O'Cyrus Torrence NFL Draft 2023: Scouting Report for Florida IOL
Dec 30, 2022
GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 08: Florida Gators offensive lineman O'Cyrus Torrence (54) during the game between the Missouri Tigers and the Florida Gators on October 8, 2022 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field in Gainesville, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
HEIGHT: 6'5"
WEIGHT: 330
HAND: 11 1/4"
ARM: 33 7/8"
WINGSPAN: TBD
40-YARD DASH: 5.31
3-CONE: TBD
SHUTTLE: 4.81
VERTICAL: 23.5"
BROAD: 8'5"
POSITIVES
— Massive frame and build with good length and a wide base to engulf defenders.
— Very good play strength to reestablish the line of scrimmage in the run game and anchor in pass-protection.
— Excels in the power-run game, uprooting defensive tackles on down blocks and double-teams as the post and drive man, routinely creating vertical and lateral displacement.
— Uses his frame, length and power to create cutback lanes in the zone-run game by covering up and widening defenders further than they want to go.
— Reliable processing skills to key, diagnose and handle basic line games and stunts.
— Eats the bull rush and can anchor quickly when squared up against power rushes.
— Plays with a nasty demeanor and consistently looks to finish defenders throughout games.
NEGATIVES
— Tends to lean and not keep his head out of blocks when isolated against sub-package rushers rather than maintain proper posture and patience, leaving him vulnerable to losing quickly.
— Can be a tick late releasing off combo blocks, causing him to be tardy to pick up quick-trigger linebackers.
— Shows mediocre agility on the move and struggles to adjust his track when necessary, leaving him susceptible to missing his target in space on the second level and on pulls.
2022 STATISTICS
— 11 starts at right guard
NOTES
— Named AP first-team All-American, becoming the first Gator offensive lineman to achieve the distinction since Mike Pearson in 2001.
— Former 3-star prospect out of St. Helena College and Career Academy in Greensburg, Louisiana
— Started 35 games over three seasons at Louisiana before transferring to Florida in 2022. Finished his career with 46 starts
— First true freshman offensive lineman to start at Louisiana since 2004
— First-team All-Sun Belt in 2021
— First-team All-SEC in 2022
— Never allowed a sack during his college career (over 3,000 snaps)
— Decided to skip his team's appearance in the Las Vegas Bowl to prepare for the draft
— Invited and accepted his invite to the 2022 Senior Bowl
OVERALL
O'Cyrus Torrence is a four-year starter inside Billy Napier's multiple-run scheme with 46 career starts inside at guard during his time at Louisiana (2019-2021) and Florida (2022). He has a massive, hulking build with a thick midsection, solid arm length and massive hands.
Torrence wins using a combination of sheer size, a strong center of gravity and a high-level ability to generate and absorb force in the run and pass game. He is an adept gap run-blocker who excels covering up defensive tackles, resetting the line of scrimmage and creating displacement vertically and laterally on down, base and double-team blocks.
Torrence has the necessary blend of power to create instant movement and uproot defenders when needed, with the strength to strain, sustain and steer them out of rush lanes. He flashes the balance and body control to absorb contact on the move when he catches defenders square down the midline of his frame, and he has the grip strength to stay attached against shed attempts. However, he will get top-heavy, leave his feet behind and lunge at fast-flowing, twitchy defenders that work across his face.
Torrence does a nice job staying inside-out on pass-rushers, showing the patience to maximize his size and not get overaggressive with his hands. That forces rushers to work around or through his frame.
Torrence has firm, powerful strikes and does a nice job relying on his inside hand to widen rushers. He also has the invaluable ability of bracing through his core and anchoring quickly to stymie the bull rush. He's a quick processor with alert eyes to anticipate line games and stunts while being a force of nature when uncovered, routinely caving in adjacent rushers to clear the pocket.
The one area of concern is against high-level 3-techniques and sub-package rushers that can get him isolated with wide alignments and make him play in space. That negates his strength and power.
