Spring football is around the corner in Gainesville.
After a 10-4 debut and UF's first a trip to the SEC Championship since 2009, Florida head coach Jim McElwain looks to build on his team's success during his second spring practice. Entering Wednesday's first practice, questions abound about the 2016 Gators. We brought in several beat reporters to offer insight on Florida.
Four UF football beat writers - Zach Abolverdi of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution/SEC Country, Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun, Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times and Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel - join Inside the Gators' Landon Watnick to discuss some of the hottest topics regarding the Gators as spring practices approach.
Who do you expect to come out of the spring with the edge in UF's quarterback battle and why?
Abolverdi: Luke Del Rio holds the edge heading into spring, and he'll still have it coming out. Graduate transfer Austin Appleby has more experience, but Del Rio knows Florida's playbook inside and out. He has spent a year in the system and also boasts a high football IQ. He will likely manage the offense and take care of the ball better than Appleby.
Andreu: I know most are assuming that Del Rio will be the guy coming out of spring, but I'm going with Appleby simply because he has a huge edge over Del Rio in terms of experience. I know Del Rio has impressed his teammates in workouts, but he's never really done anything at this level, whereas Appleby has.
Baker: Del Rio. The coaches know him. He knows the system and the staff. Does that mean he’ll be the starter in the fall? Maybe, maybe not. But I think it’s enough to give him an edge coming out of spring, just ahead of Austin Appleby. The one thing I learned about grad transfers with this story is that it’s a lot harder to adjust than you think. Development takes time. The same obviously holds true for true freshmen. I think that gives Del Rio an edge in April. We’ll see whether that continues into August.
Thompson: Del Rio. The redshirt junior enters spring as the man to beat. If Del Rio comes back to the pack, it could be another season filled with questions and inconsistent play at the team’s most critical position. Del Rio, who transferred to UF last summer, has the most experience in Jim McElwain’s system and impressed teammates during his redshirt season. Del Rio still has a lot to prove. He has never started a college game and is at his third school, arriving in Gainesville from Oregon State via Alabama. But Del Rio, the son of Oakland Raiders coach Jack Del Rio, has the right mentality and upbringing to lead a team. He also is an accurate thrower. Purdue graduate transfer Austin Appleby has 11 college starts, but as many touchdowns as interceptions (19 each). Plenty of buzz surrounds highly recruited freshman Feleipe Franks, but ideally he will redshirt and develop physically, while fellow first-year player Kyle Trask is a project.
Watnick: I think Del Rio will have the slight edge by the end of the spring, considering his familiarity with McElwain and Doug Nussmeier's system. However, don't expect McElwain to name a starting quarterback by the end of the spring - or anytime soon for that matter. A few key aspects regarding the quarterback competition this spring will be how Del Rio, Appleby and others handle pressure standing in the pocket and how mobile they are when the pocket collapses. The latter could work in Appleby's favor, especially if Florida's offensive line doesn't make a noticeable leap in improvement this offseason.
Who do you expect to turn some heads and dramatically improve his standing during spring ball?
Abolverdi: Sophomore running back Jordan Scarlett is someone who could make a move. He had a rocky freshman season that included some bad weeks of practice, the flu bug and a bowl-game suspension. But in the two games Scarlett received eight-plus carries, he rushed for a combined 130 yards and a touchdown. If he practices better this spring, more touches will come his way.
Andreu: I'll go with junior college transfer Dre Massey. The Gators are looking for another explosive playmaker (or two) at wide receiver to go along with Antonio Callaway and Massey has a chance to be one at the slot receiver spot, at least based on his tape, which is very impressive.
Baker: Defensive lineman Keivonnis Davis. He burned his redshirt late last season, and teammates called him one of the most impressive young players during bowl practice. With Alex McCalister and Jon Bullard headed to the NFL, Davis is among the younger defensive linemen with a chance to become regular contributors next season.
