You know the O-line is really thin when the team calls out for walk-on OLs via Twitter.
On Tue, Mar 17, 2015 at 12:01 AM, 'Steve McKibben' via GatorTalk < [email protected]> wrote: > O-line is paper thin. An injury or two and we're screwed. The DL is a > different story, a lot of depth and talent there. No Dante Fowler Jr., but > talent across the board, two and three deep, > > Steve M/ > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Woody <[email protected]> > *To:* Gatortalk <[email protected]> > *Sent:* Sunday, March 15, 2015 4:35 PM > *Subject:* [gatortalk] Re: [gatornews] [SUN]: UF football springing > forward > > > 5) O and D line.. drink now. Heavily. > > Woody > > > > > On Sun, Mar 15, 2015 at 11:34 AM, Shane Ford <[email protected]> > wrote: > > UF football springing forward > > Will Grier, left, and Treon Harris will battle for the starting > quarterback job during spring practice. > *Staff photos by Matt Stamey and Elizabeth Hamilton/Illustration by Jon > McDonald* > By Robbie Andreu <http://www.gatorsports.com/personalia/robbieandreu> > Gainesville SUN Staff writer > Published: Sunday, March 15, 2015 at 6:01 a.m.Last Modified: Saturday, > March 14, 2015 at 11:54 p.m. > New head coach Jim McElwain's first spring at Florida figures to be, well, > somewhat unorthodox and unusual. > The Gators have only seven scholarship offensive linemen and just four > scholarship linebackers available, which will limit some of the things UF > can do in practice. > With the indoor practice facility under construction, the Gators are > forced to practice at the lacrosse/soccer facility on the other side of > campus. > Given the low numbers on the offensive line and at linebacker, chances are > good the Gators will conclude the spring with more of a scrimmage than a > traditional game April 11 in The Swamp. > Despite all that, it should be a typical spring in terms of players > competing for starting roles and playing time. Perhaps the closest > competition could be at quarterback, where true sophomore Treon Harris and > redshirt freshman Will Grier will battle for the starting role. > With practice starting Monday, here's a position-by-position look at the > Gators: > *Quarterback* > *Who's gone:* Former starter Jeff Driskel, who has transferred to > Louisiana Tech. > *Who's back:* Treon Harris (1,019 yards and nine touchdowns in 2014), > Will Grier and Skyler Mornhinweg. > *What's next:* Even though Harris would seem to hold a significant edge > on Grier after becoming the starter last year as a true freshman, the two > are expected to wage a close and competitive battle for the starting role > this spring. McElwain said earlier this week that there is no timeline for > naming a starter — which means this competition likely will carry over into > training camp in August. Harris is athletic, has a good arm and seems to be > a leader, but struggled with accuracy last season. Grier is more of a > classic dropback passer with a quick release, but he struggled with some of > his reads last season. He and Harris will be learning a new offense this > spring, and starting out basically dead even. > *Possible starter in the fall:* It will either be Harris or Grier, but we > probably won't know who until late August. > *Tailback* > *Who's gone:* Matt Jones (817 yards, six TDs in 2014), who left early for > the NFL draft, Mack Brown and Brandon Powell, who has moved to wide > receiver for the start of spring. > *Who's back:* Kelvin Taylor (565 yards, six TDs), Adam Lane (181 yards, > one TD) and Mark Herndon. > *What's next:* Most are assuming that with Jones gone, Taylor will be the > obvious starter (and possible star) in 2015. But he's going to have to beat > out the tough and tenacious Lane first. Lane enters the spring as Florida's > hottest running back, coming off his 109-yard performance in the Birmingham > Bowl. After that effort, many were left wondering why he wasn't used more > last season. He won't be overlooked by the new coaching staff, which has to > be impressed after watching tape of Lane in the bowl game. Depth is an > issue in the spring because Brandon Powell has been moved to wide receiver > (in what may or may not be a permanent switch) and Herndon is coming off > ACL surgery. Two talented true freshmen should resolve the depth issue in > August. > *Possible starter in the fall:* Taylor is the favorite, but he'll be > pushed hard all spring by Lane. Incoming freshman Jordan Scarlett