Alex Scarborough, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Geoff Collins brings charisma, energy to Florida defense

The “Swag Chalice” is coming to Florida.

Geoff Collins is leaving Mississippi State to take over as the Gators' defensive coordinator, and he is bringing an abundance of confidence and personality, which should pay off for a program that has lacked both of late. The “Minister of Mayhem” is also taking with him a colorful goblet to house his endless stream of Diet Mountain Dew and 5-Hour Energy drinks.

The 43-year-old assistant is more than charisma and kitsch, though. He is also regarded as a good recruiter and an even better developer of talent. Since joining coach Dan Mullen’s staff at Mississippi State in 2011, he has helped send five Bulldogs defensive players through the NFL draft, including first-round pick Fletcher Cox and second-rounders Johnthan Banks and Darius Slay. According to ESPN, none of the three were regarded as top-25 recruits at their respective positions entering college.

Before you think Collins can’t recruit at the high level Florida is accustomed to, remember he spent a year working in Nick Saban’s recruiting operation at Alabama. As the Crimson Tide’s director of player personnel in 2007, Collins was on the ground floor of what has become one of the most successful recruiting programs in college football, with back-to-back-to-back No. 1-ranked signing classes.

So, yes, Collins is a wonderful hire for first-year Florida coach Jim McElwain.

Beyond his recruiting chops, Collins adds instant credibility to the defense. He will bring energy to the unit, which should get used to the idea of having its every movement tracked by a clever metric called “Juice Points,” which measures a player’s “juice” on a given play. It’s somewhat cliché, but players respond to it and are more apt to be aggressive, as evidenced by Mississippi State ranking second in the SEC in sacks and tied for third in interceptions during the regular season. Tony Hughes, a former fellow assistant coach at State, said, “Geoff is a 21st-century, cutting-edge coordinator that thinks out of the box.”

And that’s exactly what Florida needs. It needs a self-described “psycho” to help breathe new life into a program that felt stagnant and lacking in confidence under former coach Will Muschamp.

In fact, a little bit of change might be the only missing ingredient. Because talent isn’t Florida’s issue. The unit that ranked second in total defense in the SEC this season will return standouts Vernon Hargreaves III, Jalen Tabor and Bryan Cox Jr. in 2015.

They will have to get used to life without Coach Boom, but the move from Muschamp to Collins shouldn’t mean a defense that’s any less enthusiastic. It might actually get crazier.

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