Gators reel in another from Polk County in 2020 OLB Morven Joseph
Talent-rich Polk County has been quite friendly to Dan Mullen's staff in recent months, and that sentiment proved to be true once again after Florida earned a commitment from Morven Joseph on Friday.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Joseph was rewarded with a Gators offer three weeks ago, and then wasted no time making the trek to Gainesville for a game-changing junior day visit.
Joseph, a fast-rising, hybrid defender from Lakeland (Fla.) Lake Gibson, is equipped with additional offers from Georgia, LSU, Florida State, Miami and Texas A&M among many others.
"It was a really exciting moment for me because it was always a goal and dream to get a scholarship offer from the Gators," Joseph previously told GatorsTerritory. "What I like about the Gators are the coaches and how the players play. They all seem happy and love to play for Dan. (The visit) was good; I really enjoyed it.
"I think their season went really well this year. They played really good. I mean, they went 10-3 this season compared to last season. They made a big jump."
The Gators recently signed the Lakeland trio of Lloyd Summerall, Keon Zipperer and Deyavie Hammond, and currently hold a commitment from Lake Wales' Gervon Dexter as well.
Given his frame and ability to wreak havoc off the edge, UF envisions Joseph kicking off his career at either the BUCK position or outside linebacker. He has experience playing both standing up and with his hand in the dirt, and does a good job of containing and not overplaying the ball carrier.
You also have to take notice of Joseph's ability in open space. He is relentless when tracking down the ball and flashes good backside pursuit. Joseph can work on consistently sinking his hips and lowering his pad level, but is also fairly strong at the point of attack.
Joseph possesses an intriguing frame and makes uses of his length by extending out and using his hands. However, strengthening up the frame will only enhance Joseph's ability to disengage off blockers. He also has no problem breaking down and changing direction once reacting to the ball in the backfield. That is an important trait when holding down BUCK.
Overall, this is a versatile defender who is known for operating around the line of scrimmage and causing headaches for offensive coordinators. Joseph reads and reacts very well, and also does a nice job of navigating through clutter and finding a lane to the ball carrier.
Joseph typically relies on strength by getting his hands inside and bull-rushing his opponent, so developing some more go-to moves is something to focus on as well.
Nick Savage should be able to do wonders with Florida's latest 2020 commit.
In 2018 for the 4-6 Braves, Joseph piled up 62 tackles (40 solo), 18.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.
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