Tag: Austin Barber

Florida will be without starting LT against Florida State

After being listed as questionable earlier in the week, Florida left tackle Austin Barber will officially miss the Florida State game.

Although he was listed as questionable heading into Saturday, Florida starting left tackle Austin Barber will be unavailable during the regular season finale against Florida State, according to Jacob Rudner of Swamp247.

Last week, Billy Napier moved right tackle Damieon George Jr. over to the left side, but Kamryn Waites could also end up getting reps at left tackle after seeing snaps against Missouri.

Losing Barber is significant for Florida, but the offensive line hasn’t been at 100 percent all year. That’s not to say the team should be used to it, but this is not a new kind of adversity for the team to overcome.

The Gators are also missing starting quarterback Graham Mertz, who is recovering from a fractured collarbone suffered last week. A betting man might put all his money on Florida to run the ball often tonight. There’s really no other option.

Wide receiver Andy Jean also missed warmups and is not expected to participate in the game, according to All Gators.

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Florida LT Austin Barber thinks OL will play key role in UGA game

Florida starting left tackle Austin Barber believes the offensive line will play a key role in the game against Georgia on Saturday.

Florida head coach Billy Napier has already pointed out that he needs a strong week from the offensive line with No. 1 Georgia on the schedule, and redshirt sophomore left tackle Austin Barber echoed those words when speaking to the media Wednesday.

“I think the offensive line is going to play a big part in this game,” Barber said. “I think that we have to play good… I mean you see it there are times when we’ve played good and you’ve seen guys make plays all up and down the field, so I think it’s a job for us that we have to do.”

Georgia has only given up a handful of rushing touchdowns all season long, and Florida’s run game hasn’t been the consistent juggernaut everyone hoped for coming into the season. Both Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson Jr. have had great games this season, but they’ve also both been shut down.

An inconsistent offensive line, in terms of both personnel and performance, is partially to blame. Not to mention the amount of pressure quarterback Graham Mertz has faced through eight weeks. Barber spoke to his quarterback’s resiliency but insisted that the O-line do better.

“Graham’s a warrior,” he said. There’s no doubt he’s a warrior and he’s going to get up and play every single snap. I think we’ve got to get less hits on Graham so he can get out there and perform. I think that’s the best we’ve got to do, make sure he’s not on the ground.”

Getting healthy over the bye week could be the key. The Gators are getting starting center Kingsley Eguakun back, who has missed most of the season after hurting his ankle in fall camp.

“It’s been great having the old guy on the line,” he said. “We call him the fossil, because now he’s the older guy, but, it’s great to have that experience on there. He brings something to the table that we need, and I think it’s really big having him back.”

Barber missed a game as well earlier in the year gainst Vanderbilt. Sitting out “hurt (him) the most,” but Barber says he’s happy to be back. He and Eguakun are the only offensive linemen on Florida’s roster who entered the season with starting experience in the SEC. They’re also the only ones who have played Georgia before.

After only getting a taste of the game in 2022, Barber says he’s ready to play for real in 2023. Don’t confuse his eagerness for arrogance, though. Barber understands that Florida has come out of the gates slowly several times this year, especially when away from home. Making sure the offense is firing on all cylinders early is the top priority.

“Yeah it has to be a quick start regardless of if you’re playing home or away,” he said. “You start fast, it puts pressure on the other team.”

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2023 Florida Football Position Preview: Offensive Line (Tackles)

Florida lost both of its starting offensive tackles from 2022 over the offseason, but Billy Napier hit the transfer portal to find some depth on the line.

Florida’s offensive line a season ago was a force to be reckoned with. Anchored by O’Cyrus Torrence and Richard Gouraige, both of whom are now in the NFL, the Gators’ big men carved a path for the running backs and kept Anthony Richardson safe all year long.

Returning just one starter in 2023, Florida is hoping to replicate some of the same magic it saw in the trenches last season. We’ll take a look at the tackles on the team today and get to know the players replacing Gouraige, who started all 13 games at left tackle, and Michael Tarquin, who transferred to Southern California over the offseason.

Here’s a look at all of the offensive tackles on Florida’s 2023 fall roster.

Florida’s offensive line a key focus for ESPN heading into 2023

Florida’s offensive line was a major reason the team wasn’t a complete disaster in 2022, and now the Gators have to replace four starters in the trenches.

Florida’s offensive line was among the best in the SEC and college football a season ago. Unfortunately, the Gators are replacing four starters on the offensive line after losing a pair of seniors to the NFL draft and two more to Southern California via the transfer portal.

UF will have center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] returning, but gone are left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag], left guard [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag], right guard [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] and right tackle [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag]. Replacing those four is the top storyline of Florida’s spring, according to ESPN’s Chris Low and Hary Lyles Jr., who dove into each SEC program at the start of spring ball.

The Gators brought in three transfers on the offensive line over the offseason. Alabama‘s [autotag]Damieon George Jr[/autotag]. and former five-star Kentucky signee [autotag]Kiyaunta Goodwin[/autotag] should get a shot to play tackle for Florida along with a returning [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag], and Baylor transfers [autotag]Micah Mazzccua[/autotag] should step immediately into one of the vacant starting guard spots.

