GAINESVILLE, Fla. –As the Gators gear up for spring football starting in March, there are some spots around the depth chart up for grabs.

There are five areas that need replacing and the battles will surely be competitive. Spring ball is where we will see our first taste of who could step up and fill those spots.

So, lets take a look at where the Gators will have new faces and who they might be.

Buck

This one is obvious. With the departures of Jachai Polite and CeCe Jefferson the Gators have a glaring need at this important position. Holding the edge and generating pressure on the quarterback is essential more so than ever nowadays.

Jeremiah Moon was projected to jump into that spot as the lead guy, but a lower leg injury will keep him sidelined for most, if not all of spring. That only raises more questions.

Incoming redshirt freshman Andrew Chatfield, Louisville transfer Jonathan Greenard and early enrollee Mohamoud Diabate are going to be battling it out this spring to see who can take the lead heading into summer and fall camp.

As of right now it is really a two-man race between Chatfield and Greenard and the big question is how quickly can Greenard pick up Florida’s system?

He went through multiple defensive coordinators while with the Cardinals so he has experience having to adjust to a new coach and scheme and while at Louisville he showcased solid pass-rushing ability with his speed and bend at times so he has solid potential as well.

Chatfield, unlike Greenard, does not have hardly any experience, appearing in only two games (Charleston Southern and Idaho) last season. His advantages are limited, but one thing he holds over Greenard is he has been in the system for two years now and has a much better understanding of Todd Grantham’s system.

As of right now I think Greenard holds the edge in this competition. He has been through a full season at the position and has really good bend. Don't count Chatifeld out though. We just haven't seen much of him yet, but spring should show us where he is at.

Both guys, even Diabate will see plenty of action this spring with the injury to Moon and departures of Jefferson and Polite. Spring should help figure out the rotation and reveal which of these guys can separate themselves from the rest and who will be filling in as part of the rotation.

Nickel

Like the Buck position, replacing a guy like Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is tough and it is an important position in Grantham's scheme.

It seemed like Gardner-Johnson was made for that spot and definitely thrived in it. Head coach Dan Mullen mentioned on National Signing Day they will be shifting Trey Dean over to the nickel spot.

Other possible names that could compete with Dean are Amari Burney, C.J. McWilliams and early enrollee Chris Steele.

From what we can infer at this spot so far is that it is mainly a two-man competition between Burney and Dean. However, Burney was spotted working out with the linebacker group recently and could be moving over there permanently.

If that reigns true, Dean will most likely be the guy and while he had a very promising freshman year, there are still areas that Dean will have to improve on to lock down the spot.

He will have to play closer to the line, which means he will be asked to tackle more and cover more specialized guys such as tight ends or speedy slot receivers. He has plenty of time to do so and certainly has the potential and capability.

The other aspect of figuring out the nickel spot is the rotation. Burney could fill in at times while also playing linebacker if Grantham decides to take that route, and McWilliams, despite his struggles on the outside last season, is a much better nickel than corner and if Steele hits the ground running he can jump in and take some valuable reps as well at this spot.

Linebacker

The Gators will have to replace their leading tackler from last season in Vosean Joseph this season. Joseph was a downhill force that could fill a gap as good as anybody.

He had his struggles though, and would overrun plays at times and his coverage skills could have used some work. Even with that though, he was an incredibly valuable piece and replacing him is not an easy task.

James Houston is the leading candidate as of right now and showcased his potential in spurts last season at linebacker and on special teams. Ventrell Miller is another possibility if the coaches decide to put him on the weak side as well.

Other potential guys are Kylan Johnson, Amari Burney, David Reese (younger) and Lacedrick Brunson.

If Burney is moved to linebacker full-time it makes for an interesting conversation about where he fills in. If he develops fast enough he could challenge the guys ahead of him for some reps, but he most likely wouldn’t secure the starting spot.

We will really be able to tell once spring begins, but it seems like it is Houston’s to lose at this point if his development progresses at the same rate it has so far. The biggest key will be how under control he plays and how solid his coverage skills are.

That’s where Miller fits into the mix. He is the best cover linebacker the Gators have and plays very under control. If he can improve his instincts in filling gaps and going downhill for tackles and laying the wood this could be a true competition.

Offensive Line

I just put the offensive line as a whole because the Gators have to replace four out of five starters. Every spot except center will have a new face anchoring the starting spot. That means there is going to be a ton of competition around the line this spring.

As of right now it looks like Stone Forsythe (LT), Brett Heggie (LG), Nick Buchanan (C), Chris Bleich (RG) and Richard Gouraige (RT) could be the starters at each spot, but it’s anyone’s guess as to how that exactly will play out.

The biggest competition could be at right tackle between Noah Banks and Gouraige, but if the coaching staff decides to swap Gouraige and Forsythe, Banks would most likely fit in somewhere else.

He may not be a starter, but Banks is the most versatile offensive lineman on the roster and has the ability to play multiple positions, similar to Tyler Jordan.

If Heggie can stay healthy he should lock up the left guard spot, but if not T.J. Moore would be the next guy up at that spot.

Bleich could see competition from Banks if Forsythe and Gouraige are solid at the two tackle spots and early enrollee Ethan White could see some reps as well at right guard in order to sure up depth.

Finally, Jean Delance will most likely not fill in at a starting spot, but he will proved valuable reps as the main backup at right tackle behind either Forsythe or Gouraige.

Overall, the line needs to develop and develop quickly if they want to try and be as good as last years group was. They have the potential to, but figuring out who they can depend on to start and who can be a valuable backup will be crucial this spring.

Long Snapper

Long snapper may not be the most important position on the team, but it does hold plenty of value. Field goals, extra points and punts aren’t possible and could be disasters without a good long snapper.

Known for his air-guitar in between the third and fourth quarter, Ryan Farr was actually a very reliable long snapper. Now that he is graduated, the Gators have to figure out who will fill his role.

Brett DioGuardi, Jacob Tilghman and Marco Ortiz are slated to compete with each other for the starting spot.

DioGuardi is an incoming redshirt junior, Tilghman is an incoming redshirt senior and Ortiz is an incoming sophomore so they have all been through a full season and have an understanding of what this position is like.

All of these guys know what it will take to be the starter: consistency. It’s unclear who is leading the race at the moment, but this spring should let us all know.

Long snapper is one of those positions where if you’re really good nobody should know you, but if you screw up everybody will know who made the mistake.

Farr did a great job making a name for himself with his air-guitar, but on the field nobody noticed him until his one mistake on a personal foul penalty. Other than that, nothing.

Whoever can be the most consistent performer at the highest level and avoid the screw-ups will win this job.