Florida has struggled to recruit elite offensive linemen in recent years, but new head coach Billy Napier is looking to turn things around in the trenches for the Gators.
One of the names on his board is four-star offensive tackle Shamurad Umarov out of Denmark High in Alpharetta, Georgia. Umarov received an offer from the previous staff in June, but he’s just getting to know the new staff at Florida.
Offensive line coach Rob Sale has been his main point of contact and recently reoffered the 6-foot-6-inch, 299-pounder, according to 247Sports. The hope is that Umarov will be able to visit Gainesville in the coming months to meet with all of the new faces at Florida.
“We haven’t set up a date to get down (to Florida), but I have brought it up with my family,” Umarov said. “I have set up a visit with a few colleges, but we are trying to find the weeks that fit my mom and dad’s schedule.”
Georgia is set to host Umarov on March 19 and Michigan State will get him for a weekend visit April 1-3. Florida, Auburn, Clemson, Kentucky, LSU and North Carolina are the other schools he is focused on arranging trips with. On his last trip to the Swamp, Umarov enjoyed the campus and facilities he saw. Napier’s since made several improvements to the program and the new training facility is on its way.
A successful visit and meeting with Napier’s crew should put Florida on Umarov’s shortlist of schools to consider heading into the summer. He hopes to commit before the start of his senior season, so there’s somewhat of a timeline to follow here. That said, he wouldn’t be the first recruit to delay a decision if the competition is fierce enough.
247Sports ranks Umarov as the No. 15 offensive tackle and the No. 187 overall recruit in the class of 2023.
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