Alabama lands its’ first transfer portal addition of the cycle.
The Alabama Crimson Tide are now officially on the board when it comes to landing players via the transfer portal, as Florida Gators defensive lineman Kelby Collins officially committed to the program Tuesday night.
Collins is the first transfer portal addition for Alabama so far this cycle.
A name that might be familiar to some Crimson Tide fans, Collins is a former highly-rated four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle who was from the state of Alabama where he attended Gardendale High School. According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Collins was the nation’s No. 42 overall player in the class, as well as the No. 5 defensive lineman.
Committing to Florida out of high school, Collins has spent the past two seasons in Gainesville where he has amassed a combined 29 tackles, two TFL, 1.5 sacks, one PD, and one fumble recovery. This past season, Collins appeared in six games where he had six tackles for the Gators.
Collins projects to be an instant-impact player for Alabama’s defensive unit in 2025 as a lineman who could line up either inside or outside.
BREAKING: Florida transfer DL/EDGE Kelby Collins has Committed to Alabama, he tells @on3sports
The 6’5 270 DL/EDGE totaled 29 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 1 FF, 15 QB hurries, & 2 QB Hits in his time at UF
The edge defender exodus in Gainesville continued on Tuesday with TJ Searcy’s transfer portal announcement.
Sophomore edge defender [autotag]TJ Searcy[/autotag] is the latest Florida Gator to announce his departure from the program and enter the transfer portal.
“After much prayer and great consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal,” Searcy said in a written statement posted to social media. “I’m excited for the next chapter of my journey and look forward to the opportunities ahead.”
Searcy played the third-most snaps (362) among Florida edge defenders this season, earning a 70.0 overall grade on defense from Pro Football Focus. He was Florida’s best edge defender in coverage (77.9), according to PFF.
A consensus four-star recruit out of high school, Searcy signed with Florida as a member of the class of 2023 and played in all 12 games as a true freshman. He earned Freshman All-SEC honors and ended his time in Gainesville with 60 total tackles (29 solo), 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Florida’s options at EDGE in 2025
Searcy is the sixth edge defender from Florida to leave the program for the transfer portal, following [autotag]Justus Boone[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Capers[/autotag] (walk-on), [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag], [autotag]Quincy Ivory[/autotag] and [autotag]Jack Pyburn[/autotag].
Those departures may indicate that veteran edge defenders George Gumbs Jr. and Tyreak Sapp intend to return, although neither has officially announced a decision. Behind those two are Kamran James and LJ McCray, and Florida is adding four-star recruit Jayden Woods to the position room.
The only scholarship loss from this group through graduation is specialist [autotag]Ja’Markis Weston[/autotag]. Walk-on [autotag]Tyreik Norwood[/autotag] also concluded his eligibility.
Walk-ons [autotag]Titus Bullard[/autotag], [autotag]Charles Emanuel III[/autotag] and [autotag]Layne Swafford[/autotag] could also return.
There’s also a chance Florida will be active in the edge defender market during the winter transfer period. Amaris Williams, a former five-star recruit and Florida commit, is leaving Auburn and is a priority target.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
A position change left 2023 All-SEC Freshman Team defensive lineman Kelby Collins in limbo at Florida this year. He’ll enter the transfer portal next week.
The Florida Gators are losing defensive lineman/edge defender [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] to the transfer portal, according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett.
Collins spent 2023 in the edge defender room, playing 228 of 274 defensive snaps at either end or linebacker, but he transitioned to an interior role in 2024. His snap count plummeted to 58 this season — 35 at tackle and 23 off the edge — thanks to the emergence of Jack Pyburn as a pass rusher. Thirty of Collins’ snaps this season came in Week 4 against Mississippi State.
“I think Kelby is in a room that’s deep,” head coach Billy Napier said in last month. “I think it’s very competitive in that room. I think there’s obviously some veteran players, and then I think he’s in between roles in terms of the different things that he can do.
“But he’s still a young player, and I think obviously it’s all about improvement. It’s all about getting better at your craft, and you got to work while you wait, and you may not like your role, but you have to work hard to improve and embrace that role and try to earn more.”
Collins made the All-SEC Freshman Team in 2023, and rather than wait behind more experienced edge defenders in a tweener role, he can transfer out and return to his natural position full-time.
Pro Football Focus gave him a 69.7 grade on defense in 2023 and a 69.4 grade this season. He led all Florida edge rushers against the run (72.6) last year.
