4-star DL Jeramiah McCloud signs with Florida

On Wednesday, 4-star defensive lineman Jeramiah McCloud of Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County signed with the Florida Gators during the Early Signing Period. Here is everything you need to know about him.

Position: Defensive lineman
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3/285 pounds
On3 Industry Rankings: No. 383 prospect | No. 34 defensive lineman | No. 50 prospect in Georgia
Commitment date: 5/2/24
Chose Florida over: Georgia
Time of enrollment: January
McCloud says: “The relationship I have with the coaches, and then the way coach (Billy) Napier is. It’s outside of football too. He talks to my mom. We all have a great relationship. I’m a top priority to them. Coach told me that several times, so it means a lot.”
Notable: Georgia was trending for much of November and leading into the Early Signing Period, but Florida was able to keep McCloud in the class.
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What the Gators are getting in Jeramiah McCloud

Whether it’s providing backside pursuit or disengaging off blocks, McCloud’s determination is evident. He does a great job of playing until the whistle and is a headache to deal with for four quarters. Even if the play is downfield, he doesn’t let up whatsoever. McCloud is always on the hunt and making sure he makes his way into the stat book. He provides plenty of positive emotion and is the heartbeat of his defense.

You also have to like McCloud’s disruptive style of play. Yes, the effort is on display, but another level is reached once contact is made. He shows violent hands to disengage off blocks and is always looking to create a turnover, often by forced fumble. He even does a good job of ripping at the ball when the play is nearly dead and players are letting up. That ties into his effort we mentioned above. Once making contact, it’s typically a not-so-pleasant landing for the ball carrier. McCloud is a lot to deal with.

Florida should have some options with McCloud. He might fit best as a 3-4 defensive end but has the frame and forceful style to play inside full time. McCloud has an impressive get off and navigates upfield fairly quickly. His ability to disengage and athleticism at nearly 6-foot-3, 285 pounds could allow him to shift out as a pass rusher; however, he could also use speed to his advantage inside. McCloud’s effort and explosion off the ball has many intrigued in Gainesville.

Although he wreaks havoc behind the line, McCloud still needs improvement on the technical side. Constructing some go-to moves will be key when playing in the SEC. He shows a decent bull rush when exploding upfield, but adding some finesse will only enhance his skill set. Effort and strength can only go so far against the talent he will see on Saturdays. McCloud already has strong hands to disengage though, so that creativeness should ultimately blossom. Time is on his side.

Knowing McCloud’s effort and intensity, it’s no surprise good awareness comes along with it. When setting the edge, he does a good job of keeping his eyes forward and not overreacting. He dissects what’s in front of him fairly quickly and then pounces once given the opportunity. The combination of short-area quickness and reaction time typically keeps McCloud one step ahead of the competition. Even when navigating in clutter, he rarely loses sight of the ball and is typically involved at the end. — GO’s Corey Bender