2021 Recruit Profile: Florida Gators OLB Commit Chief Borders
Chief Borders, outside linebacker/BUCK rush end
School: Carrollton High School (Carrollton, Georgia)
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 230 pounds
247Sports Composite Rating: Four stars, No. 19 OLB, No. 25 state (Ga.), No. 293 national
Recruitment History
The former teammate of Florida Gators 2021 quarterback commit Carlos Del Rio, Borders transferred to Carrollton from McEachern High School for his senior season following his pledge to UF.
Despite an impressive offer list ranging from Ohio State, Georgia, LSU, and others joining Florida, Borders committed to Florida on November 10th, 2019, while being over a year removed from his time to sign. Borders received an offer from the Gators in May and visited - both officially and unofficially - twice in the six-month span. He also visited in March for Florida's junior day event.
Linebackers coach Christian Robinson and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, as well as head coach Dan Mullen, were influential in Borders' recruitment.
Where He Fits
While Borders has flexed around both the defensive and offensive side of the ball in high school, he profiles as a BUCK rush end and outside linebacker in the Gators' scheme. The carries excellent length for his frame and can easily put on more weight at the next level without losing athleticism when he hits the UF strength and conditioning program.
Borders possesses good speed for the position, which can be seen in his aggressive pursuits of the ball carrier across the field. Playing for McEachern, Borders could be seen rushing off of the edge to create quarterback pressure and stuff the run, while also often dropping into coverage in the flats.
Similar versatility, albeit paired with top-tier athleticism, allowed Mohamoud Diabate to see the field early and often as a freshman at Florida in 2019. His time as a receiver and tight end for McEachern should allow Borders to process routes quickly in coverage.
It will be interesting to see if Carrollton continues to use Borders as a primarily off-ball defender who takes advantage of space in order to explode into the backfield, or if he transitions into a hand-in-the-dirt rusher at his size.
Borders does a good job of redirecting runs with a strong initial punch to knock tackles out of their stance, and his length and athleticism allow him to quickly get off of his block and into the backfield. Borders' tackling angles are consistent and disciplined, putting him in the best position to make a play.