Preview 2019: Previewing and looking ahead to the Florida Gators season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
– Florida Previews 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2018 Record: 10-3 overall, 5-3 in SEC
Head Coach: Dan Mullen, 2nd year, 10-3
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FLORIDA OFFENSE
– It was a bit inconsistent, and overall it was sixth in the SEC in yards – 427 yards per game – and fifth in scoring averaging 35 points per game, but the offense was the strongest since the Tim Tebow-Urban Meyer-led juggernaut of 2009. There are plenty of big holes to fill, but the skill parts are there to be even better.
– How fast can the offensive line rebuild? Four of the five starters are gone – hurt mostly by the early departure of OT Jawaan Taylor – but it’s a decent-looking group that appeared to come together in the spring. Senior Nick Buchanan is the veteran at center, but the pressure will be on junior Stone Forsythe after backing up Martez Ivey at left tackle, and junior Jean Delance will get a long look at replacing Taylor on the right side.
– The offensive backfield is rock solid and should be as strong as it’s been in years. Jordan Scarlett is a Carolina Panther now, but Lamical Perine is back after leading the team with 826 yards and seven scores – averaging over six yards per carry – and the combination of the quick sophomores Malik Davis and Dameon Pierce form a good rotation.
– Is QB Feleipe Franks ready to take his game to another level? The raw tools are all there with 6-6, 240-pound size, the arm, and the athleticism to make the pro scouts drool. He’s not consistently accurate – hitting 58% of his throws – but he was interception-free over the last five games and threw just six on the year. Making the situation even better is the emergence of former star recruit Emory Jones, who’s starting to look like a potential playmaking starter, and junior Kyle Trask is a more-than-capable option.
– There’s a whole lot to like in the receiving corps with the top six pass catches returning. Leading target Van Jefferson is back, but he only caught 35 passes for 503 yards and six scores. Trevon Grimes has to find a spot somewhere on the outside, and Tyrie Cleveland, Josh Hammond, and Freddie Swain all need the ball, too. As Franks get stronger and better, and more work is there, this group should blow up.
NEXT: What You Need To Know About the Defense, Top Players, Keys to the Season, What Will Happen
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FLORIDA DEFENSE
– Such is life in the SEC. It’s possible to allow just 343 yards and 20 points per game and still finish in the middle of the defensive statistical pack. The run defense could stand to be a wee bit tighter, but the pass rush is going to be a killer and the secondary will be among the nation’s most talented.
With 13 of the top 17 tacklers back, the playmakers are there, but three of the top six tacklers have to be replaced including LB Vosean Joseph and S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson.
– If and when Marco Wilson is back to 100% after suffering a knee injury, the cornerbacks are going to be killers – even with star prospect Chris Steele transferring. Wilson was a broken up pass machine as a freshman, but got knocked out early last season. CJ Henderson is a do-it-all corner with first round NFL talent on the other side with range, hitting ability, and the ability get into the backfield. The depth behind these two is terrific – Trey Dean stepped in and did just fine when needed.
The safeties will be fantastic, too, with a few options to play around with. Losing Gardner-Johnson hurts, but Jeawon Taylor is one of the team’s top returning tacklers, and junior Brad Stewart is a solid veteran. Donovan Stonier made 49 stops last year, and Shawn Davis came up with 22 tackles in the rotation.
– Gone is Jachai Polite on the end, but the return of Jabari Zuniga for one more season was a wonderful surprise – he has NFL starting talent as a great-sized pass rusher – and the landing of former Louisville disruptive force Jonathan Greenard should dominate on the other side. 275-pound Adam Shuler isn’t a space-eater on the inside, but he’s a quick veteran, and
NEXT: Top Players, Keys To the Season, What Will Happen
3. TOP FLORIDA PLAYERS
Best Florida Offensive Player
QB Feleipe Franks, Jr.
He might not be a totally polished, finished product, and he might have had a few underwhelming moments – at least before the South Carolina win in mid-November – causing a love/grouchy relationship with the fan base, but the last four games showed off what he can be.
He’s got the NFL size, he’s careful with the ball, he’s got the arm, and he can move. At this point, he might have gone through the growing pains and is about to take his game up to a more consistent, accurate level. If that happens, look out.
