ESPN College Football

Our look at the SEC's most productive returning players in 2012 continues with a look at the sack artists.

Past producers:

• Quarterback
• Running back
• Wide receiver
• Tight end

The SEC returns six players that ranked in the top 10 in sacks in 2011. Three of the top four sack men from a year ago are gone, but Mr. Sack himself, Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones, is back. Defenses will key in on Jones more this fall, but it'll still be hard to stop him, so expect him to battle to keep his crown.

The obvious top performer when it came to sacks:

Jarvis Jones, LB, Georgia: Jones led the SEC with 13.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss. He did all of this in his first season playing in the SEC after transferring from USC in 2010. Jones really made SEC tackles suffer, as 12.5 of his sacks came in league play. Jones played like a freight train chugging off of the line. He showed tremendous speed and agility and was nearly unstoppable at times, registering 49 quarterback hurries. His best performance came in a pivotal game against Florida, where he recorded four sacks. Jones is already getting a ton of NFL draft love, as ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. rates him as the No. 2 player on his first Big Board . Jones was also second on the team with 70 tackles.

The SEC returns five more of its top sackers:

Corey Lemonier, DE, Auburn: He recorded 9.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss and 15 quarterback hurries.

Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU: He recorded nine sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss and one quarterback hurry.

Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU: He recorded eight sacks, 15 tackles for loss and 11 quarterback hurries.

Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina: He recorded eight sacks, 12 tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries.

Devin Taylor, DE, South Carolina: He recorded six sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries.

It feels like the SEC produces pass rushers likes trees produce leaves. Jones leads the pack right now, but those LSU ends are going to put up quite the fight because it'll be tough for anyone to block both at the same time. Clowney was good as a freshman, but people expect bigger and better in 2012.

Florida lost Ronald Powell this spring, but Lerentee McCray is a player to keep an eye on. He missed spring with a shoulder injury, but coach Will Muschamp is very excited about what McCray can do on the outside with his speed and relentlessness. Also, watch out for linebackers Alonzo Highsmith at Arkansas and Adrian Hubbard at Alabama. Highsmith suffered a pec injury this spring, but he should be fine for the fall after leading the Razorbacks with 12.5 tackles for loss. Hubbard replaces Courtney Upshaw at the Jack linebacker position and people at Alabama left spring impressed with the youngster.

Texas A&M has a couple of players that could compete for the sack title this fall in linebacker Sean Porter and end Damontre Moore, who combined for 18 sacks and 34.5 tackles for loss. Porter is a player who is already garnering a lot of draft attention and will enter the fall as one of the SEC's top linebackers.

And don't forget about Ole Miss linebacker/defensive end C.J. Johnson. He only registered one sack last year, but the coaches in Oxford feel very good about how much he improved this spring. He'll be used as more of a pass rusher this year, and if he adds some weight he'll be the cause of a lot of headaches for opposing tackles.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Some extra thoughts and notes on my time in Gainesville from last weekend:

