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Thursday, March 28, 2024
<p>Florida defensive coordinator D. J. Durkin draws up a play for Buck linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. during Florida's win against Vanderbilt.</p>

Florida defensive coordinator D. J. Durkin draws up a play for Buck linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. during Florida's win against Vanderbilt.

The season of head coaching searches has given way to the transitional season around the Florida football program.

Different players are either on their way out, like those looking towards the NFL via early entry, like Buck linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. and offensive lineman Tyler Moore or graduation like center Max Garcia and Mike Taylor.

Another potential early NFL draft entrant D.J. Humphries was reported to be headed to the league Wednesday night, but he tweeted Thursday that he is yet to make a decision.

Interim head coach D.J. Durkin has a message for those with the NFL on their brains.

"Look next to you. Both sides, the guys you’re in the locker room with, the guys you sit next to in meetings, you’re playing for them,” Durkin said. “At the end of the day it’s the players. It’s their team. Our guys, they understand that.”

There are decisions to be made about what coaches are returning to UF next year with new coach Jim McElwain going about the process of establishing his first coaching staff. Notably, defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson is still up in the air about whether to stay in Gainesville or join former UF coach Will Muschamp at Auburn, a school that is also Robinson’s alma mater.

Even Durkin will be gone after the UF’s Birmingham Bowl tilt against East Carolina — the school announced Wednesday that Mississippi State defensive coordinator Geoff Collins will be replacing Durkin after the game when McElwain takes over the entire program.

Durkin has been rumored to be headed to North Carolina and Texas A&M in recent days to fill defensive coordinator vacancies at each school, something he spoke about with reporters Thursday.

"I have not accepted any sort of job anywhere, here or anywhere else other than the job as interim coach for the bowl game. It's a great opportunity,” Durkin said. “I'm really excited about it. Obviously, there's some challenges and things that go along with it. But for Jeremy Foley to have the trust in me to do that, I'm appreciative of that and most importantly for our kids.”

For Durkin, the challenge is now to get his team motivated, and keep them on the right track. He says he knows his team is resilient and that they’ll play for each other, but the motivational tactics won’t be the same for each player.

“Everyone wants to work with people that are motivated, you want to be around people that have motivation,” Durkin said. “Some motivations are different than others. That’s fine, we can’t all agree on one thing. If we can all agree that we’re motivated and going to give it our best, we’re going to be all right.”

Cox out for Birmingham Bowl: Defensive lineman Brian Cox Jr. will miss the Birmingham Bowl after having hip surgery Monday. Durkin said Thursday that Cox’s hip was "something that was deteriorating over time that he needed to have done."

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Cox started in every game Florida has played at the defensive end position except for the loss at Alabama and recorded 29 tackles, 12 solo, six for loss and four sacks.

Durkin also said that as of Thursday, no Florida players are academically ineligible for the bowl game, but grades are yet to be posted following fall semester’s final exams.

McGee waiting on NCAA: Durkin told reporters Thursday that former Virginia transfer tight end Jake McGee, who broke his leg in Florida’s season opener against Eastern Michigan, is still waiting on word from the NCAA as to whether or not he will be granted a sixth year of eligibility.

“We’re trying to get him another year,” Durkin said. “I totally believe he deserves it and that should work out for him. But we don’t know the answer on that yet.”

McGee was supposed to be an integral vertical threat in UF’s offense this season, at a position that has been snakebit by injury and transfers over the last two seasons. McGee sat out a year at Virginia too, but it was not due to injury, something that may hinder his bid to get a sixth year according to stipulations detailed in the NCAA rulebook, bylaw 12.8.1.5.1. The bylaw states:

“This waiver may be granted, based upon objective evidence, for reasons that are beyond the control of the student-athlete or the institution, which deprive the student-athlete of the opportunity to participate for more than one season in his or her sport within the five-year period.”

Circumstances considered within the student-athlete’s control include a redshirt year.

Follow Richard Johnson on Twitter @RagjUF

Florida defensive coordinator D. J. Durkin draws up a play for Buck linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. during Florida's win against Vanderbilt.

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