Sam, Mike and Will are covered, but Brandon and Ryan will be much harder to replace.
With a talented crop of linebackers, Florida won’t have trouble filling in its depth chart with able bodies. Finding someone to take over for Brandon Spikes and Ryan Stamper is another story.
Stamper and Spikes combined for 146 tackles last season, finishing first and third on the team, respectively, but the largest void they left behind is on the leadership front.
Spikes’ enthusiasm and Stamper’s cerebral approach to the game provided contrasting figures for the rest of the defense to look up to, and the Gators are hoping for similar personalities to emerge during spring practice.
That starts with sophomore Jon Bostic, who’s competing for the starting middle linebacker spot with Brendan Beal and Lorenzo Edwards.
“It’s a change. I’ve always been the youngest one out here, and now it’s time to step up,” Bostic said. “I’ve always been a quiet person on the field. I’ve never really been a loud talker, so my main thing is speaking up on the field and telling everybody what the call is, what the formation is, all those things.”
First-year linebackers coach D.J. Durkin expects Bostic and Beal to grow into those roles as they gain more experience through spring practice.
In the meantime, they’re making up for their lack of polish with sheer effort.
“They’re not at that point yet where they’re comfortable,” Durkin said. “The thing I like is, they’re both competing and playing fast right now. Not always fast in the right direction, but playing fast, so we can work with that.”
Playing fast is likely to be the hallmark of this linebacking corps. Brandon Hicks and A.J. Jones — the most experienced returners — converted safety Dee Finley and freshman Neiron Ball all have the speed to be threats on blitzes and to cover receivers.
And Durkin doesn’t talk about redshirt freshman Jelani Jenkins for long without using words like “explosive” and “dynamic.”
The smallest of the group, Jenkins relies on speed to look the part of a 6-foot, 220-pound guided missile.
“I’d probably say our strength is we have a lot more speed this year,” Bostic said. “Stamp was a lot smarter than we were with football. He knew a lot of stuff, and that’s what we’re trying to pick up now — that football instinct.”
To do that, Bostic and Jenkins have made frequent use of UF’s film room, where Spikes and Stamper put in extra hours throughout their college careers.
And Bostic said he spends as much time around Spikes as he can — even just playing video games — to learn from his predecessor.
While Bostic and Beal vie for Spikes’ spot, Jenkins is battling Hicks for playing time at the weakside spot, and Jones, Finley and Ball are aiming for the strongside job.
But the roles are far from rigid.
At Monday’s practice, Beal and Bostic played side-by-side for a defensive series, and Durkin said he’s willing to experiment with different lineups.
“We’re going to get the best three guys out there we can,” Durkin said. “Whatever combination that is, that’s what it will be.”
