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2020 Depth Chart Ratings and Look Ahead to 2021

Escambia94

Aerospace Cubicle Engineer (ACE)
Moderator
Gator fans are likely disappointed with the season ending in three straight losses and having the early loss to Texas A&M, but a quick look at the roster shows there is talent here to succeed going forward. Despite his success in resurrecting a floundering power football program, Dan Mullen's critics focus on his good-but-not-elite recruiting. Here are my ratings at each position with an early assessment for next year.

QB - A+. Any QB room with a Heisman candidate who shatters NCAA, SEC, and Florida football records gets an A. Emory Jones opens up the 2021 season in the top 10 with 14:1 odds to win the Heisman. 2021 QB Carlos Del Rio likely slides in as #3 behind Richardson and Jones next year in what will be Florida's best QB room in history with three 4-star QBs in one room, plus two sons of NFL or UF QBs.
  1. GRSR QB Kyle Trask 6-6 212 Manvel HS, Manvel TX. 2-star
  2. RSO QB Emory Jones 6-3 200 Heard County HS Franklin, GA. 4-star.
  3. FR QB Anthony Richardson 6-4 213 Eastside HS. Gainesville, FL 4-star
  4. RSO (WO) QB Jack Ruskell 6-3 195 Libertyville HS. Libertyville, IL. NR.
  5. SO (WO) QB Luke Matthews 5-9 166 Gainesville HS. Gainesville, FL. NR
QB Carlos Del Rio. 6-3 202. McEarchen High School. Powder Springs, Georgia. 4-star.
QB Jalen Kitna 6-4 200. Burleson High School. Burleson, Texas. 3-star.

RB - D. This was the worst rushing attack Florida has used in my lifetime. Next year this rushing attack will feature two former 5-star RBs in what could be Florida's best rushing attack in recent memory. Iverson Clement will transfer out.
  1. JR RB Dameon Pierce 5-11 210 Bainbridge HS. Bainbridge, GA. 4-star
  2. TR-RSO RB Lorenzo Lingard 6-0 190 of University of Miami by way of University High School, Orange City, FL. 5-star.
  3. RJR RB Malik Davis 5-11 190 Jesuit Tampa FL. 4-star.
  4. RFR RB Nay'Quan Wright 5-9 188. Carol City HS, Miami, FL 4-star.
  5. RSO RB Iverson Clement 6-0 190 Rancocas Valley HS, Mount Holly NJ. 4-star.
RB Demarckcus Bowman 5-10 190 Lakeland High School, Lakeland, FL. 5-star.

WR-X (Flex/Split) - A-. All the WR positions get an A, with the WR-X position being the "weakest". The former 5-star Justin Shorter was assumed to be the starter here, but Jacob Copeland has come into his own and is the front-runner for WR-X next year. Speaking of next year, the Gators hauled in three 4-star pass catchers. Despite losses in the WR positions this will be their most talented receiving corps in a very long time--probably since the Spurrier days.
  1. TR-SO. WR Justin Shorter 6-4 226 of Penn State University by way of South Brunswick High School, Monmouth Junction, NJ. Former 5*.
  2. RSO WR Jacob Copeland 6-1 181 Escambia HS, Pensacola, FL 4-star.
  3. RFR WR/DB Trent Whittemore 6-3 185. Bucholz HS. Gainesville FL. 3-star.
  4. RFR WR/ATH Ja'Markis Weston 6-3 195. Clewiston HS. Clewiston, FL 3-star.
WR Markus Burke 6-3 180 of Trinity Christian Academy. Jacksonville, Florida, 4-star.

WR-Z (Flanker) - A. The transfer out of Ohio State performed well this year and could be a middle round draft pick. Behind him, the transfer out of Texas will need to step up and will be challenged by one of the incoming 4-star receivers.
  1. TR-SR WR Trevon Grimes 6-3 202 Ohio State University by way of St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Fort Lauderdale, FL 4-star.
  2. RSR WR Rick Wells 6-1 185 Raines HS, Jacksonville FL. 3-star.
  3. TR-RJR WR Jordan Pouncey 6-2 205 Univ of TX by way of Winter Park HS, Winter Park, FL Former 3-star.
WR DaeJon Reynolds (6-2, 195, Loganville, GA. Grayson) 4-star.

WR-Y/H (Slot/Hybrid) - A+. Kadarius Toney remade this position and gave us flashes of Percy Harvin. The Human Joystick vastly matured this year with excellent routes in addition to his joystick moves after the catch. One of the incoming freshmen will likely move into this position unless the Gators redefine the "Harvin"/Slot/Hybrid position.
  1. SR WR/ATH Kadarius Toney 6'1" 185 Blount Prichard AL. 4-star.
  2. RFR WR Dionte Marks 5-11 178. Deland HS. Deland, FL 3-star.
ATH Charles Montgomery 5-10 185. Armwood High School. Seffner, Florida. 4-star.
WR Trevonte Rucker 6-0 160 of Vanguard High School. Ocala, Florida. 4-star.


TE/WR-Y - A+. Kyle Pitts finished in the top 10 Heisman voting and is in contention for multiple post-season awards. Pitts is the best to play at his position at Florida and it will be rather difficult to replace him next year. With Zipperer and Gamble coming back next year, assume the offense will shift to 11 personnel more often with the TE remaining in the anchor position nearly 100% of the time. Incoming freshman Gage Wilcox is the most promising youngster for the future. Nick Elksinis has the size to play TE in 11 or 10 personnel groupings. The Gators will be fine next year, but will likely be slightly less dynamic.
  1. JR TE Kyle Pitts 6-5 235 of Archbishop Wood High School, Warminster PA. 4-star.
  2. SO TE Keon Zipperer. 6-2 240. Lakeland HS. Lakeland, FL 4-star.
  3. RJR TE Kemore Gamble 6'4" 220 Miami Southridge Miami FL. 4-star.
  4. RSO TE Dante Lang 6-5 220 Boca Raton HS, Boca Raton FL. 3-star
TE Gage Wilcox 6-4 228. Jefferson High School. Tampa, Florida. 4-star.
TE Nick Elksnis 6-6 220. Episcopal High School. Jacksonville, Florida. 3-star.

Offensive Line - C. This offensive line was downright atrocious in run blocking, but they were adequate in pass protection. Next year the Gators add some much larger youngsters, so this group could be better.

