The Gators will definitely look a lot different when they first take the field against Florida Atlantic in the fall. With record-setting quarterback Kyle Trask moving on (and his top-three targets alongside him), Emory Jones will take over after three years of biding his time.
But with an offense that could rely on the run game much more than it has the last two years and a defense that returns a number of key players but struggled in 2020, not everyone is convinced.
ESPN’s Heather Dinich is among those who aren’t sold that the Gators will compete for a division and conference title again. She listed Georgia and Alabama as the conference front-runners, with Texas A&M as the outside team with the best shot.
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She also mentioned Ole Miss and LSU as teams to keep an eye on in the conference race, but absent from this discussion is UF. Here’s Dinich’s take on Florida’s odds in the SEC East.
No conference has a better chance to place two teams in the top four. Still, the SEC East could be one of the weakest divisions in the country. There’s a lot of hype surrounding Florida as a top-25 team, but is it warranted? The Gators have to replace key starters on offense, and the defense last year allowed 30 points per game and six yards per play. Florida has until Oct. 30 to put it all together for Georgia.
Though the Gators should be a top-25 team at the very least, Dinich’s concerns are understandable. UF relied on Trask’s absurd production last season to make up for its lack of a run game and defensive shortcomings. If Jones can’t replicate that (which would be a tough task, even if he has a very good season), it’s easy to see how Florida could take a step back next season.
This is a key season for coach Dan Mullen, and how he handles the limitations pointed out by Dinich will be very telling. But the Gators are still a talented team and should be able to stay in the division race at least up until that game against the Bulldogs. Only time will tell if Mullen can start a winning streak against UF’s biggest conference rival.
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