Tag: Kamryn Waites

Breaking down PFF grades for Florida’s run game against Kentucky

Jadan Baugh ran for five touchdowns in Florida’s win over Kentucky, but what does Pro Football Focus have to say about the Gators run game?

Florida’s big win over Kentucky last weekend was dominant in every way, but it’s the run game that is responsible for all five touchdowns scored by the offense.

True freshmen [autotag]Jadan Baugh[/autotag] and [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] can both run well, which is one of the main reasons Kentucky’s typically stout defense struggled so much. Lagway could run the option at will after establishing the long ball, and the Wildcats didn’t have enough guys in the box to stop it.

The future of the program seems to be in the hands of these two young men, but let’s not forget about the run blockers. Here’s what Pro Football Focus had to say about Florida’s run game on Saturday.

A refresher course on PFF grades can be found at the bottom of this article.

Ball Carriers

Player Total Snaps Carries Offense Run Fumble Run Blocking YDS TD Missed Tackles Forced
Jadan Baugh 37 22 78.6 77.3 77.4 60.0 106 5 2
Ja’Kobi Jackson 17 9 60.9 62.2 72.5 60.0 44 0 1
Cameron Carroll 4 3 52.3 53.9 67.3 — 1 0 0
DJ Lagway (QB) 53 7 83.5 68.9 69.1 60.0 57 0 1

True freshman [autotag]Jadan Baugh[/autotag] stole the show in DJ Lagway’s first SEC start, tying a school record with five touchdowns on the evening. Big throws from Lagway set up several of those scores, but crossing the goalline five times in one night is still an impressive feat.

Baugh earned the top run and fumble grades on the night and finished fifth overall on offense. If you’re wondering why Baugh didn’t finish with a higher grade, a higher elusiveness rating (20.7) might be the culprit. He forced a pair of missed tackles and broke three rushes for 10 or more yards, though.

Baugh performed well running to all sides of the field, but he put up the bulk of his yards hitting the gap between the center and right guard. On four carries to the middle-right, Baugh went for 53 yards, including a chunker for 27 and 18 yards after contact.

The right side (off the right tackle and right end) is a bit of a weak spot. Baugh only gained 13 yards on nine carries to that side of the field. However, three of his touchdowns came between those two gaps.

[autotag]Ja’Kobi Jackson[/autotag] acted as Florida’s No. 2 and his downhill running paid off to the tune of 44 yards on nine carries. However, both his overall and run grades came up short of the 65.0 threshold we look for.

Jackson forced two missed tackles and had a long of 11 yards, but it’s his elusiveness rating (91.4) that stands out the most. That’s well above Baugh’s number despite being on the field for a limited time.

[autotag]Cam Carroll[/autotag] rounds out the running back room for Florida. Carroll suffered a season-ending injury in fall camp last year and never saw the field after transferring from Tulane. Billy Napier let him go out there for the final drive of the game and get three carries.

It doesn’t matter what his numbers were. Seeing Carroll back on the field is the kind of feel-good story you love to see in a blowout win.

Of course, [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] ran the ball a few times too, and Florida fans should expect to see him scramble far more often than Graham Mertz did as the starter. Lagway went for 57 yards on seven carries (8.1 yards per carry), and he finished the game with the second-best run grade of the bunch.

One forced missed tackle and a 25-yard gain are the highlights, but remember that Lagway has to play it safe with little depth behind him.

Run Blocking

Twenty-four of the 25 offensive players for Florida earned a run-blocking grade, so we’ll stick to the offensive linemen and tight ends on the chart below. If a wide receiver had an exceptional day blocking, it will be noted in the final portion of this section.

