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There’s been no shortage of things for first-year coach Jim McElwain to do as he prepares Florida for the season.
Some were expected, while others — well, not so much.
Here’s a look at the five biggest developments thus far during the Gators’ preseason camp.
1. The QB battle remains tight and could go to the wire: McElwain has said that he largely likes what he’s seen from both redshirt freshman Will Grier and sophomore Treon Harris, but added that he’s far from making a decision as to who his starter will be for the Sept. 5 season opener against New Mexico State.
Grier, who has the bigger arm, entered the fall camp with a slight edge. Harris, who started six games in 2014 in place of an ineffective Jeff Driskel, is the more nimble of the two.
McElwain has praised both players in camp for improving at reading defenses, consistently making the right calls and taking charge on the field. The coach has stressed that his starter will be the quarterback that most consistently gets his team to respond well. The competition could remain unresolved until the first game.
2. The status of LB Antonio Morrison remains unclear: Morrison, a second-team All-SEC pick last year after registering a team-high 101 tackles, will return after undergoing two surgeries to repair the knee he injured during the Birmingham Bowl. We just don’t know when.
He’s been limited to non-contact drills thus far, but there’s new optimism that he may be back in the lineup after just a few games. That would be a best-case scenario as the meat of the Gators schedule begins in October.
3. RB Adam Lane leaves the program: Adam Lane, we barely knew ya. He seemingly burst out of nowhere last January, rushing for a career-high 109 yards and a touchdown to fuel Florida’s 28-20 Birmingham Bowl win over East Carolina. But Lane is gone almost equally as quickly, announcing in the first week of camp that he planned to transfer to Eastern Kentucky.
The news wasn’t all that surprising, given Lane’s propensity to stay in McElwain’s doghouse for various issues and the arrival of two regarded freshmen prospects in Jordan Scarlett and Jordan Cronkite. Lane’s departure, however, leaves the Gators perilously thin at the position with just four scholarship tailbacks. One of those, senior Mark Herndon, is a former walk-on. Junior Kelvin Taylor is the starter.
4. All-American CB Vernon Hargreaves III to return punts: Hargreaves, a junior, figures to hear his name called early in next spring’s NFL draft should he head to the pros as expected. But that won’t prevent McElwain from using him to return punts for the Gators this fall.
An explosive athlete and one of the nation’s top cover corners, Hargreaves worked as the team’s first-team punt returner this spring and will see added action there this fall. McElwain has said that he sees no added risk, viewing it as a chance to further showcase Hargreaves’ skills to NFL scouts while also providing further precious opportunities for a Florida team that will need some time to come together offensively.
It makes sense to get the ball into the hands of your most explosive play-makers as much as possible, but McElwain figures to be watching with anxiety on every return.
5. Several true freshmen are good enough to see significant action right away: Offensive tackle Martez Ivey, tailback Jordan Scarlett and defensive end CeCe Jefferson have proven to be as good as advertised and figure to play prominent roles for the Gators this fall.
All three former five-star recruits have impressed coaches and teammates alike with their mental skills as much as their physical ability, picking up a complicated offense.
Ivey could very well be in the starting lineup when the Gators open the season, but figures to play significant snaps from the outset regardless. There seems to be little doubt he’ll be soon be a regular starter along an inexperienced Florida offensive line. It’s just a matter of when.
Scarlett gives the Gators the consistent home-run threat they’ve lacked for a few years and likely will back up starter Kelvin Taylor. Scarlett is Florida’s fastest running back, and the Gators need his big-play ability until the passing game rounds into form. He’ll need to continue improving on his pass-blocking to assure himself of more time on the field.
Jefferson will be hard-pressed to crack the starting lineup of a veteran Florida unit that already features Jonathan Bullard and Alex McCalister on the ends, but you can never have too many talented pass rushers. Jefferson’s impressive blend of speed and strength means that he’s too good to stand along the sidelines for long, especially early in the season when heat will be a factor.
John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.
