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Elite performances: Identifying Florida’s best players by unit
By John Hollis
Published:
We have all heard of Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III by now, and how the All-American figures to be a high NFL draft selection next spring.
But the defense retained some top-end talent even after Dante Fowler Jr. entered the draft early.
How much do you know about some of the other talented players playing alongside Hargreaves?
We take a look at the Gators’ best players by position group:
Defensive line: Jonathan Bullard
Bullard (6-foot-3, 283 pounds) was a five-star prospect who was supposed to be the next dominant Florida defensive lineman. The senior hasn’t quite lived up to the lofty expectations, but Bullard remains a very solid defensive lineman and perhaps the Gators’ best pass rusher. He toyed with the idea of leaving early for the NFL, but came back to school hoping to improve his stock.
Linebackers: Antonio Morrison
Morrison (6-foot-1, 229 pounds) was a second-team All-SEC pick a year ago after registering a team-high 101 stops at middle linebacker, but his season is now in question after suffering a knee injury during December’s Birmingham Bowl. A medical redshirt could be a possibility.
Defensive backs: Hargreaves III
Hargreaves (5-foot-11, 199 pounds) might be the best cover corner in the nation. He’s blessed with great instincts and superb body control and the great athleticism needed to compete with taller receivers. This is most likely his last collegiate season.
Offensive line: Trip Thurman
If he stays healthy, Thurman could be an all-star candidate at left guard. The 6-foot-5, 313-pound redshirt senior missed spring practice with a shoulder injury, but will pace an otherwise-inexperienced Florida offensive line. Thurman is the only Gators offensive lineman to have previously started a collegiate game.
Running back: Kelvin Taylor
Taylor showed flashes of his father, Gators great Fred Taylor, at times a year ago. The 5-foot-10, 205-pound junior shredded Georgia for a career-high 197 yards and two scores and finished with 565 yards for the season in a backup role. He will be asked to shoulder the load for new coach Jim McElwain’s team as the Gators passing game develops.
Quarterback: Treon Harris
Harris (5-foot-11, 195 pounds) gets the nod here, but only because his competition for the job, Will Grier (6-foot-2, 201 pounds) has yet to take a college snap after redshirting last fall. Harris started the last six games of 2014, engineering an upset of the Bulldogs in place of an ineffective Jeff Driskel, who has since transferred. It remains to be seen whether Harris was just keeping the seat warm for Grier, a high school All-American who arrived in Gainesville with a big arm and even bigger accolades.
Wide receiver/Tight end: Demarcus Robinson
Robinson (6-foot-1, 204 pounds) established himself as a big-time playmaker in 2014, recording 53 catches for 810 yards and seven touchdowns to account for the best statistical season for a Gators receiver since 2009. Thirty-one of his 53 catches went for 10 or more yards, while 10 were good for at least 20 yards. The junior ranked fifth in the SEC at 67.5 yards receiving per game.
John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.
