Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Following a visit with Google's AI machine, there is no definitive answer. Whoever first uttered the phrase "eye test" in the vernacular of sports analysis remains a mystery. Google said the term blossomed over time, organically.
 

That may be true, but as Gators defensive lineman Tyreak Sapp went about his work during Saturday's practice at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, a tip of the cap to a likely long-forgotten scout seemed in order. The 6-foot-2.5, 274-pound Sapp aced the eye test as if he had studied for it all offseason.
 

Sapp donned a familiar look. He had his jersey sleeves tucked under his shoulder pads to reveal bulging biceps and folded underneath his pads midriff to showcase ripples along his torso. He wore a sleeve on his right leg, and a back plate provided extra protection.
 

Underneath a blazing sun, Sapp's muscular frame poured sweat to create a sheen similar to that of a wrestler entering the ring drenched in baby oil for the TV cameras. Sapp's striking presence is a result of a player hungry for success in his final season with the Gators and beyond.
 

He recently signed with Rosenhaus Sports after deciding to return to school and improve his draft stock. But first, he committed to the weight room to get into the best shape of his life.

"I benched 385 last year, my max, and now I bench 445," Sapp said last week. "I put on 10 pounds of muscle mass.  And then I lost a few pounds of body fat. I think I'm at 9 (percent). That was just like a great milestone to hit this summer. I was glad I was able to do that."
 

Sapp's mere presence Saturday was uncertain after last season, when speculation centered on whether he would return for a final season of eligibility after a strong performance on the field during Florida's four-game win streak to close the season.
 

A former four-star recruit out of Fort Lauderdale's St. Thomas Aquinas High, Sapp starred during the Gators' late-season turnaround to finish the season with a team-high 13.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Sapp's surge has him contemplating what he could accomplish over a full season if he can maintain his pace in November.
 

Jachai Polite is the last UF player to record double-digit sacks when he had 11 in 2018, two off the single-season school record set by Alex Brown in 1999.
 

"I'm shooting for 15," Sapp said.
 

Other players have voiced similar goals in recent years – Brenton Cox Jr. comes to mind in 2022 – but Sapp has proven he is built for the long haul and dedicated to his craft.
 

Sapp committed to the Gators in December 2018 as a prep sophomore on the same day his older St. Thomas Aquinas teammate Derek Wingo committed to Penn State. Sapp stuck to his pledge, unlike Wingo, who decommitted from the Nittany Lions and completed his career with the Gators last season. Sapp is one of just four players from Florida's 2021 signing class still on the roster, joined by offensive linemen Jake Slaughter and Austin Barber, and long snapper Rocco Underwood. Sixteen of the players signed in former coach Dan Mullen's final class transferred, two finished at UF and are now in the NFL (Jason Marshall Jr. and Desmond Watson), and tight end Gage Wilcox retired due to injury.
 

Sapp has provided head coach Billy Napier with stability and leadership since taking over the program in 2022. And he is now one of the faces of the program on Napier's most talented UF team. 

"Sapp's motor is always running hot," Napier said. "He's in position to maximize coming back."
 

While Sapp's body has changed entering his final season, the way he plays has not.
 

Consider what NFL Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, entering his third season as defensive line coach at Miami, told Rivals.com when Sapp signed with the Gators. Taylor was the defensive coordinator at St. Thomas Aquinas during Sapp's prep career.
 

"He wants to dent face masks," Taylor said.
 

Sapp's attitude remains the same. As he spoke last week during the team's media day, Sapp revealed his mission at practice when battling teammates Barber, Slaughter and their fellow offensive linemen.
 

"I want them to hate practice," he said.
 

In addition to what he can do on the field, Sapp gives the Gators some old-school swagger. He is one of the most quotable players on the team and is not afraid to have fun or express an opinion.
 

He and teammate George Gumbs made an appearance at a WWE NXT event over the summer and got some airtime with wrestler Myles Borne. After last season's win at FSU, Sapp irked FSU fans by carrying around a Seminole head that a Gators fan in the seats behind UF's bench gave him after the game. And if it were up to him, no player would wear No. 1 unless he earned it.
 

Sapp isn't afraid to talk the talk, but he strives to walk the walk. Defensive coordinator Ron Roberts has him on speed dial if there is an issue on the field or in the locker room that needs attention.
 

"Sapp would be probably the first one I'm going to. You know what I mean?" Roberts said. "He's an experienced vet. The biggest impact he can  [make] is what he does, by demanding it from other people in the room, and making sure his voice is heard, and they all need to match that and play at that level."
 

If any of Sapp's teammates have any reservations, all they need to do is look at him — a guy who passes the eye test that easily is putting in the work.