Tag: derek wingo

Florida linebacker cleared to play following shoulder surgery

Florida linebacker Derek Wingo is back to full health and has been cleared to play after undergoing surgery on his shoulder.

Florida linebacker [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag] spent all of spring in a non-contact jersey as he worked his way back from a shoulder injury that required surgery.

On Monday, Wingo took to Twitter to announce that team doctors had medically cleared him for a full return to action. Wingo has appeared in all 37 games for the Gators over the past three seasons and is in his final year of eligibility.

Over 46 career games, Wingo has 58 total tackles (20 solo), including 6.5 tackles for loss (43 yards) and 4.5 sacks (38 yards). He’s also deflected two passes and blocked a kick.

He’ll play a big part in Florida’s linebacker rotation this year, mixing in behind Grayson Howard and Shemar James.

Wingo is viewed as a team leader, even if he isn’t a first-stringer.

“Tremendous leadership there. I think that’s the first thing (you notice),” Wingo’s position coach Ron Roberts said. “You’re always looking for those types of things. Those are the things that make a difference on a football team. Do you have the right guys in leadership positions that can help bring the young guys along?”

Wingo shouldn’t have any rust by the time the regular season starts. He played in a non-contact jersey during the spring game and another team scrimmage. He’ll experience summer and fall camps in their totality.

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Gators linebacker to attend SEC Football Leadership Council meeting

This junior linebacker will rep the Orange and Blue at the SEC Football Leadership Council meeting this weekend.

Florida football’s junior linebacker [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag], a member of the Southeastern Conference Football Leadership Council, will attend the SEC’s annual meeting on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 2-3, at the SEC offices in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Football Leadership Council is one of three components of the SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council, joining the men’s and women’s basketball leadership councils as well as the conference’s longstanding student-athlete advisory council.

The councils provide student-athletes with additional opportunities to engage with campus leaders and conference office staff and serve as a conduit of communication to the conference office on issues related to student-athlete experience, student-athlete wellness and playing rules.

Items on the agenda this weekend include a meeting with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, a review of NCAA and SEC legislative items, a conversation with SEC Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Katie O’Neal and engagement with football officials on rules of the game, student-athlete/referee interaction and careers in officiating. The group will also review SEC student-athlete engagement opportunities, according to FloridaGators.com.

The student-athletes who also comprise the SEC Football Leadership Council are DeVonta Smith (Alabama Crimson Tide), Cameron Ball (Arkansas Razorbacks), Eugene Asante (Auburn Tigers), Jalon Walker (Georgia Bulldogs), Eli Cox (Kentucky Wildcats), Josh Williams (LSU Tigers), JJ Pegues (Ole Miss Rebels), Hayes Hammond (Mississippi State Bulldogs), Kristian Williams (Missouri Tigers), Kai Kroeger (South Carolina Gamecocks), Omari Thomas (Tennessee Volunteers), Taurean York (Texas A&M Aggies) and Bryan Longwell (Vanderbilt Commodores).

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2023 Florida Football Position Preview: Inside Linebackers

Ventrell Miller is no longer the man in the middle of Florida’s defense, but the Gators hit the transfer portal and have some homegrown talent that’s ready to take off.

Now that Ventrell Miller and Amari Burney are in the NFL, Florida is looking for its next pair of elite inside linebackers to lead the defense in 2023.

Billy Napier turned to the transfer portal to add some depth at the position and found Teradja Mitchell and Mannie Nunnery. Both should play a big role in Florida’s defense this season, but there’s plenty of homegrown talent to work with too.

Shemar James is coming off an elite freshman season against SEC competition and could blossom in Year 2 of his college career. There’s also Scooby Williams and Derek Wingo in the position room looking for snaps as returning players with experience.

Here’s a look at every inside linebacker on Florida’s 2023 fall roster.

Florida’s junior linebacker named to Wuerffel Trophy Watch List

Derek Wingo is among Florida football’s rising leaders and the The Wuerffel Trophy Watch List has taken notice.

The Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, which honors college football players who serve others, celebrate their impact, and inspire greater service in the world, was released on Thursday by the Wuerffel Foundation. Among those earning a mention for the award named after the former Gator great was current Florida linebacker [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag].

Established in 2005, the Wuerffel Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association and is presented annually to the FBS player who best combines exemplary community service with leadership achievement on and off the field.  It is the first major award honoring the character of service to others.

On Thursday, Billy Napier reinforced the notion that the junior defender is among the leaders of the 2023 squad during a press conference. When confronted with the notion that Wingo is one of the most respected players on the team, Napier replied, “We all know that.”

The 6-foot-1-inch, 240-pound linebacker played in 12 games last season, finishing things off with back-to-back starts. Wingo recorded 24 total tackles (eight solo) along with a pair of sacks that year, including a career-high eight tackles against Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl. He appeared in all 13 games in 2021 (one start) and nine games in his true freshman season.

The junior defender is also a two-time SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll member and currently sits on the 2023 SEC Student-Athlete Leadership Council.

