The Gators open up their preseason training camp today, and that can only mean one thing around these parts: UF fans already have their eyes on a trip to Glendale, Ariz., in January.
But before they get their hopes up too much, I think now would be the best time to warn fans to curb their expectations for this year’s football team, because there are sure to be a few bumps in the road.
Now, I know many of you have been spoiled the last four years, with two Southeastern Conference titles, two BCS titles and a Heisman-winning quarterback who just so happened to be one of the greatest – if not the greatest – college football players of all time.
But that was the past. Tim Tebow is gone, as are his two favorite receiving targets from last season in Riley Cooper and Aaron Hernandez.
Add in the losses of Joe Haden, who was arguably the best shutdown cornerback in the nation, linebackers Brandon Spikes and Ryan Stamper, safety Major Wright and defensive ends Carlos Dunlap and Jermaine Cunningham, and it adds up to a lot of voids to fill from a team that went 13-1 and didn’t even win its conference championship.
Those losses leave many questions surrounding this team – questions that fans won’t find out the answer to until at least Sept. 11 against South Florida in the Gators’ only real test before they begin their SEC schedule.
The biggest questions remain on offense, where John Brantley will take over for Tebow. Brantley has been highly touted coming into the season, and by all accounts, he has the tools to be a great player by the time he leaves UF. But he has yet to prove anything as a starter.
More uncertainty revolves around the pieces surrounding Brantley on offense. Who will emerge as the team’s go-to receivers?
“We have a lot of talent,” coach Urban Meyer said at SEC Media Days last month. “I can’t list you the top six or seven playmakers in order. I know we have them.”
Meyer can’t list them in order because it’s clearly an unknown commodity. The potential is there for Brantley and the playmakers, but it’s just a matter of turning that potential into production during games.
The Gators also bring in the No. 2 recruiting class, according to Rivals.com, and some of those freshmen are sure to have positive impacts this season. But they won’t all pan out immediately – if at all.
So before you go booking a trip to Glendale in January, Gators fans, take off the orange-and-blue-tinted shades and look at this team for what it really is – talented, but unproven.
