Since Billy Napier was hired on Nov. 28, much of the discussion surrounding the Gators has been about the future. With the splash that Napier made on early national signing day and the seemingly never-ending staff that he’s putting together, fans have reason to believe that brighter days might be on the horizon.
However, it’s almost time to stop dwelling on the future and start thinking about what the 2022 season might entail for the Gators. They’ll begin spring practice in two weeks.
Until then, we’ll break down what to watch for from each position during the spring. We’ll continue today with the inside linebackers.
The Returnees
Diwun Black, Amari Burney, Ventrell Miller, Scooby Williams and Derek Wingo
This has the potential to be one of the deepest positions on the team if everything goes right this offseason.
Getting Miller back from a biceps injury will probably have a bigger impact on the 2022 defense than anything recruiting or coaching related. He was the glue that held the run defense together, and that became painfully obvious after his injury in week two.
He started 21 games during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He led the team with 88 tackles in 2020 and also added 3 ½ sacks and 7 ½ tackles-for-loss. He made 55 tackles (second on the team) and three sacks in 2019.
Miller isn’t the most fleet of foot, which causes him to get beat in coverage at times, but he brings a level of toughness and leadership to the position that cannot be taught.
Burney is the only other returning inside linebacker with extensive playing experience. He’s played in all 25 games over the past two years and turned in some up and down performances. He’s a jack of all trades. He came to UF as a defensive back, so you know he has good coverage skills for a linebacker. He’s up to 236 pounds now, which gives him the ability to be good against the run as well.
Unfortunately, Burney hasn’t really excelled in either area for any length of time. He’s been a pretty average player all the way around. If he doesn’t show something this spring, he could be in danger of losing playing time to the talented trio of younger players.
Black is someone to keep a close eye on this spring. He’s another player with a defensive back background, and he showed some promise early in 2021 before his playing time inexplicably tailed off as the year went on. With better coaching and more opportunity in 2022, big things could be in store for him.
Williams only played in four games last year to preserve his redshirt, but he played really well against UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl. He came to UF as an undersized pass-rushing specialist type of player, but he’s up to 232 pounds now. If he can be stout against the run, he’ll get a lot more playing time this year.
Wingo is a giant mystery. He was one of the highest-ranked linebackers in the 2020 class, but he’s played sparingly in his first two seasons. He did make a career-high six tackles against UCF, which suggests that brighter days might be on the horizon for him.
The Newcomers
None
The Gators’ only inside linebacker signee, Shemar James, won’t enroll until the summer.
Breakout Watch
Scooby Williams
Williams has the complete package. He was regarded as a top-notch pass-rusher in high school. He’s had a year in college to increase his strength, which should allow him to disengage blockers more effectively. His athleticism should allow him to do well in coverage as he continues to refine his technique.
He’s the type of player that Patrick Toney and Jay Bateman can move around to create mismatches based on the situation.
You saw flashes of how good he can be during the 2021 season. If he continues his rapid upward trajectory, he could contend for All-SEC honors this fall.
Three Questions
1. How healthy is Miller?
It’s one thing to be medically cleared to play again following an injury. It’s another thing for a player to be confident in his body to hold up and to play like he did before the injury.
The Gators need Miller to return to his pre-injury form this season. There’s no question that they’ll be a much better defense with him on the field.
This spring will be about Miller knocking the rust off and working his way back into the flow of things.
2. How will the roles sort themselves out?
Toney operates out of a base 3-4 defense. That means that at least two of the five inside linebackers will be on the field most of the time and maybe even three of them depending on how things shake out at the outside linebacker spot.
The biggest weakness with this group is that they don’t really have any complete players. Miller is an old-school physical thumper, Williams and Wingo are converted edge rushers, and Burney and Black are former defensive backs.
Miller will probably play the vast majority of snaps, but the other spot or two on the field will probably have to be filled on a rotating basis because of the diversity of skillsets. This spring should tell us a lot about how this will work out.
3. Can Burney hold off the younger guys?
Under the previous coaching staff, Burney would be pretty much a lock to start alongside Miller. He’s the oldest and most experienced of the other four players, and Dan Mullen’s staff seemed to rely heavily on seniority when filling out the lineup.
That likely won’t be the case with Napier, Toney and Bateman. The best players for a given situation are going to be the ones on the field.
So, Burney should have a major battle for playing time with the other three guys. This will be a fun competition to watch this spring.