What will the Florida Gators defense look like with Patrick Toney?
The Florida Gators are currently on spring break but football is just around the corner. Billy Napier and his staff are putting the finishing touches on spring camp and the Gators will be back on the field on March 15.
Up to now, Gators fans have only been able to evaluate the coaching staff by their recruiting efforts. Florida was able to pull in a top-20 recruiting class during Napier’s transition.
One of the biggest questions that we’ll have about the Gators is what the defense will look like under Patrick Toney. Florida’s new play caller is a young, forward-thinking coach. Toney came up under Ron Roberts, Baylor’s current defensive coordinator. At just 31 years old, he’s considered a rising star in the coaching ranks.
Toney’s defenses at Louisiana the past two seasons were some of the best in the Sun Belt. In year one under Toney’s guidance the Louisiana defense set the tone, ranking fourth in the Sun Belt and 31st nationally in scoring defense (22.0), while also ranking fourth in the league and 33rd nationally in total defense (355.4). In 2021, Toney’s defense finished first in the conference in scoring defense (18.3), and tied-for-ninth nationally, while ranking fourth in passing defense in the league.
With a ton of talent on the defensive side of the ball, what can we expect to see from Toney’s first defense in Gainesville? How much will the Gators blitz? What are the core principles Toney believes in and how will he use that at Florida?
Take a look at the breakdown video below and let us know what you think and expect from the Gators’ defense in 2022.
About JD Pickell
JD Pickell grew up and played high school football at Orange Lutheran High School in California. He was a first-team all-league and all-county selection at Orange Lutheran HS, Pickell played running back, quarterback, wide receiver, and safety as well as returning punts during his varsity career.
Pickell left sunny California for Ithica, New York, where he played at Cornell for four seasons before finishing his career at Baylor.
Pickell now runs a YouTube channel where he breaks down players, schemes, coaches, and talks about college football daily. Check out his page and enjoy his breakdown of Patrick Toney’s defense.
In this video, Pickell breaks down how Toney uses creepers to blitz or disguise blitzes. One quote he attributes to Toney is, “We make the same things look different and different things look the same.”
![Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier celebrates with Florida Gators wide receiver Aidan Mizell (11) after a touchdown during the first half at the Orange and Blue spring football game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, April 13, 2024. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://on3static.com/cdn-cgi/image/height=215,width=393,quality=90,fit=cover,gravity=0.5x0.5/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/04/13155133/Untitled-design-65-2.png)
