During the second season of the Jim McElwain era, a number of freshmen from the 2016 recruiting class have gotten involved in the action.

Of the 21 freshmen to sign the Gators this past recruiting cycle, 11 were on the defensive side of the ball - and seven of them saw the field immediately for Florida this season. With a number of veteran starters suffering injuries down the stretch, plenty of Florida's younger contributors stepped up to the plate and saw significant action in 2016.

After taking a look at the freshmen on offense the other day, today Inside the Gators reviews how each of the 11 freshmen on defense from the 2016 class have performed up to this point.

HAVE PLAYED THIS SEASON:

2016 stats: Three tackles, three quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery in five appearances (no starts)

The skinny: Clayton, the lone five-star recruit of Florida's 2016 class, arrived at UF in the summer needing to add bulk to his frame to be able to compete in the SEC. However, Clayton has added roughly 30 pounds to his 6-foot-3, 250-pound frame since his arrival and in large part because of that avoided a redshirt in 2016. After not seeing the field through the first month of the season, Clayton saw his redshirt burned when he made his Florida debut at Vanderbilt, where he logged a fumble recovery.

Clayton has seen some reps as a backup at defensive end this season, but his role has gradually decreased over the past couple of weeks and he hasn't made an appearance in Florida's last three contests. Clayton missed the SEC title game against Alabama with a sprained ligament in his elbow, but he expects to be available for Florida's bowl game.