Trio of Experienced Sophomores Offers Boost to Gators' O-Line

Tyler Jordan, far left, and Fred Johnson, far right, proved their value as first-year players in 2015. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA)

Trio of Experienced Sophomores Offers Boost to Gators' O-Line

Sunday, August 7, 2016 | Football, Scott Carter

Martez Ivey, Fred Johnson and Tyler Jordan played significantly as true freshmen

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- From his perch above the field at the Citrus Bowl in January, there was no escaping reality for Gators offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.

Nos. 73, 64 and 74 in blue provided a constant reminder.

"I don't know how many teams started a bowl game with three true freshmen starting on the offensive front,'' Nussmeier said at media day.

All that matters now is that Florida did.

The result wasn't so pleasant against Michigan as the Gators suffered a 41-7 loss to end a 10-4 season. The young offensive line had its share of difficulty against the Wolverines as UF managed only 273 total yards. Florida's struggles on the offensive line -- some valid, others more a byproduct of the offense's overall shortcomings -- in McElwain's first season have been well-documented.

The Gators allowed a school-record 46 sacks (since UF began tracking the statistic in 1996), including 31 over the final eight games when the offense lost its rhythm due to quarterback Will Grier's season-ending suspension and Treon Harris replacing him. With an experienced offensive line in 2014, Florida limited opponents to only 17 sacks.

Still, Nussmeier and Gators head coach Jim McElwain are confident the offense will be improved in 2016.

Those three true freshmen who started in the Citrus Bowl -- Martez Ivey, Tyler Jordan and Fred Johnson -- are primary reasons why.

31596 — Sophomore Martez Ivey warms up on first day of preseason camp. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA)

"We had some guys kind of learn by fire a little bit last year, and to see what they learned and how they piece it together is really going to show where we are going to go offensively,'' McElwain said.

Let's start with No. 73 Ivey, the most highly touted of the trio.

Ivey arrived at UF last season as the nation's top offensive line prospect. He was slowed in fall camp by arthroscopic knee surgery and later by a shoulder injury that required surgery after the season. But in between surgeries, the 6-foot-5, 312-pound Ivey started the final eight games at left guard.

Ivey is limited at the start of preseason camp for precautionary reasons, but he has placed no limitations on the possibilities for his sophomore season.

"I can't even explain how much more confident I am right now,'' he said. "I was definitely not in prime form [as a freshman]. You definitely haven't seen that."

The source of Ivey's optimism is good health. He said there were times last season when the pain in his surgically repaired shoulder was so great he didn't want to practice.

While Ivey is eventually expected to move outside, he projects as the starting left guard alongside junior tackle David Sharpe.

"I fit wherever you need me,'' said Ivey, who is focused on improving his pass-blocking skills in camp. "That's always going to be an area I can improve on."

Meanwhile, no telling how Florida's offensive line would have fared in 2015 if not for the emergence of No. 64 Jordan, who flew under the radar out of Bishop Kenny High in Jacksonville.

The 6-foot-4, 295 pound Jordan was the O-line's utility man. He played left guard, right guard and center. He started at right guard in the Citrus Bowl and figures in prominently in this season's plans.

"He stepped up a lot,'' Sharpe said of Jordan. "He was very nervous most of the time. He took a big leadership role as a freshman and stepped up in that role and did everything coaches asked him to do."

Jordan's versatility saved the Gators from having to dig deeper into the young depth on the offensive line.

"Coming in as a freshmen, I thought I was only going to come in on field goal and get in here and there,'' he said. "I was trying to learn the ropes. I saw my role change. I really enjoyed it."

While others might look at the unit as a weak link heading into the season, Jordan isn't listening. He said the experience from last season has raised expectations from his peers.

Plus, he knows what Ivey and Johnson can do after being around them for a full year.

"[Martez] is very versatile. He has heavy hands and he's a student of the game. He's always in the film room and going through the playbook," Jordan said. "Fred is just a big dude. He's got long arms and has a long reach and has long legs. He can move and is athletic."

The 6-foot-6, 315-pound Johnson, No. 74 on the roster, started two games at right tackle as a freshman. Johnson didn't start playing football until late in his career at Royal Palm Beach High.

Johnson's development in his first year at UF under line coach Mike Summers has raised his stock considerably.

"The ceiling is way up there,'' Ivey said.

Johnson said the chemistry between the three sophomores, plus returning veterans such as Sharpe, center Cam Dillard and guard Antonio Riles, can be a strength of this Florida team instead of a weakness.

There's no substitute for experience.

"We're the three guys who played this role last year, now we get to help everybody else, like the new guys,'' Johnson said. "To understand this isn't high school anymore and there's things that have to be sacrifice for this position and this role as a Florida Gator."

The Gators have come a long way since ending McElwain's first spring camp at Florida with only six healthy offensive linemen on scholarship. Still, they have a long ways to go to get where they envision.

Oh, but that distance doesn't seem nearly as far as a year ago.

"They have grown up a little bit,'' McElwain said.