Spring Camp Primer: Gators Defense

The Gators lose Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, left, in the secondary, but with cornerback CJ Henderson (center) returning, they have one of the top defensive backs in the SEC. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)

Spring Camp Primer: Gators Defense

Monday, March 11, 2019 | Football, Scott Carter

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – As a longtime offensive coordinator prior to becoming a head coach, Dan Mullen's arrival last season garnered a lot of headlines about how Mullen would fix the Gators' ailing offense.

The defense, Florida's strength for the better part of the last decade, wasn't exactly in much better shape.

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Mullen took over a program that lost eight games in 2017 and surrendered 27.3 points per game, the most for a Florida team in 71 years. To take care of that side of the ball, Mullen brought defensive coordinator Todd Grantham with him from Mississippi State.

In Grantham's only season with the Bulldogs, the defense tightened up and improved dramatically. Ditto in Grantham's first season at Florida.

The Gators went from 69th nationally in scoring defense to 20th, surrendering 7.3 less points per game than the previous season. Turnovers played a huge role as UF produced 26 takeaways to finish 11th among FBS schools in that category after forcing 17 takeaways (81st nationally) in 2017.

Forced fumbles, fumble recoveries and sacks were up, yards per play down. In the modern vernacular, you could say Florida's defense trended upward in 2018.

As the Gators prepare to open spring camp on Tuesday, let's take a closer look at the unit's look to start 2019:

DEFENSIVE LINE

62444 — Senior Jabari Zuniga has 15.5 career sacks, tops among all returning defensive linemen. (Photo: Jason Parkhurst/UAA Communications)

The UF defense returns to the field minus its breakout star last season in defensive end Jachai Polite, who led the country with six forced fumbles and recorded a team-high 11 sacks, the fifth-highest single-season total in school history. Polite opted to forego his senior season for the NFL Draft. While Polite's absence will be felt, Jabari Zuniga returns on the opposite side for his senior season. Zuniga was second behind Polite a season ago with 6.5 sacks and has 15.5 for his career. To help fill the void left by Polite, the Gators added graduate transfer Jonathan Greenard from Louisville. Greenard missed last season after suffering a hand injury early in the season opener against Alabama. He had 7.5 sacks in 2017 at Louisville and adds a veteran presence at the hybrid "Buck" position of edge rusher/outside linebacker. Redshirt junior Jeremiah Moon (6-6, 232) had 31 tackles and 1.5 sacks last season playing behind Polite and is projected to battle Greenard for reps come fall. Moon will be limited in spring camp due to an undisclosed injury. The Gators also lost veteran Cece Jefferson, who dropped down the depth chart as a senior but was a steady force in his four seasons. Redshirt junior Antonneous Clayton Sr. is back and has an opportunity to get on the field after redshirting in 2018. Others in the mix on the outside are redshirt sophomore Zachary Carter, redshirt freshmen Andrew Chatfield Jr. and Malik Langham, true freshman Mohamoud Diabate and veteran Luke Ancrum, who has played inside and outside. The interior line returns veterans Adam Shuler, Kyree Campbell, Tedarrell Slaton, Elijah Conliffe and Marlon Dunlap Jr. A transfer from West Virginia, Shuler emerged with Campbell a season ago to shore up the inside. Conliffe and Slaton remain intriguing talents and provide solid depth.

LINEBACKERS

62279 — Senior David Reese is the veteran leader among his position group in spring camp. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)

Vosean Joseph, the team's leading tackler (93) a season ago, left early to enter the NFL draft. However, senior David Reese II returns and should regain his place as the team's top stopper in 2019 if he stays healthy. Reese battled an ankle injury last season that caused him to miss the first three games. He still finished with 77 tackles and provides leadership in the heart of the defense. Redshirt senior Rayshad Jackson returns to spell Reese and redshirt sophomore Ventrell Miller flashed promise in his most extended playing time a year ago. Redshirt sophomore James Houston IV showed up in the middle of several big plays and roams the field with an aggressive style that Grantham's 3-4 scheme thrives on. Houston should see more playing time if healthy and in shape. Lacedrick Brunson is also in the mix for reps this spring around Reese. Redshirt senior Kylan Johnson, a key reserve who had 27 tackles last, has put his name in the NCAA transfer portal to explore his options.

SECONDARY

The biggest loss here is the departure of junior Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who turned in his strongest season and was named Defensive MVP of the Chick-fil-A Bowl with a pair of interceptions. Still, the Gators should be fine with the talent in place. Cornerback CJ Henderson enters his junior season as an All-American candidate as one of the top cover corners in FBS. Redshirt sophomore Marco Wilson continues to recover from knee surgery that ended his 2018 season prematurely. Wilson is expected participate in spring camp on a limited basis. Sophomore Trey Dean III, who took over as the primary starter at the corner opposite Henderson when Wilson got hurt, is expected to get the bulk of the work at the "Star" position Gardner-Johnson held down last season. Jeawon Taylor, Brad Stewart Jr., Shawn Davis and Donovan Stiner return at safety, with Stewart Jr. and Stiner the regular starters in a solid rotation that should benefit from strong competition this spring that also includes rising sophomore Amari Burney, who had a sack in the bowl win over Michigan. Cornerbacks Brian Edwards and C.J. McWilliams return to take reps as Wilson works his way back from injury. True freshmen Chris Steele and Jaydon Hill enrolled early and will get a good look as well in spring camp to see how they fit in. Sophomore John Huggins returns at cornerback and redshirt freshman David Reese, who has some impressive physical gifts, adds versatility and is someone to watch develop this spring. Redshirt junior Quincy Lenton, who missed last season due to an injury, remains an unknown.