Countdown to Camp: Offensive line

Junior Jawaan Taylor, like senior and preseason All-SEC selection Martez Ivey, has started 23 games over the last two seasons.

Countdown to Camp: Offensive line

Saturday, July 28, 2018 | Football, Chris Harry

The fourth installment of our position-by-position look at the Gators heading toward the start of preseason practice Aug. 3.

By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer

OFFENSIVE LINE

They're back: Martez Ivey (6-5, 315, Senior); Jawaan Taylor (6-5, 334, Junior); Tyler Jordan (6-4, 310, Senior); T.J. McCoy (6-1, 314, R-Junior); Fred Johnson (6-6, 330, Senior); Brett Heggie (6-4, 330, R-Sophomore); Nick Buchanan (6-3, 283, R-Junior); Kavaris Harkless (6-4, 311, R-Senior); Stone Forsythe (6-7, 329, R-Sophomore); Jean Delance (6-5, 314, R-Sophomore); T.J. Moore (6-5, 305, R-Freshman).

Fresh faces: ; Noah Banks (6-6, 315, R-Junior); Richard Gouraige (6-4, 298, Freshman); Chris Bleich (6-5, 330, Freshman); Griffin McDowell (6-4, 294, Freshman)

Senior left tackle Martez Ivey is a four-year starter, an All-SEC candidate heading into the 2018, and a player NFL scouts want like to see reach his incredible potential this fall.

Overview: There were several times during the spring, in practices and scrimmages, where the frustration for new offensive line coach John Hevesy simply could not be contained. Hevesy groomed some very good o-lines here for Urban Meyer before heading to Mississippi State with Dan Mullen after UF's the 2008

national-championship season. When he came back to Gainesville, he reviewed tape of the group he inherited — the Florida roster shows a collective 112 career starts for current offensive linemen, including eight players who started a combined 55 games in 2017 — and even with all that experience thought it best to return to the basic fundamentals of run-blocking and pass protection. So, is the fact the Gators have back their entire front from an offense that ranked dead-last in the Southeastern Conference in total offense a good thing? That probably depends if you like your glass half-empty or half-full. Mullen, Hevesy and whoever is throwing, running and catching for the Gators have no other choice than to put their faith behind Ivey, Taylor, Johnson and a unit that, simply put, needs to perform better than it has the last several seasons. Let's start with Ivey and Taylor, both of whom have started 23 games over the last two seasons. They should be, based on their pre-UF accolades and overall skill sets, a tackle tandem that can stand alongside the formidable duos at Alabama, Georgia and Auburn. Both need to be more physical and put more into their technique. That'll be Hevesy's charge, but not just with those two. Between the tackles? McCoy has been the starting center for the better part of the last two seasons, but has to overachieve every Saturday because of his size (listed at just 6-1).

He's also had some accuracy issues with the shotgun snap, which, when working out of the spread, can throw off everyone's timing with run-pass option plays. The staff may take a look at some other candidates at the center spot, but McCoy will go to camp as the guy. Heggie, as a redshirt freshman last season, played left guard and emerged as the unit's most consistent performer. He started seven games, but was lost for the season at Missouri to a knee injury. The staff hopes Heggie will be cleared for practice sometime during camp. Johnson is a mountain of man at right guard and has started 18 games the last two seasons, but like most on the o-line room has fought for consistency. Same with Jordan, who has started bits and pieces of his three previous seasons at four different positions on the line since his true freshman year of 2015. He'll be in the mix at all three inside spots, as will Harkless and Buchanan for depth. Forsythe looks like the backup at both tackles. Among the newcomers, Delance is a transfer from Texas who sat out last season. He was a marquee prospect from the Lone Star State and will get a look. Gouraige was a five-star commitment to the previous coaching staff who maintained his pledge, much to the delight of Mullen and Hevesy.

If the season started today: Ivey and Taylor at tackle, Jordan and Johnson at guard, McCoy at center … with everything subject to change.

Brett Heggie, who as a redshirt freshman was UF's most consistent lineman in 2017, leaves the field at Missouri after suffering a season-ending knee injury.

Speculation: Heggie figures to be monitored along the lines of tailback Malik Davis, who also suffered a season-ending knee injury last year. Heggie's injury actually was a week after Davis went down against Georgia. Because Heggie is so young and talented, and already well-versed on the inside, the staff may be inclined to use his preseason time on the sidelines to take some reps snapping the ball, with an eye toward the future. In addition, Buchanan actually got some first-team center reps in the spring.

Up next: Defensive line

The Series

Part 1: Quarterbacks
Part 2: Running backs
Part 3: Receivers