- Jun 19, 2014
- 12,765
- 31,869
Founding Member
Offense:
WR and TE is a huge strength. From a strict talent standpoint, this is one of the best receiving corps I can remember at Florida. Getting them the ball might be another matter, but this is as talented and deep a group as we've had in a looooong time.
Van Jefferson is the best of the bunch right now, the most polished. Trevon Grimes has the most potential (I can see him having a loooong and successful career in the NFL), he's huge, almost a TE frame, but very fluid. Kadarius Toney is quicksilver out there, pure dynamite. He's just a playmaker. That's 3 studs but the depth behind them is what elevates this group.
Tyrie Cleveland has ideal size and speed (and is a good blocker) but he needs to work on those hands. We also have solid, proven veterans Freddie Swain and Josh Hammond. Our 4,5,&6 receivers compare favorably with a lot of teams' 1,2,&3 receivers.
At TE we have Kyle Pitts who is a classic receiving TE. Moves like a big WR out there. He's the kinda guy who feasts on LBs trying to cover him. Kemore Gamble is your big body blocking TE. Lucas Krull looks like Thor. He's still learning the position. We've also got the freshman Zipperer who looks to be better than any of them when all is said and done.
We are solid at RB. Perine is all around solid. Pierce is a bruiser who can break a long run, and we remember how good the speedy and shifty Davis was before he got hurt. Solid group, especially if Pierce can hold onto the ball and if Davis bounces back from that injury.
QB. We can win with Franks but I don't know if he's ever going to make the leap to elite. Behind him we've got lots of question marks. Trask hasn't played much. Emory Jones has a hose but no touch. He also hasn't demonstrated the elite running ability I was hoping to see from him. Jalon Jones is talented but raw. He's lost out there.
The big question is OL. I think we can have a serviceable starting 5, especially on the interior. We know Heggie and Bleich can play, throw in Buchanan and Noah Banks and you've got your interior (and didn't we get a G transfer from GaTech?). I just don't know about the tackles. Assuming two out of Delance, Forsythe, and Gouriage step up, we might be OK. The problem is depth. We've basically got one back-up T and two back-up Gs before we have to delve into the world of wild-eyed kids who were trying to get a date to the senior prom a few weeks ago. We need to stay healthy on the line or this offense will struggle despite the stellar receiving corps, solid running corps, and Felipe. I really hope we can get a starting 5 that will gel and stay healthy. If that happens, we could have a very good offense.
Defense:
DBs are our strength despite some questions at Safety. Hendo and Marco are studs at C (assuming Marco rebounds from injury). Trey Dean will start at the nickel and he proved he can play last year after Marco got injured. I feel really good about this starting bunch. Safeties...well, we've got bodies who have been in the system and gotten playing time. We just need a couple of them to step up. I do think that will happen.
DL makes me nervous. We've got some serviceable bodies at DT so we can rotate 4 but so far none of them look like disrupters who are going to blow up plays at the line. They look serviceable, pedestrian, "solid". No superstars. Not even stars. Just "good" solid run stoppers and line cloggers.
That wouldn't bother me so much if we had the kind of studs we're used to having at DE. We've got Zuniga who is good and, uh...Moon at the Buck? So basically, we have one dude we know can rush the passer. God I hope Moon flourishes at Buck and maybe somebody I never heard of steps up. Maybe that transfer Greenard?
Overall, this DL is nowhere near the Florida Standard. Lacking in both talent and depth; on a typical Gator defense, these guys would be the second string.
LB. David Reese is the QB of the D. He's the one who makes those around him better. He is probably the most valuable guy on the D because he's irreplaceable. We can replace him in terms of another LB who is strong and fast and can make tackles, but we can't replace him in terms of leading the D. Let us all remember to keep David Reese in our prayers. At OLB, Amari Burney is the most intriguing. He could be special.
Overall, we're thin and less talented than usual, especially the starters. No offense to them, but would James Houston or Ventrell Miller start on a typical Gator D? Mac's recruiting failures are showing this year at DL and LB.
Special Teams:
We've got a great punter, two solid kickers, and maybe just MAYBE Kadarius Toney learning to return punts. Cover teams will be solid. Overall, special teams should be a team strength.
