Florida Gators Post-Spring 2021 Depth Chart Projection: Offense
Photo credit: University of Florida athletic association
Spring practice No. 3 has come and gone for Dan Mullen and his Florida Gators, a year later than anticipated as 2020's spring camp was canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The team's camp was closed to the public and media, leaving us to rely on sources more than ever - along with a daily Instagram live stream that could only reveal so much - for takeaways and observations. That being said, we feel comfortable projection the Gators' 2021 depth chart as things currently stand from the information we've pulled over the past month.
It's worth mentioning that this depth chart projection is solely based on the spring football roster, compiled based on what AllGators has been informed via team sources and hypothesized from previous production across the offense. We will post another depth chart projection in the fall that includes summertime enrollees.
We went a bit long on the quarterbacks. Can you blame us?
Quarterback
Starter: Emory Jones
Dan Mullen doesn't like to approach his quarterback room by setting a starter and a clear-cut backup, which he made clear at the end of spring. Ideally, two quarterbacks will be capable of starting, and from there, UF can figure out its backup situation.
This isn't a new philosophy, to Mullen's credit. His tone was similar after Feleipe Franks dislocated his ankle in 2019: Kyle Trask entered the Kentucky game to start the next drive, but Emory Jones was always told to keep his helmet on and be ready to go in the game, which he did on numerous occasions.
But if the 2021 season started tomorrow with Trask now off to the NFL, Jones would be the first quarterback under center - Mullen admitted as much this past Saturday.
Jones is entering his fourth season in the program and is the most experienced signal-caller of the bunch, having played in 24 games thus far in his career. Jones has made a lot of flashy plays as a rusher, averaging 5.6 yards per attempt on 92 rushes with six scores. He also possesses a strong arm that has been utilized on occasion, seen by his 55-of-86 (64%) passing line that has accumulated for 613 yards, seven touchdowns, and just one interception.
From speaking with our sources, it took Jones some time to get acquainted with the No. 1 role this spring, as should have been expected. He has yet to start a game or demand the respect of his teammates as a leader in his college career, and both Mullen and his players have vocalized the offense is undergoing an identity shift. The transition was always going to take time and is still in the process.
As spring went on, though, Jones continued to sharpen his game in practice and team scrimmages from what we were told, ending on a good note in which Mullen was comfortable acknowledging him as the starter. Mullen indicated that Jones' knowledge of the offense has matured and his balance in the pocket is developing in his final spring presser.
Mullen made note of Jones' "cannon for an arm" several times throughout the spring, and it could often be seen on live stream footage. Jones can put a high velocity on short-to-intermediate passes and throws a pretty ball down the seam, we'd just like to see his deep-outside accuracy improve.
So long as Jones keeps making necessary strides, we expect the Gators' offense to allow Jones to unleash his arm strength this season and add a different passing dynamic to the offense than the past two years.
Second starter: Anthony Richardson
Although Jones exits spring camp as "QB1," we fully anticipate second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson to see an increase in snaps from his 14 a season ago.
The Gainesville native is similar to Jones in that he is a rushing threat who is developing as a passer, however, the two bring very different styles of play to the table. Richardson stands above Jones at 6-foot-4, 234 pounds - compared to Jones' 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame - and that size allows him to take on more of a power rushing style while Jones is more elusive.
Richardson, too, has quite a powerful arm. Throughout his high school career, Richardson regularly heaved bombs down the field with zip and anticipation to not only quickly pt the ball in his receiver's hands, but in an optimal spot to continue running down the sideline. It's a different type of arm power than Jones', as Richardson seems more effective outside the numbers while Jones can sling it inside.
As Richardson earns more passing reps, we will want to see strides in his accuracy and touch on short-to-intermediate throws as he was still developing in that area in high school. He did improve year-over-year on those throws at Eastside High, though.
It will be interesting to see just how often Mullen will call on Richardson to execute passing plays, as Jones only saw 38 passing attempts as a redshirt freshman. Richardson will undoubtedly take the field for ample rushing plays, but perhaps his arm talent will open up a larger role in his second year than the one Jones held while paired with Trask.
