Gators' Edge Rusher Has Caught Napier’s Attention Amid Return from Injury

Florida Gators' edge rusher Jack Pyburn's recovery from an ACL tear less than a year ago was seen by many as a miraculously fast recovery, and now he's fighting for reps on the struggling defense.

Sep 16, 2023; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators defensive end Jack Pyburn (44) gestures to the crowd during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Last season, the best game of Jack Pyburn’s Florida Gators career ended in one of the worst possible ways. During his first career start against Arkansas, Pyburn had already tied his career-high in tackles before tearing his ACL on a crucial third-down.

After playing sparingly as a freshman, the former three-star recruit was beginning to see an increase in playing time before his injury. As a sophomore, Pyburn recorded 17 tackles through nine games and was expected to continually increase his snap counts

Pyburn views his setback as a blessing in disguise, stating that the rehabilitation process allowed him to fine-tune some abilities and techniques that he may have overlooked in the past.

“Had I not been injured, I might not have had time to work on those things. But with my injury, I had time to work on a lot of my weaknesses that I had. So honestly, I just view everything in my journey as a blessing,” Pyburn said Wednesday evening. 

Pyburn’s positive mindset and attention to detail appears to have paid dividends. Through just four games, the Jacksonville (Fla.) native already has more tackles for loss (2.5) than he did throughout the entirety of last season and is third on his position group in tackles (15).

In Florida’s recent matchup against Mississippi State, Pyburn logged 25 snaps. The junior edge-rusher made a tackle on nearly 25% of his plays on the field, finishing with a career-high six tackles and one tackle for loss. 

When asked if any particular players impressed him after the Mississippi State game, Gators' head coach Billy Napier acknowledged Pyburn’s progress. 

“Jack Pyburn has had a lot of production. I think he played well in that game. He would be a guy that would be at the top of the list in my opinion,” Napier said. 

Besides tearing his ACL, Pyburn explained that he has also dealt with other knee problems, hamstring issues and back issues. Prior to his knee injury, Pyburn had not missed a game due to injury throughout his time at Florida (only missed one game in high school). 

While facing an abundance of obstacles, Pyburn says that he leaned on his internal confidence throughout his road to recovery.

"I just play with a chip on my shoulder, like I have something to prove. I have a lot of self-belief,” said Pyburn.

Although the Gators have got off to a rough start this season, Pyburn insists that the team's record does not reflect their level of talent and confidence. 

“The hardest part for me is that I know how good we can be. I’ve seen it day in and day out. We have elite players on defense, but we just have to play as one. We are really starting to take those steps in the right direction to play as one and believe in one another, because we know our coaches believe in us and we believe in ourselves,” Pyburn said.  

The Gators will have a chance to improve that record on Saturday against UCF, who boasts the nation's No. 2 rushing offense. Kickoff from The Swamp is at 7:45 p.m. with television coverage on SEC Network.