The Florida Gators recruit some of the most-talented players in the country year after year.
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The pedigree that comes with playing in Gainesville is certainly enough to convince star prospects that being on Dan Mullen's UF roster is an investment for their professional future.
Linebacker Hassan "Chief" Borders is the latest signee to buy in.
Growing up in Carrollton, Georgia, many believed he'd be suiting up for Kirby Smart's Georgia squad, but Borders will be joining an SEC rival instead.
Chief Borders Commits to Florida
Excited to welcome @ChiefBorders to the Florida Family! Big, strong, fast and versatile athlete. #ChompDown21 pic.twitter.com/5v1xlU8msC
— Dan Mullen (@CoachDanMullen) December 16, 2020
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Chief Borders, who shined for Heard County High School, received plenty of interest from other top programs.
Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan State, Oregon, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Stanford (Borders' dream school), Syracuse, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech are just some of the teams that reached out with offers.
At the end of the day, however, Borders joined a star-studded recruiting class, is ranked as the 13th-best in the nation, and the fifth-best in the SEC.
Borders has built strong relationships with head coach Dan Mullen, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, and linebackers coach Christian Robinson. Those connections were the tipping points in his decision-making process.
.@ChiefBorders welcome to the 🐊 fam! #ChompDown21 https://t.co/IYsc3mVKP2 pic.twitter.com/zkoIrzVpNC
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) December 16, 2020
College football recruiting is all about building relationships, and if the Gators are going to compete with Alabama and LSU every season, they're going to need to remain on good terms with their prospective recruits such as Borders.
Chief Borders Highlights
Chief Borders is an excellent outside linebacker. The Heard County product is strong enough to break through to the quarterback and fast enough to keep up with running backs. The 247Sports Composite believes he is a four-star prospect with plenty to prove.
Borders was selected to the All-American Bowl roster in 2021, so it is clear that his talent has caught the attention of evaluators everywhere. If he can remain healthy over the next few seasons, he has the chance to become a solid OLB in the NFL, too.
Above all else, many coaches and scouts have taken the time to call Chief Borders a mature and generous young man. Talent will only take you so far; Borders' positive attitude will get him even further.
