Mike Summers has a less-than-desirable task during spring practice.

It’s up to Florida’s offensive line coach, who passed the eye test last fall in his first season leading a unit that allowed just 17 sacks, to find five blockers — out of seven scholarship players available — that he’s comfortable labeling first-teamers coming out of the Orange and Blue Game in April.

Left guard Trip Thurman is the Gators’ only returning starter in a position group forced to replace three multi-year starting seniors along with early-entries D.J. Humphries and Chaz Green.

Redshirt sophomore Roderick Johnson started three games last fall and will benefit benefit most from another spring practice under his belt with a head start on learning coach Jim McElwain’s offense and blocking schemes. The Gators are grooming Johnson at one of the tackle spots along with sophomore David Sharpe, a burly 6-foot-6, now 350-pound bulldozer.

“I see some eager guys out there,” McElwain said after Florida’s first practice on March 17. “Even as thin as we were in the offensive line from a body count, you had guys that believed, you know what, we’ve got to get this going together.”

Johnson and Sharpe will be pressed during fall camp by incoming five-star true freshman Martez Ivey, so it’s important that both make a lasting impression on Summers and McElwain before his arrival. Neither has to worry about the often challenging acclimation period associated with incoming freshmen or JUCO transfers, however.

Another player continuing to develop is Antonio Riles, a redshirt sophomore guard who has appeared in four career games. Relegated to second, and sometimes third-team duties last season, Riles made a few tweaks to his technique thanks to Max Garcia and Trent Brown.

He could be in the conversation at right guard with a solid spring.

Ivey is one of six offensive linemen the Gators signed in February’s 2015 class. The others will likely slide into much-needed depth roles and most will redshirt.