LT
  1. OT Stone Forsythe 6-6 315 West Orange HS, Winter Garden FL. 3-star.
  2. OL Richard Gouraige 6-5 250 Cambridge HS. Tampa, FL 4-star.
  3. OT Isaiah Walker, Jr. 6-4 309 Norland HS, Miamia, FL 4-star.
  4. OL Hayden Knighton 6-3 270 Fork Union by way of North Fort Myers, Fort Myers, FL. NR. (preferred walk-on)
LG
  1. OL Richard Gouraige 6-5 250 Cambridge HS. Tampa, FL 4-star.
  2. C OL Griffin McDowell 6-4 280 Lee County HS. Leesburg, GA. 3-star.
  3. OL Richard Leonard 6-2 320 Cocoa HS, Cocoa, FL, 3-star.
OC
  1. C/OL Brett Heggie 6-4 290 Mount Dora HS, Mount Dora FL. 3-star.
  2. OL/DL Tanner Rowell 6-2 298. Melbourne Senior HS, Melbourne, FL
  3. OG Kingsley Eguakun 6-3 295. Sandalwood HS, Jacksonville, FL 3-star.
RG
  1. OT Ethan White 6-5 315. Superior Collegiate Academy, Clearwater, FL 4-star.
  2. OT TJ Moore 6'5" 290 Mallard Creek Charlotte NC. 4-star.
  3. OG Riley Simonds 6-4 324. Buford HS. Buford, GA. 3-star.
  4. OT William Harrod 6-5 315. National Christian Academy. Ft Washington, MD. 4-star.
RT
  1. RSR Jean Delance OT 6’5” 309 North Mesquite HS, Mesquite, TX 4-star.
  2. TR-SR Stewart Reese OL 6/6" 345 of Mississippi State University by way of Fort Pierce Central HS, Fort Pierce, FL 4-star.
  3. RFR OT Michael Tarquin 6-5 290. North Marion HS, Citra, FL 4-star.
  4. FR OT Joshua Braun 6-6 335 Suwannee HS, Live Oak, FL 4-star.
OG Deyavie Hammond 6-3 330. Independence Community College. Independence, Kansas. 3-star.
OT Adrein Strickland 6-6 330. A. Crawford Mosley High School. Lynn Haven, Florida. 3-star.
OC Jake Slaughter 6-4 300 of Ocala Trinity Catholic. Ocala, Florida. 3-star.
OT Yousef Mugharbill 6-5 330 of Murphy High School, Murphy, NC. 4-star.
OT Austin Barner 6-7 300 of Trinity Christian Academy, Jacksonville, FL. 3-star.

Overall: A+. As bad as the running game was, this will still go down as one of the best offensive units in Gator history.
 

Escambia94

Aerospace Cubicle Engineer (ACE)
Moderator
Overall the Gator defense was disappointing and gets a D. This defense was historically bad and I will not waste time rating each unit.

WDE/OLB EDGE (5 technique) - The transfer from Georgia, Brenton Cox, had big shoes to fill. He could return next year a better pass rusher with several youngsters pushing him.
  1. TR-RSO OLB Brenton Cox 6-4 245 of University of Georgia by way of Stockbridge High School, Stockbridge, GA. 5-star.
  2. RSO Andrew Chatfield, Jr. 6-2 248. American Heritage HS. Plantation, FL. 4-star.
  3. RFR DL Lloyd Summerall. 6-5 220. Lakeland HS. Lakeland, FL 4-star.
  4. FR WDE Antwaun Powell 6-3 235 I.C. Norcrom, Portsmouth, Virginia. 4-star.
WDE Jeremiah "Scooby" Williams 6-3 224, Ramsay, Birmingham, AL, 4-star.
DE Tyreak Sapp 6-2 255. St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 4-star.
DE Justus Boone 6-5 250. Sumter High School. Sumter, South Carolina. 3-star.

NT (0/1 technique) - TJ Slaton performed adequately at this position. Kyree Campbell did not. Look for one of the youngsters to step up next year.
  1. SR Tedarrell Slaton 6-5 340 American Heritage. Fort Lauderdale, FL. 4-star.
  2. SR Kyree Campbell 6-4 320 Woodbridge HS. Woodbridge, VA. 3-star.
  3. RSR Marlon Dunlap 6-3 285. West Charlotte HS. Charlotte, NC. 3-star.
  4. SR WDE Antwaun Powell 6-3 235 I.C. Norcrom, Portsmouth, Virginia. 4-star.
  5. RFR DT Jaelin Humphries 6-3 303. Mountainview HS. Lawrenceville, GA. 4-star.
DT Desmond Watson 6-5 350 of Armwood High School. Seffner, Florida. 3-star.

DT/BUCK (3 technique DT/ LB hybrid) - Jeremiah Moon started off the season well, but he disappeared later in the season. Zachary Carter proved he could play a couple positions, but next year he will need to settle into one of the
  1. RSR OLB Jeremiah Moon 6-4 205 Hoover HS, Birmingham AL. 4-star.
  2. RJR Zachary Carter 6-4 290. Hillsborough HS. Tampa, FL. 4-star.
  3. SO Khris Bogle 6-4 240. Cardinal Gibbons. Fort Lauderdale, FL. 4-star.
  4. RSO David Reese 6-2 240. Vero Beach HS. Fort Pierce, FL. 3-star.
  5. SR DT Jaelin Humphries 6-3 303. Mountainview HS. Lawrenceville, GA. 4-star.
  6. FR DT Lamar Goods 6-4 290 St Thomas Moore HS, Oakdale, Connecticut. 4-star.
DT Antonio Shelton 6-3 280. Penn State University by way of Westerville North HS, Westerville, OH. 3-star.
DT Christopher Thomas 6-5 280. Dunbar High School. Fort Myers, Florida. 3-star.

WILL/ MONEY - Garbage. Next year has to be better. Chief Borders or Diwun Black might see action early next year behind Mohamoud Diabate.
  1. JR LB Amari Burney 6-2 230. Calvary Christian HS. St. Petersburg, FL. 3-star.
  2. SO OLB Mohamoud Diabate 6-4 215. Auburn HS. Auburn, Alabama. 4-star.
  3. RJR DT Lamar Goods 6-4 290 St Thomas Moore HS, Oakdale, Connecticut. 4-star.
  4. RFR OLB Tyron Hopper 6-2 205. Roswell HS. Roswell, GA. 4-star.
  5. TR RSO SDE/OLB Noah Keeter 6-5 225 of University of California Los Angeles by way of Buchholz HS, Gainesville, FL, 3-star. (preferred walk-on)
OLB Chief Borders 6-3 231. McEachern High School. Powder Springs, Georgia. 4-star.

MIKE - Garbage. Next year has to be better. Diwun Black and Chief Borders will likely see action early at WILL/MONEY and MIKE unless Tyron Hopper and Jesiah Pierre step up. Dante Lang will permanently move to LB unless they need him back at TE.
  1. RJR Ventrell Miller 6-1 230. Kathleen HS. Lakeland, FL. 3-star.
  2. RJR James Houston IV 6-1 240. American Heritage HS. Fort Lauderdale, FL. 3-star.
  3. RSO TE Dante Lang 6-5 220 Boca Raton HS, Boca Raton FL. 3-star
  4. RJR OLB Tyron Hopper 6-2 205. Roswell HS. Roswell, GA. 4-star.
  5. RJR Lacedrick Brunson LB 6'2" 210 Jackson Miami, FL. 2-star.
  6. RFR OLB Jesiah Pierre 6-2 220. Christian Home Bible School. Mount Dora, FL 3-star.
OLB Diwun Black 6-4 226. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College by way of Osceola High School, Kissimmee, Florida. Perkinson, Mississippi. 4-star.

