WATCH: New leaders emerging in Florida's offseason workouts
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The Gators lost 13 starters from a season ago and several key players, so new leadership will be emerging as the team goes through offseason workouts.
Florida just completed the first week of Phase 1, aka Foundation, with director of strength and conditioning Mark Hocke and his staff.
UF shared a new video Thursday of the team doing agility drills and lifting in the weight room, and two players can be seen leading the workouts.
“Let’s go! This is what’s gon’ separate us! This when that dog gon’ come out,” sophomore safety Kamari Wilson says to his teammates.
Junior cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. also breaks down the team huddle.
With the departure of starting defensive backs Trey Dean III, Rashad Torrence II and Tre’Vez Johnson, Florida will be counting on Marshall and Wilson to lead in the secondary this year.
The Gators also lost the heart and soul of their defense, Ventrell Miller, along with fellow senior linebacker Amari Burney. Miller and Burney were two of the four team captains in 2022.
During bowl prep, Florida coach Billy Napier singled out linebacker Derek Wingo for stepping up as a leader and addressing the team after a practice.
Wingo started in place of Miller against Florida State and in the Las Vegas Bowl, recording a career-high eight tackles with a solo sack (loss of 12 yards).
“He did a phenomenal job,” Napier said of Wingo speaking to the team in December. “(The bowl) presents opportunities for young leadership to really emerge. I think that’s what we’re seeing. We have a core group of veterans that are coming back that I think have character and really care about their role and doing their job for the team, and they really care about the program.
“You pair that with a lot of young talent. We have a lot of young players that played this year for the first time and did a great job. We’ve got a good nucleus of players. I see some urgency.”
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