Key member of Florida Football's defense off to transfer portal in a surprising move

For the most part, everyone who had hit the transfer portal for Florida Football was either expected or not suprising. The list of Gators leaving were either third-string guys or starters from the beginning of the season who had lost playing time.

But one member of Florida's defense just hit the portal that seems to catch everyone off guard considering he felt like the least likely to do so.

Florida Football: Jack has got your back

Jack Pyburn is off to the transfer portal, according to reports from On3 and Swamp247.

After injuries derailed his 2023 campaign, Pyburn saw an uptick of snaps coming out of Florida's first bye week in 2024 and he finished the year with 334 snaps.

He only had one sack on the year and five QB hurries, but his greater value came in the run game. Pyburn had 60 total tackles on the season and was unafraid to blow up a pulling guard or tackle to disrupt a run play.

Of all the members on Florida's roster who felt like they were bought into the culture Billy Napier was trying to build, Pyburn was at the top of the list. The Jacksonville native spoke ahead of this year's matchup against Georgia as to what the game meant to him:

"I can tell you for me it means everything. Since I've been growing up, there is not a Georgia/Florida game that I can't remember not going to. I've been to every single game since I remember what Florida/Georgia is. Growing up in that environment and really truly knowing what this game is like; it makes or breaks some people's year for them."

But in the age of the transfer portal and NIL, anything is possible. It's unclear at the time why he is transferring, but for the moment, it feels like a perception blow to lose a guy who genuinely felt like he was about the Gator logo above all else.