Florida Gators 2022 Positional Outlook: Linebacker
Billy Napier's first offseason in charge of Florida Gators football is sure to be a busy and exciting one.
With roster reconstruction already underway via recruiting and the transfer portal, the next step in preparing for his first season as Florida's head coach will focus on identifying and developing talent already on the roster, and determining how to use it best in 2022.
In order to best preview the Gators' upcoming spring camp and the season to come, AllGators is taking a look at each position on the roster to recognize the strengths and weaknesses at each spot, as well as put together early projections of individual depth charts.
RELATED: Gators 2022 positional outlooks
To wrap up Florida's defensive positional outlooks, let's take a look at what's in store at inside linebacker for the 2022 season.
Gators 2022 linebacker outlook
This is another position where an intense camp battle is expected to occur, as Jeremiah Moon is off to the NFL and formerly projected starter Ty'Ron Hopper transferred to Missouri in recent months.
The Gators received good news when Ventrell Miller announced that he will return for a sixth season at UF. He missed the majority of the 2021 season with a torn bicep, but filled the middle linebacker position well as a starter in 2020 as a stout run defender and solid, albeit not great coverage man.
As such, Miller is widely expected to hold onto his starting spot as the Gators' MIKE linebacker. But who will start next to him in the weak-side 'backer role?
Florida has several options, however, most of them do not provide much college playing experience.
Amari Burney certainly does, however, he has yet to prove himself as a consistent contributor in his five seasons and across his 45 games of playing time. He could remain a factor in the linebacker rotation, but we envision the new-look Gators defense betting on potential next to Miller moving forward.
That leaves senior and former JUCO transfer Diwun Black, junior Derek Wingo, and redshirt freshmen Jeremiah 'Scooby' Williams and Chief Borders as contenders to take over on the weak-side.
Wingo has been groomed to play middle linebacker over the last two years after playing edge rusher in high school and has been commended within the program for his football IQ, suggesting that he'd serve the position well as a communicator in between the front and back levels of the defense.
Black, Williams and Borders bring the length and athleticism required to man the weak-side 'backer spot and make plays in space, specifically pursuing ball-carriers to the outside of the formation as well as in coverage. Borders' size profile (6-foot-4, 232 pounds) suggests he could play off the ball and on the edge, which makes us think Black and Williams could earn more spring reps at the second level and make a stronger push for the role.
Early 2022 depth chart projection
Starters: Ventrell Miller (middle) and Diwun Black (weak-side)
Key backups: Derek Wingo, Amari Burney, Jeremiah Williams, Chief Borders
Due to pure positional fits, Black may hold an advantage over Wingo to play the weak-side as the latter has practiced at the middle linebacker spot over the last two years, while Black did play the position during his time at Mississippi Gulf Coast. That being said, we could see Wingo making a push for playing time in a rotation with Miller, likely on passing downs due to his athletic ability.
Thanks to his experience as a defensive back at the beginning of his career, Burney could be in for a passing-down role as well which could leave Williams and Borders on the outside looking in for snaps in 2022.
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