Five offensive positions of need in 2015

When Kurt Roper arrived in Gainesville in early January he brought along a new offensive scheme, which meant different type of players where needed to fit into his offense.

The Gators did well in the Class of 2014, landing some key pieces to fit in the offense like quarterback Will Grier, Treon Harris and late running back addition Brandon Powell but the key to having a successful long term offense under Roper will depend upon how well the Gators recruit in 2015 and moving forward.

Gator Country is going to give you a preview of five offensive prospects that are big for the Gators to land in this recruiting cycle.

1.)    H-Back Chandler Cox (6-2, 220, Apopka, FL High)- The Gators lost really their only H-back on the roster when Trey Burton graduated and with the spread offense now happening in Gainesville the need is huge for a guy like Cox. If you aren’t familiar with an H-Back, it’s simply a player that can play full-back, tight end on the line as well as playing flexed out as a receiver (Roper calls the position his “B” position). Cox fits that role very well as he’s played pretty much every position on offense in high school and catches the ball very well out of the back field.

Recruitment: Florida is Cox’s dream school and his leader early on.

Spivey’s Take: In my opinion Cox is Florida’s to lose right now.

 2.)    Center Tyler Jordan (6-5, 270, Jacksonville, FL Bishop Kenny)- Max Garcia and Cameron Dillard are the only two centers on the Gators roster. Garcia will graduate after the 2014 season, which will leave a big hole to fill at the position. Jordan currently plays offensive tackle but has the size and ability to move inside to center. Jordan is a high IQ football player and someone that will put in the work to become a SEC center.

Recruitment: Jordan committed to Florida in February and has started to recruit for the Gators already.

Spivey’s Take: Unless something crazy happens Jordan should be a Gator on NSD 2015.

 3.)    Offensive tackle Martez Ivey (6-5, 271, Apopka, FL High)-D.J. Humphries has been the Gators left tackle for two years now but following the 2014 season he will be a senior. With Humphries scheduled to graduate after the 2015 season the Gators will be looking for a top notch tackle to replace him at left tackle and Ivey is the top prospect to fill that void. Ivey has a long arms and the quickness needed to play the position in college. Apopka also runs a spread offense already so Ivey will not need long to adjust to the playbook.

Recruitment: Ivey doesn’t want to make a final decision  until next fall or possibly even after his senior year.

Spivey’s Take: Ivey hasn’t named a leader yet but it seems Florida is the school to beat early on and with his good friend Chandler Cox having the Gators ahead Ivey could follow his best friend to Florida

 4.)    Receiver George Campbell (6-3, 183, Tarpon Springs, FL East Lake)- Florida failed to land a top-notch receiver in the Class of 2014 and with Quinton Dunbar graduating following the 2014 season the Gators are in desperate need to find a big time receiver to compliment Demarcus Robinson and others at the position. Campbell is a big time athlete who could fill that void if his hands improve. Campbell’s athleticism has never been a question with the receiver running a 4.4 forty-yard dash but he struggles to be a consistent pass catcher. If Campbell improves his catching ability he could be force to be reckoned with at the next level.

Recruitment: Campbell decommitted from Michigan already and has visited Florida twice since then but doesn’t have a leader.

Spivey’s Take: The Gators seem to be a good position for Campbell but his recruitment is far from over.

 5.)    Running back Ray-Ray McCloud (5-10, 180, Tampa, FL Sickles)- Florida landed Brandon Powell at the running back position last year but the Gators are looking to add playmakers to the position in the Class of 2015 and McCloud is exactly that. McCloud is an athlete that can play the running back position but could also be split out wide in Kurt Roper’s offense. McCloud does a good job of catching the ball and has an extra explosive gear that causes problems for defenses.

Recruitment: For a while it seemed Florida State was the leader for McCloud but after two trips to Florida in a two week span the Gators have put themselves in a good position to make a run at him.

Spivey’s Take: McCloud doesn’t have a leader but this could come down to FSU and Florida.

Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.