Player Total Snaps Run Snaps Run Blocking Snaps Offense Run Blocking Zone Gap
Austin Barber 53 33 33 65.1 58.4 59.2 58.1
Jake Slaughter 53 33 33 75.8 70.5 69.8 64.9
Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson 53 33 33 61.3 56.3 56.4 58.0
Hayden Hansen (TE) 44 29 29 65.5 70.4 68.1 67.7
Knijeah Harris 39 23 23 50.7 49.6 52.4 52.5
Arlis Boardingham (TE) 32 22 22 54.4 57.9 53.1 65.5
Damieon George Jr. 35 20 20 59.8 57.3 67.0 48.8
Bryce Lovett 25 19 19 63.0 60.7 57.2 65.1
Kamryn Waites 19 14 14 64.4 62.9 64.4 59.1
Caden Jones 5 4 4 52.2 53.1 60.0 53.3
Christian Williams 5 4 4 48.5 59.0 59.9 59.5
Hayden Clem 5 4 4 65.1 65.9 63.7 60.1
Scott Isacks III (TE) 5 4 4 57.2 57.8 59.0 58.8

Left Tackle

[autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag] held down the left tackle position for most of the game, but he didn’t put up great numbers as a run blocker. A strong pass-blocking performance helped balance out his overall grade, which is typical of Barber through eight weeks. The highest run-blocking grade he’s posted this season is just above 70.0 and most are in the low-60s.

There’s no great cause for concern here, but it should be noted that Barber has come up short of the 60.0 threshold two weeks in a row. He’s also been a bit hobbled, so the bye week should do him good.

Left Guard

[autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag] both fell short of the 65.0 threshold we look for, but Harris’ sub-50 mark is concerning. He’s finished with a run-blocking grade below 60 several times this year, but this is his first time dipping below 50.

Waites has been far more consistent, and it might be time to make him the starter there.

Center

[autotag]Jake Slaughter[/autotag] is better at pass blocking than run blocking, but he still put a respectable grade this week. He’s one of four Gators to finish with a run-blocking grade above 70.0 this week, and it’s the first time he’s crossed that threshold since the Samford game.

Hayden Clem got the final drive of the game at center and also had some solid numbers. Slaughter should be headed to the NFL this offseason. Perhaps Clem is a viable option to replace him. We still need to see him play more, though.

Right Guard

[autotag]Damieon George Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Bryce Lovett[/autotag] share snaps at right guard, and it’s for a good reason. George is better on zone runs, and Lovett is better on gap runs. It’s impossible to switch them out at will, but Baugh did well running up the middle-right, so there’s no reason to fix something that isn’t broken. Neither reached our 65.0 threshold, though.

Christian Williams got the final drive of the game and put up average numbers. Remember, 60.0 is sort of a baseline for these graders, and Williams was within 1.0 of that figure on just four plays.

Right Tackle

[autotag]Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson[/autotag] has been solid since taking over at right tackle, but a sub-60 run-blocking grade isn’t much to write home about. Florida struggled to get anything going to that side of the line, so it makes sense to see his numbers take a dip.

Caden Jones got the final drive of the game at right tackle. He performed at a replacement level, but it was only for four plays.

Tight Ends

[autotag]Hayden Hansen[/autotag] didn’t do much in the passing game, but he was a strong run blocker for Florida on Saturday. He’s one of those four players to finish with a run-blocking grade above 70, which helped on some of those goallines rushes for touchdowns to the right side.

[autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] didn’t have as good of a day, but it should be noted that he cleared the 65.0 threshold on gap runs. He’s more of a pass-catching tight end, so it’s good to see him finish strong in at least one blocking grade.

Scott Isacks III played the final drive of the game, similar to the backup linemen, but it was another sub-60 performance in limited action.

Wide Receivers

The two highest run-blocking grades on the team came from receivers.

Aidan Mizell, a speedster, led the way with a 79.5 over eight plays as a blocker, and Chimere Dike trails him closely with a 77.2 over 19 snaps. Neither had standout performances as receivers, so it’s a positive to see them impacting the game in other ways.

Understanding PFF grades

The grading scale ranges from minus-2 to plus-2 with increments of 0.5, and players are given a grade on every play they are on the field for. A zero grade means a player did his job, while the two ends of the scale represent extreme success or failure — think red zone interception at the end of a game or a game-winning touchdown pass when applying it to quarterbacks.

