GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Questions arose when Florida leading tackler
Shemar James underwent season-ending knee surgery on Nov. 1.
No. 1 on the list: who would fill his place?
As it turns out, junior transfer Ronald "Mannie" Nunnery Jr. has emerged as a prominent piece on the defense.
At his press conference on the day of James' surgery, Gators head coach
Billy Napier predicted Nunnery could elevate his game with added playing time.
Napier stated that the loss of James "presents a great opportunity" and "Nunnery can offer experience."
So, who is
Mannie Nunnery?
"He's like a freak of nature,'' fellow linebacker
Scooby Williams said. "I don't know if you remember, but I think in spring we had interviews and I told you how athletic he was and [how he] made one-handed plays and all that, so I'm really excited for him to be able to display that for everybody."
It seems that sports run through Nunnery's blood. His father, Ronald Nunnery Sr., was a standout basketball player at Lamar University and later played for the Harlem Globetrotters.
The younger Nunnery also played basketball at Westbury (Texas) Christian before transferring to Shadow Creek High School his senior year.
A native of Fresno, Texas, Nunnery committed to play for the University of Houston. Additionally, he was a receiver/safety in high school but started as a special teams player for the Cougars.
Linebacker Mannie Nunnery makes a tackle on LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels last week at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. (Photo: Mallory Peak/UAA Communications)
Nunnery redshirted during the 2019 season, played eight games in 2020 and emerged as a critical contributor two seasons ago for Houston. In 13 games, Nunnery blocked two punts and three kicks en route to earning the National Special Teams Player of the Year award.
Shifting into a role as a full-time linebacker in 2022, Nunnery posted 46 tackles with three tackles for loss, two pass breakups, a sack and a quarterback hurry for the Cougars.
One of 12 transfers brought in this past offseason at UF, Nunnery spoke to the local media for the first time as a Florida Gator on Wednesday.
Nunnery entered the transfer portal on the Jan. 18 deadline and elaborated on his decision.
"It was a last-minute deal,'' he said. "I entered the portal last day; it was a stressful decision."
While deciding to leave Houston was difficult, Nunnery recounted the story with a smile.
As it turns out, Nunnery grew up a Gators fan.
"Florida's always been my dream school when I was little," said Nunnery.
Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes were two of his childhood inspirations.
Nunnery said the route he took to UF was direct.
"The DC [defensive coordinator], Coach [Patrick] Toney, he had contacted me, and it was Florida on my phone, and I'm like grabbing the phone like, 'is this an actual offer? I'm getting an offer by Florida right now?' " Nunnery recounted. "He's like, 'Yeah, man, you are offered by Florida on a full scholarship.' It was a big thing for me 'cause when I went into the portal, I really didn't know what I was going to do.
"Florida popped up, I got up, left Houston. I didn't even do an official visit."
Nunnery debuted in The Swamp during the Orange & Blue game only a few months after that call from Toney.
What was it like to run onto Spurrier/Florida Field for the first time?
"I'm like, 'I'm really in 'The Swamp' right now.' Then, I had to get used to being around a lot of people in the stands, the crowd, so that's the biggest thing,'' he said. "I felt, once I got comfortable with that, everything just started to settle down. It's been a great experience so far."
Spikes was a centerpiece for the Gators defense from 2006-09, collecting 307 total tackles. He joined the Gators in the offseason as a student assistant coach.
Suddenly, one of Nunnery's childhood heroes was one of his coaches.
"He's been a great guy in that room. He has helped me a lot, especially with Coach [Jay] Bateman on the side,'' Nunnery said. "He pushes everybody to be great. He's got that Gator DNA in him, and he's trying to get everything turned around when he was here with Tebow and them."
Since James has been ruled out for the season, Nunnery has shined for the Gators.
In the first game following James' injury, Nunnery recorded a season-high 10 tackles and 0.5 sacks against Arkansas. Nunnery also fulfilled a life-long dream on Saturday at LSU: starting for the Gators.
Nunnery recorded four tackles, including one for a loss.
"It's like a childhood dream came true,'' Nunnery said. "Fresno Gator, [I] always dreamed of being a Florida Gator and playing for the Florida Gators. Then boom, I don't know, God made it happen for some reason, now I'm here."
