Gators LB Mohamoud Diabate's Versatility a 'Blessing' Says Coach Robinson
Shifting players around during their early years of college is typical, having players actually fit and play well in their given roles is another challenge in and of itself. For Gators sophomore linebacker Mohamoud Diabate, that's exactly what he's done, and linebackers coach Christian Robinson is excited to get started.
Last season, Diabate entered the year as a freshman rotational player, not necessarily getting all of the looks during his first year in the program. Eventually, whether it be due to injuries or his play at practice, Diabate found himself playing as a key cog on defense, the team's BUCK position, which was held by former Gators LB Jonathan Greenard.
In 13 games, Diabate was able to rack up 18 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks and three quarterback hurries, much of that production came in the team's blowout victory over Vanderbilt in which the freshman linebacker tallied three sacks and a forced fumble on the day. Now, he's going to make an impact in several areas, at least that's what Robinson told the media on Wednesday.
"We've been finding ways to move everybody around just because with everything that we're dealing with this year it's the more you can do the better," Robinson says.
This year, the Gators, and the rest of the college football world, will have to have a "next man up" mentality more than ever before. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a player could be good to go one day, and out for 14 days (the required quarantine period per CDC regulations) the next day.
Due to the circumstances, and the ability Diabate has shown Robinson and the rest of the team's coaching staff, Diabate might find some time playing middle linebacker, at least he's being cross-trained there.
"He's a guy that obviously flashed last year on the edge and played for me in the middle at the beginning of the season at times," Robinson said. "He's going to be a guy that, I expect him to kind of move around and kind of use me and coach Grantham and be able to be diverse in the ways that he lines up."
Right now, the Gators have several players lined up to man the middle of the defense. Ventrell Miller, James Houston IV and Lacedrick Brunson, have all played key roles on the team's defense over the past couple of seasons. Diabate is the next man up, and his versatility is what makes him so valuable.
"I think that's his strength, really, is just being able to move. You're really never going to know where he's at, that's kind of the blessing of having him in my room this year."
For now, though, Diabate will take his role as an edge player for the Gators and use it to his advantage, providing depth at a position that is the home for players such as Jeremiah Moon and transfer Brenton Cox Jr. Moon, in meeting with the media via Zoom yesterday, feels the sophomore linebacker is ready for anything, "looking great."
“He's looking great; they’ve got him coming off the edge, standing up and he's in, he's improved so much and he's definitely stepped up become more boisterous. And so I'm excited to see what he does this year," he said.
