Three-star OL Noel Portnjagin signs with Florida
Three-star recruit Noel Portnjagin of Schwäbisch Hall (Germany) signed his National Letter of Intent with the Florida Gators on Wednesday, which is National Signing Day. Here’s everything you need to know about him.
Position: Offensive tackle/interior OL
Height/Weight: 6-foot-5 /315 pounds
On3 Industry Rankings: No. 67 OT
Commitment date: 6/14/23
Chose Florida over: South Carolina
Time of enrollment: January
Portnjagin says: “Florida was great. From the beginning, the facility was really impressive and I liked everything. The camp was tough and hard, but that’s why I want to play at the next level. Everything was just as spectacular as it gets. The coaches I talked to and worked with were always positive to me. The head coach always smiled, so he just gave me a positive vibe. Even when I made a mistake (in camp), the coaches told me in a positive way how to fix that problem. They were great.”
Notable: Portnjagin played for the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns of the German Football League. He earned offers from schools such as Florida, Auburn and South Carolina during a college camp tour. … Portnjagin is the No. 2-ranked prospect in Europe, according to Europe’s Elite.
Social Media: Twitter (@74_noel_); Instagram (@74_noel)
What the Gators are getting in Noel Portnjagin
Scouting report: What immediately stands out is Portnjagin’s agility in space. This is a prospect who does a great job of getting to the next level and assisting downfield as the play progresses. Once pushing the defensive lineman out of play, Portnjagin quickly advances to the second level to put a hat on another defender.
For being an inexperienced prospect playing overseas, Portnjagin boasts a strong football IQ. He is typically aware of his surroundings and performs his job with fluidity. There is not much choppiness. Playing with that type of confidence and awareness is a major plus for any offensive line. You can tell he has watched football a long time.
Portnjagin is more advanced in pass protection than one would think. He does a good job of being patient and rarely lunges at the opponent. There will be a major adjustment in terms of speed and quickness, but some intriguing technical traits are in place.
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At times, you’d like to see Portnjagin finish blocks with more force. He is an aggressive prospect who is always on the hunt but getting underneath with leverage will help with that. Portnjagin also has to strengthen his frame.
He does enough to create a lane and make the defender a non-factor before ultimately breaking away for another opponent. That would not be possible if Portnjagin was on the ground following a pancake block, so you can view it a few different ways.
It’s going to take time for the German to find his bearings and adjust to the talent level of the SEC, but we love his work ethic and the raw traits he possesses. — Corey Bender, On3