Alex.
WR and TE is a huge strength. From a strict talent standpoint, this is one of the best receiving corps I can remember at Florida. Getting them the ball might be another matter, but this is as talented and deep a group as we've had in a looooong time.
Van Jefferson is the best of the bunch right now, the most polished. Trevon Grimes has the most potential (I can see him having a loooong and successful career in the NFL), he's huge, almost a TE frame, but very fluid. Kadarius Toney is quicksilver out there, pure dynamite. He's just a playmaker. That's 3 studs but the depth behind them is what elevates this group.
Tyrie Cleveland has ideal size and speed (and is a good blocker) but he needs to work on those hands. We also have solid, proven veterans Freddie Swain and Josh Hammond. Our 4,5,&6 receivers compare favorably with a lot of teams' 1,2,&3 receivers.
At TE we have Kyle Pitts who is a classic receiving TE. Moves like a big WR out there. He's the kinda guy who feasts on LBs trying to cover him. Kemore Gamble is your big body blocking TE. Lucas Krull looks like Thor. He's still learning the position. We've also got the freshman Zipperer who looks to be better than any of them when all is said and done.
We are solid at RB. Perine is all around solid. Pierce is a bruiser who can break a long run, and we remember how good the speedy and shifty Davis was before he got hurt. Solid group, especially if Pierce can hold onto the ball and if Davis bounces back from that injury.
QB. We can win with Franks but I don't know if he's ever going to make the leap to elite. Behind him we've got lots of question marks. Trask hasn't played much. Emory Jones has a hose but no touch. He also hasn't demonstrated the elite running ability I was hoping to see from him. Jalon Jones is talented but raw. He's lost out there.
The big question is OL. I think we can have a serviceable starting 5, especially on the interior. We know Heggie and Bleich can play, throw in Buchanan and Noah Banks and you've got your interior (and didn't we get a G transfer from GaTech?). I just don't know about the tackles. Assuming two out of Delance, Forsythe, and Gouriage step up, we might be OK. The problem is depth. We've basically got one back-up T and two back-up Gs before we have to delve into the world of wild-eyed kids who were trying to get a date to the senior prom a few weeks ago. We need to stay healthy on the line or this offense will struggle despite the stellar receiving corps, solid running corps, and Felipe. I really hope we can get a starting 5 that will gel and stay healthy. If that happens, we could have a very good offense.
Defense:
DBs are our strength despite some questions at Safety. Hendo and Marco are studs at C (assuming Marco rebounds from injury). Trey Dean will start at the nickel and he proved he can play last year after Marco got injured. I feel really good about this starting bunch. Safeties...well, we've got bodies who have been in the system and gotten playing time. We just need a couple of them to step up. I do think that will happen.
DL makes me nervous. We've got some serviceable bodies at DT so we can rotate 4 but so far none of them look like disrupters who are going to blow up plays at the line. They look serviceable, pedestrian, "solid". No superstars. Not even stars. Just "good" solid run stoppers and line cloggers.
That wouldn't bother me so much if we had the kind of studs we're used to having at DE. We've got Zuniga who is good and, uh...Moon at the Buck? So basically, we have one dude we know can rush the passer. God I hope Moon flourishes at Buck and maybe somebody I never heard of steps up. Maybe that transfer Greenard?
Overall, this DL is nowhere near the Florida Standard. Lacking in both talent and depth; on a typical Gator defense, these guys would be the second string.
LB. David Reese is the QB of the D. He's the one who makes those around him better. He is probably the most valuable guy on the D because he's irreplaceable. We can replace him in terms of another LB who is strong and fast and can make tackles, but we can't replace him in terms of leading the D. Let us all remember to keep David Reese in our prayers. At OLB, Amari Burney is the most intriguing. He could be special.
Overall, we're thin and less talented than usual, especially the starters. No offense to them, but would James Houston or Ventrell Miller start on a typical Gator D? Mac's recruiting failures are showing this year at DL and LB.
Special Teams:
We've got a great punter, two solid kickers, and maybe just MAYBE Kadarius Toney learning to return punts. Cover teams will be solid. Overall, special teams should be a team strength.
Alex.
