Florida football had what most would consider a successful season in 2020 amidst the perils of the COVID pandemic. The program finished with a tidy 8-4 record which included a Southeastern Conference East Division title and a trip to the championship game, as well as a New Year’s Six bowl game appearance and two student-athletes in the top 10 in the Heisman Trophy vote.
However, a great deal of that success came on the offensive side of the ball which put up video game numbers over the course of its SEC-only schedule. The defense, on the other hand, was often dead weight on the team and between missed assignments, broken plays and boneheaded mistakes, likely cost UF a chance at the national title.
A great deal of blame fell on defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and his staff, which led to a quick dismissal of safeties coach Ron English and cornerback coach Torrian Gray. Since then, Grantham and head coach Dan Mullen have been working on improving communication methods to mitigate the mistakes made last year.
Heading into next year, Grantham and co. will bring back a bunch of seasoned starters as well as a crop of neophytes hungry to whet their teeth on the collegiate gridiron. With the offense projected to be far less potent, it will be incumbent upon the defense to keep the team buoyant throughout the season if Florida expects to maintain its current level of success.
Here is a look at how The Athletic’s staff writer G. Allan Taylor thinks Florida football’s depth chart will shake out on the defensive side of the ball in 2021. Links to the student-athlete’s Gators Wire player profile card are provided as well.
Note: Returning players are once more aligned with their 2020 class because it’s unclear how schools will list eligibility for the 2021 season. Because of COVID-19, last season did not count against any player’s eligibility.