Scouting the Florida Gators
Key Player Losses: QB Anthony Richardson, DT Gervon Dexter, OG O’Cyrus Torrence, LB Amari Burney, LB Ventrell Miller, WR Justin Shorter, DE Brenton Cox Jr., DE Antwaun Powell-Ryland, S Tre’Vez Johnson, OT Michael Tarquin, OT Ethan White, OT Richard Gouraige, CB Avery Helm, S Rashad Torrence II, S Trey Dean III
Key Player Additions: QB Graham Mertz (Wisconsin), S RJ Moten (Michigan), DT Cam Jackson (Memphis), DE Caleb Banks (Louisville), LB Teradja Mitchell (Ohio St), OG Micah Mazzccua (Baylor), OT Kiyaunta Goodwin (Kentucky), OT Lyndell Hudson Jr (FIU), OT Damieon George Jr. (Alabama), LB Mannie Nunnery (Houston)
2022 Summary
In 2022, Florida Gator fans were optimistic about a quick turnaround under new head coach Billy Napier. Their hope was rewarded with a season opening victory over #7 Utah. In that game, QB Anthony Richardson and RB’s Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne combined to rush for 245 yards and 3 touchdowns, and a last-minute comeback drive fell short for the Utes as Cam Rising threw an interception in the end zone to LB Amari Burney with 17 seconds left in the game.
However, the optimism didn’t last long, as the Gators went 5-7 in their remaining games, including an embarrassing 30-3 shellacking at the hands of Oregon State to cap off the disappointing season at the Las Vegas Bowl. To be fair, Florida was without QB Anthony Richardson and OG O’Cyrus Torrence in that game, but the Beavers held the Gators stout rushing attack to just 39 total yards and sacked QB Jack Miller III four times.
There were several reasons for Florida’s mediocre finish. Although Richardson just went to the NFL with the #4 pick in the draft, last season was only his first as the full-time starter for the Gators. He proved to be an excellent runner, finishing the season with 654 yards and 9 touchdowns, but his passing game was inconsistent. This led to a bit of a one-dimensional offense, as Arizona State transfer Ricky Pearsall led all receivers with only 661 yards and 5 touchdowns, in a passing attack that ranked 9th in the SEC.
Perhaps the brightest spots on offense were their pair of young running backs, Johnson Jr., and Etienne, who combined for 1,560 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns.
Defensively, it was a rough season for Florida. They ranked 12th in the conference for total yards allowed per game (415.8) and for points allowed per game (28.8). Following the season, defensive coordinator Patrick Toney left the staff to coach with the Arizona Cardinals, and former Southern Mississippi defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong has been brought in to try to make a quick improvement.
2023 Outlook
Offense
So much of an offense’s ability to have success depends on the offensive line, and in 2023, Florida will have to hope that a slew of transfer portal additions can help fill the vacancies of four starting positions. Former starters Torrence and Gouraige are now in the NFL, and Tarquin and White both left in the transfer portal. That leaves C Kingsley Eguakun, a two-year starter at center, and OG Austin Barber, who started 5 games, as the only returners on the offensive front. To make matters worse, Eguakun is questionable to play due to an injury he sustained in fall camp. Several players were brought in through the portal, but it might take some time for them to get on the same page.
Having shaky protection could be a big problem for Wisconsin transfer QB Mertz, a pocket passer that was sacked 23 times last season. He’s the complete opposite type of quarterback of Richardson, with a career rushing total of -21 yards. In three years as the starter at Wisconsin, he threw 38 touchdowns, 26 interceptions, and compiled a 19-13 record.
As for Mertz’s main targets, Pearsall will return for his final season and will likely be the go-to receiver. The rest of the pass catchers, however, are question marks. Last year’s #2 receiver, Shorter, left for the NFL, and the #3 receiver, Xzavier Henderson, transferred to Cincinnati. The Gators also lost #4 receiver Daejon Reynolds, who had 11 catches for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns, to the transfer portal, and starting TE Keon Zipperer, the #5 receiver, is out for 2023 with an ACL injury he suffered during spring practices, leaving Arlis Boardingham as the likely starter at that position.
