As a true freshman edge rusher, Mohamoud Diabate turned heads around the conference by finishing third in sacks on a ninth-ranked Florida defense chock-full of NFL talent.
Last season, Diabate traded his influence in the backfield to serve as a rare bright spot for the UF front seven, finishing second on the team in tackles. Now after proving his chops as both a linebacker and an edge rusher, the versatile Diabate serves as O-negative blood for a sickly Gators defense.
“That's what I like to pride myself on,” Diabate said. “I can play anything on defense, anything in the front seven.”
Diabate has compounded his natural athletic gifts with a rigorous work ethic, and the Alabama native featured on The Athletic’s ‘Freak List’ earlier this month — he posted a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, a 10-4 broad jump and a 605-pound squat on his 225-pound frame.
The junior added nearly 20 pounds since the end of last season, allowing him to find a balance between his roles as a linebacker and an edge rusher.
“I’ve always been a good (size) the last two years,” Diabate said. “I’ve been able to have a big impact on my team and make big plays, and I feel like with this added weight — with the weight, I’m even faster. So, with all that, I feel like it’s time.”
Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and linebackers coach Christian Robinson have also passed Diabate between their units during training camp, ensuring that he receives meaningful reps on the D-Line and each of the linebacker positions.
Diabate’s versatility was limited last season by the heavy restrictions limiting contact between position groups and the uncertain nature of the season. But after a grueling offseason, Diabate feels ready to dominate from a number of different positions in a breakout junior campaign.
“We’re definitely way more comfortable and know what’s coming for us,” Diabate said. “Last year was a year of uncertainty and when things are uncertain it’s kind of hard to prepare. We know what’s going on this year and know what’s going to happen. We’re putting our head down and focused like Grantham said since January and busting our tail.”
Diabate’s “position-less” approach to the game has generated palpable buzz and professional interest in the junior. Grantham echoed Diabate’s emphasis on versatility and noted the creative ways he’s schemed his defense to get his best players onto the field and logging as many snaps as possible.
“We've done a really good job of moving some guys around to get our best players on the field,” Grantham said. “I mean, how can we get these guys on the field? We’ve kind of mixed and matched some personnel groupings to allow us to do that.”
Gator nation’s enthusiasm about Diabate is seemingly only topped by his eagerness to return to “regular football.”
Diabate lamented the sterility and uncertainty that defined last season and is teeming with anticipation for his long-awaited return to a packed Swamp.
“Last year we didn’t know who we were going to get to play,'' Diabate said. “How it was going to be, empty stadium, this and that. But this year we know it’s going to be regular football so it’s time to get to work.”
