Brought to you by Mayor Clothing, GatorsTerritory dishes out another roundtable discussion from our team of writers!
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What are your thoughts on Brian Johnson leaving?
Corey: Johnson has been on the rise and was also linked to multiple head coaching jobs, so I can't say I'm not too surprised about his departure. If anything, it was more of the timing since he didn't get the jobs at South Carolina and Boise State.
I thought he was definitely going to be in Gainesville for at least one more season, but one season at the most. Johnson's success and rapid rise in the industry is just another accomplishment on Dan Mullen's resume. He is developing quarterbacks and those tutoring them as well. It wouldn't surprise me to see Johnson returning to the college ranks fairly soon, but next time as a head coach.
Nick: I think we all knew that this was going to happen at some point. When Johnson was promoted to offensive coordinator before the 2020 season that was a signal that Dan Mullen was trying to help him advance in his career. He was a serious contender for the head coaching job at Boise State and I think he’s going to be a great head coach someday. Moving to the NFL is a big jump and I’m interested to see how he does. Florida is going to miss him for sure.
With that being said, what are your thoughts on Johnson's replacement in Garrick McGee?
Corey: I would be more critical if McGee was replacing Johnson as the offensive coordinator, but as the quarterbacks coach, I don't think it's that poor of a hire. McGee has been the offensive coordinator for several Power Five programs and previously worked alongside Lamar Jackson at Louisville as well. He is also a former college head coach, so the experience is certainly there.
It's easy to be critical from the outside looking in, but if anyone was to sit down and talk Xs and Os with McGee, I believe the majority would walk away very impressed with his football IQ and offensive prowess. Also, Dan Mullen will be the one calling the plays, so I don't believe it's that risky of a hire for the Gators. I'm more interested in seeing McGee's ability as a recruiter.
Nick: I know a lot of fans don’t think this is a splash hire and I get that. But, in Mullen’s defense, the timing for Johnson’s departure wasn’t great. I think Mullen knew that Johnson would move on at some point and bringing Garrick McGee in last year as an analyst could have been a safety net. He has experience as a head coach, coordinator, and position coach.
McGee worked with Lamar Jackson at Louisville and he’s inheriting two talented quarterbacks in Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson. When it comes down to it this is Mullen’s offense. Mullen will call plays and he's going to be involved with the quarterbacks.
Which returning player do you believe could go the highest in the 2022 NFL Draft?
Corey: It's extremely early, but some websites are already including several Gators in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, including Brenton Cox and Ventrell Miller; however, when it's all said and done, I think it will be Kaiir Elam who comes off the board first.
The former All-American was the most consistent defensive back on UF's roster this past season and tied the SEC lead with 13 pass breakups. I believe he will only build off his sophomore campaign and become more consistent in year three. Ventrell Miller will likely lead the Gators in tackles next season, so I understand why WalterFootball and others believe he will come off the board somewhere in the first two rounds, but I think Elam has the higher ceiling.
As for Brenton Cox, it's going to depend on his consistency. He started off fairly strong, but then his play dipped toward the second half of the season. Keep a close eye on Khris Bogle too. He recorded roughly 30 tackles and 4.5 sacks in limited time as a sophomore, so if he can push Cox and receive the bulk of the repetitions while also improving on his sack total, it wouldn't surprise me if he exited Gainesville after a strong season. He has a very high ceiling and would likely intrigue several NFL scouts.
Nick: Kaiir Elam. Elam’s 13 pass breakups were tied for the most in the SEC and he has the potential to be a really big pick in 2022. He allowed a 42.6 completion rate on passes thrown his way, which is a number I think he needs to and will improve on next season. Elam has all the tools and the talent to play at the next level and I think he puts it all together next season.
A sleeper pick for me would be Zach Carter. He had 31 tackles, seven for a loss and 4.5 sacks in 2020 and he's just scratching the surface of the player he can be.
