Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida’s pass rush pretty much disappeared when Carlos Dunlap and Jermaine Cunningham left the program after the 2009 season.

Production dipped the following season by nearly half. UF had 21 sacks in 2010, 28 in 2011, and 30 last season -- well below the 40 the Gators had in 2009. Though the numbers have climbed in the past two years, the Gators haven’t been able to consistently generate pressure on the quarterback.

That’s about to change -- theoretically, anyway.

With the expected return of buck Ronald Powell and the development of sophomore buck Dante Fowler Jr., and defensive end Jonathan Bullard, the Gators should have their best pass-rushing group since '09.

“We’re going to get our best rushers out there,” UF coach Will Muschamp said. “Big guys that run out of gas are done. You’ve got to get as much speed on the field as you can.”

That begins with Powell, who missed the 2012 season after tearing the ACL in his left knee in the spring game. His attempt to return by October was thwarted when he suffered a second tear during his rehab in September. Muschamp had raved about Powell throughout the spring before his injury and said he appeared ready to become an elite player.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Powell, who had 6.0 sacks as a sophomore, did not participate in spring practice but is expected to be cleared for full-contact work in August. If he returns to the level at which he was before his injury it’s not unreasonable to expect 8 to 10 sacks out of the redshirt junior, who will be the starter at strongside linebacker.

With Powell out of the lineup in 2012, the Gators were forced to rely on freshmen Fowler and Bullard. They combined for four sacks and eight quarterback hurries, including Bullard’s team-high seven -- not bad for freshmen, but neither was anywhere close to being an elite rusher.

However, the experience they gained was invaluable. The 6-3, 270-pound Bullard and the 6-3, 265-pound Fowler followed that up with a solid offseason in the weight room and on the practice field.

As a hybrid defensive end/linebacker, Fowler has multiple rushing and coverage responsibilities, and Muschamp said he has made strides in each area.

“Dante’s had a really good spring,” Muschamp said. “He’s a guy that really worked hard in the pass rush. Brad has done a really nice job of developing a solid move and a counter off of that. That’s something he needs to continue to refine over the summer. Played the runs well, strong at the point of attack. He’s got good initial quickness. He’s a really good athlete.”

Fowler sometimes didn’t play that way last season, mainly because he felt overwhelmed at times.

“There was a point when I first started playing where I was a little slow, because I didn’t know all the plays,” Fowler said. “I was scared for Coach Muschamp to get on me and things like that. I really wasn’t able to play fast, and then toward the South Carolina game, I started to go in and watch a lot of film trying to get better. That’s when I was able to play fast, because I knew everything and I had no worries or doubts.

“I just want to be able to play fast and shed some of that baby fat that I had. Just being able to be in shape, so I can play almost every down. I feel like I’ve got more acceleration. I have more wind, so I’m not getting as tired as I used to.”

He has certainly impressed left tackle D.J. Humphries, who had the job of blocking Fowler every day in spring practice.

“Dante, he’s a freak now,” Humphries said. “He’s getting better every day.”

Bullard dealt with a minor hamstring injury in the spring, but showed when he was healthy that he was going to have no problem getting to the quarterback.

“[Bullard] had a great offseason,” Muschamp said. “He’s changed his body. He’s gotten a lot stronger.”

A wild card in the Gators’ pass rush is Dominique Easley. The 6-2, 285-pound senior was supposed to be the starting defensive end, but a lack of depth at tackle -- as well as Bullard’s development -- has him starting the season at tackle. He has 5.5 career sacks.

Muschamp and defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin have more options now than last season and can tinker with the lineup. Powell can play buck and strongside linebacker. Fowler can play both, too, as well as defensive end. If needed, Bullard could play inside.

Redshirt junior linebacker Neiron Ball also can play the buck.