Overall, Torrence has starter-level size, play strength and power, with the right demeanor to be a potential impact starter at guard in most schemes. Ideally, he would plug into a run and play-action focused offense that incorporates a healthy mix of gap concepts to suit what he does best and maximize his physical traits and skill set.
Billy Napier Doubted by Fans After Oregon State Routs Florida in Las Vegas Bowl
Dec 17, 2022
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 17: Head coach Billy Napier of the Florida Gators on the field as his team warms up before the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl against the Oregon State Beavers at Allegiant Stadium on December 17, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
The Florida Gators fell to the Oregon State Beavers 30-3 on Saturday in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl, finishing the year with a 6-7 record in Billy Napier's first season as head coach.
Florida kicked a field goal with just seconds remaining on the clock to record its only points of the game.
The Gators were short-handed Saturday, with the biggest loss being quarterback Anthony Richardson, who opted out and declared for the 2023 NFL draft. However, the team's performance as a whole was still unacceptable.
Quarterback Jack Miller III completed just 13 of 22 passes for 180 yards. Running backs Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson Jr. each rushed for just 14 yards, and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall caught four passes for 65 yards.
The offense was hideous, but the defense wasn't much better, allowing Oregon State to total 353 yards.
With Napier's squad putting together a disappointing performance Saturday, and for much of the season, Twitter questioned whether the Gators made the right decision in hiring him to replace Dan Mullen.
I’m not sold on Billy Napier as a coach— and he’ll get next season — but losing every rivalry game, losing to Vandy, losing to Kentucky, barely beating USF and blowing the 435-game streak of not being shutout would be a horrific start to his #Gators tenure.
Thus, mercifully, ends Billy Napier’s first season. Back-to-back losing seasons for Florida for the first time since 78-79. What happens over the next few weeks will go a long way in determining what a turnaround might look like
Billy Napier, now in his 20th season as a college coach, has experienced one losing season. That was a 6-7 finish in 2010 at Clemson. Trailing 30-0 in the Las Vegas Bowl, the #Gators are staring at another one today.
Two straight 6-7 seasons. First back-to-back losing seasons since the '70s. Needed a garbage time field goal to avoid getting shut out for the first time in 30 years.
Billy Napier better make a LOT of progress next year to prove he's worth anything as a head coach.
Before joining Florida, Napier spent four seasons at Louisiana, going 40-12 and 2-1 in bowl games.
Saturday's loss is frustrating for Florida and its fans, but Napier will likely be sticking around for longer than one season, and the Gators will be hoping the 2023 campaign goes far better.
It's hard to believe that the 2022 college football season is almost over. We still have a full bowl season to get through before it's officially done, but...
5-Star QB DJ Lagway Commits to Florida Over USC, Clemson, Texas A&M, Baylor
Dec 7, 2022
DJ Lagway, a 5-star quarterback, announced his intention to attend the University of Florida on Wednesday, choosing the Gators over USC, Clemson, Texas A&M and Baylor.
"I feel they're going to build something special and I definitely want to be part of it," Lagway told Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports. "The coaching staff, I have a really good relationship with those guys. I love the system that they have. Coach Napier has an amazing system and I feel I fit perfectly in there."
Lagway is the No. 24 player and fourth-ranked quarterback in the 2024 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. The Willis High School product is also the fourth-ranked prospect from the state of Texas.
Florida previously landed 4-star linebacker Myles Graham and 4-star running back Chauncey Bowens. Lagway says he hopes to help coach Billy Napier build a stellar recruiting class in Gainesville.
"I'm truly ready to start recruiting," Lagway said. "That's why I wanted to decide early so I can go ahead and start building up that No. 1 class."
Napier went 6-6 in his first season at Florida after coming over from Louisiana. The Gators ranked as high as No. 12 in the country after upsetting Utah in the opening week of the season but struggled with their consistency the rest of the way.
