With spring football finally in sight, Gator Country is here to get you through 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. Closing out with the offensive line, 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.
This is the biggest area of concern looking ahead to the 2021 season. The Gators are down a few key pieces from a group that underachieved last year, and has really underachieved for several years now.
Florida’s new offense will be predicated on the run, and to do that effectively, it needs the offensive front to take a major step starting now.
Who’s Leaving: Brett Heggie, Stone Forsythe
Heggie did it all in his five-year career for the Gators, but ultimately found a place as the starting center in 2020. Had his time at Florida not been littered with injuries, he could have shined even brighter.
In Heggie, the Gators lose the heart of the offensive line and need to find someone to replace his grit and leadership quickly.
Forsythe was a solid presence as well in two seasons as Florida’s starting left tackle. The Gators aren’t left with a ton of options at this position, but will have to use the personnel they have to make it work.
Who’s Back: Richard Gouraige, Josh Braun, Ethan White, Stewart Reese, Jean Delance, Michael Tarquin, Will Harrod, T.J. Moore, Griffin McDowell, Gerald Mincey, Richie Leonard IV, Riley Simonds, Kingsley Eguakun
Spring is the time for Florida’s offensive line to start taking shape. With big holes needing to be filled, it is up to players who are now veterans in the system to start playing like veterans.
Gouraige is the leading candidate to slide over to that left tackle spot in place of Forsythe. He has the most experience of anyone on the team there, and started to see more time in that spot at the end of the season. Known as one of the hardest workers from the field to the film room, Gouraige should make strides in 2021.
Though Florida has not recruited offensive linemen well recently, it landed Braun in the 2020 class over rival Georgia. As a true freshman, he proved the importance of getting the best guys from the start.
While giving linemen a few years to develop before seeing the field is typical, Braun stepped in immediately and performed for the Gators. He now has experience to take into his sophomore season.
As for center, that should be White’s position to lose. He was projected to start there last season, but a knee injury held him back and Heggie stepped in.
Spring will be huge for White as he gets ready to finally claim his role as a starter.
Reese and Delance both chose to take advantage of their added year of eligibility granted by the NCAA. In their sixth season of college football, they could round out the right side of Florida’s line.
Reese’s position is probably safer than Delance’s, though. Neither have quite lived up to expectations since transferring in, but Delance has consistently been Florida’s weakest link.
Aside from allowing 10 sacks and 69 quarterback pressures over the last two seasons (according to PFF), his number always seemed to be called when it came to untimely penalties. Tarquin could give him some competition for the spot this spring.
Heading into his redshirt sophomore season, now is the time for Tarquin to make an impact. Putting him in that final starting spot would make for a pretty young group, but possibly a more effective one.
Outside of the starters, there really is not a ton of experience, which leaves depth as a concern.
Moore did not see playing time in 2020, and has little to show for his career going into his fifth season. Young guys like Mincey, Leonard and Eguakun could be ready to make a bigger impact, but still have a lot to prove.
Looking at the current roster, it would be in the Gators’ best interest to nab someone out of the transfer portal for the sake of experience and depth. That is something Dan Mullen has excelled in, but Florida will now have to wait until after spring to make it happen.
Breakout Watch: Ethan White
One of Nick Savage’s first big success stories as Florida’s strength and conditioning coach, White worked hard to get where he is physically. The effort he invested in himself should finally pay off in 2021.
White missed eight games in a season he expected to become a starter. He came on late in the season, giving hope that things are healing up and he is ready to go.
Heggie raved that White is a player who can see things coming before they happen, in large part due to his dedication to film study. That is high praise coming from the guy he will soon replace on the field.
Newcomer of Note: None
None of Florida’s three 2021 offensive line signees enrolled early. Austin Barber, Yousef Mugharbil and Jake Slaughter will be in Gainesville by the summer.
Spring is a great time for young linemen to get ahead in their development, but the Gators have to wait a few more months to get more talent on campus.
Questions: These are the three things we want to know before the end of spring.
1. Is White’s knee fully recovered?
If his injury continues to nag at him, this could be a huge issue for the Gators. One thing John Hevesy prides himself on is having guys prepared to play multiple positions, especially center, but a team that already lacks depth cannot afford to lose its starter there.
2. Who can the Gators count on outside of the starters?
As mentioned earlier, quality numbers are scarce, and experience is an even bigger concern. Spring should provide some clarity on where Florida’s depth stands. That clarity might not be good, but it will at least give an idea of where to set expectations.
3. How will the offensive line transition to a new scheme?
The Gators struggled to get much going on the ground in 2020, and will be expected to be much more productive in that area next season. The offense will undergo some major schematic changes this spring with a dual-threat quarterback taking over. While guys like Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson can create for themselves, the offensive line will play a great role in their success.