Florida Gators 2021 Roster Outlook: Defensive Line, BUCK Rush End

What can we expect along the defensive line for the Florida Gators in 2021?

With two starters off to the NFL Draft and a need for improved performance as is, all eyes will be on the progression of Florida's defensive line entering the 2021 season. 

UF quickly addressed significant depth issues with two transfer acquisitions within weeks of the 2020 season ending, but those moves may not be enough to shore up the line in the short and long term. Rather, recruits developing at a fast rate will be necessary in case they are needed.

After previously reviewing each contributor's performance on the defensive line (ends here, tackles here) for Florida during the 2020 season, it's time to look forward to 2021 by previewing the talent across the unit. Each positional outlook story will feature starting projections from AllGators.

Previous roster outlooks: Quarterbacks; running backs; wide receivers; tight ends; offensive line

Starters

Strong-side defensive end: Zachary Carter

One of two returning starters across the defensive line for Florida, Carter offers experience both on the edge and inside at tackle. Considering the lack of proven talent set to take the field up front for the Gators this upcoming season, such experience makes Carter Florida's most valuable lineman.

Carter became a full-time starter a season ago, beginning at tackle until Kyree Campbell returned to the lineup, pushing Carter back out to the strong-side end. He finished the season with 35 tackles, five sacks, nine tackles for loss, 36 quarterback pressures (per Pro Football Focus), a fumble recovery, and two defended passes.

With ambitions of reaching the NFL, the 6-foot-4, 290-pound lineman looks to take the next step after a successful first season with first-team reps. Carter will certainly be depended on for production as the season goes on, as well as taking younger players under his wing.

When Carter moves inside to tackle in certain packages, keep an eye on Khris Bogle. Although his chances to produce have been limited, Bogle has made plays when he's cracked the rotation, registering 3.5 sacks and 27 tackles on 303 snaps last season.

Nose tackle: Daquan Newkirk or Jalen Lee

Penn State transfer Antonio Shelton was nearly included here, but he provides much more experience at three-technique than nose tackle which will be discussed further in the next section.

Following the departure of senior T.J. Slaton to the 2021 NFL Draft, Florida is left rather bare at the nose tackle position. Newkirk, a transfer from Auburn, and Lee, a rising sophomore, project as the next men up at the position.

Slaton was solid as Florida's nose tackle and often overpowered his opposing blockers, but struggled to keep his body fresh and played his best ball on a snap count. When Slaton played tired or Florida rotated in a younger body, the position left something to be desired. Lee took the field for 60 snaps in that rotation, notching a strip-sack against Missouri.

Newkirk logged 96 of his 514 defensive line snaps at nose tackle in 2020. He posted 1.5 sacks and four tackles for loss over the past two seasons with the Tigers.

Defensive tackle: Gervon Dexter or Antonio Shelton

Throughout the 2020 season, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham made a big deal of UF's defensive improvement coming at the hands of Campbell returning to the lineup. Campbell, Florida's previous starting defensive tackle, joins Slaton with eyes on the pros this offseason, leaving the Gators in quite a predicament if he was important to UF's success as Grantham suggested.

Florida has two distinctive options to replace Campbell as its three-technique tackle: Dexter, a sophomore, or Shelton, in his first season away from Penn State. Dexter, a former consensus five-star recruit, might have an edge here after seeing the field for 254 defensive snaps in 2020. 

Shelton is experienced with 40 games under his belt, but Dexter is the top recruit that Florida has signed under head coach Dan Mullen and showed enough promise during his true freshman season to warrant a starting opportunity. Dexter put together 20 tackles, including two for loss, and an interception last year, along with four QB pressures. Long, athletic, and explosive, Dexter has the makings of a dominant interior lineman if he puts it all together consistently.

Expect Shelton to earn playing time nonetheless, as he provides positional flexibility and can play nose tackle as well. He has spent the majority of his career at three-technique, though.

BUCK rush end: Brenton Cox Jr.

Cox started throughout his entire first eligible season with the Gators in 2020, beginning at strong-side end with Campbell out of the lineup before eventually flipping to BUCK rush end. The former Georgia Bulldog was flashy as the heir to Jonathan Greenard on the edge, with 3.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and 48 quarterback pressures (PFF).

Cox could stand to improve as a run defender and containing mobile quarterbacks, but there is little doubt that his athleticism is an asset against offensive tackles to get opposing signal-callers off of their spot. Entering his second full season as starter in college, odds are the former five-star prospect will take a step forward this upcoming year.

When Cox slides around the formation or needs a breather, Jeremiah Moon and Andrew Chatfield are more than serviceable candidates to take his place on the field. 

Depth

Much like on the offensive line, UF's depth up front on defense is rather unproven and will rely on potential paired with development in most cases moving forward.

Along with Bogle, redshirt junior Dante Lang also provides experience, although it is juvenile following his transition from tight end last season. Rising sophomore Princely Umanmielen recorded two sacks as a strong-side edge rusher last year. In general, that position is one of Florida's more reliable spots on the line.

BUCK should prove to be a strong spot as well, perhaps over time given the youth at the position behind Cox beyond Moon and Chatfield. Antwaun Powell and Lloyd Summerall III are both intriguing talents who have yet to take the field in a meaningful capacity for Florida, and Jeremiah Williams was one of UF's top recruits in the class of 2021. Bogle could take snaps on this end of the line as well.

Along the interior? It's a different story.

Shelton figures to serve as a great depth piece if he doesn't earn a starting role, as his previous playing time at several positions should benefit the entirety of the line. Newkirk offers similar experience from his time at Auburn, which should allow UF to ease its young talent onto the field rather than rush it.

Beyond those two - both new members of Florida's defense - UF doesn't have much to hang its hat in in terms of interior defensive line depth. Lamar Goods, Jaelin Humphries, and Lucas Alonso have each been in the program for a short white and have eight snaps to show for it, all from Humphries. Justus Boone, Desmond Watson, and Christopher Thomas are incoming freshmen this offseason. Each of these prospects will be tasked with developing into game-ready shape, physically and mentally, quickly.

Final thoughts

The Gators need their defense as a whole to improver next season after ranking No. 100 nationally against the pass, No. 71 against the run, and No. 74 in points per game allowed in 2020. 

It all starts up front. Florida was able to generate a solid pass rush last season, but not consistently as depth issues turned plagued the team throughout the year. With players shuffling in and out of the lineup, UF was not able to gel together as a run defense unit and routinely got gashed by opposing running backs for stretches at a time in nearly every game.

Fixing those issues won't come easy with two starters departing from the program, the entire interior line being made over, and loads of first and second-year players expected to occupy important roles within the team's depth. Assistant coach David Turner has received praise aplenty during his two seasons in charge of Florida's defensive line - this is the year where he can truly prove his worth.