Gators FILM ROOM: Examining pass rusher Khris Bogle's debut game
Florida's BUCK pass-rushing position entered the 2019 season with some concerns. Would Jonathan Greenard return to full health from the broken wrist he suffered at Louisville? Was Jeremiah Moon enough as Greenard's primary depth? Would true freshmen Khris Bogle and/or Mohamoud Diabate be able to contribute?
All three of these questions have been answered within the first two weeks of the season, with a resounding "yes". Greenard put on a show against Miami in his return to action, Moon has recorded a half a sack and 3.5 tackles for loss in two games, and Bogle's debut went as well as it could have against the UT-Martin Skyhawks on Saturday night.
The 6-6, 216 lb. freshman recorded five tackles and a sack in his first game in orange and blue. Bogle was impressive on the line of scrimmage, holding his own and leveraging well for a young, slimmer defensive end. The talent level on the other side should be considered, but Bogle showed what he needed to in his first game.
Let's take a look at the film and see what Bogle did well and where he can grow from there.
FILM ROOM
Playing BUCK at the top of the defensive line, Bogle stands firm by setting the edge and redirecting the outside run back into his gap, beating not only his block but making the pulling lineman worthless by closing off the pulling lane. From there, Bogle gets off of his block and combines for a tackle for loss with defensive lineman Zachary Carter.
Bogle works inside off the edge to once again redirect the run. Once he forces the running back to cut back inside, Bogle takes on a double team - a hard block to beat at his slim frame, but recovers well to help push the pile back and is credited with the tackle.
For a player with a ton of pass-rushing upside and a lankier frame, Bogle was most impressive as a run-stopper against UT-Martin. His drive through blocks led to disruption and he angled his body well to force runs elsewhere.
Here's Bogle's "sack" - I still came away happy with Bogle's contribution to the play, but it wasn't some huge sack either. Working as a standing edge rusher in a wide alignment, Bogle plays contain on the blitz-side and gets caught up in traffic. However, Bogle utilizes solid vision to pick up on the quarterback quickly flushing out of the pocket due to pressure from Diabate on the opposite side.
From there, Bogle accelerates towards the passer, who trips up from a failed spin move off of the late linebacker blitz... If the QB didn't trip, Bogle would certainly have made a more physical sack. Regardless, he ends up on the stat sheet for this.
Bogle combines with Jabari Zuniga off of the opposite edge for a pressure here, which leads to a sack by Lacedrick Brunson. Bogle takes an initial step outside to open up the right tackle before turning inside and dipping his shoulder around his blocker.
The tackle recovers by pushing Bogle out of a sack at his shoulder, which affirms that Bogle needs to continue adding weight in order to not get pushed around. But the athleticism to build his pass-rushing arsenal is on display here and helps create a sack.
It remains to be seen whether Bogle will continue playing throughout the 2019 season. Given the emergence of Greenard and Moon, Florida could utilize a redshirt and only play Bogle in four games to give him important reps but not overload him while he's still developing.
However, it's good to see Bogle flashing his traits early. As he continues to add weight to his lengthy frame and develops his athleticism into more pass-rushing moves, Bogle can become a dominant player for Florida. He already has a solid foundation in the run game, which will also continue to grow as he is brought along.