will > enter the competition in camp, along with Jordan Cronkrite. > *Wide receiver* > *Who's gone:* Quinton Dunbar (21 catches, 353 yards, two TDs) and Andre > Debose (one catch, minus-3 yards). > *Who's back:* Demarcus Robinson (53 catches, 810 yards, seven TDs), > Latroy Pittman (15 catches, 164 yards), Brandon Powell (15 catches, 147 > yards, one TD), Ahmad Fulwood (12 catches, 199 yards, one TD), Valdez > Showers (two catches, 31 yards, one TD), Chris Thompson (two catches, 17 > yards) and C.J. Worton (two catches, 12 yards). > *What's next:* The Gators finally have a proven playmaker again at wide > receiver in Robinson. But behind him, there are a lot of talented young > players who really haven't done much yet. Fulwood looked like an elite > receiver in camp, but then practically disappeared during the season. > Pittman plays hard and is a physical blocker, but has yet to consistently > produce in the passing game. Thompson and Worton have lots of speed and > potential, but again, they haven't really done anything yet. It will be a > critical spring for the receivers, who will be put in a position to make > plays in McElwain's passing attack. Now, can they consistently make those > plays? > *Possible starters in the fall:* Robinson, Powell and Fulwood. > *Tight end* > *Who's gone:* Clay Burton (18 catches, 156 yards, one TD) and Tevin > Westbrook (eight catches, 81 yards, two TDs). > *Who's back:* Jake McGee, DeAndre Goolsby, Moral Stephens and Cyontai > Lewis. > *What's next:* The Gators may not know what this position really looks > like until McGee is back to full speed for the start of training camp in > August. Before breaking his lower leg in the second game in 2014, McGee was > expected to be a major part of the passing game. Once he was lost, the > position produced almost nothing, other than some critical drops by > Westbrook. If McGee can stay healthy, he could put up some big numbers in > McElwain's offense. UF's other tight ends share common traits: they are all > young, all athletic, all lacking experience. So, it will be an important > spring in the development of Goolsby, Stephens and Lewis. > *Possible starter in the fall:* McGee, if he stays healthy, could be one > of UF's leading receivers. > *Offensive line* > *Who's gone:* Max Garcia, D.J. Humphries, Chaz Green, Trenton Brown and > Tyler Moore. Humphries and Moore left early for the NFL draft. > *Who's back:* OT Rod Johnson, OT David Sharpe, OG Travaris Dorsey, OG > Kavaris Harkless, OG Antonio Riles, C Trip Thurman, OG/C Cameron Dillard, > OG Andrew Mike. > *What's next:* With the glaring lack of numbers and experience, the > offensive line is the biggest area of concern on this team — and it's not > even close. The problems certainly can't be rectified this spring, with > only seven scholarship players available now that Thurman is out with an > injured shoulder. Even when six freshmen are added to the mix this summer, > including five-star recruit Martez Ivey, the offensive line is going to be > a huge question mark and potential problem area heading into the season. > Johnson is the only offensive lineman with extensive playing experience and > Sharpe showed potential at the other tackle position as a true freshman > last season. But other than those two (and Thurman) there's almost zero > playing experience among the other linemen. > *Possible starters in the fall:* Johnson, Sharpe, Thurman, Dorsey and > Dillard. > *Defensive line* > *Who's gone:* DE Dante Fowler Jr., DT Leon Orr, DT Darious Cummings and > DE Gerald Willis, who has transferred to Miami. > *Who's back:* DE/LB Alex McCalister, DE/DT Jonathan Bullard, DE Bryan Cox > Jr., DT Caleb Brantley, DT Joey Ivie, DT Thomas Holley, DT Khairi Clark, DT > Jay-nard Bostwick, DE Taven Bryan, DE Jordan Sherit and DE Justus Reed. > *What's next:* Even though the Gators lose three starters, led by the > All-American Fowler, the defensive line should be a team strength again. > Bullard moved from end to tackle last season and developed into a potential > All-SEC player at the position. McCalister, Fowler's backup, actually led > the team in sacks and is a disruptive player on the edge. Brantley took > advantage of Orr's decision to quit the team during the 2014 season and > came on strong at tackle down the stretch. Holley and Clark are redshirt > freshmen who are expected to push for playing time this spring. > *Possible starters in the fall:* McCalister, Cox, Bullard