Tag: Keary Colbert

Broncos sent their WR coach to Malachi Corley’s pro day

Broncos wide receivers coach Keary Colbert went to Western Kentucky’s pro day last week to scout receiver Malachi Corley.

After trading wide receiver Jerry Jeudy to the Cleveland Browns, the Denver Broncos addressed the position in free agency by signing Josh Reynolds. Denver now has decent depth at WR, but the team is still seeking more help at the position.

The Broncos sent their wide receivers coach, Keary Colbert, to Western Kentucky’s pro day last week, according to Jim Nagy. One of the top prospects at the Hilltoppers’ pro day was receiver Malachi Corley.

Corley (5-11, 215 pounds) did not participate in drills at the NFL combine earlier this offseason. Scouts hand-timed him running a 40-yard dash “in the mid-4.4 range” at his pro day, according to Nagy.

Corley had a breakout season as a sophomore in 2022, catching 101 passes for 1,295 yards and 11 touchdowns in 14 games. In 12 games last fall, Corley wrapped up his college career with 79 receptions for 984 yards and 11 scores.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has compared Corley to Deebo Samuel, who was a second-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft out of South Carolina. Corley is also projected to be a second-round pick in this year’s draft.

The Broncos do not currently hold a second-round pick after trading for coach Sean Payton last year, but Denver could acquire more picks via trade. The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.

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Broncos attended QB Michael Pratt’s pro day

The Broncos were in attendance at Tulane’s pro day on Tuesday to scout quarterback Michael Pratt.

The Denver Broncos are continuing to take a close look at quarterbacks leading up to the 2024 NFL draft.

The Broncos were one of five teams to send a position coach (wide receivers coach Keary Colbert) to Tulane’s pro day on Tuesday, according to Jim Nagy. Colbert was likely sent to New Orleans to work with Green Wave wide receiver Jha’Quan Jackson, but Denver is also taking a close look at Pratt.

The Broncos previously met with Pratt at the Senior Bowl (multiple times) and at the NFL combine earlier this offseason. The 6-2, 216-pound quarterback completed 60.6% of his passes for 9,611 yards with 90 touchdowns against 26 interceptions in four years (46 games) at Tulane.

Denver coach Sean Payton has some connections to the Green Wave’s coaching staff, so he should be well-informed on Pratt as a prospect. Last year, Pratt told Tulane sideline reporter Maddy Hudak that he studies film of former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, which might be of note to Payton.

If the Broncos do not land one of the top QB prospects in this year’s class, Pratt could be a target for Denver in the mid-rounds. Most mock drafts have Pratt going off the board in the fourth round, where the Broncos hold pick No. 121. The 2024 NFL draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27.

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Keary Colbert returns to Broncos as a coach 15 years after playing for team

Fifteen years after playing wide receiver for the Broncos, Keary Colbert has returned to the team as a WRs coach.

The Denver Broncos made sweeping changes to the coaching staff this offseason, including bringing in a new wide receivers coach.

Keary Colbert, 40, joined the team earlier this month after spending 13 years coaching at the college level. Before becoming a coach, Colbert played wide receiver from 2004-2011, spending time with five NFL teams, one CFL team and a former UFL team.

Colbert went to training camp with the Broncos in 2008 and appeared in two games that season before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks. He spent the majority of his career with the Carolina Panthers before retiring in 2012 with 130 receptions for 1,629 yards and eight touchdowns on his resume.

Colbert started his coaching career as a graduate student at his alma mater, USC, before later spending time at Pace Academy, Georgia State and Alabama. He returned to the Trojans in 2016 and remained at the school until 2022 when he joined Florida’s staff.

Colbert won two SEC titles and a national championship as an offensive analyst at Alabama and later coached receivers Michael Pittman Jr., Amon-Ra St. Brown and Drake London at the college level. He’s now set to return to the NFL for the first time since his retirement, this time as a coach.

