Florida football recruiting: Top-100 DL Kelby Collins becomes Gators’ highest-ranked commit

Football

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Image Credit: Leslie White / UAA

Though the Florida Gators are continuing preparations for the 2022 college football season, head coach Billy Napier and his staff are not taking their collective foot off the gas in recruiting. A summer of hard work and persistence continued to pay off Saturday as four-star defensive lineman Kelby Collins (Gardendale, AL) announced his commitment to the Gators.

Collins (6-foot-5, 280 pounds) immediately becomes Florida’s highest-rated pledge in the Class of 2023. Ranked as the No. 70 overall player and No. 6 defensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite, he committed to UF over Alabama and Georgia in arguably Napier’s biggest recruiting win since taking over the program.

Projected as a three-technique who could develop into an interior beast, Collins will link up with four-stars T.J. Searcy (Thomaston, GA) and Gavin Hill (Gainesville, FL) to create a strong trio of defensive linemen in Florida’s class. He is the second top-100 player to commit to Florida in the last 16 days, joining four-star wide receiver Aidan Mizell (Orlando, FL).

With Collins in tow, the Gators inched up one spot to 12th in the 247Sports Composite team rankings, passing USC. He is the 13th blue-chip prospect Napier’s staff has acquired in the last 53 days with all 13 being the highest-ranked players in UF’s Class of 2023.

Collins is notably just the third of Florida’s 18 commitments who do not presently reside in the Sunshine State. Co-defensive coordinator Sean Spencer, also the Gators’ defensive line coach, served as his primary recruiter.

The Gators now set their sights on a decision from four-star DL Kamran James (Orlando, FL), who is set to announce his commitment Sunday in another Florida-Georgia battle.