Jayden Woods Aiming to Chase Longtime Florida Gators Record

On both sides of the ball, the Florida Gators come in with something to prove. JACK linebacker Jayden Woods has a chance to lead the way in making that next statement.

He's grown more comfortable as a leader. One of his goals is to get better at taking action and hesitating less.

"I'd say the biggest thing is like to just go," he said.

A key stat that's being focused for improvement is sacks. Wood made it clear that there are other statistics getting priority as well, but it's on everyone's minds.

“It's definitely important. I also feel like there are a lot more important stats that go into pass rushing, like win rate, pressure rate, and all that. I'd say sacks is a big goal for us for sure. But focusing on dominating our rep at that moment is definitely the biggest piece.”

The Gators finished with 26 sacks on the season, the sixth-fewest in a 16-school SEC. About a third of those sacks came in two games: Mississippi State (4) and Florida State (4). Against tougher competition, quarterbacks had less trouble staying upright in the pocket.

When asked what his personal goal was for sacks, he didn't hold back the bold, high bar he's set for himself.

“My goal is 12 and a half.”

To put into perspective how big an accomplishment it would be, the record for sacks at Florida is 13. Alex Brown set the record during the 1999 season.

Woods knows the record. He knows who broke it and how long the record has stood. He's ready for the hunt.

“Yes sir, that’s the goal.”

Chasing history is a good way to lead by example. If he wants to lead the way, setting the bar high is a good starting point. Those around him feel that energy.

"[He's] type of guy that, just being around him, you feel like a guy that wants to be great. And so yeah, I think he can be as good as he wants to be," Gators head coach Jon Sumrall said. "I'm excited about watching him continue to grow and develop. He's hungry. He's eager. When you coach guys like that, man, it's fun. And so I'm excited to see what he does this year.

Even if he doesn't beat the record, having that goal pushes him beyond where he may have finished otherwise. That doesn't mean he has to be satisfied after the fact of the results, but he'll be happy with the expectations he has for himself.

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