Report: DB Elijah Blades to Join Florida Gators Next Week
Florida will obtain the services of a defensive back via the transfer portal for the second time this summer, as Texas A&M cornerback Elijah Blades has pledged to the Gators. AllGators can confirm Blades' intention to transfer to UF following a report from G. Allan Taylor of The Athletic on Friday night.
According to Taylor, Blades plans to enroll and begin practicing with the team on Aug. 13, once his undergraduate degree is finalized at Texas A&M. Blades has completed his classes and awaits his transcript being sent to Florida before he can officially transfer.
Following The Athletic's report and AllGators' confirmation, Blades would share the news himself via Instagram.
Blades, a Los Angeles, Calif. native, officially visited UF over the weekend of June 18 and will enroll at Florida as a graduate transfer. Before his two seasons with the Aggies, Blades studied at and played for Arizona Western Community College.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound cornerback recorded 19 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, and three defended passes in seven games at Texas A&M, before opting out of the 2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic. Blades tallied two interceptions, nine defended passes, a fumble recovery and a blocked field goal during his time in junior college.
A member of the 2017 recruiting class, Blades was at one point committed to Florida as a high school recruit during Jim McElwain's tenure as head coach. Blades would end up signing with Nebraska but ultimately took the JUCO route before transferring to Texas A&M in 2019.
Blades, alongside JUCO transfer Jadarrius Perkins, bring plenty of college experience to a young Gators' secondary in 2021. Although Kaiir Elam is a proven asset at cornerback, having earned Preseason All-American honors this year, the remainder of the unit is young and will compete with the two transfers for starting roles opposite of Elam and at nickel corner.
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