After landing a big commitment in Shemar James, Dan Mullen and his Florida Gators coaching staff has landed another top defensive player. Texas A&M Aggies graduate Elijah Blades has announced he will transfer to the University of Florida.
Blades played just one season for the Aggies as he signed with Texas A&M out of Arizona Western College. He did play in the 2020 season although he opted out of the end of the season due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Who is Elijah Blades?
Elijah Blades was a redshirt-senior cornerback out of Texas A&M University. Coming out of high school, Blades was one of the top recruits in the 2017 recruiting class. On Rivals, Blades was the 87th ranked recruit and the seventh-ranked cornerback in the country. He committed to Florida but ultimately signed with the Nebraska Cornhuskers but never made it to campus and enrolled at Arizona Western College.
As a JUCO recruit, Blades was once again one of the top recruits in the country. On Rivals, Blades was the third-ranked recruit and the #1 cornerback in the country. Blades had 19 offers and signed with Texas A&M over Alabama, Florida, LSU, Miami, Oregon, Texas, and others.
During his time with the Aggies, Blades played in seven games as a junior in the 2019 season. He made 19 total tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and pass defended. Blades was expected to play a larger role in 2020 but decided to opt-out.
Scouting Report
At 6’2” 180 pounds, Blades is a tall, long corner that still has room on his frame to bulk up. He is a good coverage cornerback that also tackles pretty well. Blades coming to Florida is big for the Gators due to lack of depth at the cornerback position.
Kaiir Elam is one of the top cornerbacks in the country and a projected first-round pick but the other side of the field is a question mark. Jaydon Hill was expected to get a lot of playing time but tore his ACL in practice and his season is over. The Gators have a top freshman cornerback in Jason Marshall and Missouri transfer Jadarrius Perkins.
With the commitment of Elijah Blades, add more depth for the Gators at the cornerback position. Blades has some experience in the SEC and can also play at a high level. Blades should make an immediate impact for Todd Grantham and the Florida Gators defense.
