Bateman striving to turn inside linebackers into “elite tacklers”

Jay Bateman works with the inside linebackers during 2022 spring practice. GatorCountry photo by David Bowie.Soon after Jay Bateman arrived at UF in January as the inside linebackers coach, he hit the film room to watch every play that the Gators’ inside linebackers had played in their college careers.

One major issue stood out to him, and it’s something that Gators fans have been complaining about for a couple of years, also – missed tackles.

While every coaching staff employs a slightly different scheme, the linebackers making tackles is one of the biggest keys to ensuring that the run defense operates smoothly. Miss a tackle, and an undersized defensive back is going to have to try to make…