Center Jake Slaughter went from backup to starter in 2023. (Photo: Ashley Ray/UAA Communications)
Gators Position Preview: Offensive Line
Sunday, August 18, 2024 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Of all the moves Billy Napier has made since coming to Florida, the talent acquisition that arguably had the most impact was when offensive lineman O'Cyrus Torrence followed Napier from Louisiana.
In many ways, Torrence serves as the poster boy for Napier's recruiting philosophy on the offensive line. He was under the radar in high school, but Napier and co-offensive line coach Rob Sale saw a player with tremendous upside and the tools needed to be developed. They hit the offensive line lottery with Torrence, who became a standout at Louisiana and, in his only season with the Gators, became the program's first All-American O-lineman since Maurkice Pouncey in 2009.
Florida's offensive line in Napier's first season wasn't exactly the Great Wall of Florida, but with Torrence the anchor and a second-round pick of the Bills in 2023, it was a much more stable unit than the one that tried to find its footing last season. It didn't help that Torrence and veterans Richard Gouraige, Ethan White and Michael Tarquin were no longer around, and the only returning starter, Kingsley Eguakun, was injured for much of the season.
The Gators will take the field against Miami on Aug. 31 with a mix of familiar faces and newcomers but with a group that has, at least via the eye test, more promise than the mixed bag of a season ago.
The group showed up at training camp in better shape after months under the tutelage of first-year strength and conditioning director Tyler Miles, who got a significant endorsement from center Jake Slaughter when camp opened.
"I'm going to try and make Coach Miles blush," Slaughter said with Miles in the back of the room. "He came in, and guys' bodies have changed drastically. Guys have added hundreds of pounds of muscle and lost a ton of fat. I don't have the offensive line numbers right here, but I'm sure he does. I feel like you've seen healthy body changes, and guys are more mobile due to that. Guys feel strong, feel confident in the building."
If that confidence carries over into production on the field, the Gators will be a better team. As camp winds down, we continue our "Gators Position Preview" series and look closely at the offensive line.
Based on a general review of social media reactions last season, it would be hard to argue any other Gators position group came under more scrutiny than the offensive line. The critics started barking from the season-opening loss at Utah and never stopped. Florida provided plenty of ammunition with its inconsistent play up front. Still, a dissection of the offensive line through statistics can be misleading. Take Alabama, for instance, from a season ago. The Crimson Tide surrendered 49 sacks in 14 games, an average of 3.5, to rank 122nd nationally. The Gators allowed 39 sacks – 22 more than the previous season – in 12 games, an average of 3.25 to rank 114th nationally. The discrepancy is not as wide as you would expect. Alabama made the College Football Playoff and gave eventual national champion Michigan a good game in the semifinals. In the bigger picture, the Crimson Tide ran the ball better, averaging 172.6 yards per game rushing to Florida's 149.6. Meanwhile, Alabama's offense was much better on third down, converting more than 45 percent to Florida's 36.9 percent, which ranked 85th nationally. Of course, penalties, turnover margin and defensive performance clarify why Alabama won most of the time, and the Gators lost seven of 12 games. The Gators have a new look on the O-line this season and renewed hope. Besides Sale, they have a new co-offensive line coach in Jonathan Decoster, who arrived from the Cleveland Browns to replace Darnell Stapleton, who took a job in the NFL with Washington. Left tackle Austin Barber and center Jake Slaughter are the two primary starters returning. Barber is healthy after an injury-plagued season. Slaughter, tossed into the pit with Eguakun banged up, has a season of experience and respect for how he improved as the season progressed. The most significant addition is right tackle Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, who transferred from San Diego State and is projected to start at right tackle. Crenshaw-Dickson can play either tackle spot and started nine games last year, five at left tackle and four on the right side. Kamryn Waites enters his third season at Florida and provides depth inside and outside. Waites is further removed from an Achilles tendon injury after the 2022 season and is a player who could boost the Gators' fortunes with a breakout season. Damieon George Jr.'s move from tackle to guard is the most notable change on the line. George was a favorite punching bag for fans a season ago while having to play out of position at right tackle. He is more suited to play on the interior line with Crenshaw-Dickson and Waites on the outside. Sophomore Knijeah Harris is the frontrunner to start at left guard next to Barber. Harris signed with the Gators as the No. 1 center prospect in the 2023 class, according to ESPN. Harris spent last year primarily as a reserve but figures prominently in the plans. Newcomer Devon Manuel provides depth and experience at the tackle position. Manuel transferred from Arkansas, where he played nine games in 2023, including four starts at left tackle. Center Roderick Kearney, tackle Caden Jones and guard Christian Williams provide depth on the second unit and give the Gators more solid depth than a season ago. The Gators dipped into the transfer portal once again the way they did with Torrence and Waites in 2022 and Micah Mazzccua and George in 2023, but they appear trending in a positive direction with more depth and talent to work via old-fashioned recruiting.
Transfer Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson made 35 career starts at San Diego State. (Photo: University Athletic Association)
If season started today: The Gators would have 10-12 players ready for important reps, which bodes well considering a few certainties along the offensive line: there are going to be injuries and matchup issues that mean the more players you have ready, the more prepared you will be to handle the ebbs and flows of life in the trenches. This unit's upgraded strength and conditioning cannot be overlooked when considering potential improvement.
Speculation: Two foreigners are part of the position group, which is an interesting dynamic compared to historical tradition. Freshman Noel Portnjagin hails from Germany, and freshman Enoch Wangoy, a late-summer addition, calls Manchester, England, home. They are both 300-pounders and developmental players. Napier and Sale are known to search for undervalued recruits, and it will be interesting to see if the over-the-pond additions turn into contributors someday.
Quote of Note: "Our offensive line, Coach Sale, Coach Decoster and really our whole staff, they've done a tremendous job in spring, summer, getting guys in school, guys in the portal, guys that were here that we have developed. It's been all part of the plan, to be honest with you. We've done a really good job of recruiting that position, developing that position, and we're going to continue to do so because in this league it's the trenches, and we all know that." — Co-offensive coordinator Russ Callaway