That leaves Caleb Douglas, who had 10 catches for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns last season, as the next most experienced receiver. Junior Ja’Quavion Fraziars, who had 5 catches for 60 yards and a touchdown last season, will also be counted on. They also might need to rely on true freshman WR Andy Jean, who was a standout in spring practices.
This likely means that Florida will once again need to rely on the running games of Johnson Jr. and Etienne, but it will be interesting to see if they can repeat their success without a veteran offensive line and a dual-threat quarterback.
Defense
Armstrong, the new defensive coordinator, will have his work cut out for him to repeat the success he had with the Golden Eagles. His defense ranked 45th in the nation in scoring defense (23.5ppg) and 42nd in total defense. This was, of course, primarily against Sun Belt level competition.
Much like the offense, the defense will also have several new faces. DE Powell-Ryland, who started the final five games following Brenton Cox Jr.’s dismissal from the team, was expected to be the starter opposite Princely Umanmielen, who made 11 starts in 2022. Instead, he entered the transfer portal after spring ball and will play for Virginia Tech in 2023. DE Justus Boone started two games in 2022, and was expected to start opposite Umanmielen, but he tore his ACL in fall camp. That leaves sophomore Jack Pyburn, who has been a standout in practices since Boone’s injury, to start on the other edge.
To fill the large hole left behind by Dexter, a two-year starter at DT and the 53rd pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the Gators went to the transfer portal and brought in Jackson, who started all 13 games for the Tigers in 2022 and was named to the Third Team All-AAC by PFF. Next to him will be the massive Desmond Watson, listed at 449 pounds, who started 10 games last season.
Both linebacker spots will have to be filled after Burney and Miller departed for the NFL. True Freshman Shemar James, who started 4 games last season, will return. However, he injured his knee during fall camp and has been participating with a non-contact jersey in practices. Mitchell and Nunnery were also brought in from Ohio State and Houston, respectively, to try to fill those vacancies.
In the secondary, CB’s Jason Marshall Jr. and Jaydon Hill return, as does S Kamari Wilson, who started two games. However, safeties Johnson, Torrence II, and Dean all graduated, leaving the depth a little thin. Moten was brought in from Michigan to help, while Devin Moore and Jadarrius Perkins are also expected to get plenty of time on the field.
Summary
This team will look completely different from the one the Utes faced a year ago. Mertz isn’t a threat in the running game, so the Utah defense can give more attention to the running backs rather than worrying about a scrambling quarterback. Add on to that an offensive line that may not have a single regular starter from last season, it’s hard to see the offense hitting on all cylinders in week one against a defensive line that returns every starter that was #16 in the nation against the run and #7 in sacks.
The Gator defense has several new pieces, and it may take some time for the new defensive schemes to be implemented. It’s possible that the defense could improve throughout the season, but miscues are likely with so many new players playing in a real game together for the first time.
The big question mark for Utah will be the health of Cam Rising. While it’s still possible Rising is could play, it’s unknown how effective he will be until he gets on the field. He’ll have plenty of returning weapons around him, including DeVaughn Vele, Money Parks, Thomas Yassmin, and your pick of several polished running backs, but if he’s not at 100 percent it could limit the offense’s potency. The additions of Mycah Pittman, Emery Simmons, and Mikey Matthews should also help. With so many weapons, if Bryson Barnes or Nate Johnson get the start, they should do just fine.
Expect the Utes to test both Florida lines early, with a heavy use of the run game offensively and lots of pressure defensively.
Even if Rising isn’t fully healthy, with Florida having so many new faces, a new defensive coordinator, and having to come to Salt Lake City, the outcome of this game should be vastly different from last year’s loss in the Swamp.