How Florida football OL coach Jonathan Decoster plans to use his NFL background with Gators
New Florida football assistant offensive line coach Jonathan Decoster understands the challenges offensive linemen face in pass protection.
As an offensive line assistant with the Cleveland Browns the last three years, Decoster witnessed All-Pro Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett dominate opposing offensive lineman from his own team in practice.
"Guys get to the NFL and they're way behind the NFL D lineman," Decoster said. "Myles Garrett gets held every single rep at the Browns, but they're not calling it. If they called holding on J.J. Watt, all these elite rushers every single rep in the NFL, it would be first and 30."
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One of Decoster's goals in his stint with the Florida Gators is to develop better pass protection techniques and a strike-first mentality. He intends to take what he learned from his two mentors he worked for under with the Browns — offensive line coaches Bill Callahan and Scott Peters. Callahan is now the offensive line coach for the Tennessee Titans, while Peters is now the offensive line coach with the New England Patriots.
"Teaching guys how to play long," Decoster said. "Our philosophy in protection is you want to meet them at the gates. If someone’s trying to rob my house. I'm not going to hide in the bathroom. I'm gonna meet them at the gates. So, we talk about posture, strikes, counters, sets."
New Florida football offensive line coach pleased with length he has to work with
Decoster, who began coaching the Gators the week before the start of spring drills, said he's pleased with the length he has to work with on UF's roster. Seven offensive linemen on UF's roster are 6-foot-6 or taller, with long wingspans.
"We have dudes with length all over the place," Decoster said. "We have Caden (Jones), we have Kam (Waites). We have Bryce Lovett, who’s a really long player. Length, not just height, arm length. Knijeah (Harris) has great arm length. Austin (Barber) great arm length."
Decoster said the length is important when fending off opposing SEC pass rushers. Last season, Florida allowed 39 sacks, fourth-most in the SEC.
"You can’t coach arm length," Decoster said. "Usually the taller you are, the longer you are, there’s more room for error. There’s plenty of guys here who have the God given length that the good Lord blessed them with, and their mom and dad blessed them with it now and it’s our job to mold it.”
Florida left tackle Austin Barber said the techniques that Decoster has brought in from his NFL background has been valuable.
"I heard him say they don’t reinvent the wheel around here," Barber said. "But there’s some things that you can bring in, some different dynamics that you teach that I think it’s going to help us even more, getting that experience."
New Florida football offensive line coach stressing positional flexibility
Decoster also is stressing to his offensive lineman the ability to play multiple positions. Dameion George Jr. moved inside from tackle to play guard for the Gators this spring. Redshirt freshman Rod Kearney has played at both guard and center.
"A lot of guys want to hear one position in college," Decoster said. "Well guess what, buddy? You dress eight O-linemen in the NFL, and that's it. So, if you're a tackle, you better be good playing both tackles ..., you better be able to play tackle and guard. If you're a guard, okay, you better be able to play either tackle or you better be able to play center."
Decoster pointed to Bryce Lovett, a 6-5, 325-pound redshirt freshman with an 81-inch wingspan, as a Florida player with the versatility to play guard, tackle and center.
"That God-given ability that he has with his size and length is huge, and his movement skills," Decoster said. "That's probably the biggest things. Because quite honestly, coaching can help that. But a lot of that is God-given ability, you know, and now it's our job to enhance that."
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: What new Florida football OL coach looks to bring to position group
