Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Gators are more than a quarter through spring camp with four practices in the books.

If you prefer your spring football loaded with titillating storylines and Kardashian-style drama, Florida's camp might not be for you.

Of course, that's fine with head coach Dan Mullen. No news is good news this time of year.

Mullen has a much better grasp of his roster than a year ago during his first spring at UF in a decade. Likewise, the players understand Mullen's approach and coaching style.

"I think the understanding of what's expected has changed within the program an awful lot within the players,'' Mullen said this week. "The explanation of what our expectations of practice are and how things work, I think our guys kind of know that now. I think there is a lot more comfort with that out there on the field."

Still, there's plenty to learn about the Gators as they prepare for the Orange & Blue Game on April 13.

Four practices down, here are four noteworthy developments on offense:
   
FRANKS AS LEADER
 
In his first spring camp three years ago, quarterback Feleipe Franks was the fresh-faced hotshot newcomer at quarterback. Two years ago, an inexperienced mystery. Last year, a beaten-down player uncertain about everything, most notably if he fit into Mullen's plans.

Franks kept showing up and putting in the work, and despite some growing pains, played the best of his career down the stretch to help Florida finish 10-3 and ranked seventh in the final AP Top 25, their highest finish since 2009.

As he navigates his fourth spring camp at UF, this time as the clear favorite to open the season as the starting quarterback for the third consecutive year, Franks has matured and taken on more of a leadership role, a must for the Gators to continue their climb back into national title contention.

Franks acknowledges his UF career hasn't gone as smoothly as he imagined when he showed up.

"It's been unique. It hasn't been like a lot of other people's. It hasn't been a straight success, mine has kind of been bumpy,'' Franks said. "But ultimately that's what makes me who I am. It humbled me."

Mullen has reiterated how every position is up for grabs this spring, a way to keep veterans motivated and young players hungry. Barring an injury or bad turn, it's hard to imagine Franks not being the primary quarterback Aug. 24 when the Gators face Miami in Orlando.

However, redshirt junior Kyle Trask remains on the roster and redshirt freshman Emory Jones is expected to have more of a role in special packages to change the offensive tempo. When a TV reporter pointed the camera toward Franks after the second practice and tossed him a question about Mullen emphasizing every position is open, Franks didn't get defensive or stare down the reporter.

He showed poise.

"I don't know what kind of answer you want,'' he said with a chuckle. "It doesn't matter. I like to compete. The mindset hasn't changed for me and for any of the guys."

Franks made the proper read on that play.
   
DAVIS LOOKS GOOD
 
Coming off a season-ending injury for the second consecutive season, redshirt sophomore running back Malik Davis looks no worse for the wear and tear. Davis played three games a season ago before breaking his foot. He played in seven games – rushing for 526 yards – before a season-ending knee injury ended his 2017 freshman season.

Davis has flashed his trademark cutting ability to avoid tacklers. Davis provides the kind of breakaway speed the Gators could use at the position and if he can stay healthy, figures prominently in the rotation this fall with Lamical Perine and Dameon Pierce.

"He looks like he's playing confidently,'' Mullen said.

Davis emerged as a threat his freshman season when Jordan Scarlett was suspended for the season. Scarlett returned in 2018 and had a good season, which prompted him to forego his final year of eligibility.

Davis once again has an opportunity to receive carries vacated by Scarlett's absence.
   
O-LINE IN TRAINING
 
The loss of four starters on the offensive line has revved up competition among the Big Uglies, as the late, great Keith Jackson might say.

That is keeping Gators offensive line coach John Hevesy huffing and puffing.

"I'll get grayer by the end [of camp],'' Hevesy said.

Other than for starting center Nick Buchanan, there's not a lot of known commodities.

"There's a lot of youth and inexperience in that group,'' Mullen said.

Besides Buchanan, who started 12 games last season, the most experienced player is redshirt junior Brett Heggie, who has seven career starts and 16 appearances. Injuries have kept Heggie from being a bigger contributor.  Tackle Stone Forsythe and guard Noah Banks, who each had one start last season, have been getting their share of reps with the first-team.

Even if Mullen and Hevesy penciled those four into the starting lineup today, the Gators are still a man short, hence the mixing and matching going on during camp.

Defensive end Jabari Zuniga said true freshman Kingsley Eguakun is one of the newcomers who has caught his eye early in camp. Eguakun (6-4, 294) reminds Zuniga of a bigger T.J. McCoy, who lost his job to Buchanan last season and has opted to transfer. The undersized McCoy added some feistiness to the group two years ago when he got onto the field due to a rash of injuries.

With four mid-year enrollees competing and inexperience returnees such as Christopher Bleich, Richard Gouraige, T.J. Moore and Jean Delance taking reps, Mullen said nothing is close to being finalized.

"I don't expect to be a finished product at the end of spring,'' he said. "But we have 25 more practices in the fall before they need to be. The positive thing, I haven't seen a mindset of any timidness, any shyness, any lack of confidence. I see guys working, trying to do it and trying to build their confidence."
   
IMPRESSIVE BUNCH
 
If you made it out to one of the Gators' open practices last week, you got to see the best group of receivers at Florida in a long time.

Van Jefferson, Josh Hammond and Tyrie Cleveland are the veteran leaders. Kadarius Toney, Freddie Swain and Trevon Grimes are the guys that make you stand up when they have the ball.
 

That's a strong group to rotate in and out on Saturdays, and that doesn't include highly-touted redshirt freshman Jacob Copeland. We still haven't got to see a lot of Copeland this spring due to a nagging leg injury that Mullen does not consider serious.

Grimes has the look of a player ready for a breakout season. He showed flashes late last season of developing into a more dangerous player in his second season in the program. He even had a reception against All-American candidate CJ Henderson in Saturday's practice, which is saying something considering how difficult of a task that is.

After Tuesday's practice the receivers went out to dinner and handed their debit cards to the cashier to see which one got picked to pay. Grimes posted on social media he was the unlucky winner.

The close connection off the field seems to help on it.

"We've had a year together,'' Hammond said. "We've all played. We've all caught the ball. It's very unselfish. Everybody wants to help each other get better. I think that's the one thing I admire the most – we all work together to get each other better. We're a family."