Billy Napier Building Inconsistent Florida Gators Roster Through Recruiting and Transfer Portal?

one of the hottest topics of the offseason for the Florida Gators has been their roster building whether that's high school recruiting transfer portal additions and departures let's take a look at how this coaching stuff built a roster yeah you are locked on Gators your daily podcast on the Florida Gators part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day [Music] hi hello and welcome back to another episode of lockdown Gator part of the lockdown podcast Network your team every day thanks for making lock Gator your first listen of the day every day we are available daily and free R listen to podcast and on YouTube happy Monday I'm Brandon Olson find me on Twitter at wns Brandon find all my written work with giants country and NFL 33 today's episode is brought to you by Jace medical Empower yourself purchase a Jace case providing you with a personal supply of five antibiotics that treat 50 plus infections get yours today at JM medical.com that's jal.com and we're going to dive into today the entire roster we're not going to go like player by player but we are going to go position by position to talk about how this coaching staff is kind of built the rooms or so to say uh I think that we'll start with quarterback because you know the most important position in football I don't think many of us would have complaints about the quarterback room right now you look at Gram Merz as your starter and your present and then you look at DJ lague as your future um also I'm just gonna say it because I know there's going to be comments about if coaching staff gets fired whatever happens with like I'm not playing that hypothetical game of if they get fired if when that happens we'll deal with it but for now we're making the we're looking at the 202 for Florida Gator roster um I think looking at quarterback again not going to be many complaints you've got your current quarterback in Graham Merz who exceeded expectations wildly last season and then you've got DJ lague who is projected to be your future guy I mean when Florida added him he was not a five-star plus he was not considered an elite elite recruit and then by the time national Signing Day came by he was what number three or number six I know that it was uh him and alj McCrae were three and six um so I I don't think many of us have complaints as far as what the room looks like you added uh or you've added a couple of Veteran guys one transfer portal scholarship one preferred walkon uh through the transfer portal as well to kind of bolster the depth and experience we've seen them kind of do that you added Michael Leone last year you lost Jack Miller II third you still got Parker lysy and Jordan gu as as preferred walk from last season that Parker lysy by the end of the season was listed as qb3 on the depth chart um so I think quarterback room you're pretty good right now looking at running back room also in the back field I think most fans are pretty fine with the room I think a lot of them are very optimistic about what montro Johnson can do as as am I I love what montro Johnson can put on film um I thought he could have gone to the NFL draft but would benefit from returning obviously uh we have since learned that he is indeed returning to Gainesville I think you have a lot of potential when you look at this room I think you look at Tryon web from last season he was a true freshman played I mean he burned his red shirt didn't necessarily play a lot but had a couple games where he did um like at vanderbild if he got more run you look at I believe it was MCN state where we saw it was Montreal then Trevor then trayon then Montreal then Trevor then trayon and they kind of just rotated like that um so so you've got that he was okay not awesome but okay you've got this year Jaden ball and Kanan Daniels coming in who everybody I think knows Kanan Daniels is someone I'm a huge fan of I loved his film from high school both his Junior and senior tapes and you have Cam Carol who we don't know what he's going to be we know that he got injured prior to the season last year and that it kind of came down to that that there's rumors now of like maybe has some nerve damage in that knee and maybe he can't return or if he does return he won't be nearly what he used to be at two lane um so for that for 2024 I'm skeptical because your one montal Johnson injury away from being in a really rough spot where your backs are just Tryon web Kana Daniels and Jaden ball if the injury to cam Carrol is as severe as some people think it may be um you're not in a great spot there I I I really wanted Florida to go into the portal add one of the backs that that landed here or that that didn't land here um Quin Sean Judkins I know they contacted him obviously he ended up going to Ohio state but I mean look again I love what montol can do I love having Tryon jayen ba and Kanan Daniels as the depth guys but you're one montol injury away from them being starter so I'm happy with the room or I'm happy with the top of the room I'm skeptical of the depth uh looking at receiver you've got a ton of speed not good size whatsoever they're relatively young and I know that a lot of people were uh looking at that receiver room and a lot of people myself included expected someone like Marcus Burke to hit the portal didn't happen uh and and I think that part of that for Marcus Burke and jaquon frasers was that there's not size in that room and that Billy's