And now back to the
'Spring has Sprung' thread topic....
Greg Ostendor, ESPN -- "If last season proved anything in the SEC, it's that a team had better have more than one capable running back on its roster."
"Leonard Fournette and Nick Chubb entered the 2016 season as two of the top backs in college football. They were bona fide Heisman Trophy contenders. However, both suffered injuries along the way that kept them from playing at 100 percent for much of the season."
UF 16 - 10 @ LSU
UF 24 - 10 @ WLOCP / UGly
Injuries aside,
more SEC teams are implementing the RB-by-committee approach on offense. This past season, no SEC running back had more than 250 carries and only four had more than 200.
RB Mark Thompson 6-2 237 rsSr
68 for 299 yds, 4.4 ypc - Rec 4 for 105 yds, 26.25 yds/rec
RB Jordan Scarlett 5-10 213 Jr
179 for 889 yds, 4.97 ypc - Rec 2 for 14 yds, 7 yds/rec
RB Lamical Perine 5-11 221 So
91 for 421 yds, 4.6 ypc - Rec 9 for 161 yds, 17.88 yds/rec
RB/ST's Tyriek Hopkins 5-8 177 rsSo W-O - St. Pete, FL
HS Sr - 127 for 863 yds, 6.8 ypc, 8 TD's - Rec 5 for 42 yds, 8.4 ypr.
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RB Malik Davis 5-11 190 Fr - Tampa, FL
http://www.espn.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/127238/under-the-radar-recruit-florida-gators
RB Adarius Lemons 6-1 195 Fr - Clearwater, FL
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"Florida, they have the best receivers in the SEC," another SEC team's offensive assistant told ESPN earlier this year.
The Gator's slot WR Brandon Powell's response?
"We have playmakers everywhere," the lone senior receiver said with a grin plastered on his face.
"It's going to be hard to stop us when we get it all together" A unit with so much historical pride has fallen on hard times, as the recent past QB position deteriorated alongside.
"That’s definitely the deepest position (WR) on our team," Trask said.
"It’s really fun to just throw it up to Callaway or Cleveland or anyone, and just watch them run under it." There's actually enough diversity and athleticism at receiver to make this offense really take off this fall, as
the 7 top receivers/tight ends all return from last season.
(while the incoming Fr are adding more solid quality for depth and for the future)
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“A lot of people don’t have the mindset for us to be a dominant group, but I feel like we can be a great group," DT Khairi Clark rsJr told ESPN earlier this month.
“Little do they know that we’re a dominant group of guys who have a lot of talent and can shock a lot of people. I don’t think there are a lot of defensive linemen better than us," he said."
Brantley, Ivie and Cox, who dealt with injuries for most of 2016,
accounted for 15.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks last year. While Brantley and Ivie were major disruptors up front, the Gators still have a another group of nasty faces to frustrate offenses.
Including Clark, whose only TFL last year was a sack,
Florida returns 30.5 TFLs and 15.5 sacks from defensive linemen in 2016. A lot of the production came from rising edge-rusher Jabari Zuniga, who led the Gators with five sacks and was second with 8.5 TFLs. This year, he'll be partnered with senior Jordan Sherit, who was second behind Zuniga with 3.5 sacks and had five TFLs, and former five-star Cece Jefferson, who has slimmed down and is considered by Jim McElwain to be one of the Gators' most versatile matchup linemen. So this unit has the ability to turn some heads in 2017.
The addition of prep school standout DT Kyree Campbell 6-3 323 this spring adds another big body in the middle, while this line will get more help from incoming freshmen DT Tedarrell Slaton 6-4 350, DE/DT Elijah Conliffe 6-4 305 and DE Zachary Carter 6-5 250 when they arrive this summer.
