Observations from Gators Depth Chart for Season-Finale vs. Oregon State
The Florida Gators released their final injury report and depth chart of the 2022 season ahead of their bout with No. 14 Oregon State on Saturday in the Las Vegas Bowl.
After a mass exodus following the conclusion of the revalue season, the form of the Gators participating in the bowl contest is just a mere shell of their former self. Billy Napier views it as a "tremendous opportunity" for the young talent to take a step forward for next season.
Here are the two main observations from All Gators regarding the depth chart release.
Replacements for the departing faces of the team
The apparent changes to the personnel groupings come in the absence of the unit's foundational pieces.
Seeing Anthony Richardson and O'Cyrus Torrence depart to the NFL, as well as defensive leader Ventrell Miller, the void for talent and leadership is glaring.
As expected, Jack Miller III is set to take over at quarterback for Richardson. He will have the luxury of reinforcements at wide receiver as a banged-up pass catchers room to end the regular season has grown healthy over time.
The offensive line remains relatively untouched because of Richard Gouraige's decision to return for the bowl game but will noticeably be without guard Richie Leonard IV, who was slated to align as Torrence's replacement to finish the year and moving into the next.
Leonard has seen time in the rotation this year, playing well in the reserve role, and helped the Gators to 210 yards on the ground against LSU in his lone start in replacement of Torrence.
The bowl contest was his next opportunity to showcase his talent. However, he's ruled out with a lower-body injury.
Instead, 6-foot-8, 373-pound offensive lineman Kamryn Waites will make his highly-anticipated Florida debut at the right guard spot looking to propel a talented Gators rushing attack of Montrell Johnson and Trevor Etienne to a successful day.
Since coming over from Louisiana-Lafayette with the staff last offseason, Waites has sat as an offensive lineman in waiting for an opportunity to arise. Despite initially being considered a tackle due to his size, Waites will move to the inside out of need, proving to be a versatile piece for the Florida squad.
Moving into next season, a positive performance for Waites could give him a legitimate role as a swing offensive lineman in case of injury.
Linebacker Derek Wingo is the one slated to fill in for Miller as the equivalent to the team's MIKE — although they jump between a 3-3-5 and a more traditional 3-4 defense at times.
While this position will arguably be the toughest one to fill, given the circumstances of losing a sixth-year senior who proved to be a game-changing entity throughout his career in orange and blue, Wingo has garnered raving reviews for his progress as a player and leader. He showed some of that in the first half against FSU as Miller was sidelined after a targeting penalty he drew against Vanderbilt in the 2nd half.
Wingo's assertion into the lineup as the starter coincides with the recent elevation of his game.
Gators depth is, well, lacking
Outside of the three main pieces, other changes include hits to the unit's depth following the departure of 18 players to the transfer portal thus far. While Napier initially suggested that "a handful of players" in the transfer portal will suit up for Florida one last time, only outgoing outside linebacker David Reese remains on the depth chart.
As a result, the depth of the unit presents concerns as just 55 unique players will be suiting up for the contest, with three players being listed at multiple spots as the potential backup option.
Firstly, Austin Barber will control the duties as a relief option at right tackle while listed as a co-first-teamer with Gouraige at left tackle. He's played at both positions this season, producing at a high level for the Gators at each and earning near equal snaps as Gouraige and Michael Tarquin at points.
Similarly, backup guard Christian Williams, a true freshman from Missouri City, Texas, is slated to take over swing guard duties to back up Ethan White on the left side of the line and Waites on the left. Jalen Farmer — a true freshman who has received raving reviews as one of the next men up — is out of the contest with an upper-body injury.
That opens the door for Williams to potentially prove his worth, although Florida will likely hope to keep him on the sideline as they wish for both starters to remain healthy.
Finally, defensive back Jordan Young will have a unique dual-backup position as he plays as the next man up at STAR and the traditional boundary cornerback spot.
Showcasing promising in the spring as a STAR prospect, Young had buzz surrounding the fact that the position could be his niche for the Gators heading into the fall. That culminated in a solid spring game outing at the spot.
However, the crowded room presented little opportunity for movement, with Tre'Vez Johnson and Jadarrius Perkins seeming to fill in as the main pieces in the staff's eyes.
He moved back to the corner position shortly after the spring.
Now, as a result of Johnson's upper-body injury, Young will man the spot begin Perkins at STAR in the contest. Simultaneously, he controls his usual backup spot at the boundary corner spot behind Jaydon Hill.
Given how the Gators like to rotate players in the secondary, Young could be in for a busy outing at multiple positions on Saturday. However, he won't be alone as safety Miguel Mitchell will likely also fill in after working in heavy STAR packages down the stretch of the season and performing well in that role.
Final Thoughts
While there are a lot of new faces in new places for the bowl game, Florida has areas of continuity that they will need to exploit in order to contend with a talented Beavers squad.
On offense, the running back room should be Florida's crutch as Johnson and Etienne shoulder a large amount of the offensive attack to ease Miller into the college ranks. Although he's played at times in the past, his first start should be aided by a voluminous rushing attack by his side.
Defensively, the Gators may be without Miller at middle linebacker, but the unit is largely intact from the beginning of the season.
Amari Burney — who's produced his best year for Florida on paper and film — will anchor the second level while the defensive line and secondary continue to operate normally. Gervon Dexter Sr. and Trey Dean III return for one final outing as well to maintain consistency in their respective position groups.
The 55-man roster UF is currently working with may not be sufficient from a preparation standpoint due to the limited availability for game-like simulations and 11-on-11 work. Still, the pieces Florida has are capable of playing at a high level against the Pac-12 foe they face.
It's up to the coaching staff to put them in the right position to succeed.
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