We are probably not going to get a lot of "information" coming out of spring practice and/or the OB game, but I think the main reason for that is the starters are mostly accounted for. With the exception of the offensive line, there is not at lot of unknowns when it comes to the starting positions. Most of the positions battles will be for backup roles, but let's go position group by position group and talk through it.
Quarterback: 2018 Grade B- / 2019 Expectation B+
Franks ended 2018 with over 2,200 yards passing and 23 Touchdowns (only 6 INTs)...however, he still has some limitations....he can be to slow to make decisions, ball security issues, and he had some accuracy issues. He was much improved over the prior year and as the season went on, his ability to be effective running, even in short yardage, improved significantly.
I'm hopeful that he will improve in his passing skills, but the question will be how much? If you go back and look at the many of last years games, you can tell that the passing game was very limited in what they could do (mostly short yardage passes). The key for 2019 will be evolving to be more effective in the medium passing range and forcing the defense to "respect the pass" much more than the did in 2018.
To be honest, I think the "what to watch" will be more centered around Emory vs Trasks for that #2 spot.
Running Backs: 2018 Grade B+ / 2019 Expectation B+
As a team, Florida rushed for 2,514 yards on 486 carries (5.2 YPC) and 20 Touchdowns. This is significantly better than what they achieved in 2017 when they only had 1,720 yards (4.3 YPC) and 15 Touchdowns.
The talent is there at the position and while it may not be elite talent, it is solid talent! Similar to last season, the success of this unit is going to be dependent of the productivity and consistency of the offensive line (which was hit or miss in 2018).
Perine is the obvious work horse for this group and I think the real battle (or "what to watch") will be between Pierce and Davis for the #2 spot with the underlying question about Davis' ability to remain healthy for a full season (back to back season ending injuries).
Wide Receivers: 2018 Grade B / 2019 Expectation B+
The group as a whole is hard to evaluate because we do not really know who the primary or secondary targets are or even what route they were suppose to run. I do recall that at the beginning of the year there were some issues with "drops" but that didn't seem to last past the 3rd or 4th week.
Similar to running backs, with respect to dependence on the offensive line, the receivers can be limited based on the quarterback and while that position improved in 2018, the passing game struggled with intermediate passes and that impacts this group significantly.
Having said all that, there was not a lot of "elite" route running in this group, but all the starters are coming back and that should mean improved productivity. Jefferson (31 catches and ranked #1 in team catches) and Grimes (25 catches and ranked #3 in team catches) showed some of the hype behind their additions this past off season. Cleveland pretty much was unseen most games (he totaled 18 catches and ranked 5th on the team in catches).
I expect Jefferson and Grimes to be starters....but to me the "watch to watch" this spring will be between Cleveland, Toney, Hammond, and Swain and which one of them can take hold of that #3 spot. The "fly in the ointment" will be Copeland and his ability to insert himself into the picture..if he is all he was hyped to be, I see no reason he could not challenge for a prominent role during the year (if not surpassing someone for a starting role).
Tight End: 2018 Grade C / 2019 Expectation B-
For the most part, last year was another disappointing year for this group; not only in dropped passes, but in blown up blocks.
Having said that, Gamble showed some signs of hope for this group's future, but for the most part there are a lot of unknowns here. Krull should have an increased role and with the addition of Zipperer (who is ideal for this position in size, speed, and hands) I suspect the position group should take a step forward and be more balanced (blocking and receiving).
The "what to watch" this spring will be Krull and if he can evolved into more of an every down TE verse ST player.
Offensive Line: 2018 Grade B- / 2019 Expectation B
Last season the OL started off slow and hit bottom during the Kentucky game as they pretty much got man handled against a defensive front that was good, but not elite. The offensive line got better as the season went on, but still struggled with being consistent. Of the 5, only Buchanan is returning and he was rated the lowest, by PFF, of the 5...so do not be surprised if he is not the starting center coming out of spring.
Once again the offensive line takes the stage, front and center, as we move into 2019 spring as the biggest unknown... the "what to watch" this spring will be pretty much everything! Here are the things I think you look for:
- Where does Heggie get reps? If it is center....that tells you something about the staff's thoughts on Buchanan
- Can Gouraige step forward and be the man?
