2023 Florida Football Position Preview: Inside Linebackers

Now that Ventrell Miller and Amari Burney are in the NFL, Florida is looking for its next pair of elite inside linebackers to lead the defense in 2023.

Billy Napier turned to the transfer portal to add some depth at the position and found Teradja Mitchell and Mannie Nunnery. Both should play a big role in Florida’s defense this season, but there’s plenty of homegrown talent to work with too.

Shemar James is coming off an elite freshman season against SEC competition and could blossom in Year 2 of his college career. There’s also Scooby Williams and Derek Wingo in the position room looking for snaps as returning players with experience.

Here’s a look at every inside linebacker on Florida’s 2023 fall roster.

Starter: No. 20 Teradja Mitchell (R-Sr.*)

Defensive Stats (at Ohio State):

Teradja Mitchell was named a co-captain at Ohio State in 2021, but he hardly played a season later and transferred to Florida to compete for the starting linebacker spot. Mitchell’s leadership gene kicked in right away, and he’s doing his best to be this year’s Ventrell Miller —  a senior defender that younger, inexperienced players can look to in new situations.

Mitchell’s strength is his run defense. He’s up and down as a tackler, which explains his lack of snaps a season ago, and he’s not great at all in coverage (Graded 33.6 in 2021, according to Pro Football Focus). However, Florida’s scheme won’t ask him to drop back and cover too big of a zone without help from the STAR or safeties.

He should be a force all year for the Gators.

Starter: No. 6 Shemar James (So.)

Defensive Stats:

Shemar James was one of Florida’s most productive freshmen in 2022, playing in 13 games and starting four. He led all linebackers on the roster in tackling with a 76.9 grade and in coverage with a grade of 62.6, according to PFF. A strong pass rusher (76.2) and average run defender (53.5), James played the third most snaps at linebacker for the Gators last year behind two players who were drafted in April — Ventrell Miller and Amari Burney. His

Securing James’ commitment was one of the first big moments for Billy Napier’s staff after taking over just two months before the December 2021 early signing period. Nearly two years later, James is poised for a breakout season if he can take the appropriate steps forward as a sophomore with significant SEC experience under his belt.

As the team’s best linebacker in coverage, he could see significant action at the Will, or weakside, linebacker position.

Backup: No. 15 Derek Wingo (Jr.*)

Defensive Stats:

Wingo is one of the locker room favorites in Gainesville, and he’s set to play a major role in Florida’s offense as a fourth-year junior. With James and Mitchell likely ahead of him, Wingo will be the team’s third option at linebacker.

He’s most likely to step in as the Mike (middle linebacker), so he doesn’t have to play in coverage too much, but a healthy Wingo could be more of a complete player than he was in 2022 while dealing with a season-long foot injury.

Wingo has played in 25 games for Florida over the past two seasons. He’ll remain in that role for 2023 unless there’s an injury ahead of him.

Backup: No. 17 Scooby Williams (R-So.)

Defensive Stats:

Scooby Williams will play a hybrid role of linebacker and edge rusher for Florida this year after playing 146 snaps for the Gators in 2022. His Pro Football Focus grades from a season ago are mediocre at best, but his pass rushing (61.3) and coverage (57.7) were the strongest pieces of his game.

There’s plenty of room for Williams to take a big step forward in Year 3 at UF, too. With Mitchell likely moving on next season and Wingo being draft-eligible, this could be his audition for a starting role in 2024.

Expect Williams to play more than 200 snaps this year, likely behind James.

Backup: No. 34 Mannie Nunnery (R-Jr.)

Defensive Stats (at Ohio State):

Mannie Nunnery transferred from Houston over the offseason after four years with the Cougars. Two of those didn’t count against his eligibility, though, so he could spend two seasons in the Swamp. In Year 1, he’ll compete with Scooby Williams for that backup role behind James.

Nunnery might be the favorite to win the job, too. He’s got more than 20 games of college experience under his belt and his background as a safety makes him a stronger candidate to play the WILL.

Reserves: No. 29 Jaden Robinson (Fr.) and No. 22 Deuce Spurlock II (R-Fr.)

Jaden Robinson might be a true freshman, but he’s likely the third-string option at the Mike behind Mitchell and Wingo. He might not see as much playing time as James did last season, but the former four-star recruit generated some buzz during the offseason as a near-game-ready talent. Once he gets on the field, he might not come off.

Deuce Spurlock II transferred to Florida from Michigan over the offseason after playing just two games and redshirting as a true freshman. This might be another development season for Spurlock, but he could fight for snaps down the line.

Walk-Ons: No. 42 Kenny Anyaehie (R-Jr.*) and No. 47 Justin Pelic (R-Jr.*)

Kenny Anyaehie is entering his fifth year of collegiate football and second season with the Gators. He walked on to the Temple Owls in the summer of 2019 and redshirted before opting out of the 2020 season. He joined the Gators as a preferred walk-on in the summer of 2022 but has yet to see action.

Justin Pelic is in his fifth season with the Gators. He walked on to the team in the summer of 2019 and has made the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll for three straight years.

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Check out the rest of our position previews:

• Quarterbacks

• Running backs

• Wide receivers

• Tight ends

• Offensive Tackles

• Offensive Guards/Centers

• Defensive Tackles

• EDGE/JACK

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Story originally appeared on Gators Wire