Thanks to the much heralded mess that Will Muschamp left for Jim McElwain on the offensive line, Florida was left to scramble for linemen on the recruiting trail. And to McElwain’s credit, he landed some talented ones, like Martez Ivey, Tyler Jordan and Brandon Sandifer. However, they’re all projects, i.e. long term solutions.
But McElwain just found his short term solution.
Let’s meet Mason Halter, who just transferred to Florida from Fordham. He stands 6’8, 297 lbs., which is more than ideal for an SEC lineman. He’s a graduate of Fordham, which means he’s eligible to play at Florida right away. He started for three years at Fordham; in two of those years, he was an FCS All-American. Not bad, not bad.
But the pickup is immense because not only are the numbers down on the Gators’ offensive line, the amount of experience is too. Only two linemen with any experience will return- David Sharpe and Trip Thurman- and Thurman is fighting a shoulder injury. Throwing in a three year starter, even at an FCS school, will provide leadership, if nothing else.