FCB - I nearly threw my shoe across the room while thinking of a rating for this position. Incoming freshman Charles Montgomery could play receiver or corner next year, and if Ethan Pouncey has not learned from Wilson's mistakes, the Gators may have no choice but to pull Montgomery into the defensive secondary.
  1. RJR CB Marco Wilson CB 6'0" 180 American Heritage Plantation FL. 4-star.
  2. FR CB Ethan Pouncey 6-1 160 Winter Park HS, Winter Park, FL 4-star.
ATH Charles Montgomery 5-10 185. Armwood High School. Seffner, Florida. 4-star.

BCB - Kaiir Elam was the lone shining star of the secondary. Jaydon Hill and Jahari Rodgers gained valuable experience that might help them improve next year.
  1. SO CB Kaiir Elam 6-1 185. The Benjamin School. North Palm Beach, FL 4-star.
  2. SO CB Jaydon Hill 6-0 174. Bob Jones HS. Madison, AL. 4-star.
  3. FR CB Jahari Rodgers 6-0 170 Arlington HS, Arlington, TX. 4-star.
STAR/ NB - With more teams passing, the Gators spent more time in full-time nickel and cloud coverages. In quarters coverage this secondary was shredded in 2020. Incoming freshman 5-star Jason Marshall will be a welcome addition who could be pressed into action early.
  1. JR CB Jahari Rodgers 6-0 170 Arlington HS, Arlington, TX. 4-star.
  2. SO CB Chester Kimbrough 5-11 170. Warren Easton HS. New Orleans, LA. 4-star.
  3. RSR CB Christopher McWilliams 6-0 170 Southwest Miami Senior HS, Miami FL. 3-star.
CB Jason Marshall 6-2 180 of Palmetto High School. Miami, FL. 5-star.
ATH Kamar Wilcoxson 6-2 185 of IMG Academy. Bradenton, Florida. 4-star.

SS - No comment for 2020. Things are looking brighter next year with underrated freshman Dakota Mitchell coming in. Corey Collier could also put on some weight and challenge for playing time here.
  1. SR CB Brad Stewart 6'0" 194 McDonogh New Orleans, LA. 4-star.
  2. JR DB Trey Dean 6-2 180 Dutchtown HS, Hampton, GA. 4-star.
  3. RSR DB Quincy Lenton 6-0 195 Meridan HS, Meridian MS. 3-star.
S Dakota Mitchell 6-0 184. Winter Park High School. Winter Park, Florida. 3-star.

FS - Shawn Davis took a step backwards this year. Rashad Torrence will need to step up next year. If Corey Collier cannot put on the bulk needed to survive at FS, look for Kamar Wilcoxson to slide over from STAR/NB.
  1. SR DB Shawn Davis 6'0" 185 Southridge Miami FL. 4-star.
  2. SR DB Donovan Stiner 6'2" 185 Bellaire Bellaire, TX. 3-star.
  3. FR S Rashad Torrence 6-1 195. Marietta HS. Marietta, GA. 4-star.
S Corey Collier 6-2 170 of Palmetto High School. Miami, FL. 4-star.

ST - Evan McPherson graduates this year and leaves as the most accurate kicker in SEC history. Gator fans may have forgotten this fact considering the key misses he did make, as rare as they were.
  • K SO Evan McPherson 5'10" 177 Fort Payne HS, Fort Payne, AL.
  • K RS SO Chris Howard 6'1" 214 Ponte Vedra HS, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
  • K TR SO Zack Sessa 6'0" 175 Georgia Southern by way of Venice HS, Venice, FL. (walk-on)
  • P JR Jacob Finn 6'3" 210 Paxon HS, Jacksonville, FL.
  • LS RS FR Marco Ortiz 6'4" Benedictine HS, Richmond, VA.
  • LS RS JR Brett DioGuardi 6'4" 226 Windmere Prep, Windmere, FL.
LS/TE Rocco Underwood 6-4 220 of Lake Mary High School. Lake Mary, FL. 3*
 

Escambia94

Aerospace Cubicle Engineer (ACE)
Moderator
Next year the offensive depth chart should look like this:

QB - Outlook: Promising. With three, 4-star QBs spread across three classes, this is most talented QB room the Gators have ever had.
  1. RJR QB Emory Jones 6-3 200 Heard County HS Franklin, GA. 4-star.
  2. SO QB Anthony Richardson 6-4 213 Eastside HS. Gainesville, FL 4-star
  3. FR QB Carlos Del Rio. 6-3 202. McEarchen High School. Powder Springs, Georgia. 4-star.
  4. FR QB Jalen Kitna 6-4 200. Burleson High School. Burleson, Texas. 3-star.
  5. RJR (WO) QB Jack Ruskell 6-3 195 Libertyville HS. Libertyville, IL. NR.
  6. RJR (WO) QB Luke Matthews 5-9 166 Gainesville HS. Gainesville, FL. NR
NFL DRAFT: GR-SR QB Kyle Trask 6-6 212 Manvel HS, Manvel TX. 2-star

RB: Outlook: Promising. With two 5-star and three 4-star RBs spread among 5 classes, this is the most talented RB room the Gators have ever had. Even if Malik Davis leaves, there will be talent spread across 4 classes.
  1. SR RB Dameon Pierce 5-11 210 Bainbridge HS. Bainbridge, GA. 4-star
  2. TR-JR RB Lorenzo Lingard 6-0 190 of University of Miami by way of University High School, Orange City, FL. 5-star.
  3. TR-SO RB Demarckcus Bowman 5-10 190 Lakeland High School, Lakeland, FL. 5-star.
  4. RSR RB Malik Davis 5-11 190 Jesuit Tampa FL. 4-star.
  5. RSO RB Nay'Quan Wright 5-9 188. Carol City HS, Miami, FL 4-star.
TRANSFER OUT: RJR RB Iverson Clement 6-0 190 Rancocas Valley HS, Mount Holly NJ. 4-star.

WR: Outlook: Promising. On paper, the receivers are as talented as last year's group. There will never be another Kyle Pitts, who I am only counting as a receiver when he lined up "detached" as the WR-Y/H in place of Kadarius Toney. Kadarius Toney will be hard to replace as well, so I anticipate the WR packages and assignments to look very different without both of them gone. Former 4-star Jacob Copeland appears to have overtaken the former 5-star Justin Shorter as the presumptive starter as the flex receiver. Incoming freshmen Markus Burke, DaeJon Reynolds, and Trevonta Rucker could all compete for time at any of the receiving positions along with Trent Whittemore, Jordan Pouncey, Ja'Markus Weston, Dionte Marks, Charles Montgomery.