“To get our best guys on the field is a lengthy discussion we’ve had as a defensive staff,” Muschamp said. “Certainly Ronald, we feel like’s going to be one of those guys. Neiron Ball is another guy who has done some really nice things for us and played well. Darrin Kitchens’ development as an inside linebacker enables that move to happen and he played extremely well throughout the spring for us.

“All of those kind of mingled together, you feel comfortable how [the pass rush] is shaping up at this time.”

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida released a post-spring depth chart on Wednesday. There were no big surprises, although seeing running back Mack Brown behind Matt Jones and ahead of Kelvin Taylor did earn a raised eyebrow.

Here’s the breakdown:

Offense

LT: D.J. Humphries (6-5, 285, So.)/Trenton Brown (6-8, 363, Jr.)

LG: Max Garcia (6-4, 307, RJr.)/Ian Silberman (6-5, 290, RJr.)

C: Jonotthan Harrison (6-3, 303, RSr.) /Kyle Koehne (6-5, 314, RSr.)

RG: Jon Halapio (6-3, 317, RSr.)/Trip Thurman (6-5, 313, RSo.)

RT: Tyler Moore (6-5, 315, RSo.) OR Chaz Green (6-5, 305, RJr.)

TE: Clay Burton (6-4, 247, Jr.)/Tevin Westbrook (6-5, 258, Jr.) OR Colin Thompson (6-4, 250, RFr.) OR Kent Taylor (6-5, 223, So.)

RB: Matt Jones (6-2, 228, So.)/Mack Brown (5-11, 215, RJr.)

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Spring football may be over, but there's still plenty going on at GatorNation.

Miss anything from the past week? Here's your chance to catch up:

Some position battles got a little clearer (running back) while some got murkier (safety) during Florida's 15 spring practices. Here's where things stand heading into August practices in terms of the depth chart on offense and defense.

One of the positions that is settled is fullback, where Hunter Joyer remains the starter. But he has some help behind him in Gideon Ajagbe and Rhaheim Ledbetter, both of whom were moved over from defense. Finding fullback recruits in the future isn't going to be easy for UF coach Will Muschamp, so he may have to do more moving around.

Florida also has a new special teams coordinator with the hiring of Jeff Choate.

SEC blogger Edward Aschoff spent some time on campus this week. He wrote about buck Ronald Powell's humility after his knee surgeries and shot video interviews with Powell, Jonotthan Harrison, Matt Jones and Jeff Driskel.

On the recruiting trail ...

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Edward Aschoff talks to Florida's Ronald Powell about his injuries that kept him out of last year and his fight to get back on to the field at the Swamp.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- It was all about baby steps for Ronald Powell, both as a player and a person.

The two ACL injuries that ended his 2012 season took away his passion, but he also admits it improved who he was as a person.

“It was like God did this to make me a stronger person, a better person,” Powell told ESPN.com earlier this week.

“I’m a better person and a stronger person because of what I’ve had to endure with going through both of these ACL [injuries].”

It’s no secret that Powell, who led Florida with six sacks at Buck linebacker (linebacker/defensive end) in 2011, wasn’t the most personable guy around Florida’s football facility when he first arrived as the nation’s No. 1 high school player in 2010. He was sometimes standoffish and had attitude issues.

There were transfer rumblings after locker room spats with veterans and he wasn’t always receptive to coaching. Powell was a hotshot whose talent did everything for him in high school.

Talent couldn’t help him when he landed awkwardly while making an across-the-field tackle on running back Mike Gillislee during last year’s spring game. Powell was playing arguably the best football of his Florida career that spring until a freak injury ruined everything he’d done to that point.

Powell’s mental transformation was already beginning, and it was paying off on the field. It would have been easy for Powell to sulk, and it would have been hard to blame him.

“I saw a guy who handled hardship much better than I would have,” coach Will Muschamp said. “I saw a young man grow up. I saw a young man handle adversity better than I would have ever handled what he went through.

“There were people in the organization that didn’t handle it as well as he did.”

