Gators 2025 Spring Positional Outlook: Defensive Line

Gators Illustrated is reviewing, and previewing, each position on Florida's roster during the 2025 offseason. Up next is the interior defensive line.

Florida Gators defensive lineman Caleb Banks (88) causes a fumble as he strips the ball from LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 16, 2024. The Gators defeated the Tigers 27-16. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun] | Doug Engle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- A new season approaches, and the Florida Gators will look to breakout in head coach Billy Napier's fourth year after a strong finish to the 2024 campaign.

Familiar faces return, but the Gators saw usual roster attrition in the offseason with 19 total departures from last season, 13 of which were on scholarship, via the NCAA Transfer Portal and more from exhausting their collegiate eligibilities.

As a result, the Gators added 31 total players with a 26-signee high school class and a five-signee transfer portal class.

Gators Illustrated is breaking down each position on Florida's roster as the team approaches spring training camp with a review of each unit's 2024 performances and an outlook on the 2025 season and will revisit each position group with a final depth chart prediction during fall camp.

After beginning the defense with the edge rushers, we continue the defensive unit outlooks with the interior defensive line.

Quick Review

Under new position coach Gerald Chatman, improved depth and a high-profile transfer acquisition in Joey Slackman, Florida's defensive line appeared poised for a breakout season in 2024.

However, their impact truly wasn't felt until the back-half of the season, and by that point, nose tackle Jamari Lyons was out with a preseason season-ending injury, Slackman had been battling injuries and former edge rusher Kelby Collins had fallen out of the rotation.

Instead, veterans Cam Jackson and Caleb Banks stepped up and simply dominated, especially during the team's three-game winning streak to end the regular season. Jackson recorded 11 tackles in wins over LSU, Ole Miss and FSU and recorded both of his sacks in the win over the Seminoles.

Banks, however, quickly became one of the faces of the defense and garnered significant draft hype for his play, despite leaving the FSU game early and missing the team's bowl win over Tulane. He recorded a unit-high 4.5 sacks, 3.5 of which came in the wins over LSU and Ole Miss, and seven tackles-for-loss, over half of which came in those previously-mentioned wins.

Florida's upset over the Tigers saw his breakout performance with two forced fumbles and three quarterback hurries.

Additionally, senior Desmond Watson played arguably his most-consistent season with a tackle in 12 of Florida's 13 games and classic moments in the bowl game with a lifting tackle on Tulane quarterback Ty Thompson and a carry for a first down.

With the injuries to Lyons and Slackman alongside Collins falling out of the rotation, the Gators relied on a pair of true freshmen in D'Antre Robinson and Michai Boireau to be active participants in the rotation.

Robinson especially shined with 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks, which included seven total stops, a tackle-for-loss, half a sack and a fumble recovery over the last two games of the season.

Unlike the prior offseason, Florida enters 2025 without a significant part of its production with Jackson and Watson graduating, but multiple key pieces of its rotation return and will look to improve upon their numbers from last season.

Out and In

Scholarship players only

• Out: Kelby Collins (Transfer) Cam Jackson (Graduation), Joey Slackman (Graduation), Desmond Watson (Graduation)
• In: Joseph Mbatchou (Freshman), Jeramiah McCloud (Freshman), Stephon Shivers (Freshman)

Into 2025

Despite garnering draft hype, Caleb Banks announced his plans to return to Florida for his senior season, automatically locking him up as the starter and the Gators' "end" positon, the traditional three-technique defensive tackle spot.

With his return, the question immediately became who would play beside him at nose tackle? The Gators did not add anyone at the position through the portal but will see the return of Lyons after his severe ankle injury from last fall camp and now-sophomores Robinson and Boireau.

Another player to keep an eye on in spring camp is former JUCO player Tarvorise Brown, who joined the team during fall camp last year as a walk-on and has since been put on scholarship. Standing at 6-foot-7, Brown could float to either position on the interior defensive line, but he currently projects as a contributor at nose tackle for the time being.

As for additions, the Gators welcomed three freshmen to the group in Jeramiah McCloud, Joseph Mbatchou and Stephon Shivers. Only McCloud and Shinvers will be on-campus for spring camp.

At nose, Shivers has already been compared to the outgoing Watson with a tremendous size at 6-foor-5 and 380 pounds.

"I think we were looking for a big man in there that could play nose," head coach Billy Napier said on signing day in December. "Four and three quarters, 380. I think big, long guy. When is the last time you've seen a 380-pound guy run a 75-yard touchdown. The guy is running the ball Friday Nights. Just a big, athletic guy. Guy scored 1400 points in basketball now. Elite basketball player. Just a unique situation there and an athlete. Got a lot of upside."

A summer enrollee, Mbatchou will have to wait to fight for a spot in the rotation, but Napier raved about his high upside despite limited experience playing football.

"Mbatchou I think is the hidden gem," he said. "Put a helmet on for the first time this past spring. Four and three quarter, 285. Is going to be a monster. Has been well-coached. I think his coaches at the school he went to did a great job. That's one of the better programs in the state. Just accelerated."

Despite losing veteran talent and size and despite not making any additions at the position through the portal, Banks' return alone makes this one of the top position groups for Florida, and the young talent surrounding him leaves a lot of hope for the unit in 2025.

Way Too Early Depth Chart Projection 

END:

1. Caleb Banks (R-Sr.)
2. D'Antre Robinson (So.)
3. Jeramiah McCloud (Fr.)
4. Joseph Mbatchou (Fr.)

NOSE:

1. Jamari Lyons (R-Jr.)
2. Michai Boireau (So.)
3. Tarvorise Brown (R-So.)
4. Stephon Shivers (Fr.)

Walk-ons: Nicolas Flynn (R-Jr.), Sebastian Scott (R-So.)