Florida’s 2022 recruiting class got off to a fairly slow start, but has picked up some steam tonight with the addition of four star defensive tackle Jamari Lyons.
Lyons, out of Melbourne and Viera High School, chose the Gators over South Carolina, Indiana, and Arkansas. He also held offers from FSU, Auburn, Georgia, Texas A&M, Miami, Penn State, West Virginia and Tennessee, among a few others.
You can check out his hudl tape here.
As the tape shows, Jamari Lyons is a big, strong interior lineman who feasts on the run and gives you a solid pass rusher to boot. Standing 6’4, 295 lbs., Lyons is able to bully most offensive linemen, and can use his strong hands to work and finesse his way past the few offensive linemen that he can’t. He does play a little bit high with his hands, but that can be corrected and coached.
This one was never really a race, truth be told. The Gators offered him a year and a half ago, and in a team effort spearheaded by defensive line coach David Turner, the staff remained in hot pursuit the whole way through his recruitment process. Throughout that pursuit, Lyons visited the Gators’ campus in Gainesville four separate times, including for an official visit on June 4th, and the Gators’ high-stakes showdown against Alabama on September 18th.
As a result of adding Jamari Lyons, the Gators’ 2022 recruiting class vaulted up in the national recruiting rankings. 247Sports Composite rankings say Florida has the 16th best class in the nation, while Rivals places them at #18 nationally.
