UF’s Billy Napier confident Gators’ embattled D on right track

GAINESVILLE — Florida’s defense dominated the 2023 spring game, led a September upset of Tennessee and then fell off a cliff, dragging down the Gators with it.

Amid the offseason talk of Billy Napier maintaining play-calling duties, quarterback Graham Mertz’s improvement in attacking down the field and tailback Trevor Etienne’s transfer to Georgia, the Gators set out to fix the team’s biggest problem during a 5-7 finish.

Napier is confident the Gators’ retooled defense has the talent, experience and staff to chart a new course after two seasons of historically poor play during consecutive losing seasons.

One thing is certain: Florida’s embattled D has a lot to prove.

The Gators’ second spring scrimmage Saturday in the Swamp was another encouraging step. Defense won the day during the team’s final tuneup for the spring game, scheduled for 1 p.m. April 13 in the Swamp.

Florida’s offense needed time to get its bearings before putting up a fight.

“The defense started extremely fast,” Napier said. “We tackled extremely well; the coverage was tighter; the rush was effective. I think that affected the quarterback play. We had a couple of turnovers. We had some tipped balls.”

While the Gators’ attack certainly has work to do itself, Mertz and Co. were on point during Thursday’s practice  in instilling a sense of urgency on the other side of the ball.

“Today was a little bit of a reset button, ‘Hey look, let’s get our act together,’” Napier said. “They showed up and did that.”

Reason for optimism exists, given all the influx of talent and returners with plenty of mental scar tissue and chips on their shoulders.

Napier also hired three new assistant coaches — defensive line coach Gerald Chatman, secondary coach Will Harris and veteran Ron Roberts to coach inside linebackers and lend a hand coordinating the unit with 30-year-old Austin Armstrong.

“I’m confident the staff changes have been a positive and, overall, you’ve got a bunch of veteran players,” Napier said.

The transfer portal yielded, among others, two safeties in their sixth college seasons (Asa Turner of Washington and DJ Douglas of Tulane), high-motor defensive tackle Joey Slackman (the 2023 Ivy League Player of the Year at Penn), and sophomore linebacker Grayson “Pup” Howard (a former UF recruit who signed with South Carolina).

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Howard has the combination of size and range the Gators have lacked at the second level for some time. The Jacksonville native has stood out while veterans Shemar James (knee) and Derek Wingo (shoulder) recover from offseason surgery.

“He certainly looks the part,” Napier said. “He’s still a somewhat inexperienced player but he’s a mature young man and he’s taken advantage of the reps.”

Third-year cornerback Devin Moore looks like a different player following an injury-riddled season. The 6-foot-3, 197 pound native of Naples is a sure tackler after playing high school safety and could suffocate receivers on the opposite side from four-year starter Jason Marshall.

“He’s got presence out there,” Napier said of Moore.

Redshirt junior end Justus Boone is another looming presence back in the picture after he missed the entire 2023 season with a torn ACL suffered in fall camp. The 6-foot-3¾, 267-pound Boone’s loss was among many factors in last season’s defensive struggles.

Another was an overreliance on youth, out of necessity but also with an eye on the future.

Sophomore linemen Kelby Collins, who moved inside to tackle, and TJ Searcy, who flashed coming off the edge, will have major roles in 2024. Meanwhile, sophomore safeties Jordan Castell and Bryce Thornton combined for 94 tackles as true freshmen, including a team-high 60 by Castell.

“A lot of players that played last year for the first time in their career are kind of going through that benefit of being a vet,” Napier said. “That’s the theme here. We’ve finally got a group that has some experience.”

Among first-year players, 6-foot-6, 274-pound freshmen LJ McCray, the nation’s top-rated defensive line prospect in 2024 out of Daytona Beach, is likely to be in the mix.

Whoever plays in 2024 needs to produce.

The Gators’ defensive collapse culminated with a five-game losing to close the season, with opponents averaging 38.2 points. Without significant improvement, Napier’s third season at Florida could be a long one.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at moc.lenitnesodnalro@nospmohtge