In this installment of the Recruit Notebook, we meet an elite Safety who can cover the field sideline to sideline and hit as hard as any player in the 2018 recruiting class AT THE SAME DAMN TIME: S Gurvan Hall.
Bio
The Defensive Back class in South Florida for 2018 is one of the most elite groups that there has ever been. With multiple All-Americans, the available talent in the area closest to Miami’s campus is a dream come true.
For the Canes, one of the top targets for years has been S Gurvan Hall. The 5’11” 185lb Hall has starred at 2 Palm Beach County schools — Palm Beach Lakes and Palm Beach Gardens — and is one of the top players nationally at his position.
With 33 scholarship offers to his credit, Hall is a well-known commodity in the recruiting world. When at Palm Beach Lakes as a junior, Hall was the singular prospect that got Alabama Coach Nick Saban to not only come to the school, but land his infamous recruiting helicopter on Lakes’ Football Field.
#Alabama coach Nick Saban has landed in his helicopter at Palm Beach Lakes. #RollTide pic.twitter.com/MqwTsVTahh
— Wells Dusenbury (@DuseReport) January 27, 2017
Despite that show, Miami was the front runner for Hall, and ended up securing a commitment from the talented DB in March 2017. And, with that commitment, Miami got one of the best Safeties in this class to commit to the Canes.
Hall, who played both WR and DB in High School, has been recognized for his skills by being named to the 2018 Under Armour All-American game. He will compete against many of the Nation’s best athletes in this elite recruiting showcase.
On top of that, Hall is the latest Palm Beach County superstar to commit to Miami. He joins WR Ahmmon Richards, RB Travis Homer, and S Amari Carter — who graduated from Palm Beach Gardens in 2017 — as part of the “561 Canes” trend (shoutout to Kev Robins).
Even with the strong push by Saban and Alabama to get him, Miami was always the team to beat in Hall’s recruitment. It took a big effort by S coach Ephraim Banda and the staff to get the job done, but this is the kind of recruiting win that this staff was brought here to get.
Recruiting Ranking
On the 247sports composite, Hall is a 4-star prospect, the #12 Safety in this class, #24 in the State of Florida, and #145 recruit overall.
Hall committed to Miami over Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, and LSU out of a list of 33 scholarship offers.
Hall as a player
Like 2017 signee Amari Carter, Hall is quick to cover ground in the middle of the field and is a violent hitter when given the opportunity. He’s the kind of player who, with one hit, makes receivers and tight ends start having second thoughts about going over the middle, for fear of being Hall’s next victim.
Having played both WR and S in HS, Hall has good athleticism. He’s got good size at 5’11” 185lbs, which is great for a DB but average for a WR. Hall is known to have great instincts, which allow him to be in the right place, and use his physicality to great advantage for his team.
Strengths
- Hitting ability
- Instincts
- Athleticism
- Aggression
Weaknesses
- Average height (vs taller receivers)
- Aggression
- Tackling technique (goes for big hits, needs work wrapping up in space)
2018 Outlook
Hall is a very talented player who is exactly what Miami is looking for at Safety. He’s fast, he’s tough, and he’s PHYSICAL. In the pursuit of building a defense wthat plays with “unwavering violence”, Hall is just the kind of player that Miami covets.
Chances for a redshirt: 2/10
It’s possible that Hall redshirts, but I don’t see it as likely. He should be a key contributor on special teams at a minimum, with a growing role on the defense throughout the season. A similar progress on playing time to what Derrick Smith had in 2017 wouldn’t surprise me at all for Hall.
That’s it for this installment of the Recruit Notebook.