• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida defensive end Sharrif Floyd feels like he's going home.

Not to Philadelphia. This trip is much shorter -- about five feet.

Floyd will line up at defensive tackle in the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl to replace Dominique Easley, who suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in the regular-season finale against Florida State. Floyd played tackle in high school and as a freshman last season but was moved to end this season because the Gators were short there.

It's going to be a happy homecoming, for sure.

[+] Enlarge

Kim Klement/US PresswireSophomore Sharrif Floyd played most of the 2011 season at defensive end but feels much more comfortable in the middle.

Defensive tackle is really where Floyd belongs. He's a bit too big to play end (6-foot-3, 295 pounds) and he's not fast enough to beat offensive tackles on the edge. But he is athletic, quick and strong and very good at playing the run. He showed that against FSU, when he moved back inside after Easley was injured in the second quarter. Floyd had six tackles against the Seminoles, two shy of his season high of eight (Georgia).

"He is a more natural inside player," UF coach Will Muschamp said. "We moved Sharrif inside in the FSU game, and he played extremely well."

Floyd finished the regular season with 44 tackles, including five for loss, despite feeling uncomfortable and frustrated all season at end. The discomfort was because of learning a new position. The frustration was because he wasn't able to make more plays. He didn't have a sack, although he did have four quarterback hurries.

"As I started to progress at D-end and started noticing more teams just not coming my way, it was frustrating," Floyd said. "But at the end of the day, it was make a play, whatever way, however it happens. It was frustrating at the beginning, and I started talking to my coaches about it. They were like, 'Just hang in there and work with us.' So I did what was best for the team."

He would rather be in the middle, though, because he thrives on being part of the action on every play.

"A whole lot more fun [to play tackle]," Floyd said. "[Opponents] can't run away. Basically you've got to deal with it. You can't say, 'Alright, he's in the middle, run away from him.' You can't. He's either here or there."

If several players -- including Green, Kedric Johnson, Earl Okine and Tevin Westbrook -- don't improve enough to compete for a starting job, Floyd might find himself back outside again in 2012. He's convinced, though, that won't happen.

"I think [tackle] definitely is my position now until I'm done," Floyd said.

Michael DiRocco covers University of Florida sports for GatorNation. He can be reached at espndirocco@gmail.com or on Twitter @ESPNdirocco.

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print
• Subscribe

Michael DiRocco | email

Reporter, GatorNation

• Follow
• Archive

• Reporter for GatorNation
• Covers Florida Gators sports and recruiting
• Joined ESPN in 2011