While it is almost a complete turnover in the trenches, Florida fans should still feel confident, according to Low and Lyles.

“The Gator faithful should feel confident in the abilities of offensive coordinator [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] and offensive line coach [autotag]Darnell Stapleton[/autotag] to get this group together, given their track record with [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s great offensive lines at Louisiana, which produced multiple NFL draft picks,” the ESPN story read.

Low and Lyles also pointed a newcomer on the team to watch and chose to pick a player that will be behind the offensive line transfers mentioned above. Wisconsin transfer [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] will be competing with [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] for the starting quarterback job, and his experience in the Big Ten might give him the upper leg. Both he and the offensive line need to excel for Florida to have a bounce-back year.

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Former Kentucky offensive lineman transferring to Florida

Florida lost four-fifths of its offensive line at the beginning of the offseason, but a third addition from the transfer portal has the position room restocked and ready to go.

Florida landed former Kentucky offensive lineman [autotag]Kiyaunta Goodwin[/autotag] from the transfer portal on Tuesday.

Goodwin recently took a multi-day trip to the Swamp and quickly made his decision to join the Gators after spending just a year in Lexington. He’ll have three years of eligibility remaining in Gainesville after spending most of his freshman year as a special teams blocker for Kentucky.

Goodwin checks in at 6-foot-8-inches and 351 pounds, so he’s got the size to develop into one of the dominant bodies in the SEC trenches. Florida presents plenty of opportunity for him with four of five spots on the line being up for grabs.

Coming out of high school, Goodwin was a five-star prospect and ranked the No. 33 overall recruit in the 2022 class by 247Sports. Scouts have said that he has first-round potential, but he still has plenty of developing to do before he reaches that point.

Goodwin is the third offensive lineman to transfer to Florida this offseason along with former Alabama tackle [autotag]Damieon George[/autotag] and Baylor guard [autotag]Micah Mazzccua[/autotag]. Only center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] returns as a starter on the line, and tackle [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag] has some significant playing time too, so there’s plenty of room for all three transfers to find significant roles in the offense.

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Florida OL Kamryn Waites seriously injured during workouts

The Gators need to replace four of five starters along the offensive line before the 2023 season starts, and that job just got tougher thanks to a devastating injury.

Florida’s issues on the offensive line just got worse.

Over the offseason, the Gators lost four of five starting offensive linemen to the NFL draft and the transfer portal, putting the team in dire need of some more depth in the trenches. That need grew stronger on Friday when redshirt freshman lineman [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag] went down with an Achilles injury, according to 247Sports.

An anonymous source said that the injury came during a non-contact workout and that Waites’ tore it while doing an agility drill. Many expected Billy Napier to hit the transfer portal hard, and he has, but now he needs to add at least one more offensive lineman than he expected.

Waites joined the team ahead of last season via the transfer portal, following his former coach to the Swamp. He saw action in all 13 games for Florida, getting his first start in the Las Vegas Bowl against Oregon State. Although nothing was set in stone for 2023, the expectation was that Waites would compete for a starting job.

Now, the Gators will have to lean on returning center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag], tackle [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag] and transfers [autotag]Damieon George[/autotag] (Alabama) and [autotag]Micah Mazzccua[/autotag] (Baylor). Waites should be out for 6-9 months, according to UF Health‘s guidelines for an Achilles repair.

Perhaps Waites will be available toward the end of the season, but Florida will have to plan to be without him for most of the season following the devastating injury.

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Gators land commitment from priority OL target during All-American Bowl

The Gators earned another commitment from the recruiting class of 2023. Offensive tackle Caden Jones is headed to Florida.

The Florida Gators earned a commitment from De La Salle (Louisiana) offensive tackle [autotag]Caden Jones[/autotag] on Saturday during the All-American Bowl broadcast.

Jones had reportedly locked in his decision ahead of time, but he made things official to the public during a planned announcement stating that he could “see the vision Coach Napier has for the future.” He is the fourth offensive line commit/signee in the 2023 class, joining [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Bryce Lovett[/autotag]. Greyshirt freshman Tony Livingston is joining the team as an offensive tackle too, so he should be Jones’ primary competition.

Of course, Florida is in dire need of offensive line depth. The team is returning just one starter, center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag], and [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag] has some starting experience at either tackle spot. Aside from any transfer portal additions, Florida will rely on first-time starters at the other three spots. [autotag]Richie Leonard[/autotag] is a candidate to earn time at either guard spot, and [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag] played in the bowl game.

Jones won’t be the starting left tackle when September comes around, but he could be in a solid reserve spot after developing a bit over the summer.

The 247Sports composite gives him a three-star grade and ranks Jones No. 293 overall in the class of 2023 and No. 36 among offensive linemen. On3 is a bit more bullish on him, giving Jones the four-star nod and ranking him at No. 27 among those at his position.

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Florida hosting this Miami OL on official visit after landing in top 4

After losing most of its 2022 starting offensive line, Florida is looking to replenish the trenches through the transfer portal.

