Florida football: Which Gators will step up for Antwaun Powell-Ryland?
By Will Thomas
![Florida Gators linebacker Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. (52) looks on before the game against the South Florida Bulls at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 17, 2022. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs South Florida Bulls](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fd7f95962e981bcf1eec146a2a4bd7b66739c8adc61e89626c512fa50e6aeb579.jpg "Florida Gators linebacker Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. (52) looks on before the game against the South Florida Bulls at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 17, 2022. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs South Florida Bulls")
Florida football has realized that the transfer portal giveth, but the transfer portal also taketh away.
They were benefactors of plenty of talent coming in from the portal this offseason, but now take a hit to their DL depth with the departure of Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr., who figured to see an increased role this fall.
Powell-Ryland didn’t make a major impact last season with 11 tackles and three sacks but still forced three fumbles for the Gators.
With his spot now vacant, Gators’ DC Austin Armstrong will be looking for some guys to replace Antwaun and step up.
Here are some of those guys that could benefit from the open slot.
Florida football: Justus Boone
Boone, a redshirt sophomore out of Sumter, South Carolina, is looking for an increased role in his third season with the Gators.
He only got 11 tackles last season, but showed us his potential with a huge hit on Will Levis early in the season.
BOOM!
— Zach Abolverdi (@ZachAbolverdi) September 10, 2022
Justus Boone levels Kentucky QB Will Levis. https://t.co/heoYZm1TtY | @GatorsOnline pic.twitter.com/cYaiLQIRSw
Boone plays with the physicality and aggression that Austin Armstrong wants to have on his defensive front. I think Justus will surprise a lot of people this fall and make his name known sooner rather than later.
If Justus is able to step up on the D-line, it will make that unit much more formidable.
Florida football: Kelby Collins
One guy that Gator coaches and fans are really excited to see is true freshman Kelby Collins. Collins was a part of Florida’s elite defensive line class on the 2023 cycle and is coming in as the highest-rated player for UF at that position.
247 Sports Composite Rakings had Kelby ranked as the 42nd-best player in the country, the 5th-best DL, and the 6th-best player coming out of Alabama.
Collins seems to already be just about ready to contribute at the college level despite literally just getting there. Now with Powell’s spot open, I think we’ll see Kelby get some meaningful reps and have a chance to earn more run.
I’m really excited to see him play and show us all what he’s capable of.
Florida football: Kamran James
Kamran James is another true freshman that could see a greater workload in the absence of Powell.
Kamran, out of Orlando, Florida, was ranked as the 83rd-best player in the class of 2023, the 12th-best DL, and the 17th-best player in the state of Florida.
Like Collins, there’s tons of excitement around what Kamran can do in the orange and blue.
Keep up with Florida football at Hail Florida Hail.