Napier hopes to avoid the program suffering through its second straight losing season when the team travels to play Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl later this month.
Report: Jalen Kitna Dismissed from Florida After Arrest on Child Pornography Charges
Dec 2, 2022
GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 02: Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna (11) looks for a receiver during the game between the Eastern Washington Eagles and the Florida Gators on October 2, 2022 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field in Gainesville, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Quarterback Jalen Kitna has been dismissed from the University of Florida football team following his arrest on child pornography charges, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.
The Gainesville Police Department arrested Kitna and he was booked into Alachua County jail on Wednesday. He was formally charged with two counts of distribution of child exploitation material and three counts of possession of child pornography.
According to Mark Long of the Associated Press, Kitna was released from jail on Thursday after posting $80,000 bond.
Long added Judge Meshon Rawls ordered Kitna not to have any unsupervised contact with minors and no internet access as part of the conditions for his release.
"Jalen Kitna was at the Alachua County Jail and on a closed-circuit feed when Jon and Jennifer Kitna stepped to a podium in the courtroom and promised they would supervise their 19-year-old son back home in Burleson, Texas," Long wrote.
Per the arrest report from the Gainesville Police Department (h/t Long), authorities began an investigation into allegations of images of child pornography being shared on social media site Discord following a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
"Kitna shared two images of a pubescent girl, police said in the report, adding that the phrase 'so young junior' was written on both pictures," wrote Long. "Kitna told a detective he thought they were legal because he found them online."
The report also noted police found three more images of "two nude pubescent girls in the shower" when they searched Kitna's phone that had been saved since December 2021. Police said Kitna told them he thought the images "were legal because he found them online," per Long.
All of the charges against Kitna are felonies. Two of them are second-degree felonies that could result in a prison sentence of up to 15 years and a fine of up to $10,000. The other charges are third-degree felonies.
Kitna enrolled at Florida last year. He redshirted during the 2021 season and has been the primary backup to Anthony Richardson in 2022. The 19-year-old appeared in three games for the Gators this season.
Florida's Jalen Kitna Released on $80K Bond After Arrest on Child Pornography Charges
Dec 1, 2022
GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 02: Florida Gators quarterback Jalen Kitna (11) looks to pass the ball during a college football game against the Eastern Washington Eagles on October 2, 2022 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
University of Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna was reportedly set to be released on $80,000 bond Thursday after being arrested Wednesday on child pornography charges.
According to Mark Long of the Associated Press, Judge Meshon Rawls set the terms of Kitna's bond in Gainesville, Florida, decreeing that Kitna could not have any unsupervised contact with minors nor access to the internet.
Kitna's dad, former NFL quarterback Jon, and mom, Jennifer, reportedly addressed the court and said they would supervise their son at their home in Burleson, Texas.
The Gainesville Police Department announced Wednesday that Kitna had been arrested on two charges of distribution of child exploitation material and three charges of possession of child pornography.
Police said in a statement that an investigation into Kitna began when they received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about an account linked to Kitna sharing images of child sexual abuse on Discord.
Per Long, "Kitna shared two images of a pubescent girl, police said in the report, adding that the phrase 'so young junior' was written on both pictures. Kitna told a detective he thought they were legal because he found them online."
Police said they also found three further images of nude girls in the shower when they searched Kitna's phone.
Kitna, 19, is a freshman backup quarterback for the Gators who threw for 181 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in limited action this season.
The University of Florida released a statement on the matter Wednesday, noting that it was "shocked and saddened" by the allegations against Kitna.
It was also announced by the school that Kitna had been suspended indefinitely from the football program.
Florida QB Jalen Kitna Suspended After Being Arrested on Child Pornography Charges
Nov 30, 2022
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 12: Jalen Kitna #11 of the Florida Gators throws a pass during the second half of a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 12, 2022 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
Florida quarterback Jalen Kitna was suspended by the team after being arrested on child pornography charges Wednesday.