WR-X (Flex/Split):
  1. RJR WR Jacob Copeland 6-1 181 Escambia HS, Pensacola, FL 4-star.
  2. TR-JR. WR Justin Shorter 6-4 226 of Penn State University by way of South Brunswick High School, Monmouth Junction, NJ. Former 5*.
  3. RSO WR/DB Trent Whittemore 6-3 185. Bucholz HS. Gainesville FL. 3-star.
  4. RSO WR/ATH Ja'Markis Weston 6-3 195. Clewiston HS. Clewiston, FL 3-star.
  5. FR WR Markus Burke 6-3 180 of Trinity Christian Academy. Jacksonville, Florida, 4-star.
WR-Z (Flanker)
  1. TR-RJR WR Jordan Pouncey 6-2 205 Univ of TX by way of Winter Park HS, Winter Park, FL Former 3-star.
  2. RSR WR Rick Wells 6-1 185 Raines HS, Jacksonville FL. 3-star.
  3. FR WR DaeJon Reynolds (6-2, 195, Loganville, GA. Grayson) 4-star.
NFL DRAFT: TR-SR WR Trevon Grimes 6-3 202 Ohio State University by way of St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Fort Lauderdale, FL 4-star.

WR-Y/H (Slot/Hybrid)
  1. RFR WR Dionte Marks 5-11 178. Deland HS. Deland, FL 3-star.
  2. FR ATH Charles Montgomery 5-10 185. Armwood High School. Seffner, Florida. 4-star.
  3. FR WR Trevonte Rucker 6-0 160 of Vanguard High School. Ocala, Florida. 4-star.
NFL DRAFT: SR WR/ATH Kadarius Toney 6'1" 185 Blount Prichard AL. 4-star.

TE/WR-Y : Outlook: Hopeful. As mentioned earlier, there will never be another Kyle Pitts. As a traditional blocking TE, Keon Zipperer and Kemore Gamble will be fine. The Gators will definitely miss Pitts' ability to detach from the anchor position and enter the receiving pattern as the WR-Y. This kind of offense is not unheard of within the Dan Mullen offense, so there is nothing to worry about other than missing the dynamic mismatches from Pitts that could be created in other ways with the 2021 roster, albeit not at Mackey Award levels.
  1. SO TE Keon Zipperer. 6-2 240. Lakeland HS. Lakeland, FL 4-star.
  2. RJR TE Kemore Gamble 6'4" 220 Miami Southridge Miami FL. 4-star.
  3. RSO TE Dante Lang 6-5 220 Boca Raton HS, Boca Raton FL. 3-star --> LB
  4. TE Gage Wilcox 6-4 228. Jefferson High School. Tampa, Florida. 4-star.
  5. TE Nick Elksnis 6-6 220. Episcopal High School. Jacksonville, Florida. 3-star.
NFL DRAFT: JR TE Kyle Pitts 6-5 235 of Archbishop Wood High School, Warminster PA. 4-star.

Offensive Line: Outlook: Wait and See. Some of the seniors can elect to take the COVID waiver and return next year. I do not anticipate any of the 2020 offensive linemen to leave for the NFL, but graduate transfers are always an option in today's free agency. There certainly are a lot of promising youngsters from the past couple recruiting classes who might prove to be upgrades over the veterans.

LT
  1. RSR OT Stone Forsythe 6-6 315 West Orange HS, Winter Garden FL. 3-star.
  2. FR OT Adrein Strickland 6-6 330. A. Crawford Mosley High School. Lynn Haven, Florida. 3-star.
  3. FR OT Austin Barber 6-7 300. Trinity Christian Academy. Jacksonville, FL. 3-star.
  4. SO OL Hayden Knighton 6-3 270 Fork Union by way of North Fort Myers, Fort Myers, FL. NR. (preferred walk-on)
LG
  1. RSO OL Richard Gouraige 6-5 250 Cambridge HS. Tampa, FL 4-star.
  2. RJR C OL Griffin McDowell 6-4 280 Lee County HS. Leesburg, GA. 3-star.
  3. SO OL Richard Leonard 6-2 320 Cocoa HS, Cocoa, FL, 3-star.
  4. FR OT Yousef Mugharbill 6-5 330 of Murphy High School, Murphy, NC. 4-star.
OC
  1. RSO OG Kingsley Eguakun 6-3 295. Sandalwood HS, Jacksonville, FL 3-star.
  2. FR OC Jake Slaughter 6-7 300 of Ocala Trinity Catholic. Ocala, Florida. 3-star.
NFL DRAFT: C/OL Brett Heggie 6-4 290 Mount Dora HS, Mount Dora FL. 3-star.

RG
  1. JR OT Ethan White 6-5 315. Superior Collegiate Academy, Clearwater, FL 4-star.
  2. RSO OT TJ Moore 6'5" 290 Mallard Creek Charlotte NC. 4-star.
  3. RSO OG Riley Simonds 6-4 324. Buford HS. Buford, GA. 3-star.
  4. RSO OT William Harrod 6-5 315. National Christian Academy. Ft Washington, MD. 4-star.
  5. FR OG Deyavie Hammond 6-3 330. Independence Community College. Independence, Kansas. 3-star.
RT
  1. RSR Jean Delance OT 6’5” 309 North Mesquite HS, Mesquite, TX 4-star.
  2. TR-SR Stewart Reese OL 6/6" 345 of Mississippi State University by way of Fort Pierce Central HS, Fort Pierce, FL 4-star.
  3. RSO OT Michael Tarquin 6-5 290. North Marion HS, Citra, FL 4-star.
  4. SO OT Joshua Braun 6-6 335 Suwannee HS, Live Oak, FL 4-star.
Overall offense outlook: It will be hard to match the offense from 2020, but from a talent perspective the Gators are in great shape. The offense will look different as the Gators seek a more balanced run/pass mix, and they will probably throw in a lot more RPO/spread-option look with Emory Jones. The running game should be better with more talent in the backfield, and likely a different focus on blocking from the tight end position. I expect this offense to be a top-10 offense in 2021.
 
Last edited:

Escambia94

Aerospace Cubicle Engineer (ACE)
Moderator
Next year the defensive and special teams depth charts should look like this:

Defensive Front: Outlook: Promising. With another year under his belt, Brenton Cox will likely have a better year with a healthy Zachary Carter returning to the other side of the formation and with Penn State transfer Antonio Shelton rounding out the defensive front when they play more of a 4-man front. The Gators will sorely miss TJ Slaton and sometimes miss Kyree Campbell on the interior, so we will need to see which of the former WDEs and SDEs will gain mass and move to DL/DT. This defensive front has a lot of tweeners that need to settle into a position before they can become a top-10 defensive front. Near the end of 2020, this unit was vastly improving as injured players got healthy late in the season.

