The Gators did not get a whole lot of spring love considering they are the defending division champions. All the hype in the SEC East for 2016 has turned to Knoxville and Athens, as many experts seem to be picking the Volunteers or Bulldogs as the division winner.

To be fair, Florida crashed at the end of 2015, losing its final three games badly. And with the loss of seven recent draftees, it’s safe to say that the 2016 squad will look significantly different from the team that faced Alabama last December.

On offense, the depth chart has filled out nicely from a numbers perspective, but experience is lacking. The defense is expected to carry the team again, but the unit is one or two injuries from becoming an area of concern.

Will the new starters on offense be able to help the Gators get back to Atlanta? We won’t know until the season plays out, but for now we can look at the post-spring strengths and weaknesses:

STRENGTHS

  • Kicking game: It’s important to not get too carried away with K Eddy Pineiro’s spring game when he went 2-of-4 from 50-plus yards, but the fact that the Gators no longer have to concede the opponent’s 35-yard line as no man’s land is a significant boost to their scoring chances this season. Pineiro might go wide here and there, or even have a few kicks blocked, but he definitely has the leg to score three points more often than UF did last season. He’s not the only big leg on the special teams. If Florida isn’t scoring, P Johnny Townsend can flip the field. The field position battle becomes increasingly important when the defense is doing the heavy lifting, which will likely be the case for the Gators in 2016.
  • Tight end: With a new quarterback and the top receiver suspended, there are big questions in the passing game. The tight end position, however, is a definite strength. DeAndre Goolsby provides an excellent combination of hands, speed and athleticism that should lead to coverage mismatches. Behind Goolsby, the Gators have another excellent pass catcher in C’yontai Lewis. Florida coach Jim McElwain finally has the quarterbacks to run his system, and Gators fans are about to be reminded how an effective passing game uses the middle of the field with Goolsby and Lewis.
  • Starters on defense: Similar to last year, and the year before, expect the Gators to lean on the defense. All three position groups return at least one important starter. The defensive line will be anchored by DT Caleb Brantley, who decided to return for his redshirt junior year. Linebacker Jarrad Davis, back from a 98-tackle season, will lead the way in the middle. And cornerback Jalen Tabor, who outplayed No. 11 overall pick Vernon Hargreaves last season, will be defending the SEC’s top wideouts. All three units have regular contributors from last season ready to fill in the other eight starting spots. Florida’s first-team defense will undoubtedly be one of the best in the conference — again.

WEAKNESSES

  • Backups on defense: The Gators are a couple of injuries or suspensions from areas of strength, such as secondary and linebacker, becoming vulnerabilities. If Tabor, corner Quincy Wilson or safety Marcus Maye miss any time, backup defensive backs like Chauncey Gardner and Chris Williamson are inexperienced and unproven. There’s a similar drop at linebacker if Davis or Alex Anzalone can’t go. Florida may be able to develop depth during the season, but right now the absence of any defensive starter would be a major concern.
  • Wide receivers not named Callaway: Luke Del Rio might not have the physical gifts of Will Grier, but in the spring game, he looked plenty capable of moving the Florida offense. The problem for the Gators could be who Del Rio will throw to. UF’s top receiver, Antonio Callaway, has been suspended indefinitely. In his absence, no other Gators wideout has established himself as a playmaking threat on the exterior. Help could be on the way in the fall with the arrival of Tyrie Cleveland, the No. 2 wide receiver of the 2016 class, but from a post-spring perspective, receiver is an area of weakness.
  • Experience on offense: The Gators have offensive depth, but not much to show for it. Only one quarterback, Austin Appleby, has significant college experience, and he is expected to be the backup. Del Rio is three years removed from high school, but he has thrown a grand total of 13 passes in his college career, while Kyle Trask and Feleipe Franks are true freshmen. The Gators are expected to use a committee approach at running back, with sophomores Jordan Cronkrite and Jordan Scarlett as well as junior college transfer Mark Thompson. At wide receiver, three true freshmen (Cleveland, Joshua Hammond, Freddie Swain) and a JUCO transfer (Dre Massey) could be in line for significant playing time. Young depth is great, but if the game is going down to the wire in Knoxville or Tallahassee, there aren’t many veteran leaders to step up and say, “We’ve got this.”