• I'll start things off by talking about defensive end/Buck Ronald Powell, who will be out four to six months after tearing his ACL in the Orange and Blue Debut. Before the injury, most around Florida's program felt Powell was having the best spring of any of the defenders. After two seasons in which people expected more from Powell, he really turned it up this spring. He was more aggressive, tougher and caused more headaches for Florida's offense than he had during any other time. Coach Will Muschamp might have found that dangerous pass rushers he needs in his defense. Now, Muschamp must turn elsewhere and things will start with OLB Lerentee McCray. He was out with an injury this spring, but played the Buck in place of Powell at times last fall. He made his biggest jump as a player last season and is one player Muschamp and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn are especially excited about.
• True freshmen Dante Fowler Jr. and Jonathan Bullard will get chances to play at the Buck, too, but keep an eye on Neiron Ball. He didn't play last season because of the arteriovenous malformation found in his brain in February of 2011. There has been no word yet if Ball could resume playing for the Gators, but if he remains healthy and the SEC clears him, Ball could get a shot at play at the Buck.
• The quarterback situation was tight before the spring game and was even tougher afterward. Jacoby Brissett entered the spring with a little bit of an advantage, but Jeff Driskel played his way right back into it. I was told that he really has matured both on and off the field this spring. He's taking film more seriously and he's looking to be a real leader now. He wasn't sure how to operate at the college level last fall, but is getting much more comfortable, now. As for Brissett, he doesn't lack confidence at all. He was smiling, laughing and cracking jokes (one on me in front of everyone) during his news conference after the spring game. He fits a pro-style offense more than Driskel and that will help him in the long run. Athletically, Driskel has the edge, but this thing will come down to which one can take over this team during summer workouts.
• Tyler Murphy is a distant third in the quarterback race. He didn't get much time in the spring game and spent more time talking with offensive coordinator Brent Pease. But that doesn't mean he's not helping. He was relaying signals better than anyone and most there think he understands the offense the best, he's just not has gifted physically. He knows what to do the best of the three, but might not be able to do it the best. His role will be more of helper at this point, but he's valuable for the other QBs.
• Pease is much more hands-on with his quarterbacks and players. He was snatching players around during spring game warmups as they ran through plays and formations. He's making sure everyone knows exactly what they're doing and where they're supposed to be. It's especially helping the quarterbacks. Driskel said Pease's closer instruction has helped him learn the offense better than he did last fall. Driskel didn't have any bad words for former coordinator Charlie Weis, but said Pease's approach has been very helpful. "He's developed us into much better quarterbacks in the short time he's been here," Driskel said of Pease.
• This team is much closer than it was a year ago. Like I said in my coaching recap, the pregame locker room was electric. It wasn't like that last year, especially not for a spring game. Linebacker Michael Taylor told me this group really banded together after the Florida State loss. That one really hurt these guys. They were all called soft by their coach and made it a point to change Muschamp's opinion of his team. Something certainly is different. Players are stepping up and leading more than they did a year ago. "A team that's together is a team that's better," Taylor said.
• Two young players to keep an eye on are wide receiver Latroy Pittman and cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy. Pittman might have been Florida's best receiver this spring and while he's not the fastest guy out there, he's tough, physical and has solid hands. With Florida still lacking a true playmaker at receiver, Pittman will get his chance to play a lot this fall. Purifoy drew praise from Muschamp last season, but really came along this spring. With Marcus Roberson out for most of the spring, Purifoy got more reps at corner. He might be lining up opposite Roberson at the second starting corner spot this fall.
• Don't forget about corner Jeremy Brown. I talked to him briefly before the spring game and he said that his knee is much better than it was last fall. His career has been riddled with injuries (he's missed three seasons in four years), and he received a medical redshirt from the NCAA after missing all of last season. This is a guy who was ahead of Janoris Jenkins at one point in his career before a back injury sidelined him for two years. Having him back will definitely upgrade this secondary.
• The offensive line looked better, but time will tell how good this unit can be. Muschamp seems pretty happy with it, mainly because he has depth. He talked about only having six scholarship linemen at one point during the offseason because injury. The team had to take breaks in practice to keep those guys going. That wasn't the case this spring. For as bad as the quarterback play looked and for as much as Florida struggled to run up the middle, a lot of the Gators' shortcomings came because of an inefficient offensive line. "We're better offensively than we were at any time last year," he said. "We have everybody back and we have some talented guys."
• Jeff Dillman might have been Muschamp's biggest hire. Florida's new strength coach was with Muschamp at LSU when the Tigers won it all in 2003-04. He's focusing on more Olympic-style lifting and you can tell. The players are much bigger than last fall. Dillman's secret? Three moves: the power clean, the snatch and the split jerk. He's making sure they're hitting every muscle possible as efficiently as possible.

Schedule: Florida opens spring practice Wednesday afternoon and concludes on April 7 with the Orange & Blue Debut, presented by Sunniland, at 1 p.m. ET in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. In conjunction with Florida Football's Annual Coaches Clinic, practice will open to the public twice -- March 16 and March 17.

What's new: Florida welcomes in new offensive coordinator Brent Pease, who left Boise State, as its new offensive coordinator after Charlie Weis left to become the head coach at Kansas. Florida also hired former Utah offensive line coach Tim Davis to replace Frank Verducci, while Jeff Dillman replaces Mickey Marrotti as the Gators' strength and conditioning coach.

