2010 Statistics

COACHES

Head Coach: Will Muschamp
Previous: Texas Def. Coordinator

Off. Coordinator: Charlie Weis
Previous: NFL Chiefs Off. Coor.

Def. Coordinator: Dan Quinn
Previous: NFL Seahawks DL Coach

Receivers: Aubrey Hill
Previous: Miami FL WR Coach

Tight Ends: Derek Lewis
Previous: Minnesota TE Coach

Secondary: Travaris Robinson
Previous: Texas Tech DB Coach

Offensive Line: Frank Verducci
Previous: Notre Dame OL Coach

Running Backs: Brian White
Previous: Florida TE Coach

Defensive Line: Bryant Young
Previous: San Jose St DL Coach

QUARTERBACK  
Projected starter John Brantley's horrible performance in the spring game did nothing but fuel a potential quarterback controversy. Coach Muschamp has stated clearly however that Brantley remains the man to beat based on a good command of the offense, leadership and experience no other quarterback on the roster possesses. A controversy means someone behind him is pushing for the job but that's not the way this battle has played out. No one seems to be experienced enough to push him. For certain, the experiment last year with rotating athletes behind center is over. Trey Burton has moved to running back and Jordan Reed has moved to tight end...and fans probably could not be happier after the failure this routine produced. Heralded high school star Jeff Driskel who was tabbed the Gatorade Florida Player of The Year as well as being ranked the No. 1 quarterback nationally by both Scout.com and Rivals.com, enrolled early this spring and at worst was hoping to back up Brantley by summer. That didn't happen. He may be the future, but he won't even beat out redshirt freshman Tyler Murphy for back up duties. Murphy actually had the best numbers in the spring game and looked descent moving the pocket and finding receivers down field. Barring injury Brantley will start the opener. Whether he can hold on to the job by season's end is another story.

RUNNING BACK  
Look for a big dose of Chris Rainey out of the backfield in 2011. Being the only scholarship athlete playing this position through out the spring due to a massive array of injuries gave Rainey a chance to prove he could handle the star role and the fifth-year senior did not disappoint. Head coach Will Muschamp could not say enough about Rainey's phenomenal spring and most feel he is the best player on the field. The new pro-style offense allows Rainey to receive the ball deeper in the backfield, giving him more time to read his holes and find the cutback lanes. His best outing thus far was as a redshirt freshman where he rushed for 652 yards. He should top those numbers. The team's leading rusher last fall is also back in speedster Jeff Demps, who was last year's starter before an injury in Week 3 derailed what looked to be a promising junior season as the primary ball carrier. Demps did not participate physically in the spring, as he was busy helping the Gators win a national championship in track. Demps has more speed but may not be quite as good between the tackles. Both will get a fair share of carries. Mike Gillislee will continue to provide a good short-yardage option. When offensive coordinator Charlie Weis decides to shift to a two-back set, last year's quarterback/athlete extraordinaire Trey Burton will get his shot. The 2010 Freshman All-American who led the Gators in scoring last fall will still be a part of this offense, just not from behind center. He gets listed as a FB in this system, but really is more of a second running back.

RECEIVER  
The new coaching staff will be implementing new schematics in an effort to overcome the shortcomings in this passing attack. Consistency and dropped balls routinely handcuffed this offense throwing the pigskin. The new pro-style offense will call on bigger receivers. Five of the seniors in this unit are all 5'11 or shorter. In Meyer's spread offense these smaller types were often utilized. That won't be the case with Weis, at least on the outside, so look for a few of the younger guys to take advantage of this situation. A great segue to the fact every team generally has a surprise of the spring. Possibly the biggest in Gainesville was the meteoric rise up the depth chart for receiver Quinton Dunbar. The true sophomore out of Booker T. Washington HS in Miami made big plays galore all spring utilizing his physical ability to get open deep and stretch the field. He is now the team's most explosive pass catching threat. Last year's top pass catcher Deonte Thompson has built a reputation for someone who can stretch the field after two years of starting in this lineup. However, his propensity for dropping too many passes may force the senior into a third or fourth receiver role. The options in front of him seem to be reserved for Frankie Hammond and Omarius Hines...a huge step backward for the veteran. But Weis' new pro-style offense will incorporate many of opportunities for the three and four receiver sets. While Dunbar has been making a splash as big playmaker, Hammond is proving to be the most consistent. Both possess great speed. Kick return king Andre Debose has talent to be a factor if he can stay healthy and absorb the playbook.

TIGHT END  
Jordan Reed will no longer be handling the football from behind center. Instead, he has now moved to his more natural position at tight end where coaches have given high praise for his ability as a downfield playmaker creating match up problems for defenders. Reed will be a big part of this offense come fall. However, his blocking ability may not be exactly what this offense needs in "grind-it-out" situations. Coaches may decide to use a few linemen at tight end in those situations. Gerald Christian has worked at this spot too but spends most of his time on the defensive side at linebacker. Christian is likely to be a two-way performer on occasions and has earned a hard-hitting, face mask breaking reputation. A.C. Leonard is yet another option. Another freshman early enrollee, the 6'4 Jacksonville prep star looks physically strong enough to earn a few minutes on the field when it counts.