WDE/OLB EDGE (5 technique)
  1. TR-RJR OLB Brenton Cox 6-4 245 of University of Georgia by way of Stockbridge High School, Stockbridge, GA. 5-star.
  2. TR-RSR DT Daquan Newkirk 6-3 317 of Auburn University by way of Mississippi Gulf Coast CC and The First Academy, Orlando, FL. 4-star.
  3. RJR Andrew Chatfield, Jr. 6-2 248. American Heritage HS. Plantation, FL. 4-star.
  4. RSO DL Lloyd Summerall. 6-5 220. Lakeland HS. Lakeland, FL 4-star.
  5. SO WDE Antwaun Powell 6-3 235 I.C. Norcrom, Portsmouth, Virginia. 4-star.
  6. FR WDE Jeremiah "Scooby" Williams 6-3 224, Ramsay, Birmingham, AL, 4-star.
  7. FR DE Tyreak Sapp 6-2 255. St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 4-star.
  8. FR DE Justus Boone 6-5 250. Sumter High School. Sumter, South Carolina. 3-star.
NT (0/1 technique) - TJ Slaton performed adequately at this position. Kyree Campbell did not. Look for one of the youngsters to step up next year.
  1. SR WDE Antwaun Powell 6-3 235 I.C. Norcrom, Portsmouth, Virginia. 4-star.
  2. RFR DT Jaelin Humphries 6-3 303. Mountainview HS. Lawrenceville, GA. 4-star.
  3. FR DT Desmond Watson 6-5 350 of Armwood High School. Seffner, Florida. 3-star.
NFL DRAFT:
SR Tedarrell Slaton 6-5 340 American Heritage. Fort Lauderdale, FL. 4-star.
SR Kyree Campbell 6-4 320 Woodbridge HS. Woodbridge, VA. 3-star.
edit: RSR Marlon Dunlap 6-3 285. West Charlotte HS. Charlotte, NC. 3-star.

DT/BUCK (3 technique DT/ LB hybrid)
  1. RSR OLB Jeremiah Moon 6-4 205 Hoover HS, Birmingham AL. 4-star.
  2. RSR Zachary Carter 6-4 290. Hillsborough HS. Tampa, FL. 4-star.
  3. TR-SR DT Antonio Shelton 6-3 280. Penn State University by way of Westerville North HS, Westerville, OH. 3-star.
  4. JR Khris Bogle 6-4 240. Cardinal Gibbons. Fort Lauderdale, FL. 4-star.
  5. RJR David Reese 6-2 240. Vero Beach HS. Fort Pierce, FL. 3-star.
  6. SR DT Jaelin Humphries 6-3 303. Mountainview HS. Lawrenceville, GA. 4-star.
  7. FR DT Christopher Thomas 6-5 280. Dunbar High School. Fort Myers, Florida. 3-star.
Defensive Backfield: Outlook: Promising. I expect Diwun Black to make an immediate impact. Mohamoud Diabate will likely improve once he settles into his more natural position within the linebacker corps. Derek Wingo and Jesiah Pieere saw limited action last year, but both have shown promise.

WILL/ MONEY
  1. SR LB Amari Burney 6-2 230. Calvary Christian HS. St. Petersburg, FL. 3-star.
  2. JR OLB Mohamoud Diabate 6-4 215. Auburn HS. Auburn, Alabama. 4-star.
  3. RSR DT Lamar Goods 6-4 290 St Thomas Moore HS, Oakdale, Connecticut. 4-star.
  4. RSO OLB Tyron Hopper 6-2 205. Roswell HS. Roswell, GA. 4-star.
  5. TR-JR SDE/OLB Noah Keeter 6-5 225 of University of California Los Angeles by way of Buchholz HS, Gainesville, FL, 3-star. (preferred walk-on)
  6. FR OLB Chief Borders 6-3 231. McEachern High School. Powder Springs, Georgia. 4-star.
MIKE
  1. TR-JR OLB Diwun Black 6-4 226. Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College by way of Osceola High School, Kissimmee, Florida. Perkinson, Mississippi. 4-star.
  2. RSR Ventrell Miller 6-1 230. Kathleen HS. Lakeland, FL. 3-star.
  3. SO Derek Wingo 6-1 233. St. Thomas Aquinas HS. Fort Lauderdale, FL. 4-star.
  4. RJR TE Dante Lang 6-5 220 Boca Raton HS, Boca Raton FL. 3-star
  5. RSR Lacedrick Brunson LB 6'2" 210 Jackson Miami, FL. 2-star.
  6. RSO OLB Jesiah Pierre 6-2 220. Christian Home Bible School. Mount Dora, FL 3-star.
TRANSFER OUT: RJR James Houston IV 6-1 240. American Heritage HS. Fort Lauderdale, FL. 3-star.

Secondary: Outlook: Hopeful. There was a reason that the secondary coaches from last year were fired. The secondary's performance in 2020 was the worst the Gators have ever fielded in 114 years, so it could not get any worse.

FCB
  1. SO CB Ethan Pouncey 6-1 160 Winter Park HS, Winter Park, FL 4-star.
  2. FR ATH Charles Montgomery 5-10 185. Armwood High School. Seffner, Florida. 4-star.
NFL DRAFT: RJR CB Marco Wilson CB 6'0" 180 American Heritage Plantation FL. 4-star.

BCB
  1. JR CB Kaiir Elam 6-1 185. The Benjamin School. North Palm Beach, FL 4-star.
  2. JR CB Jaydon Hill 6-0 174. Bob Jones HS. Madison, AL. 4-star.
  3. SO CB Jahari Rodgers 6-0 170 Arlington HS, Arlington, TX. 4-star.
STAR/ NB
  1. SO CB Jahari Rodgers 6-0 170 Arlington HS, Arlington, TX. 4-star.
  2. JR CB Chester Kimbrough 5-11 170. Warren Easton HS. New Orleans, LA. 4-star.
  3. RSR CB Christopher McWilliams 6-0 170 Southwest Miami Senior HS, Miami FL. 3-star.
  4. CB Jason Marshall 6-2 180 of Palmetto High School. Miami, FL. 5-star.
  5. ATH Kamar Wilcoxson 6-2 185 of IMG Academy. Bradenton, Florida. 4-star.
SS Note that Stewart and Dean have not declared for the NFL Draft and are included in the 2021 depth chart.
  1. SR CB Brad Stewart 6'0" 194 McDonogh New Orleans, LA. 4-star.
  2. SR DB Trey Dean 6-2 180 Dutchtown HS, Hampton, GA. 4-star.
  3. RSR DB Quincy Lenton 6-0 195 Meridan HS, Meridian MS. 3-star.
  4. SO Mordecai McDaniel 6-1 207 6-1 207. St John's Academy. Washington, DC. 4-star.
  5. FR S Dakota Mitchell 6-0 184. Winter Park High School. Winter Park, Florida. 3-star.
FS Note that Davis and Stiner have not declared for the NFL Draft and are included in the 2021 depth chart.
  1. SR DB Shawn Davis 6'0" 185 Southridge Miami FL. 4-star.
  2. SR DB Donovan Stiner 6'2" 185 Bellaire Bellaire, TX. 3-star.
  3. SO S Rashad Torrence 6-1 195. Marietta HS. Marietta, GA. 4-star.
  4. FR S Corey Collier 6-2 170 of Palmetto High School. Miami, FL. 4-star.
  5. FR S Donovan McMillon 6-2 193 Peters Township HS, Canonsburg, PA. 4-star.
ST: Outlook: Not so good. Evan McPherson graduates this year and leaves as the most accurate kicker in SEC history. Gator fans may have forgotten this fact considering the key misses he did make, as rare as they were. This may be the first time in a long time that I have worried about the Gator kicking game.
  • K GR-SR Jace Christmann 6'0" 195 Mississippi State University by way of Memorial HS, Houston, TX.
  • K RS SO Chris Howard 6'1" 214 Ponte Vedra HS, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
  • K TRJR Zack Sessa 6'0" 175 Georgia Southern by way of Venice HS, Venice, FL. (walk-on)
  • P SR Jacob Finn 6'3" 210 Paxon HS, Jacksonville, FL.
  • P SO Jeremy Crawshaw 6-4 ProKick Australia, New South Wales, Australia.
  • LS RS SO Marco Ortiz 6'4" Benedictine HS, Richmond, VA.
  • LS RS SR Brett DioGuardi 6'4" 226 Windmere Prep, Windmere, FL.
  • LS/TE Rocco Underwood 6-4 220 of Lake Mary High School. Lake Mary, FL. 3*
NFL DRAFT: K SO Evan McPherson 5'10" 177 Fort Payne HS, Fort Payne, AL.

