After the unfortunate season-ending injury of redshirt sophomore Justus Boone, a few notable players have stepped up with week one quickly approaching.
In Thursday’s scrimmage this past week, sophomore defensive lineman Jack Pyburn was a standout, recording two sacks while taking over in place of Boone.
“You don’t make plays off of just going out there and trying to be an athlete or just being a good player,” Pyburn said on his performance in the scrimmage. “You make plays off of doing your job. And when you do your job, when you define your role and your part of your role, that’s when you make plays. You know obviously you can do a little bit extra here, a little bit extra there, but the scheme is designed to allow you to make plays, and if you know the scheme, follow the scheme, you’ll make plays.”
The Jacksonville native was a bruiser on special teams last season and was arguably the best special team’s player in the room. Pyburn didn’t take any opportunity for granted in 2022 and that didn’t go unnoticed by Coach Napier and this staff.
“I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity, you know, not to redshirt last year, to be able to make an impact for my team. I started out the year actually on scout team, didn’t have a whole lot of opportunity. But from that moment, I said, ‘This isn’t going to define me.’ And I worked extremely hard every day. Coach Napier saw it, all the other coaches saw it and because of my work, they decided to give me an opportunity on special teams,” Pyburn said on the experience he gained last season. “Towards the end of the year I ended up being, I think, either the first or second highest-graded special teams’ player. So, you know, it’s about owning your role, knowing who you are and striving to be more.”
Coach Mike Peterson played a crucial role in the development of the sophomore edge rusher this past offseason with a precise workout regimen.
Prior to Florida, the former standout at The Bolles School primarily played linebacker and needed work on his body and technique as a pass rusher.
“When I was in high school, I mean, I played linebacker, and you know, people told me ‘I think you could be an edge rusher,” Pyburn said on playing edge. “When I came here, I looked like a plank. I couldn’t move well, I just couldn’t do these things. So, Coach Peterson just told me, ‘jump rope, yoga.’ I took those things, and over the offseason, I did yoga three days a week. I mean, now, when you watch me play, y’all are gonna see, I mean, I don’t even look like the same person anymore.”
“So, it’s just taking those little things from my coach and, you know, I implemented those things every single day and took them to heart, and then, as well as just moves and stuff,” Pyburn said. “So, he’s really worked on me, my double swipe, everyone knows I got power, I play aggressive, I play physical, but he’s really helped me to work on my hands, work on my speed and be you know, owning that I can also be a fast and twitchy guy, not just a big power muscle.”
Pyburn also brought a wrestling background with him to Gainesville, which he believes has helped him transition into college football.
The defensive front has high hopes entering 2023 with multiple players looking to have breakout seasons. The competition is ramping up across the board with everyone looking to make an impact.
“I tell you, as a group, we’ve probably had one of the best weeks of practice in the EDGE room as possible because we’re all just competing and trying to raise each other up to another level. I couldn’t be more proud of every single person in that room. We’ll make up the ground for him,” Pyburn said on making it up to Boone. “As soon as he got injured, the next day we put his jersey up on our wall in the outside linebacker room and EDGE room. I wrote a little note, so every time you are in there and you’re watching film, you’re going over your plays, and understanding what you’re doing, you look up there and see that, it gives you a little pep in your step, for sure.”
The 6-3, 253-pound edge rusher played in eight games finishing with three solo tackles last season. In just his senior season alone at The Bolles School, Pyburn registered 14 sacks, 109 tackles, 32 TFL, two pass deflections, a blocked field goal and a fumble recovery.
I expect Jack Pyburn to share a major role at either end of the defensive line in 2023.