The lone Florida Gator listed as questionable on initial SEC Availability Report this week, offensive lineman Roderick Kearney, has been downgraded to out.
Florida downgraded offensive lineman [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag] from questionable to out in its Thursday night update to the SEC Availability Report.
Six Gators are done for the season with season-ending injuries, but the Orange and Blue have played without a good chunk of the starting lineup for most of the season.
Kearney has appeared in six games for Florida, playing a season-high 19 snaps at right guard in a blowout loss against Texas. Florida will also be without offensive tackle Devon Manuel, who hasn’t played since Week 4 against Mississippi State.
The defensive secondary remains the most problematic group for Billy Napier, in terms of depth. Starting cornerbacks Jason Marshall Jr. and Devin Moore remain out — Marshall is done for the season with a torn ACL and Moore hasn’t played since going down in Week 10 against Georgia — and backup Ja’Keem Jackson hasn’t played since Week 2 against Samford.
Starting safety Asa Turner has also missed most of the season after being injured against Miami in Week 1.
Quarterback Graham Mertz and wide receivers Eugene Wilson III and Kahleil Jackson are all done for the year as well. So are running back Treyaun Webb and defensive lineman Jamari Lyons, who broke his ankle in the preseason.
Linebacker Grayson Howard is missing his second game in a row after appearing on the initial availability report last week.
With no more players listed as questionable, Florida shouldn’t have any game-time decisions to worry about on Saturday against Ole Miss.
Players listed as “Out”
DB [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag]
DB [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. (season-ending injury)
WR [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] (season-ending injury)
The Gators play their final home game of the season against Ole Miss on Saturday, Nov. 23. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ABC.
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Graham Mertz headlines a group of Gators who are out for Week 2 against Samford.
Florida football goes into Week 2 a bit banged up against the Samford Bulldogs.
The Gators will be without several of their key starters, the most notable being quarterback Graham Mertz who suffered a concussion last week against Miami and was placed in concussion protocol.
Head coach Billy Napier said on Wednesday that Mertz was progressing but it’s just not enough time to be ready for Week 2.
“Graham did not practice today,” Napier said on Wednesday. “He is farther into the protocol, and he’s doing better but he’s not quite — he hasn’t quite passed the final test. He’s doing better, but he’s not quite there yet.”
Five-star freshman DJ Lagway will be taking the place of Mertz and start at quarterback against Samford and will get a chance to show Florida fans his talent.
Napier had plans for Jackson to be a key part of the Gators offense this season.
“Kahleil Jackson needs no motivation,” Napier said about Jackson’s mindset. “He’s self-motivated; he’s a grinder. He’s always been out to prove himself, and he’s done that. He has the respect of myself, our staff, his teammates.”
On the defensive side of the ball, Florida will be without some of their key defenders in the secondary.
Junior cornerback Devin Moore and redshirt-senior safety Asa Turner are out for Week 2. Moore is dealing with a lower-body injury and Turner has a shoulder injury.
Napier said that sophomore Dijon Johnson and redshirt-senior DJ Douglas will see playing time.
“Guys like Didi (Dijon) Johnson, will be in the rotation,” Napier said. “DJ Douglas will get more time. We’ve got some depth there.”
Napier went on to say, “So I mean, I think you just see some of those players that maybe played 12 plays, they’ll play 25 this week. We’ve got confidence in those players. I think it’s an opportunity, and they’ll be ready.”
Florida (0-1) will go up against the Samford Bulldogs (0-1) on Saturday at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
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The most competitive position room in Gainesville might be the edge rushers. Led by two veterans of the program, Florida has plenty of options.
Next up in Gators Wire’s position preview series is the edge corps.
Billy Napier says that the edge rushers might be the most competitive unit on the team heading into the season and it’s easy to see why. Two veterans are at the top of the depth chart for the ‘F’ position, and there’s depth at jack too.
If those position names are unfamiliar, don’t worry. They aren’t a part of the typical nomenclature football fans are used to seeing. The F, or fox, position is a hybrid of the outside linebacker and defensive end position that requires more versatility than the jack, whose strength is often against the run.
