Dante Fowler was as dominant a force up front as the Florida defense has claimed in some time, and now that he’s headed for the NFL, Gators fans near and far are asking themselves one simple question: How are we going to replace him?

The answer to that question is simpler than many realize. You’re not going to replace Dante Fowler. There isn’t a player on the Florida roster capable of duplicating his impact, at least not next season. There may be a collection of players who can combine to replicate his impressive numbers from 2014, but there’s no chance those players can combine to replicate the impact Fowler made just by stepping onto the field.

He warranted attention from all 11 members of the opposing offense no matter where he lined up. He possessed speed, power and agility, and could get into the backfield with a plethora of moves and rush styles. He attracted double teams and freed up teammates to get into the backfield even when he couldn’t, all because most teams couldn’t find a one-on-one matchup capable of slowing Fowler down.

Again, there is no replacing Fowler; there is only moving on without him. After all, he represented 28 percent of Florida’s sack total and 17 percent of its tackles for loss total last season by himself.

So the better question is this: How can Florida compensate for life without Fowler in 2015? This question requires a two-part answer that delves into who Florida is bringing back along the defensive line and who the Gators are bringing in from the most recent recruiting cycle.

As far as returning talents are concerned, Alex McCalister now represents the team’s most dangerous pass-rushing threat. To be fair, McCalister is quite a talent in his own right, and while he may not be a future top 10 NFL Draft pick like Fowler will be in a couple weeks, he could star to some extent at the college level and earn himself a spot in a future NFL Draft.

McCalister was second on the team a year ago with 6.0 sacks and third on the team with 8.0 tackles for loss. However, he added only one other quarterback hurry, which indicates that he almost always gets to the ball-carrier when he arrives in the backfield, but also indicates that many of his trips into the backfield may have been made possible by other players, namely Fowler.

Still, McCalister is a 6-foot-7 nightmare up front capable of swatting down passes at the line like the Anthony Davis of college football, and he is continuing to bulk up, allowing him to get a push up front to knock down passes in addition to providing him options beyond just a speed rush off the edge in passing situations.

McCalister has reportedly embraced his new role as the team’s top pass-rushing presence up front, and that’s half the battle. If he can command even half the attention Fowler commanded during his UF career, it’ll benefit the Gators entire front seven.

Rising senior Jonathan Bullard and rising junior Bryan Cox Jr. can also add experience up front alongside McCalister. As said before, there will be no replacing Fowler’s presence, but having some experienced depth can allow Florida to rotate linemen a healthy amount to maintain fresh bodies late into games. That certainly has value, and trusting kids who are familiar with the speed and physicality of the SEC should reduce some of the growing pains Florida suffers on defense as it shifts from a defensive-minded head coach to an offense-oriented leader.

Ultimately, however, Florida’s best defensive end prospect has yet to play a snap of college football. That player is Cece Jefferson, a five-star talent and a player widely regarded among the top 10 from the last recruiting class. The Florida native signed with his home-state Gators, and he should serve as the future face of the defense while Jim McElwain tries to rebuild Florida’s offense from scratch.

Jefferson will arrive on campus this summer, so it remains to be seen how quickly he can adjust to life in the SEC. One day, he will be the man who can replace Fowler, but it’s unfair to expect that much of him as a true freshman this fall.

This season will be about getting Jefferson valuable experience in the defensive line rotation. He’s not necessarily someone Florida can lean on yet, but the quicker he and the Gators can endure his growing pains as a freshman, the quicker he can become the next Dante Fowler on the defense.

Jefferson has a similar combination of size and athleticism at the defensive end position, although he’s a bit bigger than Fowler, who will likely play outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme in the NFL. Jefferson is more of a traditional defensive end, but he still possesses great strength and an array of pass-rushing moves that should give opposing offensive tackles nightmares.

One day, it will be Jefferson who can threaten opposing lines with his power to rush inside and his agility to rush off the edge; it’ll be Jefferson who commands double teams and frees up teammates, and it’ll be Jefferson who dictates the opposing offense’s entire game plan each Saturday.

But that won’t happen next season. For now, it’s a matter of relying on Jefferson’s raw talent and the experience of guys like McCalister, Bullard and Cox to hold down the fort as the Gators are rebuilt. The results may not be as good, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be bad. Those four may not be able to replace Fowler, but they’ll certainly keep the defense afloat.

Florida fans will miss Fowler, but they won’t be pulling their hair out watching his replacements.