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Florida already knows it will lose senior defensive leaders Jonathan Bullard and Antonio Morrison, and top CB Vernon Hargreaves III will forego his final season. Some of the returning juniors will step up in 2016, but these five underclassmen have the most upside moving forward:
5. WR Antonio Callaway (FR): Callaway (30 catches, 603 yards, 4 TD) overtook WR Demarcus Robinson as the Gators No. 1 receiver during the course of the 2015 season. As a freshman, Callaway displayed great hands and speed. In the leadup to his sophomore season, expect the coaches to work with Callaway on dealing with double coverages and perfecting his routes. Callaway has already shown tremendous playmaking ability as a deep threat and has the potential to grow into a complete receiver.
4. CB Quincy Wilson (SO): In 2016, Jalen Tabor and Wilson likely will be the top two cover corners. After Hargreaves’ phenomenal freshman and sophomore seasons, many opposing offenses shied away from throwing at him in 2015, which led to increased action for Tabor. By the stats, Tabor (4 INT, 14 pass breakups) was Florida’s best pass defender this season. With Tabor taking over Hargreaves’ role as the No. 1 cover corner, Wilson (2 INT, 5 PBU) should slide into No. 2.
Tabor is the better corner after two seasons, but is basically biding his time until he’s NFL draft eligible. With increased defensive opportunities, Wilson has more potential to improve (upside) entering the 2016 season.
3. DL CeCe Jefferson (FR): Consistency dogged Jefferson’s freshman season at times, but there were definitely flashes of strength and speed that allowed him to get past offensive lines and and put pressure on the quarterback. With the departure of Bullard, Jefferson (28 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks) could be asked to move into the middle and disrupt from the inside out.
2. OL Martez Ivey (FR): Most offensive linemen are overwhelmed their first season in the SEC because there’s no substitute for experience, but Ivey’s big, physical presence gave the Florida offensive line a significant boost this year. If the five-star talent is able to make the transition back from guard to tackle, his original position, it could provide substantial improvement to Florida’s pass protection next season. The Gators need Ivey’s size (6-foot-5, 302 pounds) and athleticism to get in the way of SEC defensive ends.
1. QB Will Grier (RS FR): When it comes to tools and potential, Grier (106-for-161, 1,204 yards, 10 TD, 3 INT) has the most upside of anyone on the 2016 team. The question is, will he reach that potential, and if so, how.
Grier’s suspension until Oct. 12, 2016 complicates how he will practice and train. Florida coach Jim McElwain and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier have to find the best quarterback for Week 1 next season, but Grier could be the starter for the second half of the season and in 2017.
When he was on the field, Grier showed an excellent ability to make a quick decision and get rid of the ball before the defense could get to him. The deep pass was not considered his strength, but the 36-yard touchdown he threw to Robinson against Ole Miss was nearly perfect. Grier’s most needed area of improvement is with protecting the ball, particularly to avoid forcing high-risk throws.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
