We are officially one week into the month of August. Which means college football is upon us– and specifically Gator football, as Florida Gators fans. There is actual Gator football this month, but before we get to that point, there’s one final offseason milestone to get through: fall camp.
So with that said, here are five things to watch out for in practice between now and the season opener on August 31 against the Miami Hurricanes.
1: QB play from Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway
I know, you’re probably thinking well, duh. But it’s more than just watching them throw pretty spirals to speedy receivers on air. I want to see them both take steps as passers.
For Graham Mertz, that means developing a deep ball. You know, with an actual defender in coverage. Because for all that Mertz did well last year, the vertical passing game wasn’t really there for the Florida Gators at any point in the season. And maybe part of this is on his receivers, too. Can Aidan Mizell build off his spring, continue bulking up and take some steps forward as a more complete receiver? Can Arlis Boardingham get even better as a pass-catcher?
As for Lagway, there’s an obvious learning curve that comes for freshman QB’s, even the five-star ones. He’ll make mistakes as all freshmen do, but for me the key is not making them twice. If he can learn tendencies of the defense and develop timing with his receivers– even if it is just the second string– it’ll be very hard to keep him off the field, even if Mertz doesn’t do anything wrong. He’s that electric as a runner. The discussions of this have already begun!
2: Jadan Baugh stepping up
No sooner did fall practice begin than Montrell Johnson suffered a knee injury that will cost him at least a month (from now). That means it’s Jadan Baugh’s time to shine. And that’s not a terrible thing.
Yes, Montrell Johnson is a complete back with good vision who can pass-block and even catch some passes out of the backfield. But Baugh is a more dangerous playmaker, the kind of guy who can turn a four yard gain into a forty yard gain in the blink of an eye. He’ll have to battle Treyaun Webb for carries, another youngster who is going to be looking to seize the opportunity, but much like Trevor Etienne did as a freshman, Baugh should be seeing carries right away in his first game as a Gator.
The key for me is Baugh learning the passing game scheme and picking up blitzes. If he can’t be trusted to do that, at least to an adequate degree, he won’t play. If he can, then his natural abilities will be given a spotlight in which to shine.
3: Aidan Mizell continuing to develop
As I touched on earlier, this offseason is huge for Aidan Mizell. Tre Wilson is the known returning commodity at wide receiver, Elijhah Badger is the new piece who’s expected to produce right away, and Arlis Boardingham is expected to be another dependable target at tight end. But Mizell’s blazing speed– which made Georgia recruit him pretty heavily– is not to be discounted, either. The question is whether he steps forward in other areas.
Mizell certainly seemed to have in spring ball, catching a touchdown pass from Lagway in the spring game. And it seems as though most of the Florida Gators’ roster has made gains in the weight room under new strength and conditioning coordinator Tyler Miles, a statement that includes Mizell. That answers the physicality question.
Now, I’m looking to see if Mizell can become that deep threat he truly has the potential to be with his track star speed. If his route running comes along, if he develops timing with his quarterbacks, and if he bulks up just another five pounds– watch out. All-SEC honors are very much on the table for him as a sophomore.
4: The Florida Gators defense tackling in space
Florida’s defense didn’t do a lot of things right last year. One of the things they were especially incapable of doing was tackling. The road to fixing that in earnest starts now.
Some of that issue may have been fixed by addition by subtraction. A lot of the biggest culprits in the missed tackle department from 2023 are gone, and Billy Napier has replaced them with grizzled veterans like Joey Slackman, Asa Turner, DJ Douglas, and Trikweze Bridges. That should help some.
Those aforementioned guys are known for their physicality, willingness to get dirty and make plays. Combine them with an infusion of raw talent in guys like LJ McCray, D’Antre Robinson, and the return of Shemar James, as well as a crew of talented returners like TJ Searcy, Kelby Collins, and Cam Jackson up front and Devin Moore, Sharif Denson, and Ja’Keem Jackson in the secondary, and a heavy emphasis placed on tackling by new assistant coaches Gerald Chatman and Will Harris, and you’d think this simply has to get better in 2024.
5: No more injuries for the Florida Gators, please
It may seem like a copout to eschew analysis and player names that excite fans for a simple plea to not suffer any more injuries. But, well, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Because that’s the last thing short of a credit card fraud scandal that the Florida Gators need.
Florida already lost one starter for a few weeks in Montrell Johnson. By itself, that injury is survivable– just utilize the quick screen game a little more with Tre Wilson and hope that Baugh and Webb can serve as at least adequate blockers for the first couple of games before Johnson returns– but the Gators can ill-afford any more any more. Seasons have been ruined by preseason injuries before, and in a pivotal third season for Billy Napier, he just can’t have breaks continue to go against him
