GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- With Florida wrapping up fall camp this weekend and getting set to enter normal game prep mode ahead of the season opener against Michigan, GatorBait.net stops to hand out position grades based on what we've seen and what we've gathered from sources at practice.
Quarterback: C+
Comments: This position remains one of the biggest unknowns on the team coming out of fall camp. There's both good and bad. The good is that Luke Del Rio entered camp much healthier than expected and has had a good camp, providing Florida with more depth and a solid third player in the mix to start. The bad news is Notre Dame graduate transfer Malik Zaire has struggled a bit in the passing part of the offense, with miscommunications far too frequent. Nobody has grabbed the job by the throat yet, meaning the grade slips a bit from our pre-camp grade of 'B-.'
Running Back: A+
Comments: As noted in our pre-camp edition when we graded this unit out with an 'A,' the grade would go up if a freshman emerged as a contributor. That has happened. Malik Davis has impressed and already pushed his way past Mark Thompson on the depth chart. He's shown an excellent array of moves in tight spaces and has some explosiveness that the Florida backfield has been missing. Couple with Scarlett's terrific camp, this group is ready to roll come Saturdays.
Wide Receiver: B
Comments: This grade drops from an 'A-' thanks to the issues surrounding Antonio Callaway and the uncertainty over when he'll return. The rest of the unit is still quite functional, but you can't lose your best player and one of the most dangerous players in the conference and not take a hit. Dre Massey hasn't quite emerged like we might have expected, but that has been offset a bit by strong camps from freshman Daquon Green, as well as returning sophomores Joshua Hammond and Freddie Swain. This should be a solid unit even without Callaway. With him, it's a potentially formidable one across the board.
Tight End: C
Comments: Our grade dips slightly here from a 'C+' and the only real reason is because the Gators broke camp missing their top four options at the position (three to injury, one due to a death in the family). The unit has been good but not great, about on par with what we expected. But the injuries make it a unit that we're a bit less comfortable with at the moment, even though most are not believed to be very serious.
Offensive Line: B-
Comments: Another slight dip in this grade, down from a 'B.' This one is pretty straightforward. The depth hasn't emerged just yet. With Kadeem Telfort's suspension, too, Florida doesn't have a true tackle it can rely on yet behind Martez Ivey and Jawaan Taylor. Tyler Jordan will be the backup first to go in at virtually every position across the line, which speaks to the lack of starting-caliber depth right now. The unit as a whole has had some ups and downs in fall camp, but there have been some encouraging signs for the starting group.
Defensive End: A
Comments: After opening camp at an 'A-' this group actually sees its grade rise despite losing two potential contributors at weak-side defensive end due to suspension. The reason? The other contributors have been excellent in fall camp. CeCe Jefferson and Jachai Polite have been consistent forces off the edge, while Jabari Zuniga has also had a strong camp. Antonneous Clayton continues to improve, and Florida should be a solid four to five deep at the end spots even if Keivonnis Davis and Jordan Smith can't return from suspensions any time soon.
Defensive Tackle: B
Comments: We graded this position at a 'B-' entering fall camp, with the chief concern being the lack of proven depth. It's still unproven, but both Kyree Campbell and Luke Ancrum have had consistently positive reports coming out about them from behind closed doors. Throw in the sheer size of Tedarrell Slaton and Elijah Conliffe inside and Florida should be able to field a functional rotation behind starters Khairi Clark and Taven Bryan.
Linebacker: C+
Comments: This grade might seem a bit harsh after the unit went into camp graded at a 'B' but the lack of capable depth is just impossible to ignore at this point. One of the four Florida thought it could count on, Kylan Johnson, has been hurt for nearly all of camp. Then two of the freshmen who were healthy, James Houston and Ventrell Miller, were suspended as part of the misuse of school funds fiasco. Florida is going to be relying on walk-ons, true freshmen or rarely used Rayshad Jackson if there are any injuries at the position. That's a scary thought.
Cornerback: B
Comments: This grade hasn't changed from our pre-camp grade. The development has been about as expected; Florida can count on one true freshman as an immediate starter: Marco Wilson. Wilson will start at nickelback, but could also start outside in a pinch. The better news is it looks like the Gators can also count on a veteran we had overlooked a bit in the equation in Joseph Putu. Christopher Henderson and Brian Edwards have both shown strides, enough to feel a bit more comfortable about the depth. That said, this is still a spot where the grade could drop quickly if there are injuries to key guys.
Safety: B+
Comments: Our grade here doesn't change. As we expected, Gardner moved to safety to help shore up things following the loss of Marcell Harris. We actually expected Jeawon Taylor to potentially push for a starting spot. Instead, it has been freshman Shawn Davis who has done that. In any case, it leaves Florida with three guys the Gators feel they can count on, plus Taylor as additional depth and a capable contributor. For a group that lost its top starter, that's really not a bad position to be in coming out of fall camp.