There’s a level of subjectivity to it, but each grade is reviewed at least once. Once all plus-minus grades are in, the numbers are converted to a 0-100 scale to easily compare players. There are some loosely defined tiers within the system — 90-100 is elite, 85-89 is Pro Bowl level for NFL players, 70 to 84 is a starter and 60-69 is a backup. Anything 59 and below is considered a replaceable talent.

Since we’re looking at college athletes with a system designed for the pros, we will consider anything above 65.0 as a solid performance.

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Analyzing PFF grades for Florida’s passing game against UCF

Florida’s passing game put up its best grades of the season against UCF in Week 6. Gators Wire takes a look at the numbers after the win.

Gators Wire returns (a bit later than usual in the week) with the post-game breakdown of Pro Football Focus grades.

Similar to the Mississippi State game, Florida’s offense thrived against UCF en route to a win. The passing game, in particular, was a strong point for the Gators, posting team grades of  85.5 on passing plays and 81.4 in the pass-blocking game.

The receivers didn’t perform as well as last week, dipping from 79.5 as a unit to 69.8, but there were still a few standout players to look at.

Quarterbacks

[autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] (81.6) and [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] (81.5) ranked 23rd and 24th, respectively, among FBS quarterbacks in Week 6 using PFF’s passing grade; however, Mertz once again received the lion’s share of the offensive snaps for Florida, outpacing Lagway in dropbacks, 25-6.

Mertz led all Gators on offense with a 78.1 overall grade, which differs from PFF’s passing grades, while Lagway was seventh out of 21 players with a 70.7 overall.

Each quarterback had one big-time throw, which PFF defines as “a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window.”

Mertz finished the day with 19 completions for 179 yards and a touchdown on 23 attempts. Lagway went 4-for-5 for 50 yards.

The passing breakdown yields some surprising results for Mertz. He was better on medium (91.3) and deep passes (71.7) than he was on throws behind the line of scrimmage (65.9) and within nine yards (63.2). The primary criticism of Mertz coming into the season focused on his inability to throw downfield, but he’s starting to look good in the intermediate range.

Lagway is still the bigger threat beyond 20 yards, though. The true freshman completed his lone deep pass for 37 yards, leading to an 87.4 passing grade on deep throws.

Receivers

Slot

Slot receiver [autotag]Chimere Dike[/autotag] continues to be the position room leader with Eugene Wilson III out. Dike led the receiving corps with an overall grade (of 74.8 and a receiving grade of 72.9. He caught four of his five targets for 88 yards, 22 of which came after the catch. With an average depth of target of 15.6 yards, Dike is a big reason why Mertz is thriving in the intermediate range.

Dike saw the field for 61 of 64 offensive snaps.

Right WR

Florida’s most targeted receiver in Week 6 was true freshman [autotag]Tank Hawkins[/autotag], and he reeled in seven of eight targets for 60 yards. Hawkins has stepped into Wilson’s role of collecting screen passes and running drag routes, and he’s done a nice job adding yards after the catch. More than 70% of his yards this week came after the catch. Hawkins’ overall grade (65.6) and receiving grade (66.3) took a slight hit because of a fumble.

Behind Hawkins were Taylor Spierto and Ja’Quavion Fraziars. Spierto hardly played, seeing the field for just one snap, and Fraziars’ use was also limited to 11 snaps. Hawkins is clearly the top option while Wilson is away, leading the way with 36 snaps.

Fraziars earned a 55.4 overall grade and a 55.8 receiving grade on just one failed target. Spierto earned a 58.3 and 59.6, respectively, in limited action.

Left WR

[autotag]Elijhah Badger[/autotag] is the primary receiver on the left side of Florida’s offense, and he earned a respectable 66.7 overall grade while finishing 0.2 points behind Hawkins with a 66.1 receiving grade.

Badger is the team’s deep threat, made evident by a 25-yard average depth of target. He hauled in three of four targets for 41 yards and a touchdown — the only passing touchdown of the day for Florida.

