Brenton Cox Jr. signs with NFL team an as undrafted free agent

On3 imageby:Zach Abolverdi•05/01/23•

ZachAbolverdi

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Former Florida Gators outside linebacker Brenton Cox Jr. has signed a contract with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent.

Cox, a former five-star recruit, spent two and a half seasons with the Gators after transferring from Georgia, finishing his UF career with 117 tackles, 32.0 tackles-for-loss and 14.5 sacks in 33 starts.

Cox led the team last season with 8.0 tackles for a loss before he was dismissed after the Georgia game. He addressed the situation at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine in March.

“I mean, it’s not my business to figure out why another man did something else,” Cox told reporters. “I just tell [teams] I’m a hard-nosed guy and I’m ready to move on from it.”

Despite dismissing Cox from the team, Florida coach Billy Napier welcomed him back for Gators Pro Day to work out with his former teammates in front of all 32 NFL teams.

“Brenton’s played a lot of football here, right? Graduated from here. So, that was part of the arrangement. We fully support him and his transition,” Napier said of Cox at Pro Day. “Always a tough dynamic, but we’re hopeful that Brenton continues to play the game, continues to grow as a person and as a football player. Certainly, he looks great. So, he’s been working hard and, you know, I think he’s gonna get a new opportunity and he’ll make the most of that.”

Cox had to sit out in 2019 but quickly made an impact in Gainesville, starting all 12 games in his first year with the Gators. He tallied 41 tackles (21 solo), 9.5 tackles-for-loss and four sacks, in addition to leading the team in QB hurries with 18. In 2021, he led the team in both sacks (8.5) and tackles for a loss (14.5) and recorded 41 tackles for the second straight season.

Cox is the fourth UDFA signee from last season for the Gators, who had six draftees in quarterback Anthony Richardson (first round, 4th overall, Indianapolis Colts), defensive tackle Gervon Dexter (second round, 53rd overall, Chicago Bears), offensive guard O’Cyrus Torrence (second round, 59th overall, Buffalo Bills), linebacker Ventrell Miller (fourth round, 121st overall, Jacksonville Jaguars), receiver Justin Shorter (fifth round, 150th overall, Buffalo Bills) and linebacker Amari Burney (sixth round, 203rd overall, Las Vegas Raiders).

Offensive lineman Richard Gouraige signed with the Buffalo Bills an an undrafted free agent and safeties Trey Dean III and Rashad Torrence II inked UDFA deals with the New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams, respectively.

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