Florida football: Shemar James set to be the next great Gators’ LB

Florida football may not have looked very good as a unit in their season-opening loss against the Utah Utes.

But when you go back and look at the tape, there are a couple of bright spots that Gator fans, and the Gator coaching staff, should take note of as we head into the rest of the season.

The whole defense had a lot of positive takeaways, and one guy who deserves the spotlight was linebacker Shemar James.

After an impressive season debut, Shemar looks primed to be the next great Gator linebacker.

Florida football: Never not involved

James was everywhere on the football field against the Utes. He finished with 13 total tackles (6 solo), and 1.5 TFLs.

The Gators’ defense played well overall, holding Utah to just 3-13 on third downs and 14 total first downs, which was less than what UF’s offense had. Shemar was the anchor in the middle of the field which allowed them to have the success they did.

There were questions about who would step up in the absence of Ventrell Miller this fall at linebacker, with the Gators in need of a vocal leader in the center of the defense.

We all knew that Shemar’s talent level was there, and now there’s confidence that he can fill Miller’s shoes quickly.

If Florida is going to turn it around and bounce back from their week one loss, the defense is going to have to not just be able to get off the field, but put the offense in easy positions and set them up in plus territory.

After playing under Ventrell Miller, and getting reminded of what guys like Brandon Spikes and Brandon Siler did as Gators, the blueprint is right in front of James.

He’s going to keep turning heads all season, and will quickly rise to the top of SEC LBs.