UF defensive line coach Chris Rumph has a tall task in front of him.
Out the door are Jonathan Bullard and Alex McCalister, Florida’s two leading pass rushers from a year ago who amassed 13 sacks and 27 tackles for loss between the two of them — more than a quarter of the team’s production in both areas.
Left behind is a group of talented rushers who are relatively unproven when it comes to being the primary threat to penetrate the backfield.
Rumph, then, is faced with replacing not only the production of Bullard and McCalister but also the veteran presence they provided, particularly with Bullard, a player so reliable and trustworthy that Rumph joked "he can babysit my kids."
There are a number of possible players who could step into that role: sophomore CeCe Jefferson, redshirt junior Caleb Brantley or maybe seniors like Bryan Cox Jr. or Joey Ivie.
And frankly, Rumph couldn’t care less. He just wants someone to step up to the plate.
"I’m not picking anybody, just somebody," Rumph said. "All four of them. I don’t care."
Although a player like Bullard might seem irreplaceable, the coach is quick to point out how the off-season conversation wasn’t all that different a year ago.
"They say it was hard to replace Dante (Fowler Jr.), but Jon stepped up," Rumph said. "So somebody will have to step up and be whoever that guy is this year."
If this movie seems familiar, it’s because it is.
Florida has had a long lineage of high-caliber defensive linemen, particularly in the last decade, whether it be Dominique Easley and Sharrif Floyd or Justin Trattou and Carlos Dunlap before them.
After each player’s departure, there is always a question mark about who will fill the void left behind, but inevitably another talented youngster finds a way to bridge the gap and make a name for himself.
With a slew of potential candidates in line on this year’s iteration, the odds of that trend continuing are pretty high.
For now, Rumph is content to push the group as hard as he can and let the players operate without a clear-cut leader while they sort out their identity for the upcoming season.
But when the dust settles, the coach is confident someone will emerge.
"At first it has to be a committee," Rumph said, "and then hopefully one of those young guys or one of the old heads will take the bull by the horn and run with it."
Contact Graham Hack at ghack@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @graham_hack24.
Florida defensive lineman CeCe Jefferson participates in a drill during a Spring practice on March 21, 2016, at the Sanders Football Field.
