Florida Gators
2012 Record: 11-2 (7-1 SEC East)

OFFENSE

Scheme: Coordinator Brent Pease, who cut his teeth at Boise State, runs an offense that’s certainly ugly, but can be effective. For the most part, though, the Gators struggled on offense. Florida’s offensive output the past two years have been the lowest since 1987-88, just prior to Steve Spurrier’s arrival. Pease would certainly like to see the offense become more explosive, but the reality is that as long as head coach Will Muschamp is around, the Gators will lean on their opponent and attempt to wear them down over 60 minutes. Pease, though, will certainly break out some of the tricks he learned at Boise and throw lots of formations at opponents.

Quarterbacks: Junior Jeff Driskel looked like an all-star in September, but as the year wore on, he struggled a bit. Still, for what the coaches are asking him to do, Driskel (1,646 yards, 64%, 12 TDs, 5 interceptions, 694 yds rushing [sacks taken out], 8.5 average, 4 TDs) did very good—he minimized mistakes, was more accurate than his freshman year, and created several big plays running the ball. There are areas for Driskel to improve (taking less sacks, taking on more leadership) but he certainly has all the physical tools.

With Jacoby Brissett having transferred to NC State, depth is an issue if Driskel was injured. Junior Tyler Murphy has never thrown a pass in a college game and is more a try-hard type than an elite talent. Redshirt freshman Skyler Mornhinweg, son of former Detroit head coach Marty, has flashed athleticism and accuracy, but he isn’t ready for prime time just yet.

Running Backs: The Gators leaned on the ground game and Mike Gillislee responded in a big way. He’s in an NFL camp now so UF needs a new workhorse to emerge. The odds-on favorite is sophomore Matt Jones, the top backup last year. Jones (275 yds, 5.3 avg, 3 TDs) is a big, tough guy with a bit of speed who looks like a perfect fit for this offense. On the downside, Jones has been battling a viral infection and has not practiced recently and may miss the first game or two. That means either junior Mack Brown, former walk-on Mark Herndon, former defensive back Valdez Showers, or true freshman Kelvin Taylor will get most of the snaps early on. Brown (102 yds, 4.1 avg) was a top recruit who has not done much thus far in his career, but he has the measurables for sure. Herndon was recently put on scholarship and is what you might expect out of a former walk-on: not super athletically gifted, but a tough worker. Showers is a bit of a wild card, a former safety that doesn’t have great size, but is quick. Taylor was considered by some to be the top RB prospect last year, but he has struggled with fumbles and Muschamp recently stated that he may be redshirted.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: There seems to be hope that the pass-catching corps will be better this year, but that seems based mostly on recruiting rankings than anything else. To be sure, the Gators have several 4-star guys here, but few proven commodities.

Junior Quinton Dunbar (36 receptions, 383 yds, 4 TDs) has the talent to be the #1 receiver, but never gained more than 40 yards in a game until the Sugar Bowl loss. At minimum, Dunbar should be consistent and solid. Senior Solomon Patton only caught one pass last year, but was dangerous as a runner. He’s really fast, but raw. Sophomore Raphael Andrades is physical, but seems to lack playmaking skills. Classmate Latroy Pittman was an early enrollee last year and played in 11 games but caught just two passes. He’s flashed solid blocking skills. True freshmen Demarcus Robinson and Ahmad Fullwood both look poised to see immediate playing time and cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy has seen lots of practice time here.

The Gators do have jack-of-all-trades Trey Burton back for what seems like his eighth year. Burton (190 yds rushing, 2 TDs, 18 recs, 172 yds, TD) will play the “F,” which is a hybrid H-back/WR spot. Clay Burton, Kent Taylor, Tevin Westbrook, and Colin Thompson provide plenty of options at tight end. Burton has proven to be a great blocker while Taylor has the skill set to be a solid receiving option, but caught just two balls last year.

Offensive Line: The left side of the line needs to be reworked, but Florida’s line may be much better this year thanks to experience and the addition of two transfers. The line was up and down last year, but has a chance to be the real strength of the offense.

