Roster Building Blocks for the Next Florida Gators Head Coach
Photo: Anthony Richardson; Credit: Alex Shepherd
Out with the old and in with the new: The Florida Gators are in the process of finding their next head football coach.
Beyond salary, location, facilities and program accolades, candidates will analyze the rosters they're considering taking over before signing the dotted line. Florida's may not seem overly promising amid a 5-6 season, but rest assured, whoever takes the job will inherit a good bit of talent at every position and will be trusted to build around those players.
With that being said, which current Florida players can its next head coach consider a roster corners? We've collected at least one contributor at every position below.
Be prepared: You're going to see a lot of young Gators on the list. We limited the selections to players who have at least two years of eligibility remaining and those we believe can help Florida's next coach quickly turn things around on the field with proper development.
QB Anthony Richardson
This one is pretty obvious.
No, Anthony Richardson is not a finished product at the quarterback position, but his intangibles and potential are undeniable. Entering his redshirt sophomore season, Florida's next head coach could have Richardson around for three years while they attempt to get the program back on track.
Although, the hope would be Richardson plays his way into the NFL sooner with continual development, which would be an extremely promising sign for a fresh offensive staff.
One way or another, Richardson has the tools to become a successful starting quarterback in the SEC. That could be seen across his four consecutive touchdown drives in a comeback effort on the road against LSU and his 20+ miles per hour rushes against Florida Atlantic and South Florida earlier this season.
Quarterback is the most important position in football. Whoever gets the keys to the program will inherit a potential game-changer to develop as their signal-caller.
RB Demarkcus Bowman
A former five-star running back out of Lakeland (Fla.), Demarkcus Bowman transferred to Florida halfway through his freshman season at Clemson and was immediately considered the future of Florida's running back room.
The hype made sense. Per 247Sports Composite rankings, he's the 45th best high school running back prospect of all time.
With Malik Davis and Dameon Pierce set to depart after this season, Florida will have plenty of carries to offer Bowman, rising senior Nay'Quan Wright, and rising redshirt senior Lorenzo Lingard. However, the next coach would be wise to utilize Bowman's skill-set as often as they can.
That skill-set includes a 4.47-second 40-yard dash, a 10.69-second 100-meter dash, and a 36.3-inch vertical jump. Those attributes led Bowman to 11.2 yards per carry and 70 touchdowns in three starting seasons at his Polk County juggernaut high school program.
WRs Xzavier Henderson and Marcus Burke
The first task for Florida's next wide receivers coach will be to preserve an impressive 2022 recruiting haul at his position, with West Orange's (Fla.) Jayden Gibson and Bishop Moore Catholic's (Fla.) C.J. Smith currently committed and Liberty's (Texas) Evan Stewart still on the market.
After that, they have to figure out how to get rising junior Xzavier Henderson and rising redshirt freshman Marcus Burke the ball in the passing game.
Henderson, the brother of former Florida cornerback and first-round draft pick CJ Henderson, was highly coveted as a recruit but has been utilized sparingly on offense over his first two seasons, catching just 34 passes in 17 games. However, he's a lengthy and speedy receiver who can stretch the field and come up clutch in the red zone.
The same can be said about Burke, who made several big plays in his second career appearance against South Carolina with two receptions for 73 yards. These are two outside receivers that Florida can build its throwing offense around with Richardson's strong arm on the passing end of plays.
TE Nick Elksnis
A rising redshirt freshman who created a lot of buzz throughout the offseason program, Nick Elksnis looks like he has the makings of Florida's next all-around tight end. Now, it's impossible to expect Elksnis or any prospect to turn into Kyle Pitts, but Elksnis might have the highest potential as a receiver as anybody at his position on UF's roster.
Not to mention, at a physical 6-foot-6, 243 pounds, Elksnis could become quite the run blocker as he continues to bulk up, too.
The tight end room has a decent bit of talent around Elksnis, including rising senior Keon Zipperer, rising redshirt sophomore Jonathan Odom and fellow rising redshirt freshman Gage Wilcox. However, Elksnis could have the greatest combination of skills at the position and could become a weapon for Richardson and the Gators' offense in the near future.
OL Josh Braun
Florida doesn't have many bright spots on its future offensive line due to John Hevesy's poor recruiting efforts under Mullen. However, Hevesy lucked out by Sam Pittman leaving Georgia to become Arkansas' head coach in 2020, because that resulted in Josh Braun flipping from UGA to UF.
Standing at 6-foot-6, 342 pounds and able to play both guard spots (and perhaps tackle, which he did in high school), Braun could be Florida's most valuable offensive lineman to offer its next head coach and their OL assistant. He's yet to allow a sack across 349 career snaps and has graded out decently as a run blocker.