going to want likely going to want someone taller starting out there as one of the outside receivers so I think for Marcus Burke and frasers they see it as that playing time is available but like I just got to go get it it's there at that spot and so I think that that's one of the reasons they still have it and look Marburg is someone that for a couple years now uh I've been a big fan of and I've been like hey man just like get them more playing time get them more targets I'm hoping that this is the year it happens but until it does it's not like and and that's where I stand on that one so I think you've got a ton of speed I think that a lot of it works with a billy Napier wants to do of just quick hitters and end getting yards after the catch there so I think that they're comfortable with that spot all of us were hoping and expecting that they would do more in the portal they added Chim DK from Wisconsin who has a good rapport with graham Merz but you look at like CJ Daniels who yeah had him on campus then he went to to I think it was Texas and then he went to LSU and he ended up committing to LSU and it's like you had a few guys in after you added shimay Deka and you did not land any of them and for me that's where the concern kind of goes of like you added shimay but you were still looking to add more and you didn't uh and and for me that's kind of where I'm like all right that's that's a little uh I I I don't know how the coaching staff feels about the room um then you look at tight end I really wanted Florida to go into the portal and add a depth piece here not a big time player I know they brought in a few guys um Ros is uh from Air Force who he was on campus uh last week didn't happen not saying it can't you still got a little bit less than a week before the ad drop deadline which is when Florida will have to kind of pack it in in the portal for the first window if they want to be eligible for spring but yeah I would have liked that Florida added depth here I think everybody knows I love the top Duo of Hayden Hansen and Arles Bingham Hayden as a blocker arus as a pass catcher I love having Tony Livingston as a tight end three where he can block like he play both roles genuinely I think you look at Hayden Hayden's not GNA play the the the pass catching tight end role arus is not going to be lining up as the inline blocker I think Tony Livingston has the size skill set to play both and I think that's where his versatility is huge I'm curious to see how Keon zipper looks coming back from his injury who he I mean he's had a long time to recover now he got injured early in the process so I'm curious to see how he's going to look coming back one more year uh but either way I I think that he fills in the Arles role probably as aras's backup unless Florida's just gonna say screw it with tight end blocking and go Aras and Keon um but you're one injury away again from this room being rough because let's say God forbid knock on wood I don't like projecting injuries like same with Mantra like let's say like Hayden or arless gets hurt it's like okay well if Hayden gets hurt then you've got Tony Livingston that could play that blocking role and that's it um and that's your again your one position your one injury away from this position room being rough uh you got air Jackson as depth as a as a tight end but even then I don't think he's going to be ready this year I I just don't I I know so many fans love that oh he's a wide receiver tight end hybrid he's going to be the next K pits those kinds of guys I don't expect them to play early because especially with this offense if you want to play tight end even if you are that that great pass catching tight end you need to be a an at least somewhat reliable blocker and I will say I don't think AR was a good blocker last year at all um but you need to be a somewhat reliable blocker Amir Jackson played basically receiver in in high school he's going to have to learn how to how to function better as a blocker how to use leverage better how to add more strength and I don't know if you can do that in one off season because again he was basically playing wide receiver he was taking end rounds and reverses and screens from the wide spot like he was playing receiver he was playing that Kyle Pitts role unfortunately Billy nap has not used a tight end like that so I'm not expecting him to do that early on maybe in the red zone put him in but even then I don't expect him to play a ton that's that's just not the expectation for me I would love it if I was wrong but I I'm just not gonna I'm not going to set myself up for disappointment by by expecting that uh we're about to move into everyone's favorite parts that are gonna age me here the trenches before we do that we're gonna get a quick word from FanDuel today's episode of lock on Gator is brought to you by FanDuel and today's episode of lock on Gator is brought to you by money in my pocket poet because last night was an awesome night for FanDuel for me at least um just that that Lions Rams game having uh Stafford to have 300 yards and puka to have 100 receiving having alond ra and puka to combine for 200 and it cashed like four minutes into the third quarter it was awesome it was beautiful new customers get $150 in bonus bets guaranteed when you place a $5 bet doesn't have to hit just place a $5 bet win or lose get 150 bucks in bonus bets guaranteed visit fanduel.com lock on make your first bet a layup and remember that FanDuel is an official partner of the NFL thanks for