Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The evolution of Alex Anzalone has taken on many forms since he joined the Gators as an early enrollee in the spring of 2013.

For one, Anzalone looks different. A lot different. The short-cropped haircut he arrived with has grown and grown and grown. Anzalone now wears a hairdo reminiscent of Fabio, the Italian model who graced the cover of those romance novels your aunt used to read.

As his hair grew, so did his body. Anzalone looks the part of the 6-foot-3, 237-pound linebacker he is listed as on Florida's roster. What about the classroom? Anzalone adjusted to the demands of higher education just fine, earning his undergraduate degree this past weekend.

Next on Anzalone's developmental chart is to turn in a breakout season on the field, where if healthy, he is projected to start alongside All-SEC performer Jarrad Davis.

"Sept. 3 can't come soon enough. I'm ready to go,'' Anzalone said. "I'm just happy to be out there practicing again and hitting some people, doing what linebackers do."

Anzalone played only two games last season, starting against New Mexico State and East Carolina prior to being shelved the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury.

The injury cost Anzalone any chance at building on a strong fall camp.

"Going into the season last year, there was debate or even conversation that he might be one of the best players on our football team,'' defensive coordinator Geoff Collins said. "I think through the first two games, he showed that. He was all over the field making plays, making calls. He makes the people around him better."

While UF's coaching staff is limiting Anzalone's reps early in camp for precautionary reasons, Anzalone said he is healthy and has no limitations physically. That could be excellent news for the Gators.

A healthy Anzalone and Davis could form a nice 1-2 punch at linebacker for a Florida defensive that lost starting middle linebacker Antonio Morrison.
 

Here is our Q&A with Anzalone, who chose the Gators over Ohio State and Notre Dame:

Q: The offense has a lot of new faces, including junior-college transfer receiver Dre Massey. What are your first impressions of him?

A: He's definitely a playmaker and the more playmakers means the more plays we can get in their hands so they can score a touchdown by making one more or whatever. He is definitely a guy who could make a huge impact.

Q: What's your take on the defense overall in the wake of some key losses?

A: If you go through all the positions … there's not a whole lot of drop-off from last year. It's just that some guys like myself haven't shown what we can really do. I know a lot of fans in Gator Nation might question it or whatever, but we know what we can do. We think that all those voids are filled.

Q: What was last season like for you with the promising start, and then the injury and potential return, and finally missing the final 12 games?

A: Those first two games were a little preview. I definitely know I can make a big impact on the defense and the team. Really, Coach Mac and Coach Shannon took care of me. They took the cautious route and really showed they care about my well-being and how healthy I am. They didn't want me to put me at risk for a worse injury or anything like that. It was tough. It is what it is. You can imagine what it felt like.

Q: What did you think about Jarrad's improvement a season ago?

A: He definitely stepped up. He wasn't starting those first couple of games. He just stepped in after I got hurt and did his thing. We all saw what he did and it was pretty impressive.

Q: What did you learn last season that can help you in 2016?

A: This could all be gone so fast. One play is all it takes. A lot of people don't appreciate that and it's just a lesson I definitely learned.