The Florida Gators are known for having one of the best defenses in the country year in and year out and have stacked up plenty of talent once again on that side of the ball this season.

The name that immediately comes to mind along the current defensive line is redshirt junior defensive tackle Caleb Brantley, who has a chance to make a name for himself this year and looks poised to regularly cause havoc for opposing offenses.

Brantley started 10 games in 13 appearances for the Gators in 2015, playing alongside former Gators defensive lineman and Chicago Bears third-round pick Jonathan Bullard and one of the quickest pass rushers in the SEC in Alex McCalister, who led the way for one of the most dominant defensive fronts in the SEC.

As a redshirt sophomore, Brantley completed his best overall season as a Gator, racking up 29 tackles, 6.5 TFL and three sacks. He was eligible for the NFL draft after the season, but Brantley opted to return to UF for the 2016 season to further boost his stock.

The Crescent City, Fla., native believes that the Florida defensive line is loaded with talent this season and said the group is trying to prove that it is the top unit on the roster.

“I don’t even feel like we have a second-team D-line, third-team D-line," Brantley said. "Those guys around us would start anywhere else. I think we have the best D-line in the country and we’re going to prove that. A lot of people say we only have pass rushers and other crap.

“We have a nickname, 'DBU' here," he continued. "Obviously we embrace that, but we're trying to be the best unit on the team, so any way we can be noticed and change the game, have a huge impact on the game, we're going to do that. We're going to force turnovers, sacks, tackles for a loss. We're going to affect the game any way possible."

With last year's leader in Bullard gone, Brantley believes that he is the next in line to help anchor this defensive line.

“I feel like this is a tradition," he said. "I feel like if everyone does their job and everyone plays hard, all of us are going to shine. Obviously, Bullard left so I feel like I am going to have a strong year but I feel like there are a lot of guys on our defense line that are going to do as well, if not, even better.”

Florida defensive coordinator Geoff Collins praised Brantley at UF's media day Wednesday, saying that he "can be as dominant as any defensive lineman in the country." Gators head coach Jim McElwain also commended Brantley but said that the lineman needs to play with more consistency.

"That's something we've been talking about," McElwain said. "He's a talented guy and a really good player. And yet, sometimes plays in spurts."

Brantley acknowledged the same.

“The first couple of games last year, I struggled," he said. "I wasn’t getting a lot of tackles, no stats really, and I had to learn how to really play the game, set stuff up, just play my position. I need be more consistent with my technique and playing within the framework of the defense and not too much."

Defensive line coach Chris Rumph has been one person that has really helped change the mindset of the 6-foot-2, 297-pound Brantley since his addition to the UF coaching staff in February 2015.

“He has stepped in as a father role, or a mentor role, so it is always easier to get more out of a player when you have a good relationship," Brantley said of his relationship with Rumph. "When he pushes me on the football field, I never have confrontation with him. He makes me work harder and he is trying to make me a better player.

“He wanted me to work for everything. He made me believe in myself more than anyone ever did. He saw me before I could see me. I never knew what he meant then, but now I know.”

Though the Gators finished the season 10-4 and made their first SEC Championship Game appearance since 2009, Brantley believes that taking the trip to Atlanta is the standard for this Gators team.

“A lot of people never respected us. They don't like us," Brantley said. "We kind of embraced it. We like that role. We don't want you to like us. We really don't care. If we handle what we've got to handle in house and do what we've got to do, I don't think no one can beat us. All that talk, it don't do nothing but add fuel to the fire, make us work harder.

“We're putting a big emphasis on finishing and not coasting at the end and getting comfortable. Coach Mac challenged the older guys, some of the more talented guys not to coast at the end of the season, worry about the NFL and stuff like that. We're trying to win a championship. All that other stuff is irrelevant."