GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Spring football is a time for development and growth. Fans and media alike are able to see that progress as their team starts to put the puzzle pieces together for the coming fall.
The same goes for the Gators. We learned how far along Feleipe Franks has come, how guys have taken to new positions and how deep the offensive weapons Florida has. However, not every question was answered.
Here is what we still need answered after spring.
1. The offensive line
We were able to see first-hand where the OL is at throughout spring, and they still have a lot of work to do. For the most part the first team unit is set with Stone Forsythe (LT), Brett Heggie (LG), Nick Buchanan (C), Chris Bleich (RG) and Jean Delance (RT).
Behind them though is where the major questions come in. We still do not know who can truly contribute and add valuable depth. There are a few guys we believe will be viable backups in the rotation. Guys like Richard Gouraige and T.J. Moore look the best out of the second unit, but that’s only two guys.
Offensive line coach John Hevesy wants to be at least 10 deep. A few guys that have shown flashes and could contribute even as freshmen are Michael Tarquin and Kingsley Eguakun, but they still have a lot of growing to do throughout the rest of the offseason themselves.
Head coach Dan Mullen is still open to a grad transfer coming in to help as well to help with the lines depth, but this group still has a lot of questions surrounding it.
2. Safety rotation
I would disregard the terrible performance from the safeties in the Orange and Blue game for the most part, but it did showcase some concerns that we’ve seen in practice throughout spring.
The group has talent, but lacks a little discipline and instincts. Brad Stewart is a going to start at free safety and he should. But even he has had a few moments where he has been out of place. Jeawon Taylor looked solid at the strong safety spot, but was injured the last week of practice and missed the spring game.
Behind those guys Shawn Davis and Donovan Stiner have had their fair share of up and downs this spring. Davis was unable to participate the first couple of weeks due to an injury and while Stiner has been out there every day he has not developed the way most thought he would.
Each safety has flaws, which can make rotating them in a bit difficult. For the most part we think we know how the rotation is going to go with Stewart and Taylor starting and Davis and Stiner behind them, but there is another guy that could find himself in this group this season.
John Huggins made the switch from free safety to nickel and has had one of the best springs of any Gator. His athleticism, aggressiveness and coverage skills make for a great nickel corner, but with his development it may force a coaches hand to find some way to get him on the field.
Where he would go would be safety. Could that mess up the rotation? Would that force guys to move around and would Huggins be just as good at safety as he has been at nickel? He played it last season.
3. Where does Krull fit in with the tight end rotation?
One of the more unfortunate aspects of spring ball in for Florida this year was that Lucas Krull suffered an injury in the first week, sidelining him for the rest of spring.
He was able to come back in a red non-contact jersey the last week of practice, but did not participate in the spring game or in any team drills. We were not able to find out how far his development has come and where he can fit in within the tight end group.
We saw flashes in the first week and he looked very comfortable and showed a much smoother football transition. With him out though Kemore Gamble received a ton of reps as did Dante Lang.
Gamble has shown good improvement and looks to be a solid contributor this fall. And that was the expectation for Krull heading into spring. Does this injury push that back and how can he make up for that lost ground?
4. Defensive line rotation
With Malik Langham looking to transfer how does it affect the rotation for the defensive line and who fills is spot? Like the o-line the base group for the d-line is set with Jabai Zuniga (DE), Kyree Campbell (NT), Adam Shuler (DT) and Jonathan Greenard (buck).
However, the rotation is what is most important in this group. T.J. Slaton and Elijah Conliffe have had impressive springs in 2019, but that was also the case last season and they did not fill in the way many thought they would. Are they ready to step up and really contribute this season?
Zach Carter had the best spring of any player on the team and can play defensive end or tackle. Where will he be utilized most? Well, it depends on where everyone else can contribute.
Luke Ancrum and Marlon Dunlap are a couple of veterans that can jump in the rotation, but the question for them is how much will the drop off be between guys in front of them and their contributions.
And that’s the question for the entire unit. Is there a rotation solid enough that there’s not much of a drop off between the starters and the backups?
