GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Since the moment news broke that
Dan Mullen was returning to Florida to take over the Gators' football program, the O-word has been a prominent topic of conversation.
You know,
offense.
Mullen addressed it from the start.
"I know how important offense -- trust me, I know how important offense is here,'' Mullen said at his introductory press conference. "I've been here and know what that's all about, and I know everybody likes to score some points."
The Swamp is never more alive than when the Gators are piling up the points, which Mullen can testify from his four years as Florida's offensive coordinator. In his 53 games as UF offensive coordinator from 2005-08, the Gators scored 30 or more points 35 times (66 percent) and in 23 of his final 27 games (85 percent). The Gators have averaged 30 points a game only once over the past eight seasons (30.2 in 2014).
When you have a quarterback like Tim Tebow and a playmaker such as Percy Harvin to call plays around, scoring points suddenly becomes easier.
"That's still probably the best high school film I've ever seen in my life,'' Mullen said of Harvin.
While the Gators didn't sign anyone as hyped as Harvin on National Signing Day, Mullen's first recruiting class as Florida's head coach certainly has an offensive flavor. Florida has added 21 players to the roster since Mullen took over, and 15 of those shined on offense in high school.
Two of those players – Justin Watkins and Amari Burney – are listed as multi-purpose athletes. Watkins, signed Wednesday, excelled as a receiver and kick returner in high school and figures into the offensive plans. Burney, a standout receiver and defensive back at Clearwater Calvary Christian, is projected as a defensive back. Defensive back Randy Russell, who signed in December, has been declared medically ineligible due to a heart abnormality.
Overall, the Gators have added four offensive linemen, three receivers, two running backs, two tight ends, two multi-purpose athletes, a kicker and a quarterback under Mullen to bolster the offensive options entering spring camp. Quarterback Emory Jones, signed in December, headlines the group of newcomers. He enters the fray at a position that already includes
Feleipe Franks,
Kyle Trask and
Jake Allen.
Copeland, a 5-foot-11, 186-pound receiver out of Escambia High in Pensacola, drew the most attention on Wednesday, and not just for his mom's reaction when he announced he was signing with Florida over Alabama and Tennessee.
"[He] was obviously a top priority for us from the day we got hired here. I think he's a mismatch problem on the field,'' Mullen said. "You can move him around. You can motion him in the backfield, give him the ball, throw him bubble screens or throw him vertically down the field or work over the middle of the field on option routes. You know, he's a complete player and is a great playmaker with the ball in his hands."
Meanwhile, Watkins is another player who has shown how dangerous he is when the offense runs through him. Watkins returned four kickoffs and two punt returns for touchdowns in high school and has the ability to make would-be tacklers look foolish in the open field.
Watkins rushed for more than 3,000 yards in high school and had nearly 1,000 yards receiver as a multi-purpose threat. He also was a shut-down cornerback when inserted on defense.
"He's and electric guy with the ball in his hands,'' Mullen said. "He's the type of player we expect to have in our program."
Perhaps more important than the talent added since Mullen took over is his proven ability at developing players and producing quick results. The season before Mullen took over at Mississippi State, the Bulldogs ranked 113th nationally in total offense (274.9 yards per game) and 115th in scoring (15.3 points per game). Those numbers jumped to 371.9 ypg and 25.6 ppg in his first season.
The influx of new talent means new hope for Gator fans who have grumbled often at the offensive woes the program has endured since Florida's last national championship in 2008, coincidentally Mullen's final season as UF's offensive coordinator.
Mullen said on National Signing Day that two of the newcomers with the potential to make the biggest difference, transfer receivers Trevon Grimes and Van Jefferson, are still awaiting word from the NCAA on their eligibility for the 2018 season.
If Grimes and Jefferson can play, the offense's potential in Mullen's first season offers even more promise.
"We have to see with them. They're in. They're working out with the team,'' Mullen said. "Their adjustment is going to be maybe a little bit different than the high school guys coming in because you have Tre and Van, a little bit older, [who] have been through it before."
As the dust settles on Mullen's first signing class and spring camp looms, there's a lot we don't know yet about the 2018 Gators. What is clear, though, is that the O-word has fans excited for a change.
