With spring football finally in sight, Gator Country is here to get you through these final few weeks until the Gators are back on the gridiron.
Before Florida football returns, we will preview where each position group stands as the team transitions into 2021. Moving onto running back, we will give an in-depth look at who returns, players to watch and pose three questions we need answered before the end of spring.
The Gators are absolutely loaded at running back right now. Maybe even a little too loaded. As it stands, there aren’t enough touches to go around.
It will be interesting to see how Dan Mullen and the offensive staff approach this situation in the spring and if a group that underachieved in 2020 can take a step in the right direction.
Who’s Leaving: Iverson Clement
Clement seemed to be the odd man out his entire career at Florida. After getting just five carries for 30 yards in his redshirt sophomore season, his announcement to transfer came as no surprise.
Who’s Back: Dameon Pierce, Malik Davis, Nay’Quan Wright, Lorenzo Lingard
Did we mention the Gators have a loaded backfield? And there is one pretty major name still missing from this list. We will get to him later.
Starting with Pierce, he is a special talent that just hasn’t quite broken through yet in three seasons at Florida. Leading the team with 511 yards in 2020, he averaged just 41.9 yards per game while scoring four touchdowns. He is the go-to guy when the Gators need to pick up a tough yard or two, but breakaway speed eludes him.
Behind Pierce, Davis had 320 yards on 66 carries. Since his stellar freshman season that ended in injury, he has not been able to provide that level of production.
Davis did not score a touchdown in 2020 and had the unfortunate fumble late in the Texas A&M game that ultimately led to the Aggies kicking a field goal for the win.
Despite some struggles, he remains Florida’s biggest receiving threat out of the backfield. Davis caught 31 passes for 377 yards, averaging more than 12 yards per catch.
Wright came on as a receiving threat as well, making 19 catches for 219 yards. He rushed for 226 yards on 54 attempts. He is actually a pretty good mixture of the skills of Pierce and Davis, with speed to match decent physicality.
Then, there is Lingard. The former five-star Miami transfer’s time at Florida so far has been a little disconcerting. By all accounts, he should be one of the fastest players on the team (if not the entire country), yet he got very little opportunity in his first season in Gainesville.
Lingard had just five carries for 34 yards in 2020. More playing time could be coming his way, but another former five-star may steal those touches.
While Florida has ample numbers and talent at the running back position heading into spring, it won’t mean much without a jump from the offensive line. That held the Gators back tremendously in 2020, but the passing game was strong enough to cover for it. The passing game could be strong once again next season, but Florida needs to find more balance to sustain success.
Newcomer of Note: Demarkcus Bowman
The Lakeland native announced his intention to transfer to Florida shortly after the start of his freshman season at Clemson. Assuming he gets a waiver to play in 2021 (and there is no reason to expect he won’t), Bowman has the ability to transform Florida’s running game.
None of the other backs on the roster are quite as dynamic as Bowman. Speedy, shifty, patient and explosive, Bowman is a rare commodity. He did not get much time in at Clemson, but his high school tape and rankings set expectations extremely high.
If he can live up to those expectations and meld into the offense, there is no reason to believe he won’t leave spring as a top contender for RB1.
Questions: These are the three things we want to know before the end of spring.
1. Is Bowman ready to make immediate impact?
All signs point to the answer to this question being a resounding yes. However, the Gators have several veterans who will try to have a say in this. And once again, we haven’t seen much of Bowman at this level yet. Spring should be a great indicator.
2. Will any returners make a jump?
Once again, Florida’s struggles in the ground game cannot fully be blamed on the guys carrying the ball. They need the offensive line to make more holes, but they also need to create some themselves. The truly great backs around the country can create something out of nothing, and the Gators haven’t had that lately. Even if Bowman is the guy, there is room for a lot more production from all of the others.
3. Is the transfer portal calling anyone’s name?
With a crowded room and only one ball, it would not be surprising to see another running back hit the road after spring. Touches will likely be spread pretty evenly to start, but as things move forward, intentions should become more clear. Even if Florida loses someone from this group, it will still have plenty to work with in the fall.