FILM ROOM: What are the Gators getting in Brenton Cox Jr.?
Despite previous memes and jokes stating otherwise, the Florida Gators will have a former five-star prospect on their 2019 football roster.
Though Brenton Cox Jr. was not acquired the way most fans would get excited about when landing a five-star - through high school recruitment - Florida Gators fans should be excited for landing the former Georgia Bulldog defender.
A consensus five-star recruit in the 2018 class, Cox Jr. saw the field on 277 snaps for Georgia as a true freshman. In a rotation with future fifth-round NFL Draft pick D'Andre Walker and several other edge defenders, Cox Jr. recorded 20 total tackles - seven of which were solo - a sack, two tackles for loss, and three batted passes.
For being stuck in a rotation with NFL talent, and seeing the field as a true freshman, Cox Jr.'s production is solid. There's plenty of room for him to grow and develop, but he possesses some intriguing traits that certainly get Gators defensive coordinator Todd Grantham excited, especially for his aggressive pass-rushing scheme.
Multiple sources told GatorMaven that Cox Jr. shined in the team's August 11th scrimmage, two days following his transfer to Florida. He had a sack and was making plays "all over the field", our sources said.
GatorMaven broke down three games of Cox Jr.'s tape from 2018 - Georgia's matchups against Kentucky, Alabama in the SEC Championship, and Texas in the 2019 Sugar Bowl, a game in which Cox Jr. started. When watching the Kentucky game, it was hard not to see physical similarities between Cox Jr. on one drive, and Kentucky pass rusher Josh Allen - the seventh-overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft - on the following possession.
Now, Cox Jr. is far removed from being the player that Allen was for Kentucky at this point, so let's not get carried away by the comparison. But Allen arrived on campus with as low as a two-star prospect rating and at 6-4, 220 lbs. Over time, his body grew into 6-5, 262 lbs., paired with long, muscular arms that meet the middle of his thigh and kneecap at his longest fingertip.
Cox Jr. currently stands at 6-4, 247 lbs., with nearly identical arm length. As a college player, Cox Jr. doesn't have as many athletic testing results on record as Allen does from his NFL Combine performance, but their athleticism appears similar on tape.
Both players move well off of the line of scrimmage. Their burst isn't elite, but it gets the job done and is masked by their length to create contact quickly with offensive linemen. Cox Jr. and Allen both turn corners well for players of their lank and possess the flexibility to bend around tackles well. Most importantly, they both pair relentless motors with excellent strength and power to cause disruption.
With similar physical and athletic attributes to Allen - who sacked quarterback Feleipe Franks twice in as many contests in his career - Florida must be chomping at the bit at the chance to develop Cox Jr.'s game.
He best profiles for the BUCK edge rusher position, and is most comfortable as a standing rusher. However, he has experience with his hand in the dirt as well, which makes him versatile.
Let's take a look at Cox Jr.'s film to understand what he provides Florida out of the gate, and where he has room to grow.
FILM ROOM
Given the mix of length and strength that Cox Jr. naturally possesses, the push-pull pass rush move is easy when he plays on an island. He bursts through the line of scrimmage timely as the tackle is fresh into his set, and creates initial contact before the tackle can react at full strength.
While his hands are a bit higher than the sweet spot, Cox Jr. has the leverage here because of his burst. His length and strength take over - his arms fully extend before the tackle can anchor, and he proceeds to pull the tackle through his outside to create a free lane to pressure the quarterback.
Cox Jr. hasn't mastered a ton of pass rush moves yet, but the above rep flashes hope at developing a long-arm bar move that can be utilized around the edge and when he bends.
Here's Cox Jr.'s first career sack. It was far from a perfect rep as far as technique goes, but there are traits to build upon from this.
His initial attack is a bit delayed from his standing rush that he will want to sharpen, but Cox Jr. swipes twice across his body and through the tackle's hands, preventing the tackle from getting to his chest. He begins to work inside following the swipe, but keeps his eyes on the quarterback consistently and reads the roll-out.
Cox Jr.'s spin move isn't the swiftest - partially due to the tackle being over his shoulder, but his footwork through the move could be sharpened to eliminate wasted movement and potential balance issues. But he recovers well and hits top gear quickly in pursuit of the QB, catching up and recording the sack.
Against Georgia in the SEC Championship, Cox Jr. was brought into the game to start the fourth quarter as Alabama mounted a comeback, and was utilized in several stunt-rushes
For young rushers, this is a good way to scheme pressure opportunities in space as they develop in other confined areas. From his standing position, he allows the defensive tackle to cross his face and work outside before turning towards the opening interior gap, as the guard's eyes follow the tackle.
