Dante Lang - Wuerffel Trophy Nominee - Now 280 lbs - Moves to DE

[Jeff from Jax]

TE room extremely congested - Hope I have these classes for 2020 correct -

Kyle Pitts JR
Keon Zipperer RS FR
Kemore Gamble RS JR
Dante Lang RS SO
Jonathan Odom (incoming FR)

With the emergence of Kyle Pitts, no other TE made a mark this season. Junior Kyle Pitts will be the obvious No. 1 tight end for UF next season; with Keon Zipperer's receiving skills likely putting him in line as the #2 TE.

Lucas Krull has gone into the Transfer Portal. Barring injury, Kyle Pitts NFL bound after 2020. Leaving Zipperer, Gamble, Lang, & Odom.

Every Gator knows that Jonathan Greenard & Jabari Zuniga are gone. What will the Gators do to fill the holes at DE ?

Dante Lang, at 6 foot 5, 252 pounds, mostly played defensive end in high school, racking up 70 tackles and 20 sacks in his senior season.
http://highschoolbuzz.blog.palmbeac...ton-ath-dante-lang-commits-to-florida-gators/

Move Lang back to DE & relieve some of the congestion at TE. As a RS SO, he has enough time to transition back into a DE.

 

[GatorNation79]

Kroll has been pretty ineffective. Pitts is an all star and other guys will step up. We have players that need to step up and lots of ballers coming in...I'm not worried about the skilled positions on the offensive side of the ball...at least the talent we and current players that we have.

 

[Jeff from Jax]

Krull is gone to Transfer Portal. I just would hate to see Kemore Gamble & Dante Lang transfer out as well.

Realize that sometimes happens, but hate to see it. Hoping that Dante Lang could go back to DE & get a fresh start.

 

[grommit]

Kroll has been pretty ineffective. Pitts is an all star and other guys will step up. We have players that need to step up and lots of ballers coming in...I'm not worried about the skilled positions on the offensive side of the ball...at least the talent we and current players that we have.

Actually Krull was our best blocking TE, in the tradition of Tate Casey. But having Pitts out there for receiving usurped his playing time. Pitts needs to absolutely work on his blocking because the running game is seriously suffering when he is in there due to his lack at that part of his position.

People love gushing about how well he has done as a receiver this year, that they've avoided the fact that he is one of the main factors for our atrocious run blocking scheme.

 

[GatorNation79]

I'll assume you're right about the blocking but our o line is the real issue for run blocking, we got blown up at the line all year...the TE is certainly a factor. Kroll might be better than though but haven't seen him much and he doesn't seem to get open much.

 

[Jeff from Jax]

I'll assume you're right about the blocking

but our o line is the real issue for run blocking, we got blown up at the line all year...

Kroll might be better than though but haven't seen him much and he doesn't seem to get open much.

Krull in his 2 years -
9 recption ...108 yds ...0 TD


GatorNation79,

Agree !

...the TE is certainly a factor.

Agree with GatorNation, TE not the major factor.

...(Pitts) is one of the main factors for our atrocious run blocking scheme.

grommit,
IMO,there are 5 OL & 1 TE on the field.
For me, hard to hold Pitts, the TE, accountable for all of our run blocking woes.

Actually Krull was our best blocking TE, in the tradition of Tate Casey.

Krull gone; Gamble ended his season with 71 snaps played, and 56 of those were spent blocking, per Pro Football Focus.

Seems like Mullen & Hevesy thought Gamble a better blocker than Krull or Lang.

https://www.si.com/college/florida/football/florida-gators-2020-roster-outlook-tight-end


Lang not so good a blocker, which is why I suggest his return to DE; cut lose & let it rip !

 

[EvilWayz]

Krull is gone to Transfer Portal. .

NOOOOOOoooooooo not Krull the Conqueror!!!!

 

[Gator Fever]

Actually Krull was our best blocking TE, in the tradition of Tate Casey. But having Pitts out there for receiving usurped his playing time. Pitts needs to absolutely work on his blocking because the running game is seriously suffering when he is in there due to his lack at that part of his position.

People love gushing about how well he has done as a receiver this year, that they've avoided the fact that he is one of the main factors for our atrocious run blocking scheme.

Yep we need another TE that can block and catch on those 50/50 run pass downs as Pitts is a liability run blocking.

 

[LizardGrad89]

Yep we need another TE that can block and catch on those 50/50 run pass downs as Pitts is a liability run blocking.

