The Gator game is ten days away, so it’s time to go behind enemy lines. CanesInSight sat down with my longtime friend Eric Esteban, Vice President of Media Relations for Fox Sports, a veteran of Scout.com, the Alligator, the Miami Herald, ESPN.com, the Palm Beach Post, Fox Sports Florida, guest lecturer at the University of Florida journalism school, and expert on the Florida Gators. A summary of his thoughts on the Gator offense is below:
On Graham Mertz: Offense was the strong point for the Gators last year and it started with Graham Mertz. He's entering his sixth year as a super-senior QB. He pretty much played risk-free football. With it being Graham’s first year in the system, they wanted to run the ball and get ahead when they had [Trevor] Etienne and Montrell Johnson.
But it’s the SEC. Last year, they got behind in a bunch of games. They had to throw, despite some depth issues at the receiver position and a dearth of talent at the tight end position. I was pretty happy with Graham as a quarterback in his first year in the system. He put up 2,900 yards, 20 touchdowns, three interceptions on a team that struggled.
He's going to be looking to find that open guy. In Billy Napier's most recent press conference, he talked about explosives. That’s one thing they're looking for right now in the offense. Where are they getting those explosive plays from? Because they weren't really there last year when they needed them. That's been a big thing they've been looking for out of Graham and the receivers.
He’s just one of those solid quarterbacks. He's going to find what's in front of him. The Gators last year didn't have a lot of success with receivers separating versus SEC cornerbacks. This year, we’ve seen some improvements in the receiver room over fall camp.
Last year, he was sacked 39 times. How good of a quarterback can you be if you're being sacked 39 times? How much time do you have to throw the ball and hit those explosive plays if you're getting sacked 39 times?
I don't think he's seeing ghosts. He has so many snaps under his belt, the experience at Wisconsin, playing in the SEC last year, putting up numbers, scoring touchdowns in big games. He’s played against top-tier talent. Now, if you're getting to him with a lot of heat, there's a point where the chin starts dropping a little bit down. That happens with any quarterback.
But if guys are getting open, he’s going to get it there even in the face of pressure. And he has a little bit of athleticism. He's going to scramble out the pocket. He's not going to be trucking folks or anything like that. But there is a little bit of athleticism.
On DJ Lagway: They love what they're seeing out of him in his first fall camp. He’s 240 pounds, he can move, he can get the ball where it needs to be. They're very high on him. He’s gonna play this year. There will be talks about him having a package. For now, it's just reps. They're getting as many reps for him in practice as possible.
I don't know if we're going to see him out there Week One in any capacity, given the stakes of the game. But they do want to find a way for him to get some snaps this season and add a new wrinkle that the defense has to prepare for.
Who knows what happens once he gets a few games under his belt? Maybe they find a little more confidence there for him to do some RPOs or option runs. But I don't think they're just going to throw him out there running into the defensive line or into the linebackers as a true freshman. I hope not. Everyone knows what Florida’s schedule looks like. It's big boy football.
DJ has come a long way since he's gotten on campus from all reports. They love what they're seeing out of him. But I don't know if you're going to see him on the 31st.
On the running backs: They're going to clarify Montrell Johnson’s availability during game week. He's running right now, but the reports are saying that he's not going to be ready for Week One. There was a lot of talk in Billy's press conference yesterday about Treyaun Webb, who's the next guy up. He's someone who has game experience. But he's still very green. He played a few games here and there last year in that third back role behind Montrell and Etienne. So he's someone who would be catapulted all of a sudden into that starting running back role.
Behind him, you have Jaden Baugh, who a lot of people are excited about. 6'1", 237-pound running back out of Atlanta, Georgia. The Gators flipped him from Arkansas on signing day. He's flashed at scrimmages. Power back. If Montrell is indeed out Week One, you're likely going to see Treyaun Webb and Jaden Baugh with Baugh being a little bit more of a power back. We'll keep an eye on those injury reports from Napier, but it doesn't look like Montrell is going to be ready for Week One.
