Watching the Orange and Blue Debut

It is finally football time in Gainesville as we prepare to watch the Florida Gators take on the Florida Gators on Friday. The Orange and Blue Debut, the culmination of 15 spring practices, always allows for a quick glimpse of the what fans should expect in the fall, while allowing fans, who have been deprived of football for three months, to have a quick outlet.

Here are ten, quick, things that I am going to be looking for at this years Orange and Blue Debut.

  1. Will a wide receiver core emerge? Will the Gators be able to showcase a core group of wide receivers along with Antonio Callaway? Is Tyrie Cleveland going to be the next deep threat? Is Josh Hammond going to be able to carry over his great spring practice performances into a game? What about Freddie Swain? The Gators have lacked a group of wide receivers for a while and this could be the year a group emerges.
  2. Will the Gators finally have a tight end emerge? Kenmore Gamble has had a standout freshman spring performance. With DeAndre Goolsby and C’yontai Lewis enter their fourth years in the program, both underwhelming in their careers thus far, the Gators will need Gamble (or Goolsby or Lewis) to really step-up. Jim McElwain is most successful with a quality pass catching tight-end and could be the Gators “x-factor” position this year.
  3. How fast will the defensive line get into the backfield? Because there are no sacks/contact on quarterbacks, the key to look for is quickness. The Gators are going to really rely on Jabari Zuniga, Jachai Polite, CeCe Jefferson, and others to bring the pass rush this year to help their secondary and watching how quickly they can beat an experienced Gators offensive line will be important.
  4. Watching “starter-on-starter” plays. Because of the format of the Orange and Blue Debut, we will see a lot of first vs. second team and vice-versa, but every once in a while, we will catch a starter vs. starter play and that will be really important. How will the receivers do against the defensive backs? Defensive line vs. offensive line?
  5. Will cornerbacks accept the challenge? The Gators are replacing their two starting cornerbacks and the depth behind them is not battle-tested, and frankly, very unproven. Duke Dawson and Chauncey Gardner are proven as a nickelback and safety, but not as cornerbacks – the positions they will play in the Orange and Blue Game. The Gators have called themselves “DBU” for the past decade or so – this is the first time there is this much uncertainty.
  6. Will Marcell Harris carry over his stellar end of the year performances? Harris ended the season on a tear, truly proving himself as a potential great safety in his fourth year in the program. In year five, the Gators will really rely on him to anchor the defensive backfield. Will he carry over his performance after a few months off?
  7. How are splits carried at running back? We know Jordan Scarlett is the Gators best rusher with Lamical Perine likely right behind him, while Mark Thompson is out to prove his five-star ranking in his final year. Thompson had a long catch-and-run touchdown in the Outback Bowl, while Scarlett and Perine bruised Iowa between the tackles. How will the Gators split carries in what are likely Scarlett and Thompson’s final years.
  8. How will Brett Heggie do at guard and how will Martez Ivey play at tackle? This is self-explanatory. The Gators are moving Ivey to tackle and Heggie gets his first playing time at guard. With the rest of the offensive line returning, these are the two changes that will be watched.
  9. Can Kyree Campbell step in for Caleb Brantley? The Gators will need a defensive tackle that eats up two offensive linemen and can get into the backfield – can Campbell be that guy? Reports have him doing well this spring and this will be the first chance to showcase his potential.
  10. Can Franks secure the job? Will Feleipe Franks do enough to secure the starting role heading into summer? Can he showcase his arm strength, while being accurate? Can he avenge his less than stellar performance last year? Will he display leadership and command of the field and playbook? Can he outplay Kyle Trask and earn the job that many have already called in his favor?
Daniel Thompson
Dan Thompson is a 2010 graduate of the University Florida, graduating with a degree in Economics and a degree in Political Science. During this time at UF, Dan worked three years for the Florida Gator Football team as a recruiting ambassador. Dan dealt daily with prospects, NCAA guidelines, and coaching staff. Dan was also involved in Florida Blue Key, Student Government and Greek Life. Currently, Dan oversees the IT consulting practice of a Tampa-based company. Dan enjoys golfing, country music, bourbon, travel, oysters, and a medium-rare steak. Dan can be found on Twitter at @DK_Thompson.