Collins is the eighth Gator to announce an intent to enter the transfer portal. Edge defenders Justus Boone, Bryce Capers (walk-on) and Quincy Ivory (JUCO transfer, 2023), wide receiver Andy Jean, cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson and walk-on Safety Ahman Covington are all leaving the program as well.
Florida’s Options on the Defensive Line
Although Collins was listed as an edge defender on Florida’s official roster, we’ll cover the Gators’ options at both EDGE and defensive tackle for next year.
Edge defenders
Collins is the fourth edge defender to leave the program this offseason, following Justus Boone, Quincy Ivory and walk-on Bryce Capers.
Tyreak Sapp and Jack Pyburn have a year of eligibility remaining, and Boone’s departure could signal an intent to return for both. Even if both players were to depart, Northern Illinois transfer George Gumbs Jr. played a significant role in Florida’s defensive front this year, and a number of young players are hungry for more snaps.
Kamran James, LJ McCray and TJ Searcy are all set to return, barring any future transfer announcements. Florida will add four-star recruit Jayden Woods to the position room this spring, as well.
The Gators are only losing one scholarship player from the position room to graduation, specialist Ja’Markis Weston. Walk-on Tyreik Norwood is also out of eligibility.
Walk-ons Titus Bullard, Charles Emanuel III and Layne Swafford also have enough eligibility to return to the roster.
Defensive tackle
The Gators are losing three key members of its interior defensive line rotation to graduation: starting nose tackle Cam Jackson, grad transfer Joey Slackman (Penn) and fan-favorite Desmond Watson, who played the third most snaps in the position room.
Redshirt junior Caleb Banks has a decision to make between going pro and returning for a fifth year of college ball. He’s led the position room in snaps played in each of his seasons with Florida Gators — Banks transferred from Louisville ahead of the 2023 campaign.
Redshirt sophomore Jamari Lyons is expected to return after missing the entirety of the 2024 season with a broken ankle suffered in fall camp. However, coming back from a major injury could limit him early in the year.
A pair of junior college transfers are likely to return in junior Brien Taylor Jr. and redshirt freshman Tarvorise Brown. The Gators also have true freshmen Michai Boireau and D’Antre Robinson on the roster. Both saw the field for more than 100 snaps this season.
Florida has four defensive linemen under commitment from the class of 2025: four-stars Joseph Mbatchou, Jeramiah McCloud and Jalen Wiggins and three-star Stephon Shivers.
Walk-ons Nicolas Flynn (R-So.) and Sebastian Scott (R-Fr.) should return as well.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
The most competitive position room in Gainesville might be the edge rushers. Led by two veterans of the program, Florida has plenty of options.
Next up in Gators Wire’s position preview series is the edge corps.
Billy Napier says that the edge rushers might be the most competitive unit on the team heading into the season and it’s easy to see why. Two veterans are at the top of the depth chart for the ‘F’ position, and there’s depth at jack too.
If those position names are unfamiliar, don’t worry. They aren’t a part of the typical nomenclature football fans are used to seeing. The F, or fox, position is a hybrid of the outside linebacker and defensive end position that requires more versatility than the jack, whose strength is often against the run.
The fox needs to be able to drop back in coverage and act as an extra pass rusher when needed. It’s among the most complex positions in Florida’s defensive scheme, but it’s a sure marker of a modern defense.
Let’s take a look at every edge rusher on Florida’s roster. Check out Gators Wire’s other position previews for the 2024 season below.
There’s good news and bad news here. Two of Florida’s edge rushers are dealing with injuries to start the season, but one is close to making a comeback.
[autotag]Justus Boone[/autotag] tore his ACL a year ago and missed the entire 2023 season. It was a devastating injury to the unit, but now Boone is ready to return and is a clear team leader. We’ll have to wait for the official depth chart to see where Boone lands, but he’s expected to be one of the main faces up front for Florida this year.
In 2022, Boone played 282 snaps for Florida and earned a 73.2 overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus. His weak point was tackling (57.4), but Boone was the best coverage guy in the position room that year. If healthy, we could see him fit into the starting fox spot and Tyreak Sapp moves back to a true defensive end role.
“Boone has been one of the best leaders that we had,” Napier said. “Losing him last year was a big deal. Not only because of his production on the field and the depth issue there but also just his passion, his ability to affect people.”
