Gators DT Caleb Brantley to Enter NFL Draft
Friday, January 6, 2017 | Football
The UF defensive tackle announced his decision in a thoughtful letter to Gator Nation via SECCountry.com.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – - Caleb Brantley is ready to test his dynamic ability at the next level.
The Crescent City, Fla. native has positioned himself as one of the top defensive tackles in the 2017 NFL Draft after an impressive redshirt junior season. Brantley announced his plans on Friday in an exclusive letter on SECCountry.com.
"I'll look back on my time at UF with no regrets. Only lifelong lessons, memories and relationships," Brantley said. "I'll be the first person in my family to earn a 4-year degree when I graduate. I've become a role model for my brother. He sees me reaping the benefits of my labor, so now he wants to go to college. It's a must in his mind. I don't want my daughter, Caleigh, to grow up the way I did. My motivation is to take care of my family."
For more on Brantley's decision, check out his exclusive letter on SECCountry.com.Overall in 2016, Brantley tallied 31 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. However, those statistics don't account for all of the other times he directly or indirectly impacted a play with his pressure up the middle.
Pro Football Focus, which evaluates every player on every snap, graded Brantley at an 86.4 on a 1-100 scale for the season.
For his career, Brantley recorded 81 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay has Brantley rated as the 14th best prospect overall in this draft class with a grade of 89 and projects him as the 23rd overall pick to the Denver Broncos. He further describes Brantley as more of a disruptor than someone who is going to put up eye-popping production. McShay goes on to say that he has a good combination of quickness and functional strength to excel as an interior player at the next level.
The NFL Draft is scheduled April 27-29 in Philadelphia.
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