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Throughout nearly his entire tenure as a collegiate defensive coordinator (at multiple stops) Florida’s Todd Grantham has been criticized for his aggressiveness in the blitz on third-and-long situations. Often, his teams get beat over the top on passing plays in these situations, causing a lot of frustration among fans.
The Gators may not have had a spring game to show off their improvements, but based on what coach Dan Mullen said throughout the spring, it sounds like the defense has improved. In his list of post-spring practice overreactions for each SEC team, CBS Sports college football writer Barrett Sallee said that he thinks “Third and Grantham” will be a thing of the past.
Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham has been a lightning rod for criticism after a lackluster season in 2020. That has changed … at least according to head coach Dan Mullen. It’s nearly impossible to have a steadfast opinion on Florida’s spring due to the lack of spring game and access. But Mullen touted Grantham’s defense after every scrimmage, which is music to the ears of Florida fans. If that translates to the fall, then look out, SEC East.
The Gators have to replace a number of starters on defense including cornerback Marco Wilson, both safeties in Donovan Stiner and Shawn Davis and defensive tackles Tedarrell Slaton and Kyree Campbell. UF will instead have to rely on players like graduate transfer defensive linemen Daquon Newkirk and Antonio Shelton, as well as returning starters like Kaiir Elam.
In terms of yards allowed, Florida was ninth in the SEC in 2020. The Gators still managed to win the SEC East due to phenomenal offensive play, but with a new quarterback under center in 2021 in Emory Jones, that may not be the case this time around. If UF wants to avoid a major dropoff this season, it will hope Sallee is right and the defense takes a leap forward.
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