensate for his lack of elite upper body strength.
Finally, Sherit displays strong fundamentals. Sherit plays hard on every play, he tackles by wrapping up and following through the ball carrier with strong technique and form.
Sherit, as I previously mentioned, still needs to bulk-up, especially in his upper body. However, at the high school level, Sherit displayed very few flaws. He played against top competition and seemingly dominated most players.
Coming back from his injury makes Sherit a wildcard in first year production. No matter, Sherit will be a big producer for the Florida Gators and has the tools, should he continue to develop very well, to play in the National Football League.