Redshirt report: Adam Lane

Name: Adam Lane

Height: 5-7

Weight: 227

Position: RB

Why did he redshirt?

With Florida taking two running backs in the class of 2013, there was a need to redshirt one of them to create separation between the two to give Florida depth for the future.

Kelvin Taylor enrolled early and got enough of a head start that Lane took a redshirt. Taylor eventually worked his way into the starting role after an injury to Matt Jones.

Lane did suffer a serious ankle injury as a junior in high school but rushed for more than 1,600 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior — clearly putting the injury behind him.

Depth at the Position

There is a big question mark at depth here. If Matt Jones is fully healthy — something he isn’t at the moment — than the Gators are very deep at the position with Jones, Taylor, Mack Brown, Lane and freshman Brandon Powell all capable of carrying the football.

Taking Jones out of the equation would hurt that depth somewhat but would only serve to bolster the opportunity for Lane in the backfield.

Player Evaluation

Obviously due to his stature, Lane draws comparisons to Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew.  At 5-7, 227, Lane is like a bowling bowl coming out of the backfield. He’s quicker than he is fast and a natural runner with the ball.

Lane doesn’t have the same cutting ability as Taylor but he can make people miss in space and has above-average vision. As a blocker, Lane uses good leverage (an advantage of being a shorter back) and uses his strong lower body to drive into defenders.

2014 Prognosis

Lane might be a little lost in the shuffle here. Taylor looked poised to breakout towards the end of last season once he fully acclimated to the speed of the game and if Jones is healthy, he should be sharing the load with Taylor.

You also have to account for Brown who will figure into that running back rotation somewhere and Powell is a speedster that is made for a fast-paced, spread attack.

However, if 2013 proved anything to the Gators it’s that you can never have enough depth at any position. Lane can work himself into a bigger role with a solid offseason.