CeCe Jefferson Should See the Field as a True Freshman in 2015
Many times, 5-star recruits out of high school in football see their first year on campus be a redshirt year because of a logjam of players at the position, injury, or they simply aren’t ready for college football action.
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In the case of Cece Jefferson and the Florida Gators though, I fully expect Jefferson to receive plenty of playing time as true freshman at the defensive end position.
Now Jefferson won’t be starting or any far-fetched idea like that but he will be the perfect backup the defensive line needs whenever its starters need rest.
With Alex McCalister and Bryan Cox Jr. entrenched at both defensive end positions as starters and Jonathan Bullard manning one of the two middle tackle spots, the Gators will need a jolt of energy off the bench, which Jefferson can certainly provide.
Related: Jonathan Bullard must lead Gators defense in 2015
The great thing about Jefferson is that he can play at both defensive end positions and rush the quarterback at an effective rate.
Jefferson can even see some time as a standup linebacker during his freshman year if Florida needs it.
Sep 6, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators defensive lineman Alex McCalister (14) pressured Eastern Michigan Eagles quarterback Rob Bolden (1) to force a turn over during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Eastern Michigan Eagles 65-0. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Don’t expect Jefferson to be an All-American in his first year at UF, that’d be entirely unrealistic.
But the time he plays in his first year on campus will be extremely beneficial for his second year on campus where I think he will ultimately begin starting for the Gators.
Strengths
- The first thing you notice when you pop on Jefferson’s highlight footage is the extreme explosion off the line of scrimmage. His first step is crazy fast.
- Once Jefferson get’s his body near a running back, he usually delivers a jarring blow. Expect Jefferson to be a fumble-forcing machine.
- Jefferson constantly switches his pass rushing direction. He can just as easily beat an offensive tackle off his inside shoulder as he can by coming off the outside shoulder of the tackle.
- His pursuit and athleticism as a defensive end is already up there with legitimate Division I defensive ends. He looks like a linebacker when chasing down a running back to the sidelines.
- I love his mentality during games. Jefferson does not wait for the action to come to him but rather he initiates contact and likes it.
- Off the field he seems like a good kid with the right mentality to be a standout defensive lineman for the Gators.
Weaknesses
- Tends to tackle up high a bit too much. That’ll do the job in high school but high-level NCAA running backs will rip through those attempts easily.
- He’s going to have to get stronger. He often relied on his brute strength to muscle through high school offensive linemen but SEC offensive guards and tackles are a different story.
- By no means is Jefferson a small player but he is not the prototypical height you want from a defensive end. How will adding weight to his frame affect his speed and agility?
What do you think? Will CeCe Jefferson make an impact in his first year at UF? Let us know!