Marcus Burke saw six snaps (three passing plays) behind Badger, but he wasn’t targeted at all. Burke finished the day with a 57.1 overall grade and a 57.6 grade on passing plays.

Tight Ends

Florida deployed a trio of tight ends against UCF. [autotag]Hayden Hansen[/autotag] worked primarily on the right side (44 snaps) and [autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] was on the left (41). Scott Isacks III saw the field for three snaps and didn’t factor into the passing game at all.

Hansen was the more effective tight end in the passing game, finishing Week 6 with an overall grade of 58.8 and receiving a grade of 66.3, while reeling in both his targets for 13 yards. However, Hansen struggled as a pass blocker (36.2), hurting his overall grade.

Boardingham saw just one target, catching it for three yards. He was much stronger as a pass blocker (69.0), albeit over two snaps to Hansen’s six. The rest of Boardingham’s grades — an overall of 50.7 and a receiving grade of 52.1 — were well under the replacement-level threshold.

Running backs

[autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. was the only running back targeted by Florida quarterbacks against UCF, but it led to six receptions in as many opportunities for 24 yards. He finished the day with the second-highest overall grade (69.6) and receiving grade (67.9). His pass blocking (76.0) was also strong over three snaps.

Pass Blocking

As usual, we will go over the offensive line from left to right. Remember, we’re looking at pass-blocking grades only here.

Left Tackle

At left tackle is [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag], who played all 64 snaps (35 passing snaps) for Florida. He earned a 72.4 overall grade (fifth-highest) and 70.0 pass-blocking grade, which was the second-lowest figure of any Florida lineman this week. Not great for an anchor left tackle. Barber allowed one pressure all evening, but it led to a quarterback hit, which explains the low(ish) grade.

Left Guard

At left guard, [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] and Bryce Lovett split the workload, 47 snaps to 17, respectively. Harris saw the field for 25 passing plays and Lovett came in for 10. Both were excellent against UCF’s paltry pass rush.

Harris finished the day with an 85.1 pass-blocking grade and Lovett earned an 81.1; however, both struggled overall with offensive grades of 62.1 and 48.7, respectively. Still, they were two of the team’s top four pass blockers in Week 6.

Center

[autotag]Jake Slaughter[/autotag] plays every snap at center for Florida, and he’s one of the best pass-blocking linemen in the country. A 79.3 pass-blocking grade is solid, but it’s well below his 84.0 average this year. Similar to Barber, a pressure that led to a hit is the only blemish on his chart and likely the cause of the slight dip.

Right Guard

Starting right guard [autotag]Damieon George Jr[/autotag]. has the only ugly performance of any Florida lineman this week, posting a 47.1 pass-blocking grade. Only tight end Hayden Hansen finished with a lower grade. He’s responsible for three of the line’s five allowed quarterback pressures and is on the hook for all three of the team’s QB hurries.

There have been games where George was one of the strongest pass-blockers on the team, but he’s starting to trend down again. Poor pass blocking was a major reason Florida moved him into the interior over the offseason.

The good news is that [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag] saw the field for 10 passing plays (to George’s 25) and put up a strong 81.1 grade as a pass blocker.

Right Tackle

[autotag]Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson[/autotag] played all of Florida’s offensive snaps at right tackle, and he also led the team with an 85.4 pass-blocking grade. After starting the season with a 55.1 off the bench, Crenshaw-Dickson has consistently posted grades of 80-plus, falling short by 0.1 points just once (against Mississippi State).

Understanding PFF grades

The grading scale ranges from minus-2 to plus-2 with increments of 0.5, and players are given a grade on every play they are on the field for. A zero grade means a player did his job, while the two ends of the scale represent extreme success or failure — think red zone interception at the end of a game or a game-winning touchdown pass when applying it to quarterbacks.

There’s a level of subjectivity to it, but each grade is reviewed at least once. Once all plus-minus grades are in, the numbers are converted to a 0-100 scale to easily compare players. There are some loosely defined tiers within the system — 90-100 is elite, 85-89 is Pro Bowl level for NFL players, 70 to 84 is a starter and 60-69 is a backup. Anything 59 and below is considered a replaceable talent.