Semifinalists for the award will be announced on Nov. 2 and finalists will be announced on Nov. 28, with the formal announcement of the 2023 recipient scheduled to be made live on either Dec. 7 or 8 during The Home Depot College Football Awards airing on ESPN.

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Florida has one of college football’s 12 most lethal rosters in 2023

Florida has a ton of talent on its roster heading into the 2023 season, but that doesn’t guarantee success.

The Florida Gators finished tied for 12th in 247Sports’ recent list of the most lethal rosters heading into the 2023 season.

247Sports’ Brad Crawford used the site’s team composite ranking to rank the teams. He took the average position of the team’s finish over the past five years and Florida finished with a 12.4 average, the same as Michigan.

Florida finished 14th in the country during the most recent cycle. Losing five-star quarterback Jaden Rashada hurt a class that had a chance to break the top 10. Florida’s first class under Billy Napier in 2022 ranked No. 18 overall, and Dan Mullen brought in the No. 12 class in 2021 and the No. 9 class in 2019 and 2020.

“When Florida is winning national titles, the Gators are one of the nation’s elite recruiting teams,” Crawford wrote. “And while this program has a top-12 roster based on talent heading into coach Billy Napier’s second season, there are certainly depth concerns that the coaching staff must contend with following a disappointing 6-7 finish under the new regime.”

The problem with using this metric to rank teams is that transfers come and go, and the bulk of the Mullen classes has moved on from the program in one way or another. The class of 2020 features some team leaders, such as receiver [autotag]Xzavier Henderson[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag], but much of the class has transferred out or declared for the upcoming draft.

Florida also added a ton of transfer over the past two offseasons. Quarterbacks [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] and [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag], running backs [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Cameron Carroll[/autotag], receiver [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag], offensive linemen [autotag]Damieon George[/autotag], [autotag]Kiyaunta Goodwin[/autotag] and Micah Mazzccua, defensive linemen [autotag]Caleb Banks[/autotag] and [autotag]CamRon Jackson[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Teradja Mitchell[/autotag]  and cornerback [autotag]Jalen Kimber[/autotag] could all play significant roles for the team next season.

Florida could end up playing like a top-12 in the country by the season’s end, especially if the transfers help make up for the talent lost over the past few years, but it’s unwise to think of the Gators as a top-12 program in terms of actual talent heading into the season.

There’s been too much turnover in the program over the past couple of years for this metric to work for the Gators. A team like Michigan has a much better chance of living up to the expectations created by this list.

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4-star LB committed to Florida after visiting for Junior Day

The Gators are off to a hot start with the recruiting class of 2024. Florida added another top-100 player to the commitment pool on Saturday.

Florida earned another commitment from the class of 2024 on Saturday as four-star Largo (Florida) linebacker [autotag]Adarius Hayes[/autotag] pledged his services to the university.

Hayes was in town for Florida’s final Junior Day of the January recruiting period and announced his decision before leaving the Swamp. He was also in town last weekend to check in with the program, according to Swamp247. Hayes told Gators Online that he always planned on being a Gator and came into Saturday’s visit knowing that he’d be joining the class.

“It was the plan the whole time. I’m blessed to be a Gator. Go Gators,” Hayes said. “I’ll be a MIKE only. They said I’ll just be a middle linebacker and come off the edge more on third down. Basically, I would be like [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag]/[autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag].”

Hayes shadowed linebackers [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] and [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag] on this trip and the duo did their best to reel him in. He got a glimpse of the role he’ll be playing on Florida’s defense and locked in with the Gators over Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and others.

This is the second blue-chip linebacker Florida has reeled in from the 2024 class. [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag], who is ranked No. 30 overall on the 247Sports composite and No. 36 on the On3 consensus, picked Florida in August and seems locked in as a legacy commit.

Hayes is the No. 61 overall recruit in the nation, according to the 247Sports composite. He’s also No. 7 among edge rushers in the class and No. 12 among prep players from the Sunshine State. On3 is even more bullish on him, ranking Hayes at No. 55 overall on the consensus rankings and No. 33 on the site’s independent list.

Florida now has four players under commitment in the class. In addition to Hayes and Graham, UF has five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] and four-star running back [autotag]Chauncey Bowens[/autotag] on board as well. The Gators jumped to No. 3 overall on the 2024 On3 consensus football team recruiting rankings and No. 8 on 247Sports’ equivalent list.

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Florida add Houston transfer linebacker Mannie Nunnery

The Gators added yet another transfer linebacker from the portal on Monday. Welcome to the Swamp, Mannie Nunnery.

Florida added former Houston linebacker [autotag]Mannie Nunnery[/autotag] on Monday, according to a post he made on Twitter. The school later confirmed the news, making Nunnery the third linebacker to join the Gators via the transfer portal this offseason.

Nunnery joined the Cougars as a member of the 2019 recruiting class and played in 31 games over four years with the team, including a redshirt season. After seeing action in just two games as a freshman, Nunnery started getting snaps in 2020. He took 25 snaps in the slot as a sophomore but ended up spending most of his time lined up in the box. By 2021, he emerged as a key special teams player and started receiving even more opportunities on defense.

