Florida defensive tackle declares for 2023 NFL draft

The Gators are losing one of their best defensive linemen to the NFL draft.

The college football hot stove is en fuego as players from their respective schools begin making important decisions about their future, be it seeking a fresh start with another program or taking their talents to the professional level. For the Florida Gators, the news cycle has been packed with news of both, though the biggest stories have surrounded those who are heading to the NFL draft.

On Monday afternoon, sophomore defensive lineman [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. announced that he will forgo the remainder of his collegiate eligibility and test the waters in the 2023 NFL draft. As such, he will not play in the Las Vegas Bowl with his Orange and Blue brethren on Dec. 17 as the 6-foot-6-inch, 312-pound behemoth prepares for the grueling road ahead of him.

Over the course of his career in Gainesville, Dexter started in 23 of the 37 games he appeared in, seeing significant playing time as soon as he landed on campus. The former five-star recruit saw no shortage of reps under [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] either, racking up a team-high 636 snaps in 2022, which breaks down to 53 per game — good enough for 13th-best in the FBS.

Dexter joined wide receiver Justin Shorter and offensive lineman O’Cyrus Torrence as the Gators who have already declared for the draft when he made his announcement before quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] declared that he will be the fourth member of the 2022 squad in the draft shortly after.

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