Please Read: Welcome to the new-look Inside the Gators
- Projected Starting Lineup: Pre-Spring
- Pre-Spring Ranking of Florida position-by-position
- Grading the Gators: New Additions
- Tulane player goes in-depth on Sumrall
Before Florida begins spring practice Tuesday morning, Inside the Gators practice preview takes a look at five players on the spot, five position battles, five players who will sink or swim over these next 15 practices, and five players who could potentially surprise and disappoint.
Five On the Spot
Caden Jones: Florida’s only returning offensive tackle who is game-day proven, well, that might be a bit of an overstatement. Proven may not be the word I’m looking for. Jones is the only returning offensive tackle who has shown, at times, that he isn’t an outright liability out on the edge on his own. If he can solidify one tackle position this spring, it will make the summer and fall camp a lot less stressful for Phil Trautwein.
LJ McCray: He could just as easily be in the Sink or Swim category further down the page. McCray is a former five-star signee who simply hasn’t lived up to the hype. At least not yet. When you see him out there, he has the traits to be an upper-level lineman. Seeing him in person and listening to the coaches, the question is going to be how much he wants it.
Aaron Philo: It may not be written in ink just yet, but Philo didn’t follow Buster Faulkner from Georgia Tech, and Florida didn’t make him the lone Portal addition at the position without there being an incredibly strong hint that the starting quarterback job is his to lose. With the money UF invested in the receiver corps, Philo is on the spot to show the Gator Nation that the new staff didn’t put their trust in the wrong quarterback.
Evan Pryor: The most work he has gotten in a season is his 76 carries last season. So, he isn’t a go-to back. Then again, he doesn’t need to be since Jaden Baugh has shown the ability to be a workhorse type of back when asked to do so. That means Pryor needs to be more of a change of pace, lightning to Baugh’s thunder type of back.
Jayden Woods: To be blunt about this, if not for Woods, where is the pass rush potentially going to come from? Kamran James tied Woods for the team lead with 3 ½ sacks last year, giving him 4 ½ sacks through his three-year UF career. So, while it is possible, I wouldn’t bank on a senior having a breakout type of season. That leaves the true sophomore, Woods, as the only real potential quarterback terror on the team.
Five Position Battles
Left Tackle: It would be nice to get a feel for how they are lining up early on in the spring. Is Caden Jones sticking on the right side, or does he move over to the left side? Penn State transfer Eagan Boyer might be the best bet to win the job, after seeing Fletcher Westphal in a cast in late January, he might not be fully prepared to compete for the spot in the spring.
Center: If Harrison Moore hadn’t transferred in from Georgia Tech, Jason Zandamela would have been the odds-on favorite to win the job based strictly on what fellow players and coaches have had to say about his performance in practice, not because he has any actual game experience outside of playing in the blowout win over FCS Long Island. Moore, on the other hand, has extensive experience. Is there a dark-horse candidate among the underclassmen?
Quarterback: On paper, at least in public, this is a horse race between Aaron Philo and Tramell Jones Jr., with Will Griffin at least, again, on paper, in the hunt. That, once again, on paper, is about as weak a Florida quarterback room as we’ve seen in the last 10-15 years. Maybe they can change the perception this spring? Either way, does a player win the job outright in order to maybe develop some leadership and chemistry, or do you leave it open and make them all work for it all summer and into the start of fall camp? There are pluses and minuses to doing it either way.
Backup running back: I believe Evan Pryor is the man to beat, but then again, Duke Clark came out of nowhere last spring to really put his name on the map. Byron Louis might have the best overall skill set of any of them, not named Jadan Baugh.
Starting Tight End: This is the position where I don’t know that you can say that there is a favorite to be the starter here, a couple of days before the start of spring practice. It wouldn’t be shocking if any one of the quartet of Evan Chieca, Lacota Dippre, Luke Harpring, or Amir Jackson won the job. It also wouldn’t be shocking if one or two turned out to be flops. They are all that big of a question mark at this point. Having said that, compared to the last couple of years, there’s at least hope that there might be at the very least one or two out of this group who are SEC caliber.
Sink or Swim
TJ Abrams: I thought that last spring would be his last spring at Florida. Seriously. He didn’t stand out in the open practice sessions we were permitted to watch, and then struggled in the O&B Game. I had him down as one of the most likely transfer possibilities last year. He himself made mention of his spring performance on social media. However, he stuck it out and made some big plays for Florida last season, and should be on the two-deep at the start of spring ball. Florida didn’t add eight new receivers in the offseason because they were thrilled with what they had returning. It will be interesting to see how they all stack up after the spring game.
