quote:
With coaching changes in both football and basketball this offseason, the Florida program is going through one of its most significant shifts in several years. But the Gators aren't the only SEC program going through such a transition.

The LSU Tigers have also replaced both their football and basketball coaches this offseason.

In both cases, there are some intriguing storylines that will play out over the coming years. In football, Florida quickly moved to hire Louisiana's Billy Napier, plucking him right out of LSU's back yard. The Tigers never seemed to express a ton of interest in Napier, eventually landing on former Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly as their guy.

So if Napier excels and Kelly struggles, or vice versa, it'll certainly raise some eyebrows.

There's a similar story in basketball, with the Gators quickly targeting San Francisco's Todd Golden and landing him. Golden, whose season came to an end in the NCAA Tournament against Murray State's Matt McMahon, will be tasked with proving he was the better hire of the two... the Tigers turned around and hired McMahon as Will Wade's replacement.

Who will win out in these matchups? That remains to be seen. At least one national analyst, though, believes Florida is more likely to have immediate success with its football hire than LSU.

Writes Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports, in picking Napier as the more likely coach to have immediate success:

quote:
While Kelly is more likely to have long-term success, Napier is better-positioned to see immediate success this season. He has a more stable foundation and an easier path to at least get the Gators back to relevance in the SEC. If Richardson does emerge as a bonafide superstar as the offseason momentum indicates, he should be the catalyst for Florida to dictate the style and tempo of most games. Napier was ultra-successful with mobile quarterbacks at Louisiana, including last season with Johnson and dual-threat weapon Levi Lewis. Plus, the schedule sets up relatively well.

Kentucky, South Carolina and Missouri -- which constitute the beefy middle of the East -- will all travel to The Swamp. LSU, on the other hand, has to go to Arkansas, Auburn and Texas A&M. Luckily, there will be a head-to-head contest and some transitive property opportunities to compare the two. Kelly will square off with Napier in The Swamp, and both the Tigers and the Gators will battle with Florida State and Tennessee in 2022. Both also travel to Texas A&M. But the SEC West is stacked, which will make it challenging for the Tigers to make a decent bowl game this year.

There's little doubt Richardson could be the great equalizer for Napier in Year 1. However, it's worth pointing out the wrong breaks could also be hugely detrimental.

Richardson struggled to stay healthy as a redshirt freshman, suffering a hamstring strain, a concussion and a knee injury in 2021.

He underwent offseason meniscus surgery and returned to action sooner than expected in spring ball, looking perfectly fine. If he can stay healthy, there's little doubt his ability alone gives the Gators a chance to surprise in Year 1 under Napier.

If not, the backups don't quite look ready to keep Florida plugging along; it could be a tough season.

In any case, at least some are thinking Napier could get off to a hotter start in Gainesville than Kelly in Baton Rouge. It'll certainly be fun to watch both new coaching hires get going on the gridiron this fall.

How do you think Napier and Kelly will fare in Year 1 at their respective programs? Drop us a line in the comments section with your thoughts and your record prediction for each team in 2022.

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Posted by Gator Fever

Member since Sep 2021

1534 posts

Posted on 5/11/22 at 11:51 am to Partha

I think we should definitely have a better record than LSU unless Richardson misses multiple games. The East has improved but its easier than the West.

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Posted by Partha

Member since Jan 2022

6145 posts

Posted on 5/11/22 at 12:11 pm to Gator Fever

quote:
I think we should definitely have a better record than LSU unless Richardson misses multiple games. The East has improved but its easier than the West.

Plus the teams that we "should" beat more years than not (Kentucky, Mizzou, SCar) are all at home this year. Those teams have been getting better in recent years but with them at home those are 3 "must win" games if we want to have a decent season this fall.

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Posted by Partha

Member since Jan 2022

6145 posts

Posted on 5/11/22 at 12:18 pm to Partha

Florida Gators 2022 Transfer Roles: RB Montrell Johnson
Analyzing the expected roles for the Gators transfer portal roster additions in 2022, starting in the backfield with ball carrier Montrell Johnson.
BRANDON CARROLL
MAY 10, 2022

quote:
Following a disappointing 2021 season, the Florida Gators have taken major strides toward better equipping next year's unit for increased success.

The first step taken was appointing former Louisiana-Lafayette head coach Billy Napier as the new man at the helm in replacement of Dan Mullen to lead the program into the future. The next was Napier's diligence in filling out his on-field and off-the-field staff to complete the massive overhaul.

However, since Napier and company arrived in Gainesville, the evaluation of player personnel has resulted in key veteran additions to spots believed to be significant areas of need before season one of the new regime commences Sept. 3 against Utah.

