DL Dante Zanders Makes Position Change for TE-Needy Florida Gators

Photo: Dante Zanders; Credit: University of Florida athletic association

Another position change could be in the works for a member of the Florida Gators this spring, sort of.

After redshirt sophomore Fenley Graham made the transition from defensive back to wide receiver at the beginning of spring camp, it appears as though redshirt senior defensive lineman Dante Zanders has followed Graham's lead, moving to the offensive side of the ball and playing tight end during Saturday's practice.

The thing is, unlike for Graham, Zanders already has experience playing tight end at the college level. Zanders enrolled at Florida as a tight end as a member of the 2018 recruiting class before making the move to the defensive line before the 2020 season.

Three of Florida's scholarship tight ends — Jonathan Odom, Nick Elksnis and Gage Wilcox — did not participate in practice on Saturday, at least during the media viewing portion of the workout. Odom was seen wearing a sling on the sidelines without his pads.

Perhaps Zanders' move to tight end could simply be out of necessity due to injuries at the position. It remains to be seen if Zanders will remain in the role moving forward, but Florida's coaching staff can take solace in the fact that if the tight end depth chart is ever low on contributors, the Gators can comfortably slide Zanders back to that position given his experience at the spot.

In his four-year Gators career, Zanders has tallied 11 tackles and half of a sack. However, he has yet to catch a pass in a Florida uniform.

Zanders temporarily entered the transfer portal after the 2021 regular season concluded but removed his name from the portal in January, returning to the Gators for a fifth season.

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