The Florida Gators have put one week of spring practice in the books, and now they have a week off for spring break before continuing on again. Reporters have had the normal fleeting looks of players doing drills combined with some press appearances, so we can’t say a lot definitively yet.
With that said, we can combine the bits that we have so far into a few beginner narratives that will either strengthen or peter out. The follow is a mere snapshot in time, subject to change as new information comes in.
No firm answer at quarterback yet
Graham Mertz is reportedly a bit ahead of Jack Miller, but the beat writers are all convinced that neither has taken control yet. I wrote in last week’s newsletter that such should’ve been expected. If Miller was going to be the no-doubt starter, we should’ve heard something from program insiders by now. Mertz, for his part, didn’t look like a top tier starter at Wisconsin.
It’s telling that the highest praise either has gotten has been for Mertz and his preparation habits. Coaches are saying things like, paraphrasing here, “he’s going to make others better by the way he goes about his business”. Which, glad to hear it. It’d be great if he makes those around him better.
But did you ever hear a lot about Tim Tebow or Kyle Trask making others around them better through preparation? No. You heard about how well they played. Preparation becomes a footnote when a guy is lighting it up on the field. Sometimes you can draw some conclusions based on a combination of what is and isn’t said.
Portal successes
A decent number of players have come in for praise so far in the session. One good sign is that a lot of them have been the new transfers into the program.
Micah Mazzccua is every bit the Day 1 starter he was expected to be. I’m not saying he’ll be a first team All-American like O’Cyrus Torrence was or anything, but he’s going to be a good one. Damieon George is so far the penciled-in starter at right tackle, but fellow transfer OT Kiyaunta Goodwin is impressing folks nonetheless. Only one of those two will start with Austin Barber having a lock on the left tackle spot, but you always want to have more than two tackles you can trust.
On the other side of the ball Teradja Mitchell has reportedly slid right into Ventrell Miller’s role as the true quarterback of the defense. His experience allows him to make sure everyone knows the call and is lined up properly, something that was sorely lacking when Miller missed time the last two seasons. The returning player who would most likely fill this role is Derek Wingo, but he’s out recovering from surgery. The Gators need a guy who can coordinate everything, and Mitchell is that guy.
Cam Jackson has been showing up strongly on the defensive line as well. Like Mazzccua, he has big shoes to fill as more or less the replacement for Gervon Dexter. Also like Mazzccua, it’s asking too much for him to be a complete drop-in replacement from the start. However, he’s turning heads in a good way.
Combine them with Mertz’s penchant for preparation and high marks for leadership, and the portal bore some good fruit for UF. With how many players left, they really needed some of these guys to come in and contribute. Others are depth pieces/projects, like Caleb Banks and Deuce Spurlock on defense or Cam Carroll at running back, so they’re not all going to be difference makers in 2023.
Regardless, the Gators needed some instant impact players, and it sounds like they got some.
Wide receiver might turn out all right
Wideout is one of the big concern areas on the team this year. The second (Justin Shorter) and fourth-most (Daejon Reynolds) prolific guys from last year are gone, and it wasn’t that great a unit then. It’s telling that Reynolds got all his catches and yards in basically two games, Eastern Washington and Vanderbilt. Those aside he had one catch for five yards, and he was fourth among receivers in both catches and yardage. On top of that, UF got zero portal help out wide, and receivers coach Keary Colbert left for the NFL.
So where exactly is the good news?
Ricky Pearsall reportedly looks ready to step up and be a true SEC No. 1 receiver. He should be plenty motivated after strongly considering the draft; it’s a contract year for him. Xzavier Henderson, last year’s top guy in catches and third-best in yards, has returned as well. Caleb Douglas reportedly is looking physically stronger, which should be a big help. He was skilled but slight last year, and basically anything contested his way got broken up instead of caught.
On top of that, the freshmen are coming through. Andy Jean apparently already looks like a college veteran physically, and he’s one of the rookie players that everyone expects to get real playing time in the fall. Aiden Mizell impressed GC’s Nick Marcinko in the second open practice period as well. Getting those two into the swing of things now is important since Eugene Wilson, the freshman I think who has the most potential, won’t make it to campus until the summer.
You don’t want to have to make big bets on freshman receivers, but the Gators seem in good shape with theirs. Plus, those veterans I mentioned (along with some I didn’t, like Ja’Quavion Fraziars) are more than solid. I don’t think it’s a return to the glory days of 2018-19 at receiver, but I think the downside risk is not quite as bad as I think some feared.
(Note: I finished writing this before the news of UF bringing Billy Gonzales back broke. All I can say for the moment is that it should help the 2023 unit because he’s one of the best talent developers out there.)