Florida Gators Land Penn State DT Transfer Antonio Shelton
Penn State defensive lineman Antonio Shelton has announced that he will transfer to play for the Florida Gators.
Different animal, same beast. #GoGators 🐊🐊 @1CoachCoop @coachdt48 @CoachDanMullen pic.twitter.com/gKsbuipxGF
— Antonio Valentino (@_groovy55) January 6, 2021
Shelton, 6-foot-2, 327 pounds originally announced his intentions to leave the Nittany Lions after four seasons on Dec. 23 of last year. A redshirt senior last season, Shelton made seven starts with Penn State and made 14 total tackles (5 solos), 4.5 tackles-for-loss and 3.5 sacks last season.
In his career, Shelton has played in 31 games, totaling 51 tackles (17 solos), 12.5 TFL and six sacks. He was used primarily as the team's big man in the middle as a nose tackle who could take on blocks and defend the run due to his large frame. While he was not exactly proficient as a pass rusher, that was also not his primary focus along the defensive line.
For the Gators, following the departure of defensive tackles TJ Slaton and Kyree Campbell, a major need on the interior of the defense was officially created. With Shelton now in the fold, the Gators can add some veteran presence to go along with young defensive linemen such as Gervon Dexter and Jalen Lee among others.
The Gators and head coach Dan Mullen are constantly looking to add players to their team via the transfer portal. While Shelton is technically a graduate transfer, the NCAA provided all fall athletes with an extra year of eligibility due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the questions that came with it.
Moving forward, Florida will have a much better with their defensive line group led by defensive tackle/end Zachary Carter and coached by defensive line coach David Turner.