The fox needs to be able to drop back in coverage and act as an extra pass rusher when needed. It’s among the most complex positions in Florida’s defensive scheme, but it’s a sure marker of a modern defense.
Let’s take a look at every edge rusher on Florida’s roster. Check out Gators Wire’s other position previews for the 2024 season below.
There’s good news and bad news here. Two of Florida’s edge rushers are dealing with injuries to start the season, but one is close to making a comeback.
[autotag]Justus Boone[/autotag] tore his ACL a year ago and missed the entire 2023 season. It was a devastating injury to the unit, but now Boone is ready to return and is a clear team leader. We’ll have to wait for the official depth chart to see where Boone lands, but he’s expected to be one of the main faces up front for Florida this year.
In 2022, Boone played 282 snaps for Florida and earned a 73.2 overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus. His weak point was tackling (57.4), but Boone was the best coverage guy in the position room that year. If healthy, we could see him fit into the starting fox spot and Tyreak Sapp moves back to a true defensive end role.
“Boone has been one of the best leaders that we had,” Napier said. “Losing him last year was a big deal. Not only because of his production on the field and the depth issue there but also just his passion, his ability to affect people.”
Starting ‘F’: No. 94 Tyreak Sapp (R-Jr.)
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
Defensive Stats:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
INT
FF
FR
2022
13
8
12
20
0.5
0
0
0
0
2023
11
12
12
24
4.5-18
2-12
0
2
0
Total
24
20
24
44
5-19
2-12
0
2
0
[autotag]Tyreak Sapp[/autotag] is the other veteran leader of the unit and he’s close friends with Boone. The two are hoping to take the field together this year, but they might do a bit of switching off at the fox position to start the year.
He stepped up big time in the wake of Boone’s injury and is Florida’s best-returning edge rusher statically. Pro Football Fous gave him a 74.4 overall grade on defense, second only to Princely Umanmielen in the position room, and he was an excellent tackler (85.1) without giving up too much in other areas.
“Sapp and Boone were here when we first got here, and both have been awesome,” Napier said. “They have great practice habits. They bring energy. They’ve got personalities that I think rub off on the team and the group. Those two have been in the trenches together for a couple of years now.”
Similar to the F, there are two players in contention for the starting jack linebacker role, sophomores [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]TJ Searcy[/autotag]. Both played north of 250 snaps last season and excelled in different roles.
Collins is the better run defender and pass rusher, giving him an overall edge, but Searcy is an elite tackler and might be the best-returning edge in coverage. The platoon spells itself out here, but we could see both on the field together in theory.
The defensive line and edge rooms are a bit fluid, and Collins could even end up playing somewhere on the interior with [autotag]Jamari Lyons[/autotag] out for the year. That gives way to Searcy as the full-time jack and allows some of the younger guys on the depth chart to see the field too.
Backup ‘F’: No. 24 Kamran James (So.) or No. 17 LJ McCray (Fr.)
Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun
Kamran James:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
INT
FF
FR
2023
12
6
17
23
1.5-6
1.5-6
0
1
0
[autotag]Kamran James[/autotag] appeared in all 12 games for Florida a year ago, but mostly in a special teams role. James should see the field more often in Year 2 as a Gator, though.
James is one of the rare players who can fit in at both fox and jack, so he’s going to be in the second unit in some capacity. Pro Football Focus gave him a 62.5 defensive grade over 77 snaps last season.
Then there’s true freshman [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag], a former five-star recruit who was considered the defensive crown jewel of Florida’s 2024 recruiting class. Players with that kind of hype are often told they’ll get early playing time, and it’s hard to see McCray not being a factor by mid-October.
It takes some time for the young guys to adjust to the speed of the college game, but McCray is going to get the chance.
Backup JACK: No. 34 George Gumbs Jr. (R-Jr.) and No. 44 Jack Pyburn (Jr.)
Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images
George Gumbs Jr:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
INT
FF
FR
2021*
4
0
0
0
0-0
0-0
0
0
0
2022*
7
0
0
0
0-0
0-0
0
0
0
2023*
12
15
17
32
6.5-20
3.5-15
0
2
0
Total
23
15
17
32
6.5-20
3.5-15
0
2
0
* = while at Northern Illinois
A former tight-end turned linebacker, [autotag]George Gumbs Jr[/autotag]. is certainly one of the more interesting players in Florida’s edge room. He’s often named among the players expected to see the field regularly this season, but he still needs some development.
Gumbs should line up on the weak side at jack for Florida behind Searcy. James might be ahead of him, too, but he’s still more likely to line up at the fox, at least until McCray gets his feet on the ground.
Jack Pyburn:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
INT
FF
FR
2022
8
3
0
3
0-0
0-0
0
0
0
2023
9
6
11
17
1-1
0-0
0
0
0
Total
17
9
11
20
1-1
0-0
0
0
0
[autotag]Jack Pyburn[/autotag] is also working his way back from a torn ACL, suffered in the middle of last season. He’s ready to return to game action, but he’ll be used in as a rotational backup to both positions similar to James. The injury should hold him back a little, but Pyburn made a name for himself as a strong tackler last year over 124 snaps.
[autotag]Ja’Markis Weston[/autotag] started off as a receiver for Florida before switching over to the defensive side of the ball a year ago. Entering his final year of college ball, Weston is set to be a designated pass rusher for Florida, according to Billy Napier.
The short of it is that Weston will enter the game on obvious passing downs and do what he does best, get after the quarterback. It’s not the most glorified role on the team, but it’s Weston’s path to playing football at the next level. He’s also going to remain in the gunner role on special teams.
“Ja’Markis was considering maybe pursuing the NFL last year,” Napier said. “We had quite a few conversations. I can still remember where I was at when he called me and told me, said, ‘Coach, I’m coming back,’ because I thought it was a big deal for our team.”
Quincy Ivory:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
INT
FF
FR
2023
8
1
0
1
0-0
0-0
0
0
0
Quincy Ivory joined the team last year as a JUCO transfer and saw all of two snaps as an edge rusher. That role should be increased this year, but it’s hard to see Ivory breaking into meaningful snaps anywhere but the special teams unit.
Walk-Ons: No. 36 Bryce Capers (R-So.), No. 45 Layne Swafford (R-Fr.), No. 55 Charles Emanuel III (Fr.), No. 59 Titus Bullard (Fr.) and No. 91 Tyreik Norwood (R-Sr.)
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
Florida has five non-scholarship edge rushers on its 2024 roster.
The senior-most walk-on is Tyreik Norwood, who is entering his seventh year in college athletics. He played four years with Kentucky Wesleyan before walking on at Florida in the fall of 2022. He’s yet to see the field as a Gator, but that might change this season. Napier likes rewarding loyalty, and FCS Samford in Week 2 could present the right opportunity.
Bryce Capers chose to attend Florida as a preferred walk-on in 2022 and ended up playing in three games as a true freshman while redshirting. He didn’t see the field at all last year, but maybe the pattern is every other year for him.
Redshirt freshman Layne Swafford is the final returning walk-on in the position room. He was another PWO who joined the program in the summer of 2023. No appearances yet, but Swafford still has four years of eligibility to see the field.
The two newcomers in the edge room are Titus Bullard and Charles Emanuel III. Both joined the Gators over the summer, so they are likely just scouting team players for now, but Bullard’s name should sound familiar. He’s the son of WWE Global Ambassador Thaddeus Bullard, better known as Titus O’Neil.
Yes, the younger Bullard was named after his father’s fictional persona on television, and he’s also the nephew of Earnest Graham.
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Florida has a good amount of returning talent in its defensive line room heading into 2024 and will lean on returners Cam Jackson and Caleb Banks.
After taking a look at all of Florida’s players on offense, it’s time to check out the defense.
Florida runs a scheme, that often utilizes three defensive linemen, three linebackers and five defensive backs. That makes the defensive line a bit tricky to classify because the “EDGE” rushers can play hybrid roles, lining up on the line and as an outside linebacker, depending on the package.
