GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Chris Bleich opted to enter the NCAA transfer portal on Tuesday afternoon.
Dan Mullen admitted in his SEC teleconference call on Wednesday that Bleich's decision caught him off guard. According to the Gators head coach, Bleich's transfer is connected with some family issues back home.
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Now UF will transition redshirt freshman Richard Gouraige to the starting lineup. Gouraige, who has seen his playing time increase throughout the season, is expected to line up at left guard, while Brett Heggie takes over Bleich's role at right guard - this would be the same lineup UF used against South Carolina a few weeks ago.
With Gouraige taking his spot among the starters, Gators offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator John Hevesy will look to a true freshman to step up.
"Opportunities," offensive line coach and co-offenisve coordinator John Hevesy said. "To me, Ethan White steps up."
White has received plenty of praise from staff and players alike since his arrival last January. In just two months White lost 35 pounds.
"It just shows how much work ethic he has and how much he's committed to this program," running back Lamical Perine said back in the spring. "That's a good guy to have on our team."
"He's worked hard at it,” Mullen said.
White has featured in two games for Florida this year, three games shy of burning his redshirt. Hevesy has made it clear that he would love to redshirt all of his true freshmen but that may not be the case any longer. UF has three regular season games remaining and a bowl game.
Although the staff may still try to redshirt White, barring any injuries on the offenisve line, if White's number is called, Hevesy is confident in the first year Gator will perform to the level expected.
"Ethan’s been having great practices," Hevesy said. "It gives him opportunities, next guy in, get up and go. That’s why he’s in the position he’s in. He’s in the position to come in and go play.
"That’s what I said you come here for, go play now. It’s a good thing we’re home (this week). We don’t have to go to an outside environment, where home is a little bit controlled. But to me it’s an opportunity to go play."
White has worked hard since he stepped foot on campus - a work ethic clearly demonstrated by his will to lose about 60 pounds. So it's not surprising that when Hevesy needed to name a new sixth man, White would be the first name to come up.
"I told him today, I said, 'Opportunities come,'" Hevesy said. "That’s what you came here for. You didn’t come here to sit next to me on the sidelines. So your opportunity is here, go play."
"You always have to be prepared for the next man up, and you have to have those guys ready to go play," Mullen said. "And hopefully those guys respond. So hopefully if Ethan gets his opportunity he'll jump all over it, and if he gets the opportunity to get in the game he'll jump all over it and perform at a high level."