Overall defensive outlook: Promising. The Gator defense should be improved compared to last year now that it has some balance throughout the classes. As long as the Gators do not lose Brad Stewart, Trey Dean, Shawn Davis, and Donovan Stiner at the same time there should be a healthy mix of veterans and youngsters. The youngsters that Dan Mullen and Todd Grantham are bringing in are a definite upgrade in talent level.

EDIT: Added two new transfers.

Overall secondary outlook: See above.
 
Last edited:

DRU2012

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Gator fans are likely disappointed with the season ending in three straight losses and having the early loss to Texas A&M, but a quick look at the roster shows there is talent here to succeed going forward. Despite his success in resurrecting a floundering power football program, Dan Mullen's critics focus on his good-but-not-elite recruiting. Here are my ratings at each position with an early assessment for next year.

QB - A+. Any QB room with a Heisman candidate who shatters NCAA, SEC, and Florida football records gets an A. Emory Jones opens up the 2021 season in the top 10 with 14:1 odds to win the Heisman. 2021 QB Carlos Del Rio likely slides in as #3 behind Richardson and Jones next year in what will be Florida's best QB room in history with three 4-star QBs in one room, plus two sons of NFL or UF QBs.
  1. GRSR QB Kyle Trask 6-6 212 Manvel HS, Manvel TX. 2-star
  2. RSO QB Emory Jones 6-3 200 Heard County HS Franklin, GA. 4-star.
  3. FR QB Anthony Richardson 6-4 213 Eastside HS. Gainesville, FL 4-star
  4. RSO (WO) QB Jack Ruskell 6-3 195 Libertyville HS. Libertyville, IL. NR.
  5. SO (WO) QB Luke Matthews 5-9 166 Gainesville HS. Gainesville, FL. NR
QB Carlos Del Rio. 6-3 202. McEarchen High School. Powder Springs, Georgia. 4-star.
QB Jalen Kitna 6-4 200. Burleson High School. Burleson, Texas. 3-star.

RB - D. This was the worst rushing attack Florida has used in my lifetime. Next year this rushing attack will feature two former 5-star RBs in what could be Florida's best rushing attack in recent memory. Iverson Clement will transfer out.
  1. JR RB Dameon Pierce 5-11 210 Bainbridge HS. Bainbridge, GA. 4-star
  2. TR-RSO RB Lorenzo Lingard 6-0 190 of University of Miami by way of University High School, Orange City, FL. 5-star.
  3. RJR RB Malik Davis 5-11 190 Jesuit Tampa FL. 4-star.
  4. RFR RB Nay'Quan Wright 5-9 188. Carol City HS, Miami, FL 4-star.
  5. RSO RB Iverson Clement 6-0 190 Rancocas Valley HS, Mount Holly NJ. 4-star.
RB Demarckcus Bowman 5-10 190 Lakeland High School, Lakeland, FL. 5-star.

WR-X (Flex/Split) - A-. All the WR positions get an A, with the WR-X position being the "weakest". The former 5-star Justin Shorter was assumed to be the starter here, but Jacob Copeland has come into his own and is the front-runner for WR-X next year. Speaking of next year, the Gators hauled in three 4-star pass catchers. Despite losses in the WR positions this will be their most talented receiving corps in a very long time--probably since the Spurrier days.
  1. TR-SO. WR Justin Shorter 6-4 226 of Penn State University by way of South Brunswick High School, Monmouth Junction, NJ. Former 5*.
  2. RSO WR Jacob Copeland 6-1 181 Escambia HS, Pensacola, FL 4-star.
  3. RFR WR/DB Trent Whittemore 6-3 185. Bucholz HS. Gainesville FL. 3-star.
  4. RFR WR/ATH Ja'Markis Weston 6-3 195. Clewiston HS. Clewiston, FL 3-star.
WR Markus Burke 6-3 180 of Trinity Christian Academy. Jacksonville, Florida, 4-star.

WR-Z (Flanker) - A. The transfer out of Ohio State performed well this year and could be a middle round draft pick. Behind him, the transfer out of Texas will need to step up and will be challenged by one of the incoming 4-star receivers.
  1. TR-SR WR Trevon Grimes 6-3 202 Ohio State University by way of St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Fort Lauderdale, FL 4-star.
  2. RSR WR Rick Wells 6-1 185 Raines HS, Jacksonville FL. 3-star.
  3. TR-RJR WR Jordan Pouncey 6-2 205 Univ of TX by way of Winter Park HS, Winter Park, FL Former 3-star.
WR DaeJon Reynolds (6-2, 195, Loganville, GA. Grayson) 4-star.

WR-Y/H (Slot/Hybrid) - A+. Kadarius Toney remade this position and gave us flashes of Percy Harvin. The Human Joystick vastly matured this year with excellent routes in addition to his joystick moves after the catch. One of the incoming freshmen will likely move into this position unless the Gators redefine the
  1. SR WR/ATH Kadarius Toney 6'1" 185 Blount Prichard AL. 4-star.
  2. RFR WR Dionte Marks 5-11 178. Deland HS. Deland, FL 3-star.
ATH Charles Montgomery 5-10 185. Armwood High School. Seffner, Florida. 4-star.
WR Trevonte Rucker 6-0 160 of Vanguard High School. Ocala, Florida. 4-star.


TE/WR-Y - A+. Kyle Pitts finished in the top 10 Heisman voting and is in contention for multiple post-season awards. Pitts is the best to play at his position at Florida and it will be rather difficult to replace him next year. With Zipperer and Gamble coming back next year, assume the offense will shift to 11 personnel more often with the TE remaining in the anchor position nearly 100% of the time. Incoming freshman Gage Wilcox is the most promising youngster for the future. Nick Elksinis has the size to play TE in 11 or 10 personnel groupings. The Gators will be fine next year, but will likely be slightly less dynamic.
  1. JR TE Kyle Pitts 6-5 235 of Archbishop Wood High School, Warminster PA. 4-star.
  2. SO TE Keon Zipperer. 6-2 240. Lakeland HS. Lakeland, FL 4-star.
  3. RJR TE Kemore Gamble 6'4" 220 Miami Southridge Miami FL. 4-star.
  4. RSO TE Dante Lang 6-5 220 Boca Raton HS, Boca Raton FL. 3-star
TE Gage Wilcox 6-4 228. Jefferson High School. Tampa, Florida. 4-star.
TE Nick Elksnis 6-6 220. Episcopal High School. Jacksonville, Florida. 3-star.

