Gators Defensive Line Putting in Work Ahead of USF

The script is changing for the Florida Gators in Week Two as they prepare to face an improving USF Bulls football team.

With a more difficult opponent comes a tougher battle in nearly every area as well. A notable battle will come in the trenches. Florida will be up against a starting offensive line unit that is comprised of redshirt seniors and graduate students who helped the Bulls’ offense produce 372 yards (255 passing, 117 rushing) and four touchdowns.

However, even if Caleb Banks misses this contest, the Gators’ depth at defensive tackle looks to be better than advertised and more than capable of passing its second test of the season on Saturday.

“I thought the defensive line was good,” Gators head coach Billy Napier said on Monday. “Look, we'll play against better fronts in the future. But I do think we're off to a good start with some of those guys that maybe haven't had major roles in the past.”

The Gators used nearly every defensive lineman they had at their disposal in the opener, using this time to get a feel for who they can depend on if Banks is not on the field against the Bulls.

On the bright side, Napier said that Banks is progressing well.

“He's kind of hit the next step,” Napier said. ‘So, he's really close. So, we'll see where he's at this weekend and then next week as well."

For starters, Baylor transfer Brendan Bett was a standout player on defense. He led all defensive tackles in tackles with three and had a tackle for loss. This performance in his first game wearing the Orange and Blue caught his head coach’s eye, too.

“Brendan Bett, I thought, flashed. He was very productive. I thought he had a good vision and instincts, found the ball, production that was there,” Napier said.

Florida also ran Jamari Lyons, Michai Boireau, Brien Taylor and Tarvorise Brown onto the field against Long Island. Gators defensive coordinator Ron Roberts was even able to give true freshmen Joseph Mbatchou and Jeremiah McCloud snaps in the contest.

Boireau made his first career start for the Gators on Saturday, and Napier highlighted that he has a lot of room for growth, which is a positive in the eyes of the head coach.

"I thought he did well, played with pad level, strike blocks, primary, secondary, anchored the front,” he said. “There wasn't a lot of room in there Saturday. So we need him to continue to do that. One of the things about Michai, he's a very smart player. He can anticipate. He has a good understanding of where he fits into structure, and he's a big, strong, physical player. So we need Michai to continue to improve, and he's got a bright future."

While the stats don’t necessarily show it, the defense line played a major role, allowing 37 rushing yards against Long Island. They created constant logjams along the line of scrimmage, limiting the open avenues available for the running back and providing ones for the linebackers behind them.

Developing this depth behind Banks in the early going is vital for the Gators' 2025 season. They need to have guys they can rely upon even after the redshirt senior returns, which could be soon.

If he is not ready for this weekend, though, then the guys who played in Week One will have to get the job done again without the leader of the group, who they know is a big loss.

“Caleb being down right now definitely is a hindrance to the D-line, you know, it’s Caleb Banks,” Bett said Wednesday. “But me, Michai, Jamari are just trying to do our best to just replace that role while he’s out and just try to stay dominant, even without him being in the game, until he gets back.”

Florida will next take the field on Saturday, Sept. 6, against USF. This game has a scheduled start time of 4:15 p.m. and will air on the SEC Network.