You can understand Diwun Black’s excitement to be in Orange and Blue. It’s been a long time coming for the junior from Osceola.
Blak originally committed to Dan Mullen in 2017 when the coach was still at Mississippi State. He flipped that commitment to Florida when Mullen was named the head coach but while Mullen made it to Gainesville, Black never did.
Like a lot of high schoolers, Black wasn’t able to qualify at Florida and ended up at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. It’s a lot different at community college, where the funding for athletics is literally a fraction of what a school like Florida has. That makes you really question what you’re doing, how did you end up here, and what are you now going to do about it?
Black spent two years away from Florida, watching the coach he’d committed to twice win three New Year’s Six Bowl games. He watched the Gators run out of the tunnel without him but he didn’t give up.
Black helped Mississippi Gulf Coast to 2019 NJCAA National Championship while recording 46.0 tackles, 8.5 tackles-for-loss, one interception, and five pass breakups in 11 games throughout the season. He turned himself into the No. 1 rated junior college prospect and then it was time to once again commit to Mullen and the Gators. When Black arrived on campus he was more appreciative than ever.
“Being thankful for where you’re at and knowing it’s not as hard as it could be. I’d rather be doing this than wearing a different logo somewhere else. He’s just thankful to be here,” linebackers coach Christian Robinson said of Black. “He’s excited just to have our strength staff, our nutrition staff, to have somebody to help him organize his class assignments and make sure he’s on time. Sometimes when you get used to what you have you forget that it’s a blessing. I think he knows he’s blessed to be here and we’re glad to have him finally”
If you ever watched the Netflix series, “Last Chance U” you would know the struggle in junior college. The equipment isn’t as nice, the recovery after practice isn’t the same, and the perks of playing high-level Division I football seem like a luxury fit for a king compared to what you’re getting at the JUCO level. When Black arrived in Gainesville he could hardly believe the support system he now had.
“You go to JUCO for a couple years then go to the University of Florida, I mean that’s a pretty good step up as far as from a facilities standpoint, training table nutrition. I’m just saying a lot of times when you recruit guys that are highly talented, which is a good thing, they’re kind of exposed to that stuff right off the bat,” Todd Grantham said of Black. “You go to a JUCO, you get exposed the other way, like you’re just trying to survive. You’re on a budget and you’re not afforded those things, so when you come to a place like the University of Florida and you’re able to get that nutrition, that gear, that facility, I mean it probably humbles you a little bit and makes you appreciate it and make you want to stick and stay. So in a lot of ways it can be a good thing.”
The benefits are nice, but Black has been waiting years to put on the Orange and Blue and he’s not going to waste any more time.
The 6-3, 230-pound athlete has quickly found a home at STAR, or nickel, in Florida’s defense. It’s a position that hasn’t had a reliable starter since Chauncey Gardner-Johnson left for the NFL after the 2018 season. Black moved to linebacker after his sophomore season but had a dozen interceptions for 360 return yards and three pick-sixes during his sophomore season. He’s a versatile athlete, something Florida desperately needs at the STAR position.
“He’s a monster in the back end, something that we were really looking for on our defense,” Kris Bogle said. “I mean, he’s fast, physical, bigger than most safeties and DBs. I mean, we’re just looking forward to having him.”
Black dreamed of playing in Gainesville, got stuck in Mississippi for two years, but won’t waste time getting on the field. There’s no time to waste.
Black could play safety, nickel, or linebacker for the Gators. Wherever he can make an instant impact is where he’ll play. Right now that’s at STAR but Florida knows he can play multiple positions, which should get him on the field as soon as possible.