Projecting Andrew Savaiinaea's fit in Gainesville with the Gators
When dissecting the Gators’ final touches to the 2022 class, the first word that comes to mind is unpredictable.
Due to their time of arrival, Billy Napier’s staff was forced to scatter and certaintly worked overtime. On top of that, they parted ways with a flurry of leftover commits from the Dan Mullen era. To say timing was not ideal is likely an understatement.
There was a lot of uncertainity at the time, but Florida ended up hitting the jackpot with safety Kamari Wilson and also swooped in late to edge out Alabama and Georgia for linebacker Shemar James. Then there were the countless amount of prospects who were overlooked by others but received a true evaluation from UF, with one being Andrew Savaiinaea.
Several weeks prior to his official visit, Savaiinaea, a 6-foot-4, 273-pound defensive lineman, told Gators Online that co-defensive coordinator Patrick Toney was communicating with him. Interest in the Washington native was definitely high; however, UF wanted to see more film before taking that next step.
Thankfully for Savaiinaea, the Gators ultimately gave him the green light and hosted him roughly two weeks prior to National Signing Day. From there, he was presented with an offer while on campus, immediately labeled Florida as his leader, and then made a verbal commitment shortly thereafter.
Prior to joining forces with UF, Savaiinaea claimed offers from Oregon, UCLA, California, Oregon State, Washington State and others. There was no doubt he was a Power Five talent; however, from a national standpoint, you could say the 2022 prospect was under-recruited.
And now that Savaiinaea’s recruitment is finalized, I’m sure UF has no complaints about how everything transpired.
For those who have yet to turn on the highlight reel, Gators Online breaks down what Savaiinaea is bringing to Alachua County.
Inside the film room with Savaiinaea
Savaiinaea is far from a finished product but possesses a lean frame. He should have no problem carrying around 290 pounds. He has some positional versatility as well, although he will likely spend the majority of his time along the interior.
When dissecting his skill set, what stands out is his ability to disengage off blocks. He need to develop some go-to moves but does a good job of keeping his head up and then breaking free to record the tackle. Savaiinaea plays with more strength than finesse but is a decent athlete who is aware of his surroundings. He is not a quick-twitch athlete but picks up momentum as he starts to get downhill.
Savaiinaea, a three-star prospect, also has plenty of experience playing tight end; in fact, he is more productive on offense at this stage in his career. For a prospect who is north of 260 pounds, Savaiinaea does a nice job of getting downfield. He flashes reliable hands as well. His future is on defense; however, the fact that he reeled in 300-plus yards and nine touchdowns shows what type of athlete he is.
As I noted above, the best of Savaiinaea has yet to come. He has an intriguing frame that should allow him to pack on weight without impacting much of his athleticism, while there is clear upside from a technical standpoint as well.
I’m excited to see the finished product here. This is more of a long-term prospect with positional versatility.
Stay tuned to Gators Online.