Starting ‘F’: No. 94 Tyreak Sapp (R-Jr.)
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
Defensive Stats:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
INT
FF
FR
2022
13
8
12
20
0.5
0
0
0
0
2023
11
12
12
24
4.5-18
2-12
0
2
0
Total
24
20
24
44
5-19
2-12
0
2
0
[autotag]Tyreak Sapp[/autotag] is the other veteran leader of the unit and he’s close friends with Boone. The two are hoping to take the field together this year, but they might do a bit of switching off at the fox position to start the year.
He stepped up big time in the wake of Boone’s injury and is Florida’s best-returning edge rusher statically. Pro Football Fous gave him a 74.4 overall grade on defense, second only to Princely Umanmielen in the position room, and he was an excellent tackler (85.1) without giving up too much in other areas.
“Sapp and Boone were here when we first got here, and both have been awesome,” Napier said. “They have great practice habits. They bring energy. They’ve got personalities that I think rub off on the team and the group. Those two have been in the trenches together for a couple of years now.”
Similar to the F, there are two players in contention for the starting jack linebacker role, sophomores [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]TJ Searcy[/autotag]. Both played north of 250 snaps last season and excelled in different roles.
Collins is the better run defender and pass rusher, giving him an overall edge, but Searcy is an elite tackler and might be the best-returning edge in coverage. The platoon spells itself out here, but we could see both on the field together in theory.
The defensive line and edge rooms are a bit fluid, and Collins could even end up playing somewhere on the interior with [autotag]Jamari Lyons[/autotag] out for the year. That gives way to Searcy as the full-time jack and allows some of the younger guys on the depth chart to see the field too.
Backup ‘F’: No. 24 Kamran James (So.) or No. 17 LJ McCray (Fr.)
Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun
Kamran James:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
INT
FF
FR
2023
12
6
17
23
1.5-6
1.5-6
0
1
0
[autotag]Kamran James[/autotag] appeared in all 12 games for Florida a year ago, but mostly in a special teams role. James should see the field more often in Year 2 as a Gator, though.
James is one of the rare players who can fit in at both fox and jack, so he’s going to be in the second unit in some capacity. Pro Football Focus gave him a 62.5 defensive grade over 77 snaps last season.
Then there’s true freshman [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag], a former five-star recruit who was considered the defensive crown jewel of Florida’s 2024 recruiting class. Players with that kind of hype are often told they’ll get early playing time, and it’s hard to see McCray not being a factor by mid-October.
It takes some time for the young guys to adjust to the speed of the college game, but McCray is going to get the chance.
Backup JACK: No. 34 George Gumbs Jr. (R-Jr.) and No. 44 Jack Pyburn (Jr.)
Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images
George Gumbs Jr:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
INT
FF
FR
2021*
4
0
0
0
0-0
0-0
0
0
0
2022*
7
0
0
0
0-0
0-0
0
0
0
2023*
12
15
17
32
6.5-20
3.5-15
0
2
0
Total
23
15
17
32
6.5-20
3.5-15
0
2
0
* = while at Northern Illinois
A former tight-end turned linebacker, [autotag]George Gumbs Jr[/autotag]. is certainly one of the more interesting players in Florida’s edge room. He’s often named among the players expected to see the field regularly this season, but he still needs some development.
Gumbs should line up on the weak side at jack for Florida behind Searcy. James might be ahead of him, too, but he’s still more likely to line up at the fox, at least until McCray gets his feet on the ground.
Jack Pyburn:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
INT
FF
FR
2022
8
3
0
3
0-0
0-0
0
0
0
2023
9
6
11
17
1-1
0-0
0
0
0
Total
17
9
11
20
1-1
0-0
0
0
0
[autotag]Jack Pyburn[/autotag] is also working his way back from a torn ACL, suffered in the middle of last season. He’s ready to return to game action, but he’ll be used in as a rotational backup to both positions similar to James. The injury should hold him back a little, but Pyburn made a name for himself as a strong tackler last year over 124 snaps.
[autotag]Ja’Markis Weston[/autotag] started off as a receiver for Florida before switching over to the defensive side of the ball a year ago. Entering his final year of college ball, Weston is set to be a designated pass rusher for Florida, according to Billy Napier.
The short of it is that Weston will enter the game on obvious passing downs and do what he does best, get after the quarterback. It’s not the most glorified role on the team, but it’s Weston’s path to playing football at the next level. He’s also going to remain in the gunner role on special teams.
