Jon Bullard didn’t have to come back to UF this year.
Following a junior season where Bullard recorded a career-high 52 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, the defensive lineman easily could have justified going to the NFL Draft and starting his professional career a year early.
He could have followed in the footsteps of classmates Dante Fowler and D.J. Humphries, who both opted to forgo their senior year at Florida.
Both are projected to be taken in the first round when the NFL Draft rolls around on April 30.
Instead, Bullard decided to give the college game one more go and will be an anchor on Florida’s defensive line.
And while he said the decision to stay still lingers on his mind, he does not have regrets about staying.
"I would be lying if I said I didn’t (have any second thoughts) because I see the combine could do a lot," Bullard said. "And just with D.J. being so athletic, he rised, so I feel like I would have done good at the combine. Of course, you’re going to have second thoughts and think. But I made my decision and I’m happy with it and I’m going to make the most of it."
The 6-foot-3, 277-pound Bullard has the size and athleticism to play anywhere along the defensive line and has a knack for pressuring the quarterback and getting behind the line of scrimmage.
The Shelby, North Carolina, native led all returning UF players last season with 12 quarterback hurries, while finishing second in tackles for losses only to Alex McCalister.
And while Florida has had only one practice so far, coach Jim McElwain said he likes what he has seen from the defense so far.
"Defensively, they’re obviously ahead," McElwain said. "There’s a lot of carryover from what they were doing. You can see how fast they were playing."
But the Gators’ defense does have its blemishes.
UF is thin at linebacker, with Antonio Morrison out for the Spring as he recovers from a knee injury suffered during the Birmingham Bowl on Jan. 3.
Florida will also need to figure out a way to replace Fowler’s production.
Over his three seasons at UF, Fowler was regularly double-teamed by opponents and still totaled 140 tackles — including 34 behind the line of scrimmage — while also recording 14.5 sacks and forcing five fumbles in 37 games.
McElwain and the Gators know it will be nearly impossible for one player alone to replace Fowler.
But Bullard, the senior anchor along the defensive line, knows he will be looked upon to make the big plays.
And he’s ready to make them.
"I’ve got the most experience," Bullard said. "I’m been playing since my freshman year. I know the feel of the game. I know how things go. I’m an older guy, so I’ve got to take that one.”
Follow Jordan McPherson on Twitter @J_McPherson1126
Jon Bullard participates in the Florida football team's first Spring practice of 2015 on Monday at Donald R. Dizney Stadium.