Alfonzo Allen Jr.: It shouldn’t have surprised me, but this did – last season, after recording 15 tackles against Mississippi State, Allen Jr. played a combined eight snaps against Georgia and Kentucky. And, I was told he was healthy. Will he see more reps in a rebuilt safety room with a coach who seems to be a fan of his? If so, it will have to start over the spring. If he hasn’t established himself by then, you have to give the edge to the youngsters over a fifth-year senior.
Amir Jackson: Much was made of his decision to return after initially entering the Transfer Portal. And maybe it is finally his time. Maybe he can become a pass-catching threat. However, two catches over his first two seasons combined have turned me into a skeptic. He has the talent, and there are no players returning at the position with an established place on the depth chart. If there is anyone on the roster who is solely responsible for whether or not they sink or swim this spring, it is Jackson.
Roderick Kearney: He was part of my First Five off the Bus team last year, and seeing him in January, he damn sure still looks the part. You can tell he is a super hard worker, dedicated to the weightroom. Heading into his fourth season, that hasn’t carried over to the field. He didn’t get a lot of game snaps at guard last year, but when he did, he struggled more than he shone. If any of the youngsters move ahead of him this spring, that will be the writing on the wall.
Fletcher Westphal: He had so much buzz coming in, and he looks the part. However, as was mentioned above, in late January, he was still sporting a cast when seen over at the Heavener Complex. That, to this point, has been the story of his stay at Florida, where he has barely been mentioned on the weekly Participation Report (29 career snaps), much less the depth chart.
Five Potential Surprises
Will Griffin: Normally, unless he was a five-star, you wouldn’t give this much attention to a true freshman quarterback. The situation this spring is a bit different in that none of the players with college experience have a whole lot of impressive game experience, and out of the top three options, Griffin had the most impressive high school resume when it comes to rankings and offers. With the field supposedly being wide open, Griffin would have to be looked at as a thoroughbred in the race.
Byron Louis: Keep in mind, Louis didn’t arrive until the summer, and he was considered the absolute standout in a couple of fall practices and a scrimmage. With a full season as well as a winter of conditioning under his belt, he could be primed to make some noise this spring.
Bryce Lovett: I feel like I am beating a dead horse when it comes to Lovett. To recap, he looked lost as a tackle as a true freshman, looked like he had been found, and like he had some upside when moved inside, and then, for unexplained reasons, looked out of place when moved back outside. He has the ability to be a starting quality lineman if he and the coaches can get on the same page.
Justin Williams: While they may have formed some sort of attachment to the coaches who recruited them, to be honest, the best thing for a true freshman is a brand new coaching staff where there are no preconceived ideas or existing relationships that might cloud judgment out of loyalty. When everyone is being looked at for the first time, being versatile can help you to stand out. Versatility is what Williams brings to the table.
Jaylen Lloyd: I can make this one short and sweet. If he can return to form from a couple of years ago to where he was able to take the top off of a defense, he can be a vital part of the offense.
Five Potential Disappointments
Kamran James: He kind of has a little bit of the same backstory as LJ McCray. They were both defensive linemen who were also tight ends for their high school 7-on-7 teams. When you see someone that size running as well as they do, your mind runs wild, dreaming of the possibilities. Dreaming is as far as it has gotten (for both of them). James has but 4 ½ sacks through his first three seasons and has never been looked at as a go-to starter, much less a star in the making.
Heze Kent: Yes, he was rated as a four-star, and yes, as a tight end of that size, he is an anomaly that will grab your attention. That is all well and good, and not to put a nail in his coffin and say that it can’t happen, but realistically, start pointing out 300-plus-pound tight ends who have been productive on the college level.
Malik Morris: While Kent is likely the biggest tight end you will ever see, Morris isn’t too far off when it comes to linebackers. Not only is he the heaviest linebacker I’ve seen at Florida in years, but he also doesn’t have the height to carry that much weight. In high school, he was a run-stopping thumper, but I don’t know if that can carry over. He is probably around 25-to-30 pounds heavier than he needs to be for his frame.
Dallas Wilson: I am convinced that many in the Gator Nation are convinced that I must have some sort of personal vendetta against Wilson. I don’t. Before forming an opinion, I ask myself, ‘Based on what?’ Wilson has as high a ceiling as anyone on the roster. I really believe that. I have my doubts if he will reach it. Much has been expected of him, but to this point, little has been produced. He needs to turn the corner quickly so that he doesn’t become a cautionary tale.
Bryce Thornton: The safety/star room has been rebuilt, with Thornton being the most experienced returnee. He has shown some flashes back there, but, to me, what you really want out of your safeties is consistency. If you make a play and then give up a play, what have you really accomplished? I wouldn’t be surprised if he is surpassed on the depth chart. Then again, I said that last year.
