Tag: Kingsley Eguakun

This Gator named to Chuck Bednarik Award watch list

Florida Gators OLB Brenton Cox Jr. was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch list and is looking to become the first Florida Gator to win.

Veteran outside linebacker and holder of the coveted No. 1 jersey [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]. was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list. The Chuck Bednarik Award is awarded by the Maxwell Club each year to the nation’s defensive player of the year.

Cox Jr. has grabbed the national attention of multiple preseason watch lists and media outlets, including the All-SEC second team from Athlon Sports, Phil Steele, and the scrum at SEC media days. Cox Jr. is the seventh different Florida player to be named to a preseason award watch list: [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] (Maxwell), [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] (Butkus), [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] (Rimington), [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag] (Outland), [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] (Outland), and [autotag]Nay’Quan Wright[/autotag] (Doak Walker & Wuerffel).

Cox Jr. is looking to become the first player in Florida football history to win the Chuck Bednarik award. Nine Gators players have been named semifinalists for the award with [autotag]Jevon Kearse[/autotag] (1998) and [autotag]Brandon Spikes[/autotag] (2009) the only finalists in program history.

Semifinalists for the award will be announced on November 1, with the three finalists to be announced on November 22. The winner will be announced on the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show to be held on December 8.

The Florida Gators will open the 2022 season on Saturday, September 3, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium against Utah at 7:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN.

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Florida offensive lineman makes Rimington Trophy watch list

Kingsley Eguakun, Florida’s starting center, is getting some national recognition before the season begins.

Under new head coach Billy Napier, the Florida Gators are hoping to take a step forward on the offensive line. The position group needed some retooling after the damage done by Dan Mullen‘s staff and Napier immediately hit the transfer portal to bolster the group for the upcoming 2022 season. Most of the talk regarding the line has been focused on Louisana transfer [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag], but now center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag], a rising redshirt junior, is receiving some national buzz.

Eguakun was named to the 2022 Rimington Trophy watch list on Friday morning. After starting all 13 games for Florida in 2021, Eguakun is expected to take some big steps forward in his second campaign as UF’s snapper. The watch list is comprised of 40 players, which the committee picked using data from Pro Football Focus and nominations from the schools.

Florida’s line was solid last year, as the Gators finished among the top 16 in offense nationally, averaging 208.7 yards per game on the ground and 5.5 yards per carry.

With Napier at the helm, and a running back room brimming with potential, Florida should lean on the run plenty in 2022. If Florida can put together another strong year offensively, Eguakun should be at least in the conversation for the award.

The only Gator to ever take home the Rimington Trophy was Maurkice Pouncey in 2009, though, so it won’t be an easy contest to win.

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This Gator among On3’s top 10 most impactful OL transfers

New Florida Gator O’Cyrus Torrence comes in near the top of On3’s recent list of most impactful offensive line transfer players.

O’Cyrus Torrence comes in at No. 2 in On3’s top 10 most impactful offensive line transfers list ahead of the 2022 season.

Torrence joins first-year head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] in trading Lafayette, Louisiana, for Gainesville, Florida, making the move from the Sun Belt to the SEC. A three-year starter at Louisiana, Torrence is expected to continue in that role in an offense that he already has familiarity with. New Florida offensive coordinator [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag] spent 2018-20 as Louisiana’s offensive coordinator and offensive line coach before his one-year stint with the New York Giants as their offensive line coach last season. It seems familiarity was a big factor in Torrence’s decision to sign with the Gators in January.

It’s not just On3 that is taking notice of the big guy and his dominance in the trenches. Torrence was named to the Walter Camp All-American watch list last month and was named to ESPN’s 2022 way-too-early All-American team back in January. PFF named him the third best interior offensive lineman in college football, highlighting the fact that Torrence has the most pass block snaps played since 2019 without allowing a sack at 1,091.

At 6-foot-5-inch, 335 pounds, Torrence will look to continue to translate that size into dominance in the SEC like he did in the Sun Belt. Watch as he manhandles the Sun Belt competition in this clip.

Torrence is expected to play right guard opposite of left guard [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag] and next to center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] on the Gators offensive line this season. Torrence will play in his first game as a Florida Gator, alongside head coach Billy Napier, on Saturday, September 3 at home against Utah at 7:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN.

 

Here’s where Florida football stands in ESPN’s top 25 Future Power Rankings

You’re probably not going to like where ESPN ranks the Gators. We certainly didn’t.

Florida’s football program reached stratospheric heights during the first decade of the 21st century under head coach [autotag]Urban Meyer[/autotag], but since his departure, the team has taken a massive U-turn back into a level of mediocrity not seen since before [autotag]Steve Spurrier[/autotag]’s tenure. Exacerbating the issue is the coaching carousel that the Orange and Blue experienced in recent years, having burned through three new skippers before bringing on [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] to right the ship.

There is little question that the new administration has a steep hill to climb to get the Gators back to their previous level of success. Even though [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag]’s tenure saw three straight New Year’s Six bowl game appearances, it still came to a tumultuous close as the program imploded upon itself due to neglect, leaving things in shambles for the next coach to clean up.