That means most of the “defensive linemen” listed on the roster are interior linemen. Their jobs are to clog holes and stuff the run, rather than going after the quarterback every play.
There are some new faces in the position room, but Cam Jackson and Desmond Watson are two large and familiar faces. Some new guys in town should see the field often, too, with Chris McClellan now with Missouri.
Let’s take a look at every defensive lineman on Florida’s roster. Check out Gators Wire’s other position previews for the 2024 season below.
[autotag]Cam Jackson[/autotag] is the incumbent starting nose tackle at Florida, and he might be the only player locked into his role before the season starts. Pro Football Focus graded Jackson the highest of any Florida defensive linemen a year ago, with an overall grade of 71.3.
A deeper look reveals that Jackson was much better against the run last season, though. His run-defense grade of 76.3 is significantly better than his pass-rush grade of 59.7, and there’s some work to be done on tackling (59.2).
As the team’s best run defender, Jackson will be the go-to at nose tackle this season. With a year of SEC ball under his belt, the hope is that he’ll increase his snap count from the 281 plays he was on the field for last year.
[autotag]Joey Slackman[/autotag] transferred to Florida from Penn during the offseason, and he’s expected to play a significant role for the Gators this year. Billy Napier gushed over Slackman during fall camp, noting the impact he has on the unit.
In fact, Slackman was a guy that the rest of the players wanted Florida to go and get. He’s a leader and veteran of the college game, which provides some stability for the younger guys still finding their footing.
“Look, I’m a Joey Slackman guy,” Napier said. “I think Joey brings maturity and an awareness (to the team). I think he’s extremely bright and he’s motivated, he’s driven, he’s a self-starter and he’s an alpha. I think he does a great job. He brings other things besides being a 6-3, 315-pound athlete to the table.”
From a numbers standpoint, Slackman was more productive than Jackson over the past three years, albeit in a weaker conference. If Slackman can come close to the 90.7 defensive grade he earned from PFF last year, Florida has itself a bonafide SEC starter.
Next up is redshirt junior [autotag]Caleb Banks[/autotag], who led the position room with 364 snaps a year ago. His 69.8 overall defensive grade was the second-highest for Florida behind Jackson, but Banks offers a different skill set than the other two starters mentioned above.
The 2023 Lousiville transfer is a strong tackler (72.3) and an even better pass rusher (74.2), which means defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong will find ways to get him on the field. The defensive line is a bit of a rotational unit anyway, so the starter tag isn’t everything here.
“(Banks) got significant experience last year. He played around I think it’s 300 plus plays, got banged up a little bit at times in the second half of the season. So, yeah, he’s on a mission. This guy’s got traits. He’s 6-5-and-three-quarters, 320 (pounds) and he’s learned a lot.”
Sometimes, all three of these linemen will be on the field. At other times, Florida could opt to run an edge-heavy set. It all depends on what the offense is showing, but this is the core of the position room.
Backup: No. 21 Desmond Watson (Sr.)
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
Defensive Stats:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
FF
FR
2021
5
2
5
7
0.5-1
0.0
0
0
2022
13
8
17
25
1.5-3
0.0
1
1
2023
12
3
8
11
1-8
1-8
0
0
Total
38
13
30
43
3-12
1-8
1
1
Fan-favorite [autotag]Desmond Watson[/autotag] is the true backup of the group here.
At nearly 450 pounds, Watson’s conditioning can be an issue at times, but he still overpowers most linemen in front of him when he’s on the field. He’s an asset on the goal line and other short-yardage situations, but he’ll be lucky to see more than 200 snaps this year.
Over 175 snaps in 2023, Watson earned a 64.8 defensive grade from PFF, which breaks down to 65.9 as a run defender and 58.8 as a pass rusher. It’s clear which role Watson thrives in most. Now the coaches have to utilize him accordingly.
Injured: No. 95 Jamari Lyons (R-So.)