Those five acquisitions, and counting, through the transfer portal, have the potential to pay dividends as some step into starting roles while others provide important depth and rotational flexibility.

As a result, AllGators takes a look at the new faces that have arrived via the transfer portal this offseason and the roles they will assume in 2022.

We kick things off with sophomore running back Montrell Johnson under the microscope.

The Gators' newfound emphasis on the ground game will be a staple of the offensive game plan as they attempt to wind down opponents and put points on the board in 2022 and beyond.

During Napier's time at UL, there was a near 60/40 split in the Ragin' Cajuns' play-calling in favor of the run. The team prospered employing that style, and so did the running backs.

With Napier heading to Gainesville and stepping into the locker room of a team that was not only one year removed from an air-oriented attack but was losing the team's three leading rushers from a season ago (including quarterback Emory Jones), the necessity to retool the running back room was large.

When also incorporating the fact that the most experienced returning rusher Nay'Quan Wright would be recovering from a severe ankle injury suffered in the regular-season finale this offseason, it became imperative.

As a result, the Napier and running backs coach Jabbar Juluke brought a familiar face with multiple years of remaining eligibility to UF’s campus from their previous stop.

Playing as a true freshman last season, Johnson performed in a big way at UL to be named Sun Belt Freshman of the Year in 2021 despite splitting carries in a three-back rotation with Chris Smith and Emani Bailey.

Johnson out-touched the two veteran backs with 162 total carries for 838 yards and a team-leading 12 touchdowns. An eventful 99-yard run for six highlighted his mixture of power and explosiveness in 2021.

His productive season marked a promising start to his career and suggested that he was worthy of moving to the power five with Florida.

Equipped with a strong lower half and the top-end speed to separate from pursuing would-be tacklers, Johnson is a perfect option to rush the football between the tackles in short-yardage situations and off-tackle in stretch run concepts for Florida.

His versatility in that regard makes him a valuable piece on paper for Napier to deploy at his disposal.

The Gators' head coach referred to him as “what the doctor ordered” in the Florida ground attack following the orange and blue spring game for that reason.

While he was not utilized out of the backfield in the passing game — a duty that will likely be deferred to other backs on the roster — Johnson’s success on the ground and in pass protection will allow him to see extended stretches on the field.

And, luckily for Florida fans, that will be a breath of fresh air as the days of mundane rotations that severely neglects the hot hand appears to have halted.

However, while his skill set will be vital to Florida’s success, and could even dictate the number of tallies in the win column, what he brings from a mental standpoint is greater.

Johnson —despite being one of the newest members — will serve as a veteran of the system. His presence as a high-volume back will continue to aid others in Florida's backfield rotation, alongside the likes of Wright, Lorenzo Lingard and Demarkcus Bowman, and will prove to be an asset for players growing acclimated as the scheme demands the use of multiple ball carriers.

Most importantly, starting quarterback Anthony Richardson will have another player in the offense who understands the game on a deeper level to lean on as he embarks on what many expect to be a campaign where the Gainesville native arrives to star status.

Overall, the addition of Johnson has the potential to be the biggest of all transfers in the short term as well as the long term.

He, if everything goes accordingly, will assume the role of feature rusher to lead the charge for Florida on the ground.

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Posted by Partha

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Posted on 5/11/22 at 1:03 pm to Partha

UF should have one of SEC's top cornerback units
THOMAS GOLDKAMP 18 hours ago

quote:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- With spring football now a couple weeks behind us and players nearing the end of the rest and recovery Phase 4 prior to the grueling offseason summer strength and conditioning program, Swamp247 stops to take a look at each position coming out of the spring.

We have a much better idea what the depth chart looks like after spending time out at Florida's practices this spring, so we give you the full picture at each spot going into fall camp.

Today, we continue with the cornerbacks.

Position Review: Cornerback

Overview: Despite losing first-round draft pick Kaiir Elam to the NFL, Florida went into spring football feeling like the cornerback group could be one of the team's best. Star freshman Jason Marshall was back to lock down one side and there were a handful of really strong options for the job opposite him. Avery Helm, Jaydon Hill and Jalen Kimber all put together a solid spring and will go into fall camp with one of the most contested position battles on the team. That's great news for Florida; the Gators should absolutely emerge with two quality starters at cornerback.

Strengths: Finding the Football, Speed

One major gripe with Florida's secondary over the last couple years has been the lack of takeaways, but that could definitely change in 2022. Marshall was excellent breaking up passes throughout the spring, while Kimber showed a real knack for coming up with interceptions, as he displayed in the team's annual spring game. Hill also had a very positive spring making plays on the football. Meanwhile, Helm is one of the most explosive athletes on the team. Add the likes of athletic and rangy freshman Devin Moore and relatively fast sophomore Ethan Pouncey and UF has plenty of excellent options to work with.

