JUCO Quincy Ivory is transferring to the Florida Gators (Photo from 247 Sports)
Defensive end Quincy Ivory is now a Florida Gator- and a helpful one at that.
With Ivory becoming the latest addition to the 2023 recruiting class, Billy Napier has added a much needed depth piece to next year’s roster. The JUCO provides Gators depth along the defensive line. And that should make Gator fans feel confident about Napier at least on one front- Napier has repeatedly emphasized the necessity for depth on the lines of scrimmage, and now he’s put that talk into action.
A former QB-turned-edge-rusher, Quincy Ivory committed to Florida on his visit this past weekend. Upon enrolling next month, it’s logical to assume that he will immediately compete for snaps this fall in Austin Armstrong’s aggressive defense. That aggression was on full display this past spring during the Orange and Blue game, and the athleticism Ivory brings can hopefully add another element of problems for opponents to contend with on that aggressive defense.
While Quincy Ivory has the impressive athletic ability necessary to both play quarterback and be responsible for getting to opponents’ quarterbacks last season, the Gators are getting someone who can fully turn his focus to getting to the quarterback. That experience at QB, though, can only help his football IQ when it comes to the X’s and O’s of the defensive line.
Many reading this may be familiar with the show Last Chance U. The Netflix documentary the chronicles JUCO football or basketball programs as players attempt to get to live out their dream at the Power Five level. East Los Angeles College, better known as “ELAC” was one of the schools showcased from the basketball perspective.
That is the school Quincy Ivory is coming from, all the way to the other side of the country in Gainesville, albeit from their football program. Ivory may not have been a former blue chip recruit, but ended up at ELAC this past season and he showcased what he can do quickly.
Through ten games, Ivory racked up eight sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and recovered three more of his own. With numbers like these, it is easy to see how this JUCO prospect provides the Gators with depth this upcoming season.
And that’s especially important when last year, Florida did not get to the quarterback with enough frequency. In 2022, the Gators were 93rd in the country in getting to the QB. This inability turned out to be fatal for Florida as they could not force QBs into mistakes and paid for it on the scoreboard.
For Florida to be better this season, their defense must improve, and with that, their ability to get to the quarterback must as well. While Quincy Ivory is not a highly ranked prospect from the JUCO or high school ranks, he has demonstrated with film and numbers he could at least provide Florida some options and depth this upcoming season at a major position of need.
And if nothing else, it’s a stopgap depth piece at a position where you just can’t have too many of them.
