While it’s not yet official, it appears Florida will lose its top playmaker in the secondary to the professional ranks.
Speaking to Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post, safety Matt Elam‘s high school coach Jack Daniels (whiskey up!!!!) intimated, as most had thought, that it’s a foregone conclusion the All-American will bypass his last season of eligibility and make himself available for the April NFL draft. The fact that Elam would likely be a first-round pick if he left early has the West Palm Beach Dwyer (Fla.) High School coach questioning why his former player wouldn’t leave collegiate eligibility on the table for a shot in the football bigs.
“I think he’s got his mind made up,” Daniels told Lieser. “He’s gone.
“He has the opportunity to be a high draft choice and make more in his signing bonus than most people make in 30 years. It’d be a bad business decision if he didn’t. If somebody told you they’d pay you a million dollars, would you go back to school?”
Following a year that saw him lead the Gators in interceptions with four and finish the regular season second in tackles with 65 and tackles for loss with 10, Elam was named first-team All-American by the Associated Press. As a five-star member of UF’s 2010 recruiting class, Elam was rated as the No. 2 safety in the country... the No. 3 player in the state of Florida... and the No. 25 player at any position.