Weaknesses: Physicality

This is a relatively minor quibble with the group, but we'd like to see a handful of individuals bulk up a touch to be able to play more physically. Pouncey and Moore definitely need to bulk up some, while Hill and Kimber can definitely become more physical with their play. Marshall is probably the most well-rounded prospect in the bunch, with Helm close behind. But overall this group needs to become a little more comfortable jamming and rerouting effectively at the line of scrimmage.

*** What We Like: There are simply too many quality options for Florida not to have one of the SEC's better units here in 2022. Marshall could be a bona fide star, while Helm has all the tools to be an eventual first-round NFL Draft pick if he can bring his game up to speed with his measurables. Hill has some decent experience, Kimber should be playing with a chip on his (now healthy) shoulder after transferring in from Georgia and Moore is a talented youngster. We haven't even mentioned Jordan Young, mostly because he was so impressive in the spring game playing nickelback that we lean toward the staff giving him a more permanent look there. But he played mostly on the outside at cornerback prior to the spring game, so he's another valuable option here.

*** What Needs To Happen: Honestly, fall camp is just a matter of settling who Cornerback No. 2 is. It appears like it'll be a battle between Helm, Hill and Kimber, with the former two having a decent lead on Kimber for most of the spring. But Kimber impressed in the spring game and could definitely make a move. Beyond that it's just a matter of figuring out who is best suited to play where -- meaning finding out exactly where a guy like Young should be lining up.

Summer Additions:

None

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Posted by Partha

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Posted on 5/12/22 at 8:59 am to Partha

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Posted on 5/12/22 at 9:02 am to Partha

Quarterback competition not over for UF's Jack Miller as he works to build on solid spring
GRAHAM HALL | Gator Sports

quote:
Florida quarterback Jack Miller III arrived in Gainesville in early January by way of Ohio State with nearly as much collegiate experience as returning quarterback Anthony Richardson, who was expected to step into a starting role during spring camp.

The job wasn’t simply going to be handed to Richardson — the Gators needed capable signal-callers to push the redshirt sophomore to perform at the highest level when he returned from offseason knee surgery.

The uncertainty surrounding the future of Emory Jones — who announced Thursday he will transfer to Arizona State — coupled with the lack of playing time for quarterbacks Jalen Kitna and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson led Florida’s coaching staff to seek out a fifth signal-caller, one capable of enrolling at the top of the year.

Billy Napier had recruited Jack Miller before
The Gators settled on Miller, who would be entering his redshirt sophomore season after playing in six games across two seasons with the Buckeyes. He’d been recruited previously by head coach Billy Napier when Napier was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arizona State.

The prior relationship allowed the Gators to get an early foot in the door.

“He was one of the first people that I talked to when I entered the portal,” Miller recalled. “And once I found out he was coming here, I kind of knew that I was going to end up here.”

He may have been the newcomer in the room, but with Napier familiar with his skill set, combined with UF’s apparent opening at the position, Miller wasn’t going to pass up an opportunity to compete for the role of Florida’s starting quarterback.

Throughout spring practice, Miller worked his way up the depth chart and moved ahead of Kitna and Del Rio-Wilson within the first three weeks of camp.

The latter opted to enter his name into the NCAA’s transfer portal five days after Florida’s spring game, while Kitna served as Miller’s backup on the Orange team. The son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna ultimately attempted three passes against the Blue team defense, all of which fell incomplete. Miller, meanwhile, completed 13-of-23 pass attempts for 121 yards during the spring game on April 14.

The opinion of many fans and teammates is that Richardson exited the spring as UF’s starting quarterback headed into the 2022 season. Miller maintains he and Richardson will continue to compete for the job heading into the opener Sept. 3 against Utah.

“We both had pretty good springs I want to say. We’ll both be ready to play,” Miller said. “I think competition is always a good thing. It really pushes you both to really reach your best potential.”

Former Buckeye still competing to be Florida's starting QB
Miller believes he’ll improve away from the program and during the offseason.

Having invested a majority of his time into acclimating to a new environment, and to meeting his new coaches and teammates, Miller felt as if he wasn’t able to properly dive into Florida's playbook. Before returning to the field in August, Miller expects to be more acquainted with the scheme and UF’s personnel.

“Everything goes so fast, and during spring ball everything's happening so fast, you don’t really have a chance to take time and really learn all the coverages you’re going to see, all the plays and all that type of stuff,” he said. “So, that’s really what I want to dive into and get really good at, knowing our system inside and out.”