Thompson: Defensive end Jabari Zuniga. During bowl practices, Zuniga received positive reviews from teammates, including All-SEC cornerback Jalen Tabor on two separate occasions. Now a redshirt freshman, Zuniga (6-3, 263) is known as a high-motor guy with the ability to play strongside end or move inside, similar to Bryan Cox Jr. When being recruited by the Gators, Zuniga was considered one of the underrated prospects coming out of talent-rich Georgia. “From an athletic standpoint, he has tons of potential,” fellow end Jordan Sherit said of Zuniga in December.
Watnick: Tight end C'yontai Lewis started off the year strong as a redshirt freshman, catching two touchdown passes on his first two career grabs in the season-opener against New Mexico State. However, after that point Lewis quieted down considerably while DeAndre Goolsby emerged as a legit No. 2 threat behind Jake McGee. A hand injury proved to be a big setback for Lewis, as he was sidelined for a decent chunk of the season. Now healthy, expect the long and athletic Lewis to make it an entertaining battle at tight end between he and Goolsby this offseason.
In your opinion, which player has the most to prove this spring?
Abolverdi: Wide receiver Ahmad Fulwood has to assert himself as a senior. He disappeared last year, finishing with just six catches for 61 yards and no touchdowns. He had more than twice as many receiving yards and catches in both his freshman and sophomore seasons. Fulwood needs to put together a dominant and productive spring, or playing time could be hard to come by in the fall.
Andreu: I think many were expecting far more from true freshman tailback Jordan Scarlett than he was able to deliver last season. The competition will be tough at that position, but Scarlett needs to establish himself as a potential every-down back.
Baker: Treon Harris. UF fans have probably tried to forget it, but remember who scored the only touchdown in the Citrus Bowl blowout? It was Harris… as a receiver. Just because he’s not the long-term solution at quarterback doesn’t mean he can’t be a productive college player. It’s no secret that the Gators have lacked offensive playmakers. Harris seems to have the skill set to contribute, even if it’s not the way he envisioned.
Thompson: Tailback Jordan Scarlett. Scarlett arrived expected to push veteran Kelvin Taylor for carries. While Taylor went on to post a 1,000-yard season, Scarlett faded into the background and struggled with ball security issues. Scarlett’s season then ended prematurely after a Dec. 19 arrest for misdemeanor marijuana possession led McElwain to suspend the freshman from the Citrus Bowl. Scarlett has all the physical tools to be a featured runner. An impressive 11-yard, fourth-down run at LSU set up a Taylor touchdown during UF’s 35-28 loss and showcased Scarlett’s burst and vision. Scarlett will have to prove he has learned from his mistakes, while holding off fellow sophomore Jordan Cronkrite and junior-college transfer Mark Thompson.
Watnick: Instead of picking just one guy, I may just go ahead and pick a group: Florida's veteran wideouts. Up to this point in their Gators careers, senior Chris Thompson, junior C.J. Worton, senior Ahmad Fulwood and redshirt junior Alvin Bailey really haven't made the type of impact for Florida that one would have expected by now, each for varying reasons. With three new early enrollees joining the position in four-stars Josh Hammond, Freddie Swain and Massey - and then two more four-star recruits arriving this summer in Tyrie Cleveland and Rick Wells - it's make-or-break time for a lot of those upperclassmen receivers on the team.
Which early enrollee do you expect to make the biggest impact from the get-go for Florida?
Abolverdi: Outside of Eddy Pineiro, who should easily be the starting kicker, I'll go with junior college wide receiver Dre Massey. He's an electric athlete and can play a few spots on offense, much like Brandon Powell. Massey will motion in and out of the backfield and make an impact as a slot receiver and scatback. He may also take over as the kick returner.
Andreu: The obvious pick would be placekicker Eddy Pineiro, but I'll go with Chauncey Gardner, whose versatility (he can play safety and corner) will be a huge plus for a secondary that lacks depth at both corner and safety.
