Welcome to Gator Nation, Jason Zandamela! (Photo credit: Erik McKinney, WeAreSC)
Florida is still five months away from hosting pseudorival Central Florida in the Swamp, but Billy Napier just picked up a nice win over the Golden Knights on the recruiting trail.
Former USC offensive lineman Jason Zandamela has decided to transfer to Florida, choosing the Gators over UCF as his destination in his return to the Sunshine State. Zandamela played his high school ball in Clearwater (Clearwater Academy International) and originally signed with the Trojans in January. But evidently, he soon realized he’d moved around enough in his life, hit the portal, and came home.
Zandamela’s story begins about as far away from Gainesville as you could imagine. Growing up just off the coast of the Indian Ocean in the southeastern African country of Mozambique, rugby was his favorite sport as a kid. He moved to America during COVID in 2020– at which point he’d never even heard of American football– but picked it up during the pandemic and found his new calling.
You can watch his high school highlights here.
Jason Zandamela is still fairly new to the game, of course, as he only first learned about its very existence four years ago. But between then and now, he’s shown tremendous promise. His rugby skills have translated into a tough, physical kid who doesn’t mind doing the dirty work and showcasing his natural athleticism.
Though still somewhat unconventional from a technical standpoint, Zandamela has developed a nasty initial punch off the line off the line of scrimmage and is shown flattening several opponents in his highlight tape. He’s also quick on his feet– thanks again to the African rugby history for that– and with some good coaching, has the potential to develop into a multi-year starter with some All-SEC recognition.
And that’s exactly what the doctor ordered for Florida’s offensive line, which, frankly, wasn’t great last year. Even if Kingsley Eguakun had come back in 2025, all three spots on the interior offensive line would have been up for grabs this year. Zandamela isn’t a veteran plug-and-play piece between the tackles, but has clearly shown an ability to learn football rather quickly and could realistically develop into a dependable starter by mid-season as a freshman.
Looking at the big picture, Florida’s 2024 class is still likely to be remembered for one of the great collapses in recent memory– it was ranked #3 in October before plummeting out of the top 15– but Napier has been quietly rebuilding the class back to a point of respectability since then. He kept his three most critical recruits in DJ Lagway, LJ McCray, and Myles Graham, and now, even after the proverbial buzzer sounded on the cycle, he keeps adding to it. Yes, Jason Zandamela was technically a portal addition, as were Jameer Grimsley and D’Antre Robinson, but those are nonetheless three extra four-star prospects with four years of eligibility that the Gators have added.
As such, 247Sports’ Composite ranking system grants Florida with the #7 overall class. And if nothing else, that should make Gator fans feel every so slightly more optimistic about the future under Napier.
