Two weeks into preseason camp, alligatorSports Editors Ian Cohen and Ethan Bauer take a look at Florida football’s four offensive position groups — quarterbacks, running backs, receivers/tight ends and the offensive line — and provide analysis from the first two weeks of practice. Let’s start with the one you want to hear about the most:
Quarterbacks
Player to Watch: Luke Del Rio. While nothing has officially been announced yet, Florida coaches have hinted that Del Rio has a slight edge in the quarterback battle because of his familiarity with the system — Del Rio transferred to Florida before the start of last season and spent the entire year practicing due to NCAA transfer rules.
Under the radar: Kyle Trask. He didn’t even start at his own high school, and yet UF coaches are excited about what the freshman will turn into a couple years down the road. Players are impressed with his arm strength and his height — he’s 6-foot-4. He’ll likely sit out this season.
Quote: “There’s obviously a lot of quarterback issues (here),” — Austin Appleby
Analysis: Florida’s quarterback situation starts off simple, but the further you look, the more complicated it becomes.
The simple part: UF’s QB group is split into two tiers. In the first tier are Luke Del Rio and Austin Appleby, both of whom are competing for the starting job. In the second tier are freshmen Kyle Trask and Feleipe Franks, who have almost no chance at running the first-team offense unless the Gators are decimated by injuries.
The complicated part: Del Rio and Appleby seem to be dead even in the race. No players are willing to state that one has a clear advantage over the other, and the coaches are just as unsure of who will be Florida’s starter on Sept. 3.
“I do know this,” UF coach Jim McElwain said. “We've got some depth at the position, and I'm really excited about that.”
The quarterback battle is the most intriguing of Fall camp, and until McElwain names a starter — which he said he may do after UF’s second Fall scrimmage on Friday — the question will continue to linger around the team like a salty ex-girlfriend.
Running backs
Player to watch: Mark Thompson. He’s big and he’s oozing confidence. It’ll be interesting to see how the junior college transfer fares against SEC defenses.
Under the radar: Mark Herndon, Lamical Perine. Both players won’t see the field much, but Perine (5-foot-11, 221 pounds) brings size to the position while redshirt senior Herndon brings experience and capable legs off the bench.
Quote: “If someone comes at me, nine times out of 10 I’m gonna think in my head that I’m gonna win. Actually, 10 times out of 10,” — Mark Thompson
Analysis: Legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice is perhaps best known for his characterization of the 1924 Notre Dame backfield as “the four horsemen.”
“In dramatic lore,” he wrote, “they are known as Famine, Pestilence, Destruction and Death. These are only aliases. Their real names are Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden.”
Florida may have its own stable of horsemen in the backfield this year, and their names are Cronkrite, Scarlett, Thompson and Herndon.
Following the loss of last season’s flagship rusher Kelvin Taylor to the NFL, Florida will turn to its four-headed monster to fill the production void.
The most talked about of the four is Thompson, a junior college transfer. The Le Mott, Pennsylvania native is built in the mold of Alabama Heisman winner Derrick Henry, measuring 6-foot-2 and weighing in at 237 pounds.
But his physical size pales in comparison to the size of his confidence — he claims that he’ll rush for 1,000 yards before Florida’s bye week, the eighth week of the season.
While Thompson will see the field plenty, another player likely to help fill the void is Jordan Cronkrite, a 5-foot-11, 204-pound sophomore from Miami.
“Even though he’s not the biggest, he’s one of the more physical ones,” linebacker Alex Anzalone said of Cronkrite. “They’re all really physical, they’re running really hard and we’ll see what happens in camp. It should be a good competition to see who gets the starting job and who contributes.”
Scarlett will also be in the mix for serious playing time, while redshirt senior Mark Herndon could contribute in spots.
Meanwhile, true freshman Lamical Perine, the forgotten horseman, is likely to redshirt due to the position’s depth or be relegated to a role on special teams.
