Gators Will Need to Be Creative in Handling of Running Back Depth Chart
The Gators will enter the 2020 season with a predicament of sorts at the running back position.
Last season, star running back Lamical Perine had the bulk of the Gators' carries. The former three-star running back now has his eyes set on the NFL Draft after an inconsistent, but very respectable considering the circumstances, senior season. There was no running-back-by-committee in Gainesville as the team opted to control the ground game through Perine and sparingly other backs as a sort of change-of-pace or a handcuff.
Perine carried the ball 132 times (30.98% of all Florida carries) last season for 676 yards and six touchdowns, and showcased his receiving ability with an impressive 40 receptions for 262 yards and five touchdowns to boot. His volume of carries stemmed from not only inexperience along the offensive line, but also due to his dependability in pass protection on third downs.
Among all running backs, Perine carried the football on 56% of all shared carries - the team's second-most featured running back was sophomore running back Dameon Pierce who carried the football 54 times for 305 yards and four touchdowns. While Perine deserved the bulk of the carries, the Gators were wildly inconsistent in their rushing attack - a stark contrast to the year before.
Dameon Pierce Touchdown
The Gators will have to be more balanced and next season it will seemingly start with Pierce. Pierce is expected to become the team's number one running back whenever spring camp opens up - if it does.
Although Pierce is very talented, and has the potential to be an every-down running back for the Gators, last season, pocket quarterback Kyle Trask had only 21 fewer carries than Pierce, accounting for 33 designed runs for 92 yards, according to Pro Football Focus.
On Friday, Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin addressed the media regarding athletic cancellations due to issues stemming from COVID-19 (coronavirus). Because of the virus, Florida, and all SEC schools were forced to shut down all spring athletics, with the Gators specifically shutting down until at least April 15th. If or when spring ball begins is still up in the air.
“I would say at this point it’s in flux," Stricklin said when asked if it was possible that spring ball is simply postponed. "Obviously we’re not going to go through normal spring ball as we had scheduled and we’re probably not going to have a spring game on April 18. Beyond that, we’re not in a position to make definitive comments."
The lack of spring ball will have a large impact on the Gators' development on the gridiron, but specifically for positions in flux - such as running back.
Transfer rising-redshirt-sophomore running back Lorenzo Lingard has a pending transfer waiver in the air, and there has still not been an answer regarding whether or not he will play in 2020 at this time.
While rising-redshirt-junior Malik Davis has the experience, coming off of a broken foot suffered in the second game of the 2018 season, and a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered the year prior, he was not able to make much of an impact last season. Davis rushed for 86 yards on 34 carries, two years removed from posting 526 yards om 79 carries as a freshman.
Gators head coach Dan Mullen spoke on Monday about his excitement to see Davis back fully healthy, physically and mentally during the spring - now that won't be able to happen.
"I think coming off of the injury, the injuries he’s had, I don’t know if he played at 100%," Mullen said of Davis. "Not that he wasn’t 100% healthy, but 100% even in his mental health with confidence being out there on the field last year. So it will be excited to get him being confident and if he’s confident being ready to go."
Other running backs on the roster such as rising-redshirt-sophomore Iverson Clement, and rising-sophomore Nay'Quan Wright are very inexperienced.
The Gators will have to resort to a backup plan with a limited amount of training prior to the start of the season, and the running backs group will surely be on the forefront.
