For the second time in five weeks, a former Alabama football staffer came into the state and nabbed an elite defensive line target. On Saturday, Gardendale four-star Kelby Collins revealed his verbal commitment to Florida.
With his family, teammates, coaches, and trainers in attendance at Gardendale’s field house, Collins became the highest-rated member of Billy Napier’s 2023 recruiting class. Per 247Sports consensus rankings, Collins is the No. 70 player nationally, the sixth-best defensive lineman and a top eight player in the state.
In three seasons, the 6-foot-5, 280-pound Collins built himself into one of the better trench players in the Birmingham area. He’s compiled 138 tackles, 90 solo, through his junior year, forcing three fumbles. Last fall, Collins had a career-high 12 sacks, helping the Rockets to 10 wins.
“He’s really good at stopping the run at him and he can run plays down on the other sides of the ball,” Gardendale head coach Chad Eads said in Collins’s A-List story — AL.com’s ranking of the state’s top seniors — where Collins earned the No. 7 spot. “He’s such an explosive kid and athletic enough to get the ball.”
Despite growing up a Crimson Tide fan and being linked to Tuscaloosa for most of his recruitment, the last few weeks saw the Gators prove to Collins he was best suited for Gainseville. Like when Dabo Swinney and Clemson earned a pledge from Thompson’s Peter Woods in July, Collins’ decision limits the in-state options Nick Saban has to restock his defensive line.
Carver-Montgomery’s James Smith and Qua Russaw, the two remaining five-star recruits in the Yellowhammer state, could help fill the impending Will Anderson-sized void on the depth chart. Their set to decide in December and included the tide in their list of six teams on Friday.
The Tide offered Collins in April 2021. Florida called two months later and Napier’s new staff, primarily co-defensive coordinators Sean Spencer and Patrick Toney and Birmingham-native Chase Clark, pitched Collins. Like Woods citing his close bond with Swinney, an initial connection led to an upset.
Ahead of his senior season, Collins constantly sought improvement, whether it be getting a quicker step off the line of scrimmage or listening to Twitter Spaces seminars hosted by collegiate position coaches. He took a break from his recruitment in July but when it went “back in the full swing” it was clear some of Collins’ other finalists, namely Florida and Georgia, had momentum. He’s set to graduate in December and enroll next January.
After the miss, the crimson tide still has the country’s no. 1 recruiting class with 19 commits and a potential 20th on the way in California three-star tackle Raymond Pulido. Eufaula’s Yhonzae Pierre and Hewitt-Trussville’s Hunter Osborne, who tried to pull Collins with him, are the two defensive line players committed.
With the addition, Napier and the Gators move two spots to No. 11 nationally and fourth in the Southeastern Conference.
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Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].
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