Needed him at TE last year because we had too many great WR's to put him in a WR slot. This year I'd like to see him as a hybrid, sometimes in as a TE, sometimes lined up as a WR with another TE out there.

 

[instaGATOR]

I'll assume you're right about the blocking but our o line is the real issue for run blocking, we got blown up at the line all year...the TE is certainly a factor. Kroll might be better than though but haven't seen him much and he doesn't seem to get open much.

Just a FYI, Pitts did block better in the bowl game, but he still has plenty of room for improvement.

TE/ST Lucas Krull 6-6 257 rsJr
2 Year Stats:
Receiving - 9 for 108 yds, 12.0 Yds/Rec, L-30
Passing - 2 for 2, both resulting in 1st downs on throw-backs to Franks and Trask.
-----
2019 he played in all 13 games, but almost exclusively on the ST's.
He was under-utilized imo, so he deserves a rsSr shot elsewhere,,, sorry to see him go.

Both DE and TE are now solid depth positions.
Lang may go too, and I wouldn't blame him if he did.

JMOHO, but Odom is going to challenge them all, across the board, in receiving & blocking.

 

[Jeff from Jax]

Saw this tidbit today & using our new software found my original post.

"Dante Lang moving to defensive end"

https://www.si.com/college/florida/football/florida-gators-second-year-players-next-step-2020

"Dante Lang, at 6 foot 5, 252 pounds, mostly played defensive end in high school, racking up 70 tackles and 20 sacks in his senior season.
http://highschoolbuzz.blog.palmbeac...ton-ath-dante-lang-commits-to-florida-gators/

Move Lang back to DE & relieve some of the congestion at TE. As a RS SO, he has enough time to transition back into a DE."

Never understood moving him to TE; guessing he will be SDE rather than Buck,

I posted this on Jan 5th, 2020 when I, & everyone else, thought we would have our usual Spring Practice & Lang could try out playing SDE, again; obviously that didn't happen.

But Mullen & Grantham looking at it now.

 

[Nicktheslick]

Saw this tidbit today & using our new software found my original post.

"Dante Lang moving to defensive end"

https://www.si.com/college/florida/football/florida-gators-second-year-players-next-step-2020

"Dante Lang, at 6 foot 5, 252 pounds, mostly played defensive end in high school, racking up 70 tackles and 20 sacks in his senior season.
http://highschoolbuzz.blog.palmbeac...ton-ath-dante-lang-commits-to-florida-gators/

Move Lang back to DE & relieve some of the congestion at TE. As a RS SO, he has enough time to transition back into a DE."

Never understood moving him to TE; guessing he will be SDE rather than Buck,

I posted this on Jan 5th, 2020 when I, & everyone else, thought we would have our usual Spring Practice & Lang could try out playing SDE, again; obviously that didn't happen.

But Mullen & Grantham looking at it now.

Good call.

 

[Jeff from Jax]

A lttle more info on Dante's move to SDE

247
https://www.si.com/college/florida/football/florida-gators-dante-lang-dan-mullen-defensive-end

Gator's Territory
https://florida.rivals.com/news/notebook-scrimmage-goals-qb-room-thriving-change-for-lang

 

[Jeff from Jax]

From Mullen Monday - Dan Mullen spoke with the media for the final time before game week on Monday afternoon.
https://insidethegators.com/s/2251/mullen-monday-gators-looking-to-ramp-things-up

Congrats to Dante Lang of the
@FloridaGators
for being named as their 2020 #WuerffelTrophy nominee

"...Dante Lang's move to defensive end this fall was a combination of depth concerns at the strong-side end position and trying to find a better opportunity for him to get on the field.

Shortly after Mullen took the UF job in 2017, he told Lang, then a recruit, that he loved his athleticism and pass-rushing ability, but Lang told him he was coming to Florida to play tight end.

He thinks he has a bright future at defensive end.

He's up to the mid-280-pound range now.

 

[instaGATOR]

Jeff, I realize it's an outdated thread, but here are some updates I believe:

TE Keon Zipperer played in 8 games in 2019, no redshirt, he's a 2020 Soph.

Krull transferred, Pitts is likely gone after 2020, so I agree with that.

Dante Lang is moved to DE and likely to stay at SDE.

However, there are two incoming TE's in the 2021 class.

2021 TE's -- Gamble rsJr and Zipperer So, Odom 6-5 250 Fr,
Due to the NCAA not counting 2020, their class will remain unchanged for 2021.

Plus - Wilcox 6-4 228 Fr and Elksnis 6-6 220 Fr - So back to 5 TE's.