Powell said his ACL injury finally gave him something to get up and attack daily. He wasn’t only learning how to walk again or fire his quads up again for leg exercises, he was learning to have a more positive attitude. His goal was to find a way back on the football field, but he ended up finding more of his human side.

“I had to overcome that stuff and be positive when I wasn’t feeling up,” he said. “I still came in and showed smiles and was positive to my teammates. Still come in here and not be an [expletive].”

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Schedule: The Gators open spring practice today at 4:30 p.m. ET and will conclude the spring with their annual Orange & Blue Debut on April 6 at 1 p.m. ET inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

What's new: Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn left to become the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. Will Muschamp then promoted D.J. Durkin from linebackers/special teams coach to defensive coordinator. Brad Lawing was hired away from South Carolina to help coach Florida's defensive line and was given the title of assistant head coach. Interim wide receivers coach Bush Hamdan was replaced by former Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips.

On the mend: Redshirt junior offensive lineman Chaz Green will miss all of spring after undergoing ankle surgery following Florida's bowl game. Redshirt junior defensive end/linebacker Ronald Powell will also miss the spring while he continues to rehab his ACL injury that he suffered last spring. Redshirt junior offensive lineman Ian Silberman is out for the spring, as he recovers from shoulder surgery that he had before the bowl game. Freshman linebacker Matt Rolin is also out, recovering from ACL surgery. Senior offensive lineman Jon Halapio (knee scope), senior wide receiver Solomon Patton (broken arm), redshirt junior linebacker Neiron Ball (ankle) and punter Kyle Christy (shoulder) will all be limited this spring.

On the move: Junior cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy will start the first seven practices at the "Z" receiver spot. Redshirt freshman Quinteze Williams moved from defensive tackle to offensive tackle. Sophomore Antonio Morrison moved from Will to Mike linebacker, while redshirt junior linebacker Michael Taylor has moved from Mike to Will. Redshirt freshman Rhaheim Ledbetter moved from safety to fullback. Redshirt junior Gideon Ajagbe also moved from linebacker to fullback. Redshirt junior Cody Riggs has moved from cornerback to safety, where he's listed as a starter.

Question marks: Heading into the spring, the biggest questions remain on offense, where the Gators were incredibly inconsistent last year. Workhorse running back Mike Gillislee is gone, and while the Gators should feature a stable of running backs this fall, throwing the ball has to improve or this offense will go in reverse. Quarterback Jeff Driskel says he's more confident and offensive coordinator Brent Pease expects to open things up more in the passing game, but the Gators also have to get better protection up front and develop some more reliable receivers and replace top target, tight end Jordan Reed. Florida's defense has a lot of experienced youngsters, but it won't be easy to replace the production that guys like Sharrif Floyd, Matt Elam and Jon Bostic had last year. Florida is also looking for someone to replace kicker Caleb Sturgis. Redshirt freshman Austin Hardin and senior Brad Phillips will compete for that spot.

New faces: Rolin, running back Kelvin Taylor, linebackers Alex Anzalone and Daniel McMillian, defensive lineman Joey Ivie, and wide receiver Demarcus Robinson all enrolled early as true freshmen. Florida also welcomed Nebraska offensive lineman transfer Tyler Moore (sophomore) and junior college transfer Darius Cummings (DT). Offensive lineman Max Garica also transferred from Maryland and sat out last season.

Key battle: Florida has to find a reliable receiving target at either tight end or receiver. The athletic Kent Taylor figures to be the favorite at tight end, but he'll have to compete with Colin Thompson, Clay Burton and Tevin Westbrook. At receiver, it's a free-for-all, and there isn't a ton of experience. Purifoy will certainly get his shot, but vets Quinton Dunbar and Andre Debose have to make significant strides. So does rising sophomore Latroy Pittman, who fell off last year after a successful spring. Sophomore Raphael Andrades will be back and forth between football and baseball, while Patton will be limited. Keep an eye on Robinson, who was the top receiver in the Gators' 2013 class and is a downfield threat and someone who can be elusive through the middle of the field.