He finally broke out in 2022, playing in nine games for the Cougars and finishing the year with a 73.2 defensive grade, according to Pro Football Focus.

Nunnery joins a linebacker room that desperately needs some depth. Aside from fellow transfers [autotag]Teradja Mitchell[/autotag] (Ohio State) and [autotag]Deuce Spurlock[/autotag] (Michigan), Florida has only junior [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag], sophomores [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] and Scooby Williams and true freshman [autotag]Jaden Robinson[/autotag]. The Gators expect Nunnery to play WILL linebacker for them.

Out of high school, the 247Sports composite ranked Nunnery at No. 94 among outside linebackers in the class of 2019. He was No. 1,326 overall and No. 174 out of the state of Texas.

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Former Ohio State LB officially commits to Florida Gators

Now that Ohio State’s season is over, linebacker Teradja Mitchell has officially announced his transfer commitment to the University of Florida.

On Monday, former Ohio State linebacker [autotag]Teradja Mitchell[/autotag] officially committed to the University of Florida, confirming a Dec. 21 report from the Orlando Sentinel’s Edgar Thompson.

“Florida was the perfect fit for me,” Mitchell told Swamp247. “They were one of the first schools to reach out to me when I entered the portal. Coach (Jay) Bateman has been around and has watched me since high school. He recruited a couple of guys from my area. So we instantly clicked once we had our first conversation. It felt like family.”

Mitchell entered the portal on Dec. 5 after seeing his role in the Buckeyes’ offense reduced in 2022. Florida presents an opportunity for him to make an immediate impact at a school that has depth issues in the linebacker room. The Gators are losing starters [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] and [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] to the NFL draft and [autotag]Chief Borders[/autotag] and [autotag]David Reese[/autotag] to the transfer portal; [autotag]Diwun Black[/autotag] was dismissed from the program in November, too.

Mitchell will join [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag], [autotag]Scooby Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag] as the main players in the linebackers room next year. He should be in town over the coming weekend to get enrolled for spring classes at Florida, meaning he’ll be available to the team during spring practices. Barring injury, Mitchell should easily compete for a starting role.

A former five-star recruit out of high school, Mitchell has as high a ceiling as any newcomer to Florida’s roster. He leaves Columbus with 64 total tackles, including 8.5 tackles for a loss.

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Gators name first Danny Wuerffel Man of the Year

After six years at the University of Florida, linebacker Ventrell Miller is being honored as the inaugural Danny Wuerffel Man of the Year award winner.

The GatorMade program announced that linebacker Ventrell Miller won the inaugural Danny Wuerffel Man of The Year award on New Year’s Eve.

“The Man of the Year is something that honors somebody who embodies leadership,” Wuerffel said in a video announcement. “This is someone who is making everyone around them better.”

Miller became a fan favorite over his six-year career in the Swamp, and it’s clear that just about everyone who has ever interacted with him thinks just as highly of him as Wuerffel does. He was the glue that held Florida’s defense together in 2022, and his leadership extended off the field as well.

The program got a few of Miller’s teammates to say some words and thank him in the announcement video, and it’s obvious just how much the rest of the team respects him.

“Ventrell Miller definitely got our appreciation and love a lot because of the impact he has on the team and the people around in the building,” quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] said. “He pushes you to be the best you can be.”

Miller served as a mentor for several underclassmen and passed down some wisdom that should help establish the next class of Gator greats on defense.

“It was an honor playing next to you,” freshman linebacker [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] said. “I just want to say thank you for being a big brother to me and the rest of the freshmen and underclassmen.”

[autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag] echoed those sentiments and said that he hopes to follow in Miller’s footsteps as a leader now that he’s headed to the NFL.

Miller leaves Florida with 240 total tackles (124 solo), 23.5 tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks, one interception and two forced fumbles.

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This Florida linebacker just declared for the 2023 NFL draft

After five years in Gainesville, linebacker Amari Burney is turning pro and has declared for the 2023 NFL draft.

After serving as a team captain for Florida in the Las Vegas Bowl, senior linebacker [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] has declared for the 2023 NFL draft.

Burney, a former four-star recruit from the class of 2018, spent five years with the Gators playing at both the STAR position and at linebacker. He made the switch from the secondary in 2019 and was a full-time linebacker by 2020. He appeared in all 37 of Florida’s contests over the past three seasons, starting 18 games, including every game of the 2022 season.

His biggest moment in the Orange and Blue came during the season opener against Utah when he made a game-sealing interception. He also recorded an interception against Georgia and finished the season with a career-high 79 tackles (41 solo).

Burney is the second starting linebacker to depart from the program this offseason, the first being [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag]. It will be hard to replace that level of talent quickly in the Swamp, especially with other linebackers hitting the transfer portal. Fortunately, Florida is expected to add Ohio State linebacker [autotag]Teradja Mitchell[/autotag] through the portal and has [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag], [autotag]Scooby Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag] to lean on next season.

Burney could be a late-round pick in the upcoming draft with draft grades as high as the fifth round, but he could wind up as an undrafted free agent as well. His combine and pro-day performances should heavily influence whether an NFL team is willing to give him a shot or not.

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