Since we’re looking at college athletes with a system designed for the pros, we will consider anything above 65.0 as a solid performance.

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Florida Football 2024 Position Preview: Centers and Guards

Florida’s offensive line has been a bit of a question mark in recent years, but there’s returning talent at every position on the interior heading into 2024.

After looking at Florida’s offensive tackles, it’s time to review the interior offensive linemen on the Gators’ roster.

Offensive line coaches Rob Sale and Jon DeCoster need to replace all three starters on the interior this year. Center Kingsley Eguakun signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Detroit Lions, guard Richie Leonard transferred to FSU and Micah Mazzccua is now with Nebraska.

Fortunately, four-year veteran [autotag]Jake Slaughter[/autotag] is back and ready to be the full-time snapper, and there will be new starters at both guard positions this year.

Let’s take a look at each interior offensive lineman on Florida’s roster. Check out Gators Wire’s other position previews for the 2024 season below.

Starting Center: No. 66 Jake Slaughter (R-Jr.)

Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

Slaughter returns as Florida’s starting center this year, and he’s arguably the team’s most reliable offensive lineman.

Slaughter started eight of 11 games last year in place of an injured Kingsley Eguakun and earned a 77.8 offensive grade from Pro Football Focus to lead the team. He’s as good of a pass blocker (78.4) as he is a run blocker (78.9), and he allowed just nine pressures over 306 opportunities.

If Austin Barber is the returning leader of the outside group, Slaughter is his counterpart on the interior. Entering his fourth year with the program, Florida will lean on Slaughter just as heavily as it did a year ago.

The Rimington Trophy selection committee included Slaughter on its preseason watch list.

Starting Left Guard: No. 77 Knijeah Harris (So.)

Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner

Following the departure of Mazzccua, sophomore [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] appears primed to step into the starting left guard spot for Florida.

Harris played nearly 170 snaps split between both guard positions last year. His lone start came against Charlotte, but he saw 10 or more snaps in five other games. Pro Football Focus gave him a 72.9 offensive grade, but that number is a bit skewed because he played most of his snaps against non-Power Four schools.

He’s a better pass blocker than run blocker. PFF consistently graded him out in the high 70s and low 80s throughout last season, regardless of opponent.

The big question will be how well the second-year player handles the increased workload. Fatigue begins to set in when you’re taking 500-plus snaps a season.

Starting Right Guard: No. Damieon George Jr. (R-Jr.)

Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun

Most fans will remember [autotag]Damieon George Jr[/autotag]. as the Alabama transfer who struggled to hold down the right tackle spot for Florida a season ago, but a move to the guard position should yield better results.

Florida’s coaching staff feels George is better suited to play on the interior — he’s better against the run than the pass — and he’s replaced “17 and a half pounds of fat with 16 pounds of lean mass”, according to Billy Napier.

“The biggest challenge for me last year I felt was my weight. I felt like I played too heavy and ultimately played a big role in some of my play late in games,” George said in April. “So just being able to finish out the games with the same intensity I started with was a big emphasis for me.”

Expect some growing pains, though. Despite practicing at guard a bit while at ‘Bama, this will be the first time George takes significant snaps at the position.

Backups: No. 71 Roderick Kearney (R-Fr.), No. 56 Christian Williams (R-So.)

Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner

Aside from the three projected starters, Florida is going to need at least two rotational pieces throughout the season on the interior — potentially more if injuries pop up.

The first name that comes to mind is redshirt freshman [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag], who didn’t see the field at all last year as a member of the scout team. Kearney can play all three interior positions, and versatility is a must for a non-starter. The jury is still out on how productive Kearney can be in Year 2, but he’s made great strides over the past year.

