Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — As the Gators wrapped up their spring game on Saturday with a 19-17 win for the Blue squad, one thing stood out on defense: tackling.

The pursuit and ability to fill gaps in the run game was a bright spot for the Orange Team's defensive line.

"I think communication and tackling were the things we've progressed on. I feel like open field tackling was something that coaches emphasized this spring," said Gators defensive back Devin Moore, who played for the Orange.

Both the Orange and Blue squads showed improvements in bringing down explosive players in the open field, which the 2023 unit struggled with at times. After Saturday's performance, Gators fans at least saw the promise of an improved defensive unit in head coach Billy Napier's third season.

With only two of the seven top tacklers returning from last season, the Gators have an opportunity for new faces to emerge and make plays on the defensive side of the ball. With the new faces comes the chance to inject energy at new positions.

One noticeable growth area Saturday was with Sharif Denson and Aaron Gates at the Star position.

"Both those guys are really good young players," Napier said. "I'm not so sure both of them couldn't play corner, safety, and that's a challenging spot because you're in the run fits. You have to cover the slot. You're a blitzer. Both of those guys are going to impact our team for sure."

In the third quarter, Denson picked off Graham Mertz by jumping a route, creating the game's first turnover and giving the ball back to the Orange Team. Mertz only threw three picks a season ago, his first at UF after transferring from Wisconsin.

After the game, when Mertz was asked about the players at the Star position, he shared that "the biggest thing that stands out is their asking questions and their overall speed. They do a great job."
 
The Orange defensive unit also showed improvement in defending the run. With most of the returners from last year's unit playing on that side of the ball, the defense only allowed 82 yards rushing, compared to the 155 yards rushing allowed by the Gators last season. The Orange Team also held returning running backs Montrell Johnson Jr. to 18 yards on seven attempts and Treyaun Webb to 10 yards on six attempts. With five of the top 12 offenses in total yards on the schedule in 2024, defensive improvement is imperative to avoid a repeat of 2023.

According to Moore, the upgrades come from the team's mentality when they walk onto the field.

"Whenever somebody makes a play, everybody is getting turnt. It's great vibes. Like I said before, the communication,'' Moore said. "Even at DB (defensive back) we communicate with the D-linemen sometimes and just make sure the whole defense is on the same page."

Still, there were some defensive lapses, like the 60-yard touchdown pass from Mertz to Eugene Wilson III and the late-game drive from the Blue squad to win the game. But if some of the breakthroughs from Saturday's spring game can be built on and the mistakes can be minimized, the Gators have an opportunity to show significant improvement.

That is the goal under second-year defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong.

The Gators forced two turnovers Saturday – Sharif Denson and Mannie Nunnery each had a pick – and recorded seven sacks at the discretion of Napier, who blew his whistle when he determined the quarterback was touched.

The next time the Gators step on Spurrier/Florida Field it will be for real, but Napier liked the pressure he saw Saturday.

"We got a lot of players that are capable there,'' Napier said of the D-line. "I think sub-rushers, we have height, length. We have numerous players that I think can be effective as rushers. The coverage is better. That's half the battle. When you start talking about affecting the quarterback, coverage is part of that, right? Disguise, pressure, the rush lane integrity. We tipped some balls today. That's one of the ways that you can affect the quarterback.

"Yeah, it will add up. I just think we have good players there, top to bottom."