Nominated for Comeback Player of the Year, Shemar James is key for Gators in 2024

Last year, Shemar James had his season end thanks in part to the awful turf that was laid down in Jacksonville. It could be argued that one of the big reasons why Florida Football went 0-5 down the stretch was because their replacement options at linebacker to overcome the loss of James weren't up to snuff.

Healthy again for 2024, James has been nominated to be the Comeback Player of the Year, and the Gators as a whole are hoping to make a comeback with him.

Florida Football: Tackling Is Key

One of the major narratives for Florida all offseason has been the emphasis on tackling. The Gators had the worst missed tackle rate in the SEC in 2023, and the loss of James didn't help Florida's situation.

James had a missed tackle rate of 10.9% in 2023. Of the 360 linebackers around the country who took at least 300 snaps in 2023, James was in the top third in the country in tackling rate. And of the 50 linebackers who were either a redshirt freshman or a true sophomore who took at least 300 snaps, James was ranked 14th.

By comparison, Scooby Williams 338th out of 360 linebackers in tackling rate with a missed rate of 22.4%. Teradja Mitchell missed 26.7% of tackles. Mannie Nunnery was better than he got credit for, with a 15% missed tackle rate.

All three of those players are gone for 2024, and the Gators are banking on Pup Howard, the transfer from South Carolina who had zero missed tackles in 2023, and Derek Wingo can provide stability alongside James.

But make no mistake: While Florida feels it has better depth at linebacker than last year, once you throw in true freshmen Myles Graham and Aaron Chiles, it needs a healthy James to anchor its defense.

And if he has the type of season many think he is capable of, he could end the year as the Comeback Player of the Year.