Then there’s redshirt sophomore [autotag]Christian Williams[/autotag], who has played all of 31 snaps over the past two seasons. Thanks to some strong numbers on PFF — 88.5 offensive grade, 78.9 as a pass blocker and 89.2 as a run blocker — there’s plenty of optimism surrounding Williams, despite his lack of experience. He’s mostly played left guard but could fit on either side if needed.

Reserves: No. 53 Bryce Lovett (R-Fr.) and No. 75 Kamryn Waites (R-Jr.)

Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner

[autotag]Bryce Lovett[/autotag] is another name worth keeping an eye on, especially if injuries hit the interior more than the exterior of the line. Like Kearney, Lovett did not appear in a game for Florida as a true freshman. He’s undergone a body transformation and is more confident in himself entering his second season. In spring, Lovett played all five offensive line positions, so he’s the definition of a flex player. There are also questions about the right side of the line, so he could get significant snaps later on in the year.

[autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag] is another flex player that could fit into Florida’s plans for the interior. He played over 200 snaps at tackle last year, most of which came over the final two games of the season which he started. Waites is now a year and a half removed from his ACL injury and should be a key rotational piece on Florida’s offensive line this year.

Freshmen: No. 50 Jason Zandamela (Fr.), No. 74 Noel Portnjagin (Fr.), No. 78 Marcus Mascoll (Fr.) and No. 79 Enoch Wangoy

Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun

There are four new scholarship freshmen in Florida’s interior offensive line group, [autotag]Marcus Mascoll[/autotag], [autotag]Noel Portnjagin[/autotag], [autotag]Enoch Wangoy[/autotag] and [autotag]Jason Zandamela[/autotag], who transferred after a semester at USC.

Zandamela might have the most raw talent of the bunch, but he started learning the game in 2020. He’s spent the fall training at center, which explains some of the versatility shown by guys like Harris and Kearney. Zandamela was a four-star recruit out of high school who ranked in the top 30 of all transfers in the 2024 portal.

Portnjagin might have the best shot to see the field of the trio, however. He has experience in the German Football League and has been on campus since January. He has tackle size, but Florida plans to use him as a guard.

Mascoll played tackle in high school but could end up anywhere on the offensive line in Gainesville. Like Portnjagin, injuries could force him onto the field in a reserve role, but this is another likely redshirt.

Wangoy is another international product that started playing sports recently. He’s from England and played multiple sports at Zarephath Academy in Jacksonville. At 6-foot-7 and 330 pounds, Wangoy has the size to play on the offensive line in the SEC, but it might take a few years for him to develop his technique.

Walk-Ons: No. 59 Hayden Clem (R-Jr.), No. 60 Chase Stevens (Fr.), No. 72 Bryan Rosenberg (R-Fr.) and No. 90 Connor Homa (R-Fr.) 

In case 11 scholarship players isn’t enough, Florida has four walk-on offensive linemen on the roster to provide some depth.

Hayden Clem is the veteran of the group, entering his fourth year with the program. He made his debut last season during the McNeese game, earning a 74.1 offensive grade at left guard from Pro Football Focus.

Connor Homa and Bryan Rosenberg are both redshirt freshmen who are hoping to see the field for the first time in Gainesville. Homa was a defensive tackle last season but switched positions after the spring game, and Rosenberg is a local guy from Buchholz in Gainesville — he also has the best last name on the team (see byline).

Rounding out the group position room is true freshman Chase Stevens out of Vero Beach High School. He joined the team in the spring.

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Florida Football 2024 Position Preview: Offensive Tackles

Let’s dive in to who the Gators have lined up at the offensive tackle position for this upcoming college football season.

Next on Gator Wire’s annual position preview series are the big guys that anchor the trenches and most importantly, protect the quarterback. That’s right. We’re taking a look at the offensive tackles.

Florida’s offensive tackles are arguably the most important players on the offensive side of the ball. They need to do their jobs if they want to have any success through the passing or ground game.

There are some familiar pieces for the Gators such as Austin Barber but also some new faces like Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson.

Nonetheless, this should be a better OT group for the Gators than last season.

