Gators Commit Corey Collier Jr. Named a Top Five 2021 Safety by SIAA

Florida Gators 2021 safety commit Corey Collier Jr. joins his Miami Palmetto (Fla.) secondary running mate and fellow UF pledge, Jason Marshall Jr., as one of the highest-rated players at their position in the 2021 recruiting class.

Collier has been named the No. 5 safety in his class, by Sports Illustrated All-American's inaugural prospect rankings. Marshall, Collier, and nickel cornerback Dakota Mitchell, all defensive backs, make up the current Gators' commits across SI's debut positional top ten rankings.

A day after Marshall committed to UF in a surprise announcement over Twitter, Collier pledged to the Gators over Miami and LSU, on August 10th.

Marshall and Collier were named to the Preseason SI99, the top 99 prospects in the class of 2021 according to Sports Illustrated All-American' scouting, this morning: Marshall coming in at No. 14 and Collier at No. 77, joined by St. Thomas Aquinas edge rusher and Gators commit Tyreak Sapp (No. 76).

The 6-2, 170 lb. safety provides Florida with great range in coverage, paired with immense length to attack the ball in the air and create turnovers. As Florida has seen some inconsistency at the position lately and graduates four after the 2020 season, Collier's skill-set could be utilized rather immediately in the secondary.

Below, you can find a snippet of Collier's Sports Illustrated All-American scouting report:

Instincts:

Nose for the football and/or creating turnovers. Seemingly always in the right place at the right time versus the run or pass. Plenty physical as an enforcer over the middle and in running the alley. Seldom overruns plays and attacks with controlled aggression.

Polish:

Enough length and savvy to line up anywhere in the secondary with success. Explosive range flashes coming off the hash with a purpose. Cornerback experience with ability to affect wideout at the line of scrimmage and play leverage and zone elements well thereafter. Gets his head across on run support with some pop.

Several prospects were named honorable mention, including wide receiver Marcus Burke, slot receivers Charles Montgomery and Trevonte Rucker, tight ends Gage Wilcox and Nick Elksnis, and defensive end Tyreak Sapp.

Florida remains in pursuit of several top-ten prospects at their position, including No. 1 and No. 2 off-ball linebackers Smael Mondon and Xavian Sorey (respectively), No. 7 edge rusher Jeremiah Williams, and No. 5 offensive tackle Tristan Leigh.