Florida Football: Previewing the state of the linebacker position for the Gators
The Gators head into spring practice this week loaded with talent on the defensive end, but still have some question marks and uncertainty involving a key position group.
Florida football enters spring practice relatively light at a crucial defensive position: linebacker.
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The Gators have gone through two recruiting cycles now under head coach Jim McElwain and his personnel and have only generated one signee for the position. Even with two freshmen coming in this summer, maintaining a healthy corps of linebackers — headed by veterans Jarrad Davis and Alex Anzalone — is paramount for Florida all throughout the upcoming season.
Here’s a look at the 2016 depth chart:
- Jarrad Davis, senior
- Alex Anzalone, senior
- Daniel McMillian, senior
- Matt Rolin, redshirt junior
- Rayshad Jackson, redshirt freshman
- David Reese, freshman
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Davis emerged as a dominant force for the Gators late in the 2015 season. He was extremely effective on the pass rush and he has the talent and athleticism to become a potential All-SEC linebacker.
Anzalone possesses the same impressive capabilities as Davis, but he’s had a hard time staying healthy. The senior has great size (6-foot-3, 244 pounds), sideline-to-sideline speed and instincts to be a stellar linebacker. But injuries have prevented Anzalone from truly making an impact for this unit. His health next season will be of upmost importance for the Gators defensively.
Beyond those two, the depth really drops off. Sure, both McMillian and Rolin have some experience being fourth-year players, but neither has been able to produce all that much on the gridiron. Like Anzalone, Rolin has the size (6-foot-3, 213 pounds) and strength to be a proficient playmaker, but he’s been plagued by the injury bug. Meanwhile, McMillian just never seems to be in a position on the field to make plays.
For the Gators to feel comfortable at linebacker in 2016, Anzalone must remain healthy and the young guns like Jackson, Reese and the other freshmen coming in this summer need to get up to speed quickly and be able to play some snaps.
Rolin and McMillian will likely make some helpful contributions in the upcoming season, but they’re not necessarily consistent nor are they the game-changers Florida needs to be a lockdown force defensively.
Luckily, the Gators’ stout defensive line will make up for those deficiencies and should essentially mask a lot of the voids at linebacker in 2016.
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Overall, Florida’s success on defense will depend on its ability to stay 100 percent for the season’s entirety.
The Gators have some elite (and veteran) talent at linebacker in Davis and Anzalone. If they can both avoid injury, this unit will undoubtedly be one to be reckoned with. But if either of those two go down for an extended period, UF could be in trouble — especially if the freshmen don’t come in ready to play immediately.