My concern is their ability to pass protect. Again, Treyaun Webb played a few games last year in that third back role. Jaden Baugh is a true freshman. KD Daniels, another true freshman. So you have an inexperienced room, but a room that does have some talent.
On the wide receivers: I think Trey Wilson is as good as any of the guys we’ve had in the past. He's a fast-twitch guy. He's got next level speed. There's hints of Percy Harvin with some of the acceleration, and I don’t say that lightly. There’s bits of Kadarius Toney. He starts on any team in America right now. He should be on the field at all times for Florida.
They were looking to scheme the ball to him last season. They would go to him, move the chains, and then they’d get away from him and go down two touchdowns. He’s the A1 playmaker in that wide receiver room.
This year, they'll play him everywhere. They love him on drag routes where he can showcase that speed against man. Out wide, he can get past DBs and safeties with that speed. I’d love to see him on jet sweeps and end-arounds. He’s going to have eyes on him all year.
Beyond Wilson, Florida fans entered this Fall kind of panicking about the receiver room. There's been some confidence in the people who have stepped up. Elijah Badger, the transfer from Arizona State. Chimere **** from Wisconsin, played with Mertz. He's someone who's going to step in right away. He might start in the slot position. He’s not very explosive, but he’s a possession receiver that you can trust. Mertz is familiar with him.
So you bring in these two transfers, but then you have all these other guys. Marcus Burke is someone who's popped. Physical receiver, 6'3", has made some big catches downfield. He’s had questions in the locker room that have held him back. He's really had a good fall. Aiden Mizell, a speedster out of Orlando, had to put on some weight. They're excited to see what he can do this year. Kahliel Jackson doesn’t pop off the page, but he just makes catches.
The room is starting to come together. It’s a talented but mysterious room. You’ll notice that I didn't mention two names there. Andy Jean is hurt right now. Billy's going to talk about his injury status. And then Tank Hawkins has flashed already. He's in a sling right now. He's day-to-day. Before the injury, he was flashing a little bit and making plays out there in Gainesville.
On why Badger hasn’t been listed as a starter: He just got to campus. He needs reps in the system. It's just a matter of him working his way up the depth chart above some guys who have been a little bit more established there in Gainesville.
I'm not sure where he falls in the Week One depth chart. I think you're gonna see a steady dose of Trey Wilson. I think **** will be out there as a starter. And then that third starter could be Jackson as a steady guy who makes catches.
When I'm looking at this depth chart to see who could pop, I think it’s Marcus Burke. He’s a physical guy. He might not run away from you, but he could definitely get up and get through you. He’s been on campus for a few years now. He could be a true X-factor. Aiden Mizell is as fast as anyone out there. He's got a year in there now. I've talked about Tank Hawkins. So the room that had a lot of Florida fans holding their breath now has the two transfers and an injection of youth. We’ll see which way it goes.
On the tight ends: Hopefully, the position will look better in a year or two when Amir Jackson is doing his thing and make some sky-high catches. He’s a true freshman who I'm very high on and has done well in practice. Keon Zipperer had an injury setback. He's still in college. Arlis Boardingham is a little bit more of their prototype receiver. He made some plays last year. They're excited about him. Hayden Hansen is another guy who's more of a blocking tight end. But for me, the tight end room could use some talent. It's a position they're looking to recruit better.
On the player who could provide explosive plays, along with Wilson: It's Marcus Burke for me, just because he's shown it against SEC talent. You're talking about a very limited sample size, but at least he's gone out there and done it. Jackson has gone out there and done it. These are guys who have made some fairly impressive catches, just with zero consistency over the years. They're going to have every opportunity on the 31st given the way the depth chart has shaken out.