Depth: Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and Jalen Kitna
Two true freshmen who both enrolled in January, Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and Jalen Kitna will be thrust into the backup role that Mullen identified behind his two starting-caliber quarterbacks.
Del Rio-Wilson is a good mover for a bigger-bodied quarterback (6-foot-2, 238 pounds) and played well in a high school system that relied upon a mobile quarterback to throw on the run. We believe that could give him an advantage over Kitna should one of the two have to step into the second starter role due to injuries this season, but ideally, both will continue to evolve on the practice fields under Mullen's tutelage without the stress of early playing time.
Don't sleep on Kitna's football IQ, though, as he's the son of former 16-year NFL quarterback Jon Kitna, who was also his head coach at Burleson High School this past season a year removed from a stint as the Dallas Cowboys' quarterbacks coach. He's stands at an impressive 6-foot-5 after a recent growth spurt but has room to add to his 198-pound frame in UF's strength and conditioning program.
Running back
Starters: Dameon Pierce and Nay'Quan Wright
The running back position projection ultimately feels like a total shot in the dark, and full disclosure, the depth chart here could (and probably should!) look a bit different come week one.
But right now, we'll go with Florida's most efficient backs from a year ago and wait to make any cheeky projections until fall. Dameon Pierce is a rising senior and fits the mold of the power-rushing philosophy that Mullen instills so long as running the ball is a priority - his offense has long been considered a "smashmouth-spread."
Of UF running backs with at least 50 carries a year ago, Pierce led the way by creating an average of three yards after contact per rush, per Pro Football Focus. He also forced 23 missed tackles - UF's next best rusher in that department recorded 12. In a year where Florida's offensive line failed to generate interior push in the run game, Pierce's ability to break tackles and churn out extra yards was essential to create any sort of running game efficiency.
Nay'Quan Wright, who is entering his third year, also emerged as a dependable rushing option who could thrive from imrpvoed run blocking. At 5-foot-9, 197 pounds, Wright is a stout rusher who plays with power for his size but has a knack for making defenders miss on his own due to his elusiveness. He created 2.79 yards after contact per rush in 2020, second-best among qualified rushers.
Wright has outperformed Pierce as a third-down back, doubling Pierce's yards per route run (PFF - 1.95 to 0.97) and recording 20 receptions on 22 targets in 2020 without a drop. Pierce dropped three passes and caught 17 of 23 targets.
Pierce and Wright on their own are an intriguing one-two punch at running back, but Florida has plenty more options at the position and will have to further divide the snaps. At this point, we wouldn't lock Pierce and Wright in as the top backs beyond their familiarity and production thus far.
Depth: Galore.
Although Wright is a capable pass-catcher, Malik Davis is Florida's best receiving back. Parts of UF fanbase have even suggested that Davis moves to slot receiver this year with so many running backs on the roster. We can't confirm if that idea could come to fruition, but Davis has flexed out to receiver quite often in his career and performed well in that role. He's posted 47 receptions for 509 yards, catching 31 passes last year.
With numerous lower-body injuries taking a toll early in his Gators' tenure, though, Davis hasn't been as explosive of a rusher recently as he was in the past. As such, his carries could be a bit limited with so much talent around him at the running back position.
Clemson transfer Demarkcus Bowman and former Miami transfer Lorenzo Lingard will push for carries, too. We were made aware of several big runs from Lingard in camp including a touchdown that went the distance in the Gatprs' first spring scrimmage, so he should have some momentum entering the fall.
Bowman is considered a top 50 running back in history according to the 247Sports Composite, so it would be puzzling to see him spent too much time on the sidelines. However, according to Swamp247, Bowman missed some time this spring with a knee injury that Mullen would not confirm, which could set him back a bit.
At one point, we saw him score a touchdown on a wheel-route pass from Richardson on camp live streams.
Wide receiver
X-receiver: Justin Shorter or Xzavier Henderson
Will Justin Shorter live up to his five-star potential, or will second-year wide receiver Xzavier Henderson snatch those opportunities from him?
