The Florida Gators only saw one player drafted in the 2024 event — Ricky Pearsall to the San Francisco 49ers in the first round — but former UF linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper heard his name called in the third round by the Green Bay Packers.
Hopper appeared in 28 games over three years with the Gators. He redshirted his freshman year and earned more playing time in each of the following seasons. He transferred to Missouri after Dan Mullen was let go as the head coach at Florida.
Billy Napier, UF’s current head coach, has been praised for trimming most of the Mullen-era players from the roster over the first two years, but this is one he wishes he had kept. Florida has struggled at linebacker, partially due to injury, over the past two seasons.
Here’s what Dane Brugler of The Athletic said about Hopper and the pick.
“A two-year starter at Missouri, Hopper played Will linebacker in defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s 4-2-5 base scheme. After struggling to find a regular role at Florida, he transferred and averaged 5.8 tackles per game in two seasons with Missouri, earning All-SEC honors as a senior.
“With his initial quickness and rangy speed, Hopper aggressively responds to ball carriers and pass catchers and closes in a hurry. However, he lacks the playing strength desired for an every-down role and needs to improve his block awareness.”
Brugler project Hopper to fit into a special teams role with a shot at a “run-and-chase rotational” spot in the rotation if he can find some more consistency at the point of attack.
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