OFFENSIVE LINE  
Gone are four veteran players from this unit, so naturally there is to be some concern. Unfortunately, a few key players wound up sitting out the spring with injuries so this offense was left to perform with a patchwork offensive line. The questions only got bigger; this is a dangerously thin group as only six scholarship players suited up for the spring game. Right guard Jon Halapio has been the best player thus far which carried over from the close of last season. Some of his teammates have described him as a "beast" and it's clear he has taken the leadership role. The center is one area of great concern. Replacing Mike Pouncey has become a priority. The younger Harrison has shifted over from guard and has taken the edge in front of Robey. Both have found issues getting pushed back at the point of attack but Harrison offers a newly found bright spot. This is a guy that literally demonstrated what a strong spring camp could achieve. Chaz Green is pushing for time as a starter at tackle, but the Gators need to find someone consistently healthy to take over the other spot. Patchan, Nixon and Wilson are the veterans. Predicting the staring offensive line is a difficult task at this point with so many people missing so much practice time. Patchan could likely earn one of these spots at tackle if he can stay healthy, though this has seldom been the case. Nixon was a part-time starter a year ago but has dropped about 30 pounds this off-season. He'll need to gain that weight back before summer ends. Halapio and Harrison have the most secure staring jobs. The rest could be anyone's guess.

DEFENSIVE LINE  
Watch out for the "Five Star Baby Bunch". The emergence of sophomores Easley, Floyd and Powell was one of the most noteworthy story lines this spring. They have yet to start a regular season game as a group but they are definitely starting to validate their star power coming out of high school. Their diminished roles last season while being relegated to the bench has sprung a new, much needed attitude for this entire defense. How are these for accolades? In 2009, Rivals.com and Scout.com ranked Ronald Powell as the No. 1 prep defensive end in the country. The California native has been clocked with 4.5 forty speed and checks in at 6'4, 250 pounds. Dominique Easley was ranked as the No. 2 prep defensive tackle out of Staten Island, NY and Shariff Floyd was ranked as the No. 1 prep defensive tackle out of Philadelphia. Who said Florida makes it's living off of high school players from the Sunshine State? All these youngsters are former five-star recruits and all of them are just sophomores. Powell is lining up at the newly formed "Buck" position, a blend between end and outside linebacker. His power on the edge is going to provide nightmares for opposing blockers. Easley's burst off the line has been the talk of the guys in the trenches while Floyd's power, work ethic and attitude have been tops. And don't count out returning sack leader Jaye Howard and part-time starter Omar Hunter as veteran leaders. They still need to find a new starter at strong side defensive end. For now Hoover, AL senior William Green holds down the first slot on the depth chart. He has played in every single game since arriving on campus four years ago but has very few starts. Coaches were hoping to find a disruptive presence from the line of scrimmage for this new look defense. If the spring resume was any indication, this "Baby Bunch" will lead the Gator turnaround.

LINEBACKER  
Over the past few seasons there has been much talk about how fast and athletic these linebackers were as a group. Those attributes may have been somewhat over inflated given the good-but-not-superior results on the field. The new defensive schemes will require this year's group to make plays from sideline to sideline and from north to south. The people in place personify this type of athlete. Jelani Jenkins, the nation's top rated prep outside linebacker out of Olney, MD is playing on the weakside, putting him in a more natural position to take advantage of his speed. He and middle linebacker Jon Bostic are the two best players on this unit. Coaches have been quite pleased with both of their contributions this spring. Much like on the defensive line, someone will have to step up and take command on the strong side. This is still an issue of concern. A bit of a surprise was the move of tight end Gerald Christian here. He was even projected as the starter entering spring practice before having even played a snap. The outlook of him playing both ways is doable, but the Gators need him to perform at his best on this side of the ball. This is a relatively inexperienced bunch that is void of a leader. There are no seniors in this group. Suffice to say, the front seven on defense are extremely talented but extremely young.

DEFENSIVE BACK  
All-American performer Janoris Jenkins’ decision to return for his senior year will pay huge dividends for this backfield that finished 12th nationally in pass defense but lost a couple of star players to the NFL Draft. Opposite Jenkins, there's still a spot up for grabs. Moses Jenkins and Jeremy Brown both have experience starting from a year ago, but neither did enough on the field to warrant a lock on the second cornerback position. It was a relatively quiet spring for the secondary. Coaches and players have not commented much about the group, which was playing without senior cornerback Janoris Jenkins as he recovers from shoulder surgery. Much is expected of strong safety Matt Elam; the top rated prep safety in the country according to Scout.com. He is quickly emerging as a leader and has begun delivering some ferocious tackling. By most accounts, he may be the most reliable performer. Josh Evans has taken over at free safety while Watkins has made a surprising move here from corner. Coach Muschamp has stated that he is looking for more consistency from his secondary. With so many athletes and a stern reputation for being one of the better SEC defensive backfields year in and year out, this should be one of the lesser concerns in 2011. UPDATE April 27: Cornerback Janoris Jenkins has been dismissed from the team after his second drug-related arrest in three months. Sophomore Cody Riggs emerged as the best of three cornerbacks in his class last year and is now pushed into the starting lineup. The Gators received a blessing by having true freshman De'Ante Saunders enroll early to compete this spring. Coaches has raved about his quick progress. They better hope this translates to Saturdays in the fall.