Florida bolstered its defensive line of the future on Saturday with the commitment of a linebacker ranked by some recruiting outlets as a top-5 DL in the 2023 class.
Kelby Collins, a four-star quarterback from Gardendale (Alabama) High School, has announced he will be a Gator next season. Rivals lists him as the fourth-best DL and the No. 1 player. 40 overall in the class, while ESPN ranks him as the fifth-best defensive player and the No. 63 in general. 247Sports has Collins down, giving him the No. 173 ranking in the 2023 class.
The 6-foot-5, 280-pound lineman recorded 75 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 12 sacks as a junior in just eight games played, according to MaxPreps.
He chose Florida over Alabama and Georgia, the other schools in his top three, according to Saturday in the South. 247Sports reported that he had a total of 29 offers.
This is Florida football’s second commitment of the week. On Wednesday, four-star defensive end Jaden Robinson committed to the Gators. Robinson, who had 24 offers, is ranked by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 32 cornerback in the class of 2023.
Florida’s recruiting class is ranked 12th best in the nation. While there is still no five-star player committed to the program, the Gators have made up for it in depth, with 16 four-star players pledged to the team. That’s more than any other program in the SEC.