Alabama transfer defender Kelby Collins, brother commit to SEC team
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Alabama transfer defender Kelby Collins has announced where he’ll be playing in 2026.
He’ll have the added bonus of having his brother, Drew, there with him.
Kelby and Drew Collins have both committed to South Carolina out of the transfer portal. They revealed the news to On3’s Hayes Fawcett on Sunday afternoon.
Kelby Collins’ college career began at Florida as he signed with the Gators as a four-star recruit. In two seasons in Gainesville, he totaled 29 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He then entered the transfer portal and landed at Alabama, where, in 2025, he made 12 tackles and 2.0 sacks. He will have one season of eligibility remaining.
Younger brother Drew was a 2024 recruit who initially signed with Arkansas State. After redshirting as a true freshman, he made 6 tackles and 3.0 sacks in 2025.
Both players will now continue their careers at South Carolina, which now has landed a total of 15 players from the transfer portal. The Gamecocks now have four defensive players pledged to their transfer class with the commitments of both Collins brothers. On Jan. 6, they received a verbal pledge from defensive tackle Jordan Thomas (Georgia). They then added defensive back Quay’sheed Scott (Kentucky) on Jan. 8.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