On the mend: Florida will be down a few players this spring. Defensive tackle Dominique Easley is out while he recovers from an ACL injury he suffered at the end of the regular season. Cornerback Jeremy Brown is out with a knee injury that kept him out all of the 2011 season. Offensive linemen Ian Silberman, Tommy Jordan, Kyle Koehne and Cole Gilliam, along with linebacker Lerentee McCray and defensive end Kedric Johnson, are all out with shoulder injuries. Cornerback Marcus Roberson (neck) was cleared for non-contact drills. Linebacker Neiron Ball, who was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation after a blood vessel burst in his head before the 2011 season, has been cleared to resume physical activity, but not for practice.

On the move: Redshirt senior Omarius Hines is moving from wide receiver to cross train at running back and tight end. Hines has always been some sort of a hybrid player, recording 41 career receptions for 559 yards and two touchdowns and carrying the ball 13 times for 164 rushing yards and two more scores. Nick Alajajian is moving from offensive tackle to defensive tackle to provide depth with Easley out.

Questions: The major question on the minds of fans in Gainesville is what will happen at the quarterback spot. Now that John Brantley is gone, Florida will be working with rising sophomores Jacoby Brissett, Jeff Driskel and Tyler Murphy this spring. One of those three will be Florida's starter this fall, and after what people saw last year from Brissett and Driskel, there's a bit of an uneasy feeling in Gainesville. Florida is also looking to replace running backs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps. Senior-to-be Mike Gillislee enters the spring No. 1 on the depth chart, with Mack Brown behind him. Gillislee has played some in the past, while Brown has barely seen the field as a running back. Wide receiver and the offense line also have their own issues. Florida returns four starters up front, but this group struggled significantly last season. Keep an eye on early enrollees D.J. Humphries and Jessamen Dunker. Florida has a handful of receivers, but none are proven and none return with more than 16 catches from last season.

Key battle: If Florida's offense wants to take any steps forward, the Gators have to figure out their quarterback situation. Brissett enters spring with the most experience of the trio, but people around Florida believe he and Driskel are pretty even when it comes to physical ability. The difference right now seems to be that Brissett has more of an edge to him and more confidence. And he did pass Driskel on the depth chart last year. Murphy is pretty athletic, but in his two years on campus he has yet to take a collegiate snap, so he is clearly behind the other two. Pease is a quarterbacks coach, so one of his biggest jobs will be improving the play of all three of these players. One needs to step up and separate himself as both a player and a leader heading into summer workouts.

Don't forget about: Safety Matt Elam might be Florida's best defensive player and he's talented enough to put himself in the conversation as one of the top defensive backs in the SEC. In his first year as a starter at strong safety, Elam was second on the team with 78 tackles and was first with 11 tackles for loss. He also had two sacks, broke up seven passes and recorded two interceptions. Elam plays both the run and the deep ball well. He's turning into a true leader of Florida's defense and is primed for a real breakout season in 2012.

Breaking out: Tight end Jordan Reed was supposed to be one of Florida's top offensive weapons last season, but injuries and poor offensive execution hurt him in 2011. Now that he's healthy and he has young quarterbacks lining up, Reed could get a lot of attention this spring. Don't expect these quarterbacks to go deep much, so they'll have to rely on Reed underneath. Gillislee has shown flashes here and there, but has yet to put everything together. One moment he's running over players, the next he's yanked for poor blocking. Now, he enters spring as the guy at running back and with a bulk of the reps coming his way, Gillislee should be able to do a little more this time around.

All eyes on: Pease has a lot to do in such a short amount of time this spring. He'll be adding a few of his own wrinkles to Florida's offense, but don't expect him to change too much of the offensive terminology. Making things easy will be crucial as he attempts to fix Florida's offensive issues, starting with the quarterback position. The good news is that younger players tend to take to coaching a little better than vets. This is a chance for some reinvention on offense for the Gators, but it will start with Pease's coaching. Weis seemed to struggle a lot last season with communicating his messages to Florida's offensive players. Pease can't have that issue this spring. Everything has to clear and concise for Florida's offense.

It's Depth Chart Day on the SEC blog.

We've already seen Arkansas' and South Carolina's and now we'll take a look at Florida's. Mike DiRocco of ESPN's GatorNation has the complete two-deep depth chart right here.

What you'll notice is that there wasn't a lot of turnover at all on the defensive side of the ball. Florida returns 10 starters, after saying goodbye to defensive tackle Jaye Howard. Rising senior Omar Hunter and redshirt sophomore Leon Orr will man the interior of Florida's defensive line this spring, with Dominique Easley out, as he recovers from an ACL injury he suffered in the regular-season finale. Easley is expected to be back this fall.

