Myles Graham – Syndication Server

Florida Football 2024 Position Preview: Linebackers

Taking a look at who’s leading the Gators linebacker unit for this upcoming season.

The next group of players we’ll take a look at on Gators Wire’s positions preview series are the linebackers.

Florida has some talented linebackers for this upcoming 2024 season with a mix of new and returning names. Although Scooby Williams, who played in all 12 games last season at linebacker for the Gators, transferred in the offseason to Texas A&M, Florida won’t have a problem filling that hole.

Shemar James is expected to be the leader of this Florida defense while first-year Gator Grayson “Pup” Howard will be lined up next to him as the other starting linebacker.

Head coach Billy Napier did an excellent job in bringing in some very talented linebackers this past offseason and this is one of those position groups that is very deep for the Gators.

Let’s take a look at every linebacker on Florida’s roster. Check out Gators Wire’s other position previews for the 2024 season below.

Starter: No. 6 Shemar James (Jr.)

Year	GP	Solo	AST	TOT	TFL-YDS	Sacks-YDS	INT	PD	FF
2022	13	18	29	47	2-9	2-9	0	0	1
2023	8	24	31	55	5.5-13	1-7	0	0	0
Total	21	42	60	102	7.5-22	3-16	0	0	1

James is coming into his third and most important season at Florida. Looked at as the focal point of the defense, James will be in charge of listening in on what the coach on the sideline is saying through the new coach-to-player helmet communication system.

Last season, James started the first eight games before missing the final four due to a knee injury. In 2022, James won Freshman All-SEC honors after finishing the season with 47 total tackles in 13 games.

James’ biggest strength at linebacker is his pass coverage, as he was graded at 75.2 out of 100 in that category according to Pro Football Focus. His biggest weakness is his pass rush and he’ll be looking to improve that area of his game this season.

Starter: No. 10 Grayson “Pup” Howard (So.)

Howard comes in as a transfer from South Carolina and is expected to start as the other linebacker alongside James.

Last season with the Gamecocks, Howard appeared in 11 games and logged 19 tackles (10 solo), a tackle-for-loss and a forced fumble.

Howard attended Andrew Jackson High School in Jacksonville, Florida where he was ranked as the 42nd-best player in the state, the 15th-best outside linebacker and No. 177 on the ESPN300.

Although Howard doesn’t have the biggest sample size from last season, he has really impressed in camp and has made a strong push for that other starting linebacker spot.

Backups: No. 5 Myles Graham (Fr.), No. 15 Derek Wingo (Sr.), No. 29 Jaden Robinson (So.)

Myles Graham, although a freshman, is a very talented linebacker that the Gators were able to acquire.

Graham, a local product, went to F. W. Buchholz High School in Gainesville and was ranked as a five-star recruit by Rivals as well as the third-best player in his position group.

Derek Wingo is a fifth-year senior who’s the veteran of this group. Wingo logged 17 tackles and 2.5 sacks last season with the Gators.

Jaden Robinson is going into his second season with Florida and was rated as a former four-star recruit out of high school by Rivals and 247Sports. Robinson’s role will likely increase this season as he was primarily used for special teams last year.

Reserves: No. 16 R.J. Moten (Sr.), No. 22 Deuce Spurlock II (R-So.), No. 8 Aaron Chiles (Fr.)

R.J. Moten is going into his second season at Florida after transferring over from Michigan after the 2022 season. Moten has the experience and is a solid piece that the Gators have for depth.

Deuce Spurlock II is another guy who Florida will have for depth. Like Moten, Spurlock is playing in his second season with the Gators. He played in three games last season, all on special teams.

Aaron Chiles is a freshman who was ranked a four-star recruit by 247Sports, ESPN, On3 and Rivals. Chiles went to Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, Maryland. Chiles was also ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the state of Maryland by Rivals.

Walk-Ons: No. 50 Jake Xeller (Fr.), No. 42 Matthew Kade (Fr.), No. 47 Justin Pelic (R-Sr.)

Jake Xeller went to Herndon (Virginia) and earned back-to-back all-district honors in his junior and senior years. He joined the Gators as a walk-on this past spring.

Matthew Kade attended Bucholz High School in Gainesville and recorded 90 tackles, 18.0 tackles-for-loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception and a blocked punt his senior year. Kade walked on to Florida during the summer.

Justin Pelic is coming into his sixth season with Florida after joining the team as a walk-on during the summer of 2019.

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The Athletic evaluates Florida’s 2025 class heading into official visits

This is a BIG month for the Orange and Blue on the college football recruiting front.

