Florida Football: 3 reasons Gators will win the SEC title in 2020

1. Todd Grantham and this Gator defense

Todd Grantham is a great defensive mind and has improved every defense he’s been a part of. Dan Mullen bringing him over from Mississippi State was a major impact move.

Last season, the Gators’ defense finished top 10 in scoring, total yards, rushing yards and yards per play. There’s a lot of talent that’s now gone including the team’s leading tackler linebacker David Reese and the conference’s sacks and tackles for loss leader defensive end Jonathan Greenard.

Florida has become a defensive factory for the NFL. The program has been able to recruit well and develop their guys to play above expectations.

The defensive line has a mix of experience and young talented upside returning with Zachary Carter, Kyree Campbell and Tederell Stanton all being upperclassmen. Former five-star recruit Brenton Cox transferred over from Georgia and should be able to make an impact off the edge. Five-star freshman nose tackle Gervon Dexter has a lot of buzz around him and will have an opportunity to shine.

At linebacker Ventrell Miller and James Houston will need to step up to replace Reese.

The Gators’ secondary looks like it’ll be the defense’s biggest strength once again. Corners Marco Wilson and Kaiir Elam are both studs and could end up as the conference’s top duo. Safety Shawn Davis could’ve gone pro after last season but is back for his senior season. He’ll likely hear his name called in the first few rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Gators use a ‘Star’ position which is a linebacker/corner hybrid and Amari Burney is back starting there. T

he SEC always has some of the best defenses in the country and this year won’t be different. The Gators might not end up ahead of Georgia but they’ll be right there with a lot of talented guys.