Tyreak Sapp eagerly awaits his first SEC contest

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Last year, as the Gators boarded a charter flight for Lexington, Tyreak Sapp was back on campus. He doesn’t remember exactly what he was doing when the plane took off, but he wasn’t on it.

Sapp was a highly sought-after recruit. At St. Thomas Aquinas, he was the big man on campus. At Florida, he was on the scout team in 2021. That means he was resigned to mimicking UF’s opponents in practice. He would work all week on the field but was forced to watch from the sideline in 2021.

When the new coaching staff was put in place, it was a breath of fresh air for Sapp. A clean slate and an opportunity to prove himself.

“When these guys came in, they gave me new life, something to live, something to breathe for, just a new breath that we’ve got some more opportunities come in, and it’s going to be big time for me to be able to play this year,” Sapp said on Monday. “I can really provide for this team and be able to be a productive player for this team this year.”

“Even though it was a new staff, it’s kind of hard to gain trust early and somebody just come in there and being able to trust them like we built over time. They told us they understood it was going to come slowly, but it was going to come surely. They kept their promise from then till now.”

Sapp shows the promise he has on the field

Sapp played 29 snaps off the bench against Utah. He played a huge part in the Gators’ goal line stand. It was Sapp who absorbed a double team, opening a gap for Ventrell Miller to meet the running back at the line of scrimmage and force a turnover on downs.

Sapp played the three and five techniques (end and tackle) mostly. He even logged two snaps at nose tackle. That doesn’t lend way for him showing up in the stats, but it’s plays like that double team that really can make a difference.

“Tyreak Sapp is a joy to coach. Every time I see that guy, he puts me in a better mood. He has a great spirit about him,” Napier said Wednesday. “The guy’s a worker. His motors alkewts running. He’s always very positive in his approach. And the guy has never played before. We have a lot of players on our team who that was the first significant playing time that thy had.”

His role will continue to expand. The Gators’ have a lot of talent on the defensive line but lack depth. That showed in the snap counts with Gervon Dexter and Brenton Cox Jr. playing 68 and 57 snaps, respectively. Sapp will see his usage grow, and that means he’ll have a chance to make an impact.

The Gators remember 2021 in Lexington

Sapp recalls the sea of blue blanketing Kroger Field.

“Of course you take that personally. Of course you’re gonna take that personal,” Sapp said of Kentucky fans rushing the field. “But you’ve got to understand, you’ve got to guide that motivation and those emotions in the right direction. You can’t be all over the place, you’ve got to have those things in the right spot. Because if you don’t, you’re gonna go out there and you’re gonna play everywhere. Even though your intensity is high, it doesn’t matter. You have to guide that energy in the right direction.”

Last week Kentucky quarterback Will Levis was sacked four times. Florida didn’t register a sack last week against Utah but will look to change that this week.

The Gators’ defensive line is looking to establish itself this week against a quarterback with a first-round grade. They’re also looking to re-establish order in a series that has been closer in the last four years than they would like.