Bob Self/Florida Times-Union
Defensive Stats:
Year
GP
SOLO
AST
TOT
TFL
SACKS
FF
FR
2022
3
0
2
2
0-0
0-0
0
0
2023
12
10
10
20
2.5-7
0-0
0
0
Total
15
10
12
22
2.5-7
0-0
0
0
[autotag]Jamari Lyons[/autotag] entered fall camp in line to be a major contributor on Florida’s defensive line, but a broken ankle suffered during the first scrimmage of the season is going to keep him sidelined for the rest of the year.
Lyons played nearly 200 snaps as a redshirt freshman in 2023, earning a 64.9 defensive grade from PFF. He was the unit’s best tackler (81.0) by far, and he was the second-highest graded run defender (71.2) on the roster.
Losing Lyons before the season starts is significant, and the rest of the team knows it. Now it’s about rallying behind their brother and filling a large hole left by the injury.
“We have a number of players who have been through injuries in the past, and I think it’ll be important for those guys to help Jamari because Jamari is one of our best. He really cares,” Napier said. “It was really inspirational, to some degree, because the entire team was on the field, which I’ve never seen in my entire coaching career.”
“A guy gets hurt and everybody knows it’s a pretty good injury, but we’ve got all 132 are on the spot there to support him as he rode off the field.”
There are two first-year players in Florida’s defensive line room, [autotag]Michai Boireau[/autotag] and [autotag]D’Antre Robinson[/autotag].
Robinson was the more highly-touted recruit coming out of high school, earning a fourth star from three of the four major services, but Napier has hinted at Boireau seeing the field first.
Both were mentioned as guys who are competing for time now that Lyons is out of the cards.
JUCO Transfers: No. 33 Brien Taylor Jr. (Jr.) and No. 96 Tarvorise Brown (R-Fr.)
Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun
Florida added some depth to its defensive line room over the offseason by adding a pair of junior college transfers, [autotag]Tarvorise Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Brien Taylor Jr[/autotag].
Brown has received more hype than Taylor over the offseason, but he’s not expected to see the field a ton in 2024. He made no appearances at Hutchinson College before redshirting and transferring and is an early addition thanks to a reclassification.
The original plan was for him to join the team next year, but Florida was able to get him on campus sooner. Training at an SEC facility for a year should help Brown progress faster in the long term but don’t expect much from him this year.
“He just kind of fell in our lap, to some degree,” Napier said. “We were recruiting him for January and then found out he was a qualifier and then it just ended up working out.
“So far, so good. I think the reps he’s taken, he’s proved to have all the functional movement, the power, the length. I mean, he’s a good athlete. … I think he’ll prove to be a good evaluation.”
Taylor is a bit of a hybrid player who is moving from the F position out on the edge to the interior. He was with the EDGEs in the spring but has since moved rooms to work with defensive line coach Gerald Chatman.
Throughout his two years at Blinn College, Taylor split time between the edge and interior, so this transition shouldn’t be too difficult.
Walk-Ons: No. 61 Nicolas Flynn (R-So.) and No. 92 Sebastian Scott (R-Fr.)
Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner
Finally, the program has two walk-on players in the position room — redshirt sophomore Nicolas Flunn and redshirt freshman Sebastian Scott.
Flynn is entering his third season at Florida, all of which have come under Billy Napier. He has yet to make his collegiate debut. Flynn prepped at Lake Forest High in Illinois.
Scott joined the team in the summer of 2023 after playing prep ball at Cardinal Newman High in West Palm Beach. He made no appearances in his first year with the Gators.
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Billy Napier broke down Florida’s first scrimmage of fall training camp on Monday, noting the differences he sees heading into Year 3.
Fall training camp is a chance for coaches and players to fine-tune things before taking on the grueling challenge of a 12 or 13-game season, and weekly scrimmages allow the team to simulate game action during that period.
Florida went through its first fall scrimmage over the weekend and [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] offered his thoughts when speaking to the media on Monday.
“We had a really good scrimmage Saturday,” Napier said. “It was extremely competitive. It was back and forth. Overall, we got what we wanted to get accomplished. We were 122 plays of offense and defense; we were right on our number. We got really good work in the kicking game, too, in all six phases.”
Napier talks differences heading into Year 3
One of the major advantages for Napier entering his third year with the program is that the roster is almost entirely made up of players he recruited. The remaining Mullen-era players have all bought in as well.