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Gators to get recently offered WR on campus in late March

The end of the month is filling up with big-name visits.

We are a little more than halfway through March and Florida football’s recruiting efforts continue to roll along as the spring schedule continues to unfurl. [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. have been working hard at getting the top prep prospects on campus to see what the Swamp has to offer them, and recently, another big name added Gainesville to his itinerary.

Four-star wide receiver [autotag]Chance Robinson[/autotag] out of Fort Lauderdale (Florida) St. Thomas Aquinas recently told Gators Online that he plans to pay a visit with the Orange and Blue on March 25 — his first face-to-face meeting with the Gators since receiving an offer from former assistant coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] back in January. He previously attended last year’s Orange and Blue Game.

Colbert had been spearheading the efforts to lure the high school junior to Florida before departing for the NFL, leaving running backs quality control coach [autotag]Benedick Hyppolite[/autotag] and assistant receivers coach [autotag]David Doeker[/autotag] in charge until the arrival of wide receivers coach [autotag]Billy Gonzalez[/autotag].

“It’s still good. Everyone from the staff is still reaching out to me. Coach Hyppolite is always working with the receivers and reaching out to me. He’s also a South Florida guy,” Robinson told Gators Online.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 180-pound pass-catcher has been considering official visits to see the Georgia Bulldogs, Auburn Tigers and Penn State Nittany Lions while also receiving offers from the Alabama Crimson Tide, Michigan Wolverines, Miami Hurricanes, LSU Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers and South Carolina Gamecocks, among others.

Robinson is ranked No. 107 overall and No. 19 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 92 and 17, respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine currently has the Florida State Seminoles ahead of the pack for his talents with a 37.8% chance of landing him, while the Hurricanes, Gators and Nittany Lions trail behind at 22.4%, 10.1% and 8.4%, respectively.

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Gators get two-time national champion assistant coach back on sidelines

The third time is hopefully the charm for newly hired wide receivers coach Billy Gonzalez.

Florida football found its replacement for departing wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag], who recently departed the collegiate ranks to join the Denver Broncos. The man for the job is none other than former Gators assistant [autotag]Billy Gonzalez[/autotag], who held the same position twice before in the Swamp before returning for a third time, according to Gators Online’s Nick de la Torre.

Gonzalez’s previous stops in Gainesville came under [autotag]Urban Meyer[/autotag] from 2005-2009 when he was the wide receivers coach for all five years as well as recruiting coordinator from 2008-2009. His second stint with Florida came when [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] took the reins in 2018 and came to a close after the head coach’s dismissal in 2021.

The well-traveled assistant coach also spent time with the LSU Tigers in 2010-11 as the passing game coordinator and receivers coach before heading north for a season as co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach with the Illinois Illini, after which he reconnected with Mullen with the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

After leaving Florida, Gonzalez spent the 2022 season with the Florida Atlantic Owls and took a job with the Marshall Thundering Herd as tight ends coach in February before jumping on his latest opportunity with the Orange and Blue.

Funny enough, he replaced his own replacement at his latest gig. My how the turntables.

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Broncos coaching staff update: Final pieces falling into place

The Broncos are expected to add Joe Lombardi, Keary Colbert, Michael Wilhoite and Greg Manusky to their coaching staff.

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is getting closer to adding the final pieces to his staff.

In addition to hiring Vance Joseph as the team’s new defensive coordinator on Thursday, Payton also hired Joe Lombardi for the offensive staff, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. It’s not yet clear if Lombardi will serve as the offensive coordinator or in another role.

Lombardi worked under Payton in three different roles with the New Orleans Saints, including as a quarterbacks coach from 2016-2020. He served as offensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Chargers from 2021-2022 before reuniting with Payton in Denver.