This allows Cox Jr. to catch the guard - for lack of a better phrase - off guard as he quickly shoots the gap and gets his hands on the blocker. While pushed back from violent initial contact from the defender, the guard re-anchors well which slows Cox Jr.'s roll a good bit, but it's not enough to stop the freshman from recording a pressure.
The above play shows Cox Jr. displaying his best pass rush move at the moment, the bull rush. Now, there's plenty that Cox Jr. can, and should, add to his bull rush to take it to the next level, but his strength and motor make this an easy move to pull off.
The right tackle doesn't get a chance to anchor through his kick slide as Cox Jr. wins the through initial contact, but can anchor later in the rep. This is something Cox Jr. could have prevented when the tackle reached his peak vertical stance. He could have utilized a chop rush move by disengaging his right hand off of the block while the tackle had no control, in order to knock the tackles arms totally off his body, clearing a path to hit the QB.
But alas, Cox Jr. is a young player, and that type of mental processing and move comes with more development.
Cox Jr. flashes the ability to bend around the edge, but it needs to continue being developed in order to become consistent and more effective. His initial contact with the inside hand could use more power but is placed well. That will jolt the tackle and prevent his shoulder from being susceptible to the lineman.
He also needs to control his body a little more through the bend. His shoulder is targeted late in the rep and he contorts the middle of his body beyond what's necessary to bend, which slows his momentum as his lower body remains wide.
The fact that Cox Jr. is flashing the flexibility to bend at his size is a good thing and means his bending ability can be developed. But... it certainly needs that development to become reliable.
Cox Jr. attempts the same bend in this rep as the previous, but gains no leverage and plays without body control through the beginning of the bend. He loses his balance, and gets pummeled into the ground by the tackle.
If Cox Jr. is going to utilize his ability to bend as a pass-rushing move, he must learn to control it. The foundation is there, he just needs to control it and maximize his tools in order to make his bend more impactful. Not every edge defender possesses the ability to bend, especially ones of his size. It can be a special attribute.
Another area Cox Jr. must improve in is his leverage, specifically his pad level. Polished technique in this area is crucial in order to become a threatening pass rusher.
Cox Jr. was washed out of the above rep the second he initiated contact with the right tackle, because he was already standing straight up as they met. It took very little effort from the offensive lineman to wash Cox Jr. out of this rep, because he had no leverage to work with to knock the lineman off of his anchor and off-balance from his set.
Cox Jr. gets really vertical, immediately out of his stance. There's just no way to create power and drive through blockers with shoulder pads above the opposing offensive lineman's facemask.
Momentum can be built by winning the pad level battle as Cox Jr. explodes off of the line, quickening his first contact and exploding through the hands and into the chest of the blocker. That won't happen with his current pad level inconsistencies.
This is an area that Cox Jr.'s technique must be focused on and refined as he transitions into the Gators' defense.
The primary focus of this breakdown has been Cox Jr.'s ability to rush the passer, as his best fit in the Gators defense is the BUCK edge-rushing position, given his traits, physique, and athleticism. However, he has flashed the ability to set the edge against the run well, just in a limited fashion. His primary role at Georgia was as a rotating pass rusher.
Above, Cox Jr. remains disciplined through contact from two blockers working outside to open the C-gap for the running back. But Cox Jr. sniffs it out with eyes consistently in the backfield, despite having to navigate traffic. He capitalizes as soon as the running back plants his right foot in order to cut upfield, bouncing off of contact and shooting the same narrow gap the RB intends to break through.
The end result is a gang tackle for loss, but Cox Jr.'s discipline and vision on the edge set up the big play for Georgia.
Similar to the clip before, Cox Jr. sets a nice edge with two blockers creating contact. He re-directs the outside quarterback draw back into the C-gap after the QB attempts to break outside, without stretching too wide.
The middle linebacker was completely washed out of this play before Cox Jr. forced the redirection, missing an opportunity to capitalize on Cox Jr.'s edge set and make a stop for little or no gain.
It has yet to be determined if Brenton Cox Jr. will suit up for the Florida Gators in 2019, following his transfer to the program in the middle of fall camp. It's safe to assume Florida will file a waiver to the NCAA, but that process could take a while and prevent Cox Jr. from playing until later in the season, if at all.
If Cox Jr. is cleared to play in 2018, he is best suited to serve in a rotation at BUCK edge rusher with starter Jonathan Greenard and Jeremiah Moon, as well as true freshmen Mohamoud Diabate and Khris Bogle.
However, it won't be the end of the world if Cox Jr. isn't granted an exception. He has areas of his game that need to be developed in order to become more well-rounded and dominant as a pass rusher.
But the traits are there for Brenton Cox Jr. to become just that. Comparisons to a player of Josh Allen's caliber aren't to be taken with a grain of salt, and there's potential for Cox Jr. to become a similar player with the correct development.
That's why Florida was so quick to snatch him out of the transfer portal, and away from one of their biggest rivals.
