Todd Grantham enters his 4th season with the Florida Gators as their defensive coordinator. Last year, the Gators had a prolific offense, but their defensive woes caused them to finish with an 8-4 record. Now, Grantham’s job is in jeopardy as he continues his search for a head coaching job. Here is the roster outlook for the Gators’ defense that Grantham can use to help the Florida Gators compete for the SEC Championship again:
Secondary
Last year, the Gators’ defense allowed nearly 260 yards passing each game. They struggled against teams with balanced offenses and dual-threat quarterbacks. In fact, they only intercepted nine passes last season, which was the lowest in the SEC. The Gators have two new secondary coaches this year: Jules Montinar and Wesley McGriff. Kaiir Elam is currently the only guaranteed starter at cornerback, and Grantham will have to replace multiple safeties including Marco Wilson and Shawn Davis. Grantham will also have to address issues in both defensive communications and slant routes across the middle of the field; this was apparent in Florida’s matchups against LSU and Alabama. Freshmen such as Donovan McMillon and Corey Collier Jr. will likely start at safety later in the season. Since the secondary is the youngest and least experienced group for the Gators, coaches should give the most attention to the cornerbacks and safeties.
Linebackers
The linebacker group for Florida has the most experience and the least depth. Last season, the linebacker unit was poor, but it didn’t perform as bad as the secondary. Ventrill Miller will likely start as the middle linebacker, and he will replace David Reese II as the defense’s primary communicator. The Gators’ defense allowed an average of 170 yards on the ground last season, but Miller’s presence as a floor general and run-stopper should improve the Gators’ run defense. He will likely be accompanied by Mohamoud Diabate as the weakside linebacker. Diabate is now in his senior season, and his athleticism provides another run-stopping presence on the field. He recorded 67 tackles last year, and he’s now comfortable in the weakside position after his sophomore season. Amari Burney will frequently rotate with Diabate at that spot, for Burney is more reliable for defending during passing situations.
Defensive Line
The Gators’ biggest strength on defense is their defensive ends: Zachary Carter and Brenton Cox Jr. Carter recorded five sacks and 35 tackles in his first year as starter, and he’s the most talented on the defensive front with a unique build of 6’4” and 290 pounds. Cox is more often utilized to rush the quarterback, and he started in all games last season. He struggles with tackling versatile athletes in open space, but Grantham expects him to get better over the course of this season. Daquan Newkirk, a transfer from Auburn, is likely to replace T.J. Slaton at the nose tackle position. Since Newkirk does not have much experience at nose tackle, Jalen Lee could also get some starts. Finally, Antonio Shelton is bound to start at defensive tackle after his impressive freshman season; he already proved that he’s a dominant interior defensive lineman.
Final Thoughts
The defensive line group is the most reliable position group for the Florida Gators this season. However, the linebackers and secondary also need to perform consistently to improve from last year’s defense. While the Gators’ defense has the makings of a strong run-stopping team, Dan Mullen and Grantham need to develop new defensive schemes to enhance the Florida Gators’ passing defense.