Florida Football: Way-too-early 2-deep depth chart projection for 2019
Defensive Line
The foundation of Florida’s defense in 2018 was its defensive line that consistently pressured opposing quarterbacks. The Gators finished the year with 37 sacks which was tied for the 20th most in the country. With the loss of future first-round pick, Jachai Polite, and locker room leader, CeCe Jefferson, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham will be searching for his next breakout star.
Starting tackles: Adam Shuler, Kyree Campbell
Backups: Tedarrell Slaton, Marlon Dunlap, Elijah Conliffe, Jaelin Humphries
Both Adam Shuler and Kyree Campbell will enter training camp expecting to retain their starting roles. Neither are necessarily game-changers, but both enjoyed solid under-the-radar seasons in 2018, and that experience should benefit them in 2019.
The development of Elijah Conliffe, Tedarrell Slaton and in-coming freshman Jaelin Humphries will be important for this position. Depth is a concern for the upcoming season and beyond as Humphries stands as the only underclassman at the position on the roster. Look for the coaches to develop Conliffe and Slaton as starters for 2020 and expect Humphries to see snaps in 2019 to jumpstart his development.
Starting end: Jabari Zuniga
Backups: Andrew Chatfield, Zachary Carter, Antonneous Clayton
The name Jabari Zuniga is already familiar to Florida fans. During the 2018 season, Zuniga gobbled up 6.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and earned plenty of playing time in key moments. Continued improvement from Zuniga – particularly against the run – would help soften the loss of CeCe Jefferson.
Backing up Zuniga are several talented, young, unproven defensive ends. Andrew Chatfield, Zachary Carter and Antonneous Clayton all remain wildcards, but could immediately contribute if their development accelerates in 2019.
Starting buck: Jeremiah Moon
Backups: Jon Greenard, Mohamoud Diabate, Lloyd Sumerall
When speaking to the Athletic’s Will Sammon following Florida’s victory over Michigan in the Peach Bowl, Jachai Polite had high praise for his teammate Jeremiah Moon: “(H)e’s a freak. He’s going to put on 15 pounds and be a straight monster. He already is a monster.”
The Gators will certainly need Moon to produce after losing Polite to the NFL draft, and if his teammates are correct, Moon could have a special campaign in 2019. Even if Moon doesn’t live up to expectations, however, Grantham will still have a cupboard chock-full of talent.
Look for Jon Greenard – a graduate transfer from Louisville with one year of eligibility remaining – to push for significant playing time, as well. Recruited and signed by Grantham when he served as the Louisville defensive coordinator from 2014-16, Greenard should plug-in immediately and can serve as a mentor in the locker room. Finally, incoming freshmen Mohamoud Diabate and Lloyd Sumerall could receive snaps as the season progresses.