Having spent his first two seasons with the Buckeyes, Miller has had to flush much of what he learned in favor of the offensive system being implemented at Florida under Napier. Any hope Miller had of expediting the learning process once he arrived in Gainesville went out the window when he got his hands on the playbook.

“I would say the offenses are pretty different. It might be a little too early to say anything like that, but yeah, there’s not a whole lot of similarities I don’t think,” Miller said. “I think it just takes time, honestly. Just getting comfortable here and getting comfortable with everybody and developing time with all the receivers, I think it takes a lot of time.”

Time may not be on his side, at least not for the upcoming season. Still, Miller isn’t ready to hand the starting quarterback job to Richardson — not after uprooting his life in Columbus to play for a coach who initially recruited him as a 14-year-old.

As the Gators now focus on offseason training, Miller has turned his attention to improving rather than fixating on where he stands in the depth chart — although that doesn’t mean he’s content with holding a clipboard and wearing a headset as the team’s second-string signal-caller during Napier’s first season with the Florida program.

“I feel like it’s been a good competition. I come in and we compete everyday,” Miller said. “I feel like I’ve gotten better, for sure, especially in (April), and I’m going to continue to get better and work hard everyday.”

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Posted by Partha

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Posted on 5/15/22 at 3:03 pm to Partha

The Toughest Games on the Gators’ Schedule This Year
by Will Thomas

quote:
Year one under Billy Napier is bringing lots of excitement to Gainesville, although expectations for the Gators vary a lot from person to person. Some think it’ll be a slow transition, and UF will win 6-7 games again, while some optimists feel that Napier will have immediate success, and get to 9 or 10 wins in year one.
I won’t get into wins and losses yet, but what are the toughest games that the Gators will have to play this year?

1: Vs. UGA 10/29
This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody. Coming off a National Championship, the Bulldogs will certainly be among the favorites to make the CFP again, and despite losing double-digit players to the draft, return lots of talent.
After a blowout loss last season, Napier will come in looking to turn the tides back in UF’s favor at the WLOCP.

2: @ Texas A&M 11/5
It’s never easy to go win a game in College Station, which the Gators learned the hard way two years ago, where they lost to the Aggies on a game winning field goal.
Jimbo Fisher’s squad will be even better this year, as they’re recruiting classes the last 3 years have ranked 6th, 8th, and 1st according to 247 Sports.
This game will be a huge test for the Gators, and could serve as a milestone win if UF has a successful season.

3: Vs Utah 9/3
Energy for the opening game of the Billy Napier era will be high in the Swamp. The Utes, who are coming off of a great season and a 3 point loss to Ohio St in the Rose Bowl, will be hungry to prove to the country that they’re still elite.
The game also has a little more significance than usual, as Mohamoud Diabate, a former Gator transferred to Utah this offseason.
This will be a big test of the team’s maturity and composure, as they need to beat a good opponent amidst the national attention of Napier’s debut.

4: @ Tennessee 9/24
Tennessee, with head coach Josh Heupel and QB Hendon Hooker, are starting to emerge as a legitimate threat in the SEC East.
After being routed in Gainesville 38-14 last season, the Vols will be inspired to at least make it more competitive this season. Playing in Knoxville is no joke either, and this is the Gators’ first road game of the season.
It will be a tough test of the mental strength of the team, and would be a huge win if the Gators can pull it off.

5: Vs LSU 10/15
Lots of eyes will be on LSU this year with new head man Brian Kelly. The Tigers were down last year, but still beat the Gators in Death Valley, 49-42.
UF-LSU always makes for an entertaining game, and their rivalry runs deep. This will be a defining moment in the season of whichever team comes out on top.

6: Vs Kentucky 9/10
I was struggling between Kentucky and South Carolina for this spot. I only put Kentucky because it’s the second game of the season, and with a new staff and new players, the Gators may still be looking for their identity.
Kentucky does also feature some good talent, most notably QB Will Levis, and head coach Mark Stoops has turned Kentucky into a solid team who can consistently compete in the SEC East.

7: Vs South Carolina 11/12
Like I said, this game is neck and neck with the Kentucky matchup. Head coach Shane Beamer is doing a great job transforming that program into a solid squad, and Oklahoma transfer Spencer Rattler has the potential to be one of the best QBs in the SEC.
After an embarrassing loss to the Gamecocks in Columbia last year, UF should be looking for revenge and come prepared for this matchup.

8: Vs Missouri 10/8
I think the only way the Gators can lose this game is if they look ahead to LSU and don’t focus on the task at hand. Missouri did beat the Gators last season, but that Gators squad wasn’t very inspired, and they’ll be hungry for revenge this season.
This matchup is turning into somewhat of a rivalry, as the teams had a brawl at halftime in 2020, and coaches Dan Mullen and Eliah Drinkwitz traded shots after their teams traded wins the past 2 years.

