David Sharpe, a consensus four-star offensive tackle, is one of the top 2014 prospects in Florida. He has plenty of big-name suitors, including offers from Florida, Alabama, Florida State, Auburn, Georgia, Clemson, USC, Ohio State, South Carolina and Nebraska.
David Sharpe Recruit Scouting Report: Star offensive tackle
Sharpe, who is 6’7 and weighs 315 pounds, is from the Providence School of Jacksonville. He’ll be participating in the 2014 U.S. Army All-American Bowl in early January.
While the major recruiting services all agree that he is an outstanding prospect, there is some significant disagreement about where he falls among his peers. ESPN believes he is the 18th-best prospect in the country and the second-best player at his position; 247Sports pretty much agrees, placing him 20th overall and second at his position. Scout and Rivals, on the other hand, rank him considerably lower -- the former places him 14th among OTs and 180th overall, and the latter has him at 23rd and 215th, respectively.
You can follow Sharpe on Twitter here.
Bud Elliott, National Recruiting Analyst: Sharpe is an incredibly intriguing and athletic prospect. Some believe he is the second-best tackle in the country, while others have questions. I think his physical skills are undeniable. He is a bit raw, and I don't think he is the instant-impact type that a Cameron Robinson is. But in time, he could be a very high NFL Draft pick.
The questions I have about Sharpe mostly relate to his other sport -- basketball. Sharpe wants to continue to play hoops in college. That would be fine at some positions, but offensive tackle really is not one of them. The amount of cardiovascular work required to be an effective basketball player, particularly at one the caliber of Florida, is not conducive to maintaining a weight north of 300 pounds, which is required to play left tackle in the SEC. Sharpe will be on a football scholarship, so I suspect this gets worked out in time. The quicker he commits to being just a football player, the better.
