The Florida Gators lost DL Taven Bryan to the NFL a year early, but one talented player who chose to stay is OL Martez Ivey.

Now, Ivey will be a big part of the offense during new coach Dan Mullen’s first year at the helm of the program.

Ivey could have been an early-round NFL Draft pick in 2018, but instead decided to return to Gainesville for one more ride with the Gators. In an interview with FloridaGators.com, Ivey said he just couldn’t let his college career end with a 4-7 record:

“I don’t like to go out the easy way,” he said. “I just felt like 4-7 is the easy way. I know I had a shot to go play in the league and see where I got drafted. I also know the legacy I want to leave behind. And it wasn’t that.”

Ivey will likely garner some All-SEC votes at SEC Media Days this week, and he could be an even higher pick in the 2019 NFL Draft if he has a good season.

However, it’s clear the most important thing to Ivey is he wants to be a part of the Gators’ potential turnaround under Mullen.