Tag: Kelby Collins

Florida picks up commitment No. 18 from 4-star Alabama DL

Billy Napier can’t be stopped. Florida added commitment No. 18 to the class of 2023 on Saturday and jumped up a spot in the team rankings.

The Florida Gators earned a verbal commitment from four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] on Saturday.

Collins picked Florida over Alabama and Georgia at a ceremony held at Gardendale High in Alabama. Despite some technical difficulties, Collins delivered the news with an emphatic Gator chomp, signaling that UF had indeed picked up commitment No. 18 in the class.

He joins fellow defensive line commits [autotag]TJ Searcy[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Hill[/autotag] and [autotag]Isaiah Nixon[/autotag] in the class with the potential to add four-star lineman [autotag]Kamran James[/autotag] on Sunday. The 247Sports composite ranks Collins No. 70 overall in the class of 2023 and No. 6 among defensive linemen. Adding him moves Florida ahead of USC into the No. 12 spot on the 247Sports’ team rankings and adding James could move UF into the top 10.

Collins is now Florida’s highest-ranked commitment, per 247Sports’ rankings, and has the Gators on the cusp of bringing in one of the top defensive line classes in the country.

247Sports’ Blake Alderman reported that Collins narrowed things down to Alabama and Florida in the days leading up to the decision and informed Billy Napier‘s staff of his decision beforehand. It’s a big win for Napier, who proved he can go into Alabama as a first-year Power Five coach and land a kid the Tide wanted.

“I just fell in love with the program and the coaches,” Collins said. “They got a real plan. All the players have bought in for such a short period of time and that stuck out. The history all the coaches got and the energy they bring every day is something you want to be around.”

The early panic from Florida fans is now well in the past and Napier’s first real recruiting class is shaping up to be quite a success. Adding a few more blue-chip recruits ([autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] being the most important name on the wishlist) to round out a top-10 class should bring his approval rating to an all-time high.

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Alabama target 2023 DE Kelby Collins sets commitment date

2023 DE Kelby Collins announced via Twitter that he would be announcing his commitment on August 13.

Alabama has been prioritizing 2023 DE Kelby Collins. In May, he listed his top five schools: Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, Georgia and South Carolina. Now, it appears that he is closing in on a decision.

He announced via Twitter that he would be announcing his commitment on August 13. In a recent interview with On3’s Chad Simmons, here is what Collins said about his upcoming decision:

“My mind is not made up yet,” Collins told On3. “One day it is one school, then the next, it is another one. I still have to think about this some more. I am in between schools right now. There is some more time for me to figure it out, so I will keep praying about it and working to do that.”

Alabama has been trending in the right direction for quite some time according to On3’s RPM. The Crimson Tide is the heavy favorite to land Collins at 89.9% likelihood. However, the Florida Gators are making a late push with first-year head coach Billy Napier. Collins made it to Florida’s July cookout this past weekend. He was supposed to make two trips to Tuscaloosa last week but didn’t make either.

As of right now, it appears to be a three-team race between Florida, Georgia and Alabama. With a decision still looming, I think all three teams are in play to land his commitment. Here is what Collins had to say about Alabama when speaking with On3’s Chad Simmons:

“It is a hometown team, and I know a lot of people there. I am close with recruits and players that are either at Alabama or that are going to Alabama.”

I certainly like Alabama’s chances to land Collins and don’t see him committing elsewhere. It is still on the table obviously, but I would be surprised if he didn’t end up committing to Alabama.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Collins’ recruitment and other Alabama football recruiting news.

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Four-star DL Kelby Collins names top schools, sets commitment date

Gardendale High School standout Kelby Collins plans to decide between Oklahoma and four SEC schools

Four-star defensive line recruit Kelby Collins is nearing his commitment date. Collins considers Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, and Oklahoma to be his top five schools.

Collins plans to make his commitment on Aug. 13. The four-star plays high school football for Gardendale High School in Gardendale, Alabama.

Kelby Collins is a member of the class of 2023. The 6-foot-5, 280-pound defensive line prospect has committed to playing in the 2023 Under Armour All-America Game.

The elite defensive line recruit is extremely athletic and can dunk a basketball with ease. Collins is ranked as the No. 70 recruit in the class of 2023 and the No. 6 defensive lineman. He’s additionally the No. 8 recruit in Alabama. Alabama has a loaded state in the class of 2023 recruiting cycle.

The Gardendale star has recently visited Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina. Collins announced his commitment date via Twitter:

Georgia football and Kirby Smart currently have 18 commitments in the rising senior class. Georgia has two commitments along the defensive line in four-star Jamaal Jarrett and three-star Seven Cloud.