Payton also hired wide receivers coach Keary Colbert on Thursday, according to a report from On3.com’s Matt Zenitz. Colbert, a former Broncos receiver, coached at the University of Florida last fall. Before that, Colbert coached at USC from 2016-2021, helping develop a group of receivers including Michael Pittman Jr., Amon-Ra St. Brown and Drake London.

Denver is also bringing in Davis Webb as quarterbacks coach, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Webb spent time as a backup QB with three teams — most recently with the New York Giants last year — before joining the Broncos as a coach.

On special teams, Denver will hire Chris Banjo as an assistant special teams coach, according to Klis. Banjo, 32, is a former safety who was just officially cut by the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday. Banjo played under Payton in New Orleans and under new Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph in Arizona.

Meanwhile, on the defensive side of the ball, Denver is hiring Michael Wilhoite as its new linebackers coach, according to Klis. He coached under Payton with the Saints from 2019-2020.

Wilhoite will presumably oversee the outside linebackers because Greg Manusky is joining the team as their inside linebackers coach, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He has DC experience with four NFL teams and most recently coached ILBs with the Minnesota Vikings last season.

Joseph’s defensive staff will also include holdover defensive line coach Marcus Dixon and defensive backs coach Christian Parker, NFL Network’s James Palmer confirmed Thursday. Klis had previously reported that the Broncos hoped to keep Dixon and Parker on staff regardless of who was hired as DC.

Ben Steele, who served as Denver’s assistant offensive line coach last season, will not be staying. Steele has joined the Arizona Cardinals as their new tight ends coach. We are tracking all of the changes to the Broncos’ coaching staff on this page.

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Gators losing third coaching assistant to NFL

A third Florida assistant coach is leaving the team for an NFL job just a few weeks before spring practices begin.

After losing defensive coordinator/safeties coach Patrick Toney and tight ends coach William Peagler to the Arizona Cardinals on Wednesday, Florida is losing wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] on Tuesday, according to a report from Matt Zenitz of On3.

Colbert will join the Denver Broncos staff as a wide receivers coach, the same position he held with Florida and USC since 2018. Colbert was one of the top position recruiters for the Gators in the 2023 cycle, bringing in a trio of four-star freshmen that are viewed as the future receiving core of the program. Florida will have to find a replacement for him both on the field and off it.

Colbert had been considered for a few NFL jobs over the past few weeks, but it was Denver who wanted him most. The Broncos are getting a coach that’s developed several NFL players at the college level. Atlanta‘s Drake London, Indianapolis‘ Michael Pittman Jr. and Detroit‘s Amon-Ra St. Brown all played under him.

This will be a return of sorts for Colbert to Denver, although he only played two games for the Broncos in 2008 before being traded to Seattle. It will be his first time coaching at the professional level.

For Florida, Billy Napier has under two weeks to find a replacement and get them on campus if he wants to have a full staff for the start of spring camp. Things were far from perfect in Year 1 of Napier’s time at Florida, and he has an opportunity to correct some of the issues on the coaching staff with three departures. Unfortunately, Colbert’s shoes will be tough to fill for whoever steps into the role next.

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2024 in-state WR target being recruited by top Florida QB commit

The Florida Gators’ are putting some effort into the 2024 class, with their blue-chip QB commit building a relationship with a highly-coveted in-state WR prospect.

It seems like [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag], the No. 2 quarterback prospect in the 2024 class, was serious when he said he wanted to help the Florida Gators build out the 2024 class.

[autotag]Terrance Moore[/autotag] is the latest player to receive a call from Lagway. The 6-foot-4-inch, 190-pound wide receiver recently spoke with On3’s Gators Online, mentioning how Lagway and the Florida staff are building a relationship with them in the hopes he joins the Orange and Blue’s 2024 class. As Moore narrows down his over 40 offers, the Gators look to highlight how close to home the SEC program is.

Only a couple hours’ drive from Gainesville, the Hillsborough County native told On3 that head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] have been in contact, praising his game and hyping up the opportunity to play in front of the atmosphere that The Swamp creates. It also helps that Moore’s mother’s side of the family is part of the Gator Nation, describing themselves as Florida fans.

