Tag: Richard Gouraige

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 Florida OT injured during the 2023 NFL Combine

Former Florida offensive tackle Richard Gouraige was injured during his medical exams at the NFL combine, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

Former Florida offensive tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] was injured at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, according to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Gouraige “woke up with a swollen ankle after a pain tolerance test created an injury,” Rappoport tweeted. “He had been planning to do all drills but now won’t be able to thanks to the situation caused during his medical exams.”

After playing in both the Las Vegas Bowl and Reese’s Senior Bowl, Gouraige has seen his draft stock rise a bit, but now he won’t be able to show his physical capabilities on the field at the combine. A swollen ankle won’t hurt his long-term stock, but it’s still unfortunate timing for a player who has stayed healthy through a lot.

He played over 1,600 snaps at left tackle for Florida over the past three seasons and served as the team’s everyday starter for the past two years. Pro Football Focus gave him an offensive grade of 70.8 in 2022, which ranks 34th overall in the country among draft-eligible tackles that played in over 500 snaps. Gouraige ranked 22nd in the nation with a 78.3 pass-blocking grade.

He shined during Senior Bowl practices as the highest-grade tackle (83.9) of the entire event. His run-blocking grade was particularly high for a player who had never truly excelled in that area while at Florida.

It’s too soon to tell where Gouraige might go in the draft, but NFL.com ranks him as the No. 16  overall offensive tackle in the class. A 6.10 prospect grade translates to a “good backup with the potential to develop into a starter,” so there should be hope for Gouraige to get drafted.

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Florida football’s SEC Media Days date set for July

Here’s when the Gators will take the podium this summer at SEC Media Days.

The schedule of head coaches was announced on Thursday for this year’s edition of SEC Media Days, which takes place in the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, Tennessee, this coming July.

Florida football’s skipper [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] is slated to speak on Wednesday, July 19, along with the Alabama Crimson Tide‘s Nick Saban, Arkansas Razorbacks‘ Sam Pittman and Kentucky Wildcats’ Mark Stoops on the third of the four-day event. The Gators’ head coach will also bring along three student-athlete representatives from his team, the names of whom have yet to be announced.

Last year, Napier was joined by quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag], offensive lineman [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag].

This year’s media days will be the first hosted in Nashville, with Birmingham, Alabama, serving as the primary location over the years and Atlanta, Georgia, taking the torch in 2018 and 2022. No further information regarding broadcast or any other details has been released as there is still a good deal of time for things to fall into place.

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Looking at all 9 former Gators invited to the 2023 NFL scouting combine

Here’s a look at each Florida former football player who is expected to participate in the 2023 NFL scouting combine.

Florida football will be well-represented in this year’s NFL scouting combine, which takes place in Indianapolis, Indiana, from Feb. 28 through March 6. Among the 319 collegiate prospects expected to attend the tryouts are nine from the Orange and Blue, headlined by quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag].

The Gators have two alumni who are practically locks for the first round in Richardson and offensive lineman [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag], but after that, anyone is fair game. Some project defensive lineman [autotag]Gervin Dexter Sr[/autotag]. as another possible first-rounder but the jury is still out on him.

Take a look below at each of the nine former Gators who received an invitation to the NFL draft combine starting at the end of this month, along with some helpful information regarding their size and skills.

Nine former Gators invited to 2023 NFL Combine

Plenty of former Gators are looking to boost their stock at the annual scouting combine ahead of the 2023 NFL draft.

The University of Florida will be well represented at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine as nine former Gators received invitations to attend the event, which takes place from Feb. 28 through March 6.

First-round hopefuls [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] and [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] were of course added to the invitation list, and [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. is another name that Gators fans could hear called early that earned an invite to the combine.

Richardson could boost his stock immensely at the combine. His physical gifts have always been the draw, and letting NFL scouts and coaches see him in person should be like dropping bait on a hook in a crowded pond. Torrence already boosted his stock during Senior Bowl practices, so he just needs to maintain his first-round status at this point.

Wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag], offensive lineman [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] and safeties [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag] also received invitations to the combine. Dean recently earned defensive MVP honors at the East-West Shrine Bowl, but the rest of these guys could use a little hype going into the draft after staying out of the news cycle recently.

Linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] name is the final Gator on the list, but he won’t be able to participate fully as he recovers from foot surgery. That same surgery kept him from playing in the Senior Bowl, but maybe Miller will be able to do some interviews and light work at the combine.

Finally, [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]. rounds out the list of former Gators invited to the combine. While he didn’t finish the season with the team — Cox was dismissed from the team following the Georgia game — the former Gator and Bulldog is best known for his time in the Swamp. He’ll likely have the Florida name attached to him throughout this cycle.

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Two Gators preparing for Reese’s Senior Bowl ahead of 2023 NFL draft

The Gators are sending a pair of offensive linemen with NFL dreams to the Senior Bowl this weekend.

It’s officially Reese’s Senior Bowl week, and a pair of former Florida offensive linemen are in Mobile, Alabama, to practice for the big game on Saturday, February 4.

Right guard [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] and left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] are representing the Orange and Blue one final time and are playing for the American team together. It will be a good chance for NFL coaches and scouts to get a look at two of the SEC’s finest linemen in 2022.

Torrence was the backbone of an offensive line that ranked third in the conference with 5.52 yards per carry and allowed just 17 sacks all year. He also stayed clean in the penalty department in 2022. Pro Football Focus graded him as the top guard in college football last season with an 88.0 out of 100, and a strong performance could lock in a Day 1 selection for Torrence.