Breaking out: Florida needs to replace Gillislee, and sophomore Matt Jones has already had a solid offseason, according to coaches. He progressed as last season went on and has both speed and strength to work with. The plan is for him to be a 20-plus-carry player this fall. Morrison's role now expands, and after having a very solid freshman year, even more is expected from him now that he's at the Mike. If he improves his coverage ability, he could be a big-time player for the Gators. Also, keep an eye on junior safety Jabari Gorman. He covers a lot of ground and isn't afraid to play in the box.

Don't forget about: Ball and Riggs have dealt with injuries in the past, but as they get healthy, Florida's coaches are excited about what they could do in 2013. Ball will play some Buck and provides Florida with another solid third-down pass-rusher and should help the Gators put more pressure on opposing backfields this fall. Riggs played in just two games last year before fracturing his foot, but he's a very physical defensive back. With his speed, moving to safety should provide him a chance to make more plays in Florida's secondary. He was also the starter at safety when Elam went to nickel last year.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The one constant in Florida’s 2012 season -- until the Allstate Sugar Bowl, anyway -- was the Gators’ defense.

The unit was one of the nation’s best, ranking in the top five nationally in rushing, pass efficiency, and scoring, and it kept the Gators in games while the offense struggled.

Heading into the 2013 season, however, the defense has become as big an uncertainty as the offense in the wake of the departure of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, the inexperience of replacement D.J. Durkin, and the loss of seven starters.

There were already significant questions about the unit because of the loss of those starters, which include All-American S Matt Elam, potential first-round NFL draft pick DT Sharrif Floyd, and a pair of players who played the best football of their careers during 2012 (NT Omar Hunter and S Josh Evans). Also gone is MLB Jon Bostic, who started 32 games in his career, including every game in 2011 and 2012.

But Quinn’s departure on Thursday to become the defensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks muddies things even more. Quinn’s defenses ranked among the top 10 nationally in his two seasons at Florida. The Gators were fifth nationally in scoring (15.4 ppg), second in pass efficiency defense, and fourth in rush defense (94.9 ypg), and gave up only seven passing touchdowns, which was second only to Boise State (four), in 2012. In 2011, the Gators ranked eighth nationally in total defense, seventh nationally in passing defense, and second nationally in third-down defense.

His replacement, Durkin, has been UF’s linebackers coach and special teams coordinator since 2010. He has never been a coordinator before. Quinn had only been one for one year (Hofstra in 2000), but he had spent the previous 10 seasons in the NFL before joining Muschamp’s inaugural staff. However, Durkin has done a good job coordinating UF’s special teams (the Gators rank 11th or better in three statistical categories) and after watching him for two seasons, Muschamp quickly promoted him to succeed Quinn.

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Earlier, we took at look at five SEC Eastern Division players from the offensive side of the ball to keep an eye on in 2013 when it comes to potential breakout seasons.

Now, we're taking a stab at breakout defensive players to watch out for this fall (in alphabetical order):

Caleb Azubike, DE, Vanderbilt: With a defensive end spot up for grabs, Azubike has a chance to make a real name for himself in 2013. With limited snaps last fall, Azubike finished the year with 21 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss, including four sacks. He's athletic and fast and with even more snaps this year should grow into a fine player for defensive coordinator Bob Shoop. The Commodores will need Azubike to step up and take some pressure off of other end Walker May.

Jordan Jenkins, LB, Georgia: Jenkins found himself in a starting position for most of the second half of the season and was quite the performer for the Bulldogs. While Jarvis Jones grabbed all of the attention, Jenkins made a handful of plays for the Bulldogs and finished the season with eight tackles for loss, five sacks and 22 quarterback hurries. He has good speed on the outside, which helps him cover a lot of ground and make it tough for teams in both the running and passing game. With Jones gone, Jenkins has a chance to put up some fine numbers in 2013.