With that in mind, ESPN senior writer Adam Rittenberg recently published his college football’s top 25 future power rankings and where he placed Florida may rustle a few jimmies among the Gator Nation. Take a look at his entry below.

22. Florida Gators
2022 Future QB ranking: Not ranked
2022 Future offense ranking: Not ranked
2022 Future defense ranking: 21
2021 Future team ranking: 8

Scouting the Gators: Florida is the type of program that could surge in these rankings as soon as 2023. There’s always talent in Gainesville, and coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] looks like a smart hire for a program that hasn’t made the CFP and last won the SEC in 2008, the Gators’ most recent national championship. But an unexpected transition — no one pegged [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] to be fired at this time last year — could lead to a down year or two, especially in the improving SEC East Division. The biggest immediate question is the offense and whether dual-threat quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] will provide a consistent spark. Richardson must show greater accuracy and fewer mistakes in the pass game, but he has sophomore eligibility and room to grow under Napier.

Florida also received some QB insurance in Ohio State transfer [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag]. Running back could become a multiyear strength. [autotag]Montrell Johnson[/autotag] followed Napier from Louisiana to Florida after a 12-touchdown season as a freshman in 2021. Johnson leads a sophomore group that includes [autotag]Nay’Quan Wright [/autotag]and [autotag]Demarkcus Bowman[/autotag]. Florida also added ESPN 300 recruit [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag]. Junior [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] leads a young wide receiver group with opportunities to shine. The Gators need sophomores [autotag]Trent Whittemore[/autotag] and [autotag]Xzavier Henderson[/autotag] to stay healthy, or someone else to emerge. They return two veteran tight ends in [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] and [autotag]Dante Zanders[/autotag] but need options for 2023 and 2024. Offensive line has some concerns, especially depth at tackle, but returns junior center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] and some other interior pieces. Florida has a 2023 commitment from [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag], ESPN’s top-rated center in the class.

The defense has fewer immediate questions. Florida returns proven players such as safety [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag], end [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]. and tackle [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag]. Both Cox and Dexter could play multiple seasons and lead a line that needs others to emerge this fall, including sophomore end [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag]. Florida could become a back-to-front defense in Napier’s first few seasons, as the secondary returns Dean and sophomores [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] at safety, and talented young cornerbacks such as [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]., an ESPN top-50 recruit who appeared in every game as a true freshman. [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag], ESPN’s top-rated safety and No. 18 overall recruit, headlined Napier’s first class. Seniors [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] and [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] lead a linebacker group that will look to build long-term depth this season. [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag] has sophomore eligibility, and Florida added ESPN 300 linebacker [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] in the 2022 recruiting class.

Despite just making the top 25 list by a few spots, the future is beginning to look bright again in Gainesville. Napier and Co. have done a great job on the recruiting front so far, and once the new regime has its plans for the future fully implemented, the Swamp should once again be a favorable destination for the best in the business.

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5-star offensive tackle blown away by ‘crazy’ Florida visit

It would be HUGE if the Gators can land this offensive lineman.

As summer continues to creep in, Florida football’s recruiting efforts have matched the rising temperatures as [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. continue to impress some of the best prospects in the nation who have made their way to the Swamp so far. Among those was five-star offensive tackle [autotag]Francis Mauigoa[/autotag] out of Bradenton (Florida) IMG Academy, who arrived in town on Tuesday and stayed until Thursday on his official visit to Gainesville.

The native of ‘Ili’ili, American Samoa, had seen the sights around the Swamp a few times prior, but his official stop saw the red carpet rolled out for the 6-foot-5-inch, 330-pound lineman. Mauigoa’s connection with a couple of current Gators from his time at IMG, [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] and [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag], added to his positive experience.

“This OV was crazy,” he told Swamp247. “It was one of my favorite OV’s now. Keep on coming back here, you start to feel like more of a relationship. Kind of starting to feel that bond and now I am comfortable with them. I think that is one of the biggest things in recruiting. I just felt the hospitality, I felt the love, and the family bond through the coaches from the coaches to the players.”

The blue-chip recruit also got a chance to hobnob with the entire football staff including offensive coordinator [autotag]Rob Sale[/autotag], all of whom made a strong impression on the young athlete.

“We had a meeting with them and they’re some cool dudes,” Mauigoa told Gators Online. “They showed me a lot of things, taught me a lot of things. I was in the meeting room with them and going through film. They are constantly fixing their mistakes and going down the line making sure everything is taken care of.”

The coveted recruit currently has the Alabama Crimson Tide, USC Trojans, Tennessee Volunteers, Miami Hurricanes and the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, along with the Gators, as his preferred collegiate destinations. Florida was the second stop on his summer tour after passing through Tuscaloosa last weekend, with the Vols, Trojans and ‘Canes coming up next. The Aloha State got an unofficial visit on June 1.

Mauigoa is currently ranked No. 9 overall and No. 1 nationally at his position according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus him at Nos. 10 and 2, respectively. Tennessee currently holds the edge on his recruitment with a 59.7% chance of signing him per On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, with USC in second at 33.6%, UM third at 2.6% and UF trailing in fourth at 1.2%.

