Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gators open spring practice on Friday and for the third time in eight years, a new coach is in charge of the Florida football program. The newness this time around has a much more familiar face than with Will Muschamp (2011) and Jim McElwain (2015).

Dan Mullen has nine seasons of experience as a head coach in the Southeastern Conference and prior to his stint at Mississippi State, he spent four seasons as Florida's offensive coordinator.

"I think there's certainly an advantage in having some knowledge and comfort from having been here before and understanding the expectations,'' Mullen said. "The familiarity can help the transition."

Florida fans hope so, nowhere more than on offense. Mullen left his mark on the Gators as a highly successful offensive coordinator and now seeks to do the same as head coach.
  THREE STORYLINES 
 
1. Another spring camp, another quarterback battle for the Gators. Redshirt sophomore Feleipe Franks has the edge in experience with eight starts a season ago. Early enrollee Emory Jones figures into the mix and redshirt sophomore Kyle Trask and redshirt freshman Jake Allen will try and prove they can challenge for the job under a new coaching staff. Mullen also plans to take a look at receiver Kadarius Toney in wildcat packages. A lot of options in Year 1. Mullen and quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson now hope to see production.

2. A popular topic every spring is which players have made strides in the offseason conditioning program and which appear to have spent too much time at the local pizza joint. The interest in the Gators' conditioning this spring is unusually high because of the coaching change and implementation of a more intense approach in the weight room under Nick Savage. Does any strength coach in the country have a more appropriate surname? The Gators have been going hard since January and based on various social media posts from players, Savage's program has challenged them. The position group to watch the closest is the offensive line. As the late, great Keith Jackson might say, the big uglies up front are the ones who make or break an offense.

3. Mullen has a history of developing quarterbacks and adjusting his offense to fit the quarterback's strengths. Since Florida's group of quarterbacks offers a variety of skills, Mullen and his staff are in the discovery phase of what works best with the talent on hand. While they will work from a base system, a large emphasis will be identifying strengths at the position to build around over the summer and into fall camp.
  RETURNING VET
 
Jordan Scarlett was Florida's starting tailback in 2016 and led the team with 889 yards rushing and six touchdowns. Scarlett was primed for a big junior season until it was announced prior to the season opener that he was suspended indefinitely in connection to a credit card fraud case that ensnared nine players total.

Scarlett missed the season but was reinstated in January and has participated in spring workouts. The 5-foot-11, 206-pound Scarlett is a tough runner who separated himself at the position by the end of his sophomore season. While his role remains uncertain under Mullen, if healthy, look for Scarlett to factor prominently into the offense.
  NEWCOMER ALERT
 

A freshman from LaGrange, Ga., Jones was heavily courted by Ohio State and Florida State right up until the early signing period in December. However, Mullen and Johnson connected early with Jones while they were at Mississippi State and that played a pivotal role in the Gators landing the 6-foot-3, 195-pound quarterback.

Jones is an athletic talent who can beat defenses throwing or running. His biggest obstacle this spring is to get acclimated to the college game and a more complex offensive system that he ran at Heard County (Ga.) High. As the new quarterback in town, he's already a fan favorite. Now comes the part of finding out what he can do at the collegiate level.
  INJURY ISSUES
 
Sophomore running back Malik Davis (knee surgery) is the most prominent offensive player not at full speed entering spring camp. Davis continues to rehab from a season-ending knee injury against Georgia that spoiled another otherwise promising freshman season. He averaged 6.7 yards per carry and finished second on the team behind Lamical Perine with 526 yards.

Starting guard Brett Heggie (knee) and starting center T.J. McCoy (leg) ended last season out with injuries. Heggie is not expected to be at full speed until fall camp. How much McCoy is able to do remains unclear.
 

---

POSITION TO WATCH

Of course, this should be prefaced with after quarterbacks. Isn't that the case every spring when there is a quarterback battle? The offensive line figures to be a competitive battle with potential for a makeover despite six starters from a season ago returning.

Martez Ivey (left tackle), Heggie (left guard), McCoy (center), Tyler Jordan (right guard/center), Fred Johnson (right guard) and Jawaan Taylor (right tackle) provide new offensive line coach John Hevesy a strong foundation.

However, the offensive line continued to struggle a season ago despite McElwain's optimism in the unit at the start of the season. Ivey made a smart decision by opting to return to school. He's a talented player yet to fulfill his potential. Taylor is steady at the other tackle spot.

Redshirt sophomore Jean DeLance, who sat out last season after transferring from Texas, and redshirt junior Noah Banks, a transfer from Iowa Western College, are two newcomers to keep a close eye on this spring.
 

---

READY TO SHINE