The known commodities are at center and on the right side. Senior Jonathan Harrison will man the pivot after moving over from guard last season. Big and strong, Harrison is solid. The other two spots are in a bit of flux due to an injury to RG Jon Halapio, who has a pectoral injury that may keep him out of the first two games. Working in his place has been Nebraska transfer Tyler Moore. Moore started several games as a freshman at Nebraska before getting disillusioned with the coaching staff there and giving up football for a year. He decided to give it another go closer to home (he’s from St. Petersburg) and will man the RG spot while Halapio is out. Once Halapio is healthy, Moore will push junior Chaz Green at RT. Green was a much-hyped recruit who has 19 career starts but has been inconsistent. Right now, Moore is probably the better run blocker and Green the better pass protector.

The left side is where you’ll see new faces, albeit not totally inexperienced. The new LT will be sophomore D.J. Humphries, a former 5-star recruit with two career starts. Humphries lacks power and has had trouble maintaining weight (he’s at 280 now) but he looks to be a natural as a pass protector. The new LG will be Maryland transfer Max Garcia, a junior. Garcia started at LT as a true freshman at Maryland but left once Randy Edsall was hired. He has the size to be a good guard, but brings nice athleticism to the table as well. He could be a real steal for the program.

The Gators have enviable depth, and may need it based upon all the spring and summer injuries. Moore can play any position except center, senior Kyle Koehne has four career starts and can help on the interior, LG Ian Silberman brings two career starts, and the coaches like sophomore guard Trip Harrison too. Add in massive (6-8, 360) JC transfer Trenton Brown and you’ve got a decent second unit.

DEFENSE

Scheme: This side of the ball is Muschamp’s bread and butter and the Gator defense was very good last year. With a nice mix of size along the defensive line and speed and athleticism in the back seven, teams found it hard to do much of anything against Florida. Some talent was lost, but this depth chart is littered with elite recruits just itching for their chance. There could be growing pains for a few guys, but the safe bet is the attacking 4-3 defense will be very good again.

Defensive Line: The Gators lost tackle Sharrif Floyd to the NFL a year early and two other contributors graduated, but there are few concerns here. Florida boasts one of the best collections of young defensive ends in sophomores Dante Fowler and Jonathan Bullard, redshirt freshmen Bryan Cox, Jr. and Alex McAlister, along with junior Ronald Powell, who will bounce between rush end and OLB. Fowler (30 tackles, 8 for loss, 2.5 sacks) was impressive as a true freshman and has a nice blend of size and speed. Bullard (27 tackles, 5 for loss, 1.5 sacks) has a nice first step and holds up well against the run. Cox will battle Bullard for a starting spot and looks to be at least a situational pass rusher. McAlister was a scout team star last season and the coaches love his potential as a pass rusher. Powell missed all of last year due to a knee injury, but is certainly an elite talent with great speed off the edge and the ability to play OLB in a 3-4 look. If he stays healthy, he could really bolster a pass rush that was just average last year. Two four-star freshmen could add depth if needed.

Despite the loss of Floyd and Omar Hunter, the Gators look fine at tackle too. Senior Dominique Easley (26 tackles, 8.5 for loss, 4 sacks) has moved inside after starting at end last year. Easley is built more like a 3-4 end, but coaches like his disruptive abilities inside. Adding some beef will be junior Leon Orr, a 6-5, 310-pound space eater. Senior Damien Jacobs is another big guy who got his feet wet last year out of the JC ranks. He could play a bigger role this year. Depth may very well be provided, though, by JC transfer Darious Cummings and true freshmen Jay-nard Bostick and Caleb Brantley. The tackles aren’t as impressive on paper as the ends, but should be fine holding up at the point of attack. The question is whether they can make plays like Floyd did.

Linebackers: Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins have moved on, but the Gators have several players with experience as well as four highly regarded freshmen. Sure, depth will be young but, much like FSU’s defense, it is hard to assume that there will be much drop-off given the sheer talent on the roster.

The starting trio seems solid, at the least. Powell will work some at SLB when he’s not being used as a rush end. When he’s not playing LB, junior Neiron Ball will see the field. Ball (10 tackles) had a medical scare a few years back and is just getting back in the fold, but he has the measurables to be good. Taking over in the middle will be sophomore Antonio Morrison, who had a solid debut but has recently run into off-field troubles. Morrison (34 tackles, 2 for loss) was a key reserve on the outside last season, but has shifted inside and has the range and speed to be a playmaker. He’s a bit undersized at 6-1, 230, but the coaches think he’ll be good…if he keeps out of trouble. The starter on the weakside will be junior Michael Taylor (32 tackles), a good athlete who can play any of the spots. In fact, he and Ball could switch.

