Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida released a post-spring depth chart on Wednesday. There were no big surprises, although seeing running back Mack Brown behind Matt Jones and ahead of Kelvin Taylor did earn a raised eyebrow.

Here’s the breakdown:

Offense

LT: D.J. Humphries (6-5, 285, So.)/Trenton Brown (6-8, 363, Jr.)

LG: Max Garcia (6-4, 307, RJr.)/Ian Silberman (6-5, 290, RJr.)

C: Jonotthan Harrison (6-3, 303, RSr.) /Kyle Koehne (6-5, 314, RSr.)

RG: Jon Halapio (6-3, 317, RSr.)/Trip Thurman (6-5, 313, RSo.)

RT: Tyler Moore (6-5, 315, RSo.) OR Chaz Green (6-5, 305, RJr.)

TE: Clay Burton (6-4, 247, Jr.)/Tevin Westbrook (6-5, 258, Jr.) OR Colin Thompson (6-4, 250, RFr.) OR Kent Taylor (6-5, 223, So.)

RB: Matt Jones (6-2, 228, So.)/Mack Brown (5-11, 215, RJr.)

(Read full post)

Schedule: The Gators open spring practice today at 4:30 p.m. ET and will conclude the spring with their annual Orange & Blue Debut on April 6 at 1 p.m. ET inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

What's new: Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn left to become the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. Will Muschamp then promoted D.J. Durkin from linebackers/special teams coach to defensive coordinator. Brad Lawing was hired away from South Carolina to help coach Florida's defensive line and was given the title of assistant head coach. Interim wide receivers coach Bush Hamdan was replaced by former Kentucky head coach Joker Phillips.

On the mend: Redshirt junior offensive lineman Chaz Green will miss all of spring after undergoing ankle surgery following Florida's bowl game. Redshirt junior defensive end/linebacker Ronald Powell will also miss the spring while he continues to rehab his ACL injury that he suffered last spring. Redshirt junior offensive lineman Ian Silberman is out for the spring, as he recovers from shoulder surgery that he had before the bowl game. Freshman linebacker Matt Rolin is also out, recovering from ACL surgery. Senior offensive lineman Jon Halapio (knee scope), senior wide receiver Solomon Patton (broken arm), redshirt junior linebacker Neiron Ball (ankle) and punter Kyle Christy (shoulder) will all be limited this spring.

On the move: Junior cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy will start the first seven practices at the "Z" receiver spot. Redshirt freshman Quinteze Williams moved from defensive tackle to offensive tackle. Sophomore Antonio Morrison moved from Will to Mike linebacker, while redshirt junior linebacker Michael Taylor has moved from Mike to Will. Redshirt freshman Rhaheim Ledbetter moved from safety to fullback. Redshirt junior Gideon Ajagbe also moved from linebacker to fullback. Redshirt junior Cody Riggs has moved from cornerback to safety, where he's listed as a starter.

Question marks: Heading into the spring, the biggest questions remain on offense, where the Gators were incredibly inconsistent last year. Workhorse running back Mike Gillislee is gone, and while the Gators should feature a stable of running backs this fall, throwing the ball has to improve or this offense will go in reverse. Quarterback Jeff Driskel says he's more confident and offensive coordinator Brent Pease expects to open things up more in the passing game, but the Gators also have to get better protection up front and develop some more reliable receivers and replace top target, tight end Jordan Reed. Florida's defense has a lot of experienced youngsters, but it won't be easy to replace the production that guys like Sharrif Floyd, Matt Elam and Jon Bostic had last year. Florida is also looking for someone to replace kicker Caleb Sturgis. Redshirt freshman Austin Hardin and senior Brad Phillips will compete for that spot.

New faces: Rolin, running back Kelvin Taylor, linebackers Alex Anzalone and Daniel McMillian, defensive lineman Joey Ivie, and wide receiver Demarcus Robinson all enrolled early as true freshmen. Florida also welcomed Nebraska offensive lineman transfer Tyler Moore (sophomore) and junior college transfer Darius Cummings (DT). Offensive lineman Max Garica also transferred from Maryland and sat out last season.