With the recruiting dead period for high school seniors in place until Jan. 13, Florida is taking advantage of the Jan. 4-8 window that transfer players are allowed to make official visits. On Thursday, Miami offensive lineman [autotag]John Campbell[/autotag] will be on campus for an official visit with the Gators, according to 247Sports.

The visit is planned through Friday, but this won’t be Campbell’s first chance to check out the Swamp. He made several trips to UF during his high school recruitment but never made it to Gainesville for an official visit before committing to Miami. He played in 34 games for the Hurricanes in total, including 18 starts.

On Tuesday, Campbell released a top four of Florida, Florida State, Tennessee and USC. He’s already taken an official visit to FSU and Florida is next on the itinerary.

With both of Florida’s starting tackles in 2022 moving on from the program, Campbell could find himself starting at left tackle for Florida if he transfers. [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] is off to the NFL and [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] is in the transfer portal, leaving [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag] as the lone experienced option on the team.

The Gators have already brought in a handful of transfers and expect to stay busy through the cycle. So far, Florida has added Wisconsin quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag], Ohio State linebacker [autotag]Teradja Mitchell[/autotag], Memphis defensive lineman [autotag]CamRon Jackson[/autotag] and Louisville defensive lineman [autotag]Caleb Banks[/autotag].

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Former Gators OT Michael Tarquin commits to USC

Another Gator has found a new home through the transfer portal. Offensive tackle Michael Tarquin is headed to Southern California.

Former Florida offensive tackle [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] is headed to the West Coast, according to a social media post he sent out on Friday.

Tarquin announced his plans to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 22 and has found a home just over a week later with the USC Trojans. He started the season as Florida’s first-string right tackle and ended up serving in that role for seven of his eight appearances with Florida this year. An injury forced him to sit for four games early in the season, earning [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag] some significant playing time.

Pro Football Focus gave Tarquin a season pass-blocking grade of 76.4, with his strongest performance (81.6) coming against Texas A&M in Week 10. He struggled against South Carolina (56.8), but made up for it with one of his best run-blocking games of the season (73.6). He committed just four penalties during the season and allowed just six hurries on the quarterback while not allowing a single sack.

USC’s gain here is a major loss for Florida. The Gators are down four starting offensive linemen this offseason and need to replace what was considered the best line in the SEC this year. Tarquin was the expected starting right tackle in 2023, but now he’ll likely take over that spot for the Trojans.

There’s a chance that he shifts over to left tackle, having played some of the position during his time in Gainesville. Tarquin received a four-star grade from 247Sports as a transfer prospect and has two years of eligibility remaining.

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Taking a look at Florida’s depth chart ahead of the Las Vegas Bowl

The Las Vegas Bowl is almost here and Florida is working with a different look roster after a busy start to the transfer season.

Florida’s depth chart for the Las Vegas Bowl looks a whole lot different from the opening-day roster, but that’s expected as players leave for the draft, enter the transfer portal and suffer injuries over the course of the year.

Starting with the offense, Florida is down players at every position but running back. [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] is making his first start at quarterback with [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] headed to the NFL, and walk-on [autotag]Kyle Engel[/autotag] true will serve as the backup. True freshman [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] is listed as the third-string option under center.

[autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] are the only available running backs on Saturday, but that duo has the bulk of Florida’s carries over the season so it shouldn’t be a problem.

[autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] is preparing for the draft, which means [autotag]Xavier Henderson[/autotag] is the new No. 1 out wide for the Gators. True freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] gets the No. 2 spot (and his second start) with [autotag]Daejon Reynolds[/autotag] in the transfer portal, and [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] is still in the slot. Despite losing some talent from the receivers room, Florida is in an okay spot heading into the bowl game.

At tight end, [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] is still dealing with an injury, meaning [autotag]Dante Zanders[/autotag] is the starter once again. [autotag]Jonathan Odom[/autotag] was productive as the team’s second tight end towards the end of the season and will get another shot to audition for next year against Oregon State.

Florida’s offensive line features a new face: Redshirt freshman [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag], who will get his first start at right guard with O’Cyrus Torrence headed to the pros. Left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] is also going to the NFL, but he could start in the bowl game and is officially listed as an “or” option along with [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag]. [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag] and [autotag]Kinglsey Eguakun[/autotag] remain at left guard and center, and [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] returns to the right tackle spot. Christian Williams could see an increase in snaps as the primary backup for either guard spot with [autotag]Richie Leonard[/autotag] injured.

Now on to the defense.

Florida’s defensive line looks the same as it was through the final few games of the season: [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Princely Umanimielen[/autotag] at defensive end, [autotag]Desmond Watson [/autotag]at nose tackle and [autotag]Antwaun Powell-Ryland J[/autotag]r. at the JACK linebacker spot. The big change in the front seven comes at [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag]’s linebacker spot which now belongs to [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag]. [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] is the other starting linebacker, but expect [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] and [autotag]Scooby Williams[/autotag] to get some work in too.

In the secondary, [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] remain as Florida’s starting cornerbacks, and [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashad Torrence[/autotag] will get another run at their respective safety spots. [autotag]Jadarrius Perkins[/autotag] is stepping in for an injured [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] at the STAR, but that shouldn’t disrupt the defense too much.

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