GAINESVILLE, Fla. – As the Gators continue their campaign to defend their SEC East title, they have a depth chart to figure out.
With seven players drafted, and other former starters having graduated (TE Jake McGee, NB Brian Poole) or transferred (QB Will Grier, QB Treon Harris), there’s plenty of competition in fall camp.
These five Gators have the most to prove in preseason practice:
Tyrie Cleveland, WR: Even though Antonio Callaway is back, the Gators still have questions at the wide receiver position. One answer could be Cleveland. The four-star prospect was rated the No. 2 wideout of the 2016 class by 247Sports’ composite rankings and has been seen as a potential contributor since he signed with Florida. Cleveland, however, has a lot of work to do this fall to see the field.
First and foremost, he has to do everything he can to get on coach Jim McElwain’s good side after getting arrested for firing a BB gun into a campus dorm. From a pure numbers perspective, the Gators have depth at receiver. While the quality is debatable, if Cleveland is in the dog house, someone else will likely get his snaps.
When it comes to experience, the highly coveted rookie faces an uphill battle. There are 10 other scholarship receivers available, and nine were on the roster before Cleveland arrived. While Cleveland’s talent and potential is thought to exceed many of his teammates, he has to put together a strong camp to climb past the veterans, transfers and early enrollees.
DL Cece Jefferson: Jefferson, a former five-star prospect, might be the most talented Gators defensive lineman. The coaches, however, are looking to see him take the next step in understanding the defense.
“Cece I think had a really good freshman year,” defensive coordinator Geoff Collins said at Wednesday’s media day. “At times relied a lot on his athletic ability. But I think the big thing, kind of like with Caleb Brantley, is really focusing on understanding the defense. Not just relying on your natural athletic ability to make plays, but making plays within the framework of the defense.
“We’ve moved him around a bunch. He’s played the rush for us. He’s played the end. At times played him like we did with Jonathan Bullard, played him on the inside. I think he can be a force, as long as the effort is there, the technique is there, which he has shown so much during the spring.”
Florida has a solid corps of linemen to use in a rotation this fall. How many snaps Jefferson gets on that rotation will likely be determined by his camp performance.
C.J. Worton, WR: Worton had a largely uneventful first two years on campus, and then the SEC Championship Game catch happened. Treon Harris heaved a prayer into the end zone, and despite a number of Crimson Tide defensive backs converging toward the ball, Worton came away with a highlight grab.
Now, Worton has to prove that wasn’t a fluke. Coach Jim McElwain told reporters at media day that he’s seen an improved Worton this offseason.
“I’ll say one thing about C.J. He is another guy that has come a long, long ways moving forward. … He’s a guy that I think even when you see his body, you’ll see the importance of the nutrition piece, the importance of finishing everything you do and your attention to your daily detail.
“It will be interesting to see where it carries over but he’s had an outstanding summer; a guy that has really been a go-to guy for our guys.”
The coach said it best: It’s time for Worton to build on that outstanding summer.
Jordan Scarlett, RB: The Gators have options at running back. Scarlett, a former four-star recruit, is expected to figure prominently in their plans along with junior college transfer Mark Thompson and sophomore Jordan Cronkrite.
When McElwain was asked about the trio expected to handle carries in a committee approach, he made sure to include former walk-on Mark Herndon and incoming freshman Lamical Perine in his response. All the running backs will have to earn their carries in camp, but it’s Scarlett, who was arrested in the winter for marijuana possession and dealt with a hamstring injury this spring, under the most pressure to solidify his role as a contributor.
Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier laid out what he’s looking for from his sophomore running backs this fall.
“Really excited for (Scarlett and Cronkrite),” he said. “Obviously the curve was really steep for them. So the curve has slowed down from a learning standpoint. Really curious now to watch their natural skill level start to take over and really implement some of the things we asked them to work on in the off-season.”
Ahmad Fulwood, WR: Fulwood’s Florida career is wrapping up, and the former four-star prospect has little to show for it, with career numbers of 35 catches for 387 yards and two touchdowns. The coaches would love to be able to take advantage of his height and size (6-foot-4, 208 pounds) in the passing game.
Identifying what Fulwood needs to do is simple. Getting him to actually do it has been another story.
Mac (again) says Ahmad Fulwood needs to be more physical. At what point do you just stop asking and find someone else?
— Nick de la Torre (@delatorre) August 3, 2016
“Obviously Ahmad Fulwood is a guy that we haven’t talked about, but had a good spring, and yet we need him to really step up and be aggressive in his play for us to be successful.” McElwain said at Florida’s media day.
With plenty of depth at wide receiver, fall camp could be his last chance to turn the corner.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaign of Fred Taylor.
