Florida football DE Brenton Cox dismissed from Gators for 'an accumulation of issues'

Florida defensive end Brenton Cox has been dismissed from the team, head coach Billy Napier confirmed on Monday.

"Sometimes you have to make decisions in the best interest of the team," Napier said. "We decided to move on."

Napier said Cox's dismissal was due to an accumulation of issues but did not get into specifics.

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"We will keep that in house," Napier said.

Cox started all eight games for Florida this season, with 35 tackles, 8 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. He was named SEC Defensive lineman of the week in early September after recording 11 tackles in UF's season opener against Utah. A transfer from Georgia, Cox was emotionally charged in Florida's loss to the Bulldogs on Saturday. He threw a punch in the end zone after being horse-collared following Georgia's final touchdown of the game, a Kenny McIntosh touchdown run. 

In three seasons at Florida, Cox emerged as the team's best edge pass rusher with 14.5 sacks. He had 8.5 sacks last season. 

"It definitely sends a strong message throughout the locker room," Florida cornerback Jaydon Hill said. "That's my guy. I'm still rooting for B to this day.

"It kind of caught me off guard a little bit. I kind of found out when I got there. That's Coach Napier's decision, and I leave that up to Coach. We've just got to keep growing as a team and finish out strong, but I wish him the best for sure."

What's next for Brenton Cox and the Florida Gators?

Cox could enter the transfer portal or enter the NFL Draft. He has one year of eligibility remaining. Napier was non-committal when asked if Cox would be allowed to take part in UF's Pro Day in front of NFL scouts next spring.

"We want to do what we can do to help Brenton going forward, but I think it's a healthy thing for our team," Napier said. "The important thing to understand here is we make every decision in the best interests of the team."

Napier said Antonio Powell and Lloyd Summerall III will be among those in the rotation to replace Cox at the edge rusher spot. Summerall sat out the Georgia game with an injury.