Baker: Technically he’s a redshirt freshman, so I won’t be cheating by going with Pineiro. UF’s field-goal percentage (41.2 percent) was No. 127 nationally, ahead of only Wyoming. Only Charlotte missed more field goals than the Gators. No Power 5 team had a worse extra-point percentage. You get the point. So if Pineiro is as good as advertised, he will immediately help an offense that’s probably still another year away from respectability.
Thompson: Pineiro. A former Alabama commit, Piniero became a YouTube sensation after nailing a 77-yard field goal in practice. He recently posted a Vine showcasing his impressive soccer juggling skills before nailing another long field goal. Now Piniero has to prove he can do it for real and kick under pressure, with a rush breathing down on him and the game on the line. The 20-year-old Miami native has never kicked in a game, but already is an upgrade for the Gators. UF missed 10 of 17 field-goal attempts in 2015. Austin Hardin battled injuries and a crisis of confidence to finish 5-of-14.
Watnick: Pineiro is the popular pick, and he'll certainly play a key role during his redshirt freshman season. But one early enrollee who could see a good number of carries in his first year as a Gator is fellow JUCO signee Mark Thompson. The former four-star running back enters the spring at 6-foot-2 and an eye-opening 245 pounds (although that should decrease once the spring grind hits full gear). Many have praised Thompson for his physicality and athleticism as a bellcow back, and he'll be looking to compete right away with only two years of collegiate eligibility remaining. He likely won't take this opportunity for granted after a tumultuous road to UF.
What under-the-radar storyline about this Gators football team are you the most interested in following this spring?
Abolverdi: I'm interested to see what will happen at nickelback. Duke Dawson is expected to replace Brian Poole at the position with early enrollee Chauncey Gardner backing him up. However, if the strong safety spot doesn't get solidified with Marcell Harris or Nick Washington, Dawson has the ability to start there as well. But that will hinge on Gardner and how much progresses this spring.
Andreu: The Gators lost some huge impact players on defense, including Jon Bullard, Vernon Hargreaves III and Antonio Morrison. It will be interesting to see which new stars emerge, and whether this defense can live up to the high standard that's been established at UF.
Baker: If the radar is fixated on who’s throwing the passes with the first team, it’s worth looking at which players will be catching them, too. Only six Gators had more than 100 receiving yards last year. Three of them are gone. That leaves openings for players like Ahmad Fulwood, Alvin Bailey or early enrollees Freddie Swain and Josh Hammond.
Thompson: Star defensive linemen have anchored the Gators’ top defenses the past several years, whether it was Sharrif Floyd, Dante Fowler Jr. or Jon Bullard. Who’s next? Redshirt junior tackle Caleb Brantley and sophomore end CeCe Jefferson have the potential to continue the tradition. Rather than leave for the NFL draft, Brantley returned for some more seasoning and another season with defensive line coach Chris Rumph. Meanwhile, Jefferson looks to build on a strong first season when the former five-star recruit lived up to the hype. The 6-foot-2, 314-pound Brantley is a special athlete for someone his size, but to make the next step must be able to sustain his effort for longer stretch. The 6-foot-1, 275-pound Jefferson is quick and powerful, and also has a motor that runs non-stop. The Gators have depth and talent up front with redshirt senior Bryan Cox Jr., senior Joey Ivie, redshirt sophomores Taven Bryan and Khairi Clark, sophomore Keivonnis Davis, Sherit and Zuniga. But Brantley and Jefferson could be stars.
Watnick: The progression of the offensive line will be worth following. Keep in mind, last spring UF was rolling with just six healthy scholarship O-linemen before the spring game after right tackle Roderick Johnson's spinal condition ended his playing career. It got so bad, a "pizza delivery guy, a bartender and one heck of an engineering student" were playing on the second string, as McElwain quipped. Now, UF enters the spring with 14 scholarship guys - 13 returning players and one early enrollee (Stone Forsythe). A year of being thrown into the fire taught a lot to some of UF's younger offensive linemen. How well will that knowledge be applied this spring?
