DT Brantley focuses on future
GAINESVILLE — For two years, Caleb Brantley felt like he was just another name.
The 6-foot-2, 314-pound defensive tackle didn’t have a good relationship with the coaching staff, specifically his position coach, Brad Lawing.
“It was just a hassle,” Brantley said. “I didn’t want to go to practice every day because I didn’t want to deal with the kind of coaching I was getting.”
But with a new regime and a clean slate, Brantley is putting the past behind him and devoting his attention to being an active presence in Florida’s defense.
Defensive coordinator Geoff Collins and defensive line coach Chris Rumph are relying on Brantley and the rest of the defensive line to step up as the Gators look to generate a consistent pass rush.
“This year, I cut out all the other distractions and stopped being immature, just knowing that I had to step up and the team needed me,” said Brantley, a redshirt sophomore.
Collins, known as the “Minister of Mayhem,” showed last season at Mississippi State he can put his players in a position to wreak havoc in the backfield.
The Rebels ended the 2014 season second in the SEC and tied for 17th nationally with an average of 2.85 sacks per game. They finished in the top half of the conference in forced fumbles (fifth,12) and tackles for loss (seventh, 74).
But to generate an efficient pass rush, the Gators need to find a plan to compensate for the loss of Dante Fowler Jr., the No. 3 pick in the NFL Draft and UF’s leader in sacks (8.5) last season, despite constantly facing multiple offensive linemen whenever he set foot onto the field.
UF also has the extra burden of playing without Alex McCalister — Fowler’s protégé — for at least the season opener against
New Mexico State after he was suspended for violating University Athletic Association policy.
Without those two, the Gators are looking to senior Jon Bullard for guidance in the trenches, veterans Bryan Cox Jr., Brantley and Joey Ivie to keep the pace and underclassmen such as fivestar freshman CeCe Jefferson to contribute early.
“We need to create havoc up front and the key there is to create negative plays for the offense,” coach Jim McElwain said. “And that’s one of the things with their pressure we feel like we can do.”
And after playing sporadically last season, Brantley said it’s his time to step up.
A four-star recruit and the 10th-ranked defensive tackle in the 2013 recruiting, he recorded 21tackles — four for a loss — and forced two fumbles in 2014.
But while Brantley flashed talent at times, something was missing.
Rumph, who was hired by McElwain in February to replace Lawing, noticed almost immediately during spring practice that Brantley’s drive wasn’t there.
“Caleb has to push himself,” Rumph said on March 27. “He’s a very, very talented young man. Very, very talented. But right now, mentally, he’s playing like a freshman. Sometimes he’s relying on his talent and his athletic ability to do things.” Message received. Brantley now comes to practice fully committed, eager to learn. He takes the criticism from his coaches and makes adjustments as he goes.
“You’ve got to push yourself,” he said. “And if you push yourself in practice, it’ll have you ready.”
Brantley’s teammates have noticed the change.
“Caleb Brantley, I think, is a person who is going to shock a lot of people,” Ivie said. “He’s a very talented guy. … The main thing with him was just his motivation, and he’s definitely motivated this camp.”