The Gators pick up their 2nd commitment of the day with Houston transfer LB Mannie Nunnery. He pledged to Florida via Twitter on Monday afternoon.
“Let’s turn up the heat!!!!,” he posted with a graphic.
Nunnery was originally a member of the 2019 class where he attended Shadow Creek High School in Pearland, Texas.
The 6-2, 225-pound linebacker spent four seasons with the Cougars, totaling 127 tackles (48 solo), 3.5 sacks, two pass deflections, and one forced fumble.
Nunnery spent most of his first three seasons as a reserve linebacker and special teams player. In 2021, Nunnery led Houston in special teams snaps with 244, posting a grade of 67.3, according to Pro Football Focus.
In 2022, Nunnery played in nine games at linebacker, totaling 354 defensive snaps in that span. His defensive grade of 73.2 ranked 9th on Houston’s defense. Nunnery’s coverage grade of 77.5 ranked 3rd on the team, an impressive figure for a linebacker.
The Gators’ LB unit struggled mightily in coverage last season, so adding Nunnery to the room could be very beneficial for Florida in 2023.
Nunnery marks the 3rd transfer LB addition of the offseason for Billy Napier and his staff, joining Teradja Mitchell and Deuce Spurlock as Gators.
It’s unclear what Nunnery’s role will be for the Gators as his 225-pound frame could allow him to move around the defense a little. Nunnery was recruited as a safety in high school. Regardless, Nunnery brings special teams experience and a versatile frame to the roster. Billy Napier continues to attack positions of need in the transfer portal.
Nunnery isn’t enrolled at Florida just yet, but that should be coming shortly. He has two years of eligibility remaining.