One of Florida’s biggest positions of need this offseason is defensive tackle because starting nose tackle Cam Jackson and primary backup Desmond Watson are out of eligibility.
Replacing more than 650 defensive snaps is no easy task, but the answer may come from a familiar SEC foe. Kentucky transfer lineman [autotag]Keeshawn Silver[/autotag] is one of the most coveted defensive tackles in the portal, and Florida is on the shortlist for the former five-star recruit.
On3’s Pete Nakos reported Florida, Miami, Michigan and USC are the schools that make up Silver’s top four. He’ll visit each program over the next week. He’s in Gainesville from Tuesday to Wednesday, then to Miami from Wednesday to Thursday, followed by trips to Southern California on Thursday and Michigan on Friday.
Silver spent his first two collegiate seasons with North Carolina, redshirting in 2021 and playing off the bench in three games the following year. He transferred to Kentucky ahead of the 2023 season and has played more than 600 snaps over the past two seasons for the Wildcats. He has 46 career tackles and a sack.
Pro Football Focus gave him defensive grades of 64.6 in 2023 and 62.5 this season. He has 18 defensive pressures over the past two years.
Silver is the top defensive lineman and is No. 24 overall in the On3 industry transfer portal rankings. 247Sports has him at No. 7 among defensive linemen (including edge defenders) and No. 29 overall.
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