2022 spring camp preview – Syndication Server

Gators Spring Camp Preview: What can we really expect from these cornerbacks?

What will it take to get Florida back to being DBU again? Here’s a look at the cornerbacks on the roster.

I’ve been dreading writing this introduction. The topic of Gators secondary play has been bludgeoned to death time and time again over the past two years and the hiring of Corey Raymond threw that into overdrive. The struggles this team has had in creating consistent pass coverage in any game situation despite sending players to the NFL every year points the finger squarely at coaching malpractice, so the Gators hired the best cornerbacks coach out there. Case closed?

Well, not exactly. Unlike last season, the Gators are entering this year with a thin depth chart at the position and only two players with significant on field experience in the SEC. Additionally, some became frustrated with Jason Marshall Jr., who was a five-star freshman and the crowned successor to the Gators’ defense, because he was penalty prone. Can the Gators dig out of that hole so quickly? Let’s take a look at the corners Florida has on the roster and what they bring to the table.

For our previous spring camp previews, click these links: Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers.

Gators Spring Camp Preview: Looking at Florida’s running backs room

Take a look at how we think the running back room will shape out this spring.

One of the few things the old Gators coaching staff under Dan Mullen and the new coaching staff under Billy Napier have in common is how they value running backs. The quality depth Florida has to offer at the position speaks to that fact. Despite losing Dameon Pierce and Malik Davis, two major contributors, to the NFL draft, they still have a respectable depth chart to roll out.

Despite having five running backs who are essentially household names in Gators Nation on the 2022 roster, only three of them will be participating during team activities this spring. Nay’Quan Wright and Trevor Etienne are both good bets to factor into gameplay this fall, but Wright is injured and Etienne hasn’t enrolled yet.

Depending on how you look at it, that either leaves the Gators handcuffed regarding first impressions during spring camp or allows them to really get to know what they have in Montrell Johnson, Demarkcus Bowman, and Lorenzo Lingard. Either way, let’s take a look at the running backs in greater detail for the second segment of Gators Wire’s spring camp preview series.

For our review of Florida’s quarterbacks entering spring, click here.

Gators Spring Camp Preview: Looking at Florida’s quarterback room

Take a look at what to expect this spring from Florida’s quarterback room.

No position on the field makes as much of an impact on the gameplay of a football team, or, frankly, the health of a program, more than a quarterback. The positional value of a good quarterback is through the roof and a transcendent one can vault a team well above their peers. The Gators enjoyed excellent production from Kyle Trask for some time, but they haven’t had a truly great quarterback in a while.

As the football calendar turns to the 2022 season, the outlook for Gators quarterbacks is pretty good. Florida has three players on-roster who could reasonably be called upon to start games and still more who show some promise. That kind of team building is a key building block for this new coaching staff as they install an unfamiliar offense. If some players take longer to adapt to the new scheme than others, it’s no big deal.

Discovering which quarterback looks most ready to lead this offense will be the most crucial information this coaching staff can gather during the Gators’ upcoming spring camp activities. Therefore, let’s dive into Florida’s quarterbacks room for the first segment in Gators Wire’s Spring Camp preview series.