Priority Gators DT Target Chris McClellan Sets Commitment Date

The Florida Gators are one of the finalists for 2022 SI99 defensive tackle Chris McClellan.

The No. 7 interior defensive lineman and No. 79 overall prospect in the class of 2022 per Sports Illustrated All-American, Owasso (Okla.) defensive tackle Chris McClellan is set to make his college commitment on Tuesday, Nov. 23 at 3:30 P.M. ET, he shared via 247Sports.

The Florida Gators are a member of McClellan's finalists, alongside Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, Southern California and his home-state school Oklahoma. McClellan told 247Sports that he has been silently committed to one of his top schools for two weeks.

McClellan officially visited Florida on the first weekend of June, days after the COVID-19 dead period was lifted. He returned to campus on Sept. 18 to watch the Gators take on the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The coaching staff has pitched an opportunity for McClellan to compete for early playing time should he pledge to Florida as four contributing defensive linemen are set to depart from the university following the 2021 season.

"They [are] losing and guys man, and with a program like this, if you can get out there and play early, you know, that looks good for the NFL GMs and scouts," McClellan told AllGators about UF in June. "So that definitely has an appeal to but also just to become a legend here like Tim Tebow and do something great."

The 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive tackle has been recruited to UF by defensive line coach David Turner and quarterbacks coach Garrick McGee, who was born and raised in Tulsa, Okla. McClellan lives and goes to school roughly 15 miles from McGee's hometown.

You can read McClellan's SI All-American scouting report below.

Leanly built his way up to 290 on his way from defensive end to defensive tackle. Nice length. After watching his film, the first thing that sticks out is his long arms and his ability to quickly strike-and-shed blockers. He has good feet to match a very strong build. Great closing burst for a lineman.

It looks like he set up blockers for his moves, based on how effective some of his swims are. McClellan can get skinny through a gap when he needs to. Skilled when slanting into gaps. Fantastic pad level throughout his film. Active hands with a nasty punch. Easily manipulates blocker’s shoulder pads. Violent in every facet of his game. Solid tackler. He does most of his damage in between the tackles, slanting or stemming and disrupting. Every time the ball is snapped, he seems to have a plan for how he is attacking each blocker. Because he attacks with a plan in mind, he maximizes his already imposing physicality. 

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