Sharrif Floyd will cross train at defensive end and tackle. When Florida is in the 3-4, Floyd will move inside.

Also, with cornerbacks Marcus Roberson (neck) and Jeremy Brown (knee) dealing with injuries, rising sophomore Loucheiz Purifoy and Cody Riggs will start out as the top two corners. And with Lerentee McCray out with a shoulder injury, Darrin Kitchens will begin the spring No. 1 at Sam linebacker.

Offensively, Florida enters the spring with a handful of questions at every position. Sophomores-to-be Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel are at the top of the quarterback depth chart, now that John Brantley is gone. Mike Gillislee is listed as the No. 1 running back, with Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps gone. The wide receivers are pretty unproven, but there are a handful of players to work with.

Keep an eye on Omarius Hines, as he will be cross training at running back and tight end after playing wide receiver.

We move to linebackers today in our postseason position rankings.

Defensive lines are very important in this league, but there are other guys in the box who have to be pretty reliable as well in this league. This league has done a pretty solid job of producing some top talent at this position as well.

You can see what are preseason linebacker rankings looked like here.

And here are our postseason rankings:

1. Alabama: This unit was at the top of our preseason rankings and didn't budge throughout the season. When you have two All-Americans in Courtney Upshaw, who was the defensive MVP in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game, and Dont'a Hightower it's pretty understandable to see why. Those two combined for 136 tackles, including 29 for loss. Nico Johnson was fourth on the team in tackles, while C.J. Mosley added 37 of his own. Alabama's defense was first nationally in total defense and first in rushing defense, allowing 74.2 yards per game.

2. Georgia: Linebackers are essential to any 3-4 defense, and the Bulldogs' group did quite well in 2011. Georgia ended up with one of the nation's best linebackers in Jarvis Jones, who led the SEC with 19 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. He also had 49 quarterback hurries. Michael Gilliard was third on the team behind Jones with 65 tackles. While Alec Ogletree missed part of the first half of the season, the speedster still finished with 52 tackles, including 7.5 for loss. Cornelius Washington, Amarlo Herrera Christian Robinson combined to add 101 more tackles, as Georgia's defense ranked fifth nationally.

3. Arkansas: Arkansas' defense had a lot of bend in it last season, but the linebackers found ways to make plays. Newcomer Alonzo Highsmith was third on the team with 80 tackles, led with 12.5 tackles for loss and had 4.5 sacks. The star continued to be Jerry Franklin, who led the team in tackles (101) for the fourth straight year. Then there was Jerico Nelson, who was all over the field as that hybrid linebacker/safety. He came away with 70 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions. Ross Rasner, who played outside with Nelson, added 53 more tackles and two sacks.

4. Florida: The Gators' defense ranked eighth nationally in part because of the aggressive play of its front seven. Jon Bostic commanded the middle, leading the team with 94 tackles, including 10 for loss. Jelani Jenkins seemed to come more into his own outside, finishing third on the team in tackles. The big surprise was Lerentee McCray, who played both Sam linebacker and the hybrid Buck. He was one of Florida's most active linebackers and grabbed 7.5 tackles for loss. Ronald Powell started at the Buck, but saw most of his production from defensive end.

5. Vanderbilt: The Commodores entered the season needing to replace three starting linebackers and ended the year with a very impressive linebacking corps. It was led by vet Chris Marve, who was 10th in the league in tackles. Archibald Barnes had a solid year at the Will, ranking fourth on the team in tackles and grabbing two interceptions. Chase Garnham and Al Owens manned the Sam position and combined for 72 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss. Against conference foes, Vandy's rush defense ranked fourth in the league.

6. LSU: The Tigers were in search of that dominant middle linebacker all season and might have found a budding star in Kevin Minter, really grew into the position by the end of the season and was fifth on the team in tackles. He started 11 games, but shared time with Karnell Hatcher, who finished with 24 tackles. Ryan Baker was LSU's best linebacker, was an outstanding leader and was fourth on the team with 64 tackles. Stefoin Francois was the starter at Sam, but he accumulated just 11 tackles, while backup Tahj Jones registered 27. Still, LSU owned the No. 2 national defense.