Everyone knows what’s expected after going through camp for two years, which leads to more quality reps on the field.
“It was just much more intense, much faster, more physical, less loaves, the film’s cleaner,” he said. “We’re just deeper. You put the first and second group out there, it’s a good football play. Even the threes, I thought played pretty clean in the scrimmage.”
Beyond the physical growth of this team, Napier likes the camaraderie he sees developing in the locker room.
“It’s about the human beings inside the jersey and the helmet and the shoulder pads. That’s why I really respect this team. There’s chemistry. There’s really good relationships. There’s good leadership. That’s where we made the most progress and I think that’s helped us play a little bit better ball.”
Napier breaks down each unit
Depth is a plus heading into Year 3 for Napier and Co. but each unit still has plenty to work on. Florida needs to be perfect to survive a schedule with eight preseason Top 25 teams.
“Offensively, we want to try to create more explosive plays,” he said. “We want to do a better job on conversion downs, and I think the tempo needs to pick up a little bit. We need to improve in our two-minute operation.
“Defensively, a lot of plays where we got 10 right and one wrong. The good teams that we play will expose that, so consistency is what we’re looking for. The tackling was good outside of a handful of plays, and I think those proved to be costly. If we want to have a good football team, we’ve got to be a really good tackling team, but the effort and the pursuit was good.”
Poor tackling is an issue that has plagued Florida over the past several years, but it’s something Napier has put an emphasis on heading into 2024. Unfortunately, Florida lost one of its best returning tacklers, defensive lineman [autotag]Jamari Lyons[/autotag], to injury during this scrimmage.
Another area Napier has keyed in on in recent years is creating “explosive plays.” Chunk plays win game, according to Florida’s data, and the Gators aren’t getting quite enough of them. Speeding up the pre-play process will help create more.
“Overall, the film was really clean on all parts of the team, and I think that between-play process — it’s one thing to practice; it’s another thing to play the game. I think special teams, our coverage units, need to improve, but overall, man, really good day.”
Tweaks will be made over the week to correct the biggest issues. Plenty of position battles remain in contention, things should clear up after Florida’s next scrimmage on Saturday.
“I think we come out of that scrimmage and we kind of reboot the computer and organize them in a way for this week,” he said. “Then, we’ll scrimmage again next week, and I think ultimately that’s when we’ll start paring it down. But even this week, we have to continue to work on contingency plans. If this guy goes down, how do we shuffle the deck?”
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Defensive lineman Jamari Lyons went down with a broken ankle during Florida’s scrimmage on Saturday. He’ll miss the 2024 season.
Florida’s defensive line took a significant hit during Saturday’s scrimmage when redshirt sophomore [autotag]Jamari Lyons[/autotag] was carted off the field.
Head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] confirmed reports of the injury during his Monday press conference, adding that Lyons would miss the entirety of the 2024 season.
“We did have one injury of note. Jamari Lyons broke his ankle, and he’ll be out for the season,” Napier said. “Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with him.
“We have a number of players who have been through injuries in the past, and I think it’ll be important for those guys to help Jamari because Jamari is one of our best. He really cares.”
Lyons lined up for 198 defensive snaps last season and recorded 22 total tackles (10 solo), including 2.5 for a loss. Pro Football Focus gave him a 64.9 grade on defense for the season, but his 81.0 tackling grade was the fourth-highest on the team in 2023.
Everyone on the field figured out quickly that Lyons was dealing with something significant. Season-ending injuries can affect a team in many ways, but Napier believes his players’ reaction to Lyons going says a lot about how they will respond.
“It was really inspirational, to some degree, because the entire team was on the field, which I’ve never seen in my entire coaching career,” he said. “A guy gets hurt and everybody knows it’s a pretty good injury, but we’ve got all 132 are on the spot there to support him as he rode off the field.
“I think that’s an indicator that these guys are doing something right, that there is that type of connection to some degree.”