Wide receivers/tight ends
Player to watch: Tyrie Cleveland. BB gun incident aside (Cleveland and teammate Rick Wells were arrested in July for firing a BB gun at a UF residence hall), Cleveland was a huge steal for the Gators in the 2016 recruiting class. Ranked as the No. 2 receiver in the country by the 247Sports composite, Cleveland’s 6-foot-2 frame gives him the potential to equal Antonio Callaway’s freshman success while also providing a viable option on the other side of the field.
Under the radar: Dre Massey, C.J. Worton. At 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, Massey is a slot receiver with speed who has been billed as a playmaker. The JUCO transfer will challenge junior Brandon Powell for playing time in the slot. Worton, at 6-feet and just under 200 pounds, could also play the slot or on the outside. The junior got rave reviews from coach Jim McElwain at Florida’s media day, which could translate to opportunity.
Quote: McElwain on C.J. Worton: “He's had an outstanding summer; a guy that has really been a go-to guy for our guys.”
Analysis: Until Antonio Callaway’s emergence last season, Florida had struggled for years to find playmakers at the receiver position. This season, the question surrounding the receiving corps is who will emerge to draw some attention away from an established option in Callaway.
One possible answer is a pair of fresh faces in freshman Tyrie Cleveland and junior college transfer Dre Massey. Though they bring different skillsets — Massey is a 5-foot-9 slot receiver while Cleveland is a 6-foot-2 outside threat — they could be just the playmaking injection Florida needs.
Another possibility: One of Florida’s veterans will finally put his game together. Senior Ahmad Fulwood, junior Brandon Powell and junior C.J. Worton are among these veterans.
And if not, McElwain has shown he’s not afraid to turn to true freshmen. Aside from Cleveland, that leaves Rick Wells, Josh Hammond and Freddie Swain as possible beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, at tight end, Florida has two workhorses and two projects.
The first workhorse in DeAndre Goolsby, the projected starter. At 6-foot-4, 244 pounds, Goolsby brings a strong frame and has proven to be a viable receiving option. He caught 17 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown last season.
His counterpart is C’yontai Lewis, who at 6-foot-4 and 231 pounds looks more like a built receiver than a tight end. Last season he grabbed four passes and two touchdowns, which both figure to increase along with his targets.
Aside from them, the group is rounded out by redshirt sophomore Moral Stephens and sophomore Camrin Knight. Neither of them have registered any career stats.
Offensive line
Player to watch: Martez Ivey. UF’s running backs and defensive linemen have gushed about Ivey’s improvement from a year ago when he was a five-star recruit out of Apopka. Ivey played in 12 games and started the final eight of the 2015 season and will almost assuredly be a full-time starter this season.
Under the radar: Kavaris Harkless. With possible starting offensive lineman Antonio Riles suffering a season-ending injury during preseason practice, the redshirt sophomore could see some playing time this year if UF shuffles its offensive line. Plus, McElwain mentioned Harkless by name at the Gators’ Media Day on August 3, saying he may be one of the first backups UF turns to at the tackle position.
Quote: “(Offensive line) coach (Mike) Summers has challenged us to become great, so we’re excited to accept that challenge and see how far that can take us,” — center Cameron Dillard.
Analysis: When it comes to Florida’s offensive line, there’s really only one thing to say: It needs to be drastically better than last year if UF has any hopes of success this season.
And its players think it will be.
Florida has more experience on its line than last year and is excited about the potential of several players, including Ivey, Dillard and David Sharpe.
Dillard, one of the leaders on the offensive line, has been challenged to take charge of his teammates and turn one of Florida’s biggest weaknesses into one of the team’s strengths by offensive line coach Mike Summers. Dillard will likely be the Gators’ starting center barring injury.
Additionally, McElwain said that the progression, maturity and leadership of Sharpe, a junior, will be one of the determining factors of how the line plays this season.
“We struggled a lot when you look at it. Let's be honest about it .... but they fought, they competed and that's how you develop a championship-caliber team,” offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier said of the line. “To see the growth they have made over the last year — really, really excited about where they are as we go into camp.”
Florida's offensive line looks to be much improved in 2016. "Coach (Mike) Summers has challenged us to become great, so we’re excited to accept that challenge," center Cameron Dillard said.
