Jalen Lee – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Billy Napier makes big changes to Florida’s depth chart ahead of Week 5

Trey Dean won’t play against Eastern Washington after popping up on the Gators’ injury report this week. Here’s who will start in his place.

The Florida Gators will be without safety [autotag]Trey Dean[/autotag] this week, according to the Week 5 depth chart put out by the team Wednesday evening.

Dean is listed on the injury report as “out” with a lower-body injury, and freshman [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] is in his place with [autotag]Donovan McMillon[/autotag] listed as the “OR” option. Both are expected to play against Eastern Washington, and that’s far from the only change on the depth chart.

[autotag]Justus Boone[/autotag] is listed ahead of [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] at the defensive end spot alongside [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]., and cornerback [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] is in the starting spot opposite of [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. The defense will certainly look different on Sunday, and the shakeup couldn’t come at a better time.

Safety Trey Dean listed as OUT with a lower body injury on this week’s depth chart and injury report. #Gators pic.twitter.com/q4WAXARe8V

— Brandon Carroll (@itsbcarroll) September 28, 2022

Many fans were critical of Dean’s performance against Tennessee. He blew a few coverages that proved costly, but the truth is that the Volunteers carved up the defense in its entirety.

The front seven already has seen some movement with [autotag]Desmond Watson[/autotag] moving ahead of [autotag]Jalen Lee[/autotag] on the depth chart, and [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] is now firmly back in the starting 11 after dealing with his own lower-body injury over the past few weeks.

[autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag], [autotag]Marco Ortiz[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] remain on the injury report, but Miller is now listed as “questionable,” which means he should return in the next few weeks. Offensive tackle [autotag]David Conner[/autotag] and tight end [autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] are no longer on listed on the injury report, but they aren’t on the two-deep either.

Keep in mind that Florida’s opponent this week is an FCS school. If there’s a week to rest some guys, this is it. Expect Napier to try to get some game action out of his reserves if the Gators can run the score up early.

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Florida Football Depth Chart: Updates ahead of Week 4 matchup with Tennessee

Big Desmond Watson got a promotion on the depth chart after last week’s performance against USF. Here’s what else is new for Florida as the Gators prepare for the Tennessee Volunteers.

Florida’s Week 4 update to the two-deep roster had some major surprises, but it’s mostly good news for the Gators as they prepare to take on No. 11 Tennessee.

UF will go with [autotag]Desmond Watson[/autotag] as the starting nose tackle this week instead of [autotag]Jalen Lee[/autotag]. Watson had a breakout game last week and recorded his first tackle for a loss as a Gator. At 6-foot-5-inches tall and 415 pounds, Watson requires extra attention from the offensive line, and that should free up other members of the front seven.

The other main updates come from the injury report at the bottom of the depth chart. While backup quarterback [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] remains out with a thumb injury, Florida could be getting a pair of playmakers back this week. Cornerback [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag], who hasn’t played in a game since the 2020 season, is listed as probable, and linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] should be a game-time decision after moving from “out” to “questionable.”

The defense really struggled without Miller last week, so getting him back would be huge from a leadership standpoint. Freshman [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] is still getting the start in Miller’s place, and this will be his first road game at the collegiate level. If Miller returns, Florida stands a much better chance against Tennessee on Saturday.

Hill’s return is more certain. He’s been out for over a year and recently returned to practice. Don’t expect him to be in for the majority of the game, but he should get some snaps under his belt at some point.

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2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Defensive Line

One of the biggest question marks heading into the 2022 season for Florida might be the defensive line. There’s not a whole lot of experience to work with but there’s plenty of talent.

There’s less than a week left until Florida kicks off the 2022 college football season, and Gators Wire is breaking down the entire roster before kick-off. After working our way through the offense, it’s time to look at the defensive side of the ball, the unit that struggled significantly more in 2021.

First up is the defensive line, which includes both tackle positions and a strongside defensive end. [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag] Sr. is the outright leader of the group following the departure of veterans such as [autotag]Zach Carter[/autotag] and [autotag]Khris Bogle[/autotag] among others. The position room is relatively young and inexperienced, leaving Dexter as the only player locked into a starting role.

The good news is that those young players should be ready to take a big step forward. It will become evident who can handle the increased workload and who can’t rather quickly, and the depth chart should be much more clear following the first few weeks of action. Still, we have a pretty good idea of what things will look like up front for UF against Utah on Saturday.

Here’s a look at all 12 offensive linemen on the Gators’ 2022 fall football roster. Edge rushers will be included with our breakdown of the outside linebackers on the team.

Florida targeting this Maryland DL in the transfer portal

Florida has reportedly contacted Maryland defensive lineman Darrell Jackson who is currently in the transfer portal.

Florida and head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] needed to find a starter up front to pair with defensive tackle [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag]. But upperclassmen [autotag]Jaelin Humphries[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Lee[/autotag] have struggled to do so. Now the Gators are looking for an answer in the NCAA transfer portal. Swamp247 reported Friday that the new coaching staff is targeting Maryland defensive lineman [autotag]Darrell Jackson[/autotag].

The Gators wasted little time contacting him after he entered his name into the transfer portal on Thursday. During his freshman season in 2021, he recorded 22 total tackles while playing in eight games. He hails from Havana, Florida, and was ranked as a three-star recruit by 247Sports coming out of high school.

Florida could also use another body at the position after redshirt sophomore [autotag]Lamar Goods[/autotag] announced his decision to transfer on Friday.

Napier and the Gators plan to be aggressive in the transfer portal this spring and summer at a plethora of positions after several injuries have caused depth issues at some spots.

“The University of Florida, you can anticipate us being very aggressive in the portal this spring, we need players,” Napier said after the team’s first scrimmage. “Now, I think the approach is going to be acquire as many good players as we can at any position, right? We’re thin and we need help in a lot of different spots.

“I think we have, we’re approaching double-digits if that makes sense. So, you know, I think it’s fortunate that we have that opportunity, right? It’s something I’m very thankful for? Can’t imagine not having that opportunity at this point. So that window of time is coming. We anticipate doing a lot of business and we’re looking forward to it.”

Expect more transfer targets to arise for Florida after the Orange and Blue game next week.

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2020 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Jalen Lee

This is a prospect player profile for defensive tackle Jalen Lee of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2020.

Name: Jalen Lee

Position: Defensive Tackle

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 294 lbs

Hometown: Watson, La.

High School: Live Oak High School

Twitter: @jalenlee__

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

Jalen Lee is a four-star recruit from Live Oak High School in Watson, La., and is the No. 37 defensive tackle (No. 364 overall) in the 2020 recruiting class.

Lee originally committed to in-state LSU last June two days after taking an official visit to Baton Rouge. He held his commitment to the Tigers for over five months before decommitting in November. He flipped to the Gators on Dec. 5 and signed during the early period, enrolling on campus in June.

At 6-foot-3-inches, 294 pounds, Lee has college-ready size and possesses great strength at the point of attack. He uses his physicality well to get through blockers and be a wrecking ball in the run game. He’s also a good athlete given his size and can pursue if need be. He needs to improve his variety of moves in the pass-rushing game, as he too often relies on brute force to take down the quarterback.

In a class loaded with defensive line talent, Lee could develop into a solid starting-level interior defensive lineman.

Video:

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