Gators DT Tedarrell Slaton Has Big Shoes to Fill on Defensive Line

BMF

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Gators DT Tedarrell Slaton Has Big Shoes to Fill on Defensive Line

Gators DT Tedarrell Slaton Has Big Shoes to Fill on Defensive Line

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A big, mincing, quick-footed, 6-foot-5, 335-pound defensive tackle is hard to come by. A special athlete. But the Florida Gators may have one in Tedarrell "TJ" Slaton.

Slaton, a rising-senior from Fort Lauderdale (Fla.), was originally recruited by the Gators as a four-star offensive lineman. Shortly before his collegiate career was set to begin, however, Slaton was moved to the defensive side of the football - providing the Gators with a heavy size advantage along the defensive line.

Slaton's career did not begin the way he wanted. While his playing time increased during his sophomore season, the physically-imposing defensive tackle was benched only a couple of weeks into the season, unable to keep up with Kentucky running back Benny Snell.

Over the past two seasons, Slaton has played second-fiddle to graduate-transfer defensive tackle Adam Shuler. Shuler was able to quickly earn the starting position for the Gators and went on to log 68 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks for Florida.

Earlier last season, Shuler had high-praise for his young disciple.

"(Slaton's) grown a lot," Shuler said shortly following the team's game against UT-Martin last season. "He’s learning discipline, he’s learning, you know, his role so he know who we expect and we know what to expect from him now.”

Now, it's Slaton's time to shine. Playing in a deep rotation last season, Slaton accounted for three sacks, and 12 pressures in 124 pass-rush snap, while playing the team's three-technique defensive tackle position. Having the ability to generate pass rush from the interior of a defense is extremely valuable.

Due to his benching, Slaton made it a goal of his to better himself heading into the 2019 season.

Working on his diet, the (at the time) junior defensive tackle was ready for an emergence, and he didn't disappoint.

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In what was probably the best game of his career last season, Slaton effortlessly pushes back the Missouri's left guard, knocking him right into Missouri quarterback Kelly Bryant's ankles, helping create a sack. His potential is extraordinary, and with the ability to be unfettered by a heavy rotation as a starter, more opportunities for plays like this should arise.

With Shuler gone, Slaton becomes an elder-statesman of the group. Only defensive tackle Kyree Campbell and redshirt senior Marlon Dunlap Jr. have similar experience heading into the 2020 campaign. While Dunlap is expected to be in rotation with Slaton, the 6-foot-3 , 295 pound defensive tackle's 2019 season ended early due to an undisclosed injury.

Slaton will need to take young players such as freshman defensive tackle Gevron Dexter under his wing next season, giving the newcomers an example of what to follow when it's their time to shine under the lights on Saturdays.

Until then, Slaton looks to live up to the high expectations set by not only himself, but his defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and fellow defensive linemen, particularly his former roommate in Campbell.

"He is taking it serious,'' Campbell said of Slaton before the season last year. "I can see that he has really bought into the program. I believe he wants it."
 

Thick&ThinG8r

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In before traz and the donkey tell us he's to big to play in Granthams system.
Completely ignoring we signed three 300 pounders two months ago.
 

Swamp Donkey

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Honestly, Im just glad when they arent adding a handful of 195-205 edge rushers.

Dont get me wrong, one or two of those guys are ok, just not 12.

There are only so many thirds and long in a game.
 
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maheo30

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Jalen Lee and Lamar Goods are 300 or over. Gervon Dexter is at 290.
 

Swamp Donkey

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That list is proof enough for me that the narrative pushed by a few that Grantham will only play 250 lb D lineman is a bunch of bs.
Or that Mullinz told him ot knock it off

It also doesnt change the fact that we just graduated a "DT" who played LB and DE at WVU and a DE who played LB at Loovulle.
 

TheDouglas78

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That list is proof enough for me that the narrative pushed by a few that Grantham will only play 250 lb D lineman is a bunch of bs.

So your argument now is that you misrepresented your argument, that you brought into the conversation? I would say that doesn't say much about you... now if you were to say we focused on DT more than the last 2 classes and got more size on the line... I don't think there would be any denying that statement. But by knowingly misrepresentation of your argument you are what you are complaining about.
 

Thick&ThinG8r

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So your argument now is that you misrepresented your argument, that you brought into the conversation? I would say that doesn't say much about you... now if you were to say we focused on DT more than the last 2 classes and got more size on the line... I don't think there would be any denying that statement. But by knowingly misrepresentation of your argument you are what you are complaining about.
You are the one trying to argue.I made a general statement and I'm sure those guys will show up as 300 pounders. They will also be very athletic which is part of the reason we played smaller guys not because that is the system Grantham uses. I'm sure traz and the donkey are thankful you have their back, Im sure they couldn't handle this place without you.
 

TheDouglas78

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You are the one trying to argue.I made a general statement and I'm sure those guys will show up as 300 pounders. They will also be very athletic which is part of the reason we played smaller guys not because that is the system Grantham uses. I'm sure traz and the donkey are thankful you have their back, Im sure they couldn't handle this place without you.

So deflection... you complain about how some people act, you display the same exact characteristics. Get called out on it... then deflect saying that someone else is starting an argument that you in fact brought up by misrepresenting something that is easily verified. But instead of saying, you know what I was wrong... you start to btch and deflect. Doesn't surprise me.
 

Swamp Donkey

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You are the one trying to argue.I made a general statement and I'm sure those guys will show up as 300 pounders. .
it's not that he didn't have them on the roster. he had them on the roster and played them on goal-line defense, which we were pretty good at.

but it's also impossible debate that he spent the rest of the year, he played one DT, one DE, and two LB hybrids on the defensive line most of the time.
 
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Thick&ThinG8r

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it's not that he didn't have them on the roster. he had them on the roster and played them on goal-line defense, which we were pretty good at.

but it's also impossible debate that he spent the rest of the year playing one defensive tackle, one defensive end, and two linebackers on the defensive line.
Different guys didnt played for different reasons. Slaton didn't know his responsibilities but got better as the season progressed and probably had the most snaps the second half of the season.
Campbell is a team captain but just isn't very good and played less the second half of the season.
My point and I stand by it, is it's more about ability than size when it came to playing time.
You and I were the most vocal on the lack of talent on the dline. I think we helped ourselves there. I don't think we have addressed LB in the same way and it will show until we do.
 
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Swamp Donkey

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there's definitely a lack of talent, but relatively speaking the d-line is more talented than all the other position groups.
 

BMF

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The problem with the D-line isn't the three (near) 300 pounders we're brining in....the problem is we only brought in ONE 300 pounder in the two previous classes. That's pathetic, inexcusable, and irresponsible for an SEC coaching staff.

How Grantham uses them is a different discussion. But we still have plenty of undersized WDE's/Buck/OLB's to play a light DL even if we use two of these heavy DL's. We also only have 3 SDE's on the roster, and at least one (Carter) will be used as a DT much of the time. Fortunately, Carter is around 285-290.
 

TheDouglas78

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The problem with the D-line isn't the three (near) 300 pounders we're brining in....the problem is we only brought in ONE 300 pounder in the two previous classes. That's pathetic, inexcusable, and irresponsible for an SEC coaching staff.

How Grantham uses them is a different discussion. But we still have plenty of undersized WDE's/Buck/OLB's to play a light DL even if we use two of these heavy DL's. We also only have 3 SDE's on the roster, and at least one (Carter) will be used as a DT much of the time. Fortunately, Carter is around 285-290.

And that doesn't count for the lack of bulk the previous staff brought in as well. It's a position of need for years, hopefully some of these kids can pan out and produce early in their careers.
 

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