“Ja’Markis was considering maybe pursuing the NFL last year,” Napier said. “We had quite a few conversations. I can still remember where I was at when he called me and told me, said, ‘Coach, I’m coming back,’ because I thought it was a big deal for our team.”
Quincy Ivory:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
INT
FF
FR
2023
8
1
0
1
0-0
0-0
0
0
0
Quincy Ivory joined the team last year as a JUCO transfer and saw all of two snaps as an edge rusher. That role should be increased this year, but it’s hard to see Ivory breaking into meaningful snaps anywhere but the special teams unit.
Walk-Ons: No. 36 Bryce Capers (R-So.), No. 45 Layne Swafford (R-Fr.), No. 55 Charles Emanuel III (Fr.), No. 59 Titus Bullard (Fr.) and No. 91 Tyreik Norwood (R-Sr.)
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
Florida has five non-scholarship edge rushers on its 2024 roster.
The senior-most walk-on is Tyreik Norwood, who is entering his seventh year in college athletics. He played four years with Kentucky Wesleyan before walking on at Florida in the fall of 2022. He’s yet to see the field as a Gator, but that might change this season. Napier likes rewarding loyalty, and FCS Samford in Week 2 could present the right opportunity.
Bryce Capers chose to attend Florida as a preferred walk-on in 2022 and ended up playing in three games as a true freshman while redshirting. He didn’t see the field at all last year, but maybe the pattern is every other year for him.
Redshirt freshman Layne Swafford is the final returning walk-on in the position room. He was another PWO who joined the program in the summer of 2023. No appearances yet, but Swafford still has four years of eligibility to see the field.
The two newcomers in the edge room are Titus Bullard and Charles Emanuel III. Both joined the Gators over the summer, so they are likely just scouting team players for now, but Bullard’s name should sound familiar. He’s the son of WWE Global Ambassador Thaddeus Bullard, better known as Titus O’Neil.
Yes, the younger Bullard was named after his father’s fictional persona on television, and he’s also the nephew of Earnest Graham.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
It might take a couple of games but expect to see Florida’s LJ McCray getting regular action by the middle of the season.
The Florida Gators have put a lot of stock in their recruiting efforts as [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. continue to rebuild a once-proud college football program and it appears that their work off the field is beginning to yield positive results.
The Orange and Blue saw a good deal of attrition through the NCAA transfer portal this past offseason but also reloaded its roster with some of the top prep prospects in the nation. Among them was [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag], a five-star defensive end from the Sunshine State in the 2024 cycle.
ESPN’s Eli Lederman and Adam Rittenberg recently took on the task of predicting freshman roles for college football’s top 10 recruits which included Florida’s top-rated defensive lineman.
Florida’s DE position outlook
“Florida lost sacks leader [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] to Ole Miss, but the Gators bring back the rest of their production at the position from last fall.
“Between veteran [autotag]Tyreak Sapp[/autotag] and sophomores [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]TJ Searcy[/autotag], Florida returns 73 total tackles and four sacks from a year ago, while redshirt junior [autotag]Justus Boone[/autotag] rejoins the Gators’ pass-rushing depth after missing last season with an ACL injury.
“Northern Illinois transfer [autotag]George Gumbs Jr[/autotag]. and sophomore [autotag]Kamran James[/autotag] present reserve options with experience.”
ESPN’s projection for McCray
“McCray signed with the Gators as one of the most physically impressive high school prospects in the 2024 cycle,” the authors note. “In his seven-plus months at Florida, McCray’s physical development has only bolstered confidence within the program that the five-star freshman can contribute this fall.”
That physical development appears to be elite and will be his ticket to success if he can connect all of the dots.
“He already has the body and the frame and the athletic ability and the tools and all that to allow him to be able to be considered to play early,” a team source told ESPN. “But he’s just worked hard over the summer and gotten stronger, developing his upper body. It takes a little bit of time at this level, but he’s physically far ahead of where a typical freshman would be coming in.”
The Gators have sufficient depth on the defensive line this season despite some losses, but there are also a lot of moving parts as well.
“Despite the blow of Umanmielen’s departure, Florida enters the season with capable depth on the edge,” they continue. “However, the Gators are already reshuffling on the defensive line following a preseason injury to defensive tackle Jamari Lyons, and McCray’s size and talent could make him difficult to keep on the sideline by the latter stages of his freshman season.”
