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.)

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Spring football may be over, but there's still plenty going on at GatorNation.

Miss anything from the past week? Here's your chance to catch up:

Some position battles got a little clearer (running back) while some got murkier (safety) during Florida's 15 spring practices. Here's where things stand heading into August practices in terms of the depth chart on offense and defense.

One of the positions that is settled is fullback, where Hunter Joyer remains the starter. But he has some help behind him in Gideon Ajagbe and Rhaheim Ledbetter, both of whom were moved over from defense. Finding fullback recruits in the future isn't going to be easy for UF coach Will Muschamp, so he may have to do more moving around.

Florida also has a new special teams coordinator with the hiring of Jeff Choate.

SEC blogger Edward Aschoff spent some time on campus this week. He wrote about buck Ronald Powell's humility after his knee surgeries and shot video interviews with Powell, Jonotthan Harrison, Matt Jones and Jeff Driskel.

On the recruiting trail ...

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- There will be some new faces at several positions when Florida begins spring practice Wednesday.

The biggest change, which has previously been reported, is that junior CB Loucheiz Purifoy will spend the first half of spring practice working exclusively at receiver. He won’t be able to absorb the entire offense in that time, but he will have a better understanding than he did last season and will be able to run something other than a deep sideline pattern.

"I think up to this point what he's done has been very specific," offensive coordinator Brent Pease said. “Get him over for a few plays, here's what you’re doing and there's no adjustments. You can't adjust to anything and play off anything that defense is doing. Now you're getting into a set position and you're seeing how teams play against you. You play maybe a couple different spots in there and we can move you around."

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Editor’s note: Each day between now and Florida’s Allstate Sugar Bowl date with Louisville, GatorNation will review the season for a key Gators player and attempt to project what’s next. Today we’ll look at FB Hunter Joyer.

FB Hunter Joyer
Sophomore
UF is averaging 194.5 yards per game rushing; 2 carries for 1 yard; 4 catches for 17 yards

Role in 2012: Joyer was the Gators’ primary blocker in the running game and he helped RB Mike Gillislee become the school’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Ciatrick Fason in 2004.

The good: Joyer is the prototypical fullback -- he’s 5-feet-10 and 249 pounds and he’s completely selfless. Though he was a pretty good ball carrier in high school, he has no trouble being a blocker who rarely touches the ball. He’s also the Gators’ strongest player -- he bench pressed 445 pounds in high school and now squats more than 550 pounds. That’s why he has no trouble moving linebackers out of the hole and knocking down defensive ends.

The bad: It’s not Joyer’s fault, but he could be more than just a blocker in the offense, especially in the passing game. With Gillislee and Matt Jones, he’s not going to get many carries, and he is too valuable a blocker to carry the ball on short-yardage plays. He’s got good hands, so he could be used more as a pass catcher out of the backfield. He’d be a nightmare for a defensive back to try and tackle. UF struggled to make plays in the passing game but did have success with short passes and passes in the flats.

Crystal ball: Joyer will be clearing holes for two more years, and he’ll be getting plenty of work with the infusion of talent in the backfield. Joining Jones will be recruits Kelvin Taylor (who is scheduled to enroll in January) and Adam Lane, giving the Gators three big-time backs and the opportunity to finally become the power-run team that coach Will Muschamp envisions. There’s no bigger part of that than Joyer.

GAINESVILE, Fla. -- Florida coach Will Muschamp took to the SEC's weekly teleconference on Wednesday morning to talk about the Gators’ game against Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday. He touched on injuries, the passing offense, and what he remembers about telling QB Jacoby Brissett that Jeff Driskel had won the starting job.

1. Three guys are out

The Gators will be without two reserves and their top kickoff returner against the Ragin’ Cajuns, Muschamp said.

“Mack Brown probably will be out with an ankle. He’s not been able to do anything thus far this week.

"Andre Debose hyperextended his knee last Thursday and has been unable to get back in action so far, so definitely those two guys [won’t play]. Expecting everybody else back.

"Leon Orr, who’s missed time with an illness, right now is working his way back in shape. Probably will not play Saturday.”

The Gators’ other injured players -- LT Xavier Nixon (undisclosed), LG James Wilson (knee), RG Jon Halapio (ankle), FB Hunter Joyer (thigh bruise), K Caleb Sturgis (ankle) -- will play.

