Grantham brings an aggressive, attacking defense to Gainesville
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Sheldon Rankins was drafted in the first round, 12th overall, of the 2016 NFL Draft. In his two seasons with the New Orleans Saints thus far he has accumulated 46 tackles with six sacks and one interception. But when Rankins took a step up to the league it came with a shocking revelation. Things were almost—dare it be said—easier?
“Once I got here, learning the NFL defense it seemed almost easy so to speak after having to learn Coach Grantham’s multiple systems,” Rankins explains to Inside the Gators.
“It definitely prepared me for the next level. It allowed me to look at the game differently.”
Rankins played under defensive coordinator Todd Grantham while the coach was at Louisville from 2014-2016, a job that was book-ended for Grantham by Georgia (2010-2013) and Mississippi State (2017). It was the latter from which Grantham followed Dan Mullen to Gainesville where the former now serves as DC under the new head coach.
That experience at some of college football’s top programs, coupled with 11 years in the NFL is what Rankins says pays off in dividends for his players…even if it comes at the price of studying—lots of studying.
“I think the scheme I ran my first couple of years under Coach [Charlie] Strong was a great scheme, it was a lot more simplified, just kind of allowed guys to be on the same page just as far as the simplicity of it but Coach Grantham challenged you when he came in there to learn the NFL caliber system. It had a lot of checks, a lot of different things going on. But at the end of the day it prepared you for the next level.
He challenges all of his players to not only know your position but know what everyone else is doing and know why he’s calling certain things. So if you can understand Coach Grantham’s system you’re pretty much good to [go].”
But this coaching style is just one facet of a man that, by all indications and insight, can become a major cog in the Florida Gators football hopeful championship run. In their new DC the Gators also get a man who develops and nurtures connections with each of his players.
Jake Wimberly, ESPN Radio host and GridironNow.com contributor, covers the Mississippi State Bulldogs on day-to-day basis. Throughout Grantham’s year in Starkville, Wimberly heard those day-to-day messages that evidenced the connections already being formed.
“The players never had a negative thing to say about Grantham. By all accounts there was a mutual respect and a yearning to play for him,” says Wimberly.
Adds Rankins, “From the jump he just kinda wanted to find out more about his players you know personally and on the field. I think once he kinda realized I was a guy he could trust to be a leader on the team he kinda put a lost of trust in me as far as just being a presence in the locker room and being a presence on the field… he was also a guy I could go to off the field anytime I needed anything, talk to somebody about something or just a guy if you wanted to just kinda hang out, grab dinner or something, he was definitely that kind of coach too. He’s definitely, he’s a fiery guy, he’s a passionate guy and he’s gonna be on top of you on the field but at the same time he’s someone who you can talk to when you need something, a father figure type.”
Those connections off the field manifest in a plugged in defense in the meeting room, on the practice field and during game days as Grantham finds ways to cultivate talents in each of his charges.
“He definitely took my game to another level; put me in a lot of positions where I was able to make a lot of plays and be a productive player for that defense… not necessarily trying to fit a square peg in a round hole,” explains Rankins.
“His defense prototypically he’s had a lot of bigger, taller heavier 3-4 ends but with me I was 6’1” some change, 305 pounds so I didn’t necessarily fit prototypically with what maybe he was used to but at the same time he recognized I was able to be a playmaker for his defense so he built around that instead of asking me to do things I wasn’t able to do.”
Rankins’ production under Grantham’s tutelage nearly tripled from his underclassman numbers. He was a part of a unit that Grantham moved into the top-20 nationally in scoring and/or total defense during his three seasons in addition to being a national top-15 rushing defense during that same time. In his second year at Georgia, Grantham helped his players make a similar leap into the top-5 in total defense. He continued the trend at Mississippi State, which is why—as Wimberly explains—Mullen felt compelled to bring a guy with him after only one year.
“Grantham’s ability to take a unit that gave up over 31 points per game in 2016 and turn them into what he did this past year [is why Mullen trust him]. While you saw some new faces along the defense front to back – most of the players were back and he totally changed their attitude and the way they played. If he can do that at Miss. State, he can do that at a place like Florida where talent drips off trees.”
As he adapts to a room that will return CeCe Jefferson, Jachai Polite and a deep secondary, both Wimberly and Rankins agree one thing about Todd Grantham’s defense will stay the same - Grantham will bring heat off the edge.
Luckily for Florida fans, it’s something that has become a Gator defense calling card with the likes of Lerentee McCray, Ronald Powell, Dante Fowler and Alex McAllister to name a few.
“Go back to his years at Georgia; he had Jarvis Jones,” recalls Rankins.
“He coached him to some great years in the SEC. Then when he came to us, just pure edge rushers we had Devonte Fields, he had [10.5 sacks in 2015.] Trevon Young had a couple of very productive seasons off the edge. So I mean that’s just what he does, he’s always no matter where he’s been. Even in the NFL he had Demarcus Ware. So you look at his resume, that’s what he does. He coaches edge rushers, he allows guys to be aggressive and get to the quarterback and I think he can continue to do that with the talent he’ll have at the University of Florida.”
Playing to this strength in his repertoire was the biggest change Grantham brought to Mississippi State as well according to Wimberly.
“More aggressive, chance taking, got after the quarterback and gang tackling, running to the football; the unit played with a swagger that wasn’t previously there.”
While with Mullen in Starkville, Grantham was fully entrusted with the defense. And taking that job in whatever way it was needed is part of what makes Grantham special according to Rankins. Because while the NFL influence, the connections and the ability to adapt are all incredible qualities in a coach, there’s one thing that Sheldon Rankins says Todd Grantham taught him that can make the biggest impact in the life of every player and for the Florida Gators.
“One thing Coach Grantham always said was ‘control what you can control.’ You know I think a lot of guys, there’s gonna be adversity throughout your career—there’s gonna be adversity throughout games and life, period—but control what you can control and just let God handle the rest. He always used to say control what you can control and the rest will take care of itself. I’ve kept that with me throughout my career and it’s done me well so far. I think those Florida players will hear that a lot and if they take it to heart and then actually apply it to what they’re doing they’ll be fine."
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