Chris Rumph first saw Jachai Polite play at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Fla., in 2015.
Rumph was an assistant at the University of Florida at the time, and the Gators were looking at Polite initially as a tight end. Then, Rumph saw Polite play defensive end against a top-rated tackle who had committed to Auburn.
“He just proceeded to wear this guy out,” Rumph, now the defensive coordinator at Tennessee, said by phone Wednesday. “We were like, ‘Boys, we got us one.’ ”
Polite did commit to Florida and became one of the best pass rushers in college football last season, with 11 sacks and six forced fumbles, the most in the country.