With a few days until No. 14 Florida Gators basketball plays its final regular season game, OGGOA decided to allow our Twitter followers to choose a content topic for Thursday. Overwhelmingly, our readers wanted to read something – anything – about Gators football. So that is exactly what we present to you here, 11 Florida footballers who will be counted on to step up big-time next season.
Redshirt senior QB John Brantley
2010: 200/329 (60.8 percent) for 2,061 yards, nine touchdowns, 10 interceptions
There is plenty of hype surrounding freshman quarterback Jeff Driskel, but the fact of the matter is the Gators have the best chance of being supremely successful in 2011 with Brantley behind center. Say what you will about his struggles in 2010 – blame them on the coaching staff not adjusting the offense to suit his skill set, the offensive line doing a poor job in pass protection or Brantley simply not living up the billing he received before the season. No matter what you choose to believe, Brantley will be given a chance to start fresh in 2011. If he makes the most of it and pans out the way Danny Wuerffel and Shane Matthews have personally told us he will, Florida’s QB problems will be solved by the same player who was universally panned for causing them a year ago. Whether or not he will live up those expectations, however, remains to be seen.
Redshirt sophomore WR Andre Debose
2010: 10 receptions for 96 yards (long 26); 22 kickoff returns for 587 yards (26.7 average), two touchdowns
Like Brantley, Debose did not live up to the hype in 2010. Unlike Brantley, he was not given much of an opportunity. Debose is a dynamic athlete who is explosive in the open field, something blatantly obvious by the job he did in the return game last season. He was criticized by former head coach Urban Meyer for his inability to learn all of the offensive plays and was “rewarded” early in the season with some packages that utilized his abilities. Those packages seemed to disappear as the year went on, and Debose ended up getting injured for the second time in as many seasons (hamstring in 2009, ankle in 2010). Though the Gators have some hungry pass-catchers looking to win the job across from redshirt senior wide receiver Deonte Thompson, none of them will likely have the potential impact game-in and game-out that Debose can bring to the table.
Junior RB Mike Gillislee
2010: 58 rushes for 325 yards (5.6 average), seven touchdowns
The first thing new head coach Will Mushcamp said he wanted to implement at Florida was a pro-style offense. With senior running back Jeff Demps (5’8” 190 lbs.) a bit undersized to run between the tackles on a consistent basis, the onus will be on Gillislee (and to a lesser extent redshirt freshman RB Mack Brown) to carry the rock for the Gators in 2010. Listed at 5‘11” and 198 lbs., Gillislee can add some bulk to his frame and showed flashes in the limited playing time he received last season.
The real question for Muschamp, and more specifically offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, will be how the team can best utilize Demps and redshirt senior RB/WR Chris Rainey. Demps will likely be the kick returner once again, but the coaching staff must find a way to get him heavily involved in the offense without having him carry the ball a dozen times each game. He was the team’s best offensive weapon last year, and his absence (even when he played, he was far less than 100 percent) was one of the main reasons Florida struggled down the stretch offensively.
Starting tight end
2010: 20 receptions for 151 yards, two touchdowns
Someone has to start at tight end for the Gators in 2011…but who will win that job (or have an opportunity to compete for it) is currently unknown. Will it be redshirt junior Omarius Hines, who is more of a receiver even at 219 lbs.? Will redshirt sophomore Jordan Reed transition back to that position after trying his hand at QB again in 2010? Or will redshirt freshman Gerald Christian step up to the plate after spending a year getting ready to play in the Southeastern Conference? We’re leaning toward Reed and Christian both having a big impact in the year to come, but whoever is tabbed with the responsibility will be integral to the team’s success in 2011.
Redshirt junior left tackle Matt Patchan
2010: Sat out season with injured wrist
Patchan has barely played since spurning his family’s wishes and committing to Florida over Miami. Between off-the-field accidents and on-the-field injuries, he has struggled to stay healthy but had won over the former coaching staff with the talent he flashed in practice. With basically the entire starting offensive line having graduated, Patchan’s veteran presence and tremendous ability could help solidify a young unit quickly…as long as he can get on the field (which may not happen until the summer).
Sophomore SS Matt Elam
2010: 22 tackles (two for loss), sack, fumble recovery
Meyer was dejected when he learned Elam switched his commitment to Florida State over concerns about whether or not the coach who has known his family for years would be returning to the sidelines. When Elam switched back to UF, Meyer was elated because he realized how important he would be to the program not only in 2010 but for years to come. Though he got plenty of playing time as both a reserve safety and nickel cornerback, Elam will be starting in place of Ahmad Black next season and could very well be the determining factor of whether or not the unit is as successful as it has been the last three years. Confidence, ability and opportunity are not going to be issues for Elam, but he will have to pick up new schemes and assignments under Muschamp and new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. As long as he does, the tandem of him and senior CB Janoris Jenkins will be a nice foundation to build the unit on top of.
Sophomore DT Sharrif Floyd
2010: 23 tackles (eight for loss)
When we asked Terron Sanders and Justin Trattou to tell us who will make the biggest impact on the defense in 2011, both immediately pointed to Floyd. Why? Because in limited playing time against strong and nimble SEC offensive lines, Floyd showed flashes of dominance. In practice? The veteran offensive line wanted nothing to do with him. That’s a good thing. The Gators have had some talented and highly acclaimed men in the middle over the years, but Floyd has the chance to be truly special. Think Quinn’s excited? You bet he is.
Redshirt sophomore LB Jelani Jenkins
2010: 76 tackles (five for loss), two sacks, interception, fumble recovery
A five-star recruit two years ago, Jenkins got the opportunity to start last season and made the most of it (see above). His development will only continue in 2011 and, as you will read below, he could have plenty of extremely talented help in the middle of the field.
Sophomore DE Ronald Powell
2010: 25 tackles (three for loss), sack
Powell did not see extensive playing time as quickly as fans had hoped in 2010, but when he did, the flashes were there. Recruited as a defensive end, Powell was moved to linebacker last year mostly for depth purposes. He was expected to move back to the line in 2011, but with Muschamp and Quinn potentially implementing a 3-4 defensive scheme, he may be better off as an outside linebacker. He could also be a hybrid defender seeing time at both positions depending on the play call and personnel on the field.
Redshirt sophomore LB Chris Martin
2010: transfer season
Sitting out 2010 because he transferred from California after less than two months with the program, Martin is the defender to watch whom you have yet to hear about. Every player and football staff member we have spoken to has said the same thing about him: “Wow.” They universally raved about his dynamic ability, football IQ and immense talent. The top linebacker in his recruiting class, Martin – like Powell – can also play defensive end; the duo will likely be a formidable pairing no matter how they are used.
Freshman P Kyle Christy
2010: N/A
Whenever Florida’s offense put forth a poor showing or stalled on a series in 2010 (something that happened quite often), one thing the team could count on was the absurd consistency and dominance of punter Chas Henry. The Ray Guy Award winner is no longer with the team – he will be moving on to a long career in the NFL – and Christy will be expected to fill his kicking shoes. One of the top high school punters in the nation, Christy will immediately step in as the starter at one of the top programs in the country. Outside of practice, he will not have time to get adjusted or find his groove; Christy must succeed from the get-go.
Photo Credits: Kevin C. Cox and Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
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