Replacing Jamari Lyons on the defensive line
Lyons was working behind senior [autotag]Cam Jackson[/autotag] at nose tackle, but he also provided some position flexibility for Florida being able to fit in at end (three technique). Even though he might not have been a starter, Lyons was going to see significant time on the field. Replacing him isn’t so simple.
“The biggest thing was Jamari could play nose and end and I think that’s where we have to shuffle the deck a little bit,” he said. “We can also move Sapp over there. He’s played some end before in the past.”
Florida has 12 defensive linemen on its roster, but the options quickly dwindle to seven names after excluding Jackson, Lyons and the three walk-ons from consideration.
Penn transfer [autotag]Joey Slackman[/autotag] figures to be the team’s other starting tackle on defense, and [autotag]Desmond Watson[/autotag] should continue his role as a run-stopper. That leaves JUCO transfer [autotag]Brien Taylor Jr[/autotag]., and a pair of true freshmen as the three favorites to take up Lyons’ snaps.
“You’re going to see [autotag]Michai Boireau[/autotag] more, [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] more and then we’ve got some guys that can develop there. Brien Taylor, D’Antre (Robinson), Tarvorise (Brown). That’s an area where we got some players. There’s some depth there, but I think those roles will be a little bit different and there’ll be some adjustment.”
Collins is listed as an edge defender on Florida’s roster, but he fits into that end spot Napier mentioned putting Lyons in.
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Defensive lineman Jamari Lyon spat on FSU offensive lineman Keiondre Jones, earning himself an ejection.
The game between the Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles saw tensions run high as the two rivals ground out their differences on the college football gridiron on Saturday night in the Swamp.
Among the many moments that saw emotions overwhelm the young men on the field was a little more than three minutes remaining in the first half with the Orange and Blue up 12-0. Defensive lineman [autotag]Jamari Lyons[/autotag] started jawing with FSU offensive lineman Keiondre Jones after a 16-yard first-down run by running back Trey Benson.
On the replay of the scuffle, a spray of spit can be seen coming out of Lyons’ helmet toward Jones. He was disqualified from the game as a result of the infraction.
Florida DT Jamari Lyons has been ejected for spitting
Lyons’ stint in the matchup against FSU marked his 11th appearance for the Gators this season. He notched 20 tackles through the first 10 games, including 10 solo tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. This season marks Lyons’ first full season after redshirting while he rehabilitated a torn ligament from his senior year of high school.
For the time being, that is the end of Florida football for the Gator Nation until the Orange and Blue game. That intrasquad exhibition will take place inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium sometime this coming spring with a date and time yet to be announced.
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This 4-star defensive line recruit could be a big presence for the Gators in 2022.
The Gators’ 2022 recruiting class, the first of head coach Billy Napier’s career, was an understandably low-rated one. The team started from behind the eight ball thanks to Dan Mullen’s poor showing on the recruiting trail and Napier’s unwillingness to sign players who didn’t fit the culture or scheme he’s trying to construct.
Nevertheless, the batch of players who will be joining Gator nation this year do have a few gems. Turning Kamari Wilson from his Georgia lean and re-earning Shemar James’ commit are the highest-profile wins, but another player deserves more attention than he’s gotten. Defensive lineman Jamari Lyons could be a real contributor for the Gators in his freshman season.
The former coaching staff didn’t create a defensive line group that was built for sustainability, making it one of the priorities heading into the 2022 season. Gervon Dexter is set to be the hearthstone of the line, but there’s not much clarity about who will be flanking him once the season begins. Power hates a vacuum, though. Now that the attitude that seniority should be weighted in deciding playing time has left the Swamp, that job is open for the taking.
Lyons has largely flown under the radar in discussions of the Gators’ incoming freshman. He was one of the final four-star players listed in the 247Sports composite — only eight of the 350 four-star recruits were ranked lower than him — and he didn’t make a big spectacle of his commitment. He still continues to hold significant potential under the new scheme.
As a defensive tackle, Lyons’ best role is as a three-tech. At 6-foot-4-inches and carrying just shy of 300 pounds, he has just the right size and explosion to threaten offensive lines with both mass force and athletic disruptiveness. In other words, he’s versatile enough to make an impact in both early downs and short-yardage situations.
