How Does O'Cyrus Torrence Change the Florida Gators OL Outlook?
Photo Credit: University of Florida Athletic Association
The Florida Gators upgraded their offensive line in a big way on Monday, bringing in transfer offensive guard O'Cyrus Torrence from Louisiana-Lafayette. The 6-foot-5, 332-pound people mover is a force to be reckoned with, and there are plenty of reasons why Florida fans should get excited about the team's new-look OL.
But, with Torrence entering the fold, there are likely going to be plenty of changes made in terms of who plays and who doesn't at various positions across the OL. So, what makes the most sense for Florida moving forward?
Last season, the Gators used a variety of offensive linemen due to either play or injuries. But, the most common alignment was as follows (from left to right): Richard Gouraige, Ethan White/Joshua Braun, Kingsley Eguakun, Bruan/Stewart Reese and Jean Delance.
Both White and Braun are listed as left guards here because they effectively split the season in half due to White's injury. Bruan spent the first six games of the season playing primarily right guard, often in relief of Reese whether due to injuries or play.
Another player worth noting is tackle Michael Tarquin, who played a significant number of snaps for Florida at right tackle primarily due to injuries at the position last season. He is likely to be the team's swing tackle during the year.
Essentially, those were the seven offensive linemen that earned the most playing time last season for Florida.
With Reese and Delance both graduated and out of the program (Delance formally accepted an invitation to the 2022 Shrine Bowl and is currently listed on the West roster), that leaves five of the "starters" bidding for spots this season at Florida. Adding Torrence will shake up that alignment even further.
With that said, here is how we would expect Florida's offensive line to look as of now with Torrence added in 2022:
LT: Richard Gouraige
In 2021, Gouraige graded out as the team's best pass blocker, according to Pro Football Focus. He allowed just two sacks in 435 pass-blocking reps, along with nine hurries and seven quarterback hits.
Entering his redshirt senior season this year, Gouraige is one of the most veteran players on the team's offensive line now. His leadership within the group will be something to make note of as we move forward into the year, too.
While his run blocking could use some work, graded as the fourth-best run blocker, according to PFF, his effectiveness in protecting the quarterback's blindside should be taken into heavy consideration when projecting the starting five.
LG: Ethan White
White would have been the team's starting left guard all season had it not been for nagging injuries that forced him to miss essentially half of the year. His transformation from his high school weight (over 400 pounds) to his playing weight while at Florida now (listed at 319 pounds) has been well-documented.
His play in limited reps compared to the majority of the other offensive linemen in this list was respectable. In 226 pass-blocking reps, White gave up just six pressures and no sacks. His run-blocking ability was the best among all offensive linemen that played more than 49 snaps at 66.5, per PFF.
Florida could use Bruan in this spot, but his role with the team has yet to be defined, and that will be touched on later. Entering his senior season, White should be able to close out potentially his final year at Florida with a bang.
C: Kingsley Eguakun
Eguakun was one of the more consistent of the team's offensive linemen, playing 870 snaps on the year, the most snaps among all players on the team. In 454 pass-blocking reps, Eguakun allowed just 13 total pressures and zero sacks, per PFF.
He graded out well in run blocking with a score of 61.6, the second-best grade among OL on the team. Unless White takes his spot with some different configuration, it should be expected that Eguakun retains his role as the starting center entering his redshirt junior season.
RG: O'Cyrus Torrence
Torrence is the big get for Florida and will have a starting role, likely at his natural position of right guard. He comes in boasting the best grades among any offensive lineman on the roster, granted he played in the Sun Belt Conference. Nonetheless, PFF grades him out at 84.8 in passing blocking for 2021.
In three seasons at ULL, Torrence allowed zero sacks and just one QB hit. He has allowed just 17 pressures across 1,146 pass-blocking reps. Those grades are enough to send him to the NFL, let alone become a starter at Florida. At 6-foot-5, 332 pounds, he has plenty of size to translate to the Southeastern Conference.
While he has played some right tackle (46 total snaps at the position in 2021), he fits the RG mold perfectly and shouldn't be moved.
RT: Joshua Braun
Here's where it will get tricky for Florida, Bruan has never played right tackle in his two years at Florida. But, it would be discouraging for the team not to have him in the starting five in some capacity in 2022. At 6-foot-6, 342 pounds, he does have the size to play the position.
Given his athleticism, while being such a big man, he would also seemingly fit well, playing in space. It's not like the position is completely foreign to the rising true junior, though. In his prep career at Suwannee (Fla.), Braun played right tackle and excelled at the position.
Last season, Bruan graded out as allowing 18 pressures and 0 sacks. His run blocking was graded negatively at just 46, but he played through injuries and at multiple positions. With a position perhaps more natural to his abilities, he can easily improve and grade as one of the team's best offensive linemen.
His translation to the right side of Florida's offensive line might come with some hiccups, but should be fine as the team moves forward, especially next to Torrence.
Stay tuned to AllGators for continuous coverage of Florida Gators football, basketball and recruiting. Follow along on social media at @SI_AllGators on Twitter and Florida Gators on Sports Illustrated on Facebook.
