Spring Football Wrap: Five concerns

Replacing Kyle Pitss is an impossible task with just one player. You're not going to be able to, so the Gators will need to take a Billy Beane's approach from "Moneyball" and they'll have to find several players to try and fill the massive hole Pitts leaves.

Kemore Gamble and Keon Zipperer have shown an ability and desire to be blocking tight ends. Zipperer also has the skill set to be a pass-catching threat. Freshman Nick Elksnis is built in the same mold as Pitts, but let's not forget it took Pitts three years to develop into the unicorn that won the John Mackey Award, so expecting Elksnis to step right in and have that season is setting yourself up for disappointment. Florida also has Jonathan Odom, but he's probably behind the first two players mentioned in terms of blocking and not quite the receiver that Zipperer and Elksnis can be. It's all hands on deck to try and fill the shoes of Kyle Pitts.

It might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you're wondering how the 2021 football season will go but Florida's nickel, or star, has been a revolving door since Chauncey Gardner-Johnson was drafted in 2019. Trey Dean was initially picked to replace Gardner-Johnson but that experiment ended with Dean on the bench and Marco Wilson taking over. Last year the Gators used a number of players.

The truth of the matter is that Florida didn't come out of spring camp with one true answer. The development of Kamar Wilcoxson could lead to him winning the starting job but it's an open competition. Tre'Vez Johnson is also in the mix there but the coaching staff has also been playing him at safety and he could potentially start there Freshman Donovan McMilion worked out at safety and nickel in the spring and the coaching staff really liked how he played in his first spring camp.

It's all about finding the starting five and then three or four more backups that you feel really good about. Florida loses two started in Brett Heggie and Stone Forsythe, while bringing back and continuing to start the weakest link from 2020 at right tackle, at least in the spring.

With a new quarterback, more on that later, and an offense that will need to evolve to be successful in 2021, what does the offensive line look like.

First, it's the biggest offensive line that Mullen has had at Florida, with the spring starters averaging 330-pounds. We expect that the Gators will run the ball more and they certainly have the beef up front to do that.

"I feel good. I’m never overly confident about anything. Especially right now, but I feel confident because the guys you’ve got back are guys that have been around, that have worked. They’re playing for a reason. They’ve worked their tails off to get there, they’re meticulous and they’re constantly on their work," John Hevesy said of the offensive line. "To me with those guys it’s really fine-tuning a lot of things and making sure they understand completely why they’re doing things and to get better at all those things. But like anything, when you return guys that have played, it’s invaluable. And they can teach the guys behind them ‘Heres reality of why play on a Saturday night is like here.’”

It's a crowded room for sure with Dameon Pierce, Malik Davis, Nay'Quan Wright, Lorenzo Lingard, and Demarckus Bowman. Florida will most likely be a more run-focused team in 2021 and you can never have too many running backs in a physical league like the SEC but the Gators are pushing that saying to the limit here.

With a quarterback who can run in Emory Jones taking some carries, it's hard to envision a scenario where all five of these backs are getting enough carries to keep them happy. The staff will need to find ways to get creative. Can Malik Davis play in the slot some? He's shown above-average ability as a pass-catcher from out of the backfield and the Gators

Pierce is a power back, Davis can catch, Nay'quan Wright can do both, Lingard is big and fast and Bowman looks like a potential touchdown every time the ball is in his hands. There's a lot of diversity and versatility in the skill sets and it's up to the coaching staff to maximize that.

Evan McPherson's decision to leave school early for the NFL Draft was s surprise and left the Gators without a scholarship kicker on the roster. Chris Howard, a walk on, has limited experience but was a perfect 5-5 on PATs and 2-2 on field goal attempts last season. He handled all of the kicking duties during the spring but the Gators will add a graduate transfer in Mississippi State kicker Jace Christmann.

Christmann was the 2017 SEC All-Freshman kicker and leaves Mississippi State tied for fourth on the Bulldogs' all-time scoring list (223 points). Christmann only played in three games as a senior. Christmann was 32-of-40 (80%) for his career.