Gators Territory brings you another roundtable discussion with our team of writers.
This week Zach Abolverdi, Corey Bender, Connor Clark, Joseph Hastings and Lauren Reynolds share their thoughts on Florida's potential starting five with the addition of Stewart Reese, which players will benefit most from June workouts and the impact of UF's virtual visits.
What will be Florida’s starting five with the addition of MSU grad transfer Stewart Reese?
Abolverdi: Landing Reese gives the Gators some options up front. With the personnel and lineup changes, having the expected starters play the spot they’re most comfortable could help the cohesion of the line. Stone Forsythe started all 13 games last year at left tackle and should stay put. Richard Gouraige made five starts at left guard in 2019, and while he has an NFL future as a tackle, keeping him on the interior allows the left side of the line to stay the same. Brett Heggie will handle center duties and Ethan White should resume his role at right guard. Reese was Dan Mullen’s starting right tackle at MSU, and I think plugging him there makes the most sense.
Bender: Uncertainty remains along the offensive front after the Gators ranked 107th in rushing a season ago. However, reeling in a three-year starter in Reese provides UF with versatility and a day-one starter at guard or tackle. I like the idea of him starting out at left guard, but if there are struggles at tackle, I could see Hevesy scooting him outside. Heggie is a natural fit at center and possesses the leadership and experience to quarterback that unit, so I don't see much drama there. I believe Gouraige is best suited to take over at left tackle, allowing Forsythe to slide over to right tackle. Gouraige is athletic enough and now has the experience to make that significant jump. I envision White getting the nod at right guard. Hevesy has some decisions to make, but adding Reese certainly made things a little easier.
Clarke: It goes without saying that the addition of Reese is huge as the Gators look to improve their offensive line play in 2020. Reese should be able to step in and start right away. With that being said, I think Florida’s starting five will be, from left tackle to right tackle, Gouraige, White, Heggie, Reese and Forsythe. Gouraige is the most talented player along the line and a natural left tackle. Forsythe, who played LT most of last year, is more of a natural right tackle in my opinion.
Hastings: The Gators will have some interesting decisions to make when it comes to their starting five this season. I actually believe the lineup we see at the start of the season may switch up multiple times throughout the course of the fall. As of right now, with no spring practices to go off of, I would go with Stone Forsythe at left tackle, Richard Gouraige at left guard, Brett Heggie at center, Ethan White at right guard and Stewart Reese at right tackle.
Reynolds: With Reese now onboard, Florida’s starting five will look a little different. Heggie should move over to center to take over for Nick Buchanan. On Heggie’s left side, look for T.J. Moore or Ethan White to start at guard — depending on who Hevesy sees working best there — and Stone Forsythe to stay at that tackle spot. I expect Reese to be the other starting guard with Gouraige at right tackle.
Which UF players will benefit most from June workouts?Â
Abolverdi: I’ll say quarterback Emory Jones and defensive ends Khris Bogle and Llyod Summerall III. Jones was listed at 199 pounds last season and then missed spring ball, which would have provided time to add weight. As he looks to become more involved in the offense and capitalize on his running ability, bulking up in June will prepare him for the hits he’ll take this fall. As freshmen in 2019, Bogle and Summerall arrived on campus weighing 216 and 214, respectively. Both of them will need to pack on pounds next month so they can contribute more to Florida’s pass rush.
Bender: I'm going to roll with the offensive line as a whole, and you probably understand why after reading our responses to the first question. I penciled in Reese and White as starters, but one is setting in at a new school while the other has a limited amount of game experience. Not to mention there will likely be some positional changes as well. Much of Gouraige’s collegiate experience is at guard, though he played tackle in high school. Operating in the trenches requires chemistry and a countless of repetitions during the offseason, and given the uncertainty for the Gators, June's workouts will be key. Reese, Forsythe and Heggie have plenty of college experience, so White and Gouraige come to mind due to White's lack of experience and a possible position change for Gouraige.
