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Florida Gators Edge Entering Transfer Portal

Another member of the Gators defense is hitting the portal with two years of eligibility left
Kyle Lander|
Florida head coach Billy Napier sees another player hit the portal
Florida head coach Billy Napier sees another player hit the portal | Kyle Lander, Gators Illustrated

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Gainesville, Fla. – Florida Gators edge T.J. Searcy announced on Tuesday that he is entering the transfer portal. He will have two years of eligibility remaining. 

Searcy posted a message on his social media as part of the announcement. 

“I want to start by giving all the glory to God, as He is the one who placed me in this position. I am deeply grateful for Coach Napier, Coach Mike P and the entire coaching staff for believing in me and for their unwavering support and dedication.  

“A heartfelt thank you to the organization for making me feel valued every step of the way. I am also incredibly thankful to the amazing tans for their constant encouragement and support.

Throughout my time here, I've not only grown as a player but as a person, and I will always carry those lessons with me. The bonds I've built with my teammates and the memories we've shared are something I will cherish forever.

“Lastly, I want to thank my teammates for always pushing me to be the best version of myself. The relationships we've formed are irreplaceable, and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

“After much prayer and great consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal.

I'm excited for the next chapter of my journey and look forward to the opportunities ahead.”

Searcy, a 6-foot-5, 262-pound native of Thomaston, Ga., was ranked as a consensus four-star recruit coming out of high school by 247Sports, On3, Rivals and ESPN. Additionally, he was a part of the Gators 2023 class, choosing the orange and blue over Georgia, Florida State and Tennessee, among other schools. 

As a freshman in 2023, he played in all 12 games for the Gators and ended with 26 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, 0.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. With these numbers, he earned a spot on the Freshman All-SEC team. 

He had a solid year this past season as well, finishing the 2024 regular season with 34 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and a quarterback hurry. 

The big framed edge also added a new wrinkle into his game this past season. Despite being primarily known as a pass rusher, Gators Defensive Coordinator Austin Armstrong,  Co-Defensive Coordinator Ron Roberts and Assistant Coach/Edge Coach Mike Peterson worked with him on dropping into pass coverage on occasion to confuse defenses. 

Searcy is the 18th total player to enter the transfer portal and the 12th on scholarship. Moreover, he becomes the fourth edge from the Gators to put their name in the portal, joining Justus Boone, Quincy Ivory and Bryce Capers. 

Gators Illustrated is tracking all of Florida's portal moves here and is keeping count of the Gators' roster numbers here.

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Kyle Lander
KYLE LANDER

Kyle Lander is a contributing writer at Florida Gators on SI. He is also a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in journalism. On top of his writing, Kyle is a photographer for the site as well. Outside of his work with Florida Gators on SI, he likes to hike, travel, watch movies and hang out with family and friends.

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