GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Heading into bowl prep, the second season of Jim McElwain’s tenure at Florida feels a lot like the first. The team is on top of the SEC East, but still far behind Florida State and Alabama. After a roller coaster of an up-and-down, shortened season, the Gators are 8-4, in line with many preseason predictions.

With only the bowl game left, here are the team superlatives for the 2016 Gators:

Offensive MVP: WR Antonio Callaway (11 games: 47 catches, 666 receiving yards, 3 TDs; 4 rushes, 26 yards, TD)

Honorable mention: RB Jordan Scarlett

Whether it was Luke Del Rio or Austin Appleby at quarterback, the goal on offense was clear: Get the ball to No. 81. If there was one offensive player Florida could never afford to lose in 2016, it was Callaway.

A year go, Callaway was most often targeted on deep passes where he could use his speed to get behind the cornerback (35 catches, 678 yards, 4 TDs). This season, as the team’s best all-around receiver, Callaway was asked to do more than just run down the field as fast as he could. When the Gators needed to convert in situations like 3rd-and-6, the quarterback’s best bet was to hit Callaway on a slant or underneath route. It’s why his receiving yards are down (likely to change after Outback Bowl), but his catches are up.

One can only speculate what kind of numbers Callaway would be able to put up if the Gators had a quarterback able to regularly get him the ball.

Defensive MVP: LB Jarrad Davis (9 games: 60 total tackles, 29 solo, 6 for loss; 2 sacks, 4 pass breakups, 5 QB hurries)

Honorable mentions: DL Caleb Brantley, CB Teez Tabor, CB Quincy Wilson

Jim McElwain refers to Davis as not only the heart and soul of the defense, but of the whole team. The talented linebacker who came back for his senior  season suffered a bad ankle sprain in Week 7 against Missouri, but defied the odds and played in Week 9 against Georgia, even making the game-saving tackle.

For McElwain, it wasn’t just that Davis played. It was how well played, and his ability to move.

“I was really surprised, to be honest,” McElwain said after the Georgia game. “But like I said, it’s just hard to count a guy like that out. Just the way he’s built, the way his mindset is. You know, I’m not surprised he made plays. Him playing that effectively … pretty shocking.”

While the Gators were certainly lucky to have players like Brantley, Tabor and Wilson, it’s the linebackers that anchor the defense, and this was Davis’ defense. Between pass-rushing, pass-coverage and run-stopping, Davis did it all, and quite well.

Rookie of the Year: Eddy Pineiro (12 games: 18-of-22 field goals, 3-of-3 from 50-plus yards; 29-of-29 extra points; 59 kickoffs, 43 touchbacks)

Honorable mentions: LB David Reese, S Chauncey Gardner, RT Jawaan Taylor

Not many kickers get their name chanted at the spring game, but not many kickers have the leg of Pineiro. From the moment he committed to Florida, he became a fan favorite.

Pineiro, a sophomore by eligibility because he played soccer in junior college, made a name for himself in kicking camps, where YouTube videos showed him making field goals in excess of 70 yards. Those kicks, of course, were under no pressure with no opposing rush. The big question was how would Pineiro fare under drastically different circumstances.

The answer was: just fine. While Pineiro wasn’t perfect on the year, the 18-of-22 mark is a vast improvement over last year’s 7-of-17. Florida kickers also missed five extra points last season, while Pineiro is a perfect 29-of-29. Pineiro’s reliability has boosted morale in all three phases.

Assistant of the Year: Randy Shannon, linebackers/co-defensive coordinator

Honorable mentions: DC Geoff Collins, DL Chris Rumph, DB Torrian Gray

As most everyone predicted heading into the season, the Gators were carried by their defense. All three units performed well, and all three dealt with major injuries, but it is Shannon’s work with the linebackers that particularly stands out.

One could say Shannon lucked into coaching Davis and Alex Anzalone, two signees from the previous coaching staff with NFL futures. It was without Davis and Anzalone that Shannon’s coaching ability truly showed through.

With Davis out for the South Carolina game, true freshman David Reese was asked to step in. Reese impressed throughout the day, logging 11 total tackles against the Gamecocks. He followed that up with a team-leading 12 tackles against LSU.

It was against LSU that the Gators had to play their first game of the season without Davis or Anzalone, which meant more snaps for another true freshman, Vosean Joseph. The Miami Norland product delivered one of the biggest hits of the game to prevent a Tigers touchdown.

Shannon had one of the thinnest units on the team, dealt with two major injuries and managed to coach up his freshmen.