Depth at defensive tackle was a major concern for the Florida Gators heading into the 2022 season.
Florida’s 2022 defensive tackle depth chart ahead of week one
DT: Gervon Dexter, Tyreak Sapp, Chris McClellan
DT: Jalen Lee, Desmond Watson
Florida’s 2023 projected defensive tackle depth chart ahead of week one
DT: Cam’Ron Jackson, Desmond Watson, Jamari Lyons or Will Norman
DT: Chris McClellan, Caleb Banks, Tyreak Sapp
As the 2022 season went on, Gervon Dexter and Desmond Watson pulled away as the teams go-to defensive tackles. Dexter logged 682 snaps in 13 games, the most snaps by a Gators’ defensive tackle in the PFF era (since 2014). The 6-6, 312-pound big man eclipsed 60+ snaps in five games last season due to a lack of depth behind him.
Watson logged 418 snaps in 2022, which was probably too many for the 439-pound defensive tackle. The Gators’ staff didn’t have much of a choice but to run with these two guys for the majority of the season.
Adding defensive tackle depth via the portal was a focal point in the offseason, especially after the loss of Gervon Dexter to the NFL.
“We’ve added some depth, which was kind of a problem last year,” defensive line coach Sean Spencer said during spring camp. “We had [Gervon] Dexter playing that many snaps and that’s not good for him and it’s not good for us. Now we have a lot more depth.”
Florida added transfers Cam’Ron Jackson and Caleb Banks into the mix during the offseason, giving the Gators a few more versatile options in the room.
“Honestly amazed,” defensive end Justus Boone on the two new additions. “Big Cam is huge and moves amazing for his size. Caleb, for his size he’s an amazing pass rusher in my eyes. I think he does really well getting off the ball and executing moves in his mind before he even puts them on, so he does good at that. Like I said Cam is just a unit and a moving unit, so that’s good.”
Jackson and Banks aren’t just additions to improve depth, they’re standout players in the defensive tackle room.
“I would say Cam Jackson and Caleb Banks,” OLB Princely Umanmielen said on who has stood out the most. “Cam Jackson, he’s a huge guy. He can overpower anybody he wants. Caleb Banks, he’s a great pass rusher. He’s a good finesse guy. He played basketball, so he knows how to move like a little guy.”
The improved depth at DT is surely going to help keep players fresh for four quarters, an area the Gators struggled in last season.
“Especially at the defensive tackle position, that has changed tremendously,” Umanmielen said on the depth helping with fatigue. “I think they did a great of recruiting guys to that defensive tackle position and now it’s a big competition in that room. Last year Gervon Dexter took a crazy amount of snaps, and now it’s not only that we have depth, but depth with good players. I feel like in football, the front line is one of the most important things, the offensive line and the defensively line, and now we have a great amount of depth at that position.”
Chris McClellan, who played in all 13 games during his freshman campaign, recorded more snaps last season than Gervon Dexter did in his first year.
”I’d probably say the depth is probably the best part,” McClellan said on the difference in the defensive tackle room this season. “I would say this year we have a lot of guys that can play, you got me, Caleb Banks, Cam Jackson, Des, Tyreak Sapp so we have a lot guys, Will Norman, that can get out there and play for us and that rotation is really going to … guys aren’t going to stay out there and get tired and not be able to compete throughout the game. The rotation and depth is just what we expect.”
The Gators will look to take significant strides on the defensive side of the ball behind improved depth at defensive tackle.