Linebacker Chief Borders Signs With the Florida Gators
While there had been much speculation prior to his commitment where Heard County (Carrollton, Ga.) linebacker/athlete would be attended college, Chief Borders, there should no longer be any of the sorts as the athletic linebacker has officially signed his national letter of intent to be a part of the 2021 recruiting class for the Florida Gators.
The 6-foot-5, 242-pound athlete for Heard County was recruited by Florida head coach Dan Mullen, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and linebackers coach Christian Robinson. Borders originally committed to the Gators on Nov. 26, and was widely speculated to be deciding between Florida and Stanford.
In his recruitment, Borders was originally offered by the Gators sometime prior to his original commitment date of Nov. 10, 2019, shortly after visiting the program on the 9th. While he had been committed for over a year, Borders kept his recruitment open and made the tough decision to join Florida rather than his other dream school in Stanford.
On the gridiron, Borders presents an outstanding athlete that is able to play multiple positions within the Gators' defense. Sticking to their board, Florida often uses linebackers in multiple ways, rushing the passer and defending the pass.
In 2020, according to MaxPreps.com, Borders played both offensively and defensively. As a linebacker, he totaled a Heard County record 163 tackles in 2020.
You can check out Borders' Sports Illustrated All-American scouting report by clicking here, and welcome Chief to Florida by following him on Twitter here.
Bottom Line: I don’t exactly know what he’s going to play at the next level, but Borders is going to do it well. At the very least, he’s shown the willingness to be a difference maker on your special teams units, and do so with immense effort and intensity.