Former five-star DT in transfer portal on the radar for Florida Football

Trying to keep up with the opening day of the transfer portal can be exhausting for Florida Football fans. The Gators have claimed they plan to be aggressive in the portal, which would be a departure from their slow and steady approach of the past under Billy Napier.

Florida is already set to get a visit from one of the higher rated players at one of their biggest positions of need for 2025.

Florida Football: Quick Silver

Keeshawn Silver was a five-star defensive tackle out of the class of 2021. He took an unofficial visit to Florida while Dan Mullen was still in charge, but he wound up committing to UNC. In 2023, he transferred to Kentucky and has been with the Wildcats for the past two seasons.

Based on reports from Pete Nakos and Hayes Fawcett of On3, Silver is slated to take a visit to Florida this week as he explores his options in the transfer portal.

Silver is considered one of the higher-ranked defensive tackles currently in the portal, though he has not quite lived up to his five-star billing since coming out of high school. After taking minimal snaps with UNC, he was taken close to 300 snaps in each of 2023 and 2024.

His main billing is that he is a sure-handed tackler once he wraps you up. He had 26 total tackles in 2024 with zero missed tackles. He also had eight QB hurries on the season with one sack.

By comparison, outgoing DT Cam Jackson had 37 total tackles, with two missed tackles, and 11 QB hurries on the season with two sacks.

Silver is also slated to take visits to Miami, Southern Cal, and Michigan as he looks to find a new home for 2025. Florida is looking to replace Jackson, Desmond Watson, Joey Slackman, and Kelby Collins along the interior of its defensive line for next season.