Florida Gators starting right guard Damieon George Jr. will enter the transfer portal after two seasons in Gainesville.
Florida starting right guard [autotag]Damieon George Jr[/autotag]. plans to enter the transfer portal, according to On3.
George joined the Gators in 2023 as a transfer out of Alabama. He started 10 games at right tackle, one at left tackle and came off the bench in another throughout last season. He transitioned to guard over the offseason and started 10 games at right guard in 2024 for Florida.
Injuries slowed George down in the second half of the season, allowing redshirt freshman Bryce Lovett to get some playing time and earn an SEC All-Freshman team nod. Rather than split time with other players, George is seeking a full-time starting role in his final year of collegiate ball.
Pro Football Focus gave him a 70.2 overall offensive grade, a 71.0 as a run blocker and a 73.4 as a pass blocker. He allowed just seven quarterback pressures and didn’t give up a sack this year.
George is the 18th player to leave Florida during the transfer period, 12 of which were on scholarship. He joins fellow linemen Christian Williams and Mike Williams in the portal.
Florida’s options at RG in 2025
The guard positions are somewhat interchangeable, so Gators will cover all guards on the roster as potential replacements for George next year.
With Knijeah Harris likely to return as Florida’s starting left guard next season, four other guards played snaps for the Gators in 2024. Bryce Lovett (290) and Kamryn Waites (217) are the two most seasoned players on that list, followed by Roderick Kearney (32). Christian Williams played eight snaps for Florida and is also in the transfer portal.
Potential starters
Lovett and Waites both played over 100 snaps at right guard, so that’s a position battle to watch in the spring. Waites followed Napier to Florida from Louisiana and knows his system well, but he switched from tackle to guard last season after poor results as a starter on the right side. Lovett earned 20 snaps a game over the season’s final five weeks. A platoon could be viable with these two on the roster.
Potential backups/reserves
There’s also a quartet of freshmen that redshirted this year — Marcus Mascoll, Noel Portnjagin, Enoch Wangoy and Jason Zandamela. While none are expected to compete for a starting role this year, they should see the field a bit as backups/reserves.
Zandamela is a potential center who could play behind Jake Slaughter, should the veteran snapper forgo the draft and return. Portnjagin has some experience playing in the German Football League before signing with Florida, Mascoll is a high school tackle turned guard and Wangoy is a developmental signee from England.
Incoming freshmen/walk-ons
The Gators signed a pair of interior linemen out of high school, Tavaris Dice and Daniel Pierre Louis. Billy Napier indicated that guards are more developmental than tackles, so expect both to redshirt.
Florida also has walk-ons Hayden Clem, who played eight snaps at center, Connor Homa, Bryan Rosenberg and Chase Stevens on the roster. Clem has one more year of eligibility, Homa and Rosenberg have three apiece and Stevens redshirted as a freshman.
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