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There's a good chance rising-sophomore linebacker Mohamoud Diabate plays all over the field for Florida next year. However, during his pre-spring camp press conference, Gators head coach Dan Mullen suggested a bigger role for the young linebacker.

For the past three seasons, former Gators middle linebacker David Reese II manned the green-dot, MIKE linebacker position as the team's defensive signal-caller, full time. With Reese graduating, the team is now on the hunt for his potential replacement. Over the past four years, Reese accumulated 324 tackles (122 solo), 19.5 tackles for loss, and an interception for the Gators - finding someone to replace his production won't come easy.

“There is a bunch, I mean, you’ve got Ventrell [Miller], you’ve got James Houston, which are there. Mohamoud Diabate has played both positions. It will be interesting with the backers to see ... Lacedrick Brunson had a great year last year, really took some steps forward," Mullen said when asked for a potential replacement for Reese.

Miller, Houston, and Brunson all appear as natural fits for a linebacker position, and were all expected to compete for the green-dot. However, Diabate, a versatile defender who was originally a Buck rush end as he came out of high school, would be an intriguing candidate.

Last season Diabate emerged as one of the team's most versatile and exciting young players on the rise. According to Pro Football Focus, Diabate played 146 snaps on the defensive line, 30 as an off-ball linebacker, and even 17 at cornerback, primarily as the STAR nickel corner.

Accumulating 14 tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, and 21 quarterback pressures (per PFF) in nine games in a rotation, it was clear his role was bound to evolve in 2020. Now, along with Miller, Houston, and Brunson, he may get a chance to elevate his play even further.

For Diabate, 6-foot-3, 213 pounds, his role in the middle of the Gators defense may only come on sub-packages or on obvious passing downs, given his speed and athleticism. However, the more playing time he receives, the more impact he may have on the defense. Versatility is a must in defensive coordinator Todd Grantham's defense.

"For me to really see how those guys take on. We’ve had guys play and not be the guy in there. We are going to try and see, and Todd wants to have guys play both positions and to see who can play, who can swing it, who can play both sides or who is more comfortable at one or the other."

Entering 2020, the Gators will be younger, but potentially better on defense as Mullen's recruiting classes continue to develop into the players he expected them to be.

If Diabate were to man the MIKE position a year after being recruited as a BUCK, where he has also shown plenty of promise, it would showcase just how much the Gators staff trusts him, even into his sophomore season.

The Gators will look to sort out their roster and share of reps during spring and fall practices, with spring practices set to kick off on Monday, March 16th.