The next four weeks are big ones for Florida football as [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. roll out the red carpet for official visits to the Swamp by members of the 2025 cycle. The Gators are set to host some of the top talent in the nation in hopes of bolstering a lagging recruiting class heading into summer.

The Orange and Blue currently rank No. 45 in 247Sports’ 2025 team recruiting rankings but will have plenty of opportunities to climb up quickly if the program can impress the right players. The Athletic’s Manny Navarro recently looked at what’s cooking in Gainesville and sees a lot of potential in Florida’s possibilities.

“Billy Napier had the No. 3 recruiting class in the last cycle until his team lost five straight games to finish 5-7 and, in the process, lost several big-time commitments,” Navarro reflected on the previous class.

“The Gators did hold onto five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] and two high-profile in-state prospects — five-star defensive lineman [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag] and four-star linebacker [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] — to finish with the No. 13 class in the 2024 cycle.”

Five intriguing visitors

“Florida is the mix for some elite prospects in the Class of 2025.”

Navarro lists wide [autotag]Caleb Cunningham[/autotag] (five-star, No. 13), linebacker [autotag]Tavion Wallace[/autotag] (four-star, No. 52), quarterback [autotag]Keelon Russell[/autotag] (four-star, No. 79), offensive tackle [autotag]Micah DeBose[/autotag] (four-star, No. 82) and quarterback [autotag]Antwann Hill[/autotag] (four-star, No. 127) as Florida’s five most intriguing visitors this summer.

Official visit schedule

“Cunningham, a Mississippi native who is ranked as the No. 2 receiver in the class, has been on campus twice and will return June 7,” Navarro begins.

“He also has visits lined up to Auburn (Friday), Tennessee (June 14) and Alabama (June 21). With Lagway part of Florida’s 2024 signing class, quarterback might not seem to be a huge position of need, but the Gators are still looking to land a good one and have Russell, an SMU commitment from Texas, and Hill, a Georgia native, on the docket for visits on back-to-back weekends.”

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Florida freshman LB out for spring camp, other injuries

Florida football head coach Billy Napier provided injury updates on linebacker Myles Graham and offensive lineman Kam Waites on Saturday.

Florida head coach Billy Napier provided updates on two injured Gators on Saturday.

Freshman linebacker [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] will sit out the rest of spring practices following a back procedure undergone to address an injury suffered in high school. Graham spent two non-contact practices with the team, but now he’s shut down.

“He (Graham) had an injury coming in and went through phase one and phase two,” Napier said. “We said, ok when we get to spring break and we feel like this is going to be a long-term issue then we want to go ahead and get it fixed. We made that decision and we anticipate getting him back for fall camp.”

The other player Napier provided an update on was offensive lineman [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag], who is dealing with a lower-body injury. Waites stepped into the offensive line rotation last season and is expected to compete for a starting spot this year.

“Kam Waites had a strained calf and a soft tissue injury,” he said. “Nothing major there but he’ll be out for a bit.”

Napier added that there were some other ailments on the roster, but the only two he deemed major were Graham and Waites.

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ESPN’s scouting report for Florida’s 2024 linebacker recruiting class

Aaron Chiles and Myles Graham, who rank Nos. 45 and 58 on ESPN’s top 300 rankings, respectively, were among those mentioned.

Billy Napier and Co. have been toiling away on the recruiting trail since the day the former Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun stepped onto campus. Now entering his third year at the helm in Gainesville, the Gators’ skipper is beginning to reap the fruits of his labors.

ESPN’s Craig Haubert recently put together his scouting reports for the top linebackers in the 2024 recruiting cycle, which included a pair of highly-prized members of the Orange and Blue. Aaron Chiles and Myles Graham, who rank Nos. 45 and 58 on the publication’s top 300 rankings, respectively, were among those who made the cut.

“Coming off a 5-7 season, Billy Napier has some work ahead of him,” Haubert begins. “He started to correct that with a top-10 recruiting class which features several key defensive contributors. Florida lagged in statistical categories like total rushing defense and team sacks, areas where Chiles and Graham can help.

“The Gators lose Scooby Williams, one of their leading tackles, and this unit needs a boost, despite returning some experience and adding South Carolina transfer Grayson Howard,” he continues.

“Chiles is an ideal inside linebacker. He’s thickly built with good body control and uses angles well. He is not an early enrollee, which could slow his initial impact, but he’s an instinctive prospect who played a lot of snaps for a good high school program.

“Graham, ranked just a few spots behind Chiles, has a bit of a head start after enrolling early. He is a physical and powerful player who closes well. Graham will go through spring ball and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him come out of that period ready to contribute in the fall.”