In addition to talking about his conversations with Napier, Colbert, & DJ Lagway, Moore told On3 that he could be in Gainesville next month after the dead period ends, joining a group of high-priority targets for the Gators. That would be a positive for Florida, as Moore is not sure what his official visit situation will look like this year.

According to the On3 consensus, the Tampa Catholic pass catcher is a three-star prospect. He holds offers from multiple big programs such as Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, Notre Dame, USC, Oregon, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Michigan, and many more. According to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, UCF, Florida State, and Miami are the top three teams in his recruiting, perhaps a future sign of recruiting with the other three Power Five programs in the state.

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Top 2024 LSU Tigers commit talks Florida visit this spring

The Gators are looking to poach this fellow SEC’s recruit.

One of the best wide receivers in the 2024 class has expressed an interest in visiting the Florida Gators, despite being committed to the LSU Tigers since July 2022.

Joseph Stone has been on the Gators’ radar since [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] was in charge of the football program. When [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] took over, Stone’s offer from the Orange and Blue was rescinded, but not for long. Napier reoffered the Fairburn, Georgia, native and has been recruiting him relentlessly ever since.

Stone, a 5-foot-11-inch, 180-pound, four-star prospect recently told 247Sports that multiple Florida coaches have been building a relationship with him, something that Mullen’s staff did not do. Wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] and assistant wide receivers coach [autotag]David Doeker[/autotag] have been Stone’s primary points of contact throughout the recruitment process. Both coaches have shown how much attention to detail they pay, telling Stone exactly the things they like in his game such as his twitch and the discipline he shows in his game.

Despite having conversations with the Gators’ staff, Stone has been committed to LSU for over six months. He is currently one of eight members of LSU’s 2024 class, with 247Sports listing him as the second-highest recruit in the class. Not only will Florida have to convince Stone to flip, but they will also have to fight off programs such as Miami, Texas A&M, Penn State, Oklahoma, and Florida State, just to name a few schools that Stone has expressed interest in visiting.

With no official date in sight for Stone’s visit to Gainesville, he did mention March or April as possible dates to make his first visit to The Swamp since Napier took over.

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Another 5-star 2024 WR plans visit to Florida for LSU game

Florida will host the top two receivers in the class of 2024 on Oct. 15 when the LSU Tigers come to town, per reports.

For those who aren’t caught up to speed on the class of 2024 yet, two of the top receivers in the group hail from Chaminade-Madonna Preparatory School in Hollywood, Florida. Their names are [autotag]Joshisa Trader[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeremiah Smith[/autotag]. Each has received a five-star designation on the On3 consensus and is ranked within the top five regardless of position.

As one might expect, the Florida Gators are looking to keep the in-state talents in-state, and the next step is an unofficial visit from the dynamic duo on Oct. 15, according to Gators Online.

LSU comes into town that day, and the list of blue-chip visitors is growing by the hour. Extending Trader an invitation is smart for a few reasons. First, getting him and Smith on campus at the same time could help amplify the impact of the visit. Wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] has put together a strong class of pass catchers for 2023, but he’s looking to land the best of the best in 2024.

The second and perhaps more important reason is that Trader has been vocal recently about Florida’s lack of effort when it comes to recruiting him. He flat-out said Florida could do more, and this is an appropriate response if Colbert is serious about landing five-star recruits. Chaminade-Madonna has arguably the top receiving core in the country, and a little more effort could help bring that group to Gainesville.

UF still has Ohio State, Miami and Texas A&M to beat out for Trader’s services, and the Buckeyes are heavy favorites as the top wide receiver destination in the country right now, but the door is certainly open with well over a year until the class of 2024 puts pen to paper.

It’ll be interesting to see what Trader and Smith think about UF after experiencing a game day in the Swamp, especially an LSU game day.

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