Beneath the shoulder pads that he put on for the first time this spring, Caleb Brantley’s shirt was tucked in.
"I’m just trying to lead by example," he said. "Do all the little stuff."
With the departure of Jonathan Bullard to the NFL Draft, Brantley has found himself taking a leadership role along Florida’s defensive line during Spring practice.
So far, the redshirt junior has embraced it.
"(Bullard) taught me how to be a leader, a role model to the younger guys," Brantley said. "You don’t want to be the guy that coaches look to, to lead the younger guys, and you’re messing stuff up."
Last season, Bullard was the Gators’ unquestioned defensive captain on the line. He led the team with 17.5 tackles for loss, tied for first with 6.5 sacks and tied for third with six quarterback hurries.
Brantley’s numbers were more humble.
The then-redshirt sophomore tied for third on the team in sacks (three), finished seventh in tackles for loss (6.5) and tied for 13th in solo tackles (eight).
But now a redshirt junior, and now one of only four upperclassmen on Florida’s defensive line, Brantley has been getting more than his fair share of opportunities during practice.
"I feel like if I can stay on the field longer and get my wind up," Brantley said,"I feel like I can help this team a lot."
Defensive coordinator Geoff Collins thinks so, too.
Earlier in the spring, Collins met with the defense and showed them the production the Gators will lose next season from Bullard.
For Brantley, it served as motivation.
"I feel like I’m the best d-lineman in the country," Brantley said. "So I’m going out and trying to prove it."
Marcell Harris hoping for breakout year:
When Collins met with the defense, he didn’t just address the defensive line.
Among the biggest voids Florida will be trying to fill this spring is in the secondary, where the Gators lost a projected NFL first-round pick in cornerback Vernon Hargreaves, along with fellow defensive backs Brian Poole and Keanu Neal.
Enter Marcell Harris.
In 12 games last season, the safety finished with 22 tackles and no interceptions. But now a redshirt junior, Harris figures to get more playing time.
"I’ve become a lot older, become a lot smarter," Harris said. "Now, I see a lot of things better and I’m moving better and I feel a lot better coming out of my breaks. So, this year for me, I feel like it should be one of the best."
Harris added that new UF defensive backs coach Torrian Gray has helped. Gray has already begun introducing new techniques to a secondary that ranked 13th in the nation in passing yards allowed (182.1 per game) and 24th in passes defended (4.86 per game) last season.
"Honestly, I feel like he has made an impact," Harris said of Gray. "He just keeps what he’s doing and everything should be OK."
Contact Ian Cohen at icohen@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @icohenb.
UF defensive lineman Caleb Brantley lines up during Florida's 14-9 win against Kentucky on Sept. 19, 2015, at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky.
