Spring has barely started, but spring practice is already over. What did we learn?
Not a ton, unfortunately. UF may have put up some live streams on Instagram, but the connections were sometimes poor, the cameras were often a mile from the action, and some former players and notable alums came on periodically to promote their books or shows or whatever. It was a far cry from the information environment when media were able to actually watch some of the sessions.
The Saban tree gets the most flak for being paranoid, but Dan Mullen is right up there with any of them. Some schools are making accommodations to keep the spring closer to normal in terms of access for media and fans, but Florida didn’t other than those streams of dubious value. Mullen took the excuse to keep things locked down and ran with it, just like in preseason camp last year.
Some information gets out, of course, because football people are nothing if not incurable gossips. I have tried to get a good sense of everything, so here’s my summary on the most solid info I’ve gleaned from a variety of UF-focused news outlets to date about the spring.
Offense
The offense will probably be fine. Some fans have made something of Mullen’s post-scrimmage comment on Saturday that they might not have “household name” players, but I think that just means, “don’t expect to see another Kyle Pitts or Kyle Trask”. Which is fine, since Pitts is one of the best college tight ends in a generation and Trask in his first year starting wasn’t what he was in 2020. The offense is not always going to have top-ten draft prospects or record setting performers.
Quarterback
Emory Jones emerges ahead of Anthony Richardson, though it’s not as wide a gap as last year between Trask and Jones. Word was that they didn’t do much quarterback run stuff, which makes sense because you don’t want your QBs taking hits in the spring. Once Jones is able to do everything in his toolbox, it’ll open some things up.
I was expecting the gap to be bigger, and I take that to be salutary for Richardson more than a demerit on Jones. UF has a couple of good ones. If Jones keeps a hold on the job, I expect him to be one of the better SEC signal callers in the fall.
Running back
The position grouping goes as deep as you think it is. By the end of the session, Malik Davis was (as predicted by me and about 180,000 other Gator observers) taking snaps in the slot because of the logjam at tailback — plus the fact that he’s proven a good receiver, of course.
Demarkcus Bowman sat out a lot of spring with what folks are calling a minor injury, but the forgotten 5-star Lorenzo Lingard found his way into a lot of glowing info leaks. Nay’Quan Wright sounds like he’s maybe blossomed into the top option, but Lingard and Pierce should get a lot of snaps. We’ll see on Bowman; with him it’s more about learning the playbook than proving anything athletically.
Wide receiver
No worries here. The Gators once again go deep with plenty of trusted options. Jacob Copeland and Justin Shorter are leaders, Xzavier Henderson is showing why he was a borderline 5-star, Ja’Markis Weston got praise a couple times from Mullen, and Trent Whittemore kept making plays. Ja’Quavion Fraziars had some long scores, and early enrollee Daejon Reynolds consistently wowed observers.
That’s seven right there before Marcus Burke, the highest-rated 2021 receiver signee, gets into the mix. Billy Gonzales once again has his group in great shape.
Tight end
The freshmen Nick Elksnis (true) and Jonathan Odom (redshirt) earned a lot more buzz than the veterans Kemore Gamble and Keon Zipperer did. I take that to mean there is quality depth but definitely no Pitts waiting in the wings. Elksnis might have the highest ceiling; he’s reportedly a load in the passing game but, not unusually for an early enrollee in his first spring, needs a lot of work on blocking.
Offensive line
The left side of Richard Gouraige and Ethan White has the coaches’ confidence. I wasn’t expecting Stewart Reese to move to center, but as he’s big and wasn’t that great on pulls last year, I like the move.
The right side is once again a concern. No one beat out Jean Delance yet, and it sounds like it’s up to Michael Tarquin alone to do it. Josh Braun is playing out of position a bit at guard, but that’s nothing new.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to hit the portal for some instant upgrades here. It all depends on whether any upgrades will actually be available to go get. They got one last year in Reese. They wanted help the year before but no one worth the roster spot was out there.
I don’t think the line will be worse than last year, but I can’t say with confidence yet that it’ll be noticeably better either.
Defense
I’ve said a few times that the defense can’t help but get better because last year’s low was unusual for the program and offenses were ahead due to pandemic effects. It sounds as though the unit will improve more than just by default, though. The new secondary coaches have brought new energy to the backfield, and they’re getting to coach different things on top of it. There is real room for optimism here.
Defensive line
This could’ve been a weak spot with all of the talent leaving what wasn’t a superlatively great and deep unit, but the grad transfers of Daquan Newkirk and Antonio Shelton have been huge. It sounds like Newkirk is probably the better of the two, and they anchor the middle in a way the team sorely needed.
Zach Carter’s return is the other big thing, but he has more backup this time around. Princely Umanmielen looked remarkably quick in the live streams, and early enrollee Justus Boone got a lot of praise as well.
Toss in Gervon Dexter improving considerably in just his fourth year of playing football, and this line could be nasty. It will do wonders for the rest of the defense. Oh, and enjoy the eight to ten snaps a game Desmond Watson probably will get. He’s freaky fast for his enormous size and has violent hands. He probably doesn’t have the gas in the tank to get extensive work, but he’ll see the field at times.
Linebacker
There are more quality Buck linebackers than are strictly needed between Brenton Cox, Khris Bogle, Andrew Chatfield, and, once healthy, Jeremiah Moon. They’re set there.
Ventrell Miller has kind of turned into another David Reese, great against the run but a liability in the pass. UF can handle that better this year, though, with Mohamoud Diabate and Ty’Ron Hopper sounding like they’re really hitting a high level. There even were a few words in support of Amari Burney making some strides, and redshirt freshman Derek Wingo is making moves too.
Mullen called out linebacker on Saturday as a position, along with running back, where he feels the best about the quality of depth. It’s a big change from a year ago, and I bet that improved play from the line is making them look even better.
Secondary
You should feel great about Trey Dean and Kaiir Elam among the starters. Jaydon Hill and Jason Marshall are your other outside corners who are all but locked into big snap counts, and Rashad Torrence at safety and Tre’Vez Johnson at star are presumptive starters.
There have been plenty of flashes among the next line with guys like Kamar Wilcoxson, Donovan McMillon, and Avery Helm, so more guys are in the hunt. There just is a lot of inexperience back there, and only time will get guys into shape. JUCO transfer Diwun Black, formerly a linebacker prospect, supposedly will begin his Gator career in the secondary once he gets to campus, so he might make an impact down the line.
More than any other position group, UF needs its starters to stay healthy here. Fortunately none of the top line guys have shown themselves to be injury-prone yet. Let’s hope it stays that way.