Texas A&M transfer Elijah Blades commits to Florida after wild college arc
It has been a long, long road for former Texas A&M defensive back Elijah Blades to get here. But more than four years later than hoped, Blades will wear the orange and blue, after all. He announced on Friday he plans to transfer to the Gators, and he will join the team in the middle of camp on Aug. 13 after he finishes his degree in College Station.
The news was originally reported by G. Allan Taylor of The Athletic. Blades later confirmed the report.
Blades’ name may ring a bell for Florida fans: He committed to former Florida coach Jim McElwain in June 2016. The Pasadena native was one of the top prospects in UF’s 2017 class, but a week before signing day in January 2017, he abruptly decommitted from the Gators, signing with Nebraska instead.
He never made it to Lincoln, instead joining JUCO Arizona Western. Florida’s current staff extended Blades an offer as a JUCO prospect, but he committed to Oregon. That commitment didn’t stick either. He again changed his mind just before signing day, enrolling at Texas A&M in 2019.
He played one season for the Aggies, appearing in seven games at cornerback and starting six. He made 19 tackles, three pass deflections and 2.5 tackles for loss. Blades decided to opt out of the 2020 season, initially planning on declaring for the 2021 NFL draft. He changed his mind, entering the transfer portal in June.
The senior has one remaining year of eligibility, but he could be a major addition to a Florida secondary in need of all the help it can get. Kaiir Elam is a bona fide star, but the rest of the unit has a lot of questions. It was expected that Jaydon Hill would become a full-time starter on the outside this season, but with the addition of Blades, the Gators have options.
He’s not the only big-time transfer Florida added at the position, either. The Gators also brought in Jadarrius Perkins, a former Missouri corner who was the No. 5 JUCO player in the nation (and was teammates with No. 1 JUCO prospect Diwun Black, who also signed with Florida). Blades, Perkins and Hill, as well as five-star true freshman cornerback Jason Marshall, will compete for action opposite Elam in 2021.
Blades brings much-needed depth to the position and should play some role on the field during his final season of collegiate eligibility.
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