ESPN Analyst Rates Gators Defensive Line Top 5 in SEC

After their efforts to finish last season on a tear, the Florida Gators defensive line is now seen a force in the SEC

The Gators defensive line is turning the heads of the national analysts | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Heading into the 2025 season, ESPN’s Cole Cubelic believes the Florida Gators' defensive line unit sits at No. 4 in the SEC. 

“This Florida group is flat out being slept on when we are talking about defensive lines in the SEC,” Cubelic said “I love the versatility, I love the playmaking ability. Honestly, overall athleticism is something that probably should've put them at three… This has a chance to be one of the most disruptive defensive lines in the country this year, definitely in the SEC.”

While the Gators have a loaded defensive line room, the leaders in the trenches for next season are Caleb Banks, Tyreak Sapp and George Gumbs Jr. To no surprise, Cubelic highlighted all three of these players, highlighting Sapp and Banks first. 

“I don’t think people nationally nor regionally have any idea how good Tyreak Sapp can be,” he said, “and I don’t think they have any idea how good Caleb Banks already is.”

This duo was a significant reason why the Gators won four straight games to end last season, including two top-25 wins over LSU and Ole Miss. In the two wins over the Rebels and Tigers, this pair tallied six sacks and 10.5 tackles-for-loss. 

For the 2024 campaign overall, Sapp led the team in sacks and tackles-for-loss with seven and 13, respectively, and Banks finished last season with 4.5 sacks and seven tackles-for-loss.

It’s not all about the numbers, though, especially for interior defensive linemen. Banks’ numbers may not jump off the screen at you at first glance, but Cubelic believes he’s one of the best defensive linemen the SEC has to offer. 

“Caleb Banks should be talked about as one of the best defensive linemen in the SEC right now,” Cubelic said. “He is as close, I believe, to a takeover interior defensive lineman in this league.”

Cubelic also mentioned what makes him such a good interior defensive lineman. 

“He has the quickness to be able to shoot gaps left and right, he’s strong enough to hold the point of attack, he can win with brute force, he can win with quickness and his technique has really come a long way,” he said. 

As good as these two have been, Gumbs Jr. has been equally as impressive as well. In his one year with the Gators, he recorded eight tackles-for-loss and five sacks, which are good for second on the team in both categories. What stands out the most in Gumbs Jr.’s play for Cubelic is his flexibility and how he uses it to his advantage. 

“It’s almost like George Gumbs Jr. is a fitting name because he reminds me of Gumby when I am watching him play football like that’s how loose, flexible and bendable he is, which is a problem when you’re rushing the passer,” Cubelic said. “He’s got great twitch, got great length. And I think after seeing a year of what the SEC is, coming back again this year, he could be a real problem for SEC offenses this upcoming season.”

Cubelic did note a major shift for the defensive line unit from previous years, specifically the depth they have going into next season. He mentioned Kamran James and Jamari Lyons, among others, as players who will help contribute next season and how important that is in football. 

“Guys who potentially can come in and not only have to bank on and rely on the first wave, but the second wave can come in and there’s not going to be a whole lot of drop off,” he said. “I think that’s what you're looking at with Florida this year.”

However, as much as he likes them, Cubelic did share one reservation about the position group. 

“There’s still a little bit of I’ll believe it when I see it from a consistency standpoint with this group,” he said. “I want to see it every series, every game.”