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Florida’s offensive line is unexpectedly one of the best in college football

The big men up front are performing better than most expected for Florida this year.

Florida’s offensive line didn’t get much love heading into the season. They were ranked solidly in the middle of the SEC as a unit by both The Athletic and 247sports over the summer. But the tune is changing when it comes to the biggest Gators as Florida’s rushing attack remains one of the best in the nation after three weeks of football.

Only Michigan has more yards on the ground than Florida at 1,051 to the Gators’ 1,007, and the Wolverines didn’t face Alabama‘s defense. The Gators have exploded for 30 rushes of 10 yards or more this season, and the offensive line has only allowed 2 sacks. Not only has the offensive line surpassed all expectations, but it’s also performing at an elite level.

One of the reasons the unit is working so well is the emergence of redshirt sophomore Kingsley Eguakun as the team’s starting center. Starting quarterback Emory Jones has called him the “voice of the O-line,” according to The Athletic, and Eguakun admits it took some time to develop the maturity needed for the position.

Offensive line coach John Hevesy may have missed on some recruits recently, but his group’s play this season has to help him at some point. Florida was a pass-heavy school with Kyle Trask at quarterback last year, but it’s all running this year with a strong line to lean on.

“Personally, I really like running the ball, you know what I mean?” Eguakun said to 247Sports. “I think as an O-line we have a different mentality now. Like, we really want to come off the ball and knock people back and assert our dominance on people.”

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Kingsley Eguakun could be the starting center in 2021

Kingsley Eguakun could be Florida’s starting center after appearing in 14 games as a reserve his first two years.

Name: Kingsley Eguakun

Number: 65

Position: Offensive Line

Class: Redshirt Sophomore

Height: 6’4″

Weight: 303 lbs

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

High School: Sandalwood

Twitter: @Keguakun

2020 statistics:

Appeared in all 12 games as a reserve.

Overview:

A three-star recruit out of Jacksonville, Eguakun was originally committed to play for the Gators’ rival down south in Miami. He committed to the Hurricanes in January of his junior year of high school and held to that commitment for a while. But Florida got into the running late in his recruiting process, offering him on Nov. 27.

Less than a week later on Dec. 2, he flipped to UF, signing 17 days later and then enrolling in January. Eguakun redshirted his first year on campus in 2019, though he appeared in two games as a reserve.

He only saw reserve action again as a redshirt freshman in 2020, but this time he appeared in every game. Most of his playing time came at center, and it prepared him to potentially take on a bigger role in 2021.

According to reports from practice, Eguakun has been competing for the starting center job, which could allow Florida more flexibility in determining its final lineup. Eguakun will hope his third season is the one where he makes a major impact.

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Kingsley Eguakun reportedly fighting for starting center job

Eguakun has seen a lot of reps at center with the first-teamers, and if he’s capable of starting, it would give UF a lot more flexibility.

The offensive line may be one of Florida’s most experienced position groups, but it’s certainly not one the team feels that it can rely on. In fact, it may be the biggest weakness on the entire roster (it certainly is on the offensive side of the ball).

Florida’s pass protection was solid in 2020, allowing quarterback Kyle Trask to have a record-setting season through the air. But its run blocking was abysmal, and that’s cause for concern heading into 2021. Likely new starter Emory Jones is a different player than Trask with a very different skillset.

Mobility is a much bigger part of his game, and making use of that will be predicated on the success of the option. But if Florida’s going to be a much more run-heavy team than it’s been the last two years under Dan Mullen, the offensive line will have to take a step up.

Three starters on the offensive line return, but the two most consistent players from last season — center Brett Heggie and left tackle Stone Forsythe — are now gone. Florida returns Richard Gouraige, Jean Delance and Stewart Reese, but based on reports from fall camp, it could be looking to shake things up in the starting lineup.

Kingsley Eguakun is reportedly seeing a lot of action at center, and there seems to be a widely held belief that he could win the starting job there. The Jacksonville native enters his redshirt sophomore season having appeared in 14 career games, including every game last season.

Mullen praised Eguakun’s work ethic, according to 247Sports’ Thomas Goldkamp.

“Kingsley’s really been a guy that’s embraced it,” Mullen said. “We rotate; in spring we rotate a lot of guys through because you’ve got to have depth at that position. The other positions you’ve got to block but there’s an extra skill involved with the snap at that position so you want to create depth. He’s a guy that really kind of jumped and embraced that role.”

According to Goldkamp, Reese, Ethan White and Richard Leonard all have seen action there, with the bulk of the reps in the spring being taken by Reese.

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That’s who many assumed would win the starting center job, but if Eguakun is good enough to start, it offers the team a lot more flexibility. Gouraige and White can retain their respective tackle and guard spots, while Reese could slide to guard. That would allow the Gators to play Josh Braun at tackle and potentially replace Delance, who has struggled and is generally considered to be the weakest link in the starting group.

But if White or Reese have to play center, Braun would then play guard. That would really leave Florida with no one else to play at right tackle other than Delance.

Eguakun’s strong fall camp is a positive sign for the Gators, and they’ll have a lot more freedom in determining their starting group if he’s capable of being a part of it.

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