Let’s take a look at what Florida has in store this season with their OTs. Check out Gators Wire’s other position previews for the 2024 season below.

Starting Left Tackle: No. 58 Austin Barber (R-Jr.)

Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Barber returns as a veteran anchoring this Florida Gators offensive line.

As he comes up on his fourth season with the Gators, Barber is hoping for a healthy 2024 year. Last season, the redshirt junior missed four games due to ankle and arm injuries. But even when he did play, it wasn’t as if he was fully healthy either.

The 6-feet-7-inches, 314-pound left tackle looks to make his presence known on Florida’s offensive line.

Left tackle is arguably the most important position on the offensive line because it protects quarterback Graham Mertz‘s blind side. Florida needs to have Barber healthy this season if they hope to have success protecting the quarterback.

Starting Right Tackle: No. 65 Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson (R-Sr.)

Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun

Holding down the opposite end of the offensive line is Crenshaw-Dickson, the starting right tackle.

Crenshaw-Dickson is entering his first season with the Gators after transferring in the offseason from San Diego State. The redshirt senior started nine games last season with the Aztecs and played both the right and left tackle positions. So he has experience with the left side of the line as well.

During his collegiate career with San Diego State, Crenshaw-Dickson played 1,187 snaps in pass protection and gave up just six sacks and averaged 15 QB pressures per season, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). His PFF run-blocking grade was named “above average” in 2023 with a grade of 69.4 out of 100.

Backup Tackle: No. 57 Devon Manuel (R-Jr.)

Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Like Crenshaw-Dickson, Devon Manuel was a transfer that the Gators were able to acquire in the offseason.

Manuel transferred from Arkansas after playing nine games last season and started four of those games at left tackle. According to PFF, Manuel had the second-best graded run block on the Razorbacks last season and had a ton of snaps (417) under his belt.

Given the history with injuries on this offensive line, Manuel’s experience, especially at the SEC level, is valuable and he adds some much-needed depth at the OT position.

Reserves: No. 75 Kamryn Waites (R-Jr.), No. 53 Bryce Lovett (R-Fr.), No. 63 Caden Jones (R-Fr.)

UAA Communications/Ashley Ray

Kamryn Waites is going into his third season with the Gators and he is also a guy who provides some experience and depth. Waites played in every SEC matchup as a reserve and started at RT in the last two games of the 2023 season.

Bryce Lovett is a redshirt freshman who has yet to see game action as a collegiate athlete. But that will likely change fairly soon. Lovett was ranked a four-star recruit by Rivals and signed with the Gators in 2022.

Caden Jones is another redshirt freshman who is still in development. On3 had Jones ranked as a four-star recruit out of high school and head coach Billy Napier was such a fan of him that he recruited him when he was in the 10th grade.

Freshmen: No. 68 Fletcher Westphal (Fr.) and No. 55 Mike Williams (Fr.)

Fletcher Westphal and Mike Williams are the two freshmen in this OT group.

Westphal is a four-star recruit out of Tuscarora High School in Leesburg, Virginia. He was ranked as a top-5 player in the state of Virginia and was invited to play in the 2024 All-American Bowl.

Williams was a three-star prospect and went to Charles Herbert Flowers High School in Prince George’s County, Maryland. He was the No. 17-ranked recruit in the state of Maryland by 247Sports.

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Florida football sees two position changes ahead of 2024 season

Florida’s JUCO transfer will move up to the defensive line while a redshirt junior is moving back to an old position.

The start of the 2024 college football season is right around the corner and the Florida Gators are putting the final touches on its roster ahead of the grueling gridiron grind ahead.

During the offseason, [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his army of coaches spent quite a bit of quality time with their players, working on maximizing the potential of every player on the team. As a result, a pair of those who were evaluated have migrated to different positions for the upcoming campaign, according to a report by Gators Online.

JUCO signee [autotag]Brien Taylor Jr[/autotag]., who arrived in Gainesville as a part of the 2024 class, played in the F spot during spring practice at the edge defender position with coach [autotag]Mike Peterson[/autotag] but has settled in with coach [autotag]Gerald Chatman[/autotag] on the defensive line.