Offensive Line - C. This offensive line was downright atrocious in run blocking, but they were adequate in pass protection. Next year the Gators add some much larger youngsters, so this group could be better.

LT
  1. OT Stone Forsythe 6-6 315 West Orange HS, Winter Garden FL. 3-star.
  2. OL Richard Gouraige 6-5 250 Cambridge HS. Tampa, FL 4-star.
  3. OT Isaiah Walker, Jr. 6-4 309 Norland HS, Miamia, FL 4-star.
  4. OL Hayden Knighton 6-3 270 Fork Union by way of North Fort Myers, Fort Myers, FL. NR. (preferred walk-on)
LG
  1. OL Richard Gouraige 6-5 250 Cambridge HS. Tampa, FL 4-star.
  2. C OL Griffin McDowell 6-4 280 Lee County HS. Leesburg, GA. 3-star.
  3. OL Richard Leonard 6-2 320 Cocoa HS, Cocoa, FL, 3-star.
OC
  1. C/OL Brett Heggie 6-4 290 Mount Dora HS, Mount Dora FL. 3-star.
  2. OL/DL Tanner Rowell 6-2 298. Melbourne Senior HS, Melbourne, FL
  3. OG Kingsley Eguakun 6-3 295. Sandalwood HS, Jacksonville, FL 3-star.
RG
  1. OT Ethan White 6-5 315. Superior Collegiate Academy, Clearwater, FL 4-star.
  2. OT TJ Moore 6'5" 290 Mallard Creek Charlotte NC. 4-star.
  3. OG Riley Simonds 6-4 324. Buford HS. Buford, GA. 3-star.
  4. OT William Harrod 6-5 315. National Christian Academy. Ft Washington, MD. 4-star.
RT
  1. RSR Jean Delance OT 6’5” 309 North Mesquite HS, Mesquite, TX 4-star.
  2. TR-SR Stewart Reese OL 6/6" 345 of Mississippi State University by way of Fort Pierce Central HS, Fort Pierce, FL 4-star.
  3. RFR OT Michael Tarquin 6-5 290. North Marion HS, Citra, FL 4-star.
  4. FR OT Joshua Braun 6-6 335 Suwannee HS, Live Oak, FL 4-star.
OG Deyavie Hammond 6-3 330. Independence Community College. Independence, Kansas. 3-star.
OT Adrein Strickland 6-6 330. A. Crawford Mosley High School. Lynn Haven, Florida. 3-star.
OC Jake Slaughter 6-4 300 of Ocala Trinity Catholic. Ocala, Florida. 3-star.
OT Yousef Mugharbill 6-5 330 of Murphy High School, Murphy, NC. 4-star.
OT Austin Barner 6-7 300 of Trinity Christian Academy, Jacksonville, FL. 3-star.
OK: I see your point (and THANK you for a particularly informative and detailed breakdown that doesn’t merely support your overall analysis and contention that “We’ll be OK in 2021 after ALL...”):
On Offense, anyway...and more than ever, I am somewhat calmed. When one steps back and looks at that general aspect of our prospective line-up, it DOES appear that we should be fine:
“Less dynamic perhaps, overall, but consistently strong, growing in all areas and capabilities as the next season progresses.” That about sum up your views CB on our offense’s potential?
It is of course on Defense, which you (rightly I think) separate and approach on its own, where the BIG unknowns still lie. And I don’t even want to dip my toe in that stagnant stinking pond here and now...
I doubt we’ve seen the last of the sideline/locker room changes yet, NOR all the additions among incoming players, one way or another...and even if we WERE to enter next season WITH the same overall group we have right at this moment, HOW THEY WILL BE USED, the schemes and “look” of how the Gator D tightens its technique and “look” in execution depending on situation, game flow and whatever respective practical challenges it faces will have to evolve, greatly improve in response over what we saw in 2020, no matter WHAT!
For now, we can only withhold further judgement and hope for the best—drastic improvement is a MUST!
But based on YOUR analysis of where we are at and HEADED on offense, and EVERYONE’S assessment of and dissatisfaction with the defense—and expectations regarding its improvement in the season ahead—a combination of that potential on offense and even an “acceptably improved advance” in the defense SHOULD yield a return to something like the excitement and progress seen and felt at mid-season this past year rather than the bewildered frustration we found pummeling us as the season wore down!
With all the current unknowns, it’s hard to gauge WHAT to expect! With the additional potential of (hopefully) crowds being back in the stadiums and a more “balanced” schedule, with hard work, improvement and some things going our way, 2021 COULD be a HUGE year for us—a PROPER return of our GATORS to the top of the SEC East, and THIS time perhaps a more successful ending to the SEC AND POST-season!
However: There are just SO MANY BUMPS, complications, difficulties and above all UNKNOWNS between here and there.
Again...For now, we are just going to have to “wait and SEE”!
 

DRU2012

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Overall, then, it is safe to look forward somewhat confidently to what Mullen has so far assembled and begun to organize on offense here NOW, finally:
If anything, before well-into the 2021 season we may well be an even BETTER offensive squad than the much-feared one just led by Kyle Trask—less spectacularly “dynamic”, perhaps (especially early on, as the new offense, and how Mullen uses them) develops and evolves, but overall consistently even MORE dramatically efficient!
The questions clearly are still mainly with the defense. Nothing (aside from the bar having been sadly set so low that it SHOULDN’T be that difficult to EXCEED!) so far guarantees that improvement—but SO MUCH rests upon it! I have nothing BUT confidence in Mullen and his staff being well-on-track to harness and DRIVE that offense, but I just don’t see enough evidence of Grantham and the various newcomers’ ability, plans and talent-on-hand (incoming or otherwise) to positively anticipate similar success among the defenders! It is currently MUCH more a matter of HOPE than BELIEF!
Everything depends on it turning out that my potential pessimism is unfair and unwarranted.
If that turns out to be the case, it will become quickly clear—and GROW, steadily throughOUT the season. All the best we began to see and hope for with the continued rise of Kyle Trask and 2020’s Gator offense (along with dreams of what we COULD BE with even a SHADOW OF previous years’ Grantham DEfenses) may well all be in-play once more after ALL!
As it is, though, we’ll just have to “wait’n’SEE” how things go and WHAT WE REALLY GOT!!!
As each additional day goes by since the last of the Bowl and CFB Playoff games, I continue to further solidify my sense of “mixed feelings” regarding how much we did or didn’t “grow” in the season just past, AND similarly, how much patience and/or concern we should be feeling with regard to NEXT season’s strengths, weaknesses and prospective success and/or failures...
I admit it: I am BACK and FORTH on this! Now, that is PARTIALLY a function of that “changing landscape of player “freedom” (graduate and otherwise), “portals” and “the COVID-factor” and its unique (and temporary) impact...but all that DOESN’T fully cover the gaping hole of uncertainty when it comes to prognosticating “where we’re at and where we’re going” as a team and program as we immediately now turn to 2021.
I am writing this (adding to a “first version left here a day or two ago, really, as I have continued “mulling it all over”) while also watching/listening to the season’s last installment of “Gator Breakdown” on You Tube...
I normally like this particular site—one of the few I even watch, let alone enjoy
...However, overall I am (not so surprisingly) finding it generally irritating, to say the least: NOT so much because I think they are WRONG, per se (in fact, I find I agree with the bulk of their warnings and judgements—they see and comment on the same unanswered questions and weaknesses as I do, but if anything seem MORE pessimistic about the potential answers...It SEEMS they are “assuming the WORST”!).
These guys speak of “waiting and seeing” just like all of US: I guess, in the end, when it comes to “us”, their “look ahead” and “evolving analysis” depends COMPLETELY upon so many factors (only a few of which we’ve addressed so far here) that at this point, in MY view, this is the toughest year and situation to predict that I can remember.
According to a “quick-consensus” of all the “WAY TOO EARLY Rankings for NEXT SEASON in College Football”, we are landing pretty consistently “near the bottom of the Top 15” among those predicting 2021’s recruiting etc and its ultimate effect on the actual results of next season’s game-produced records—all of this coming forth in the coupla days AFTER Nat’l Signing Day!
(Oh, and while we are “sorta in the wide-shot pic of the neighborhood” of it all, I wanna take this STRRRRETCH of the moment and view of things to once again mention—and PUSH—our noting our having converted—at the personal involvement of his dad and knowledge of and desire to see his son under the care and tutelage of Mullen in particular is the specific reason WHY we now have KITNA in our QB stable; I know he’s currently sort of “lost in the crowd of “good ones” back there, but DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS KID! He throws a BEAUTIFUL ball, has the genes IN SPADES and continues to develop physically—if anything has sprouted even MORE than expected, has grown another couple inches in limb-length and if anything, has jumped in overall impression-of-being-BIGGER just in the last month since anyone here has seen him!
Same for the slew of RBs—and God knows we have a space there, judging by how weak we’ve been at the position!
Seems we just haven’t put together a decent OL, despite YEARS now of KNOWING we were MISSING BODIES ON THE O-LINE!
 