and Brantley. > *Linebacker* > *Who's gone:* Starters Neiron Ball and Michael Taylor. > *Who's back:* Antonio Morrison, Matt Rolin, Daniel McMillian, Alex > Anzalone, Jarrad Davis and Jeremi Powell. > *What's next:* With Davis (knee) and Morrison (knee) both expected to > miss the spring, the Gators are down to four scholarship linebackers, and > only one (Anzalone) has had extensive playing time on defense. Rolin and > Powell have had to overcome ACL surgery. Rolin had surgery twice within a > year and pretty much sat out last season. McMillian is considered to have a > high ceiling, but he's struggled with assignments in the past. > *Possible starters in the fall:* Morrison, Anzalone, Davis. > *Cornerback* > *Who's gone:* None. > *Who's back:* Vernon Hargreaves III, Brian Poole, Jalen Tabor, Quincy > Wilson, J.C. Jackson. > *What's next:* The Gators could have one of the most talented collection > of cornerbacks in the country. Hargreaves is an All-America and is a > lock-down cover corner. The competition for the other starting role will be > fierce (and close) between Poole, Tabor and Wilson. All three started games > last year and all showed playmaking capability. Tabor and Wilson did it as > true freshmen. Both have star potential. Jackson also was a highly rated > freshman last season, but redshirted after undergoing shoulder surgery. > There has been talk that he will move to wide receiver this spring, but > McElwain did not mention that possibility earlier in the week. > *Possible starters in the fall:* Hargreaves and either Poole, Tabor or > Wilson. > *Safety* > *Who's gone:* Jabari Gorman. > *Who's back:* Keanu Neal, Duke Dawson, Marcus Maye, Marcell Harris and > Nick Washington. > *What's next:* This is one of the deepest and most talented positions on > the team. Neal and Dawson made a lot of mistakes early last season, but > learned from experience and developed into very good players by the end of > the year. Both have cornerback skill when it comes to man coverage. Maye is > one of UF's most experienced defensive backs and will compete for a > starting role. Harris was a special teams standout and is a big hitter. His > playing time on defense should increase as he grows more comfortable in the > defense. Washington is capable of playing safety or corner. > *Possible starters in the fall:* Neal and Dawson. > *Kicker* > *Who's gone:* Frankie Velez. > *Who's back:* Austin Hardin. > *What's next:* Hardin won't have much in the way of competition this > spring and is the clear starter heading into the season. He started gaining > consistency and confidence in the second half of last season and will try > to continue that trend through the spring and summer. > *Possible starter in the fall:* Hardin. > *Punter* > *Who's gone:* Kyle Christy. > *Who's back:* Johnny Townsend, William Few, Connor Gilboy and Dallas > Stubbs. > *What's next:* Like Hardin, Townsend is the only player at his position > on scholarship and will be tough to unseat in the spring. He took Christy's > starting job away midway through the 2013 season, but then went back to the > bench in 2014 when Christy regained his form. Townsend is a proven punter > who will work on consistency this spring. > *Possible starter in the fall:* Townsend. > > > > > > > > > > > > Sent From Shane's iPhone > Go Gators! & Skål Vikes! > ALPCA #8756 > Europlate #1045 > -- > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 > National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 > National Football Champions | > Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel > (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "GatorNews" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > > -- > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 > National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 > National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier > (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "GatorTalk" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > > -- > -- > GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! > 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 > National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 > National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier > (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "GatorTalk" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GatorTalk" group. 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