At the beginning of the season, University of Florida defensive coordinator Dan Quinn thought safety Matt Elam was playing like he belonged in the NFL.
So far, Elam is living up to that.
Heading into No. 10 Florida’s home game against No. 4 LSU Saturday (3:30 p.m., CBS), he is third on the team with 19 tackles and is one of six Gators to pull down an interception.
“We like the way he can press, cover and blitz, so I’m obviously pleased with Matt,” said Quinn, who was an NFL assistant for 10 seasons before joining Florida last year. “Matt has been really driven and focused. I like where he’s headed and the style that he’s playing with.”
Elam, from Dwyer High School, is a junior and could vault himself into the NFL Draft conversation if he continues playing like one of the best safeties in the SEC. He already is fast enough and has the physique (5-foot-10, 202 pounds) to play professionally.
His versatility also makes him attractive to NFL teams and valuable to Florida (4-0, 3-0 in the SEC). The Gators can trust him to orchestrate the secondary against chaotic passing formations and they are able to move him up to linebacker against the run. He is dangerous blitzing as well.
“He’s shown up in some big situations,” coach Will Muschamp said. “He does a lot of things that maybe go unnoticed, but for us are huge.”
His best game was in Week 3, when the Gators beat then-No. 23 Tennessee 37-20 at Neyland Stadium. Elam had an interception, sacked Tyler Bray for 10-yard loss and had a season-high seven tackles to help secure a crucial SEC road victory.
Since arriving in Gainesville in January 2010, Elam has been on a fast track. He played significant snaps as a backup that year and quickly locked up a starting job as a sophomore.
He has grown up personally, too. Elam was arrested for underage drinking each of his first two years at Florida but has been problem-free since. Most recently, he took his off-season dedication to a new level by training in Gainesville all summer. When other teammates took a weekend off to go home, Elam stayed in town and kept working.
The early return on that effort looks good for him, as well as for the Gators.
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