It probably won't be that dramatic, as Florida routinely rotates its receivers to keep them fresh. Both Shorter and Henderson should receive ample snaps and targets this year, but each has a lot to prove in their own respects.
Shorter took on a possession receiver type of role last year and often caught passes on short routes, averaging 10.7 yards per catch with 4.9 yards coming after the reception as his norm. At 6-foot-5, 227 pounds and having previously clocked a 4.52 40 yard dash, we'd like to see Shorter prove himself as more of a deep threat, but he can at least provide Jones with a comfortable option as a checkdown and quick target.
Henderson is a long blazer as well at 6-foot-3, 196 pounds, posting a 4.55 40 yard yard dash in high school. We saw Henderson's speed win on deep routes during his true freshman as he averaged 16.4 yards per catch with a 16.7 yards as his average depth of target, per PFF. He only caught nine passes on 18 targets last year, though.
The X-receiver position looks for a matchup nightmare that can beat press coverage and contest catches at the boundary. Both Shorter and Henderson have thre physical attributes and catch radii to do so, so we expect these two to battle for reps at the position quite a bit in fall camp and into the season.
Slot receiver: Trent Whittemore or Rick Wells
Should seniority reign supreme, Rick Wells will finally earn his opportunity to start as a sixth-year senior in a spot he's comfortable with. Age is but a number, though, and Trent Whittemore has five fewer catches than Wells in three fewer seasons, plus we saw him utilized as a slot receiver quite a bit in 2020 before a mid-season rib/lung injury.
Considering the rate of their development, Whittemore could be the favorite over Wells to start in the slot, but we do expect both players to see significant time in the role moving forward. Wells is a nimbler, average sized receiver who could make a name for himself as a technical route runner in the slot, while Whittemore offers 6-foot-4 size to make big plays in the middle of the field.
From a production perspective, slot receiver is Florida's least proven receiver position entering 2020. If last season is any indication of what is to come though, no one should be concerned over that fact - just look at what Kadarius Toney did in the role last year after previously recording only 50 receptions in three years prior to starting.
Z-receiver: Jacob Copeland
If there's any player we feel is capable of making a fourth-year jump similar to Toney's and Trevon Grimes' last season, it's Jacob Copeland.
Copeland is a freak athlete who has run a 4.44 40-yard dash before, and that athleticism has allowed Copeland to win as a deep route runner and double-move threat. He brings average, 6-flat size to the position but has made several receptions outside of his frame before.
We like Copeland as a Z to pair him with the slot receiver on certain route concepts, which Florida can deploy to scheme pass-catchers open on the strong side of the formation. With continual development as a short-to-intermediate route-runner, Copeland is capable of becoming a dynamic three-level threat with breakaway speed after the catch.
With plenty of talent around him over the past three years, Copeland has yet to top 23 receptions in a season. However, he's churned out an average of 16.1 yards per catch and five touchdowns in that span, indicating a large amount of untapped potential with more targets coming his way.
Copeland has to cut down on drops, though, as he had five in 2020. The inability to hold onto the ball will surely cut into any targets he's expected to receive.
Depth
Behind the first five receivers we've listed are four inexperienced players that have combined for five receptions, 63 yards, and one touchdown.
Jordan Pouncey, a former Texas transfer is the most experienced of the bunch as he enters his fifth college season. His lone reception as a Gator was a 27-yard touchdown in the Cotton Bowl, a step in the right direction that could vault Pouncey into a larger role this year.
Third-year receiver Ja'Markis Weston and second-year receiver Ja'Quavion Fraziars both caught their first career passes in the Cotton Bowl, combining for 17 yards. Daejon Reynolds, meanwhile, enrolled as a true freshman this offseason and made severalimpressive plays in camp according to our sources.
Tight end
Starter/Y tight end: Kemore Gamble
Florida utilizes two tight end positions within its offense: The in-line/flex receiver "Y" tight end and the off-ball/backfield "W" tight end. While the Gators' coaching staff aims for positional versatility among players, we believe a certain two players set to take on a meaningful role in 2021 fit each role specifically.
