The Gators’ roster is in a bit of a weird spot this spring.
On one hand, they’ve got a bunch of inexperienced but enormously talented players. Three of the four quarterbacks hadn’t participated in a spring practice until two weeks ago. Running back Demarkcus Bowman is perhaps the most hyped transfer in the country this offseason. Freshman wide receiver Daejon Reynolds and tight end Nick Elksnis have earned praise from their coaches and teammates for their performances this spring, as have defensive tackles Chris Thomas and Desmond Watson. Derek Wingo is perhaps the most talented linebacker on the roster, and he’s in the middle of his first spring camp. Jason Marshall and Corey Collier look like great building blocks for the future of the secondary.
However, on the other hand, you’ve got players like offensive lineman Stewart Reese, running back Dameon Pierce, tight end Kemore Gamble, defensive end Zachary Carter, linebacker Ventrell Miller and safety Trey Dean who have all played in 34 or more games.
There doesn’t seem to be much middle ground. UF’s players are either supremely experienced or not experienced at all. That makes the leadership of the veterans even more important than usual this spring. Coach Dan Mullen liked what he saw in the first five practices.
“We have some good veteran leadership, guys that have been in the program and understand what we expect,” Mullen said. “But there are a lot of young guys and guys that haven’t been in that position before out there on the field. But the energy they come with every day, the excitement, the desire to learn and how to learn and how to improve. I think our guys are very conscientious of understanding, ‘Hey, this is how I get better. Even when I’m not in, this is how I’m watching reps. This is how I’m studying the game. This is how I’m preparing and improving.’ Guys are learning how to do that.”
While the coaches can tell the players how to improve and prepare until they’re blue in the face, players will always learn better when they hear it from their teammates instead of just their coaches. That’s where having a sizable group of players that have been there and done that plays into Florida’s advantage.
Starting on the offensive side of the ball, the Gators’ running back room is loaded. The five-man group includes a pair of five-star transfers that are in their first spring camp with the Gators in Bowman and Lorenzo Lingard. Nay’Quan Wright only has one season of meaningful experience. So, Pierce is making it his responsibility to make the lesser experienced running backs fit in at Florida.
“I’m taking on that leadership role,” Pierce said. “Like for a guy like Bowman in his first year here, how can I help him get more comfortable? How can I help him learn the playbook? How can I get him more involved and more knowledgeable? I have to make sure that he’s OK. If he ain’t set, that’s a reflection on me. That means that’s poor leadership on my end. Basically, everybody’s just got to check everybody, make sure everybody’s working in the same direction in that room and make sure our common goal is to win consistently this season.”
On the defensive side of the ball, the Gators turned a weakness at defensive tackle into a potential strength through the transfer portal. Antonio Shelton played in 40 games for Penn State over the last four years, while Daquan Newkirk played in 30 games at Auburn. They’ll help the team from a physical standpoint with their ability to be stout against the run and keep the linebackers clean. However, they each only have one year of eligibility remaining, so the way that they help groom the collection of young defensive tackles behind them will have a longer lasting impact on the program than anything they do on the field.
“The biggest thing I’ve been impressed with is not only their play and their performance but their work ethic, their mentality,” defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. “I think it’s always about creating positive energy and leadership in rooms, and those guys are a lot like Jon Greenard was [in] year two from a leadership standpoint, from an attitude standpoint. And I think that’s something that’ll be good for that unit, and I look forward to watching them play.”
With 21 career starts, Miller is the unquestioned leader of a linebacking corps that is high on athleticism but low on experience and production. Mohamoud Diabate figures to get the first crack at starting alongside Miller, and he’s tried to improve his leadership skills.
“I feel like if Ventrell’s the leader, I’ll be his lieutenant,” Diabate said. “I feel like having been here three years, having a lot of experience, playing a lot of games, making a lot of different plays, I feel like I have the experience to lead the defense, lead guys, tell guys what to do.”
That last point Diabate made is what has Mullen excited about the direction his team is heading. The veteran players are obviously competing against the younger players for playing time. Players like Marshall and Bowman were brought to UF to start someday and lead the program to greatness. However, at the same time, Mullen doesn’t want his players to be so super competitive that hostility starts brewing and the players stop working with each other. He likes the balance his team has shown in that regard.
“I think there is a really positive, really good energy within the team for the guys of competing against each other and pushing each other to get better and balancing that with making sure we’re doing the things we do to improve,” Mullen said. “Those can get crossed over a lot, where I’m just competing, and I’m always out of control, and I’m not getting myself better. It’s learning all of that. ‘Hey, you know what, I’m giving the scout team, but I have to give a good look to make that guy get better. And then I need someone to give me a good look for me to get a quality rep.’ It’s educating yourself on how to do things the right way.”
The newcomers may generate the most headlines, but the veterans will shape the direction the program goes in the future.