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Florida Football: Gators need to find a linebacker in the transfer portal

By Benjamin Henderson

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier runs onto the field before first half action as Florida takes on South Carolina at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 12, 2022. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs South Carolina
Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier runs onto the field before first half action as Florida takes on South Carolina at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 12, 2022. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs South Carolina /
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We’ve spent a lot of time here at Hail Florida Hail looking at potential options for the Gators to grab in the transfer portal to play QB next year for Florida football. QB is the most important position, and it drives the most discussion.

When looking ahead to the 2023 season, Florida has glaring holes that need to be filled at positions beyond just QB. With the departures of Ventrell Miller and Amari Burney due to graduation, and David Reese, Diwun Black, and Chief Borders all leaving in the transfer portal, the depth chart at linebacker is quite thin.

Florida Football: The portal takes, but it also gives

As it stands right now, Shemar James, Derek Wingo, and Scooby Williams are the primary linebackers coming back for Florida football. James and Wingo looked decent in spots last year while Williams struggled. All are young guys that should continue to develop.

But it leaves Florida without a meaningful veteran presence in the linebacker room heading into 2023.

So just as the transfer portal has depleted the linebacker depth for Florida, there is an opportunity for the Gators to find a veteran presence:

  • Mason Cobb (Oklahoma State) – Cobb had 96 total tackles, 58 of them solo tackles, while starting all 12 games for the Cowboys. The 6-1, 220-pound junior would otherwise have no natural tie to Florida (he’s from Utah), but with the rumblings that fellow OSU QB Spencer Sanders is the betting favorite to wind up in Gainesville, anything is possible.
  • Ernest Hausmann (Nebraska) – Hausmann wasn’t very highly recruited coming out of high school, but the Nebraska native is the second highest rated linebacker in the portal after his freshman campaign.
  • Antonio Grier (USF) – When Florida played USF this past season, Grier had 10 total tackles in the game. The Preseason All-AAC player had his season cut short due to injury.
  • Ish Harris (Texas A&M) – Harris was a four-star prospect that didn’t play this past season, but was part of the long-term plans for Jimbo Fisher

There are other hidden games as well, but considering Jaden Robinson is the only incoming linebacker that Napier has committed for his 2023 class, he will need to scour to portal to add some much-needed depth.

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