Florida LB Mohamoud Diabate becomes sixth Gators player to enter transfer portal

By Adam Silverstein
December 10, 2021
Florida LB Mohamoud Diabate becomes sixth Gators player to enter transfer portal
Football

Image Credit: @GatorsFB / Twitter

Junior linebacker Mohamoud Diabate on Friday became the sixth Florida Gators football player to enter his name in the NCAA transfer portal at the conclusion of the 2021 college football season. This after Diabate had recently been critical of former head coach Dan Mullen and how certain things were run behind the scenes in the program.

Diabate did not announce his transfer, but he has promoted stories of him entering the portal.

“We been getting fed takeout food out of a hotbox for three years, how can you make real gains …” he tweeted recently.

Diabate started 10 of the 12 games he played in this season, leading the Gators with 89 total tackles (33 solo). Former defensive coordinator Todd Grantham called him arguably the most improved player on the roster. Though he was a tackling machine in 20221, Diabate did not make as many key plays as he did in 2020 when he forced three turnovers and defended two passes while roaming the midfield.

A former four-star prospect who was the No. 109 ranked player in the Class of 2019, per the 247Sports Composite, Diabate was a key recruit for Mullen who developed into a team leader both on and off the field.

Coupled with the departure of redshirt junior wide receiver Jacob Copeland, Florida has now lost its leading pass catcher and leading tackler in consecutive days. Diabate’s decision to move on creates a significant void in the middle of the defense that new head coach Billy Napier needs to fill before the start of the season.

Copeland’s transfer was not particularly surprising, and while Diabate’s is not necessarily a shock, it did appear as if he was more dedicated to the Gators program. However, he only has one year of eligibility remaining and needs to use it as he best sees fit in hopes of helping his professional prospects.

The five other Florida players already in the portal besides Diabate are Copeland, redshirt freshman offensive tackle Gerald Mincey and defensive linemen junior Khris Bogle, redshirt sophomore Lloyd Summerall III and redshirt junior Dante Zanders.

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