After losing TJ Searcy and Jack Pyburn to the transfer portal, the Gators have big shoes to fill at the JACK / OLB position. The two combined for 94 tackles, four sacks, eight tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles in 2024. However, the Gators returned George Gumbs at the position, added UMass transfer Kofi Asare and freshman Jayden Woods while moving LJ McCray from F to JACK.
“It was kind of a log-jam position last year. We had guys in a spot and as far as getting them on the field, and it’s part of the reason some of those guys left,” defensive coordinator Ron Roberts said on the JACK position. “I think Gumbs, then we moved LJ, over there, and you got Woods and Kofi (Asare) in there. I feel pretty strong about it, you know. We got some room to grow, we got some room to make up, but I think I feel really good about the players we have in this position.”
Often times teams will shuffle guys around on the defensive line in order to get their best players on the field. That’s exactly what the Gators did with rising sophomore LJ McCray.
“LJ is an impact player. He is extremely talented, and we’re trying to get our best 22 in the situation, how can we get the best guys on the field in the spots,” Roberts said on McCray. “And a lot of that JACK, a lot of the four-down stuff, was doing the same thing he was doing at ‘F’, they’re doing the same position. So there’s some drop things he’s got to get used to and get the reps of doing that. But when you put him on a tight end and things like that, he is a physical mismatch, I mean, and he’s a pass rusher, he’s a playmaker. He does a lot of things. So yeah, it’s a different weapon out there.”
Gumbs returns for his final season of college football after posting a breakout season in 2024, totaling 35 tackles, eight tackles for loss, five sacks, and two pass deflections. The 6’4, 253-pound edge was considered a raw at the position after switching to defense in 2023 at NIU. Gumbs potential is through the roof as there may not be a more athletic player on the Gators’ roster. With another offseason of growth and development, Gumbs could be in for a stellar 2025 season.
“His best football is still way ahead of him,” Roberts said on Gumbs. “And I know we’re gonna get him for one more here, but hopefully he’s gonna get that opportunity to continue to play, and he’ll continue to develop, but I expect him to be an impact player this year. I mean, he’s going to be a vital weapon. Obviously he needs to step up and be more impactful on third down. He was an impact player, but we want him to be more of an impact in how he uses his tools. But his best things, I can tell you, in our turnaround, it’s guys like him and feeding their effort and their mentality to play the game, and a lot of our players can feed off that.”
There’s a lot of buzz surrounding freshman edge Jayden Woods, who set a great example in the weight room this offseason, according to S&C coach Tyler Miles. Roberts provides us with some more insight on Woods.
“Great human being, tremendous effort. Very intelligent, high motor, all the intangibles you could ask for in a player, we’ve got it. So, it’s exciting to see,” Roberts said on Woods. “You think you got it, you hope, you think this is what you’re recruiting, and he is everything you hope for as a football coach.”
UMass transfer Kofi Asare is the last piece to the puzzle. In 2024, Asare finished with 32 total tackles (15), 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles in his first season on defense. He is similar to Gumbs in that he’s viewed as more of a project with multiple years of eligibility left and above average athletic traits. The hope is Florida can mold him into an impact player.
“Kofi’s a natural. He does a lot of things without even trying,” teammate Tyreak Sapp said on Asare. “Obviously, you’ve got some things that he’s going to be coached up on, just because he played at a place like UMass where a kid can be behind, like as far as far coaching and things. As far as technique and fundamentals, but he’s learning. He’s catching on quick. It’s kinda, like, later on in his career. So, he kind of understands a lot of things, but he knows how to take in information and apply it to his game. He’s gonna be good because he gets after it. He plays hard and I can see the passion in him. He really wants to. He understands how to play good team defense. So, he’s gonna be somebody to watch out for. He’s super athletic.”
The 6’4.5, 246-pound edge rusher likely won’t be as developed as Gumbs or McCray but could be used situationally given his athleticism.
Expected Depth Chart
Jack: LJ McCray OR George Gumbs, Kofi Asare, Jayden Woods
What is the F position?