Gouraige finished his final year in the Swamp with a PFF offensive grade of 70.8 and is less likely to command attention during the draft cycle. Still, a good showing at the Senior Bowl could improve his chances of being selected in April.

Last year, running back [autotag]Dameon Pierce[/autotag] and defensive end [autotag]Zachary Carter[/autotag] represented Florida at the Senior Bowl and both were picked in the first four rounds of the draft. Hopefully, the Gators can go 2-for-2 once again by sending both players to the NFL after a Senior Bowl.

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Florida to host over a multitude of prospects on recruiting visit this weekend

The Florida Gators will host a multitude of recruits this weekend before the NCAA’s dead period in February.

Arguably the biggest change from the [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] era has been the importance placed on recruiting. [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has been vocal about how important he values recruiting, and this weekend has the potential to be another big weekend for the Orange and Blue.

The Gators have had players on campus throughout January’s “contact period” but this weekend looks to be their busiest. With national signing day coming up on Feb. 1, Florida’s staff still has time to add players to their 2023 class. In regards to players in the 2024 class and younger, January is the last time that coaches and staff can have contact with recruits before February’s dead period.

The recruits that Napier and his staff want on campus the most have to be prospective transfer players. The deadline to register and enroll players in time for them to participate in spring practices is rapidly approaching. That makes former Kentucky offensive lineman Kiyaunta Goodwin the top priority this weekend.

The 6-foot-8-inch, 350-pounder has three years of eligibility remaining and is deciding between the Gators and Louisville. Goodwin played in 12 games as a true freshman last season and was the No. 38 overall player in the 2022 class. He would be a massive addition to a group that saw its leaders [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag] and [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] declare for the NFL draft.

In addition to Goodwin, the Gators will have 2024 commits [autotag]Chauncey Bowens[/autotag] and [autotag]Myles Graham[/autotag] on campus. They join uncommitted 2024 prospects Adarius Hayes, Joseph, Phillips, Caleb Odom, Kylan Fox, Malik Blocton, Travaris Banks, and Cameron Keys as 2024 visitors. In addition, underclassmen prospects Anthony Rogers (2025), Tarvos Alford (2025), Gavin Nix (2025), Naeem Burroughs (2026), and Bryce Perry-Wright (2026) will also be in attendance this weekend.

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Florida named a loser at NFL draft declaration deadline by 247Sports

Several Florida players are headed to the NFL this offseason, and that puts Billy Napier and the Gators in a tough spot.

Monday was the deadline for players to declare for the 2023 NFL draft, and 247Sports wasted little time declaring the Florida Gators as one of the primary losers of the cycle.

Losing quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] was “potentially unavoidable,” but that doesn’t even consider the losses of First Team All-American right guard [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag], starting left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] and leading receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag]. Gouraige and Torrence anchored an elite line for the Gators in 2022, and Shorter was a consistent threat and veteran presence on the team.

Richardson’s departure hurts the most, though. He had several years of college eligibility left, and most scouts agree he could have used another year to hone his talents. Still, money talks, and Florida’s recent NIL struggles suggest that they couldn’t compete with the numbers linked to a potential first-round pick.

On defense, Florida is losing another underclassman that could have benefitted from one more year in the SEC, defensive lineman [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. Much like Richardson, there’s a lack of consistency on tape for Dexter and it will hurt him in the draft process. Replacing an explosive talent like him isn’t easy either. A former five-star recruit, Dexter leaves Florida with the feeling of what could have been.

The other major loss on defense is linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag], who is often described as the heart and soul of the team. Losing him in 2021 was disastrous for Florida and the team looked lost without him on the field against USF this season. Someone is going to have to step up and take over Miller’s role in 2023.

The Gators are also losing both starting safeties to the draft, [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag] and [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag]. With [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] transferring to Missouri, Florida will need to replace three starting defensive backs next year.

Billy Napier will work with the pieces he has, and it’s hard to blame college players for taking their shot at the pros, but it’s undeniable that Florida is in a much worse spot than it was just a few months ago, at least from a depth standpoint. The transfer portal will have to provide some answers here, but Napier might let his first recruiting class get some early playing time as well.

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UF hosting former Alabama OL on official visit

Florida needs to add some more offensive linemen through the transfer portal, so the Gators are hosting a former SEC tackle on an official visit over the weekend.

The Florida Gators are currently hosting former Alabama offensive lineman [autotag]Damieon George[/autotag] on an official visit, according to an Instagram story sent out on Friday.

George saw his role reduced in 2022 as part of the Crimson Tide’s offensive line reserve rotation after seeing over 250 snaps in 2021. He took over the starting right tackle job at the end of his sophomore campaign, so the expectation was for him to play more than 20 snaps in 2022. When that didn’t happen, Georgia hit the transfer portal.

Checking out Florida makes a lot of sense for George. He can stay in the dominant SEC and find immediate playing time with Florida if he chooses the Gators. The Gators need to replace four starting offensive linemen and at least one tackle spot with [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] and [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] leaving town.

George was a three-star prospect ranked No. 390 overall by the 247Sports composite when he signed with Alabama as a member of the class of 2020. He’s ranked No. 131 overall in 247Sports’ transfer rankings and is among the top remaining linemen in the portal. He will have two years of eligibility remaining wherever he goes.

George will fit in nicely to Florida’s right tackle spot with Austin Barber likely to take over for Gouraige on the left side. He’s a more polished pass blocker than he is a run blocker, so it’s sort of a match made in heaven. At 6-feet-6-inches and 333 pounds, he definitely has the size to get the job done in the Swamp.

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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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