“We are shocked and saddened to hear of the news involving Jalen Kitna," the university said in a statement, per Fan Nation's Zach Goodall. "These are extremely serious charges and the University of Florida and the UAA have zero tolerance for such behavior.
"Jalen has been suspended indefinitely from the football program.”
The Gainesville Police Department released a statement Wednesday (via CBS4) saying they received an anonymous tip accusing a user of distributing child pornography on Discord. Officers were able to trace the posts to Kitna, who police said admitted to sharing images he thought were "legal" because he found them online.
A search of Kitna's electronic devices allegedly uncovered three additional images of child pornography. He was arrested and charged with two counts of child exploitation material and three counts of possession of child pornography.
The son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, Jalen Kitna served as the backup to Anthony Richardson during the 2022 season. He threw for 181 yards and one touchdown in three appearances.
Jon Kitna played for the Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys across 17 NFL seasons.
FBI Investigating Antisemitic Message from Georgia-Florida Game in Jacksonville
Nov 1, 2022
JACKSONVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 29: Florida Gators wide receiver Xzavier Henderson (3) during the college football game between the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs on October 29, 2022, at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The FBI is reportedly investigating antisemitic displays across Jacksonville, Florida, including one that was posted during Saturday's college football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators played at the Jaguars' TIAA Bank Field.
Teresa Stepzinski of the Florida Times-Union reported Monday that the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and FBI Jacksonville are investigating a message that said "Kanye is right about the jews" that was projected onto the back of the stadium's video board.
Rapper Kanye West, who has changed his name to Ye, has recently posted a string of antisemitic messages on social media.
"The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has been made aware of antisemitic posts and displays in and around the City of Jacksonville," law enforcement said in a statement.
"We have been looking into these actions and will continue to work with our partner agencies regarding these reports of antisemitic messages. At this time, the Sheriff's Office has not identified any crimes having been committed; the comments displayed do not include any type of threat and are protected by the First Amendment."
According to Stepzinski, similar messages were displayed in multiple places around the city, including on a downtown building and an overpass above the interstate.
The rivalry game between Florida and Georgia has predominantly been played in Jacksonville since 1933. Georgia improved to 8-0 on the season with a 42-20 victory on Saturday.
Florida's Brenton Cox Jr. Dismissed from Team for Undisclosed Reason, per HC Napier
Oct 31, 2022
GAINESVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 17: Florida Gators linebacker Brenton Cox Jr. (1) during the game between the South Florida Bulls and the Florida Gators on September, 17 2022 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field in Gainesville, Fl. (Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Florida head coach Billy Napier announced junior linebacker Brenton Cox Jr. is no longer on the team.
Napier didn't provide a reason for Cox's dismissal and pointed to "an accumulation of things rather than one specific action," per the Tampa Bay Times' Matt Baker.
"I think that being a football player at the University of Florida is a privilege. There are certainly expectations that come with that," he told reporters. "Obviously, he has done a lot of good things for the University of Florida and we wish him nothing but the best but sometimes you have to make decisions in the best interest of the team."
Cox began his career at Georgia and transferred to Florida following the 2018 season. After sitting out a year, he debuted for the Gators in 2020 as a redshirt sophomore.
The 6'3", 252-pound defender had 24 tackles, two sacks and six tackles for loss in eight games. His production ticked upward in 2021 as he recorded 41 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss while forcing one fumble and breaking up four passes.
Cox continued to be a mainstay for Florida this season. His eight tackles for loss are the most on the team, and he was tied for second in sacks (two).
Cox's performance was undoubtedly putting him on the radar for NFL teams ahead of the 2023 draft. He was the No. 60 overall player on Bleacher Report's most recent big board.
Ahead of a 42-20 loss to Georgia in Week 9, Napier listed Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. in the depth chart as the backup to Cox at the JACK position. Based on that, Powell-Ryland will take over as the starter for Saturday's contest against Texas A&M.