9: @ FSU 11/25
I can’t express how much I wanted to put FSU below Vandy on this list, but I figured because its a rivalry I’d give the Noles the 9 spot.
Not a lot is going right for Mike Norvell’s squad in Tallahassee, and they won’t be too competitive in the ACC again this season.
It should be another year where the Gators coast to state supremacy in Florida.

10: @ Vandy 11/19
Vandy has been on the bottom of the SEC for a few years now. The Gators have won their last 8 against the Commodores, including 2 shutouts in the last 3 years.
There isn’t much more to saw about this game, as the Gators will likely have another SEC victory coming in Nashville.

11: Vs EWU 10/1
Admittedly I don’t know enough about Eastern Washington’s team to make a very in-depth analysis of this game.
One potential challenge here is that this game comes after the Gators trip to Knoxville, so there could be a little hangover in the first half, but UF should still coast in this one.

12: Vs USF 9/17
The Gators beat the Bulls in Tampa 42-20 last season, and we can expect more of the same this year. In the Swamp, with two big games already under their belts, the Gators will be ready to roll through USF and prepare for their game against the Vols the following week.

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Posted by slayerxing

Gainesville

Member since Feb 2010

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Posted on 5/16/22 at 12:54 pm to Partha

Tough schedule for a new coach especially given a mediocre roster.

I think it really hinges on AR15 health. If he plays all season I could see 8-10 wins. If he is hurt a lot, I doubt UF gets past 7.

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Posted by Partha

Member since Jan 2022

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Posted on 5/16/22 at 11:40 pm to Partha

Three Questions About the Florida Gators Running Backs in 2022
Three questions about the Florida Gators running backs that will need to be answered come the 2022 season.
ZACH GOODALL MAY 14, 2022

quote:
Spring practice is in the rearview mirror and we're stuck in football purgatory, the summer months before fall camp begins and the season kicks off.

This means it's the perfect time to analyze the Florida Gators' roster in-depth as we prepare for Billy Napier's first season as UF's head coach, and AllGators is doing so by asking three questions about every position on the roster after watching each unit thoroughly throughout the spring.

We've already covered the quarterback room and will continue on the offensive side of the ball, posing three questions in need of answers by the time the season gets underway at running back.

Here are three questions about the Gators running backs entering 2022.

Who will emerge as RB1?
Three running backs saw significant action throughout the spring: Redshirt senior Lorenzo Lingard, redshirt sophomore Demarkcus Bowman and sophomore Montrell Johnson, each player a former transfer.

Lingard was typically the first running back on the field with the first team in practice, but his spring game action was limited due to an injury. Johnson and Bowman were mixed in heavily as well, and both earned ample opportunities in the final team scrimmage.

Johnson, who played for Napier at Louisiana as a freshman and earned Sun Belt Freshman of the Year honors along the way, appeared more comfortable in the offense by posting an efficient 4.2 yards per carry and scoring a touchdown with the first team. Bowman, with the twos, led the team in scrimmage yards with 79 but fumbled twice, once on a carry and another on a return.

Considering his experience in the system and spring game showing, Johnson appears to be in the best position to start when the season begins. Lingard could pose a threat with a strong fall, however, and so could redshirt junior Nay'Quan Wright, who missed most of the spring as he's been recovering from a season-ending leg injury in 2021.

How deep will the rotation be?
Although there will only be one running back to receive the first snap in week one, you can expect the Gators to rotate aplenty at the position given the amount of talent in the room.

"What we want to do is we want to try to play multiple guys," UF running backs coach Jabbar Juluke said in March. "We want to play multiple guys and make sure that we have competition every day ... So it's not I'm going to play one guy over another. I'm going to play the guy that practices the best that's consistent at doing the things that we're asking him to do on a regular basis."

As described above, UF's running back room is legitimately four-deep on potential contributors, and that doesn't even include incoming freshman and highly-rated recruit Trevor Etienne.

It's very unlikely that four or even five running backs will consistently earn meaningful snaps throughout the year, but three would be plausible. UF utilized a three-man rotation under Dan Mullen last year, although the way carries were seemingly randomly split rather than sticking with the hot hand created frustration across the UF fanbase, see the "Feed Dameon Pierce" movement.

How much will the rushing scheme change?
While this isn't a question specific to the running backs, it will obviously affect the position greatly. Under Mullen, the Gators almost exclusively based their rushing offense on zone concepts, but with Napier in charge, we should expect a healthy mix of zone and gap/power concepts where blockers and rushers will play vertically and stay in between the tackles.