Key battle: Florida has to find a reliable receiving target at either tight end or receiver. The athletic Kent Taylor figures to be the favorite at tight end, but he'll have to compete with Colin Thompson, Clay Burton and Tevin Westbrook. At receiver, it's a free-for-all, and there isn't a ton of experience. Purifoy will certainly get his shot, but vets Quinton Dunbar and Andre Debose have to make significant strides. So does rising sophomore Latroy Pittman, who fell off last year after a successful spring. Sophomore Raphael Andrades will be back and forth between football and baseball, while Patton will be limited. Keep an eye on Robinson, who was the top receiver in the Gators' 2013 class and is a downfield threat and someone who can be elusive through the middle of the field.

Breaking out: Florida needs to replace Gillislee, and sophomore Matt Jones has already had a solid offseason, according to coaches. He progressed as last season went on and has both speed and strength to work with. The plan is for him to be a 20-plus-carry player this fall. Morrison's role now expands, and after having a very solid freshman year, even more is expected from him now that he's at the Mike. If he improves his coverage ability, he could be a big-time player for the Gators. Also, keep an eye on junior safety Jabari Gorman. He covers a lot of ground and isn't afraid to play in the box.

Don't forget about: Ball and Riggs have dealt with injuries in the past, but as they get healthy, Florida's coaches are excited about what they could do in 2013. Ball will play some Buck and provides Florida with another solid third-down pass-rusher and should help the Gators put more pressure on opposing backfields this fall. Riggs played in just two games last year before fracturing his foot, but he's a very physical defensive back. With his speed, moving to safety should provide him a chance to make more plays in Florida's secondary. He was also the starter at safety when Elam went to nickel last year.

Editor’s note: Every Tuesday and Thursday through Jan. 31, 2013, GatorNation will break down each position. We’ll look at 2013, of course, but also try and give you a peek beyond next season, too. Today is tight end. We will profile wide receivers on Jan. 17.

TIGHT END

Two-deep: With the departure of Jordan Reed to the NFL, the Gators are thin on experience at this position. Juniors Clay Burton and Tevin Westbrook have played the most of any of the tight ends on the roster. Burton has as many drops in his career as he does catches (two) and Westbrook is a former defensive lineman who was converted to tight end before the 2012 season.

Next up: Sophomore Kent Taylor was one of two tight ends the Gators signed in 2012. A concussion set him back early in the season and he never made much of an impact, catching just two passes for 5 yards and a touchdown. Colin Thompson was forced to redshirt after he underwent a second surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot. He is expected to be healthy for spring practice.

High-profile commits: None.

Additional targets: None.

Looking into 2013: Tight end production in the passing game is a major question mark. Thompson should immediately help as a blocker, but the Gators need weapons in the passing game. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Taylor is the best option there, provided the Gators use him right. He’s a flex tight end who should be used similar to the way former UF standout Aaron Hernandez was used. Line him up wide, in the slot, or as an H-back and get him in space so he can take advantage of mismatches. Thompson could be a factor in the passing game as a red zone target, but Burton and Westbrook should only be used as blockers. Burton dropped an easy touchdown pass and another pass on a fake field goal against Florida State.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Tight end Jordan Reed's departure for the NFL means fixing Florida's passing offense -- which ranked 114th nationally this season -- in 2013 just got a lot tougher.

Not only do the Gators no longer have their top pass catcher (45 catches for 559 yards), they're scrounging for experienced options in the passing game. The Gators have only two receivers or tight ends on the roster who has caught more than eight passes in their career. WR Solomon Patton, who will be a senior next season, has eight career receptions in 31 games, and WR Andre Debose has 26 catches in 31 games. WR Quinton Dunbar, who will be a redshirt senior in 2013, has 50 catches for 599 yards and six touchdowns in 26 games. RB/FB Trey Burton has 69 career catches for 531 yards, but he's certainly not someone who can stretch the field. Most of his receptions have been short passes or passes out of the backfield. He's not fast or elusive enough to line up at receiver.

The tight end spot is now a huge question mark. The Gators have four tight ends on the roster: Kent Taylor (sophomore in 2013), Colin Thompson (redshirt freshman), Clay Burton (junior) and Tevin Westbrook (junior). They have a combined four catches for 17 yards and one touchdown. Taylor has shown some promise as a pass catcher, but Clay Burton and Westbrook are mainly blockers. Clay Burton dropped an easy touchdown pass and dropped another pass on a fake field goal. Thompson, who redshirted this season because of a foot injury, is more of a blocking tight end as well. Florida has no tight end commitments in its class of 2013 as of yet.