Depth is largely young, although senior Darrin Kitchens (14 tackles) can help at MLB or SLB. Beyond him, though, are freshmen. The coaches really like true frosh Alex Anzalone and he is already penciled in as Morrison’s backup. Fellow true freshmen Daniel McMillan and Jarrad Davis will get a chance to play too.

Secondary: The Gators finished second in the nation in pass efficiency defense last year and return several key components, but do lose safeties Matt Elam and Josh Evans, who were the leading tacklers in the secondary and combined for 15.5 tackles for loss and 7 interceptions. That kind of production may be hard to replicate, but, again, Florida has several former big-time recruits on board.

As of now, the new safeties appear to be redshirt freshman Marcus Maye and former corner Cody Riggs. Maye has shown great range and tackling ability. Clearly he might make rookie mistakes, but he has talent. Riggs started 10 games at CB in 2011 but missed all but two games last year due to injury. He isn’t big by any means (5-9, 185), but he’s fast, smart, and can lay the lumber despite his size. Senior Jaylen Watkins (39 tackles, 3 ints., 8 pass breakups) will likely bounce between safety and corner, but could certainly push for a starting gig here if either Maye or Riggs struggle/get injured. Ditto for junior Jabari Gorman, who may see the field in nickel and dime situations.

At corner, expect to see the trio of Loucheiz Purifoy, Marcus Roberson, and Watkins log most of the snaps, with the latter likely playing a nickel role. Purifoy (51 tackles, 5 pass breakups, 3 forced fumbles) practiced a lot at WR in the spring, but he is just too valuable as a CB to move permanently. Blessed with size and the ability to lock opponents down, Purifoy is viewed by many as the top corner prospect in the 2014 NFL Draft. Roberson (23 tackles, 2 ints., 12 pass breakups) is physical and surprisingly good against the run. The coaches will likely find some role for true freshman Vernon Hargreaves III, considered to be the top high school CB last year. Hargreaves is smart, fast, and a big hitter and will, at minimum, get his feet wet in blowouts.

Special Teams: The biggest loss from last year’s squad may not be Gillislee or Elam or Bostic or Floyd, but kicker Caleb Sturgis. Accurate and with good range, Sturgis was nearly automatic, hence why he’s already won a job with the Miami Dolphins. Taking over will be senior Brad Phillips, who missed his only attempt last year. He’ll face a challenge from redshirt freshman Austin Hardin, who has a bigger leg but has not been as consistent, or accurate, as Phillips in practice.

The good news is that punter Kyle Christy is back. Likely a lock for an NFL job one day too, Christy averaged a whopping 45.8 yards per punt and was perfect at winning field position battles. Andre Debose was lost for the year to injury so new punt and kick returners need to be found, although the roster is littered with playmakers.

Schedule: Beyond a cakewalk against Georgia Southern, the nonconference schedule should provide a challenge with home dates against a solid Toledo squad, FSU, and a road game with UM. UF could win all 3 games, but they could be tough. The SEC slate is tougher than last year, what with road trips to LSU and South Carolina. The annual date with Georgia in Jacksonville could be key. Every team on the schedule except GSU and Kentucky are expected to be top 50 teams.

Overall: Yes, the Gators were ugly last year but they were a legit top 5 team based on wins over several ranked opponents. The problem was the same ugly style that led to wins over LSU, South Carolina, and FSU led to closer than expected games with UL-Lafayette, Bowling Green, and Missouri. On paper, Florida may have a smaller margin for error against this schedule and with some young guys stepping in to key spots. However, as much as I hate to admit because I’m an ardent Gator hater, Florida’s roster is just too full of elite players to think they’ll drop off much, if at all. No matter who the RB is, the line looks good and should pave the way for a solid ground attack. The passing attack may still be limp, but if Driskel takes less sacks, that would help. I’d venture to guess the defense will be stout, even with some new faces. The schedule is tough, though, and I think that will likely lead to at least two regular season losses.

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