While McCray might appear to be lower on the depth chart to start the season, do not be surprised if he quickly climbs in the early weeks.
“It’ll start off slow, but by midseason I think he’ll be out there,” a team source said. “He’ll be (used) sparingly early and then I would think he gets in there a lot. He’s a real guy.”
Florida’s season opener for 2024
The Florida Gators and No. 19 Miami Hurricanes square off on Aug. 31 in Gainesville, Florida to open their schedule for the 2024 season. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC Sports.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Defensive lineman Jamari Lyons went down with a broken ankle during Florida’s scrimmage on Saturday. He’ll miss the 2024 season.
Florida’s defensive line took a significant hit during Saturday’s scrimmage when redshirt sophomore [autotag]Jamari Lyons[/autotag] was carted off the field.
Head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] confirmed reports of the injury during his Monday press conference, adding that Lyons would miss the entirety of the 2024 season.
“We did have one injury of note. Jamari Lyons broke his ankle, and he’ll be out for the season,” Napier said. “Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with him.
“We have a number of players who have been through injuries in the past, and I think it’ll be important for those guys to help Jamari because Jamari is one of our best. He really cares.”
Lyons lined up for 198 defensive snaps last season and recorded 22 total tackles (10 solo), including 2.5 for a loss. Pro Football Focus gave him a 64.9 grade on defense for the season, but his 81.0 tackling grade was the fourth-highest on the team in 2023.
Everyone on the field figured out quickly that Lyons was dealing with something significant. Season-ending injuries can affect a team in many ways, but Napier believes his players’ reaction to Lyons going says a lot about how they will respond.
“It was really inspirational, to some degree, because the entire team was on the field, which I’ve never seen in my entire coaching career,” he said. “A guy gets hurt and everybody knows it’s a pretty good injury, but we’ve got all 132 are on the spot there to support him as he rode off the field.
“I think that’s an indicator that these guys are doing something right, that there is that type of connection to some degree.”
Replacing Jamari Lyons on the defensive line
Lyons was working behind senior [autotag]Cam Jackson[/autotag] at nose tackle, but he also provided some position flexibility for Florida being able to fit in at end (three technique). Even though he might not have been a starter, Lyons was going to see significant time on the field. Replacing him isn’t so simple.
“The biggest thing was Jamari could play nose and end and I think that’s where we have to shuffle the deck a little bit,” he said. “We can also move Sapp over there. He’s played some end before in the past.”
Florida has 12 defensive linemen on its roster, but the options quickly dwindle to seven names after excluding Jackson, Lyons and the three walk-ons from consideration.
Penn transfer [autotag]Joey Slackman[/autotag] figures to be the team’s other starting tackle on defense, and [autotag]Desmond Watson[/autotag] should continue his role as a run-stopper. That leaves JUCO transfer [autotag]Brien Taylor Jr[/autotag]., and a pair of true freshmen as the three favorites to take up Lyons’ snaps.
“You’re going to see [autotag]Michai Boireau[/autotag] more, [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] more and then we’ve got some guys that can develop there. Brien Taylor, D’Antre (Robinson), Tarvorise (Brown). That’s an area where we got some players. There’s some depth there, but I think those roles will be a little bit different and there’ll be some adjustment.”
Collins is listed as an edge defender on Florida’s roster, but he fits into that end spot Napier mentioned putting Lyons in.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
Defensive lineman Kelby Collins and the coaching staff are working to maximize his talents on the field.
The Florida Gators made a lot of changes on the sidelines this offseason, and it looks like the team will continue its experimenting on the field with one of its young defensive standouts.
Sophomore [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] didn’t see the field very much during the Gators’ 2023 campaign, but the Florida defensive staff is looking to change that. According to Swamp247’s latest report, Collins is being shifted this season between the interior and edge of the defensive line.
UF co-defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong has a curious vision with the experiment, but always saw the versatility in Collins when he met the young lineman earlier this year.
“Kelby gets here in January (of 2023), he’s got a unique, physical skill set, right?” Armstrong said. “He’s big, he’s long. You know, is an inside player, is he an edge player? In our defense, he can really do both, and that’s what really makes him special. The thing I respect about Kelby is he stayed with it. We were able to create a role for him in our sub-package last year, started on third down really the whole season and was a really productive player.”
Armstrong has put a ton of stock into the young prospect, believing he can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the trenches of the SEC.
