For three years the Gators defense has heard about the step back they were going to take after losing key players to the NFL Draft and graduation.
Ever since 2008 the Gators have had to replace names like Brandon Spikes, Joe Haden, Janoris Jenkins, Vernon Hargreaves, Sharrif Floyd, Dominique Easley, Matt Elam and Dante Fowler Jr. Florida has been a NFL factory on the defensive side of the ball, and yet, they’ve never dropped out of the top-15 in total defense since 2008.
Florida is once again facing an uphill battle. The Gators are losing eight starters from the 2016 defense, including two starting linebackers, two starting quarterbacks, a safety and the entire interior defensive line.