On LT Austin Barber: He’s back. He’s been banged up (ACL injury last year). He’s flashed where he could be the best guy on that O-line. And then injuries have held him back. He came into camp healthy and he's holding down that left tackle position. Even with the injury concerns, he's someone that they're counting on to be the rock of that offensive line as a starting left tackle and as a redshirt junior.
When he’s healthy, he could be just as good as any of our recent NFL guys. Maybe doesn't have the prototype size that you want out of that position, but his frame and his footwork could be as good as anyone there. They're counting on him this year to be that dude on the O-line. They really, really needed a complete overhaul on that line, but he was one of the guys that they knew they could count on to come back.
On LG Knijeah Harris: He's entrenched as a starter, more of a run blocker. He hasn’t had too much competition at that left guard position. Between him, Barber on the left and then Jake Slaughter at center, Florida is really hoping that the left side and center of the line is the strong point of a line that underwent a complete overhaul.
On C Jake Slaughter: I just love the way they've brought him along. He played under Kingsley Eguakun (UDFA for the Lions). He was sprinkled in behind an established guy. He got snaps. When Kingsley got hurt last year, he played in big-time games as a redshirt sophomore. In terms of the guys up front, he's one of those where the arrow is pointing up. We're excited to have him in there in the middle.
On the battle at right guard: A lot of people would love to see Rod Kearney at that right guard position. They're high on him as a redshirt freshman, but he's probably not as big as some of the other guys that are competing in that position (Kearney is listed at 6’4, 305). Damieon George Jr., Kamryn Waites, these are guys who are 6'6", 6'8", 345. Kearney's not that prototype.
Those two guys that I mentioned are a little bigger and are running in front right now at that right guard position. But Kearney has flashed. Billy singled him out at his most recent press conference. So they are high on him. I wouldn't be surprised if you see him become someone who probably steps more into that role as the season progresses. He’s definitely gonna be a part of that rotation.
I wish I knew [why George has struggled]. He’s a guy who they've kicked around a few places on the line. Right now, he's settling at right guard and getting snaps there. They brought in a bunch of guys to compete with him. Devon Manuel transferred in from Arkansas. Brandon Crenshaw-Dixon, who is now the starting right tackle, transferred in from San Diego State University. There was an urgent need to overhaul the right side of the line, specifically. Florida fans are really hoping it sticks together because as that O-line goes, everything else flows through that.
On RT Crenshaw-Dixon: He’s more on the lighter side. He got some praise and accolades for his work at San Diego State University. We’re all waiting to see how it transitions to the SEC. They're pushing him there. It looks like he's going to be the Week One guy.
There's going to be an adjustment. These guys haven't played together. Some of these guys haven't played in this conference. They're moving positions around. Florida fans have been talking about the offensive line for a decade. We have two coaches at the position now. Hopefully, two heads are better than one. They could put together a rotation of 8-9, 10 guys. But it's been a trouble point. And we're gonna see Week One against Miami's D line.
On what went wrong with the OL last year: What didn't go wrong? There were injuries there. They couldn’t replace O’Cyrus Torrence (starter for the Buffalo Bills). He was a shining light there. He was the glue that held these rickety guys together.
It starts in recruiting. Do I have to address the elephant in the room? If you're not getting the blue chippers on campus, maybe you can develop guys. But then if you ain't developing, you're just not going to be progressing . So again, you've got two offensive line coaches. Hopefully, the recruiting gets better. It starts there.
On efforts to help the OL in pass blocking: The running back helping out in pass blocking last year wasn't great, either. That was not Etienne’s strong suit. There just wasn't a lot of good pass protection last year.
Even if there were holes for the running game, they would fall behind. They found themselves down bad last year against too many teams. Hopefully, this year they can get in front of the chains, get in front of the scoreboard and change some of that.
On the overall optimism for improvement on offense: The optimistic take is that they're going to be better than they were last year, and it's not going to be close. They're going to be better because they overhauled the offensive line and brought in talent on the wide receiver room. You're hoping to see flashes out of Burke or one of these young guys who really takes a step up.
