No matter the outcome, Saturday promises to be a memorable and emotional night for Utah linebacker Mohamoud Diabate.
The Florida transfer spent the past three seasons with the Gators and now he’s returning to his old stomping grounds when he helps lead No. 7 Utah into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Saturday (5 p.m. MDT, ESPN).
How does Diabate describe playing at The Swamp?
“It’s an electric atmosphere. It’s one-of-a-kind. I don’t think there’s any place that can compare to it,” he said. “I used to love playing there so I’m excited to go back. It’s going to be a great environment. They’re going to be out there loud and excited. It’s going to be fun.”
Game day Saturday in Gainesville will also be a one-of-a-kind opportunity for Diabate.
Still, he said he’s actually familiar with the visiting team’s locker room at The Swamp because his team used it during COVID-19.
For him, memories will be thick in Gainesville. Like a redolent aroma.
“I’m really excited to smell the place. The smells that give you a nostalgic feeling,” Diabate said. “I’m ready to go there, just take a fresh breath of air, and realize where I am and get to work.”
Since arriving on Utah’s campus last January, Diabate has been engaging in friendly banter and a little bit of trash talking with his former Gators teammates about this game.
But as kickoff has grown closer, that’s subsided.
“I talked to one of them earlier today,” he said Tuesday. “Besides that, they’re pretty radio silent. Both teams are focused and putting the final touches. … It’s time to play.”
While Diabate has been able to offer some insights on Florida’s stadium and Gator players’ abilities and tendencies ahead of this matchup, what he has really brought to the program is experience and leadership — which is much-needed because the man he’s replacing is Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and first-round NFL draft pick Devin Lloyd.
Diabate underwent shoulder surgery after the 2021 season and wasn’t able to participate in spring drills. But he made a big impression during fall camp.
“He’s got a lot of the same qualities, personality-wise, as Devin Lloyd. They’re very similar,” said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. “He had a really good fall camp. Wish we could have had him in the spring but that wasn’t the case. But he really hit the ground running in fall camp. He’s done a great job.”
Diabate has enjoyed providing a veteran presence in the program.
“It’s been great just to let everybody know about certain things that I’ve been through and how to deal with those situations, on or off the field,” he said. “It’s been something that makes me happy, to fill my younger guys in and get them up to speed.”
Linebackers coach Colton Swan said Diabate has become a key part of the defense.
“You go down to Gainesville, Florida. He’s been there, done that. That’s for sure. He’s a natural leader, personality-wise. He’s done a great job,” he said. “He’s coming into a new system, a new culture. The expectations are really high for him and he’s handled all of it. He’s a great kid. You mix that with his good personality and a good work ethic and you’ve got something good.”
Safety R.J. Hubert said Diabate is “just a leader. He’s someone we can rally around. He’s a very vocal guy. He’s physical and he flies around the field. It’s been awesome to have him as an addition to the team.”
Ute wide receiver Devaughn Vele has sought advice from Diabate about Florida’s cornerbacks, trying to get an edge.
“He always reassures me that it’s going to be a challenging game but he believes I can step up to what’s expected of me,” Vele said.
No doubt, Saturday’s game against his former school will be a unique and unusual experience.
During fall camp, he tried to explain what it’s going to be like returning to Gainesville.
“It’s going to be a great environment, a great opportunity. It’s like going to my ex-wife’s house. It’s going to be fun,” Diabate said. “I still have a lot of love and respect for those guys and the university (at Florida). Right now, we’re just focusing on what we’ve gotta do. And when that time comes, it will come. We’ll be ready.”
Last spring, he described how he’ll view his former teammates heading into this showdown at The Swamp.
“It brings emotion because those are the guys you grew up with and you had more workouts with those guys. Those are some of my closest friends. But at the end of the day, I want to destroy them,” he said. “When I step on the field, they know how I am. You’re my enemy now.
“At the end of the day, all that stuff that we’ve been through, all those times we were together, that goes out the window. I’m trying to do my job and I know it’s going to be the same on their end. It will come down to who prepares the best and who’s ready.”
As a veteran leader, Diabate has done all he can to help his new team prepare to face his old team.
No matter the outcome, Saturday promises to be a memorable and emotional night for Mohamoud Diabate.
Utes on the air
No. 7 Utah (0-0) at Florida (0-0)
Saturday, 5 p.m. MDT
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Gainesville, Florida
TV: ESPN
Radio: ESPN 700