Report, Florida football adding 'rising star' assistant to help coach DL

Florida football is reportedly beefing up its defensive coaching staff.

According to a report from ESPN's Pete Thamel, the Florida Gators are set to hire Wofford co-defensive coordinator Jonathan Saxon as an assistant coach who will work with defensive line coach Gerald Chatman on UF's defensive line.

Saxon has worked as co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach at Wofford since 2023. A former offensive lineman at South Carolina State, Saxon began his coaching career as a graduate assistant defensive line coach at Louisville under Charlie Strong, a former UF defensive coordinator. From there, Saxon returned to his alma mater, South Carolina State, where he coached from 2015-23, working his way up to defensive coordinator and linebackers in his final four years at the school.

Saxson is highly respected by his peers, recently named a rising star by Football Scoop and one of ESPN's 45 top minority coaches under 45.

Chatman was the lone assistant coach that new Florida coach Jon Sumrall retained from Billy Napier's staff and has been pushing UF's defensive line throughout spring drills.

"I'm always going to bring intensity, intention to detail, passion to coaching these guys," Chatman said. "I think each player out there individually needs that. I think the guys are excited to go out there and play football."

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida football adding Wofford DC Jonathan Saxon to defensive coaching staff