I'm bullish on some of these freshmen. It looks like Tank Hawkins can bring a different skill set to the offense. I'm trafficking in hope by mentioning these names, but I think that's where you're going to see it come from.
On Graham Mertz: Offense was the strong point for the Gators last year and it started with Graham Mertz. He's entering his sixth year as a super-senior QB. He pretty much played risk-free football. With it being Graham’s first year in the system, they wanted to run the ball and get ahead when they had [Trevor] Etienne and Montrell Johnson.
But it’s the SEC. Last year, they got behind in a bunch of games. They had to throw, despite some depth issues at the receiver position and a dearth of talent at the tight end position. I was pretty happy with Graham as a quarterback in his first year in the system. He put up 2,900 yards, 20 touchdowns, three interceptions on a team that struggled.
He's going to be looking to find that open guy. In Billy Napier's most recent press conference, he talked about explosives. That’s one thing they're looking for right now in the offense. Where are they getting those explosive plays from? Because they weren't really there last year when they needed them. That's been a big thing they've been looking for out of Graham and the receivers.
He’s just one of those solid quarterbacks. He's going to find what's in front of him. The Gators last year didn't have a lot of success with receivers separating versus SEC cornerbacks. This year, we’ve seen some improvements in the receiver room over fall camp.
Last year, he was sacked 39 times. How good of a quarterback can you be if you're being sacked 39 times? How much time do you have to throw the ball and hit those explosive plays if you're getting sacked 39 times?
I don't think he's seeing ghosts. He has so many snaps under his belt, the experience at Wisconsin, playing in the SEC last year, putting up numbers, scoring touchdowns in big games. He’s played against top-tier talent. Now, if you're getting to him with a lot of heat, there's a point where the chin starts dropping a little bit down. That happens with any quarterback.
But if guys are getting open, he’s going to get it there even in the face of pressure. And he has a little bit of athleticism. He's going to scramble out the pocket. He's not going to be trucking folks or anything like that. But there is a little bit of athleticism.
On DJ Lagway: They love what they're seeing out of him in his first fall camp. He’s 240 pounds, he can move, he can get the ball where it needs to be. They're very high on him. He’s gonna play this year. There will be talks about him having a package. For now, it's just reps. They're getting as many reps for him in practice as possible.
I don't know if we're going to see him out there Week One in any capacity, given the stakes of the game. But they do want to find a way for him to get some snaps this season and add a new wrinkle that the defense has to prepare for.
Who knows what happens once he gets a few games under his belt? Maybe they find a little more confidence there for him to do some RPOs or option runs. But I don't think they're just going to throw him out there running into the defensive line or into the linebackers as a true freshman. I hope not. Everyone knows what Florida’s schedule looks like. It's big boy football.
DJ has come a long way since he's gotten on campus from all reports. They love what they're seeing out of him. But I don't know if you're going to see him on the 31st.
On the running backs: They're going to clarify Montrell Johnson’s availability during game week. He's running right now, but the reports are saying that he's not going to be ready for Week One. There was a lot of talk in Billy's press conference yesterday about Treyaun Webb, who's the next guy up. He's someone who has game experience. But he's still very green. He played a few games here and there last year in that third back role behind Montrell and Etienne. So he's someone who would be catapulted all of a sudden into that starting running back role.
Behind him, you have Jaden Baugh, who a lot of people are excited about. 6'1", 237-pound running back out of Atlanta, Georgia. The Gators flipped him from Arkansas on signing day. He's flashed at scrimmages. Power back. If Montrell is indeed out Week One, you're likely going to see Treyaun Webb and Jaden Baugh with Baugh being a little bit more of a power back. We'll keep an eye on those injury reports from Napier, but it doesn't look like Montrell is going to be ready for Week One.
My concern is their ability to pass protect. Again, Treyaun Webb played a few games last year in that third back role. Jaden Baugh is a true freshman. KD Daniels, another true freshman. So you have an inexperienced room, but a room that does have some talent.
