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When asked last week what position groups have wowed him in fall camp, Florida quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson singled out the offensive line.
He credited position coach John Hevesy for developing his players and creating depth. The Gators had to replace four starters last season, but return four in 2020.
But with the addition of grad transfer Stewart Reese, who started for Hevesy and UF coach Dan Mullen at Mississippi State, they return a total of 100 starts up front.
“Definitely experience,” left tackle Stone Forsythe said what’s different about this year’s unit. “Last year we were all inexperienced. There were four of us and only one returning starter. This year it's four returners and basically Stewart.
“He played at Mississippi State but he's still a returner. He has those game reps like some of the younger guys. So I think we’ll do pretty well this year as an O-line collectively.”
Forsythe (28 career starts) and Reese (34 starts) are the most experienced returners, along with tackles Jean Delance (13 starts) and Richard Gouraige (five starts) and interior linemen Brett Heggie (19 starts) and Ethan White (one start). All of them have played multiple years under Hevesy, so they know his blocking schemes and expectations.
“Everyone knows what he expects. It's another year under our belt of the same offense, so I think it'll help greatly,” Forsythe said. “We’re clicking. It doesn't seem like we missed a beat at all, even though we haven’t hit somebody since in the Orange Bowl. I mean, just that brotherhood still clicking and the connection’s there.”
The unit excelled in pass protection last season, while run blocking was an issue. Forsythe said they’ve cleaned up some things and spent more time on specific looks and techniques.
“I definitely see a huge difference,” Florida running back Malik Davis said. “Those guys have worked extremely hard, even in practice and scrimmages. Even the coaches, we sit and watch film and we're like, 'Wow, we didn't have to do nothing on that play. We just got the ball and ran.' That's a great feeling for a running back when you can just get the ball and run and not have to make anyone miss.”
