The question of who the most important player on Florida’s team next year is an easy one: DJ Lagway. I recently watched some highlights of his to remind myself of how good he is, and folks: he’s really, really good.
You could even see a progression for him through the season. At the beginning, he was trying to get away with things that you can do in high school that you can’t in the SEC. Getting the full game against Samford probably didn’t help with that. Yet, he did learn and grow. He wasn’t trying to do those things by the end of the season. Some quarterbacks need years to get those trained out of them.
But Lagway aside, who is the most important player? I’d say it’s Caleb Banks, and I’m not sure it’s close.
Banks came on very strong down the stretch. He was a complete menace in the last few contests following the Texas loss. Getting him to come back was huge, especially if he can perform like that from Game 1. Having a guy like that in the middle of the defensive line is the sort of thing that wins ballgames you’d otherwise lose.
But also, look at who’s behind Banks. Can you name the likely backup?
I’ve been working on something for the main site that I’ll post after the dust settles on the spring portal period, but it involves assessing the depth chart. After checking with the depth chart guess on the Bull Gator Den plus a few other places, I am reasonably convinced that Banks’s backup is Brien Taylor. Who?
Taylor was a JUCO transfer who joined the team last year. He played in ten games, though without distinguishing himself much. He spent two years at Blinn College, so he’s entering his fourth season out of high school.
The spring roster lists Taylor at 278 pounds, or 51 pounds lighter than Banks. Again, Taylor’s entering his fourth season after high school. If that’s where he’s at by now, that’s about where he’s going to be. Part of why he’s smaller is that he was an edge rusher coming out of JUCO, not a defensive tackle.
The terminology that UF uses on its defensive front is a bit confusing. Banks is technically a “defensive end” in the system, which is a holdover from old 3-4 nomenclature. The nose is the only official defensive tackle with a pair of defensive ends on either side. But also, there is what would’ve just been called an outside linebacker, and that guy mostly rushes the passer but sometimes drops into coverage.
The “defensive end” on the OLB’s side was always bigger than the “defensive end” who was actually on the end of the line. Banks is the inside DE who’ll be covered by the edge, which UF calls “EDGE” on the roster but Jack in their in-house parlance. The nose is still the nose, and then the actual defensive end is just called the F position. Got that? Jack and F are on the ends of the lines, with the nose tackle and defensive end between them.
Taylor’s 278 is not out of line for the F, but it’s light for an interior lineman. Also in the mix is D’Antre Robinson, who is reportedly getting some looks at nose tackle as well. He’s listed at 303, which is light for a nose — imagine, being 303 and being told you need to bulk up — but fine for the quicker of the two interior spots.
I would hope to see Robinson take the spot since he’s the more highly touted player, though I just want excellence no matter who’s doing the job. It may be that Taylor and Robinson rotate situationally, but they do need to rotate in. We all saw how Gervon Dexter ran out of gas frequently from overuse a few years back. You don’t want to see that happen to Banks this year.
When I hear that a team will be led by a quarterback on offense and a dynamic defensive tackleon defense, I immediately think of 2010 Auburn. That was basically a two-man team between Cam Newton and DT Nick Fairley, though there were some other notable guys like Michael Dyer. If either of those big two had missed time, it likely would’ve derailed the team and cost it the title it won.
This Gators team has a lot more talent and future draft picks on it than 2010 Auburn did, but Lagway and Banks stand way out as the least replaceable guys on the team. The only other single player who registers is Devin Moore, but at this point, one has to be making contingency plans for when and not if he gets injured. UF proved to have a lot of quality depth behind Moore and Jason Marshall last year, but you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think Marshall and Moore (when fully healthy) were a cut above the rest.
I have read the reports about Lagway not throwing and Banks sitting some time out during spring. I get it, I really do. You don’t want them getting seriously hurt. There is no one else on the team like them at their spots, and there won’t be anyone in the spring portal of similar quality.
Bubble wrap them for months if needed, because Lagway and Banks are the two most irreplaceable guys on the squad this year.