![Florida defensive lineman Brendan Bett (90) waits during spring practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_12,w_2741,h_1541/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01kqg7xtp112z5q6mqav.jpg "Florida defensive lineman Brendan Bett (90) waits during spring practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]")
The Florida Gators had several players selected in the NFL Draft last season, with defensive tackle Caleb Banks going in the first round, 18th overall, to the Minnesota Vikings.
Banks spent much of last season on the sidelines dealing with a foot injury and really didn't get healthy until after the season, when he shined in Senior Bowl workouts, carrying that momentum into draft night. While the Gators had to manage much of the 2025 season without Banks, they would love to have more stability in the middle of the defensive line and Jon Sumrall is hoping big-bodied tackle Brendan Bett can provide that.
While many would look to put the past behind them, Brendan Bett is aware he has something to prove in 2026 after aspersions were cast and criticism rained down just two games into his UF career.
— Graham Hall (@GrahamHall) April 1, 2026
It's a source of motivation as he looks to step into a prominent role in his second… pic.twitter.com/9NXnk2uVyc
ESPN college football writer Andrea Adelson said that Bett should be able to step into that role full-time next season:
"Florida is in good shape moving forward, as Brendan Bett is slated to take over Banks' spot. Bett, who transferred to Florida last year from Baylor, played in all 12 games and made three starts, finishing with 39 tackles and four tackles for loss (three sacks). He has said watching Banks when he arrived in Gainesville helped him learn."
Brendan Bett must step up and become a leader on defense in 2026
Bett transferred to Florida last season after spending his first two years at Baylor. As Adelson points out, Bett was pretty productive in his redshirt sophomore season, but for all the good things he did last year, he will probably be remembered for being ejected in the Gators' upset loss to South Florida after he spit on one of the Bulls' players in a terrible lapse of judgment.
Florida DL Brendan Bett spits in the face of a South Florida OL and is tossed out of the game. Huge mistake pic.twitter.com/Vy3yNUjROu
— LandonTengwall (@LandonTengwall) September 6, 2025
It was a dark moment that would be the harbinger for the rest of the season, one that would see Billy Napier get fired. There's nothing Bett can do about the past. He made a bad mistake and he paid the consequences. Now he's got a second chance under a new coach that will demand the best out of him or put him on the bench.Â
Bett has a golden opportunity to change the narrative about him and Florida Gators football. If he can put together the season he's capable of, the Gators will be a much better team for it, and he might find himself in a similar position to Banks next year in the 2027 NFL Draft.Â
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