Former Florida Edge Rusher, Brenton Cox, Declares for NFL Draft

3rd year Edge Rusher Brenton Cox has declared for the NFL Draft after 3 solid seasons at the University of Florida. In a statement released Monday evening, Cox stated:

“I would also like to express my gratitude to the Florida Gators football program, fans and teammates. This football program has helped me to be a productive and positive student athlete on and off the field and I will be forever grateful for that. Being part of this program and having the ability to wear the #1 jersey was an honor and privilege. I find it hard to express my disappointment in being dismissed from the team. It is truly a shock. I have always had a competitive spirit. I think sometimes that gets misconstrued. SEC football is a serious endeavor...

“...With that being said, I am humbled and excited to announce that I will be declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft. I look forward to this next season in my life and the opportunity to make everyone proud in my professional football career.” 

Less than 12 hours after losing to Georgia in a critical conference matchup, Florida Head Coach Billy Napier made it clear that he was looking to move on from Edge Rusher from Stockbridge, Georgia Brenton Cox. However, the decision was made shortly after a game in which the entire team struggled offensively and defensively. Prior to this game, Cox had been known as a major contributor to the Florida defense in his 3rd season with the team after transferring from UGA his freshman season.

When asked what the motivation was for dismissing Cox, Napier specifically stated, "These are hard things, right? So I think we'll just keep all that in house.” In Napier’s first year as head coach for Florida, he has made a major switch in his team as he has opened the floodgates for potentially unjustified dismissals. In the age of NIL deals, this move could prove to be harmful for the overall morale of his team.

In Florida football history, suspensions and dismissals have been customary, but they were typically related to criminal offenses and issues with the law. In a situation like this in which a coach can no longer discipline players within, it can affect recruiting negatively. Cox does not have reported off-field issues, but in 2018,.

Sources close to the Florida program have noted that during half time of the UGA - Florida game, that Brenton Cox addressed the team in a very firm manner, in which he challenged the team to “step it up” among other words. The exact words of Cox are unknown, but as a team leader, it is possible that the challenge made by Cox worked. In the 3rd quarter of the game, the Gators scored 17 straight points to rally within a 2 score game. Although the team did not win, if this act by Cox was the catalyst for dismissal, more information on the situation is surely needed to justify the dismissal. 

Shortly after the news was announced, Florida Defensive Back and senior leader Trey Dean III tweeted,"Don't Worry 1 I Got You !” in reference to his dismissal. It is worth mentioning that Trey Dean has been a key contributor at Florida for 5 years. 

This post came after he deleted a previous post stating the information was “false” when hearing about the dismissal from the team. Unlike Coach Napier, everyone at UF does not agree with the dismissal. 

We will keep an eye on how this story further develops. 

Cox will surely be a legitimate prospect in this year's draft and will likely be called early. 

ITH Writer/ COO

-By: LeMarkus Bailey