We'll start with Kemore Gamble at Y. At 6-foot-4, 252 pounds, he carries the traditional size of an in-line blocker and has done a solid job in that department throughout his Gators career, particularly standing out in the run game against Arkansas this past year with Kyle Pitts out of the lineup.
Gamble also made a name for himself as a pass-catcher in 2020 unlike he had in his previous two seasons with playing time, hauling in three touchdowns and averaging 16 yards per reception. Gamble took the majority of his snaps as an in-line tight end but provided his improving ability as a receiver, he began to flex into the slot and as an outside receiver.
That role will expend in 2020, so long as Gamble's three-drop performance against Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl was an anomaly. He didn't drop any other passes all season long.
No. 2/W tight end: Keon Zipperer
As Gamble looks the part of a traditional Y tight end, Keon Zipperer fits the mold of the W, also commonly known as an H-back. Florida hasn't utilized the W as much as the Y in recent years - Pitts was a bonafide Y - but could opt to incorporate the position this season should the team go more run-heavy.
Yes, the sample size is minimal, but Zipperer had four times as many (eight) snaps lined up in the backfield as Gamble (two) in 2020. The W tight end often flexes into the backfield and can act as both a lead blocker in the running game or a short-field route runner on passing plays.
Zipperer, who stands at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds and is a nimble, but powerful athlete for that stature, would make sense in the lead blocking role and can move quickly enough to get out of the backfield and into his route. Whether it be the flats or on a middle-of-the-field hook as a checkdown, flexing into the slot from the backfield, or running the deadly wheel route, UF can get extremely creative with Zipperer in this position. He's proven to be an exciting receiver with three touchdowns on 14 career receptions in two seasons.
We also expect Zipperer to rotate with Gamble at Y, as he played in-line on 155 snaps a year ago. Gamble has the size advantage to earn early-down snaps at Y, though, so Zipperer would naturally take on the W spot in two-TE sets.
Depth
Second-year tight end Jonathan Odom and true freshman Nick Elksnis are Florida's next two options at tight end, and both drew praise from position coach Tim Brewster throughout the spring. The two offer extreme length that makes them potential red-zone targets as they gain comfort in the passing offense, as well ideal frames (Odom: 6-foot-6, 240 pounds; Elksnis: 6-foot-6, 237 pounds) to develop into dependable in-line blockers.
Odom already has blocking going for him as he is the son of former unanimous All-American Florida Gators offensive tackle Jason Odom.
Offensive line
Left tackle: Richard Gouraige
Over the past two years, Richard Gouraige has not only emerged as a second-year starter (2019), but has held it down at two different positions on the left side of the line. Although all of his 17 starts have come at left guard, Gouraige has tallied 229 snaps at left tackle as well, sliding outside when injuries occurred or other linemen were struggling.
At 6-foot-5, 313 pounds, Gouraige carries the size to play left tackle full time, weighing just two pounds less but standing as tall as Martez Ivey who started at the position from 2017-18. He doesn't possess as much length as Ivey which could pose some struggles at the point of attack versus bigger edge defenders, but Gouraige is an athletic lineman who should be able to recover well in pass protection on an island.
To this point in his career, Gouraige has allowed only two sacks, giving up an average of 16 quarterback pressures per season over the past two seasons according to PFF. He graded out as an average run blocker in 2020 with a 60.2 grade from PFF on a 0-100 scale, however, that was the highest mark of his career.
Perhaps with Gouraige on the outside and some beef added to the interior, Florida's power rushing will improve this season.
Left guard: Ethan White
A year later than he might have anticipated, Ethan White is set to take on a starting role on the Gators offensive line this year. White was set to do so last year and took first team reps throughout fall camp in 2020 before a knee injury kept him on the sideline for the first half of the season.
As a true freshman in 2019, after cutting about 60 pounds off of a near-400-pound frame from high school in less than a year, White obtained 197 snaps on the offensive line between both guard spots. In fall camp about eight months ago, White was seen taking reps as the first team center and was expected to start there come week one.
Now, White has transitioned back to guard and is filling in on the left side, next to Gouraige. Mullen shared late in spring camp that Gouraige and White are the "most comfortable" players on the line in those two spots.
