Gators search for backup quarterback, aim to resolve other key questions during preseason campAugust 2, 2014|By Edgar Thompson, Orlando SentinelGAINESVILLE The Florida Gators are confident they can bounce back from a disappointing 4-8 season.
Will Muschamp is coaching for his job, but many of the pieces appear to be in place for UF to bounce back and contend in the SEC East.
While the team is optimistic about the future, there are still key issues to be resolved when UF opens preseason camp Monday.
Here are five things the Gators hope to address by the Aug. 30 season opener against Idaho in the Swamp:
Who will emerge as the backup quarterback?
Starter Jeff Driskel still has much to prove, but he is expected to thrive as a runner and improve as a passer in offensive coordinator Kurt Roper's up-tempo, spread offense. But the Gators lack a proven back-up to Driskel. Redshirt sophomore Skyler Mornhinweg started last season's final three games, but showed few signs he can handle the role. Top recruit Will Grier put up monster numbers in high school, including 77 touchdown passes last season. He enrolled in January and impressed at times, but at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds could use a redshirt season to develop. Fellow first-year freshman Treon Harris, a former FSU commit, won two state titles in Miami and has the dual-threat abilities Roper seeks. But Monday will be Harris' first practice at UF.
Can Kurt Roper's offense bring out the best in Florida playmakers?
Florida has the talent to field an explosive offense. The Gators believe they finally have the right scheme. UF scored 27 touchdowns last season, the fewest since 1988, while Roper's Duke Blue Devils tallied 60. Four Duke players caught at least four touchdowns; only senior Solomon Patton caught more than one for UF. Wide receivers Quinton Dunbar, Ahmad Fulwood and Demarcus Robinson, and Virginia transfer Jake McGee at tight end, each could break out in 2014. Sixth-year senior Andre Debose of Sanford is a wild card as he returns from an ACL tear. Tailback Kelvin Taylor and Matt Jones lead one of the deepest stable of UF backs in years.
Will another freshman cornerback shine in a starting role?
Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III is a rare talent, but the Gators hope Duke Dawson or Jalen Tabor can line up opposite Hargreaves and also handle the heat as a first-year player. Dawson, who hails from Cross City,Ray Ban Sunglasses Prices, displayed surprising physicality and maturity during spring practices. Tabor is a five-star recruit out of Washington, D.C., with prototypical size (6-1, 188) and natural instincts and ball skills. But even Hargreaves opened last season as a back-up. He did not start until the season's third game after Marcus Roberson injured his knee. Dawson or Tabor will be asked to sink or swim beginning Week 1.
Are Leon Orr or Darious Cummings capable of filling the void at defensive tackle?
No one will replace Sharrif Floyd and Dominique Easley. Both were first-round NFL Draft picks. But to return to dominance, the Gators' defense needs Orr and Cummings to play much better. UF's 2013 defense ranked No. 1 nationally when Easley tore his ACL after three games. With Orr and Cummings manning the interior, Missouri racked up 500 yards on UF, Georgia scored on its first four possessions and Georgia Southern's triple-option ran wild. Orr and Cummings each have slimmed down and worked hard this offseason, but each has to raise his game to another level.
Will the Gators be able to change games again with special teams play?
Urban Meyer's Gators won games with opportunistic special teams plays. Will Muschamp's 11-win 2012 team was no different. The opposite was true last season as the "third phase" of the game cost UF. Few Gators are on the spot more than kicker Austin Hardin, who was 4 of 12 on field goals in 2013. Few position battles will be tighter than at punter. Senior punter Kyle Christy was a Ray Guy Award finalist as a sophomore, but he was benched after five game in favor of Orlando freshman Johnny Townsend after struggling last season. Patton had his moments as a kick returner, but Debose is the school-record holder (27.4 yards per return) and tied for the SEC record with four touchdowns.
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