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After the spring game last Saturday, Florida coach Will Muschamp said he and his staff had recently gotten together and come up with a list of the top 22 playmakers on both offense and defense. Muschamp said that list needs to grow between now and next season.
Because we’re not privy to the coaches’ list, we decided to sit down, break it down and come up with a list of our own, based on things we saw and heard over the course of the spring. Our list is certain to stir debate among readers, but hey, it’s the offseason, so let’s have at it.
Our list ranks the top 22 players on both sides of the ball. This isn’t a depth chart type thing, but the overall ranking of players from one to 22 on offense and defense.
Here’s the list:
No. 1 offensive player: This was an easy call, really. Chris Rainey had a huge spring and looks like a perfect fit lining up in the I-formation. He broke quite a few long runs in the spring and is a very fast, quick and versatile athlete who is a real threat catching the ball out of the backfield. Jeff Demps would have challenged Rainey for the top spot if he’d participated in spring practice, but he was concentrating on track. Other players given strong consideration were Jordan Reed and Trey Burton. After those top four players, there was a little bit of a dropoff. John Brantley had a good spring, but struggled in the spring game.
No. 1 defensive player: Even though cornerback Janoris Jenkins missed the spring after undergoing shoulder surgery a few months ago, he’ll likely be the Gators’ top defensive player in 2011, and a probable/possible first-round NFL draft pick. He’ll have a chance to excel in Muschamp’s defense, which features a lot of man-to-man coverage in the secondary. Coming in a close second to Jenkins was strong safety Matt Elam, who had a huge spring, making play after play in practice. He has a chance to be one of the best defensive players in the SEC. Ronald Powell, Jelani Jenkins, Jon Bostic, Sharrif Floyd and Dominique Easley also were under consideration for the No. 1 spot. That should be a good indication that the talent level on defense appears a little stronger than on offense at the moment.
Here are the complete lists:’
Offense
1. Chris Rainey
2. Jeff Demps
3. Jordan Reed
4. Trey Burton
5. John Brantley
6. Quinton Dunbar
7. Matt Patchan
8. Frankie Hammond Jr.
9. Omarius Hines
10. Deonte Thompson
11. Xavier Nixon
12. Jon Halapio
13. Mike Gillislee
14. Andre Debose
15. Robert Clark
16. Chaz Green
17. Jonotthan Harrison
18. Tyler Murphy
19. Mack Brown
20. Solomon Patton
21. Nick Alajajian
22. Jeff Driskel
Not making the list: A.C. Leonard, Stephen Alli, Mike Blakely, Kyle Koehn, Mike McFarland, Javares McRoy, Sam Robey, Ian Silberman, James Wilson and David Young.
Defense
1. Janoris Jenkins
2. Matt Elam
3. Ronald Powell
4. Jelani Jenkins
5. Jon Bostic
6. Sharrif Floyd
7. Dominique Easley
8. Jaye Howard
9. Jeremy Brown
10. Omar Hunter
11. Cody Riggs
12. Josh Evans
13. Joshua Shaw
14. Jaylen Watkins
15. William Green
16. Lerentee McCray
17. Michael Taylor
18. Earl Okine
19. Chris Martin
20. Dee Finley
21. De’Ante Saunders
22. Gerald Christian
Not making the list: Gideon Ajabge, Clay Burton, Kedric Johnson, Darrin Kitchens, Leon Orr, Lynden Trail.
Source: GatorSports.com - Robbie's Playbook