Johnson, a big-bodied bruiser who has a knack for shedding tackles, is a perfect fit for a power-heavy scheme, while Lingard and Bowman appear best suited for zone, one-cut-and-go concepts out of the backfield. Wright could reasonably handle both styles of play, although he doesn't necessarily excel at any one skill as a balanced back.

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Posted by Partha

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Posted on 5/17/22 at 11:15 am to slayerxing

quote:
Tough schedule for a new coach especially given a mediocre roster.

I think it really hinges on AR15 health. If he plays all season I could see 8-10 wins. If he is hurt a lot, I doubt UF gets past 7.

Solid assessment given what we know.

Lots of question marks about the quality of the roster, and whether or not last season's failures were because of poor roster construction or simply because Mullen stopped trying, TG has horrible, and Emory was a disaster.

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Posted by boXerrumble

Member since Sep 2011

52279 posts

Posted on 5/18/22 at 7:47 am to Partha

quote:
Lots of question marks about the quality of the roster, and whether or not last season's failures were because of poor roster construction or simply because Mullen stopped trying, TG has horrible, and Emory was a disaster

The roster, in terms of how good it is, is a TBD.

But I can tell you for 100% fact based on the people I trust, that Mullen stopped trying.

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Posted by Partha

Member since Jan 2022

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Posted on 5/20/22 at 5:00 pm to boXerrumble

quote:
The roster, in terms of how good it is, is a TBD.

But I can tell you for 100% fact based on the people I trust, that Mullen stopped trying.

I'm no insider, nor do I know people who are ones, but it was clear as day to me that Mullen had stopped trying last year. Completely so after the Kentucky loss, but it seemed to me that after he lost to Alabama in the 2020 SECCG he pretty much was ready to move on.

If Stricklin didn't give him that ridiculous salary to come back after the NFL rumors, I wouldn't have been surprised if he pulled a Mac and made up fake death threats or did something to get out faster than he did. I truly believe the only reason why he didn't find a way to resign immediately was that he knew he'd never get paid that much to coach football ever again.

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Posted by Partha

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Posted on 5/20/22 at 5:39 pm to Partha

Florida Gators Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players Part 1
Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

quote:
Florida Gators Preview
Head Coach: Billy Napier, 1st year at Florida
5th year overall, 40-12, 2021 Preview
2021 Record: Overall: 6-7, Conference: 2-6
Keys To The Season | Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Florida Top 10 Players | Florida Schedule & Analysis

Florida Gators Preview 2022
And that’s how these things work in the SEC.

2020 Florida pushed an epic Alabama national championship team to the wall in the SEC Championship, lost all the star parts before a bowl blowout to Oklahoma, came back in 2021 and was good enough to be within a bad two-point conversion play call of taking Bama to overtime – after, by the way, having to completely overhaul the offense with different skill parts – lost two tight road games to Kentucky and LSU that could’ve gone either way, and then had a bad month when things didn’t work quite right.

Dan Mullen, gone. It was just that quick.

You can probably come up with about four plays that had they gone the other way, the coaching staff would’ve still been around, but now Florida is at the forefront of one of the more interesting test cases among the major college programs.

While Dabo and Nick can’t yell at enough clouds or shake fists harder about how the college football world is changing, here comes the young guy who gets exactly what’s happening and appears to understand better than just about anyone that you need to adapt or die.

Billy Napier will be 43 by the time the season starts. He probably should’ve been the Arizona State head coach in 2018 after serving as the offensive coordinator – I should at least get a basket of mini-muffins from Napier’s agent for spending years touting him for every big gig – but he needed that one “prove it” type of head coaching stint to prove he was ready.

All he did was go 40-12 in four years at Louisiana with two Sun Belt championships, two top 16 finishes, three double-digit win seasons, and four division titles.

Now Napier and his high-powered offense comes to Gainesville, but it’s more than that. From the very start he embraced the transfer portal, NIL, and all the key changes and aspects to the modern college football landscape that’s going to be a must to succeed going forward.

He’s not going to necessarily be a CEO as opposed to your normal college football head coaching dictator, but this will be the look and feel of how things are going to be going forward.

There’s a Director of Recruiting Innovation. There’s a GameChanger Coordinator, a Director of Research and Evaluation, a Director of Player Engagement and NIL, and on and on and on.

Of course, all the big programs have that to some extent, but Napier has delineated it all a bit better.

Now he just has to make sure he doesn’t have a midseason three-game losing streak … ever.

Florida Gators Preview 2022: Offense
It’s not like the offense was bad. Give the former coaching staff credit for doing what it could to pivot from Kyle Trask and a high-powered passing game that statistically rivaled the epic Joe Burrow-led LSU attack of 2019 to a different look and feel with a whole slew of new parts.

