Breaking down the Gators Week 1 depth chart

[travisduncan]

By Travis Duncan
Gatorenvy.com writer

We are just five days away from Gators 2012 season.

On Monday the Gators released what should be known as the "OR" depth chart, the one where Will Muschamp doesn't tell us who the starting quarterback is until you tune on get to the stadium.

Jeff Driskel is listed No.1 OR Jacoby Brissett.

Muschamp did confirm on Monday that each quarterback will play one quarter and then at halftime a decision will be made for the rest of the game.

How hard would it be to take either player out if they move the Gators offense well and put points on the board?

Ultimately this Saturday's matchup in Gainesville will be an audition for Sept. 8 against Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.

A key player missing is De'Ante "Pop" Saunders.

Muschamp said, "He has a hamstring at this time but he will sit the first two games right now. He’s got a hamstring problem and probably wouldn’t be able to go in the first game at least anyways."

There was some speculation that Saunders is currently suspended but we will take Muschamp for his word regarding the talented sophomore safety.

Notice Latroy Pittman is not listed as a starter but look for Pittman to get his chances in the second half Saturday.

Offensively though Muschamp said that wide receiver Frankie Hammond is the team's most consistent receiver and the receiver Driskel and Brissett feel most comfortable with.

"Everyone looks at vertical plays downfield now, and that’s great, but you have to be able to block and make the tough catches in the middle of the field," Muschamp said.

"You got to know your assignments and the timing of everything. Throughout the summer, I think Jeff (Driskel) and Jacoby (Brissett) both felt comfortable with Frankie."

As for the freshman who will likely see action, Muschamp said freshman defensive end Jonathan Bullard will see action early in the game.

Defensive back Brian Poole, running back Matt Jones, WR Raphael Andrades, and Pittman will play Saturday. Mushcamp said offensive lineman D.J. Humphries still needs to be 100 percent from a knee injury to play. Offensive lineman Jessamen Dunker and TE Kent Taylor will have some opportunities but Muschamp seemed no committal regarding those players.

The depth chart is as follows (starters in bold):

Offense

LT 73 Xavier Nixon 6-6 314 Sr
64 Kyle Koehne 6-5 311 R-Jr

LG 66 James Wilson 6-4 323 R-Sr
77 Ian Silberman 6-5 303 R-So

C 72 Jonotthan Harrison 6-4 299 R-Jr
50 Sam Robey 6-3 305 R-Sr

RG 67 Jon Halapio 6-3 321 R-Jr
74 Jessamen Dunker 6-4 301 Fr

RT 75 Chaz Green 6-5 310 R-So
63 Trip Thurman 6-6 323 R-Fr

TE 11 Jordan Reed 6-3 243 R-Jr
88 Clay Burton 6-4 253 So

RB 23 Mike Gillislee 5-11 209 Sr
33 Mack Brown 5-11 214 R-So

QB 6 Jeff Driskel 6-4 237 So
OR 12 Jacoby Brissett 6-4 229 So

FB 41 Hunter Joyer 5-10 249 So
8 Trey Burton 6-3 228 Jr

X 85 Frankie Hammond, Jr. 6-0 187 R-Sr
13 Latroy Pittman 5-11 209 Fr
OR 4 Andre Debose 5-11 189 R-Jr

Z 1 Quinton Dunbar 6-1 189 R-So
83 Solomon Patton 5-9 169 Jr

F 8 Trey Burton 6-3 228 Jr
20 Omarius Hines 6-2 217 R-Sr

Specialists

PR 5 Marcus Roberson 6-0 178 So
4 Andre Debose 5-11 189 R-Jr

KOR 4 Andre Debose 5-11 189 R-Jr
83 Solomon Patton 5-9 169 Jr

P 44 Kyle Christy 6-2 199 So
39 Todd Fennell 6-1 179 R-Fr

K 19 Caleb Sturgis 5-11 184 R-Sr
97 Brad Phillips 5-10 190 Jr

H 47 John Crofoot 5-11 156 R-Jr
10 Tyler Murphy 6-2 206 R-So

LS 46 Drew Ferris 6-1 211 Jr
43 Kyle Crofoot 6-4 215 R-Fr

Defense

End 2 Dominique Easley 6-2 280 Jr
91 Earl Okine 6-7 287 R-Sr

Nose 99 Omar Hunter 6-0 313 R-Sr
44 Leon Orr 6-5 305 R-So

Tackle 73 Sharrif Floyd 6-3 303 Jr
4 Damien Jacobs 6-3 284 Jr

Buck 34 Lerentee McCray 6-3 249 R-Sr
6 Dante Fowler, Jr. 6-3 277 Fr

Sam 49 Darrin Kitchens 6-1 229 Jr
11 Neiron Ball 6-3 231 R-So

Mike 1 Jonathan Bostic 6-1 246 Sr
51 Michael Taylor 6-0 226 R-So

Will 3 Jelani Jenkins 6-0 237 R-Jr
12 Antonio Morrison 6-1 218 Fr

CB 14 Jaylen Watkins 6-0 187 Jr
OR 15 Loucheiz Purifoy 6-1 189 So

SS 22 Matt Elam 5-10 202 Jr
10 Valdez Showers 5-11 188 R-Fr

FS 9 Josh Evans 6-2 201 Sr
21 Jabari Gorman 5-10 188 So

CB 5 Marcus Roberson 6-0 178 So
OR 31 Cody Riggs 5-9 190 Jr

Nickel 22 Matt Elam 5-10 202 Jr
14 Jaylen Watkins 6-0 187 Jr

Dime 22 Matt Elam 5-10 202 Jr
24 Brian Poole 5-10 206 Fr

 

[DRU2012]

Just a sidenote regarding Game 1:
In the commentaries preceding and during this past week's primetime games on ESPN, it was notable (especially in the unusual opening-week Vandy/USC all-SEC tilt) to Gators how we were not discussed as even an afterthought among talk of teams competing in the SEC-East, let alone as Top-25 contenders...Now, I am OK with this sort of under-the-radar "dissing" by everyone for now, "media prognosticators" and rival fans alike--it may be irritating, but it helps to further force our players to hunker down together against "everyone out there", and if it becomes part of a gathering tendency to underestimate us, to take us lightly among the other teams on our schedule, all the better...but I figured it would mean having to get creative in finding ways to see all but the biggest games on TV. Maybe not, though: apparently we still have SOME relevance after all, since the game turns out to be available on ESPN(HD) at 2:30pm (Central). Perhaps this will be the case more often than not in 2012, especially if we surprise everyone (even me, to some extent) and get on a roll early, making us more "relevant" in the eyes of the folks who monitor such things for the sake of pairs-of-eyes-on-sets, its direct effect on ratings, and potential advertising revenues--the bottom line in all of this, of course, as far as THEY'RE concerned. Me, I just wanna see my Gators play without having to first find it on some obscure site, then peer through and/or around somewhere "in there" underneath multiple thick layers of streaming ad-copy--the alternative to paying mucho dinero for clean access to all games online.
Somehow, with full cable access to every sports and movie channel, and after paying for every option available to follow 'em on my phone, the idea that I now must pay another $100+ to see them in a little window on my desktop on "off weeks", when the match-up is considered less-than-attractive, just really irks me...gotta draw the line somewhere.