making lockdown Gator your first listen of the day every day we are available daily and free R listen the podcast and like I mentioned right before the break um man offensive line is where we're going to start trenches are trenches are rough for Florida right now offensive line I mean I don't even know what to say um you lost both of your starting guards in Richie Leonard I four at left guard and Michael mizuka at Right Guard um you will play one of them this year because Michael Muka went to Nebraska where he was recruited by uh Matt rule in high school to go to Baylor and then he came to Florida and then now Matt rolles at Nebraska so he followed him there Richie Leonard IV is now at Florida State so you will see him I believe it's November 30th um so we'll see that again I think we know that I think most listeners and if you follow me on Twitter you know I I was a fan of what Richie Leonard iv put on film I think even if you don't think he was good last year I don't think you could really argue he was at the absolute worst of top two offensive lineman on this team last year and Jake Slaughter and Richie Leonard I fourth and also Richie was playing with a banged up hand for like half the season season 40% of the season um which is just even more embarrassing for the rest of the offensive line that that that your best or second best blocker was not playing at 100% uh tackle play in 2023 was maybe the most disgusting thing I've ever seen at the SEC level um it was just it freaking sucked um I almost dropped a I almost dropped a hard word there that's how upsetting tackle play was you added a couple guys in Brandon kch on Dixon and Deon Manuel from Arkansas uh Brandon crch Dixon from San Diego State I think that Brandon crenchaw Dixon will start from day one and then I think at the other Tackle Spot which everyone that may be because Brandon crch Dixon started the both I think which whatever the other Tackle Spot is is going to come down to just a battle Austin Barber Devon Manuel um you want to put cam weights in there you want to put Damen George in the competition go ahead I'm fine putting Damen George in the competition because I I I do not believe he would win it like if you want to put him in the competition and you feel like he's your best option first off yikes for your Tackle Spot but also uh yeah I don't think he would win that at guard I think you should put Damen George there I want to I want to nip this in the butt I think that he would be better at guard than tackle like we see so many times with a guy who hasn't played guard in college and they're playing tackle and we go oh at the NFL level they're going to be better at guard that's it is with Damen George do not say that he played guard at Alabama zero career snaps at guard zero so do not say that he played guard okay let's just nip that one in the butt um I think you look at Nishi Harris as someone that could I think you move Rod Kierney back to guard where he belongs um but then at Center You've Got Jake Slaughter and it's Rod Kerney behind him so I I don't know if you can move Rod back uh I think the Florida's just in a rough spot on the offensive line line it was always going to be something that you cannot fix in one offseason like like looking at this 2023 season it was pretty evident you would not be able to fix this offensive line in just this off season there were they were just it was tremendously bad um so I don't think it was possible Jake Slaughter was a big bright spot in 2023 I think that I know that a lot of people I don't know I I feel like so many people are bad at evaluating offensive line play like professionals are bad at eval ating offensive line play and yet every fan thinks that they can like say what they have no idea what they're talking about on the offensive line because a play breaks down and they think it's that player's fault like like learn ball and then have an opinion on the offensive line um because Jake Slaughter was again it was either him or Richie Leonard that were the best offensive lineman on the team one of those two I will not accept another answer um and so Jake Slaughter going to be returning he was pretty good hell Jake Slaughter was like the 14th highest graded offensive or 14th highest graded Center in the in the nation on PF so I don't want to hear him uh looking at the defensive line I'm including Jack here I just want to get that out there consider front four not even defensive line front four okay that's what we're doing we're doing the front four guys on the line because a jack is not an actual linebacker um it's a standup defensive end basically so I'm including Jack in this I am optimist of the interior of the line I am because you look at nose tackle and your most likely top two are going to be cam Jackson Desmond Watson and I think Caleb Banks probably plays there a little bit so then you got cam Jackson Dez Watson Caleb Banks a little bit I'm okay with that I think cam is a dominant nose tackle I thought he was NFL bound and he wouldn't have been drafted High because nose tackles don't generally get drafted High unless you're like Jordan Davis um and you're just an athletic World beating freak but I think cam Jackson's an NFL nose tackle comfortable saying that Desmond Watson not great but as a as a rotational nose tackle I'm cool with it I think him working behind cam Jackson helps him a lot I do I I think that he got better from 2022 to 2023 I think Dez Watson has a higher ceiling and I think if you just kind of with the new