- What will the 2nd year guys (Bleich & Banks) do to insert themselves?
- Will Delance and/or Moore live up to their rating / hype?
- Will Forsythe be able to meet expectations for his senior year?
Defensive Line: 2018 Grade B / 2019 Expectation B+
Last season they did alright, but they were not dominating. The good news is they are only losing 2 guys form this unit, but the bad news is that one of them was the most productive guy in the unit. However, with the addition of DE Transfer Greenard, that will go a long way to provide some significant pass rushing talent to help replace Polite.
I think the starters are pretty well established and experienced, so the real "what to watch" will be who gets the second team snaps and who (between Moon, Clayton, and Carter) can step up and being that elite "buck" rush defender...my guess is that whoever loses that contest might start looking for greener pastures......
Linebackers: 2018 Grade C / 2019 Expectation B-
Reese was by far our best linebacker as he is a dominating presence in run support, but is not very good at pass coverage. Vosean Joseph (who left early for the NFL) was very effective when used in blitz packages (4 sacks on the season and 9 TFL) but his "Lone Ranger" routine cost this unit, and the team, significantly.
Reese will be the anchor of this unit in 2019, the "watch to watch" for this spring will be who can replace Joseph as that #2 LB and can they elevate the position group into a level of consistency that is desperately needed! I'll be interested to see if Burney gets some action at this position and/or if he takes the "STAR" position in rushing situations.
The other area to watch will be Diabate, as a early enrollee, he stands to benefit from getting some early action.
Defensive Backs: 2018 Grade B+ / 2019 Expectation A
Henderson, Wilson & Dean.....not sure if it will be on the same level as the 2015 & 2016 (which were A+ elite) units, but 2019 promises to be MUCH improved over 2018!
Dean did an amazing job filling in for Wilson and while he flashed some "freshman" mistakes, he was pretty steady most of the season. Henderson was awesome in coverage and for the most part teams just avoided throwing the ball in his direction. McWilliams was by far the weakest link in this unit with respect to pass coverage (watch the LSU game first drive at how many passes went his way until he was replaced by Dean). Gardner was good in coverage and improved his tackling (thank you Savage) and was pretty much everywhere all of the time.
The obvious "watch to watch" this spring will be Chris Steele. With Wilson being limited due to his ACL recovery, Steele is probably going to get a lot of action at DB and that will be very interesting to watch for. Aside from that, this unit is pretty well known and I do not expect to see any surprises with respect to starters, but we may get a few transfer casualties post spring depending on how the depth chart settles.
Safety: 2018 Grade C / 2019 Expectation B
As we suspected going into the 2018 season, this was going to be one of the trouble areas for the defense. The good news is, with the exception of Lock (Mizzu), Fromm (UGA), and Bentley (SC), Francois (FSU), Florida didn't face a lot of average to above average quarterbacks capable to exploiting them...but when we did face them, they pretty much lit them up! The only exception to that was the FSU game and that is probably because they are a hot mess (love it!).
Everyone is coming back, so that at least means we can expect a slight improvement in 2019 than what we saw in 2018.
The "what to watch" this spring will be Stiner & Taylor as I suspect that Stewart will lock down one of the starting positions (probably SS). The area to watch will be if someone else, perhaps Burney or Steele, get some time at this position too during the spring as the staff tries to figure out "position flexibility" in trying to get the best talent on the field.
Punter & Kicker: 2018 Grade A / 2019 Expectation A
Both the punting unit and kicking unit were ranked in the Top 10 last season...which is amazing when you consider who we lost from 2017.
- Punting was Ranked #9 in "Net Punting" yards with 41.3 yards per punt. Ranked #13 in pure yards with 44.8.
- Kicking was Ranked #5 in "Field Goal %" with 88.9% (16* of 18), but was 7 for 7 in the 40-49 range! Florida kicking was also a perfect 50 for 50 in extra points (yea...50!)
((the * denotes a "miss" during the Kentucky game))
The only thing to watch here are balls going through the upright and long punts!
