Florida Unveils O'Cyrus Torrence's All-American Brick
Photo (left to right): Darnell Stapleton, Rob Sale, O'Cyrus Torrence and Billy Napier; Credit: Zach Goodall
O'Cyrus Torrence has officially been carved into Gators history, unveiling his unanimous All-American brick outside of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. on Wednesday.
Torrence was joined by Florida head coach Billy Napier and Gators' offensive line assistants Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton for a ceremony to reveal his recognition, officially marking the 72nd unanimous All-American award in program history.
O'Cyrus Torrence's unanimous All-American brick outside of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.
Zach Goodall
"Being a part of this is just surreal," Torrence told reporters after the event. "I’m just glad to be able to be a part of Gator history ... I'm gonna be here forever now. It's a great feeling."
Torrence's honor — reflective of his five First-Team All-American awards for the 2022 season from the Associated Press (AP), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) and Sporting News — caps off arguably one of the best one-year careers in UF's athletics archive.
Starting at right guard for Florida in all but one game due to injury, Torrence was the glue for a Gators' offensive line that allowed just 13 sacks and ranked third in the SEC in rushing yards per game (213.7) during the 2022 regular season.
He finished the campaign as Pro Football Focus' highest-graded run-blocking guard in the FBS, earning a 90.2 grade out of 100, almost a full point higher than the next eligible player (Appalachian State's Bucky Williams). He also did not allow a sack on the year.
Of course, this story would be remiss if it didn't include Torrence's beginnings.
A native of Greensburg, La., Torrence signed with Lousiana under its former head coach — Napier — in the class of 2019 as a consensus low-rated three-star prospect. He credited his high school head coach for encouraging him to play football as a method to lose weight in the first place, having reportedly weighed 420 pounds when he was in middle school.
The workout planned turned into what is about to become an NFL career.
Despite his profile as a recruit, Torrence quickly took on a starting role due to injuries on the Ragin' Cajuns' offensive line as a freshman and never looked back, manning the role for three seasons and 35 games.
He joined the Gators in Jan. 2022 via the transfer portal, following his head coach from the Sun Belt Conference to the SEC.
"I found out how much I can change in a short amount of time," Torrence said, recalling what he learned about himself from the move. "How I got switched to a different environment, like what I had to do here in a short amount of time. I had to make new friends, meet new people, things like that. Build relationships all over again like I did at UL.
"It was tough, but I was able to be myself and be an open person for my other teammates to read. And just be a part of a team, be here and be a leader."
Torrence spent a total of 1,327 snaps in pass protection across his four-year, 46-start career at Louisiana and Florida. He didn't allow a sack once across those snaps, per PFF, and only gave up 20 quarterback pressures in that stretch.
His résumé is that of an early-round draft pick, not only in Napier's opinion but in the minds of NFL evaluators, the head coach shared.
"I think the proof is in the pudding," Napier explained. "This guy, he's 6-foot-5, he's 335 [pounds], he's athletic, he's got power, he's smart. He's played a million snaps, so I think he's got a body of work. You know, they call us to make sure they aren't missing anything and they've got a really high opinion of him.
"So, he'll go early, whether it's first round or whatever the case may be, first, second. He's a good player. Most think he's the best interior player in the draft, so it just comes down to who needs a guard, right? But whoever gets him is gonna get a really good player and a really good person."
Torrence will participate in positional drills during Florida's Pro Day on Thursday, March 30, in front ample of NFL personnel.
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