7. South Carolina: The Gamecocks saw improvement from this group as the season went on. While the defensive line got a ton of credit, the linebackers did their part in securing the defense's No. 3 national ranking. Antonio Allen spent some time in the box at the Spur position and led South Carolina with 88 tackles and had 9.5 for loss. Rodney Paulk and Shaq Wilson, who returned from injury, rotated at the Mike and combined for 109 tackles. Will linebacker Reginald Bowens added 44 tackles.

8. Kentucky: The Wildcats owned the SEC's top tackler in Danny Trevathan (143), who should have received more national attention. Trevathan was one of the most active defenders around at the Will. Winston Guy played the hybrid linebacker/safety and was third in the SEC with 120 tackles. Ronnie Sneed added 71 more tackles. Kentucky's defense was much more aggressive under new defensive coordinator Rick Minter and got more exotic looks from its linebackers.

9. Mississippi State: Cameron Lawrence was a beast for the Bulldogs in 2011. He was second in the SEC with 123 tackles, and had 49 solo. Senior Brandon Wilson added 94 more tackles. Brandon Maye, who transferred from Clemson, was expected to make a bigger impact for the Bulldogs, but played behind Wilson and was 11th on the team in tackles. Sophomore Deontae Skinner added 69 tackles and Mississippi State ranked in the bottom half of the SEC in total defense.

10. Tennessee: The Vols' top three tacklers were linebackers. The leader was senior Austin Johnson, who finished the season with 81 tackles, including 41 solo. Next were two true freshmen on the outside in A.J. Johnson (80) and Curt Maggitt (56). Both freshmen experienced up-and-down seasons, but were SEC All-Freshman selections. Herman Lathers, who was a projected started, missed 2011 with a fractured ankle, and after the big three, the Vols didn't get a ton out of their linebackers, as Dontavis Sapp was their next most productive linebacker with 20 tackles.

11. Auburn: The Tigers' defense really struggled in 2011 and gave up more than 200 rushing yards a contest. Auburn had to basically start over at linebacker, but lone returning starter Daren Bates had a heck of a year, ranking fourth in the league with 104 tackles. He really tried to make sure he played all over the field last fall. After that, the play was up-and-down. Senior Eltoro Freeman took over in the middle halfway into the year and finished with 58 tackles, while Jake Holland and Jonathan Evans combined for 83 tackles.


12. Ole Miss: The Rebels' defense had all sorts of problems defensively, including allowing 256.5 yards per game and 21 rushing touchdowns. The linebackers took a major hit with the absence of D.T. Shackelford, who missed the season with a knee injury. Mike Marry stepped up at the Mike and led Ole Miss with 81 tackles and five for loss. Freshman Serderius Bryant and junior Joel Kight combined for 122 tackles. Damien Jackson played the Spur and added 64 tackles, but Ole Miss' defense ranked dead last in the SEC.

A check of what's making news around the SEC:

• Auburn's bowl destination will hinge on the Tigers' final three games.
• Mississippi State linebacker Brandon Wilson was never a "Roll Tide, University of Alabama kind of guy."
• Arkansas' receiving duo of Jarius Wright and Joe Adams is closing in on several records.
• The Hogs turn up their aggressiveness on defense.
• Former coaches still believe that Alabama is better than LSU.
• Tennessee's James Stone is working hard to win back one of the jobs he lost on the offensive line.
• LSU coach Les Miles isn't giving up much about his quarterback situation this week.
• Georgia freshman receiver Malcolm Mitchell practices on Wednesday and is "ready to play" after missing the past four games with a hamstring injury.
• Florida linebacker Lerentee McCray will be a game-time decision Saturday against South Carolina.
• Kentucky freshman Max Smith is still learning the expectations of a starting quarterback.

Despite a record barely hovering above .500, Florida coach Will Muschamp has been pleased with how his team has performed in games and in practices.

Most harp on the wins and losses, but Muschamp said Wednesday that he looks at the bigger picture and to him, Florida is moving in the right direction. It might look like it’s moving at a snail’s pace, but Muschamp says it's going.

“We’ve improved our football team regardless of the results after the game,“ Muschamp said. “That’s what everybody wants to focus on that -- I do and I know that’s important -- but it’s also seeing the big picture and seeing where your football team is headed.

