Gators Spring Football Update: Turner 'Sees the Change' in DT Gervon Dexter

It takes a long time to get adjusted to the game of football when making the jump from preps to the collegiate game. It takes even longer when you've only played football for four years, period.

That's the situation that Florida Gators defensive tackle Gervon Dexter is in right now, but the improvement is clear and obvious this spring, at least according to his position coach David Turner.

"He’s still relatively young to the game," Turner said earlier this week at his spring football press conference. "We got some things just fundamentally he was so raw that we’re still working on but the flip side of that is there really aren’t a whole lot of bad habits. We just have to develop him."

Dexter may have earned playing time last year, appearing in all 12 contests, starting two. He ended his season with 19 tackles (4 solo), 1.5 tackles-for-loss and one interception. He would have the team's first interception of the season, earning it against Ole Miss in Week 1 of the season.

While Dexter was able to get on the field for Florida, he did it widely by simply using his natural-born athleticism, and the limited experience he had while in high school. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, even if Dexter were to have enrolled early at Florida, he wouldn't have had a spring football, a key part of development for young athletes.

Turner touched on some of the fundamentals that Dexter must work on to get better during the spring, and he says he can see a transformation with the young defensive tackle.

"Playing lower is one thing, playing with more leverage. But I see a change in him now. I think he’s a little more comfortable. I think the speed of the game and the understanding of what we’re trying to do in terms of blocking and hand placement and things like that. He’s a work in progress.

"Everybody wants him to be great now and I’ve talked to him a little bit about that. I said, ‘hey man, you can’t walk around here with the way everybody looks at him just from a physical standpoint and expect him to just wreck shop every Saturday."

#Gators working on pass rush. Gervon Dexter, my goodness.👀 pic.twitter.com/XjjwWSbk17
— Bailiegh Carlton (@BailieghCarlton) March 9, 2021

Expectations are understandably high for Dexter. After all the 6-foot-6, 308-pound defensive tackle was rated as one of the top players in the country during last year's recruiting cycle, a consensus five-star prospect. Those expectations should be tempered, however, Turner says. Everything is new, and it will be up to Dexter to block out the noise and listen to his coaches.

"He knows what he’s gotta work on. He’s a prideful kid. He doesn’t like not to play well. He’s just got to take it one day at a time and not worry about it," Turner added.

"He’s not going to be as great as everybody expects him to be right now. It’s a process. Nobody is. We just gotta keep taking it one day at a time with him and getting better at some of the little things and eventually he’s going to be the player we all know he can be.”