Yale transfer forward EJ Jarvis commits to Florida
Yale transfer power forward EJ Jarvis has committed to Todd Golden and the Florida Gators.
The decision comes just three days after the transfer portal’s No. 75 overall player visited with Golden’s staff in Gainesville.
Over 60 schools reached out to Jarvis after he entered the transfer portal on March 16, and he cut his list to eight schools on March 26. The schools that made the cut were Florida, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Georgetown, VCU, Miami, California and Georgia Tech.
“Ultimately, I committed to Florida because of the the winning culture they are looking to establish on and off the court, the genuine coaching staff, and the incredibly strong fan base,” Jarvis told On3’s Joe Tipton. “Throughout the recruiting process, they made it clear that I was a priority recruit, something other schools didn’t really do. The entire staff really focused on me as a person and not just a player.”
Ultimately, it was the Gators who reeled in the 6-foot-8, 220 pounder, who became the first transfer portal addition for UF. He also became the sixth scholarship player for the Gators heading into the 2023-24 season.
What EJ Jarvis brings to Florida’s roster
The Gators lost CJ Felder as a graduate transfer following the season’s close. Jarvis will add a second four to the UF roster alongside Alex Fudge for next season.
In his final season at Yale, Jarvis elevated his game to become one of the country’s sought after transfers. He averaged 11.3 points and a team high in both rebounds (5.5) and blocks (1.5). He shot 55% from the floor and 40.6% from beyond the arc.
Regardless of who is coming at him while he’s on defense, Jarvis fully plans to get up and look for a rejection near the glass.
For the second season in a row, the Gators struggled to help Colin Castleton around the boards with such a small lineup. Adding Jarvis gives the Gators more depth and simply a willing rebounder and scrapper around the boards.
Offensively, the stats don’t lie. He can shoot it from all over the court, and he has excellent ball skills for a big man. What may be most impressive is his explosiveness when he drives toward the basket.
His versatility puts his defenders in such a tough spot because they’re unsure whether he’s going to drive right to the rack or look to nail a pull up jumper.
Golden and his staff get their guy, but there is still plenty of work to do to fill the Florida roster before the upcoming season.
Stay tuned to Gators Online.
