With Spring football practice underway, one of first-year head coach Jim McElwain’s goals is to give players valuable playing experience.
And for this year’s Gators, no position needs more experience than the offensive line.
Florida’s offensive line has just seven healthy scholarship athletes.
But after the first of 15 Spring practices concluded on Monday, McElwain is anything but worried.
"I see some eager guys out there," McElwain said. "Even as thin as we were in the offensive line from a body count, you had guys that believed, you know what, we’ve got to get this going together."
One of those hungry to get into the rotation is guard Antonio Riles.
The redshirt sophomore has played in four games in his two-year career at Florida.
He redshirted his freshman season, winning the Most Valuable Offensive Scout Team Award as a member of the scout team.
Riles took a back seat on the offensive line last season having the chance to learn from potential NFL players.
"Last year, you know, I had to sit back and watch those guys and that’s exactly what I needed," Riles said. "To watch some great guys in front of me, all my big brothers Trent (Brown), Max (Garcia), all those guys. Chaz (Green), all those cats."
"That’s a blessing for those guys to be in front of me. So I know the type of mentality I have to have to be a successful offensive lineman. That’s what I’m trying to do. Slow the game down as much as I can so I can do that."
With the return of offensive line coach Mike Summers, who is the only coach McElwain retained from the previous regime, Riles knows firsthand how much Summers will push him to get the most out of his play.
"He’s the one that helped me in that transition," Riles said. "He expects greatness in everything you do. That’s the kind of coach you gotta have. … I just gotta plug all the pieces together, and that’s what I’ve been working on, and (Summers) has most definitely been helping me get that down."
The only two players with significant playing experience along the offensive line are tackles David Sharpe and Rod Johnson.
Both will be expected to lead the line in the spring and teach the younger linemen what Summers expects of them.
"It’s definitely a big leadership role and definitely for these guys coming in we have to take them under our wing and teach them and tell them about coach Summers," Sharpe said. "He’s a great coach. He’s definitely got the best interests for them and their future."
McElwain said the offensive line will be tested throughout practice, especially at the hands of Florida’s defensive line.
UF lost two cogs on the defensive side of the ball to the NFL Draft — Dante Fowler Jr. and Darious Cummings — but they do return four defensive linemen who were responsible for 13.5 of UF’s 30 sacks last year.
"Our speed on defense is really good," McElwain said. "No doubt about it."
Senior defensive lineman Jon Bullard, who recorded a career-high 52 tackles in addition to 2.5 sacks in 2014, said while it will be tough for one player to replace Fowler alone, he knows he needs to step up his own game.
"That’s just something I’ve got to take on my back and make the most out of it," Bullard said. "When they need something or need a play, I need to be the guy to come through."
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Florida players huddle during their first spring practice on Monday.
