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Florida football: Save us Shemar James, you’re the Gators only hope at LB

By Benjamin Henderson

Sep 3, 2022; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators linebacker Shemar James (6) arrives to the stadium during the gator walk before the game against the Utah Utes at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 3, 2022; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators linebacker Shemar James (6) arrives to the stadium during the gator walk before the game against the Utah Utes at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Steve Spurrier-Florida Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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In a galaxy far, far away, there are linebackers for college football programs that know where to line up properly. Some linebackers know what gaps to fill. Some linebackers know how to diagnose a play. Florida football has one of those guys, but he is questionable ahead of Saturday’s tilt against Tennessee.

But, there is a new hope. The Florida football coaching staff tried to plug Scooby Williams into the injured Ventrell Miller’s role, but he blew up like the Death Star. Knowing the tactics need to change, freshman Shemar James is listed as the starter on this week’s depth chart at linebacker and will be massive in preventing the Volunteer empire from striking back.

Florida football: Shemar James coming out party

Enough with the Star Wars puns, more about freshman Shemar James. While he was listed as a backup heading into last week’s contest against USF, James got the start. He rotated drives with Williams and when it was crunch time on USF’s final drive it was Williams on the field.

While there are a ton of other factors, here are the results of the four drives in which James was on the field:

  • Fumble
  • Field goal
  • Field goal
  • Touchdown

Compare that to the six drives that Williams was on the field:

  • Touchdown
  • Pick-six
  • Punt
  • Touchdown
  • Interception
  • Missed field goal

We said last week that Williams was going to need to step up against USF with Miller out and to put it gently, he did not. He frequently looked lost and just wasn’t comfortable with playing the position. To be fair, Williams was an edge rusher coming out of high school so he’s been given more responsibility than he is used to. But there were multiple plays where Williams wasn’t filling any gap, let alone filling the right gap.

James by comparison at least looked the part of a four-star true freshman playing in his third-ever college football game. He was in better position compared to Williams and was at least in the vicinity of where he needed to be.

On the touchdown drive, he was on the field for, James had a nice play near the goal line on a 2nd-and-10 play and made a solid open field tackle to bring up third down.

Granted that was followed up on the next play by getting chipped by the USF running back to allow Bulls’ QB Gerry Bohanon to run for a first down, but it shows two things about where James is at right now:

  • He has an idea of where needs to be
  • He’s about a step slow on reacting to where he needs to be

With time, James should be able to progress as he better understands the game. The problem is that against Tennessee this week he might not have the benefit of time.

We previewed the Volunteers’ offense and from a stylistic standpoint it is a matchup Florida football should feel okay about. Much of the burden the stop Tennessee is going to fall on the corners defending vertical routes. Tennessee’s threat hasn’t been from the running game.

But before last Saturday neither was USF’s and this is why Shemar James might be the single most important player for the Gators on Saturday.

If James can at least be in the right position with some level of consistency and keep Tennessee to three and four-yard runs, that’s a win for Florida. The Vols will eventually resort to their preference of throwing the ball and Gator linebackers are off the hook.

But if Tennessee is gashing Florida football for 10+ yard runs as USF did, then Gator fans may need to think about dinner plans at halftime. Florida simply put can not survive Tennessee’s passing attack and get gashed on the ground.

The Billy Napier must realize this to some extent because they are listing James ahead of Williams this week. One could argue that if Ventrell Miller does play to still play James over Amari Burney.

Gator Nation believes in you James. We need your force awakened.

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