Strength conditioning staff hope trim down a little of the fat I think that we're looking at someone who's much more or hell I I don't care about the fat if you think he's healthy enough to play football I'm fine with it if his cardio is better if his conditioning is better and if he's in playing shape go for it dude I don't even care about it um Joey slackman and K and Caleb banks are going to be the probably guys at the three Tech spot which is like the Little D tackle big defensive end spot in this defense um I am I'm happy with that duo straight up I am I expect Joey slackman to start I expect Caleb Banks to be the backup and I'm fine with that I'm fine with it if it goes the other way around genuinely because they're both going to play a lot of snaps I think I think cayb banks will probably play a little bit of both tackle spots that's that's just what we look at maybe we look at LJ McCrae in one of the spots um either that or the F spot but for me Edge is a concern you've nobody proven on the edge not a single proven player like yeah Kelby Collins TJ cersi they're they're going to be obviously significantly improved on the edge you're gonna add LJ McCrae to the F spot probably F or three Tech um and then you look at Jack behind them there's really not much I know that a lot of people like Jack purn and I do too however one he was not productive last season when he played defensive snaps and two tore his ACL rather late in the year it was uh November 4th that he tore his ACL then I think he got surgery on it on like December 2nd that means he's at this point a month and two weeks away or a month and two weeks off of ACL surgery I'm not expecting him to do much in the spring like just just playwise that's where I run into the issue of I don't think he was a starting I don't think he was a starter quality Edge last season and I think that his development is stunted because of that injury because it's going to Happ because he's going to spend most of the offseason rehabbing like I kind of wish that the injury happened earlier in the year and then we look at him as like okay man like you're you're going to be coming back from the injury during spring um which he can he still could if he's a quick recovery but uh yeah it's it's I think a fair concern of mine to say that I'm I'm a little skeptical of the depth here and the top talent at Jack or Edge um um because again I love what TJ serers and Kelby Collins put on film but to project them and expect them to do that as full-time starters next year and Justice Boone is returning again which we we'll see what he does I I wasn't a huge fan of Justice Boone I wasn't the type that I'm like oh he's gonna wreck the world um Tyreek Sapp is coming back as well and again don't think he was anything special at uh at F last season I'm I'm not sold on the edge room interior pretty good Edge that's gonna that's gonna have to be a wait and see for me just straight up that's that's just what it's gonna have to be and then we move to the part that's the back seven this show has just gotten like just just more and more skeptical as we've gone on um so let let's let's keep the skepticism rolling but first we're gonna get a quick word from Jace medical we spend a lot of time talking together you and I we get fired up on wins and losses who starts who sits who comes and goes from the transfer portal and high school recruiting and I'm thankful for that connection we have I think everybody knows that I'm pretty very open about that uh today chat's going to be a little bit more personal because whether you're on extended travel bracing for a major weather event like we're seeing really all throughout the country right now and all throughout the world or limited by yet another Supply shortage you're covered my friend thanks to our partners at Jace medical life-saving antibiotics and a long list of daily medications be ordered in a oneyear supply so go online right now at jcem medical.com to receive your 12 Monon Supply on your daily medication and remember to use promo code locked on at checkout for a $20 discount on your purchase remember to use promo code locked on for $20 off your purchase that's jal.com to see if it's offered for you to wrap up today's show we're talking about the back seven here um with Florida that's two linebackers mostly sometimes three linebackers and then your your two outside corners two safeties and your nickel Defender um I'm just bunching the nickel in with whoever it's going to be because I don't know uh we'll talk about it with corner and safety first we're starting with linebackers I'm cautiously optimistic of linebackers uh I'm cautiously optimistic that they're going to work out I'm pretty confident that it's going to be better than considerably better than last year and I've said this before I think the addition of Joey slackman made their jobs easier so I think adding Joey slackman makes linebacker play Easier so it's going to improve play generally but you look at Scooby Williams left and that one it was probably not going to work out again I love Scooby love the intensity love love his uh his his vocal ability on the field I I love his leadership I love all that he was an edge rusher playing off ball linebacker that's a coaching failure that's not on him um he's an edge rusher playing offb linebacker wasn't going to work out here Manny NY left I was a fan of Manny I think I was very open about that I love Manny coming over from Houston um that's that is what it is about Manny n being