Three Gators Offensive Players Whose Roles Should Increase in 2020

The Gators are losing their fair share of players next season. Who will replace them?

Van Jefferson. Freddie Swain. Josh Hammond. Tyrie Cleveland. Lamical Perine. 

These are the main five guys that Florida's offense is losing in 2020. And all five will be sorely missed. 

And what do they all have in common? 

They all make plays. You can look at all of those guys and recall a time in the last few seasons where they made "gotta have it," type plays. So, with the departure of these five, who can replace them? Who must replace them? 

Let's look: 

WR Jacob Copeland

We all know how special Copeland can be. We know his big play capability and we know that, at his ceiling, he can be a top weapon in college football. But will he hit that ceiling? How can he? 

First, he must stay healthy. 

He did this season and he must next season. I am a firm believer that this wide receiver room can still be very good, but not without Copeland. Not without him becoming arguably a wide receiver No. 1.

RB Dameon Pierce

He is averaging 5.6 yards per carry. That is extremely solid considering this offense was pitiful at running the ball all season. But as the line gets another season to develop and recruits and hopefully transfers wear orange and blue next season, the run blocking should inevitably be better. 

There is no reason in what he has shown that Pierce can't be a legitimate work-horse back. The main thing that we will have to see is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, as Perine has been extremely useful in doing that throughout this season. 

Also, regardless of who plays quarterback for the Gators next season, the running game has to be better, plain and simple. They simply can't go another full season being completely inept on the ground. The opinion of many this season was that Pierce actually would be more effective in this offense anyway. 

The reason is because Pierce is more powerful than Perine. On plays where there is not a whole lot of space, you need someone with the power to push piles for a few extra guys. That is Pierce. 

Florida desperately needs that guy to push piles next season. 

Kadarius Toney

Obviously Toney has found time on the field since his freshman season back in 2017. Despite showing no real ability to be a true wide receiver, he is simply too athletic and too shifty to not be given the ball. 

The issue is that up to this point, he has been strictly a gadget guy. He has been extremely difficult to give the ball within the flow of the offense. Outside of jet sweeps and screens, there's typically not other ways he gets the ball. 

But there is no reason he can't increase his touches in 2020. There is no reason he shouldn't catch crossing routes and flat routes and then showoff his sharp cuts and tackle-breaking. 

Next year Toney should be a more polished receiver because he simply has to be a real difference-maker. 

Overall, the offense should be extremely solid yet again. This is no matter who takes snaps, Kyle Trask or Emory Jones. These three players absolutely have to be play makers, though.