How Florida's Edge Rush Changes Without Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr.
Photo: Justus Boone; Credit: Alex Shepherd
The idea that Florida lost a projected starting edge rusher to the transfer portal on Friday isn't untrue, but it deserves further context.
Rising fourth-year junior Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr.'s intention to play elsewhere moving forward came as a surprise. The Portsmouth, Va. native stepped into a first-team role for Florida over halfway through the 2022 season in the wake of edge rusher Brenton Cox Jr.'s October dismissal from the program.
Powell-Ryland performed admirably following the promotion, accumulating 18 tackles, three sacks, five tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in five starts to conclude the year. He was considered the incumbent starter at his position this offseason as a result.
An expansion of his position's makeup, however, should soften the blow of his exit.
Outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson's job title was changed to edge rushers coach this offseason, and his unit absorbed the Gators' defensive ends from assistant Sean Spencer's group of defensive linemen.
“Group getting bigger, I don’t know about changing," Peterson said on March 25. "I’m kind of doing some things that I’ve done before in the past, coaching a couple new techniques, but I’m excited about it. I think the guys are doing great.”
Should the positions not have combined, Powell-Ryland would have been considered a rather uncontested first-teamer at his spot entering the 2023 season without experienced players backing him up.
Of last year's JACK outside linebacker batch, only rising sophomore Jack Pyburn remains among scholarship contributors. Before Powell-Ryland, fellow former Florida edge rushers David Reese, Chief Borders and Lloyd Summerall III also hit the transfer portal and landed elsewhere.
Instead, because of the regrouping, Florida's room of scholarship edge rushers now consists of Pyburn, junior Princely Umanmielen, redshirt sophomore Justus Boone and true freshmen Kelby Collins, T.J. Searcy and Kamran James. Preferred walk-on Bryce Capers, originally a JACK, is a candidate to play too after appearing in three of UF's final four matchups to end his freshman campaign.
And while he's listed as a defensive lineman, the 6-foot-3, 271-pound "tweener" build of redshirt sophomore Tyreak Sapp could also lead to snaps on the edge. Should that be the case, Florida could be considered four players deep on each side of the defensive front.
Although experience remains relatively limited across the depth of the unit, Umanmielen and Boone comfortably project to occupy starting roles on each edge. Both appeared in each game defensively for Florida in 2022, with Umanmielen making 11 starts at defensive end opposite the JACK.
Umanmielen produced a breakout season as the heir to Zachary Carter at his position, tallying single-season career highs of 39 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Boone added 24 tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss in a rotation with Umanmielen and other defensive linemen, depending on the front.
The immediate depth roles behind Umanmielen and Boone, are likely to be battled for with Pyburn, Capers and the trio of freshmen vying to make an impact. Pyburn took on a key special teams role for the Gators in the final eight games of the 2022 season and earned snaps on the edge in the final three contests.
All eyes will be on the development of Collins, Searcy and James, three of Florida's prized class of 2023 signings both in the trenches and overall. Each player boasts a unique physical profile to create a promising mix of speed and power rushers: Collins is 6-foot-4, 277 pounds, Searcy is 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, and James is 6-foot-6, 268 pounds.
Their field deployment isn't likely to be rushed, however, one or multiple freshmen could certainly earn a share of reps or be relied upon in the event of an injury to an edge rusher above them on the depth chart.
Peterson has been pleased with the infusion of recent high school talent into his unit thus far.
"I got three young guys that's kind of exciting to coach," Peterson said of Collins, Searcy and James. "Anybody around me, that's been around me they probably can attest to this, I feel really, really good about my group.
"I coach them hard. I try to be really demanding of the guys, but they accept it and usually when they get a little older, it all makes sense."
Florida could always look to the transfer portal for help at edge rusher if the coaching staff considers the position a need. The reformation of the unit, however, prevents the acquisition of portal talent from being an absolute necessity before the 2023 season begins.
There could be some growing pains along the way as the Gators look to fill his reps, but Florida's edge rushing position may not be as damaged by Powell-Ryland's departure as advertised.
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