Former Florida Gator OL Kaleb Boateng passes away

Former Florida Gator offensive lineman Kaleb Boateng tragically passed away on Thursday evening, according to multiple reports. Before joining Florida as a walk-on via the transfer portal, he originally signed with the Clemson Tigers coming out of high school.

Before enrolling at Clemson in January of 2019, Boateng was one of the top-rated offensive linemen in Broward County, Florida. There, he had a breakout season in 2018 as an athletic offensive tackle for Fort Lauderdale High School (Fort Lauderdale, Florida). He had 49 knockdown blocks to lead their offensive line that season. In the 2019 recruiting cycle, Boateng was rated as the No. 77 offensive tackle in the country, according to the On3 Consensus Rankings.

Before choosing Clemson, he was one of the most highly recruited offensive linemen in America, boasting 38 scholarships from across the country. In 2018, he guided For Lauderdale High School to a 9-3 overall record, the most wins for the program since 1974. One of those losses came against St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the nation’s most prestigious football programs and a national powerhouse. Boateng earned first team All-Broward County in 2018 after starting every game. In 2017, he racked up 38 pancake blocks to lead his team and earned second team All-Broward County honors. During his standout high school career, he played four seasons, starting three of those. Standing at 6-foot-4, Boateng had an 80-inch wingspan.

It was a surprise that he chose Clemson coming out of high school, because his final three schools were Maryland, Florida Atlantic, and Arizona, per reports. When he was with Tigers, he made the ACC honor roll in 2019. Boateng appeared in five games during two seasons with Clemson, before eventually joining the Florida Gators as a walk-on on in 2021.

There were numerous social media tributes pouring in for the former Florida Gator late Thursday evening.