gone you added in pup Howard you added in Aaron Charles you added in Miles Graham I'm pretty comfortable saying that this team's going to that this linebacker room is going to be better with Shamar Jam returning as well drik Wingo returning as well which skeptical of him as well but I think you've added a lot of talent to the room and you lost not a ton of it I think you lost some good leaders to have in the room and I think you lost some decent college football players but I think you've improved your linebacker room Corner massive concern for me uh right now corner for me is one of the top three concerns on the team it's offensive line Edge Corner uh not in that order just just in general I don't I don't think I have to order them because guess what they were all pretty rough spots for me um but Corner's a massive concern you didn't make moves in the portal really you you brought in a few guys but you didn't you didn't really make any substantial move there that's going to make me go oh your corner room is fine you lost Jaylen Kimber which not to be a dag You could argue improve the room um but you really didn't add much like trick Bridges came in from Oregon but he's expected the move to safety play Star um so I you didn't make moves in the portal your high school class your high school recruiting class at corner only had Teddy Foster who is in his now believe it's going to be his second year or third year maybe playing corner you look at last season like like you're projecting a lot of Youth to find success Jason Marshall's the only returning starter Devin Moore played starter snaps when he played but could not stay healthy whatsoever it was just impossible for him to stay on the football field and you know what to say the best ability is availability and he was not available so I think you got an issue there as well you're projecting a lot of Youth to find success and I think that when we we've had these conversations before about projecting like look at what we've talked about today with where we're projecting players to step up running back we're projecting one of the young guys to step up and become a legitimate running back two in the SEC receiver we're expecting a good deal of the young guys to step up the aen mels the Andy jeans we're expecting them to step up um then you look at the offensive line interior someone has to step up defensive line Edge Edge spot even linebacker you can mention that you're expecting young guys to be significant impact players right away Corner expecting a lot like you're you're projecting a lot of guys and what we've talked about so frequently on the show is that numbers will tell you film will tell you history will tell you when you are projecting a lot of players to make significant strides and take significant steps history tells you not all of them are going to do that and that's my concern where not all of them are going to do that and I think that you can get away with it at some spots like if guard if you got to keep the center or tackle helping on either side you can try that if it's your corner man you're gonna be in for a rough one it's just as simple as that uh looking at safety I like this room more than last year partially because Migel Mitchell is gone but also because you've added trick Bridges who's going to play safety and and maybe star and you had a DJ Douglas who's gonna be in that same kind of boat um I think that Jordan Castell and Bryce thoron both played significant enough playing time in 2023 where you'll be able to get and give legitimate feedback on them and by that I mean it's not like like Kelby Collins and TJ CI for example uh they they played considerable snaps but they didn't play considerable snaps consistently H you look at Kelby Collins he played the 15th most snaps T.J seriously played the 16th most snaps but you look at Jordan Castell who played the most snaps on the entire team which is still just just wild to me uh played the most snaps on the entire team and Bryce Thorton played the 10th most snaps on the entire team if you're playing your 11 guys who played the most snaps they're both in there and so for me I'm like okay they played consistent enough they played significant enough snaps where you can watch their film evaluate them give them feedback and they can work on that because you it's not a matter of looking at Kelby Collins and TJ who by the way again I love what they put on film last year it's just a matter of not coming in and doing it Off the Bench with fresh legs now you got to do it every single to every single down that you're out there I think with Castell and thoron you've seen them do it as starters you can go back watch and tell them to develop and I'm also a fan of the portal imp back like I mentioned with DJ Douglas trickle Bridges I like I like the additions so I think that your safety room got better I like it more just because you're going to get Jordan Castell in year two Bryce Thorton in year two and then trick W Bridges DJ Douglas com in I think it got better and and I think it can be one of the strengths of this defense nice making lock on Gator your first listen of the day every day we are available daily and free list the podcast we'll be back tomorrow I mean maybe later today if there's news but we'll be back tomorrow at the absolute latest at dark more Florida Gator for lock on Gators I'm Brandon olison don't forget to follow me on Twitter at wns Brandon find all my written work with giants country in NFL 33 and I will see you all next time