Florida football recruiting: Four-star DL Kamran James commits as Gators surge into top 10

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Dominant defensive lines are a calling card of national championship winners, and the Florida Gators are in the midst of ensuring their group of front men will be among the best in the country going forward. The Gators on Sunday added a third big-name prospect at the position in a 22-hour span as four-star defensive lineman Kamran James (Orlando, FL) committed to Florida over Georgia.

Ranked 188th in the 247Sports Composite, James (6-foot-7, 265 pounds) is widely considered one of the best defensive front players in the nation, one who many believe has a massive upside at the next level. His pledge comes one day after fellow four-stars Kelby Collins (Gardendale, AL) and Will Norman (Bradenton, FL), respectively the 70th- and 143rd-ranked players in the nation, committed to the Gators.

With James added to the class, Florida has officially moved into the 10th spot in the 247Sports Composite team rankings, its highest position since head coach Billy Napier took over the program. The Gators’ blue-chip ratio (proportion of four- and five-star commitments compared to the rest of the class) is now the highest in the nation at .900.

A long-time basketball player who has turned his focus to football, James registered 13 sacks last season. He officially visited UF on June 17 and returned on July 29 to get an additional look at the program before making his decision. As with Collins and Norman, co-defensive coordinator Sean Spencer was the primary contact in this recruitment.

James, Collins and Norman link up with four-stars T.J. Searcy (Thomaston, GA) and Gavin Hill (Gainesville, FL) to create a one of the best defensive line classes in the nation. James is the 15th blue-chip prospect Napier has acquired in the last 54 days with all 15 being the highest-ranked players in Florida’s Class of 2023.

He is notably the 17th of 20 Gators commitments from the Sunshine State.