The strategy that most modernized teams have adapted values getting the most production possible out of the smallest presence at the line of scrimmage possible in order to keep plenty of coverage options available. That means Lyons’ versatility is an important part of modern defensive line construction.
The ability to rush the passer from the interior becomes even more valuable for the Gators when considering the lack of depth the team has at defensive end. Brenton Cox is obviously a star, but losing both Zach Carter and Khris Bogle hurts a lot. Adding someone like Lyons to the mix allows the Gators to be more creative when scheming up ways to disrupt the passer if now one emerges as a good running mate for Cox on the edges.
Of course, there’s always the chance that Lyons won’t be able to stand up the physicality of the SEC in his first season. Nevertheless, he hasn’t been getting nearly as much attention as he deserves as an important member of this recruiting class. Even if he doesn’t get much playing time as a freshman, he’ll be in a good spot to start as a sophomore after a year with coach Chaos Spencer and building his physique in a top-flight strength and conditioning program.
Jamari Lyons has been watching the Gators on Saturdays since he was a little kid. He’ll be suiting up for Florida in a few years after joining the program’s 2022 recruiting class.
2022 Four-star defensive lineman Jamari Lyons committed to the University of Florida over South Carolina on Wednesday.
It became clear in Lyons’ press conference that Florida was always his top destination. South Carolina was just too far from home for Lyons to pull the trigger, and he’d already been a Gators fan for years.
“Florida is my dream school,” “I always dreamed of going there. I’ve been watching Florida every Saturday since I was playing little league. I’ve been dreaming of going there since I was a baby. He gave me the opportunity to go there, so I took it. I’m going to pursue my dream.”
Lyons spoke with Gators head coach Dan Mullen after announcing his commitment. Mullen welcomed the newest Gator to the family and promised him a life-changing experience at Florida before passing the phone to defensive line coach David Turner.
“I’ve been waiting on this for a long time, you know that,” Turner said. “We’re excited. It’s going to be a lot of fun. We’re going to win a lot of games with you.”
Lyons made four trips to Florida this year, including a September visit for the Alabama game. He officially visited South Carolina before the Kentucky game on Sept. 24 but seemed higher on the Gators.
“To be real, I love the atmosphere and the fans were going crazy,” Lyons said. “The game was crazy itself. It was a really good game. Both teams played very well on both sides of the ball.”
At 6-foot-4-inches and 295 pounds, Lyons adds some size to Florida’s 2022 recruiting class. He joins three-star Francois Nolton as the only two defensive linemen for now. Florida now has 15 commits and one transfer, active Gator Tyrone Truesdell, in the class of 2022.
Lyons is the No. 30 defensive lineman in the country, according to 247Sports. Adding him moved Florida past Michigan and Stanford on the 247Sports Team Rankings Composite to No. 14.
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Florida is close to landing its next “impact” player on the defensive line
In-state four-star defensive tackle Jamari Lyons announced on Twitter that he’d be deciding between the Florida Gators and South Carolina Gamecocks on Oct. 6.
Lyons, the No. 30 defensive lineman on the 247Sports Composite, has been high on the Gators for some time and has made several visits to the Swamp. His most recent trip came last week for the Alabama game, and he will be in Columbia for the Gamecocks game against Kentucky this week.
Lyons came away impressed, especially with the defensive line, after the Gators narrowly lost to the Crimson Tide.
“The defensive line is stopping everything, it’s going crazy,” he said according to GatorCountry. “Stopping the run, getting to the quarterback and making him hurry and throw incomplete passes. I think the defensive line played very well.”
(Note: audio in the tweet below contains explicit lyrics)
If Lyons picks Florida in a few weeks, he’ll have a chance to play more than just tackle for the Gators. Defensive line coach David Turner has told Lyons that he’ll play multiple positions and be an impact player for the defense.
UF also offers Lyons the opportunity to stay in the state he was born and raised, which can mean a lot to young athletes. 247Sports has Florida listed as the crystal ball projection and that’s not expected to change in the next few weeks.
defensive lineman Jamari Lyons has committed to 
