GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- The Florida Gators closed out their regular season with a huge win over in-state rival Florida State. The defense finished the year with the most sacks in a season since 1997, with eight in just this game.
“I’m just happy to start a new trend with the guys that I came here with,” said senior linebacker David Reese. “Just put something towards a positive change and bring the culture back to where it used to be.”
The Gators are saying goodbye to defensive leaders like Jonathan Greenard, David Reese, Jabari Zuniga and several others, leaving fans wondering what’s next for this Florida defense.
Looking ahead to Dan Mullen’s third season in the Swamp, expect him to keep preaching that ‘next man up’ mindset. He did the same this year as injuries plagued the team, and when those guys are gone for good, nothing will change. He’s set this defense up to be ready for anything and although losing those guys will hurt, there are guys ready to fill those shoes.
The seniors on this team have done an exceptional job of being leaders and helping the younger guys get ready for their moments in the spotlight. Now, with guys like Ventrell Miller, James Houston, Mohamoud Diabate, Zachary Carter and Donovan Stiner coming back next year, they’ll have everything they learned from this senior class to fall back on. They’ve also got a good amount of depth on defense, allowing for a smooth transition into next season.
“I’m excited for the Gators,” said Reese. “They’re in great hands and I’m going to be the biggest fan. Especially my linebackers… James Houston, Ventrell Miller, you got Hopper, Jesiah [Pierre], you got Lacedrick Brunson. We’re deep, so even though it might not seem like it, we’ve got depth on paper. We’ve got guys that are experienced that got some playing time.”
On top of that, this has been a great recruiting year for the Gators. This season several defensive true freshman saw play time, which is a big thing for young players looking to get into the program.
Getting those young guys play time has also given them a chance to get comfortable in game situations so when the time comes for them to start games, they’ll be ready to go.
This offseason will be huge. Florida will have to focus on getting new recruits comfortable with its defense and finding those big playmakers than can replace guys like Greenard and Reese. This senior class left the Gators is a great position to keep working and getting better, and they played a huge part in the turnaround of this team.
“I’m just thankful that we got this situation to make this mark — a 10-win season and going to a really good bowl game, a New Year’s Six bowl game,” said Greenard. “It’s going to be really good. It’s going to be really good for the young guys. We set the pace and now you guys gotta go off and run. I think they understand that. They’re going to pride themselves on doing a really good job in the offseason.