2. WR Van Jefferson, Sr.
3. LB Lamical Perine, Sr.
4. WR Josh Hammond, Sr.
5. RB Dameon Pierce, Soph.
Best Florida Defensive Player
CB CJ Henderson, Jr.
There are at least five Gators – depending on health – who could be here, and about five others who should be on this top five list. Henderson has Thorpe talent and early first round NFL Draft pick skills, with 6-1, 191-pound size, the burst to get into the backfield from time to time – coming up with three sacks and five tackles for loss – and he’ll tackle, with 38 last year. A few more big plays would be nice – two picks and seven broken up passes last season – but he’s a special corner in a special secondary.
2. DE Jabari Zuniga, Sr.
3. LB Jonathan Greenard, Sr.
4. LB David Reese, Sr.
5. CB Marco Wilson, Soph.
NEXT: Keys to the Season, Prediction & What Will Happen
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The Florida Offense
The offensive line has to be that solid again. The Gator front five might not have been the best in the SEC, but it more than held its own against all of the fantastic defensive fronts it faced, including Michigan’s in the bowl victory. Now four starters are done after finishing third in the league in sacks allowed and second in tackles for loss allowed.
There’s no real concern here, even with four starters needing to be replaced. There’s no star power, but it’s a good-looking starting five and there’s depth. With the veteran skill players in place, and the hope for more from the talent, the line just has to come close to matching last year’s production.
Biggest Key To The Florida Defense
Survive the accurate passers. Over the last five seasons, Florida is 1-7 when allowing quarterbacks to connect on 68% or more of their passes. The only win came in a blowout against UAB late in 2017.
The Gator secondary was a rock – finishing 13th in the nation in pass defense – but it got picked clean during a rough three-game stretch by Georgia’s Jake Fromm, Missouri’s Drew Lock, and South Carolina’s Jake Bentley. Those three combined to hit over 70% of their passes for an average of around 245 yards and eight touchdowns with just one pick. Florida beat the Gamecocks, but lost to the Bulldogs and Tigers. The other loss last year? Kentucky’s Terry Wilson hit 69% of his throws with two scores.
Key Player To A Successful Season
OT Stone Forsythe, Jr.
Throw in junior Jean Delance and redshirt freshman Richard Gouraige, too. All of the pieces are there on offense to be even stronger and more consistent, but that’s only if the offensive tackles come through after losing Jawaan Taylor and Martez Ivey. The 6-7, 323-pound Forstyhe will get the first look at left tackle, but all that matters is that two blockers step up and shine on the outside in fall camp.
Key Game To The Florida Season
Georgia, Nov. 2 (in Jacksonville)
Coming up with a tone-setting win over Miami on August 24th is a must, beating Kentucky in Lexington to restart the streak is a moral imperative, and dealing with all of the other big parts of the SEC season will be rough. But lose to Georgia for the third year in a row, and Florida can all but forget about winning the SEC East.
– Florida Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 Florida Fun Stats
– Florida 1st Quarter Scoring: 67 – 2nd Quarter Scoring: 170
– Sacks: Florida 37 for 217 yards – Opponents 18 for 121 yards
– Interceptions Thrown: Opponents 14 – Florida 6
NEXT: What Will Happen
1. FLORIDA WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
Miami – played in Orlando. Georgia – played in Jacksonville. Kentucky in Lexington, LSU in Baton Rouge, South Carolina in Columbia, Missouri in the other Columbia.
And Tennessee. And Auburn. And Florida State – who should be better, maybe. And Vanderbilt – who’s almost always pesky, even if the Gators own the series.
This might be a better Florida team than last year’s version, and there’s no one on the slate it can’t beat. But there are a LOT of massive body blows to endure in a brutal run of big games, especially away from Gainesville.
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 9
But allow for the possibility that the projected win total could be way low, even at nine.
The skill positions are all in place to blow up the offense, even if the line has to replace almost all of the key parts.
The Florida defense will be the Florida defense – it’s going to finish in the top 25 overall, and the pass D should be a killer.
The kicking game is as good as any in the country, Dan Mullen is the right head coach for the right program at the right time, and everything is just good enough to be even better than the bounce-back ten win campaign of last year.
But that schedule …
Go ahead and realistically hope to play in the SEC Championship and be a part of the College Football Playoff debate, but expect just enough losses to screw that all up.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Recruiting Class Analysis | Schedule Analysis
