No one person ever truly replaces a guy who was so dominant that he became the third overall pick of the NFL draft.

But they just might collectively.

Former Florida defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. was an All-American last year, a beast who produced team highs in both sacks (8.5) and tackles for loss to fuel a fearsome Gators defensive front that made the rest of the defense go.

His departure means new defensive coordinator Geoff Collins will rely more of a terrorizing-the-opposing-quarterback-by-committee approach this season.

New coach Jim McElwain inherited a Gators unit that is deep in talent with the likes of senior Jonathan Bullard, junior Alex McCalister and junior Bryan Cox Jr. before adding several blue-chip freshmen who will also contribute. The depth and talent at his disposal is why Collins plans on playing a lot of defensive linemen this fall.

Florida managed 30 sacks a year ago, good for sixth in the conference. But Fowler, now playing with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars, was hardly alone in consistently getting to opposing quarterbacks in 2014. McCalister added six sacks and Cox added four more as seven different Gators recorded at least two sacks last season.

McElwain and Collins are counting on similar production from the group this fall, although the Gators will be without McCalister for the Sept. 5 season opener against New Mexico State. McElwain recently suspended him and two others for a game following a violation of an unspecified University Athletic Association policy.

Florida should manage just fine though. Bullard returns after toying with the idea of leaving early for the NFL and Cox is back to full speed after undergoing hip surgery and missing all of spring practice.

Bullard totaled just 2.5 sacks last fall, but played a big role in the defense’s overall success. The team’s best all-around defensive lineman is not as agile as Fowler, but the versatility Bullard offers with his ability to play inside at tackle or outside at end again will come in handy.

Junior nose tackle Joey Ivie returns to hold things down in the middle after registering 24 tackles and one sack in a reserve role as a sophomore, while redshirt freshman Taven Bryan likely will assume the other starting tackle spot.

McAlister’s absence against New Mexico State will allow more playing time for prized freshman defensive end CeCe Jefferson. The precocious former five-star recruit has impressed coaches and teammates alike with his strength and ability to grasp the offense quickly. The future is bright for Jefferson, who is blessed with great speed and natural instincts.

Other new faces set to contribute include true freshman defensive end Jabari Zuniga and redshirt freshmen Khairi Clark.