The other making a move is redshirt junior [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag], who has moved back to the position he played previously at right guard. He moved to offensive tackle last year, starting the final two games of the 2023 season at right tackle; co-offensive coordinator [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] moved him over to the left side this spring citing some mild weight loss.

However, Waites is now expected to compete with redshirt junior Damieon George for the starting job at right tackle in 2024.

Florida’s 2024 season opener

Florida and the Miami Hurricanes open their schedule on Aug. 31 in Gainesville, Florida. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

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Florida freshman LB out for spring camp, other injuries

Florida football head coach Billy Napier provided injury updates on linebacker Myles Graham and offensive lineman Kam Waites on Saturday.

Florida head coach Billy Napier provided updates on two injured Gators on Saturday.

Freshman linebacker [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] will sit out the rest of spring practices following a back procedure undergone to address an injury suffered in high school. Graham spent two non-contact practices with the team, but now he’s shut down.

“He (Graham) had an injury coming in and went through phase one and phase two,” Napier said. “We said, ok when we get to spring break and we feel like this is going to be a long-term issue then we want to go ahead and get it fixed. We made that decision and we anticipate getting him back for fall camp.”

The other player Napier provided an update on was offensive lineman [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag], who is dealing with a lower-body injury. Waites stepped into the offensive line rotation last season and is expected to compete for a starting spot this year.

“Kam Waites had a strained calf and a soft tissue injury,” he said. “Nothing major there but he’ll be out for a bit.”

Napier added that there were some other ailments on the roster, but the only two he deemed major were Graham and Waites.

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Gators get major piece of offensive line back from injury

Eight months out from tearing his Achilles, Florida offensive lineman Kamryn Waites is nearing a full return and with the team for fall camp.

Eight months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon, Florida offensive lineman [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag] has rejoined the team in the second week of fall training camp.

Waites took the field in pads and a helmet on Tuesday, according to 247Sports. He’s still in a non-contact role and working off to the side, but this is a significant step toward being ready for action during the season. Adding him back into the rotation in any capacity would be a huge boost for Florida’s offensive line, which is currently dealing with some depth issues.

At 6-foot-8-inches tall and 364 pounds, Waites has the size to play tackle in the SEC. He was moved to guard before his injury, but Florida could have him switch back following the departure of Kentucky transfer Kiyaunta Goodwin.

Billy Napier alluded to Waites’ return at SEC media days, admitting that he was “ahead of schedule a little bit.” Waites followed Napier from ULL to Florida as a redshirt freshman, and there are obvious plans to use him once healthy.

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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 OT Michael Tarquin entering transfer portal

Another Gator has hit the transfer portal, and now Florida might have some serious depth issues on the offensive line.

The Florida Gators will need to add some more depth to the offensive line after losing another player to the transfer portal. Offensive tackle [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] announced his decision to enter the portal on Thursday despite being a contender for a starting spot next season.

Tarquin began the year as the Gators’ starting right tackle but suffered an injury against Kentucky in Week 2 that kept him out for four games. Austin Barber emerged as an effective replacement, but Tarquin ended up playing in Florida’s final six games at his usual spot once healthy.

Some have called this the first true surprise of the transfer cycle for Florida. Tarquin was a presumed starter for next year’s club with left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] headed to the pros. Even if the staff favors Barber, shifting him over to the left side would allow Florida to play two experienced tackles on the offensive line. Now, [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has to do some portal work of his own to replace three-fifths of the starting unit ([autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] is headed to the NFL as well).

Napier said that the team was looking to add more players through the transfer portal during his early signing day press conference, and the Gators have been linked to Rhode Island transfer tackle [autotag]Ajani Cornelius[/autotag].

In-house options to take over Tarquin’s spot include Louisiana transfer [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag], freshman [autotag]David Conner[/autotag] and incoming freshmen [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag], [autotag]Roderick Kearney[/autotag] and [autotag]Tony Livingston[/autotag].

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