Florida football: Gators August and September report card

Defense

Whether or not the rest of the nation wants to identify the University of Florida as DBU, there is no denying that Florida consistently produces one of the nation’s best defenses on an annual basis.

In 2018 the Gators allowed 20.0 points per game, which ranked in the top 20 in the nation. Its pass defense ranked 12th overall, thanks in part to defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s ability to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Redshirt-senior defensive end Jabari Zuniga, who had his most productive season in 2018 with 45 tackles and 6.5 sacks, returned to Florida to improve his NFL draft stock. While Zuniga has only played in Florida’s first two games of 2019, he’s already racked up 3 sacks.

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Replacing the departed Jachai Polite as Florida’s other top edge rusher is graduate transfer Johnathan Greenard. Greenard, who totaled 7 sacks in his final season at Louisville in 2017, was one of Florida’s biggest pickups through the transfer portal. His productivity has matched his hype, as he tallied 20 total tackles and 4 sacks through Florida’s first five games.

While Zuniga and Greenard showcase their NFL talent by racking up sacks, several other players are also showing fans why Florida once again has one of the nation’s premier defenses.

Senior linebacker David Reese II has been one of Florida’s leaders on the defensive side of the ball. His 36 tackles through five games lead the team and are nearly double the amount of the second-highest leading tackler on the defense. This included a team-high 16 tackles against Kentucky in week 3.

Redshirt-sophomore Ventrell Miller, who has been limited the last two weeks with a shoulder injury, has arguably been Florida’s best blitzing linebacker for Grantham this season, with 2 sacks to his name. His presence will be greatly welcomed as he returns from injury against Auburn.

While Florida’s starting secondary may be the most experienced it has been in recent years, there are still plenty of question marks with this unit.

Redshirt-sophomore defensive back Marco Wilson entered 2019 with the mindset of reestablishing himself as one of the nation’s best coverage players after suffering a torn ACL in Florida’s second game of 2018. Wilson showed some rust in Florida’s first three games of the season, as opposing quarterbacks were willing to throw in the direction of a player that has not played a live game in almost a full year.

While Wilson has allowed some big plays down the field this season, he has slowly found 2017 rhythm in Florida’s last two games. Following the opposition’s best receiver, Wilson’s man-on-man coverage is one of the biggest reasons why Florida has only allowed 3 total points and average 175.5 passing yards allowed in its last two games.

While Wilson has been a staple in Florida’s secondary throughout 2019, the unit has struggled to maintain continuity in its lineup.

Junior CJ Henderson, who was also granted the no. 1 jersey for 2019 and was projected to be a first-round NFL draft pick prior to the start of the season, has missed Florida’s last three games after suffering an ankle injury against Tennessee Martin. Mullen informed the media on Monday that Henderson would most likely return to the lineup against Auburn.

Junior defensive back Shawn Davis is also expected to return at the safety position after missing Florida’s previous contest. Davis and freshman Kaiir Elam currently lead the team in interceptions with two apiece.

Sophomore Trey Dean III has had a 2019 season filled with highs and lows.

Replacing the recently departed Chauncey Gardner-Johnson at the STAR position, Dean leads the secondary in sacks so far with two total. While Grantham has used secondary pieces such as Dean in blitz packages, there have also been a plethora of missed tackles by the secondary. This was most evident against Miami and Kentucky, which allowed both opponents to tally more than 200 yards passing.

Through five games the Gators are ranked 17th in total defense, allowing just 281.2 total yards per game. Against Power 5 competition the Gators are allowing 321.3 total yards per game and are surrendering just 14.7 points per game.

One weakness for Florida’s defense this season has been getting off the field on third down. Through five games the Gators are allowing the opposition to convert 37.7 percent of all third-down attempts, ranking 70th in the nation. Within the SEC, Florida ranks just outside the top 10 in this category.

While several Florida players have stuffed their individual stat sheets, the Gators have yet to face an opponent with a total offense ranked inside the top 60 nationally. The defense’s first true test will be against an Auburn offense that so far has averaged 38.0 ppg and 251.0 rushing yards per game.

Grade: B