A week into spring practice, Florida’s adjusting to its new look at linebacker with Antonio Morrison on the shelf with a knee injury and 2014 starters Michael Taylor and Neiron Ball no longer with the program.

Daniel McMillian and Alex Anzalone have taken advantage and stepped up as leaders, according to first-year defensive coordinator Geoff Collins who inherits a unit that ranked fifth in total defense in the SEC last fall.

“The guys have kind of rallied around them because they can get along with any kid on the team,” Collins said Tuesday. “They understand the defense, they know how to make the calls, they do it with confidence. Whenever somebody else makes a play, they get excited about it.”

Mostly a special teams player last season with limited reps as a backup linebacker, Anzalone managed just 14 tackles but impressed Florida coaches with a relentless pursuit of the football. He’s still adjusting to being the guy, at least for spring, thanks to low numbers at the position (only four scholarship LBs available).

Anzalone has seized the opportunity, barking out signals as the quarterback of the defense during this week’s drills while continuing to develop into a player the Gators can count on in 2015.

“I guess it’s something I’ve grown into,” Anzalone said. “At Mike linebacker on the defense, you kind of have to be the quarterback of the defense and be confident in everything. I think it’s just something that I came in to.”

Linebackers Matt Rolin, McMillian, Anzalone, and Jeremi Powell have played nearly every snap this spring while Morrison and Jarrad Davis nurse injuries, contributing much-needed reps in the middle of Florida’s base.

Anzalone says new linebackers coach Randy Shannon has made the transition from second-teamer to potential impact player much easier.

“It’s like learning from a legend, almost,” Anzalone said. “You hear about he was the head coach at Miami and he coached Ray Lewis and all these other people. The other day we pulled out film from 2000, watching Jonathan Vilma from Miami. I think it’s pretty cool.

“There’s a lot to learn from him. You get to see how they were in college and specifically, schematically what they were doing and how they played.”