GAINESVILLE, Fla. — An eventful four months for defensive lineman Brendan Bett culminated in the season opener with Bett recording three tackles – one for loss – in his UF debut.

The third-year sophomore transferred from Baylor after going through spring practice with the Bears. When Florida lost D’Antre Robinson to North Carolina after the Orange & Blue Game, Gators defensive coordinator Ron Roberts and defensive line coach Gerald Chatman reconnected with Bett, whom both recruited when Bett was coming out of high school in Texas.

“He’s a great attitude, work ethic, how he handles his business,” Roberts said during camp. “All those intangible things that we’re trying to look for. He’s going to be an impact player.”

A three-star prospect when he signed with Baylor, the 6-foot-4, 308-pound Bett played in 10 games as a freshman in 2023, registering nine tackles, a sack and two pass breakups. Bett had offers from programs such as Colorado, Houston, Minnesota, Texas Tech, SMU and Georgia State out of high school.

Bett is originally from Gadsden, Ala., where his mother, Catina Bett, was the girls’ basketball Class 6A Alabama Player of the Year in 2007. Catina Bett spent two seasons at Kentucky before transferring to Mississippi State, where she played her final season in 2012.

 

Game two sellout ✅

Still time to purchase other single-game tickets ⤵️

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— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) September 1, 2025

Bett can now say he played in the Southeastern Conference, just like his mother, after transferring and getting his uniform dirty at The Swamp.

“Oh man, it’s been great,” Bett said following Wednesday night’s practice. “Being able to be here, in this blissful culture, and then just finally being able to touch the field again, it felt amazing.”

Bett received a scouting report on the Florida program from former Gators receiver Dallas Baker, who is now an assistant at Baylor.

“His words that he said exactly to me, he was like, ‘Hey, man, that’s my home. Go there and take care of it.’ He tried not to brag too much,” Bett said.

Bett came off the bench in the season opener and spelled starting interior defensive linemen Jamari Lyons and Michai Boireau. Bett said he is willing to play inside or outside, wherever the team needs him.

His versatility came in handy against Long Island University with starting defensive tackle Caleb Banks sidelined by a lower-body injury.

“Caleb being down right now, I would say, is definitely a hindrance to the D-line. Like, it’s Caleb Banks,” Bett said. “But me, Michai and Jamari, we’re just trying to do our best, just replace that role while he’s out and try to just stay dominant even without him being in the game until he gets back.”

Meanwhile, Gators head coach Billy Napier is optimistic Banks will return soon. Banks suffered a foot injury that required surgery late last season and missed the Gasparilla Bowl and spring camp. He was active early in preseason camp before another injury put him on the sideline.

“Caleb’s doing good. He’s doing really well,” Napier said Wednesday. “He’s kind of hitting the next step, so he’s really close. So, we’ll see where he’s at this weekend and next week as well.”

 

THE LOVETT WATCH

Not often after a 55-0 win is the first question at a press conference about the opposing team’s defensive prowess. Still, that was the first question Napier faced on Monday following his opening statement to reporters.

Specifically, was he concerned with the offensive line after LIU racked up 11 tackles-for-loss?

“It’s not concerning,” Napier said. “All positions contribute to that, right? Tight ends, quarterback, the running back contributes to that sometimes.”

Napier said the Gators faced a different scheme than LIU showed on film, and that they could have been sharper on details early in the game. However, overall, the offensive line settled in and got the job done.

Most of the outside angst from the media and fans centered on right tackle Bryce Lovett, making his fourth career start along an offensive line comprised primarily of veterans. According to Pro Football Focus metrics, Lovett was UF’s lowest-graded player (38.8) in the beatdown of the Sharks.

“Some good, some bad, like a lot of our players in the opener,” Napier said. “He had a lot of great plays in the game, and then I think he had a few where he could play with a little bit more balance, body control, a little bit more detail in his technique, with his feet and hands.

“Much like you would expect for a guy who is making one of his first starts of his career.”

Despite the scrutiny of Lovett after Week 1, Napier said not to overlook what he does well. Lovett made a key block on the play that led to quarterback DJ Lagway’s 41-yard pass to Vernell Brown III, who made a spectacular one-handed grab.

“He played really hard,” Napier said of Lovett, a third-year sophomore from Rockledge, Fla. “He plays with effort. He’s tough, you know. It’s one of the things I respect about Bryce. He’s competitive, he’s tough, he plays really hard; it’s important to him. And he’ll only continue to improve as he goes forward here.”

Redshirt sophomore Caden Jones and fifth-year senior Devon Manuel, who was not available for the opener, provide options behind Lovett. Jones made his season debut against the Sharks.

 

QUOTE OF NOTE I
“First game in The Swamp, man, it was lit. I love night games. Being able to play under the lights, and then have that third quarter with ‘Won’t Back Down’ with the lights off was turnt. It was a blessing to be in that stadium.” — Gators receiver J. Michael Sturdivant, a transfer from UCLA, on playing at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium for the first time

QUOTE OF NOTE II

“I didn’t even realize I ran past Coach Napier. Something just told me to get out in front right away, and I just haven’t been able to run out the tunnel like that in a minute. Most definitely missed it.” – Receiver Eugene Wilson III, coming off season-ending hip surgery, on sprinting past Napier and his teammates when the Gators ran onto the field for the opener

 

STRICKLIN’S NEW DEAL

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin has signed a contract extension that runs through October 2030. Stricklin, who replaced Jeremy Foley as athletic director in November 2016, will make more than $2 million per year as part of the reworked deal.

The 55-year-old Stricklin signed the extension in June, a few weeks after the UF men’s basketball team won the national championship. Details of the agreement were released on Wednesday and reported by various media outlets, including the Associated Press.

As part of Stricklin’s contract extension, he has a semi-retirement provision that would make him “special assistant to the athletic director” for five years starting in 2030.