Welcome to Gator Nation, Cameron Carroll and Mannie Nunnery! (Photo via Houston Cougars)
Billy Napier continues to rack up additions to his football program via the transfer portal.
Yesterday afternoon, Napier scored a portal two-for-one, grabbing running back Cameron Carroll from Tulane as well as Nunnery. The two committed within a few minutes of each other.
Nunnery was a reserve linebacker at Houston for his first three seasons from 2019-2021, playing primarily on special teams. However, he saw an expanded role in 2022, getting into nine games at linebacker. Over the course of his four seasons with the Cougars, Nunnery racked up 127 tackles, recorded three and a half sacks, batted away two passes, and forced a fumble.
Early expectations are that Mannie Nunnery will be a depth piece for the Gators. But given his coverage skills as a linebacker, his experience, and the situation in that Florida linebacker room, he might be more.
Other than the now-departed Ventrell Miller, Florida’s linebacker room in 2023 was, for lack of a better adjective, atrocious. Shemar James and Scooby Williams showed promise at times in 2022, but they’re still both very young and will need a lot of help around them.
Thankfully, Napier hit the portal hard at linebacker. Nunnery is the third signee of Napier’s this cycle from the portal, joining former Big Ten rivals Teradja Mitchell from Ohio State and Deuce Spurlock from Michigan. Florida also signed Jaden Robinson from the high school ranks, flipping him away from South Carolina.
Altogether, Nunnery is the ninth Gator to arrive via the transfer portal this cycle.
