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Offensive line was by far the biggest question mark Florida had as it entered preseason camp.
Bigger than even the tightly contested quarterback battle between Will Grier and Treon Harris.
You can’t compete in the SEC without winning the battle at the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball. Quite simply, it won’t matter in the slightest who the Gators quarterback is if an inexperienced and depth-starved offensive line doesn’t get it together in a hurry.
New coach Jim McElwain’s team wrapped up the spring with just six scholarship offensive linemen before adding six true freshmen to the mix summer. That means that things remain in flux, but it’s a given that a lot of the new faces will be counted on to deliver early in an area that is likely concerns McElwain the most.
Here’s a glance at our projection for the post-fall camp two-deep:
Offense (Pro Style)
QB1: Will Grier
QB2: Treon Harris
The Gators quarterback competition remains tight, with both players doing some things well in the recent scrimmage. But Grier appears to be a better fit for the kind of high-tech passing offense that McElwain favors. We’ll see for how long.
RB1: Kelvin Taylor
RB2: Jordan Scarlett
Taylor, the son of former Gators great Fred Taylor, could be poised for a breakout year after rushing for 597 yards and six touchdowns in reserve duty last year, including an MVP performance in the Birmingham Bowl win over East Carolina. Scarlett, a five-star recruit who looks as good as advertised, will provide the instant home-run threat Florida has lacked for several years.
WR1: Demarcus Robinson
WR2: C.J. Worton
WR1:Ahmad Fulwood
WR2: Chris Thompson
SLOT1: Brandon Powell
SLOT2: Latroy Pittman
The Gators have shortage of athletes on the edge, but Robinson is the only proven commodity after totaling 53 catches for 810 yards and seven touchdowns in 2014. Powell, a converted running back, should thrive in the slot, where his speed and elusiveness will cause problems for opposing defenses. Robinson is the only returning receiver with more than 15 catches last year.
TE1: Jake McGee
TE2: DeAndre Goolsby
McGee, the graduate transfer from Virginia, is back for a sixth year and healthy again after breaking his leg nine snaps into last year’s first game. His size, speed and sure hands will do wonders for a Gators offense desperately in need of some offensive punch.
LT1: David Sharpe
LT2: Mason Halter
LG1: Trip Thurman
LG2: Andrew Mike
C1: Tyler Jordan
C2: Cameron Dillard
RG1: Antonio Riles
RG2: Travaris Dorsey
RT1: Martez Ivey
RT2: Kavaris Harkless
A lot of things can still happen, but McElwain likes what he’s seen so far of an offensive line starting to come together. Most of the linemen will cross-train at other positions to give the Gators some much-needed depth up front.
DEFENSE (4-3)
DE1: Alex McCalister
DE2: CeCe Jefferson
DT1: Caleb Brantley
DT2: Taven Bryan
NT1: Joey Ivie
NT2: Khairi Clark
DE1: Jonathan Bullard
DE2: Bryan Cox, Jr.
The Gators again have a strong defensive front, with McCalister and Bullard combining for 17.5 sacks last fall. Jefferson, a true freshman, and Bryan, a redshirt freshman, will be factors as well.
OLB1: Jarrad Davis
OLB2: Matt Rolin
MLB1: Alex Anzalone, Jr.
MLB2: Anthony Harrell
OLB1: Daniel McMillan
OLB2: Jeremi Powell
All eyes will be Anzalone as steps in the middle in place of Antonio Morrison, the second-team All-SEC pick a year ago who led the Gators with 101 tackles before suffering a knee injury in the Birmingham Bowl that required two offseason surgeries. Morrison’s recovery appears to be coming along nicely, but it remains unclear when he will return. Depth is a concern at this position.
CB1: Vernon Hargreaves III
CB2: Quincy Wilson
CB1: Jalen Tabor
CB2: Deiondre Porter
SS1: Marcus Maye
SS2: Marcell Harris
FS1: Keanu Neal
FS2: Duke Dawson
The All-American Hargreaves heads a deep and talented unit that will rotate a number of different players this fall. Neal and Maye are back for their junior seasons, perhaps making the secondary the strength of the Florida defense.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Austin Hardin
P: Johnny Townsend
KR: Brandon Powell
PR: Vernon Hargreaves III
John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.