2. Airing it out

UF has thrown the ball 52 times in the last two games, including a season-high 29 times against Georgia. Not by design, though.

“I think it’s a little bit how the game played out. We realized we need to do a little bit more vertically throwing the football. It’s been a little bit of a conscious effort but more than anything what the defense is giving us. People are loading the box. We’ve got to create some opportunities for us down the field.”

3. A smooth conversation

Muschamp has commented several times this season about how well Brissett has handled himself after losing out on the starting job. Muschamp was asked what the meeting was like when he told Brissett that Driskel had won the job and what his message to Brissett was.

“Jacoby is a competitor and a guy that has handled this as good as anybody can handle it. But [the meeting went] very well. ... [Muschamp told him] that I thought he had done a great job preparing and working and we decided to go with Jeff. That meeting is between Jacoby and I. He was very professional.”

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Here’s an analysis of three key plays in Florida’s 44-11 victory over South Carolina on Saturday.

Driskel to Reed for a TD

The score: Scoreless less than a minute into the game.

The situation: Third-and-goal from the South Carolina 3-yard line.

Why it worked: TE Clay Burton gets a pick on LB Reginald Bowens to clear a spot for Reed.

The breakdown: The Gators are in 12 personnel -- meaning one running back (Trey Burton) and two tight ends (Burton and Jordan Reed). QB Jeff Driskel is in the shotgun, with Trey Burton to his left. WR Quinton Dunbar is lined up wide right and WR Frankie Hammond is lined up wide left but off the line scrimmage.

Reed is lined up in the slot on the left side. Clay Burton is lined up to Reed’s left, but on the line of scrimmage. Hammond goes in motion to the right and settles just to the left of Clay Burton.

At the snap, Trey Burton heads into the left flat, where he’s covered by FS D.J. Swearinger, while Dunbar heads into the end zone. Clay Burton crosses in front of Reed and heads into the middle of the field. Hammond heads straight into the end zone. Reed settles right behind Hammond at the goal line.

Burton runs into Bowens in the middle of the field at the goal line while Reed stops 2 yards into the end zone and faces Driskel. Hammond continues behind Reed to the back of the end zone.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Here are five observations from Florida's 38-0 victory over Kentucky on Saturday at Florida Field:

1. Spreading the wealth: Florida spread the ball around in the passing game. QB Jeff Driskel completed passes to 10 players, including FB Hunter Joyer and freshman WR Raphael Andrades, who made the first start and reception of his career. It's obviously a sign that the coaching staff is able to trust more players, but it's also a sign that Driskel is continuing to steadily develop. He did lock on certain receivers at times on Saturday, but he did also go to his second and third options as well.

2. Better on third down: The Gators were among the nation's worst teams on third down entering the game (27 percent), but they converted 12 of 17 opportunities against Kentucky. More impressive is the Gators failed to convert on their first three third downs, which means they went 11-for-14 after that. Why? Better play calling, a little bit better push by the offensive line, and the fact that Kentucky is one of the league's worst teams.

3. Shifty guy: RB Mike Gillislee never seems to take a solid hit. The 5-foot-11, 209-pounder is pretty shifty for his size and he's able to spin and juke and make a lot of guys miss. The way that manifests itself is that he hardly ever gets stopped for a loss. He has lost just 9 yards in 66 carries this season. He carried the ball 13 times on Saturday had positive yardage on every carry.

4. M.I.A.: KR/WR Andre Debose remains in the dog house and becomes less and less a part of the team's plans each week. He did not play in the first half and didn't return a kickoff in the second. He returned two punts for 8 yards, and nearly fumbled away one punt. He was not one of the 10 players who caught passes, either. UF coach Will Muschamp on Debose after the game: "He has to practice better."

5. On the edge: UF struggled against the perimeter run early in the game, and the main reason was because of the play of the ends. Freshman Jonathan Bullard started in Dominique Easley's place and Earl Okine also saw playing time, but both had some trouble containing the edge. The Gators eventually settled down and corralled Kentucky RBs Jonathan George and Raymond Sanders. Plus, the Wildcats were forced to abandon the run once they got behind. Easley (knee) should be able to return for the Oct. 6 game against LSU.