The Gators finished 15th in the nation in total offense, but all those yards didn’t lead to enough points with too many major power outages, That’s about to change.

Billy Napier knows how to get a ground game moving, and so does his right hand man offensive coordinator Ron Sale. It helps that Sale knows offensive lines, and he worked hand-in-hand with Napier to create the Ragin’ Cajun juggernaut attack over the last few seasons.

It was one of the biggest keys in spring ball – the coaching staff seems to be comfortable with the front five. A few transfers from Louisiana will help and already good situation. The production should be better with the returning experience and a slightly more focused attack.

Louisiana transfer RB Montrell Johnson should be big right away, but there’s going to be a good rotation of options ready to bust out. The top three rushers from last year or gone, but the combination of Nay’Quan Wright, Lorenzo Lingered, and Demarkcus Bowman will get plenty of work.

However …

It all starts at quarterback. The last coaching staff flip-flopped a bit too much, but now Emory Jones is at Arizona State and the O will be all about Anthony Richardson, a 6-4, 237-pound pro prospect who should be in for a massive statistical season.

Leading receiver Jacob Copeland is now at Maryland, but Justin Shorter leads a good group that should grow into the job. This might not be 2020 in terms of high-powered passing flash, but it’ll be more settled.

Florida Gators Preview 2022: Defense
The defense needs more tweaking than the offense. The Gators were tenth in the SEC in scoring defense, 51st in the nation overall, and had major issues against the run in way too many big games.

There needs to be more pressure, more of a pass rush, and a whole lot more takeaways and big plays. It’s not going to require a total overhaul, but …

The defensive line might take a little bit. Brenton Cox at one end is a given as the team’s top pass rusher, and parts of last year’s interior should be close to set with Jalen Lee likely on the nose and Gervon Dexter a sure starter next to him. After that, it’s going to be a rotation of very good, very young players.

Leading tackling linebacker Mohamoud Diabate is off to Utah, and a few other parts of last year’s corps are gone, too. However, Ventrell Miller is back after suffering a torn biceps early on last year – he led the team in tackles in 2020 – as the leader and main man, and fourth-leading tackler Amari Burney is a good veteran who has to do more in the backfield.

The secondary has the talent held over from a slew of strong classes, but it still might take the rest of the offseason to get this group set, at least at corner.

The team’s leading tackler – Trey Dean – is back at safety after making 91 stops, and third-leading tackler Rashad Torrence is back after coming up with 87 tackles and coming up with a team-leading three picks.

Now everyone has to force more takeaways.

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Posted by Partha

Member since Jan 2022

6145 posts

Posted on 5/20/22 at 5:40 pm to Partha

Florida Gators Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players Part 2

quote:
Florida Gators: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats
Florida Gators: Key To The 2022 Offense
Stop with the interceptions.

Of course, the most important thing is getting the new system implemented and making sure the timing is down to take what the coaching staff did at Louisiana and crank it up at a whole other level with better talent. But all the good things this O can do will crash if the turnovers don’t stop.

How many interceptions did Louisiana give away last year over 14 games? 4, and just one in the last eight games. How many interceptions did Florida give away against LSU? 4.

Those four picks were a killer in the 49-42 loss to the Tigers, and the 18 interceptions overall were awful – even if they didn’t contribute to most of the losses. Overall, though, Florida failed to win the turnover margin against anyone but Samford.

Florida Gators: Key To The 2022 Defense
The run defense has to be better.

Who’s up first in the Billy Napier era? Utah and its big, tough, nasty offensive line and ground attack.

There aren’t a slew of top-shelf ground games on the schedule, but that didn’t seem to matter too much last during last year’s run with LSU going off for 321 yards – the Tiger O didn’t get past 170 against anyone else – and South Carolina cranking up 284.

The defense will be better, and there’s too much talent to not shut down a few ground games to a dead stop, but there can’t be any more of those games when the Gators get gouged.

It’s more about the yards per carry allowed. Florida was 0-5 when giving up 4.5 yards or more per pop, and it’s 0-7 in those games going back to the end of 2021.

Florida Gators: Key Player To The 2022 Season
QB Anthony Richardson, Soph.
Go ahead and name any one of a few defensive players, or maybe WR Justin Shorter, or someone on the O line, but for the first year of the new regime to be special, Richardson has to be as good as the growing hype.

Florida couldn’t get its quarterback situation right. Emory Jones led the team in passing, but he threw too many picks. Richardson was amazing early on running, but he wasn’t consistent enough as a passer.

The size, the arm, and the skills are there, and there’s no question who the quarterback is. No pressure, but the O falls on him.

