During his first two seasons as Florida’s head coach, Jim McElwain proved that he isn’t afraid to play first-year Gators right away if their talent warrants them seeing the field in immediate roles despite a lack of experience.
As McElwain has coined it in the past, those Gators have been on the “Fast Pass line.” That was especially the case on offense last season, as 2016 signees were responsible for 43.3% of Florida’s rushing yards and 26.9% of its receiving yards.
Players like four-star wideout Tyrie Cleveland (298 receiving yards, 2 TD on 14 catches) and four-star running back Lamical Perine (421 rushing yards, TD on 91 carries; 161 receiving yards, TD on nine catches) found themselves in prominent roles during the season, while fellow four-star freshmen wideouts Joshua Hammond (177 receiving yards on 14 catches) and Freddie Swain (118 yards, 2 TD on eight catches) also carved out spots in the rotation.