At receiver, the Gators' top option right now is Dunbar, who had a solid season but struggled with his consistency. He's going to have to improve significantly to be a No. 1 receiver in the SEC. Patton, who missed the last five games with a broken arm, was used sparingly in the passing game. His job was to run the jet sweep, and he did well in that role, gaining 140 yards on 14 carries. Debose has been in and out of the doghouse because of attitude, work ethic, and consistency issues, so to count on getting anything from him would be unwise.

(Read full post)

NEW ORLEANS -- It's funny how the perception of a team can change so quickly.

Most of the time leading up to Florida's bout with Louisville in the Allstate Sugar Bowl involved conversations about how good the Gators could be in 2013. The overwhelming thought from pretty much every side of the college football spectrum was that the Gators would handle a talented, yet, overmatched Louisville team and then wait to see how high they would rise in next year's preseason polls.

With a chunk of talent returning on defense and an offense that just had to get better, Florida was looking at being a legitimate national title contender in 2013.

However, all that talk ceased when Louisville's Terell Floyd intercepted Jeff Driskel's opening pass and took it 38 yards for a touchdown to give the Cardinals an immediate 7-0 lead. At the time, the play looked harmless in the grand scheme of things, but it proved to totally break the Gators' offensive concentration.

From there, Florida panicked offensively (star running back Mike Gillislee ran the ball just nine times), and Driskel's composure and pass attempts became harder and harder to watch.

The offense rarely wowed in 2012, but during its first appearence in 2013, with a month of work, it totally collapsed, leaving the Gators with a load of question marks entering spring practice.

That Gators always found a way to bounce back with its mediocre offensive attack, but had no answers against the Cardinals. Now, it really is back to the drawing board for Will Muschamp and offensive coordinator Brent Pease.

But what does Florida do? Backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett is still unsure if he'll return, but if he leaves, players have to have more confidence in Driskel than they had this fall. The rhythm and timing has to improve or this offense isn't going anywhere.

(Read full post)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Florida coach Will Muschamp has a saying he likes to use when he talks about injuries: Man down, man up.

In other words, when somebody gets injured, his backup is expected to step in and play well.

That is exactly what happened in the Gators’ 31-17 victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday. UF was without three starters for the start of game, had two more go down with injuries during the game, and lost two more for significant periods of time because of minor injuries. Yet Florida was still able to rush for326 yards and extend its streak of not allowing opponents to score 20 points to seven games (including last year’s bowl game).

Even better news for third-ranked Florida (6-0, 5-0 SEC) is that most of those injured players should be fine for Saturday’s showdown against No. 9 South Carolina (6-1, 4-1) at Florida Field. If the Gators beat the Gamecocks, they would be able to clinch the Eastern Division title by beating Georgia in Jacksonville, Fla., the following Saturday.

Florida started the Vanderbilt game without starting LG James Wilson (eye), LB Jelani Jenkins (hamstring) and DT Dominique Easley (knee). Wilson suffered his injury during Wednesday’s practice and did not make the trip. Jenkins ran in pregame warm-ups but his hamstring, which he injured against LSU, didn’t feel right, so he was held out.

(Read full post)

ESPN’s GatorNation is previewing each position leading up to the start of the season with a short video. Each Friday until the season kicks off, Michael DiRocco and Jeff Barlis will analyze a position group, tell you who is starting and why, and provide a breakdown of the depth at the position. This week it’s receivers/tight ends.

The starters: WR Andre Debose (RJr.), WR Frankie Hammond, Jr. (RSr.), WR Quinton Dunbar (RSo.), TE Jordan Reed (RJr.)

The backups: WR Latroy Pittman (Fr.), WR Solomon Patton (Jr.), WR Stephen Alli (RJr.), WR Raphael Andrades (Fr.), TE Clay Burton (RFr.), TE Kent Taylor (Fr.), TE Colin Thompson (Fr.), TE Tevin Westbrook (RFr.)

Comment: Hammond is UF’s most experienced receiver (41 catches). Debose has proven big-play ability (27.0 yards per catch and 4 TDs of at least 60 yards in 2011). But neither has been very consistent. Dunbar had a solid spring. The star of the spring, though, was Pittman, an early enrollee who was easily the most impressive receiver. He’ll get the start on opening day if he continues to progress. A.C. Leonard was Florida's most talented tight end but transferred after an arrest and suspension. Reed is still working through the transition from quarterback. Taylor is intriguing because he’s not an inline tight end and could be used as a wide receiver if needed.

(Read full post)