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What Florida’s defensive personnel should look like in 2016
By John Hollis
Published:
The headliners of 2015 will be gone, but the Florida defense will again be strong next fall thanks to experienced group of returnees and the addition of a few new faces.
The Gators will say goodbye to All-American cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III and a pair of All-SEC performers in defensive end Jonathan Bullard and middle linebacker Antonio Morrison, but the unit figures to again be up to the task of shouldering the early load for coach Jim McElwain’s team next season as it likely again breaks in a new quarterback.
Florida featured one of the nation’s premier defenses this fall, consistently shutting down the run and getting after opposing quarterbacks. Bullard, who was a first-team all-conference pick, was the leader of the unit and will be the only face missing from the team’s four defensive line starters from the upcoming Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl against Michigan.
Defensive end Jordan Sherit, a rising fourth-year junior who played extensively this season behind Bullard, has shown tremendous potential in a limited role, but will be asked to do much more in Bullard’s absence. Other starters expected back from this year’s stalwart defensive line that helped the Gators rank third in the SEC and 17th nationally in rush defense include rising fifth-year senior defensive end Bryan Cox, Jr., rising redshirt junior nose tackle Caleb Brantley and rising senior defensive tackle Joey Ivie.
The loss of the reliable Morrison, a second-team All-SEC selection, will leave a void, but the argument could be made that returning senior weakside linebacker Jarrad Davis was Florida’s best linebacker by season’s end. Jeremi Powell, a rising fifth-year senior, will be back to man the strongside linebacker spot.
Hargreaves was a first-team All-American with lockdown skills, but rising Jalen Tabor could have similar accolades in his future. Tabor proved more than capable in 2015 as opposing teams looked to throw away from Hargreaves, recording a team-high 14 pass breakups to rank as tops in the SEC and the fourth-best single-season total in school history. Tabor became the first Gators player to record two interception returns for touchdowns in the same season since 2009.
Likely playing the opposite corner will be rising junior Quincy Wilson, who played in all 13 games this season, including a start against Alabama. Wilson finished the season with 26 tackles and two interceptions.
Joining them in the secondary will be senior safeties Marcus Maye and Keanu Neal. Maye’s four forced fumbles in 2014 rank tied for seventh among FBS schools and the most by a Florida player since Major Wright forced four in 2007.
Additional help on defense could come from a troika of incoming four-star recruits in outside linebacker Jeremiah Moon, defensive end Jordan Smith and cornerback Chauncey Gardner.
John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.
