Gators DL Gervon Dexter Ready to ‘Show Everything’ in Year 3

Photo: Gervon Dexter; Credit: Alex Shepherd

During the first two years of a college football player's career, there's a perceived learning period. They'll often need to take things slow, and if the roster is built the right way, they can afford to sit and bide their time.

For Florida Gators defensive lineman Gervon Dexter, that's exactly what occurred. Though he did play a significant number of snaps, and made plenty of impact plays, he didn't have to be that vocal leader that some have to step into right away.

Now, entering year three after joining the program as the top-rated recruit in the 2020 recruiting cycle, Dexter is ready to show out and take over as a leader within the Florida defense and on its' defensive line.

Becoming a leader isn't just about what you do on the field, either. It's primarily about what you show, and the example you give away from the gridiron, something Dexter has shown greatly through the program's transition from last year's staff to this year's under head coach Billy Napier.

Throughout the regime switch, Dexter made sure to take to social media and show support for his new head coach and the coaches the team brought in. That's something he didn't have to do, but something he felt compelled to do because of the players that now look up to him.

Take for example this tweet just a couple of weeks following Napier's hire, and the many more tweets and posts that would come afterward:

2022 … pic.twitter.com/KsfbvwCq5G
— Gervon Dexter SR (@GervonDexter) December 27, 2021

During spring, Dexter mentioned the reasons behind how outwardly supportive he's been of UF, the coaches there and the direction the program is headed in. If he buys in, others may follow, was his logic.

"Say me as a leader, I know [there are] a lot of guys who look up to me. So if they see it and they see me saying it and doing it, they will kind of lean on that as well," Dexter explained when asked about his social media support.

Dexter understands it can be a challenge for new coaches to come in and instantly win a program of young players over. So, showing his support was one of the ways he felt he could take on that leadership role and let the other players know he's giving the coaching staff a chance, and they should too.

"I felt like if I had his back off rip, a lot of the younger guys and some of the guys who are kind of lean the same way as me to kind of understand coach Napier, so I felt like it was big on me as a leader to kind of show the guys 'Okay, we got to give this guy chance, you know what I mean? Because we just came off a horrible season. So I felt like as a leader, that was my place."

Gone are players like Zachary Carter, Antonio Valentino, Daquan Newkirk, T.J. Slaton, Kyree Campbell, Marlon Dunlap and Jeremiah Moon, among others. All of those players are slated to be selected in this year's draft, signed by another professional league, simply out of football or already on a team.

Now, Dexter is the one who can take on the leadership role, he's the veteran player younger guys look up to.

"The main adjustment for me is now, instead of me being an underclassman and a younger guy, I kind of got to lead now," Dexter admitted.

"So that's been the thing for me like with Zach Carter and a lot of the older guys leaving it's like, each year, I have to step into a bigger role. And so now this year, all eyes on me and as the D-line leader, so that's just been a thing where I'm the older guy that the younger guys look to now. So it's time for me to lead."

Dexter was afforded the ability to sit back and bide his time as a leader during his first two years. Now, he can show everything both on and off the field, taking what players like Carter showed him and putting it to practice.

"I didn't have to jump in and have to kind of like be that guy, ASAP," Dexter said. "It was like, get a little bit this year, and then a little more this year. And now this year, I should be ready to show everything."

During his first two seasons at UF, Dexter showed the promise he exhibited during his high school years, showing off the traits that got him named a five-star player and perhaps one of the best additions that the previous regime made during the short four-year stint.

At 6-foot-6 and hovering around 310 pounds during his freshman and sophomore seasons, Dexter accounted for 70 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, one interception and two pass breakups.

Still, Dexter understood he needed more to become the player he knows himself to be. That's part of what his Year 3 jump could entail. He's now getting different coaching that can lend to his ability as a well-rounded player, and teach him to use more than simply his physical traits.

Learning under co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Sean Spencer, better known as "Coach Chaos," has been greatly beneficial for Dexter in all of those areas, he indicated.

"He's a great technique coach," Dexter said of Spencer. "And that's kind of what I was missing. I was playing a lot of just physical football and just dominating the game just based [on] me and my physical ability.

"But Coach Chaos came in and — same thing like coach Napier is doing — breaking the small things down and teaching me the small techniques that I may not know [were] a problem but is a problem. So that's a big thing that coach Chaos is doing."

Understanding how to use his hands better, better technique coming out of his hip and other small things will only further blossom his playing career moving forward.

From Spencer's angle, Dexter is showing, not just saying, that he wants to get better. During spring, Spencer met with the media and was asked about Dexter and his first impressions. Well, the first impressions were great, Spencer said, noting that Dexter works hard and wants to be great.

"One time I asked [Dexter], 'Can I sit in my chair?' because he’s sitting in there watching film. He wants to be great. He knows I’ve coached guys like Leonard Williams and Dexter Lawrence," Spencer explained. "I’ve shown him tape of those guys and he wants to be great like that, and I think he has a chance to be great. He has tremendous work ethic and his ceiling has not been reached yet."

Previously, Spencer was the defensive line coach with the New York Giants where he was able to coach guys like Williams and Lawrence during the early portions of the player's careers. Those are players that Dexter will likely try to emulate moving forward.

"This guy has unbelievable potential," Spencer added. "He can move in a short area, he can power the pocket if you need him to, he can take on double teams. I don’t know what he can’t do. That’s not saying he’s doing all the things, but I don’t what he can’t do. So I’m excited about this. They should all look like that.”

They're hard to find, but if players all looked like Dexter, it would make every coach look good, no question. And now, headed into Year 3, perhaps Dexter can continue making coaches look good. That's certainly part of the plan.

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