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This blue-chip defensive lineman close to making his decision

Billy Napier and Co. should know soon whether they won out for this blue-chipper’s talents or not.

Florida football is coming off its biggest recruiting event of the summer having conducted its Friday Night Lights and team cookout events last weekend. The affairs brought many of the top prep prospects across three classes to the Swamp as [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. rolled out the red carpet for the burgeoning teenagers.

Among those in attendance was four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] out of Gardendale (Alabama), who got a second taste of the new staff’s cooking after an official visit back in June. According to Swamp247’s Blake Alderman, the Gators made a solid impression upon the 6-foot-5-inch, 280-pound trench warrior during his recent stop.

“It was real good,” Collins said. “I got a chance to get close with some of the other recruits there. I was glad I got down there. Really the biggest highlight for me was getting down and hanging with the recruits. I got to see the new facility they have. They should be moving into it in the next couple of weeks, but it looks crazy.”

Co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] has spearheaded the recruitment of the rising senior, while assistant for college personnel and on-campus recruiting [autotag]Chase Clark[/autotag], along with co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag], and defensive line graduate assistant [autotag]Kali James[/autotag] have also made significant contributions to the effort. Together, they have constructed a vision for how Collins’ talents would be best utilized in Gainesville.

“They want me to be a defensive end for them, but they also want to move me around. They said I can move inside on the defensive line or even move outside and stand up. They want me to play all over. I am feeling like a priority for them. I like the fact they want me to be versatile like that. I feel like it makes it better for me in the long run. They tell me they need me there. They just stress it bad how they need me.”

Despite the positivity conveyed in the young recruit’s words, he still has a tough choice ahead of him and has not yet set a firm decision date. Florida is also fighting against the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, South Carolina Gamecocks and Oklahoma Sooners for the defensive lineman’s commitment. However, he does expect that decision to be made sometime soon.

“Hopefully in the next few weeks,” he predicted. “I just am looking at these relationships, how early I can play, and just the place I feel at home the most.”

Collins is ranked No. 70 overall and No. 6 at his position in his class nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 60 and 7, respectively. The Tide are out in front of the other schools on On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine with an 89.9% chance of landing him, while the ‘Dawgs are second at 3.3% and Gators third at 2.4%.

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Alabama Morning Drive: Tide lands commitment No. 17 in class of 2023

Alabama starts the month of August off with a bang landing a commitment from four-star DL Hunter Osborne.

Good morning, Tide fans! Welcome to our Tuesday edition of Alabama Morning Drive. I hope each of you has had a great start to the work week as we continue to inch closer and closer to the start of fall camp.

[autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and Alabama had a tremendous month of July on the recruiting trail and the staff in Tuscaloosa carried that right over into the month of August.

On Monday evening, four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Hunter Osborne[/autotag] announced his commitment to Alabama giving the Crimson Tide its seventeenth commitment for the class of 2023.

Osborne is the No. 113 overall player and No. 12 defensive lineman in the nation according to On3’s consensus rankings.

Let’s take a look at a few other stories that Alabama fans should be monitoring this morning.

Top-10 2023 defensive lineman to visit pair of SEC teams this week

The Gators will host this top defensive lineman on the second leg of his late July recruiting tour.

Kelby Collins is in for a busy week. A top-10 defensive lineman in the 2023 class, the 6-foot-5-inch, 280-pounder is taking advantage of his summer vacation to make it on campus at two schools on his recruitment list. He told 247Sports that he would be on campus at Alabama during the week before making it to Gainesville this weekend for the Gators’ big recruiting weekend.

Friday is UF’s annual Friday Night Lights recruiting event where players get one-on-one work with Florida’s coaches and staff inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium while Saturday is Florida’s highly anticipated cookout for recruits. The four-star prospect is the latest to announce his attendance for the massive recruiting weekend, joining an unofficial list of 2023, 2024 and 2025 prospects that the Gators will look to make an impression on.

On top of the Friday Night Lights event and the cookout, recruits will get an in-person look at Florida’s brand new James W. Heavener Football Training Center. Athletic Director [autotag]Scott Stricklin[/autotag] said back in May that he expected the facility to be completed by late July, coinciding with this weekend’s recruiting events. Collins told 247Sports that he was looking forward to seeing the new facility this weekend, something that was not ready when he took his official visit to Florida on the first weekend in June.

Collins is considered to be the 8th-best player in the state of Alabama, according to the 247Sports composite. In addition to Florida, Collins has taken official visits to South Carolina and Georgia. He holds offers from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Oklahoma, among others. The Under Amour All-American says he plans to announce his commitment before his senior season.

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Top 5 in-state prospects who are uncommitted

The state of Alabama’s crop of talent in the class of 2023 is elite. Let’s take a look at the top five prospects who have yet to commit.

