Gators’ assistant coach / offensive coordinator Rob Sale is tasked with rebuilding a Florida offensive line that lost a combined 125 career starts (transfer portal and NFL) throughout the offseason.
While that task seems daunting, Sale believes the change in culture during year two under Billy Napier will help to improve this team.
“The chemistry, the culture, the togetherness, I know the players can also speak on that, but I’m anxious to see now what it looks like putting all three pieces of the puzzle together out there on the field in fall camp,” Sale said during Florida’s fall camp media day.
“It’s a year-round process. It’s hard work that takes everybody in this room to help build that, not only each position but units, everybody throughout this building,” Sale added.
Sale has a puzzle to figure out of his own as Florida acquired three transfer offensive linemen in hopes to repair the trenches.
DAMIEON GEORGE JR.
Alabama transfer Damieon George has impressed the coaching staff with his smooth transition to Florida since arriving for spring football.
“We’ve got Damieon George who came from another school that’s run similar concepts, now it’s just word association, getting him in there to play good football and gelling with his teammates next to him, and he’s done a good job, as well,” Sale said on George Jr.
MICAH MAZZCCUA
Baylor guard transfer Micah Mazzccua was a crucial addition after losing one of the best run blockers in college football in O’Cyrus Torrence to the NFL Draft.
“I like him. He got some freakin’ dog in him,” Sale said on Mazzccua during spring camp.
“Micah just comes in the building sometimes in the morning and just looks pissed off,” Sale added.
The 6-5, 337 pound junior suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery early on in spring camp, but Sale confirmed earlier this morning that Mazzccua will start fall camp in a limited capacity and should be good to go soon.
LYNDELL HUDSON
After losing 2/3 contributing tackles from a year ago, Napier and Sale added a veteran to the room in FIU transfer Lyndell Hudson.
“You watch his tape, he has the movement skills that you’re looking for, and then you’ve got to trust your plan and develop how you get guys caught up to speed there. That’s our part, to get him to play that way,” Sale said on Hudson. “He’s a guy that can change directions, long, hard to get around. So we’re expecting good things from him.”
I expect the 6-6, 329-pound redshirt senior to compete for a spot at tackle and at the very least provide quality depth at a position of need.
TWO RISING PLAYERS?
Sale named dropped two individuals on the Gators’ offensive line that have made the biggest gains on the field since spring camp, and it may not be who you would expect.
“Guys that really showed up, I would say Jake Slaughter, Knijeah Harris, Sale said on Sunday morning. “There’s some other guys, but those two guys off the top of my head really stand out, guys that we know that we can count on and going to mix it up here in the next few days and can count on them to play good football for us.”
KNIJEAH HARRIS
The freshman from IMG Academy took first team reps during his first semester and spring camp at Florida.
“Football comes easy to him,” Sale said on Harris. “He looks like he’s been around here three or four years, and he’s a freshman. Everybody, it kind of gets them a little bit different, different times. Some kind of need more reps, some kind of get the concept, okay, I get it. But he’s a guy that is a good teammate, good person, obviously a good player, as well.”
The Gators’ coaching staff has raved about the preparation Harris received in the high school ranks, where he played guard and center for IMG Academy.
“He played both. He played all inside three, constantly moved around,” Sale said on Harris’ high school career. “So I think that’s easy for his transition and where he came from has pretty good coaching. It makes it easy for him to be able to move around.”
The 6-3, 325 freshmen hasn’t played center thus far at Florida, but Sale has no doubt Harris could snap for the ball for the Gators as well.
“Even though he hasn’t played center and put the hand on the ball for us, he can go out there right now and play it, which is hard to do. It’s special. He’s going to be a good player for a long time around here for us,” Sale said on Harris.
JALEN FARMER
The redshirt freshman spent the majority of spring camp as a limited participant after suffering an injury during the offseason. Farmer focused on his conditioning during spring practices as he was in a non-contact jersey and unable to take live reps.
“He’s took a lot of pride and hard work and done a good job with nutrition and Hocke and transformed his body, taken about 15 pounds off, which we could all use that a little bit. He’s done a really good job,” Sale said on Farmer’s transition.
“I know he was limited in spring, but he’s had a great June and July, so he’s primed and ready. He’s another guy for looking for big things from.”
Hearing that Farmer is healthy and ready for action is a positive sign for offensive guard depth heading into fall camp, especially with Mazzccua limited to start fall.
KINGSLEY EGUAKUN
After losing a leader like O’Cyrus Torrence, the Gators needed to find someone for other players to look up to at practice and in games. Sale believes that the veteran center is that guy.
“Kingsley does a good job when it comes to practice habits and playing the right way and attention to detail in meetings and the sense of urgency that it requires throughout the day, not only on the field,” Sale said on Eguakun. He’s done a good job. He’s conscious of the things that he needs to do to get to the tape that he wants to play.”
ROD KEARNEY
The Jacksonville, Florida native was an early enrollee in the Gators’ 2023 recruiting class and has found a spot at center for Sale’s offensive line.
“He’s going to be a center for us,” Sale said. “I know he had a few snaps there in the spring game, but he had a cast on his wrist. Give him a yard pass on that. He’s going to be a great player, does everything the right way. He’s tough, comes from a great family, which now he’s a product of the way he was raised, but he’s going to be a great center for us, so I have no worries about that at all.”
AUSTIN BARBER
The 6-6, 305-pound tackle is entering his redshirt sophomore season after emerging as a pleasant surprise for Billy Napier and his staff in 2022.
“The more reps he gets, the better he’s going to get,” Sale said on Barber. “At the end there he was playing with pretty good confidence, and now you’ve done it in spring ball, you turn around June, done your OTAs and replay the process in July. He’s getting better and better with every snap that he gets.”
“Just the standard of effort and toughness and finish,” Sale said on what Barber brings to the position. “It jumps off the tape, and you want that to be infectious attitude to everybody else across the board.”
Gator Country will keep a close eye on Florida’s offensive line throughout fall camp as Billy Napier and Rob Sale look to piece together an offensive line that can match last year’s productivity.