Gabriel Octtaviani • Venice Football

Venice senior edge rusher Gabriel Octtaviani is developing into a nightmare for area offensive coordinators. 

At approximately 6-foot-4 and 230-plus pounds, Octtaviani possesses the length and physical frame college coaches look for in an edge defender. He enters the 2026 season as one of the key pieces of a Venice defense that expects to compete at a high level once again. 

For an edge rusher, the ability to consistently create pressure is one of the most valuable commodities on a defense. Octtaviani’s size allows him to challenge offensive tackles, while his quickness gives him the opportunity to get into the backfield before plays have time to develop. 

For Octtaviani, the 2026 season represents an opportunity to take another step forward.

More production. More pressure. More disruption. And potentially more attention from college programs. Gabes’ big challenge now is to turn his physical gifts into consistent production — and establish himself as one of the most disruptive edge defenders in the area. Octtaviani had the opportunity to learn from one of Florida’s most dominant edge rushers, in Ashari Charles and said Charles did just that. "I learned a bunch from Ashari but I think the biggest thing was he helped me fix my stance and I will always remember that."