Clarke: The obvious answer is the freshmen who haven’t been able to work in a college weight program, but I’ll go in a different direction and say cornerback Chester Kimbrough and linebackers Ty’Ron Hopper and Mohamoud Diabate. All of them came in on the slimmer side for their positions, but have the frames to fill out very nicely. They just need to get back on campus and start working once again with their strength coaches and nutritionists. I think you will see some big-time gains from those three players transitioning from Year 1 to Year 2 in the program.
Hastings: On the offense side of the ball, I'm going to go with Kyle Trask and the entire receiving corps. This is Trask's first full offseason where he’s expected to be the Gators’ starting quarterback for their season opener and beyond. Developing timing and camaraderie with his wideouts, especially with four players from the position group gone from last season, will be crucial. Switching over to defense, June workouts will certainly help a guy like Brenton Cox Jr. The former Georgia Bulldog hasn’t played in a football game in over a year, so conditioning and getting his body into playing shape is going to be important over the next few months.
Reynolds: The offensive linemen, first and foremost. The workouts will be critical for their physical development and building stamina for the season. The month of June will also give position coach John Hevesy time to see what kind of shape his players are in and where they fit most effectively on the line. Spring ball would have given Hevesy a chance to try out different possibilities, so now the process has to be sped up. But these workouts are at least a start, and the next four weeks will help the big uglies get ready for 2020.
How will the Gators’ virtual visits pay dividends later in the cycle? Â
Abolverdi: Nine other schools in the country can tout themselves as a top-10 program, but Florida is the only one able to do so as a top-10 public university. That’s a huge selling point with no football being played, because other schools simply don’t measure up to what UF has to offer academically. Now more than ever, the Otis Hawkins Center is an attention grabber for prospects and their parents who normally would be focused on the football aspect of a visit. But virtually, UF can show the best of both worlds better than most and that will lead to actual visits down the road.
Bender: These virtual visits could alter the recruiting landscape in a major way, especially when it comes to out-of-state prospects. Several kids wait until the season to officially visit, and depending on where they live, it's typically their first and only visit to campus. Virtually visiting beforehand provides prospects with the opportunity to get a taste of campus, but also meet with the support staff and additional university officials. As for the Gators, they have taken full advantage of this process by hosting a flurry of top targets, with one being Donovan McMillon. UF knocked it out of the park during his virtual visit and is now considered a legitimate threat. Once McMillon officially visits, there will already be some familiarity in place, and that only improves a program's chances at sealing the deal.
Clarke: Honestly, I think virtual visits are an awesome idea and will peak the interest of kids who’ve never been to Gainesville before. I would equate it to the preview for a movie. It gives the prospect a sneak peek at what the University of Florida has to offer (football facilities, academics, etc.) and a chance to interact with coaches, current players and even advisors without having to physically make the trip to the school. Those meetings don’t usually happen unless a prospect is officially visiting. Because of that, I believe prospects will want to check out the school even more and get a live, in-person look at what they were able to see on the virtual visit.
Hastings: Florida is doing an excellent job of impressing prospects virtually. They have emphasized both academics and football, given a tour of the campus and facilities to recruits who’ve never checked out the school, and allowed their visitors to spend time talking with some current Gators. However, I won't say that this will drastically help later in the 2021 cycle. Recruiting momentum can change overnight, and what's a guarantee in May could not end up transpiring come December when it’s time to sign early. These visits certainly don't hurt UF, but they're not going to, in my opinion, be a game-changer for these players when it's time to sign their Letter of Intents.
Reynolds: For those who’ve never visited Florida, it gives them a chance to see if they want to even check out the school after the recruiting suspension ends. Obviously a virtual visit can't compare to an in-person one, but it will at least get an image in their head to look forward to. Florida has a leg up because it has more to offer than most schools, from its academic reputation and resources to the new facilities and beautiful campus.