Braun's best game of the year, believe it or not, came against the Bulldogs team that he was formerly committed to. He was able to keep dominant defensive tackle Jordan Davis in check in the run game and allowed zero quarterback pressures in that matchup.
Braun is a lineman that Florida's next coach can build around upfront. Otherwise, the next offensive line coach is going to have some work to do on the trail.
DL Gervon Dexter
The highest-rated recruit to sign with Florida out of high school under Mullen, Gervon Dexter has shown flashes of dominance in his first two years at Florida and will be relied upon as the unit's enforcer entering his junior season.
Keep in mind, four of Florida's contributing defensive linemen - Zachary Carter, Antonio Valentino, Daquan Newkirk and Tyrone Truesdell - are in their final years of eligibility. Dexter will suddenly become UF's most experienced lineman and will have a lot of production to make up for.
Dexter has done a good job clogging up rushing lanes and pressuring quarterbacks but has yet to compile to box score numbers many believe he's capable of. Despite his freakish athleticism for a player of 6-foot-6, 303 pounds, Dexter has put together just three sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss.
UF's next staff will need Dexter to prove his 2020 five-star status right as a leader among the defensive front seven.
Edge rusher Khris Bogle
Okay, we broke the two years of eligibility rule here. Just once, promise.
Khris Bogle could become Florida's starting weakside edge rusher immediately under the Gators' next coach, as Brenton Cox Jr. has not lived up to the hype that came with his transfer from Georgia. Bogle, a rising senior, was another top signee during the Mullen era but has been limited to just 286 snaps rushing the passer in his three years since enrollment.
Yet, across those snaps, Bogle has accumulated seven sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 29 quarterback pressures, two tipped passes and a forced fumble in a rotational role.
A well-built speed rusher, Bogle has flashed his abilities to cause problems in the backfield, the previous staff simply never gave him enough opportunities. The next head coach should prioritize increasing his role immediately to take advantage of his limited remaining eligibility.
LBs Ty'Ron Hopper and Derek Wingo
Florida's linebacker position has, for the most part, caused some head-scratching over the past few years. David Reese II and Ventrell Miller, both limited in coverage but sound run defenders, have been dependable, but otherwise the unit has been inconsistent in both areas, struggled with finishing tackles, and seniority limited the ability for young prospects to break out in the middle of the Gators' defense.
Whoever takes over as UF's next defensive coordinator will have two high-profile athletes at the position in Ty'Ron Hopper and Derek Wingo, and the next staff should hope that both players take big steps forward in their development entering the 2022 season.
Hopper has offered plenty of intrigue over the past two seasons, particularly in 2021 as linebacker depth was tested. In his second career start, against Missouri, Hopper led the team with 12 tackles, including 11 solo, and two tackles for loss. A converted safety who has since bulked up, Hopper launches like a rocker in the direction of the ball carrier and is quick to make big hits. He also offers coverage ability due to his time in the secondary.
Derek Wingo is a converted edge rusher who has spent two seasons learning the middle linebacker position in Florida's defense, although he is capable of flexing back onto the edge in certain scenarios. Wingo's football acumen has been praised dating back to his time at St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) and he seems capable of playing in the second level of the defense, but it's up to the next coaching staff to find out by offering him some snaps.
CB Jason Marshall Jr.
One of two five stars to pledge to the Gators under Mullen, Jason Marshall Jr. has followed the trend of true freshman cornerbacks making an impact at Florida. And as a sophomore, Marshall will likely be depended on as a full-time starter.
Marshall began to step into meaningful action against Tennessee this year after star cornerback Kaiir Elam was sidelined with a knee injury for several weeks. Since, Marshall has split snaps within the Gators' secondary and has given up an impressive completion percentage (in his favor) of 43.3% on 30 targets, per Pro Football Focus. That's the best mark of any qualified coverage defender on Florida's roster this year.
With Elam likely to depart for the NFL after the 2021 season concludes, Marshall is projected to take on a full-time starting role in 2022 and pick up where he left off.
S Rashad Torrence II
There weren't many freshmen to emerge as starters under Mullen, but Rashad Torrence II was one out of necessity.
Torrence emerged as a starter for three games in 2020 after earning playing time in Week 1 vs. Ole Miss after Shawn Davis was ejected from the game. His play was solid enough throughout the year to take over a starting safety role in 2021, when he'd breakout as a legitimate playmaker on the backend of Florida's defense. He's posted 75 tackles, with 3.5 for loss, two interceptions and a fumble recovery in the role this year.
With Trey Dean III likely moving on as a senior, Torrence will be viewed as a leader within the safety room moving forward. Only Mordecai McDaniel has earned meaningful snaps at the position otherwise, and he still has some developing to do.
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