Jabari Zuniga traipsed beside the O’Connell Center after practice Tuesday.
His pads dangled at his side while the sun revealed a hulking physique that could have rivaled former NFL running back Bo Jackson’s in his prime 30 years ago.
It’s the same physique that prompted UF defensive lineman coach Chris Rumph to jokingly create a rule: Zuniga can’t take off his shirt around Rumph’s wife.
It’s also the same physique that led to his teammates tabbing him the “silent assassin” and “an animal” in the weight room.
Thanks to his strength, size and speed, Zuniga leads Florida with five sacks halfway through the season. Along with offensive lineman Jawaan Taylor, he’s been one of the Gators' biggest breakout stars at an unexpected position considering the depth on UF’s defensive line.
And despite his 6-foot-3, 245-pound frame, he’s just a redshirt freshman — a redshirt freshman who happens to rank among the Southeastern Conference's sack leaders.
Zuniga said five sacks was his preseason goal for the entire season. He reached it in five games.
“I kinda knew I was gonna bring some pressure off the edge, because I knew I can pass rush,” he said. “But I didn’t really think it was gonna happen so fast.”
While Zuniga accomplished his goal, he knows he has more work to do.
That starts with Saturday’s rivalry game against an opponent he knows well: the Georgia Bulldogs.
Zuniga grew up in Marietta, which lies about two hours west of Athens, Georgia.
And despite starring at Sprayberry High School, UGA never offered him a scholarship.
The Bulldogs only began recruiting Zuniga after he committed to Florida.
While at Mississippi State, UF defensive coordinator Geoff Collins recruited Zuniga but never offered him a scholarship. That changed when Collins joined the Gators.
“As soon as he got the job at Florida, he called me and said I was going to be a Gator,” Zuniga said.
One redshirt season and five games later, Zuniga stands inside UF’s Indoor Practice Facility talking to media members for the first time this year.
He’s helped the Gators to first-place status in the SEC East, a position in which UF needs only to win out in conference play to reach the SEC Championship Game.
But Zuniga’s mind is on Jacksonville this weekend.
This may mark Zuniga’s first taste of the Florida-Georgia rivalry, but he’s not unfamiliar with Georgia’s players.
Zuniga is just one of a handful of UF players, including linebacker Jarrad Davis and defensive lineman Antonneous Clayton, who are from Georgia and have played with or against Bulldogs in high school.
Zuniga didn’t say much about that aspect of the game, but his excitement was obvious.
“I know some guys on that team,” he said. “It’s going to be nice.”
Contact Patrick Pinak at ppinak@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @pinakk12.
Jabari Zuniga (92) participates in drills before Florida's 32-0 win over North Texas on Sept. 17, 2016, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