On the wide receivers: I think Trey Wilson is as good as any of the guys we’ve had in the past. He's a fast-twitch guy. He's got next level speed. There's hints of Percy Harvin with some of the acceleration, and I don’t say that lightly. There’s bits of Kadarius Toney. He starts on any team in America right now. He should be on the field at all times for Florida.
They were looking to scheme the ball to him last season. They would go to him, move the chains, and then they’d get away from him and go down two touchdowns. He’s the A1 playmaker in that wide receiver room.
This year, they'll play him everywhere. They love him on drag routes where he can showcase that speed against man. Out wide, he can get past DBs and safeties with that speed. I’d love to see him on jet sweeps and end-arounds. He’s going to have eyes on him all year.
Beyond Wilson, Florida fans entered this Fall kind of panicking about the receiver room. There's been some confidence in the people who have stepped up. Elijah Badger, the transfer from Arizona State. Chimere **** from Wisconsin, played with Mertz. He's someone who's going to step in right away. He might start in the slot position. He’s not very explosive, but he’s a possession receiver that you can trust. Mertz is familiar with him.
So you bring in these two transfers, but then you have all these other guys. Marcus Burke is someone who's popped. Physical receiver, 6'3", has made some big catches downfield. He’s had questions in the locker room that have held him back. He's really had a good fall. Aiden Mizell, a speedster out of Orlando, had to put on some weight. They're excited to see what he can do this year. Kahliel Jackson doesn’t pop off the page, but he just makes catches.
The room is starting to come together. It’s a talented but mysterious room. You’ll notice that I didn't mention two names there. Andy Jean is hurt right now. Billy's going to talk about his injury status. And then Tank Hawkins has flashed already. He's in a sling right now. He's day-to-day. Before the injury, he was flashing a little bit and making plays out there in Gainesville.
On why Badger hasn’t been listed as a starter: He just got to campus. He needs reps in the system. It's just a matter of him working his way up the depth chart above some guys who have been a little bit more established there in Gainesville.
I'm not sure where he falls in the Week One depth chart. I think you're gonna see a steady dose of Trey Wilson. I think **** will be out there as a starter. And then that third starter could be Jackson as a steady guy who makes catches.
When I'm looking at this depth chart to see who could pop, I think it’s Marcus Burke. He’s a physical guy. He might not run away from you, but he could definitely get up and get through you. He’s been on campus for a few years now. He could be a true X-factor. Aiden Mizell is as fast as anyone out there. He's got a year in there now. I've talked about Tank Hawkins. So the room that had a lot of Florida fans holding their breath now has the two transfers and an injection of youth. We’ll see which way it goes.
On the tight ends: Hopefully, the position will look better in a year or two when Amir Jackson is doing his thing and make some sky-high catches. He’s a true freshman who I'm very high on and has done well in practice. Keon Zipperer had an injury setback. He's still in college. Arlis Boardingham is a little bit more of their prototype receiver. He made some plays last year. They're excited about him. Hayden Hansen is another guy who's more of a blocking tight end. But for me, the tight end room could use some talent. It's a position they're looking to recruit better.
On the player who could provide explosive plays, along with Wilson: It's Marcus Burke for me, just because he's shown it against SEC talent. You're talking about a very limited sample size, but at least he's gone out there and done it. Jackson has gone out there and done it. These are guys who have made some fairly impressive catches, just with zero consistency over the years. They're going to have every opportunity on the 31st given the way the depth chart has shaken out.
On LT Austin Barber: He’s back. He’s been banged up (ACL injury last year). He’s flashed where he could be the best guy on that O-line. And then injuries have held him back. He came into camp healthy and he's holding down that left tackle position. Even with the injury concerns, he's someone that they're counting on to be the rock of that offensive line as a starting left tackle and as a redshirt junior.