DRU2012

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Overall, then, it is safe to look forward somewhat confidently to what Mullen has so far assembled and begun to organize on offense here NOW, finally:
If anything, before well-into the 2021 season we may well be an even BETTER offensive squad than the much-feared one just led by Kyle Trask—less spectacularly “dynamic”, perhaps (especially early on, as the new offense, and how Mullen uses them) develops and evolves, but overall consistently even MORE dramatically efficient!
The questions clearly are still mainly with the defense. Nothing (aside from the bar having been sadly set so low that it SHOULDN’T be that difficult to EXCEED!) so far guarantees that improvement—but SO MUCH rests upon it! I have nothing BUT confidence in Mullen and his staff being well-on-track to harness and DRIVE that offense, but I just don’t see enough evidence of Grantham and the various newcomers’ ability, plans and talent-on-hand (incoming or p
O ok otherwise) to positively anticipate similar success among the defenders! It is currently MUCH more a matter of HOPE than BELIEF!
Everything depends on it turning out that my potential pessimism is unfair and unwarranted.
If that turns out to be the case, it will become quickly clear—and GROW, steadily throughOUT the season. All the best we began to see and hope for with the continued rise of Kyle Trask and 2020’s Gator offense (along with dreams of what we COULD BE with even a SHADOW OF previous years’ Grantham DEfenses) may well all be in-play once more after ALL!
As it is, though, we’ll just have to “wait’n’SEE” how things go and WHAT WE REALLY GOT!!!
As each additional day goes by since the last of the Bowl and CFB Playoff games, I continue to further solidify my sense of “mixed feelings” regarding how much we did or didn’t “grow” in the season just past, AND similarly, how much patience and/or concern we should be feeling with regard to NEXT season’s strengths, weaknesses and prospective success and/or failures...
I admit it: I am BACK and FORTH on this! Now, that is PARTIALLY a function of that “changing landscape of player “freedom” (graduate and otherwise), “portals” and “the COVID-factor” and its unique (and temporary) impact...but all that DOESN’T fully cover the gaping hole of uncertainty when it comes to prognosticating “where we’re at and where we’re going” as a team and program as we immediately now turn to 2021.
I am writing this (adding to a “first version left here a day or two ago, really, as I have continued “mulling it all over”) while also watching/listening to the season’s last installment of “Gator Breakdown” on You Tube...
I normally like this particular site—one of the few I even watch, let alone enjoy
...However, overall I am (not so surprisingly) finding it generally irritating, to say the least: NOT so much because I think they are WRONG, per se (in fact, I find I agree with the bulk of their warnings and judgements—they see and comment on the same unanswered questions and weaknesses as I do, but if anything seem MORE pessimistic about the potential answers...It SEEMS they are “assuming the WORST”!).
These guys speak of “waiting and seeing” just like all of US: I guess, in the end, when it comes to “us”, their “look ahead” and “evolving analysis” depends COMPLETELY upon so many factors (only a few of which we’ve addressed so far here) that at this point, in MY view, this is the toughest year and situation to predict that I can remember.
According to a “quick-consensus” of all the “WAY TOO EARLY Rankings for NEXT SEASON in College Football”, we are landing pretty consistently “near the bottom of the Top 15” among those predicting 2021’s recruiting etc and its ultimate effect on the actual results of next season’s game-produced records—all of this coming forth in the coupla days AFTER Nat’l Signing Day!
(Oh, and while we are “sorta in the wide-shot pic of the neighborhood” of it all, I wanna take this STRRRRETCH of the moment and view of things to once again mention—and PUSH—our noting our having converted—at the personal involvement of his dad and knowledge of and desire to see his son under the care and tutelage of Mullen in particular is the specific reason WHY we now have KITNA in our QB stable; I know he’s currently sort of “lost in the crowd of “good ones” back there, but DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS KID! He throws a BEAUTIFUL ball, has the genes IN SPADES and continues to develop physically—if anything has sprouted even MORE than expected, has grown another couple inches in limb-length and if anything, has jumped in overall impression-of-being-BIGGER just in the last month since anyone here has seen him!
Same for the slew of RBs—and God knows we have a space there, judging by how weak we’ve been at the position!
Seems we just haven’t put together a decent OL, despite YEARS now of KNOWING we were MISSING BODIES ON THE O-LINE!
All in all, we’ve come a LOOOONNNNNG way pretty quickly on Offense—yet have somewhat DEvolved just about as far on DEfense at the same time!
You’ve covered it all in fine detail, E—
...I am at this point inclined to just accept your analyses and basic solutions thus far—head into 2021 and SEE HOW WE EVOLVE, moving forward.
 

Escambia94

Aerospace Cubicle Engineer (ACE)
Moderator
All in all, we’ve come a LOOOONNNNNG way pretty quickly on Offense—yet have somewhat DEvolved just about as far on DEfense at the same time!
You’ve covered it all in fine detail, E—
...I am at this point inclined to just accept your analyses and basic solutions thus far—head into 2021 and SEE HOW WE EVOLVE, moving forward.

Here are the analysts from Gators Breakdown looking at the 2021 offense:
 

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