Across White's 382 career snaps, he's allowed only five quarterback pressures and zero sacks. He also improved from his first-to-second season as a run blocker, bumping his PFF grade from 60.5 (average) to 70.8 (above average).
So long as this level of play translates to a full-time role, White projects as one of if not Florida's best offensive lineman this upcoming season. We'll see if he sticks as a starter at left guard (read below), but one way or another, UF loves his versatility should he need to move in a pinch.
Center: Stewart Reese
Stewart Reese had an up-and-down first season with the Gators after transferring from Mississippi State last summer, the school in which he enrolled under Mullen and offensive line coach John Hevesy's recruitment in 2016. He surrendered two sacks and 14 pressures per PFF, and earned a career-low run blocking grade of 51.0 (below average).
In fairness to Reese, he played next to Florida's lowest-graded starter at right tackle (more on that next), and transferred in the middle of the pandemic-ridden offseason. No spring camp, no spring workouts (even though they were virtually conducted by the team), and a late start on relearning Mullen's playbook couldn't have helped Reese prepare for the 2020 season all that well.
Therefore, we're expecting him to bounce back this season. He's moved inside to center and is the most experienced player on Florida's offensive line - UF found success by moving seasoned guard Brett Heggie to center a year ago, as he's now an NFL Draft prospect. The hope is Reese can follow a similar career arc.
However, plugging Reese in at center when he's never manned the middle in his college career - in games, that is - is a bit curious when White was likely going to start there if not for his injury last fall. Come fall, unless Reese's transition goes really well, we wouldn't be surprised to see White move back inside with Reese at guard.
Right guard: Josh Braun
Much like White, Josh Braun made a name for himself during his true freshman season with impressive play along the interior offensive line. Braun even notched a career-high 45 snaps against Georgia, the school he was previously committed to before flipping to Florida at the end of his recruitment.
Braun, like White, did not allow a sack during his true freshman season, and he only gave up one quarterback pressure according to PFF. Braun's run blocking grade was below average at 52.7, but should continue to improve as he keeps developing.
At 6-foot-6, 352 pounds, the expectation is that Braun will emerge as a dependable run blocker over time. A former doubles tennis player in high school who reached the state tournament, Braun is nimble for his massize size and could use that athleticism effectively as a pulling blocker on power runs. His movement skills were certainly worthwhile in pass protection last year.
Right tackle: Jean Delance
Jean Delance elected to return for a sixth college season in 2021, a fourth at Florida, and presumably, a third as the Gators' starting right tackle.
Delance has disappointed in his role over the past two seasons and at times been bumped out of the lineup, which resulted in Gouraige playing left tackle and Stone Forsythe moving from left to right tackle. Forsythe is now an NFL Draft prospect, Gouraige is at left tackle, and Florida doesn't have any other options with starting experience at either tackle position.
Naturally, Delance is expected to start after doing so for 25 consecutive games. He will have to step up as a pass blocker as he has given up 10 sacks and 69 quarterback pressures over the past two seasons, but to Delance's credit, he's graded out as a better below-average run blocker with a grade of 54.8 than some other projected starters. We've seen some strides in Delance's run blocking on tape as well, usually when he is working inside-and-up from his position.
Depth
Michael Tarquin, entering his third season, saw 56 snaps at offensive tackle a year ago including 49 on the right side. If Delance has any competition at right tackle, it's probably Tarquin, but we're not expecting him to unseat Delance at least to start the season.
Florida truly doesn't have many other offensive linemen with worthwhile playing time on their résumés, as third-year center Kingsley Eguakun leads the way with 47 career offensive line snaps. Fifth-year guard T.J. Moore falls right behind Eguakun with 45 snaps.
The likes of Gerald Mincey, Riley Simonds, Will Harrod, Richie Leonard IV, Griffin McDowell, and walk-ons Hayden Knighton and Mark Pitts, along with Tarquin, Eguakun and Moore, are all tasked with developing into backup-caliber offensive linemen that Florida would be comfortable inserting into the lineup if injuries occur.
