4-star EDGE Kelby Collins set to make multiple visits this week

As four-star Gardendale (Ala.) EDGE Kelby Collins gets closer to a commitment, he has a few more visits to take this week.

On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons has learned that Collins will make two trips to Alabama this week — one on Tuesday and another on Thursday — to see the Crimson Tide. He’ll then head to Florida this weekend to see the Gators for an unofficial visit. Those two, along with Georgia and South Carolina, are the programs most heavily involved with him.

The in-state Crimson Tide have long been considered the favorite to land Kelby Collins, including by the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). And while they weren’t lightly pursuing him before, things have been dialed up in recent months, particularly by defensive line coach Freddie Roach.

“They’ve been trying to recruit me a little harder,” Collins told Simmons earlier this month. “I talk to Coach Roach a couple 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.”

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At Florida, meanwhile, the Gators’ new coaching staff also turned up the heat on Collins, led by head coach Billy Napier.

“They make it known that I’m a priority for them and that they need me,” he told Simmons. “Not just want me but need me. They’re losing a couple guys at defensive end and need some good talent to fill those gaps. They remind me that if I go there, I can make my own legacy at Florida.”

Kelby Collins Scouting Summary

“Highly productive, big-framed defensive lineman who could play a number of spots along the front. Measured at 6-foot-5, 278 pounds with a 6-foot-6 wing-span prior to his junior season. Has been a dominant high school defensive lineman for a few seasons. Totaled 20 tackles for loss and 12 sacks as a junior. Frequently in opposing backfields, using quick and strong hands to disengage from blocks. A fluid mover who closes quickly behind the line of scrimmage. A strong run defender and chases down plays from the back side. Could line up as a big defensive end or move inside at the next level pending on his size. Lacks high end length for the position relative to other highly-ranked peers.” — Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings