Gators’ goals: Be best D-line in America, finish games, season
By Andrew Olson
Published:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida’s defensive line is out to be the best. Not just the best in the SEC, but the best in the country.
Redshirt junior DT Caleb Brantley says that depth upfront will ultimately show why the Gators belong in the discussion.
“I don’t think we have a second-team or third-team defensive line,” Brantley said Friday. “We have the best defensive line in the country – we’re going to prove it.”
Brantley’s rejection of a traditional depth chart shows that he has completely bought into defensive coordinator Geoff Collins’ idea of being above or below “the line” instead of having a designated spot on the first-team, second-team, etc.
“As we get into these meetings right now that we’ll start having with them, the conversation, we don’t really have a two-deep on defense around here,” Collins said at Wednesday’s media day. “Because a lot of times, if you get labeled as a two, you’re going to play like a two. If you get labeled as a one, a lot of times you’ll play as a one, but a lot of times there’s not that pressure to even take your standard to another level.
“For us, every single day, they are fighting for reps. That goes for one, the preseason all conference guys, former All-Americans, there’s pressure to perform every day, because they are fighting for reps. So we’ve just got to find which guys at corner, which guys at safety, which guys we need to cross-train.”
In theory, that constant competition creates quality depth, meaning the Gators have more than just numbers at the position, they have contributors. That can be a difference maker, especially late in a game.
“The o-linemen wear out in the third or fourth quarter, and we’re still fresh,” Brantley said.
The Gators think they’re in position to finish a game stronger than their opponents – at least in the trenches. Coach Jim McElwain is asking the team to take that finishing mentality into the 13-week season.
“Coach Mac challenged the older guys not to coast at the end of season and worry about the NFL – we’re trying to win a championship,” Brantley said.
Obviously, things drastically went south at the end of last season. After a 10-1 start to clinch the SEC East, Florida dropped to 10-4 with crushing losses to FSU (27-2), Alabama (29-15) and Michigan (41-7).
When asked about Florida’s limp to the finish line, CB Quincy Wilson said he didn’t think the issue was complacency.
Then he took a long pause.
“I just felt like we needed certain parts of our team to be better and other parts to pick it up to be able to win those games,” Wilson said. “But there’s always room for improvement. We can always go harder in practice. We’re gonna get it done this year.”
The defensive line and the secondary are confident they can take the Gators to the next level, will their teammates do their part?
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
