Projecting Where 5-Star OG Tedarrell Slaton Will Commit
Five-star offensive guard Tedarrell Slaton commitment is looming as National Signing Day approaches. The Campus Insiders staff gave its predictions on where the nation's No. 2 offensive guard will end up.
Five-star offensive guard Tedarrell Slaton commitment is looming as National Signing Day approaches. The Campus Insiders staff gave its predictions on where the nation’s No. 2 offensive guard will end up.
One of the trickiest recruitments to narrow down has been that of 5-star prospect Tedarrell Slaton. The nation’s No. 2 offensive guard and No. 32 overall player is considering a number of schools such as Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan and Ole Miss.
However, he named the Gators as his leader earlier this month, and now Jim McElwain is counting on landing Slaton to help fuel a jump up the 2017 recruiting class rankings — especially with National Signing Day less than a week away.
The key factor in his recruitment is the fact Slaton would like to play defensive tackle at the next level, and that has affected how teams have been courting him.
The Campus Insiders staff got together and offered predictions for where the 5-star offensive guard — or soon to be defensive tackle — will send his National Letter of Intent.
Robert Judin
For a long time, it felt like Jim Harbaugh was going to get another big-time prospect with Slaton. I was in Ann Arbor when he and current Ohio State commit Wyatt Davis rolled up to Michigan Stadium for an unofficial visit. As the cycle progressed, though, Michigan moved on and so did Slaton. Florida came out of nowhere to lead his recruitment in the past couple months, and it’s because he wants to switch to defensive tackle, where the Gators are losing guys like Caleb Brantley and Joey Ivie. Florida needs to add depth there, and Slaton can do that. I believe he’ll end up in Gainesville, and I believe he’ll pan out at defensive tackle for the Gators.
Brian Stultz
The Gators need a lot of help on offense, with no quarterback being effective over the past two years under Jim McElwain. While Slaton can’t pass the ball, he can certainly protect whoever starts under center for Florida next season — whether it be Feleipe Franks or Kyle Trask. Slaton is going to go with the Gators over FSU and Miami. I doubt he makes the move to the other side of the ball.
Jeff Bartl
If a position change is what Slaton wants, he’ll have the best opportunity to do that at Florida. One of the top-rated offensive guards is looking to move to defensive tackle, where the Gators are pretty thin. Jim McElwain likely sold that through the recruitment – if he’s smart – and if Slaton is set on making that transition, he’ll wind up in Gainesville with a guarantee to switch.
Kurt Schwerman
It sounds like Slaton, a Florida native, would like to switch from offensive guard to defensive tackle, and guess what? There may not be another Power Five conference team who needs some quality defensive tackles more than Florida. It is by no means a done deal that Slaton will end up in Gainesville, but given that the Gators need to beef up in the trenches, and Slaton would like to make the switch, the shoe just seems to fit.
Jonathan Bass
I’m not much for the willing suspension of disbelief, so it’ll take Jim McElwain actually landing somebody with more than four stars before I take UF in a position such as this. To me, this feels like one of those commitments Tim Brewster so greatly loves. FSU’s ace recruiter slides down to South Florida, scoops a top recruit out from under Miami and Florida, hops on Twitter and chirps the world about how the ‘Noles the state. Yeah, that sounds about right.
