The big weekend for the Florida Gators continued on Sunday landing in-state three-star defensive end Kamran James. The strongside defensive end out of Orlando’s Olympia High School was an early target for the new Florida staff landing their guy after a seven-month recruiting cycle.
WHAT FLORIDA IS GETTING
James was collecting personal mail in the backfield of opposing 8A Florida squads last fall. Credited with 47 tackles, James tallied 21 stops for a loss with 13 sacks proving he is a force off the edge. James has prototypical strongside characteristics stretching the tape at 6-foot, 5-inches, while tipping the scale at 265 pounds. Florida is getting an SEC sized end that can give opposing offensive tackles trouble.
WHAT MAKES JAMES DIFFERENT
The Olympia standout has above the grain athletic talents for the position. What makes James different is the unlimited ceiling left to his game. Working off natural instincts and athleticism, the continuous in-practice and game reps left at the high school level, and the work that will be put in once on campus, will help take James’ abilities to new heights. He has all the markings of being a two to three-year starter for the Gators.
WHY THIS IS BIG FOR FLORIDA
The Gators offered James in late February seeing him on campus multiple times throughout the spring. James took official visits to both Florida and Georgia in June with another summer visit to Gainesville in late July. Florida went after their guy going head-to-head with their SEC rival to keep James in-state; that is a big win.
One doesn’t need a press release from head coach Billy Napier to know a big emphasis has been put on Florida’s defensive line in the 2023 class. James is the fifth defensive end committed to be paired with four-star defensive tackle Will Norman. The group of ends coming in are a mix of speed rushers who can work in space to the guys who can get down and dirty against the run with pressure put on quarterbacks. After a couple of seasons of maturation in the program, this group will be salty.