“I think Kelby can be as good as anybody in this conference. His position flex is really impressive,” Armstrong continued. “He’s tough. I think he’s brought a tremendous amount of urgency to that room. Kelby wants to win, and you talk to his family, they want to win, and they’re serious. And I respect him so much for the work he puts in. I’m excited to see, I don’t want to put any expectations on the guy. But I really think the guy can do something special.”
Collins mainly worked the edge last season, recording 23 tackles, 1.5 sacks, four quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and a forced fumble. The stat line builds for an interesting narrative and makes the decision seem a little questionable.
But the Gardendale, Alabama native doesn’t mind the experiment and believes he’ll be a solid fit wherever the coaches decide to put him.
“I think I can bring versatility on the front, obviously being a smaller interior rusher, I can bring some speed,” he said. “When we need to pass rush I can also go back outside to the five and still bring that physicality and speed that we may need if we put in a different package, stuff like that.”
The Florida Gators will continue to move its chess pieces across the board in hopes of seeing a new and improved squad in 2024. The regular season schedule won’t be friendly, but there’s no time to waste while building up a young roster.
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
These four guys are making a switch this season in hopes of boosting themselves and their team.
The upcoming college football season will be bringing many changes for the Florida Gators both on the field and off. Following their third-straight losing season, there are plenty of adjustments that need to be made.
Among those are four members of the team’s 2024 roster who will be taking on new roles in the new year. In fact, it is not uncommon for a member of the Florida football roster to shift spots ahead of an upcoming season.
Below is a look at four student-athletes who have made a switch on the field in hopes of boosting their stock among their gridiron peers, as well as improving the program as a whole.
Kelby Collins nabbed his second freshman honor on Thursday.
Florida football’s greenhorn edge defender Kelby Collins was named to The Athletic’s Freshman All-American Second Team, which was released on Thursday. The honor came right after being named to the Coaches Freshman All-SEC Team along with three other teammates
Playing in all 12 games this season, the 6-foot-4-inch, 270-pound defender totaled 23 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and sacks, four quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and a forced fumble in his debut in the Orange and Blue. According to Pro Football Focus, Collins was the fourth-highest-graded Gator defensive lineman in terms of pass rush in 2023 (62.4) and the third-highest in terms of run defense (70.7).
Take a look below at The Athletic’s full Freshman All-American Second Team roster.
Keldric Faulk, DL – Auburn
TJ Bush, DL – Liberty Kelby Collins, DL – Florida
Princewill Umanmielen, DL – Nebraska
Ben Roberts, LB – Texas Tech
Javante Mackey, LB – Arkansas State
Kam Robinson, LB – Virginia
Michael Richard, CB – Louisiana Tech
Caden Jenkins, CB – Baylor
Khalil Barnes, S – Clemson
Kamari Ramsey, S – UCLA
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
These four Gators represent the future of Florida football.
The Southeastern Conference announced its Freshman All-SEC team on Thursday afternoon, which included four Florida football players.
Wide receiver [autotag]Eugene Wilson[/autotag], edge defenders [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]TJ Searcy[/autotag], and safety [autotag]Jordan Castell[/autotag] were among the listed names, giving the Gators a quartet of first-year standouts for the first time since 2012.
The All-SEC team was decided upon by the conference’s coaches.
Wilson, who is the most explosive athlete on the list, finished the season with 61 catches for 538 yards — both of which were second on the team to senior wideout Ricky Pearsall — along with a team-high six touchdowns through the air.
Collins recorded 23 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and sacks, four quarterback hurries, a pass breakup and a forced fumble in 12 games as a freshman in Gainesville. His presence on the defensive line was key at times for a corps that suffered a great deal of attrition.
Similarly, Searcy also added depth to the D-line making a dozen appearances himself. He finished the fall with 26 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
Finally, Castell broke out early in his Gators tenure, emerging as starting-level talent for the team during preseason practice and providing much-needed talent in a disappointing defensive backfield.
He appeared in all 12 games with 11 starts and was Pro Football Focus’ highest-rated run defender among qualified players. Castell was named SEC Freshman of the Week and Shaun Alexander award after the Gators’ Week 3 victory against then-No. 11 Tennessee.
The Gator Nation will have to wait until the Orange and Blue game to see the team back in action. That intrasquad exhibition will take place inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium sometime this coming spring with a date and time yet to be announced.
Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
