Former Florida Edge Rusher from Stockbridge, Georgia Brenton Cox is an extraordinary talent. Spending time at both UGA and Florida, he has the level of competition that NFL teams will look for. Described as a “super competitor”, Cox has made a name for himself on draft boards.

 He has had success on the national level and has been an integral part of every team he has played on. In my analysis, I will highlight his strengths and weaknesses and show why he will likely be a valued pick in this year’s draft. 

Player Information:

Name: Brenton Cox

School: Florida

Position: Edge Rusher/Defensive End

Jersey #: 1

Alignment/Scheme: Multiple Front (3-4 Edge) and (4-3 DE)

Games Watched: Vs UK, vs UGA, vs LSU, vs UT (‘21), 

Major Factors: # Notes:

Grading Scale:       9 - Special  8 - All-Pro  7.5 - Pro Bowler  7 - Good Starter  6.5 - Avg. Starter  6 - Good Backup  5.5 - Role Player  5 - Developmental

Personal/Behavior: 6 Some minor locker room issues were reported that led to dismissal from the team (UGA ‘18 and UF ‘22), but has no reported off-field issues. Reported being passionate in the locker, which often rubbed the coaching staff the wrong way. Described as a “vocal leader” by his teammates.

Athletic Ability: 6 Extremely athletic. He has a great size for the stand-up position. 

Strength & Explosion: 6 His explosive power is off the charts. Bullrush off of speed is dangerous to offensive tackles. Not extremely powerful from a 4-3 Defensive End position. Is more explosive from a stand-up position to gain momentum on the rush. When larger tackles were able to get a solid grip on him, he struggled to get his hands off. 

Competes 8 Extraordinary competitors. He is visibly passionate at all times when watching him play. He will go the extra mile to give up his body.

Production: 6 2019- 1 sack, 3 PD, 2020- 4 Sacks 2 PD, 2021- 8 Sacks, 4 PD, 2022- 2 Sacks, 4 PD 8 TFLS (Led Team) 

Mental/Learning: 7 Cox has been a contributor at every stop of his career. As a freshman at UGA, he contributed immediately before transferring following the season. In 3 years at UF, he maintained the starting role and improved statistically from year to year. 

Injury History: 6 Played through a left foot injury in 2020 (Jones Fracture). Had surgery to place a metal screw into foot. 

Player Summary:

Report: 6’4’’ 255 lbs. Originally from Stockbridge, Georgia, Brenton Cox is an athletic and powerful stand-up edge rusher that has film with a hand in the ground. Playing from a 3-4 edge is his strong suit and when asked to play in a 4-3, he is not playing to his advantage. 

With 1 year at UGA and 3 seasons at UF, Cox has plenty of productivity with improving numbers from year to year. He saw playing time as a freshman for UGA before transferring after the season. 

The bright spots of Cox are his pure desire to get to the quarterback off of the pass rush. I would not describe his motor as the most elite, but his aggression is a sight to watch. His use of hands is polished and a coach's dream. He is a very disruptive edge run-stopper. 

At 6’4 255, he has the size to match up with any tackle. While being the typical size for a rush end, I would not describe him as a power player. He utilizes more speed and quickness than a straight power rush. He will occasionally get under the pads of a lineman and knock them off balance, but when he is able to work a counter move off of a speed rush, he can win consistently. 

In 2022, before being dismissed from the team, he led all teammates with 8 tackles for loss. With a very minor injury history, Cox will surely be looked at by every team in the league. With minor locker room issues reported, it is also likely that he will receive minor criticism from NFL offices, but should not greatly affect his stock as the issues were seemingly related to the competitive nature amongst the team. 

Pro Comparison: Demarcus Lawrence 

Round/Grade: 2nd-3rd Round 

ITH Writer/COO

-By: LeMarkus Bailey

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