It’s almost time for Florida Gators football season

The opening game of the 2016 Florida Gators football season is less than two weeks away. Hope and anticipation reigns supreme throughout the Gator Nation. That is no different than many other football programs around the SEC and the country. Tennessee fans believe that this is their year, finally. Georgia fans are more excited than they have been going into a season since they were ranked #1 in preseason polls after dismantling an undefeated but overrated Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl. Alabama fans are, well, Alabama fans. An entire season of promise lays waiting a mere two weekends away.

The Florida Gators come into the season barely ranked inside the top 25. It would appear that the so-called experts have very little faith in the Gators to repeat as SEC East champions. A lot of emphasis is being placed on the pathetic and embarrassing showing many of the players were willing to display against Michigan in the Citrus Bowl. It is hard to imagine a group with no more heart than Florida showed in that game righting the ship in just one off-season. Apparently, the assumption is that a putrid stench like that will require several washings to remove. I hope that is not the case.

Head coach Jim McElwain has his work cut out for him. Yes, he has more talent to work with on offense in his second season at the helm in Gainesville, but there are certainly signs that some of his stars do not have their heads in the right place for a championship run. It would appear that some of these young men fail to grasp what it takes to compete in the toughest conference in all of college football. I will not call out individual names here because these stories have been hashed out over and over in both the sports media and on social media. Suffice it to say that unless some of these guys buy into the team concept that McElwain is selling this could be a long season for Gator players, coaches and fans.

There are positives as well. The offensive line has more depth than at any time during the last four or five years. The receiving group is much more talented than it has been in recent memory and the Gators finally have multiple, at least adequate, options at the quarterback position. The offense also boasts a deep and talented running back unit. All of this bodes well with McElwain and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier’s ability to design an offense to suit the talent on hand provided there is enough talent to work with in place. While the rest of the country is basing their opinions and predictions on the offense they witness in the last few games of 2015, those close to the program realize how different this offense is likely to be on the field in 2016.

On defense, the talent is certainly there for the Gators to be just as good, if not better, in 2016 than it was in 2015 and that defense was excellent. Florida will field a deep and talented defensive line once again with future NFL players all along the front. The linebackers will be led by returning senior Jarrad Davis. The secondary has an abundance of talent with returning stars Jalen Tabor, Marcus Maye and Quincy Wilson. Defensive coordinator Geoff Collins has all of the weapons to unleash his Masters of Mayhem defense on the SEC once again.

The season will come down to team leadership like it does with most teams most seasons. The Gators desperately need some of the veteran players to step up and become leaders on the field. You do not see a performance like the Citrus Bowl from a team with good leadership. There is reason to be concerned about whether that issue has been corrected since January. A few players that would seem likely candidates to assume leadership roles appear reluctant to do so. Leaders must be more concerned with team goals and team recognition than with personal goals and personal recognition. It is nearly impossible for coaches to instill that in players, it has to be a part of their make-up and their upbringing. I have hopes that the Gators will find that leadership in the likes of Caleb Brantley, Jarrad Davis, Marcus Maye, Luke Del Rio and David Sharpe.

If some of these young men are willing and capable of shouldering the load of raising the level of performance of those around them, the sky is the limit for the Gators in 2016. Without strong team leadership, this team will likely finish third in their division. Where these guys are playing and what they are playing for in December and January will depend on just how willing they are to make the sacrifices that build championship teams. Or they can just play for their first NFL contract. It truly is up to them to decide.

Mark Miller
Mark Miller's bravery knows no limits. He's a Gator living deep in the heart of Georgia. Mark's weekly columns appear in the Coosa Valley News in Rome, Georgia, where Gators are few and Bulldogs are many. His updates about football and life among the heathens will appear in Gator Country on a weekly basis.