Florida made no changes to its depth chart after losing to Kentucky and in preparation for Vanderbilt. The big question is how Kaiir Elam will look if he does indeed play.
Elam, who goes in the first round of most mock NFL drafts right now, has missed the Gators’ last two games after injuring his knee in the Alabama game. Florida head coach Dan Mullen talked as if Elam would play in the week leading up to the Kentucky game, but he was a late scratch once again.
Avery Helm and Jason Marshall Jr. have taken over the starting cornerback roles in Elam’s absence and have shown flashes of good and bad coverage. More than anything, Elam’s leadership is missed in the secondary. Zach Carter has been that guy for the defensive line and he and Brenton Cox Jr. have gotten to the quarterback often. Mohamoud Diabate has filled in nicely as the leader of the linebackers for an injured Ventrell Miller. Diabate tied a personal high in tackles last week and leads the team.
Anthony Richardson finally got back on the field last week, and he should be in for significantly more playing time against Vanderbilt. He connected with Jacob Copeland for two touchdowns against USF, and Vandy’s secondary is worse than the Bulls’. Malik Davis and Dameon Pierce have been the main guys at running back for Florida with a little Nay’Quan Wright sprinkled in. This could be the week we see some plays from a Lorenzo Lingard or Demarkcus Bowman.
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