Ronald Powell, DE/LB, Florida: Last year was supposed to be Powell's breakout year, but he tore his ACL during Florida's spring game and had a setback during the fall. But Powell will sit out the spring and should be healthy for the upcoming season. With the Gators losing some quality talent on the defensive side of the ball, Powell's return is very important. He had a tremendous spring last year and if he returns to that form, he could be one of the top pass-rushers in the SEC. He arrived in Gainesville with a ton of hype, but has yet to live up to it. He's much more invested now, and that's a good thing for Florida.

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Editor’s note: Each day between now and Florida’s Allstate Sugar Bowl date with Louisville, GatorNation will review the season for a key Gators player and attempt to project what’s next. Today we’ll look at buck linebacker Dante Fowler.

Buck Dante Fowler
Freshman
27 tackles, 2.5 sacks

Role in 2012: Fowler benefitted from injuries to other players and got a lot of reps with the first team during fall camp. He quickly showed he deserved to play and figured heavily into the rotation.

The good: Fowler has very good speed and quickness for someone his size (6-foot-3, 277 pounds) and he also is a high-motor, relentless player. He’s not bad against the run, either, but his strength is rushing the passer. His 7.0 tackles for loss ranked third on the team behind DT Sharrif Floyd (11.0) and S Matt Elam (10.0). Fowler is one of several young players whom defensive coordinator Dan Quinn singled out as improving during bowl practices. He could be the next Loucheiz Purifoy -- a player who showed marked improvement in bowl practices and followed that up by becoming one of the Gators’ better playmakers the following season.

The bad: Showing up significantly heavier than he was on signing day raised some flags about Fowler's offseason work ethic. It’s unlikely that he’ll have the same problem this offseason because he’ll be on campus and working with strength and conditioning coordinator Jeff Dillman. He does need to drop some weight and get in better shape. Like all young players, Fowler is a bit raw fundamentally and relies more on his athleticism and strength. He needs to refine his technique and spend some extra time with defensive line coach Bryant Young.

Crystal ball: Ronald Powell will return from a torn ACL next season and regain his starting job, but Fowler will be on the field a lot. If Powell doesn’t play at the level he did before his injury, then don’t be surprised to see Fowler in the starting lineup. He’s big enough that the Gators could move him to defensive end, too. Either way, UF should be much better rushing the passer in 2013, and Fowler will be a key part of that.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida buck LB Ronald Powell underwent another surgery on his torn left ACL last week. It’s the second surgery on the knee that Powell injured during the Gators’ spring game.

"He had a little bit of a repair on the tear," UF coach Will Muschamp said Saturday. "He should be fine."

Powell, who was on the sideline and using crutches, was scheduled to return to the field sometime in October, but Muschamp said several weeks ago that Powell was suffering from some swelling in his knee and was going to redshirt this season. He will be a redshirt junior in 2012.

Powell led UF with six sacks last season, and the coaches raved about how well he had performed in the spring before the injury.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Florida Gators are a wounded bunch heading into the Tennessee game -- but things aren’t as bad as they appeared Saturday night.

UF won’t have linebacker Jelani Jenkins (thumb) or cornerback/safety Cody Riggs (foot) for four weeks, and coach Will Muschamp said end/linebacker Ronald Powell suffered a setback during his rehab from a torn ACL and likely will miss the rest of the season.

But, good news for the No. 18-ranked Gators: Muschamp said running back Mike Gillislee (groin) and safety Josh Evans (shoulder) will practice on Monday and will be able to play against the No. 23 Volunteers. Plus, UF is getting safety De’Ante Saunders (hamstring) back after he missed the first two games.

And even better news: UF has more depth this season than in 2011 and is much better equipped to handle a rash of injuries like this.

“Our depth is still not where it needs to be, but certainly much better than it was a year ago,” Muschamp said. “We’re not having to switch guys from position to position in order to finish a game or prepare guys for a game.”

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