The 2023 recruiting cycle has provided plenty of storylines so far in July and August appears like it will be much of the same.

The in-state crop for the class of 2023 is as good a group as I can remember and several have already made their college decisions but there are still plenty left uncommitted.

In fact, there are still two five-star prospects from the state of Alabama that have yet to decide on their college futures in Carver High School teammates James Smith and [autotag]Qua Russaw[/autotag].

Considering how much talent remains available within the state, I thought we could quickly go over the top five remaining prospects who are currently not committed to a university.

Let’s get right to it!

2023 DL Kelby Collins planning to visit Alabama twice this week, decision expected soon

2023 DL Kelby Collins is expected to visit Alabama two times this week.

Alabama lost out on 2023 in-state defensive lineman Peter Woods to Clemson. Since then, Alabama has intensified its recruiting efforts with several other in-state defensive linemen James Smith, Qua Russaw and Hunter Osborne.

Another recruiting target that has been on the Tide’s radar is Kelby Collins. He has been projected as an Alabama lean for months now, according to On3’s RPM. Alabama is the favorite to land him with an 89.9%likelihood.

The product of Gardendale High School recorded 75 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 12 sacks during his junior season. When speaking with On3’s Chad Simmons, here is what Collins had to say about Alabama:

“They’ve been trying to recruit me a little harder,” Collins told Simmons earlier this month. “I talk to Coach Roach a couple of times a day, really. They tell me they need me as well, probably losing Will Anderson and a couple other guys. At my position, they’re going to be a little short. They need some talent from in-state to come in and make an impact. … Me and Coach Roach, we talk a lot and he talks to my parents, too. They’ve been that way since they offered me.”

Roll Tide Wire breaks down the rest of his recruiting profile below.

This 4-star DL looking forward to visiting the Swamp in late July

Florida’s new culture under Billy Napier could help the Gators land recruits like four-star defensive lineman Kelby Collins.

One of the many blue-chip prospects that will be in Gainesville at the end of the month is Gardendale, Alabama, four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag]. Gators Online first reported that news at the beginning of the month and has now followed up with the recruit ranked No. 52 on the On3 Consensus.

After visiting UF twice under [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag]’s staff in 2021, Collins’ only in-person time with [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has been the official visit he took on June 3. Still, he’s been able to develop meaningful enough relationships with the Gators to keep them in his top five.

“Really, it’s the players and coaches,” Collins said to On3. “I think I’m real close with (defensive line) coach (Sean) Spencer, Scooby (Jeremiah Williams) and Shemar (James). I think I’m real close with them. Also, I just want to check out the campus again and the new facility that is going to open up.”

Spencer’s NFL experience is a plus for Collins, but Alabama is considered the leader right now in his recruitment and there’s no better place to get to the league than Tuscaloosa. Bringing in experienced recruiters like Katie Turner has helped change the energy in Gainesville, and Collins took note of that in June.

“I loved it (the official visit),” he said. “It was a great experience. It was a totally different experience from the old coaching staff, so I thought that was cool. I feel like there was more energy and it was more in-depth.”

The Tide will likely get the last word in with a scheduled official visit date of December 9, which is just 12 days before the early signing period. The good news is Collins has said he’d like to stop by each of his finalists over the season to see them in person. Along with Florida and Alabama, he is considering Georgia, Oklahoma and South Carolina.

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4-star All-American defensive lineman prospect sets July visit dates

Billy Napier’s recruiting staff will be cooking with this top prospect at the end of the month.

Now that a busy June is in the rearview mirror, Florida football’s recruiting staff turns its attention to July — a month that is expected to see another wave of visitors from some of the best prospects around the nation. Many of those who plan on making the trek to Gainesville have already dropped to see what [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has cooking in Hogtown and are hungry for what is in store at the end of the month.

The biggest events coming up are Florida’s summer cookout which follows the annual Friday Night Lights camp on July 29. Among those planning on attending is four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag], an All-American out of Gardendale (Alabama) who will get another taste of what the Orange and Blue has to offer while also hobnobbing with the staff and other recruits during his stay.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 265-pound lineman made an official visit to campus back on June 3 and came away impressed enough to come back for another round. The Gators are not alone in their pursuit of the Cotton State standout, with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, South Carolina Gamecocks and Oklahoma Sooners also among his top five preferred schools.

Collins is currently ranked No. 65 overall and No. 6 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 52 and 7, respectively. The latter’s Recruiting Prediction Machine favors ‘Bama considerably with a 92.5% chance of signing him, while the Gators are in fourth place with a 1.4% chance of snatching him from the Tide.

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