Florida football depth chart: Gators release Week 1 lineup vs. Utah to open 2022 season

By OnlyGators.com Staff
August 31, 2022
Florida football depth chart: Gators release Week 1 lineup vs. Utah to open 2022 season
Football

Image Credit: Alexis Greaves / UAA

With just 72 hours until kickoff of the 2022 season, the Florida Gators on Wednesday released their first official depth chart under head coach Billy Napier. With the No. 7 Utah Utes awaiting in The Swamp on Saturday night, the Gators did not have many surprises on the depth chart as Napier cautioned all week that most of of the starting jobs on the field will be in flux as the season progresses.

As expected, sophomore Anthony Richardson was confirmed as the starting quarterback. Redshirt sophomore Nay’Quan Wright starts atop the running back depth chart, though it appears as if Florida will again use a committee approach to the position. Most notable is that the Gators will return numerous starters on the offensive line and in the entire secondary.

Notable as always are the “OR” designations. There are six this season, same as a year ago. It’s a far cry from the 15 “OR” designations on the 2019 depth chart the last time Florida had a new coach.

Let’s take a look at the depth chart ahead of UF’s first game of the season.

Offense

QB: Anthony Richardson, Jalen Kitna, Kyle Engel
RB: Nay’Quan Wright, Montrell Johnson Jr. OR Trevor Etienne
TE: Dante Zanders, Keon Zipperer
WR (X): Xzavier Henderson, Daejon Reynolds OR Marcus Burke
WR (Y): Justin Shorter, Ja’Quavion Fraziars
WR (Z): Ricky Pearsall, Trent Whittemore, Ja’Markis Weston

LT: Richard Gouriage, Kamryn Waites
LG: Ethan White, Richie Leonard IV
C: Kingsley Eguakun, Jake Slaughter
RG: O’Cyrus Torrence, Josh Braun
RT: Michael Tarquin, Austin Barber

Not listed among the running backs is redshirt junior Lorenzo Lingard, surely a disappointment for the former five-star prospect. “Trusting God, I’ll be 100,” he tweeted after the depth chart release. Gouriage, White and Eguakun return as Week 1 starters from a year ago; all three bring game day experience to the line. Kitna, a redshirt freshman, beat out Engel as Richardson’s backup with redshirt freshman Jack Miller III still out of action. Zanders jumped Zipperer in the tight end battle despite opening last season as a second-string defensive end.

Defense

DE: Princely Umanmielen, Justus Boone
DE: Gervon Dexter Sr., Tyreak Sapp, Chris McClellan
NT: Jalen Lee, Desmond Watson, Jaelin Humphries, Jamari Lyons
Jack: Brenton Cox Jr., Antwaun Powell-Ryalnd Jr., Lloyd Summerall III OR David Reese
LB: Ventrell Miller, Scooby Williams, Derek Wingo
LB: Amari Burney, Shemar James, Diwun Black

CB: Jason Marshall Jr., Devin Moore, Jordan Young
CB: Avery Helm, Jalen Kimber, Ethan Pouncey
Star: Tre’Vez Johnson, Jadarrius Perkins, Kamar Wilcoxson
S: Rashad Torrence II, Kamari Wilson, Corey Collier Jr.
S: Trey Dean III, Donovan McMillon, Miguel Mitchell

Marshall ascended to the starting cornerback job with Kaiir Elam in the NFL, while Helm retained his job from last season. James and Wilson look to get significant playing time as freshman.

Special teams

K: Adam Mihalek OR Trey Smack
P: Jeremy Crawshaw, Jacob Watkins
H: Jeremy Crawshaw, Jacob Watkins
LS: Marco Ortiz, Rocco Underwood
KR: Ja’Markis Weston, Trevor Etienne OR Nay’Quan Wright OR Xzavier Henderson
PR: Xzavier Henderson, Jason Marshall Jr. OR Trevor Etienne

Mihalek (walk-on) and Smack (scholarship), who are technically listed with “OR” designations for both kickoff and place-kicking duties, will likely split responsibilities on Saturday night. Crawshaw and Ortiz both retained their jobs from a season ago. Napier is clearly not shying away from using starters on punt returns, though Weston holds the starting kick returner job as a third-string slot receiver.

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