4 Observations on the Gators' Initial 2020 Defensive Depth Chart
The Florida Gators are set to kickoffs its season on Saturday, Sept. 26 in Oxford against the Ole Miss Rebels. As such, the team has prepared throughout camp to figure out and evaluate its 11-best players for both sides of the football.
Yesterday, Florida released its first two-deep depth chart of the season, a depth chart that is very likely to change and that will be used mostly as a guidance for future weeks to seek fluxuations in playing time.
While there is a lot of mystery as to how Florida will actually lineup on Saturday, there are still plenty of takeaways to be gathered. Yesterday, we went over some key observations for the offensive side of the football, today, we will go over the defensive side of the football, addressing any noteable segments.
Below is a first-look at the Gators' week-one two-deep defensive depth chart:
Credit: UF Athletics
Here are five observations from the two-deep defensive depth chart:
New-look defensive line revealed, Kyree Campbell a noteable ommision
When the offseason began, the Gators knew there would be some turnover on its defensive line. Three starters - BUCK Jonathan Greenard, DE Jabari Zuniga and DT Adam Shuler -, graduated and entered the 2020 NFL Draft.
At nose tackle, the Gators will be playing senior TJ Slaton, who played in 12 games last season for Florida, racking up 29 tackles, four tackles-for-loss and two sacks on the year. Behind him will be redshirt senior Marlon Dunlap Jr., who played in eight games as a reserve last season, totaling three tackles, a sack and a tackle-for-loss.
Both Slaton and Dunlap's placement on the depth chart isn't too surprising, however, who is missing does come as a shock. Senior defensive lineman Kyree Campbell is a noteable omission from the Gators' week one, two-deep depth chart.
Campbell is entering his senior year at Florida and was expected to play a major role on defense this year. Whether it be starting at three-technique or splitting a lot of reps at nose tackle, he was expected to see the field. It should be noted that Campbell, while not on the depth chart, is listed on the roster itself.
Another noteable lineup change includes transfer defensive lineman Brenton Cox Jr. who will be manning the team's defensive end position on the strong side of the formation. Cox will likely split time at both BUCK and defensive end, but for now, is slated to man the end position while sporting No. 1.
Senior defensive lineman Jeremiah Moon is expected to be the primary player at BUCK with Kris Bogle currently installed as his co-starter.
While it can change, Zachary Carter, who played the team's defensive end position behind Zuniga last season is slated to play the three-technique position.
Safety Brad Stewart Jr. absent, Trey Dean III installed as backup
Another Gators defender, senior safety Brad Stewart, was omitted from the team's two-deep depth chart to open week 1. Stewart was one of the primary safeties for the Gators in 2019 and was expected to resume his role heading into 2020.
Like Campbell, Stewart is listed on the team's official roster.
Last season, Stewart played in 10 games, starting four, while recording 28 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, .5 sack and a fumble recovery.
The Gators, however, appear to have different plans with cornerback Trey Dean III moving to the safety position, backing up expected starter Donovan Stiner. The Gators will need to find production in its lineup this season, perhaps without using the heavy rotation the team has been known to use in the past.
With Dean moving to safety, however, the Gators will have another intriguing option to put out on the field in hopes of better coverage in the backend. Freshman safety Rashad Torrence is listed as the primary backup behind Shawn Davis.
Amari Burney installed as starting MONEY linebacker
While we knew and expected the Gators to play Ventrell Miller at the team's MIKE linebacker position, the starter opposite was always assumed to be James Houston IV, who has played plenty of snaps in the past. Houston, however, appears to be Miller's primary backup. Though, do not be surprised to see Houston play meaningful snaps down the line.
Instead, Florida has opted to use highly-versatile defensive back/linebacker Amari Burney at the position, perhaps a way to get the most athletic players on the field at the same time. Burney, listed as an ATH (athlete) on the team's official roster, played multiple positions for the Gators last season, including STAR.
The junior athlete played in eight games in 2019, earning three starts while racking up 37 tackles.
Currently, the Gators have placed sophomore linebacker Mohamoud Diabate as the team's backup MONEY backer. Diabate can slide into multiple positions, too as linebackers coach Christian Robinson has praised his versatility in the past.
Redshirt senior C.J. McWilliams installed as starting STAR
Perhaps the most surprising note on the Gators' defensive depth chart this week is the addition of McWilliams inserted as the team's starting STAR.
A redshirt senior, McWilliams did not see any action in the 2019 season due to an injury. In his career, he has made just two starts, playing in nine total games in 2018. In 2018, McWilliams recorded 16 tackles and four pass breakups.
The Gators could use multiple players at the STAR position this year, including Burney, Marco Wilson, installed as the team's starting boundary cornerback opposite of sophomore Kaiir Elam and even Dean in a pinch as he has played the position in the past.
Behind McWilliams is freshman STAR Tre'Vez Johnson who has impressed coaches throughout camp this year.