“When you have that taken from you or you lose that it’s a little bit frustrating, but we’ve had great work ethic all year. We’re developing battle scars, we’ve been through some tough times, but our approach and our preparation each week has been outstanding in my opinion.”

Expectations for the Gators should have been tempered from the start, considering 2011 is a transition year for Florida with a new coaching staff, but it just doesn’t work that way, especially in the SEC.

It’s hard to know where the Gators would really fit into the East race this weekend if senior quarterback John Brantley had been healthy all season. His ankle injury in the second quarter against Alabama sent Florida on a downward spiral offensively.

The Gators recovered slightly against Georgia when a hobbled Brantley returned, heavily taped ankle and all. Florida ultimately came up short, but Muschamp said having Brantley on the field makes Florida’s offense much more manageable considering his experience and his ability to make the reads and adjustments that the freshmen quarterbacks haven’t.

“I’m not offering up excuses, I’m just saying the facts,“ Muschamp said. “To get John back last week was very similar to what you saw earlier in the year -- a great mixture of run and pass with play-action. We’re a different team when we’re able to run the ball and play-action off of that. We can’t get predictable and one-dimensional in what we do.”

Rainey healed

• Muschamp said that running back Chris Rainey (ankle) should be ready to play at South Carolina this weekend. Rainey sprained his ankle against Georgia and missed the Vanderbilt game last week.
• Muschamp said Brantley should be fine after injuring his shoulder against the Commodores.
• The only player whose playing status Muschamp was unsure about was linebacker Lerentee McCray, who was injured in the Georgia game and didn't dress for the Vanderbilt game.

Omar Hunter knows his time is running out.

Florida’s redshirt junior defensive lineman fought early hype and nagging injuries during his first three years with the Gators and now sees that he’s got to step up or sit and watch.

Hunter doesn’t want to do the latter. He had all the right to that this spring when a nagging injury returned. While he was listed as limited on Florida’s pre-spring depth chart, he pushed through the pain and competed as much as he could with a new coaching staff watching.

“It was tough, but they [the coaches] realized that I was injured and I was still trying to fight through some things,” Hunter said. “They let me off a few times on some things that they could have easily gotten on me for, but they understood I had an injury and took it easy on me a little bit.”

Hunter, who is down to 300 pounds after working at 307 this spring, decided that participating would help him learn defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s new system and get him more familiar with defensive line coach Bryant Young’s new philosophy. If he was going to show the new staff he was ready to take his game to a new level, he had to do it -- hurt or not.

Hunter’s ability to stay on the practice field this spring also helped him gain more respect from his teammates. With depth issues and a gang of youngsters pushing for time on Florida’s line, Hunter wanted to not only show he wasn’t going to just hand his spot over, he wanted to prove that he was going to be a leader for the line.

“The message I tried to send was that I was going to be there whether I was hurt or not,” he said. “I’m always going to have their backs and I’m always going to push through injuries for them.”

The young talent certainly motivated Hunter. Regardless of how he felt physically, Hunter knew he’d have to fight off some pups this spring.

Leading the underclassmen charge is sophomore Sharrif Floyd, who will compete with Hunter for time at nose tackle when the Gators go into the 3-4. Dominique Easley, who blossomed this spring, and Leon Orr are also pushing for time on the interior.

Hunter is looking over his shoulder at those players, but he’s also helping them. While his goal is to be the disruptor in the middle, he wants what’s best for the team, and development of the younger players will be key to keeping Florida’s line fresh.

“I keep pushing them, they push me,” Hunter said. “We’re all getting better because of that.

“Last year, we were a close group, but we could have been closer. If we would have been closer, we would have been even better.”

The unit could be special, really. There is talent oozing at each position. Senior Jaye Howard, who ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper ranked as the fourth-best draft-eligible returner at defensive tackle, missed all of the spring because of surgery on his ankle, but is expected to be full-go for two-a-days. Senior William Green will maintain one of the end spots, and while he hasn’t truly broken out, he’ll fit nicely into Florida’s multiple defense.

Sophomore Ronald Powell will play the hybrid defensive end/linebacker position known as the Buck. He’s got all the athleticism and speed to be a menace in the pass rush, but he’s got to continue to mature. Cal transfer Chris Martin and junior Lerentee McCray will also get time at end.

Florida’s line is young, but the ceiling appears high for the unit. Barring injuries, this could be the strength of Florida’s defense in the fall.