Florida will play its annual Orange and Blue game on Saturday, April 13, with a kickoff time slated for 1 p.m. ET inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

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Four-star Florida LB legacy signee talks coaching changes

Florida linebacker signee Myles Graham was just as shocked as everyone else when position coach Jay Bateman left the program.

When Florida announced the departure of inside linebackers coach Jay Bateman a day after the early signing period, plenty of fans questioned how the football program could withhold such information from its star signees in the position room.

The truth is that most of the people in Gainesville found out about Bateman’s decision at the same time the recruits who signed did. Four-star legacy linebacker [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] might be the defensive face of the 2024 Florida recruiting class, and even he was in the dark on Bateman’s move, according to Swamp247’s Blake Alderman.

“I was very surprised by it,” Graham said to Alderman. “I kind of found out how everyone else found out, through social media. It’s no hard feelings with him”

Even though Graham didn’t take the move personally, it still affected him.

“I was very shocked because I had been committed to him for almost two years. That was really my guy. We got close over that span. I love him to death, but he just did what was best for he and his family. It was surprising, but it was good for him. We are both going to do our thing, and go our separate ways, and we will see each other at the top.”

Graham said that Billy Napier found out on the same day everyone else did. The Florida head coach made sure to reach out to Graham and explain the situation, ensuring the blue-chip talent signed would have somewhat of a say in the hiring process.

After three straight losing seasons, Florida desperately needs to find some success in 2024. The Gators face what many consider the toughest schedule in the country, but Graham says that the team has the talent to win. Coming together as a unit will be the key.

“I think we need leadership,” he said. “I think we need guys to rally together, and put their all into the field. We got the talent, we just just need to have the right play callers in the right place for us to be successful. That’s one and off the field. We got a lot of work to do in the weight room, and all that. Learning the new scheme and coaches and everything. That is the best thing I can do.”

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Four Florida signees to play in Under Armour All-America Game

Four Florida signees will participate in the Under Armour All-America Game on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024 at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Four future Florida Gators will take the field together on Jan. 3 at the Under Armour All-American Game at Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Five-star quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag], four-star linebackers [autotag]Aaron Chiles[/autotag] and [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] and preferred walk-on punter [autotag]Bobby Engstler[/autotag] are all on Team Fire, according to the organizer’s website. They’ll go up against Team Ice next weekend, with kickoff scheduled for 4 p.m. ET. It will be nationally televised on ESPN.

All eyes in Gainesville will be locked on Lagway. Gator Nation has been waiting for a generational quarterback to walk through the doors since Tim Tebow left, and Lagway is the team’s first five-star quarterback to sign since Jeff Driskel in 2011.

He crushed the high school competition in Texas, totaling more than 5,500 yards and nearly 75 touchdowns with his arm and legs, but now the competition level is getting kicked up a notch. This game has the potential to be Lagway’s national coming-out party if all goes well.

Chiles and Graham will be worth checking in on too. Florida could use some stability at linebacker over the next few years, and these two were signed to fill that void. It’s harder to evaluate defensive players in real-time, but the tape will be valuable.

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Gator great, father of 2024 signee dissatisfied with Florida’s process

Not all appears to be well in Gainesville after a rough early signing day for the Florida Gators.

The Gator Nation has been restless since a disappointing early signing period opened with three blue-chip recruits flipping, leaving Florida with a less-than-favorable outcome.

Among the many voicing their complaints on social media was a former UF star running back and father of a 2024 four-star signee who took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express his sentiments.

[autotag]Earnest Graham[/autotag], who played running back in Gainesville from 1998 to 2002 before competing in the NFL, was unhappy about the overall experience his son Myles received during his recruitment.

“My son was raised to understand the business as it exists, but there has been new levels of disconnect with this program that I have NEVER ever experienced. No calls, no communication and the driest experience imaginable. I’m just going to START there.”

That is a very discouraging thing to hear if you are a Florida fan, especially considering his son has taken on a leadership role among the incoming recruits.

“I was the first one in the class, so I recruited everyone in the class,” Myles told Swamp247. “I am going to be really active. We all are recruiting and trying to build the best class.”

The elder Graham did not immediately elaborate on what he meant when he said, “I’m just going to START there,” but it insinuates he has further grievances with the program. Given the roots the family has in Gainesville, one hopes the rift is quickly resolved.

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Gators add blue-chip legacy linebacker to 2024 signing haul

This legacy linebacker is a huge acquisition both on and off the field for the Florida Gators.

The early signing period bonanza continued on Wednesday morning as Billy Napier and the Florida Gators were signing their commits like a rabid game of Hungry Hippos.

