High 4-star LB De’Gabriel Floyd (6'3,220) of Westlake Village Calif
ex USC commit
247Composite rankings: #42 nationally, #3 OLB, and #5 in Calif
ESPNJr300 #25 (and the 3rd ESPNJr300 verbal in this class)
Not a great year in-state at LB
"... How he fits at Texas: Floyd is an impossibly big and fast athlete who looks like a man amongst boys at the high school level. He’s very explosive and powerful either in a straight line or scraping laterally so he’s an obvious fit for the Rover position which sets up explosive athletes to do each. Floyd doesn’t even really need good disguise or timing on his blitzes to wreak havoc currently but he’d learn it at Texas and playing next to a Mac that could spill the ball to him and let him play sideline to sideline. Like Malik, he could probably fit at Mac as well, particularly against the space-happy, finesse offenses in the Big 12. – IB
Coach says: Strengths - A physical disruptor. Lined up at CB, S, ILB, RB, QB, WR and returned kicks. I got tired just watching him. At LB, usually diagnoses the play quickly and decisively. Instinctive to the ball. Gets to the gap under control and blows up whatever is in his way. Shows great straight-line speed for his size. I imagine he’ll time at 4.5 or so in the forty. Some devastating hits on film. Some very good form tackling. Reasonably fluid hips and changes direction very well. Shows great zone coverage ability with excellent ball skills and soft hands. Offense and special teams film show some good open-field athleticism. Polite in interviews and seems reasonably well-spoken. Areas for Improvement / Concern – Sometimes goes for the big hit and will throw a shoulder rather than wrap up. Found video of him giving less than good effort in a lopsided game his team was losing (Valencia). Has played at three different high schools with the first high school having fired its whole coaching staff. With all of that and his de-commitment from USC, his commitment to a school may be questioned. With so many transfers, the transcript may be a mess. Position is a little unclear as he’s reported to want to play safety but is looking more like a LB for Texas.
How this affects Texas: Floyd is no stranger to Austin. He’s got close family here and that might actually help UT’s cause. That and playing for Todd Orlando. He visited Texas last month and stayed for four days, soaking up all that the state’s capitol has to offer. Being a Cali kid, people assume he’s USC bound, but not so fast my friends. He’s made it clear he loves the Longhorns and will be back for a spring or summer visit. His versatility fits two spots: B-backer or Rover at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds. Texas wants a handful of California kids each cycle, no reason Floyd can’t be one of those takes. – JW
http://insidetexas.com/floyd-commits-to-texas/