Florida Gators: Key Transfer
RB Montrell Johnson, Soph.
Did you notice that Elijah Mitchell guy for San Francisco last year? He was great for Louisiana before taking his style to the NFL.

Trey Ragas didn’t catch on, but he ran for over 3,500 yards and scored 38 times for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Montrell Johnson ran for 838 yards and 12 touchdowns in the rotation, and now he should be the lead back in the mix of several good runners in the Gator backfield.

Florida Key Game To The 2022 Season
Kentucky, Sept. 10
There was a generation of Gator fans that didn’t know what it was like to lose to Kentucky.

The 2018 season turned out to be great – going 10-3 with a dominant Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win over Michigan – but Dan Mullen didn’t exactly make the base happy when Florida lost to UK for the first time since 1986. Florida got the groove back with two straight wins, only to lose to the Cats last year.

The fans are going to give Billy Napier a little bit of time to get everything right, but beat Kentucky in the SEC opener, and follow it up with a win at Tennessee in the next conference game, and everything will seem like it’s on the right track.

Florida Gators: 2021 Fun Stats
– Penalties: Florida 104 for 918 yards – Opponents 67 for 611 yards
– 2nd Quarter Scoring: Opponents 115 – Florida 81
– Sacks: Florida 37 for 197 yards – Opponents 14 for 80 yards

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Posted by Partha

Member since Jan 2022

6145 posts

Posted on 5/20/22 at 5:42 pm to Partha

Florida Gators Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players Part 3

quote:
Florida Gators Season Prediction, What Will Happen
It’s Florida. Even with the mass losses through the transfer portal there’s a ton of talent in place and more coming through a strong recruiting class.

It’s Florida. Even if there’s supposed to be a rebuilding process to go from good to national title great, there’s not going to be a lot of time allowed for a grace period.

It’s Florida. It’s going to be good under Billy Napier, but the schedule might not help as much as everyone would like.

SET THE FLORIDA GATORS REGULAR SEASON WIN TOTAL AT … 8.5

Start with the positives. There’s no Alabama to face, and not playing Ole Miss or Arkansas this year – or Auburn, or Mississippi State – isn’t a bad thing.

Also, there are enough winnable games to at least not sweat out a bowl game. That shouldn’t be where any bar is set in Gainesville, but in Year One under a new regime, it’s a start.

And then there are the massive concerns.

Starting out against Utah isn’t given at home, and finishing up at Florida State in Tallahassee will be tough.

In between there’s a road game at Tennessee, LSU – as always – is on the slate, and then there’s the killer two-week stretch against Georgia and at Texas A&M.

It’s Florida. It’s going to be a problem for all of those other teams in those tough games, too. It’ll work its way to eight wins in an improved year, but factor in three losses somewhere in the mix to go along with one 50/50 game.

Seven wins will be okay, eight will be fine, nine or more would be terrific, but …

It’s Florida. It’s time to start winning more.

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Posted by boXerrumble

Member since Sep 2011

52279 posts

Posted on 5/21/22 at 1:10 pm to Partha

If you're betting the over, you're saying UF will start out 2-0 in its first 2 games.

Only 1 road game at Tennessee in UF's first 7 games this year.

But starting out against likely top 10 Utah, and likely top 20 Kentucky back to back will be tough.

If they go 2-0 though... theres a CHANCE they could be 6-1 or 7-0 heading into Jacksonville. The LSU game will be tough for sure, but its a pretty big deal that we have it in Gainesville this year.

I'd say most likely scenario is this:

Sept 3 Utah - L
Sept 10 Kentucky - W
Sept 17 USF - W
Sept 24 at Tennessee - L
Oct 1 Eastern Washington - W
Oct 8 Missouri - W
Oct 15 LSU - L
Oct 22 OPEN DATE
Oct 29 Georgia (in Jacksonville) - L
Nov 5 at Texas A&M - L
Nov 12 South Carolina - W
Nov 19 at Vanderbilt - W
Nov 25 at Florida State - W

7-5 (4-4 in SEC)

A lot of my thoughts on this season will hinge on that first game against Utah.

Thats your barometer - top 10 team at home to start the season.

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Posted by boXerrumble

Member since Sep 2011

52279 posts

Posted on 5/21/22 at 1:23 pm to boXerrumble

quote:
Another highly-regarded player in the transfer portal is headed to Gainesville, as wide receiver Ricky Pearsall just announced his commitment to Florida.

Pearsall, who previously attended Arizona State, took an official visit to UF and is now officially off the market.

LINK

Good for depth. He'll easily start IMO.

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Posted by Partha

Member since Jan 2022

6145 posts

Posted on 5/21/22 at 1:30 pm to boXerrumble