Among the several early signings was four-star legacy linebacker [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] out of Gainesville (Florida) Buchholz. The standout defender is the son of Gator great Earnest Graham, who played running back in Gainesville from 1998 to 2002 before also competing in the NFL.

The younger Graham is no slouch himself, earning blue-chip grades across the board for his talents on the opposite side of the ball from his dad. He also inherited the leadership gene from his father.

“I was the first one in the class, so I recruited everyone in the class,” he told Swamp247. “I am going to be really active. We all are recruiting and trying to build the best class. [DJ Lagway] has earned [the ace recruiter tab], but I am going to show him this weekend. He’s earned it and I am proud of him.”

The 6-foot-1-inch, 212-pound student-athlete was recruited by inside linebackers coach Jay Bateman, who has formed a tight bond with the prep prospect over the course of Florida’s courtship.

“He’s a great coach, and a really constructive coach,” he previously said of Bateman. “I love the way he coaches and he’s a great recruiter as well. He didn’t just recruit me, he made sure he was like another role model for me in my life. He’s a great dude and a great man.”

Not only did Graham stand out on defense, but he also put up some tidy numbers on the other side of the ball too in high school. According to MaxPreps’ stats, he rushed for 1,752 yards on 232 attempts (7.6 yards per game) in 44 games at Buchholz along with 26 touchdowns and four 100-plus yard games. He also caught 28 passes for 461 yards and six scores.

Nonetheless, he is expected to play exclusively on defense in the Swamp.

Graham is ranked No. 51 overall and No. 5 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 61 and 5, respectively.

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Florida’s blue-chip legacy commit impressed with Saturday’s practice

Legacy linebacker commit Myles Graham had a lot of positive things to say about Saturday’s practice.

This past weekend was a chance for not only the general public to get a gander at the Gators’ preseason practice inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium but also an opportunity for recruits to see what the upcoming season has in store.

Among those getting a glimpse of the 2023 edition of Florida football was four-star legacy linebacker commit [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag], who is the son of former standout running back Earnest Graham. The younger Gator came away rather impressed with what he saw on Saturday, offering up some positive takeaways from his experience.

“The guys are looking good,” Graham told Gators Online. “I’m impressed with the whole team. I’m proud of Coach (Billy) Napier and the staff. And I’m excited to see what they can do (this season).”

As for the player in whom he sees rising potential, he fingered a redshirt sophomore linebacker.

“Scooby (Williams),” James said. “Scooby played really well. He was everywhere. He could do it all — stop the run, play in coverage… Overall, (the linebackers) were doing good all around. They were flying around and making plays.”

Of course, the linebackers corps is currently down a man who it expects to be a vocal leader on and off the field this season.

“I think we need Shemar James,” he said. “Really, really need him back.”

Overall, Graham appears to be feeling bullish on the Orange and Blue. Most notably, he was impressed with the offense which has been surrounded by questions, exacerbated by Napier’s reluctance to name a starting quarterback.

“The defense is looking good,” he said. “And the offense is looking better than I thought. Some of the young wide receivers stood out.”

The Gators opened camp Sunday, July 30, and the team held its first practice of the 2023 season on Monday, July 31. Last Saturday’s event was the only practice open to the general public.

Florida opens its 2023 schedule on the road against the Utah Utes on Aug. 31, with a kickoff time of 8 p.m. EDT.

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Gators get legacy LB back in the Swamp for Grill in the Ville this weekend

This Gators legacy commit will be among the throng this weekend in Gainesville.

Florida football is getting set to host the first edition of the Grill in the Ville event, which welcomes prep prospects from a range of recruiting classes into the Swamp to get a gander at what Billy Napier and the Gators have to offer.

Among the throng of young student-athletes gathering in Gainesville this coming Saturday is four-star linebacker and Gators legacy commit [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag], who recently transferred to Buchholz High in Gainesville ahead of his senior season to be closer to the program. His decision to drop more roots in Hogtown came on Monday of this week.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 212-pound defender became the fifth member of the 2024 recruiting class back at the end of March, following in the footsteps of his father, Earnest, who was a standout running back for the Orange and Blue. The younger Graham chose his dad’s school over the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, NC State Wolfpack and Tennessee Volunteers.

Since his verbal commitment, he has been all-in on the program and figures to be a locker-room leader on defense in the years to come.

“I’m completely locked in with Florida 100%,” he told On3’s Joseph Hastings. “It’s just my relationship is there, I’m a legacy, and I want to come in and play my freshman year. I want to do what I do best and bring back what Florida used to be.”

Graham is ranked No. 43 overall and No. 4 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 48 and 4, respectively.

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