When he’s healthy, he could be just as good as any of our recent NFL guys. Maybe doesn't have the prototype size that you want out of that position, but his frame and his footwork could be as good as anyone there. They're counting on him this year to be that dude on the O-line. They really, really needed a complete overhaul on that line, but he was one of the guys that they knew they could count on to come back.
On LG Knijeah Harris: He's entrenched as a starter, more of a run blocker. He hasn’t had too much competition at that left guard position. Between him, Barber on the left and then Jake Slaughter at center, Florida is really hoping that the left side and center of the line is the strong point of a line that underwent a complete overhaul.
On C Jake Slaughter: I just love the way they've brought him along. He played under Kingsley Eguakun (UDFA for the Lions). He was sprinkled in behind an established guy. He got snaps. When Kingsley got hurt last year, he played in big-time games as a redshirt sophomore. In terms of the guys up front, he's one of those where the arrow is pointing up. We're excited to have him in there in the middle.
On the battle at right guard: A lot of people would love to see Rod Kearney at that right guard position. They're high on him as a redshirt freshman, but he's probably not as big as some of the other guys that are competing in that position (Kearney is listed at 6’4, 305). Damieon George Jr., Kamryn Waites, these are guys who are 6'6", 6'8", 345. Kearney's not that prototype.
Those two guys that I mentioned are a little bigger and are running in front right now at that right guard position. But Kearney has flashed. Billy singled him out at his most recent press conference. So they are high on him. I wouldn't be surprised if you see him become someone who probably steps more into that role as the season progresses. He’s definitely gonna be a part of that rotation.
I wish I knew [why George has struggled]. He’s a guy who they've kicked around a few places on the line. Right now, he's settling at right guard and getting snaps there. They brought in a bunch of guys to compete with him. Devon Manuel transferred in from Arkansas. Brandon Crenshaw-Dixon, who is now the starting right tackle, transferred in from San Diego State University. There was an urgent need to overhaul the right side of the line, specifically. Florida fans are really hoping it sticks together because as that O-line goes, everything else flows through that.
On RT Crenshaw-Dixon: He’s more on the lighter side. He got some praise and accolades for his work at San Diego State University. We’re all waiting to see how it transitions to the SEC. They're pushing him there. It looks like he's going to be the Week One guy.
There's going to be an adjustment. These guys haven't played together. Some of these guys haven't played in this conference. They're moving positions around. Florida fans have been talking about the offensive line for a decade. We have two coaches at the position now. Hopefully, two heads are better than one. They could put together a rotation of 8-9, 10 guys. But it's been a trouble point. And we're gonna see Week One against Miami's D line.
On what went wrong with the OL last year: What didn't go wrong? There were injuries there. They couldn’t replace O’Cyrus Torrence (starter for the Buffalo Bills). He was a shining light there. He was the glue that held these rickety guys together.
It starts in recruiting. Do I have to address the elephant in the room? If you're not getting the blue chippers on campus, maybe you can develop guys. But then if you ain't developing, you're just not going to be progressing . So again, you've got two offensive line coaches. Hopefully, the recruiting gets better. It starts there.
On efforts to help the OL in pass blocking: The running back helping out in pass blocking last year wasn't great, either. That was not Etienne’s strong suit. There just wasn't a lot of good pass protection last year.
Even if there were holes for the running game, they would fall behind. They found themselves down bad last year against too many teams. Hopefully, this year they can get in front of the chains, get in front of the scoreboard and change some of that.
On the overall optimism for improvement on offense: The optimistic take is that they're going to be better than they were last year, and it's not going to be close. They're going to be better because they overhauled the offensive line and brought in talent on the wide receiver room. You're hoping to see flashes out of Burke or one of these young guys who really takes a step up.
I'm bullish on some of these freshmen. It looks like Tank Hawkins can bring a different skill set to the offense. I'm trafficking in hope by mentioning these names, but I think that's where you're going to see it come from.
