Florida Gators DL Brendan Bett issues apology for spitting incident

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida redshirt senior defensive lineman Brendan Bett issued a public apology on Monday night for his spitting incident in the Gators’ 18-16 loss vs. USF. He was ejected from the game with two minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Bett, who transferred from Baylor after the spring, released a statement via his Instagram page.

“I want to sincerely apologize for my actions in the game this past Saturday. I let down my teammates, coaches, family and all of Gator Nation. Our coaches always instill in us the value of sportsmanship and I crossed the line. I also want to apologize to South Florida. That’s not the person or player I strive to be. I made a terrible mistake and it won’t happen again,” Bett wrote.

“To Cole Skinner #56. There is no excuse for my actions. I’m truly sorry to both you and your family. To my family and friends…I know that my actions didn’t reflect the way I was raised and I regret the disappointment I caused. I take full responsibility. I pray that we can all move forward. Thanks for believing in me and I won’t let you down again.”

Bett spit on South Florida offensive lineman Cole Skinner during the last drive and was flagged for UF’s second penalty in a row (and 11th overall for 103 yards). On the next play, running back Alvin Isaac broke two tackles for a 29-yard catch-and-run that set up USF’s game-winning field goal.

Florida coach Billy Napier said Monday that Bett would face internal discipline and apologize to the team and Skinner. Napier added that he had not decided whether Bett would be suspended for the LSU game on Saturday. He made five tackles against the Bulls and three stops in the opener.

“Brendan, we spent quite a bit of time with him yesterday. I think that the kid is remorseful. I think he feels as if he let the team down. I do think he has, in general, it was out of character for him. He made a mistake and he compromised the team. He made a selfish decision. He misrepresented our fans, our alumni, the university. When a young man comes into your office, and that’s his immediate concern is how he didn’t represent this place the right way, I think that’s a good indication of his attitude towards it,” Napier said. “He’ll have an opportunity today to apologize to the team and he’s going to apologize publicly. We’re even having him reach out to the young man on the other team. So, no stone unturned here in terms of maximizing this for him to learn and also for our other players to see how to take ownership of a mistake and go about this the right way.”

Florida DL Brendan Bett was ejected after appearing to spit on another player. pic.twitter.com/VNfvjw15dF

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 7, 2025

After Bett spit on Skinner, Florida junior linebacker Jaden Robinson shoved Bett in the back and pulled him away in frustration. UF sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway said Bett was crying in the locker room after the loss and apologized to the coaches and players he talked to.

“It’s a surprise to me for any player on our team to do that. And I think our players were surprised and not happy about to, to be quite honest,” Napier said. “Look, the game can teach you lessons, right? He lost his composure in a heated (moment). Look, this is a physical game. You are putting hands on people. It’s a violent game. And that’s one of his strengths, he’s an Alpha competitor. He’s a physical, high-motor kid.

“But sometimes your strength can become your weakness just like that. No different than 10 years from now he’s at a restaurant with his wife and kids and some guy says something to him that he doesn’t like. Can he keep his composure and poise and make a decision in the long-term best interest of his family and his family. Hopefully this will be an opportunity for him to learn and all the other players learn as well.”