To Eric Gladstone, Kelby Collins was a freshman he could not keep off the field.
Coming into Gardendale High School north of Birmingham, Collins was the "biggest kid" in his class Gladstone, the team's head football coach, recalled. From the jump, he inserted Collins into his game plan on certain third down packages, ones where his defense went heavy with extra defensive linemen.
But after Collins made his first start three games into his freshman season due to Gardendale injuries, Gladstone soon realized what he had.
"He never came off the field after that," Gladstone told the Tuscaloosa News.
Gladstone had "a difference maker," one he said Alabama football is gaining after Collins transferred to the Crimson Tide after two seasons at Florida .
"He had every tool that you wanted for a defensive end, defensive lineman," Gladstone said. "He was tall, he was strong, he was fast, could take over the game when he wanted to. As a player, he's exactly what you want."
It's the player Collins was at Florida as a freshman, finishing 2023 with 23 tackles, two tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks, earning second-team freshman All-American honors. But he was primarily an edge rusher.
In 2024, Florida moved Collins, a 6-foot-4, 278-pound edge rusher, to the inside. His playing time dropped. After playing 274 snaps in 2023 as a true freshman per Pro Football Focus, Collins played 59 snaps in six games in 2024.
Gladstone said he's "always considered" Collins as a defensive end, placing him on the inside solely to "mess with offensive linemen" and create favorable matchups.
"I just don't think he's built for (the interior)," Gladstone said. "Not that he can't put on weight because he's a huge, massive kid. But I just see him being used on the outside."
Florida defensive lineman Cam Jackson knows what Alabama is getting in Collins.
On the Florida defensive line, Jackson said Collins "brought leadership." And with the Crimson Tide , Jackson has sky-high expectations for his former teammate.
"A lot of guys respected him. Just the way he was always locked in," Jackson said at the 2025 Senior Bowl. "His pass rush abilities, I feel like Kelby can play anywhere on the field. But I know he wanted to play edge rusher. My guy, I feel like he's going to be one of the best edge rushers in the country.
"I'm ready to see what he can do at Bama, and I feel he's going to do his thing."
It's the Collins Firestone saw at Gardendale High School, a "high character guy" who will do anything to win. This time, Collins will just be closer to home.
"He knows what it takes," Firestone said. "He knows that nothing is given to him. The thing is, this comes from a kid that started the third game of his freshman year. But he knew that he had to work for it."
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: What is Alabama football getting in Florida transfer Kelby Collins?
