Florida Football: Gators pad strong secondary with Chris Steele commit

Florida football looks to build on a strong finish with an even better year under Dan Mullen in 2019. Adding star corner Chris Steele could be a significant part of it.

Bluechip cornerback recruit Chris Steele took time during the Army All-American Bowl to announce his commitment to Dan Mullen and the Florida Gators. The John Bosco High School (CA) product had previously committed (and later decommitted) from USC, a school within driving distance of his house. Now he’ll play his college ball “at the real DBU”, as he said during the broadcast.

Steele’s commitment is massive for several reasons. He’s the top-ranked recruit in the Gators’ 2019 class be a wide margin. His addition helped boost Florida’s class from No. 15 overall to No. 11 overall, putting the Gators within striking distance of a top 10 finish with if right dominoes on National Signing Day in February.

Then there’s what Steele brings as football player. The Gators ranked 13th in the nation in passing defense in 2018. They hauled in 14 interceptions, tied for the second most in the SEC with Alabama and Auburn and three behind LSU. This unit was already strong, now they’re adding one more weapon to the mix.

C.J. Henderson and Trey Dean III held down the corner spots for Florida last year and played well. The combined for three interceptions and 10 passes defended. Steele had 11 passes defended on his own during his senior season playing against some of the best high school teams in the nation. The move to the collegiate game is going to have a learning curve, but Steele will be better positioned than most to come in and make an impact quickly.

Steele has the potential to be an instant starter for Mullen’s defense. Even if he does come off the bench, he’s going to make his impact felt. Florida has an embarrassment of riches in the defensive backfield. Perhaps Steele was onto something. Florida might just be DBU after all.