Florida Gators Position Group Rankings | Florida Gators Football 2024

welcome back to another episode of rock boys football ranking the position groups for this Florida Gator program heading into 2024 D at least in my mind one of the more fascinating programs as we head into the fall where there's so much potential on this roster a lot of young talent that could play some very good football in the 2024 year and there's just a part of me that hopes Florida puts it together in the 2024 year Billy Napier can keep his job because I look at this roster and what it could be in 2025 and in 2026 and say this is a program that can compete at the highest end of the SEC if they can keep this young Talent together and kind of keep building in the right direction really excited to get into this one and you look at these rankings it's a lot of projection it's a lot of eight where's the young Talent gonna really step up heading into 2024 fired up to get into it before we doing as always one massive shout out to you guys it's been a blast taking looks at all of these programs from a ton of different angles during the offseason the Florida Gator fans specifically always show a ton of support can't thank you guys enough if y'all do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel much more importantly would love to hear some of your feedback on some position rankings though I know I have some hot takes I know we don't necessarily agree on some of our rankings and without further Ado let's get into my number one position rank for this Florida Gator Pro program that's the quarterback spot right and I'm you're going to have to apologize when it's your chance to talk about D and Graham Merz heading into 2023 still he emerged as one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC you take a look at what he did in the SEC in 2023 behind an offensive line that might have been the worst unit in the SEC in the 2023 year you look at Graham Merz heading into 2024 what we think is going to be a better offensive line and upgrade at the pass catchers in the room I look at grah Merz and say how many quarterbacks are we taking over him in the SEC heading into the 2024 year yeah I think by the end of the year he was playing with a like making plays and that was kind of the thing I think I questioned and obviously he very much proved me wrong once he got out of that Wisconsin straight jacket if you will of he was able to kind of develop some of that like making plays throwing the ball on the Run escaping sacks those type of things that I just didn't think he had he started to prove it and always knew I mean he had that accuracy was just very consistent it he put together a hack of a year and I I obviously doubted it I didn't think he had that in him I didn't even think he had topend SEC talent in his game and he certainly proved me wrong I think he proved a lot of people wrong and I I'll say I wasn't necessarily like the the biggest supporter of grah Merz I wasn't nearly as down on him as what seemed the national media is but you look at 2024 and say I don't know how many quarterbacks I'm taking over Graham Merz in this 202 fourth season in the SEC then you combine that with DJ lagway as your quarterback too I mean if you're Florida you look at this quarterback room and say we think we have quarterbacks that we can win a lot of football games with heading into the 2024 season going into my number two position for this Florida program a little bit of projection that is going on here it's the defensive line and though what stands out to me about Florida on the defensive line particularly in this year it's finally deep you look at the last couple Seasons with Florida they might have had some high upside guys right Prince Leu or gon Dexter the depth on this Florida defensive line has been a disaster and you know Billy Napier knew that and what does he do on the high school recruiting sh what has he done in the transfer portal he's gone in and filled this Florida defensive front with really capable bodies now you have some high upside guys Joey slackman fascinates me coming from Penn cam Jackson Caleb Banks played some really solid football but then you look at the Young Talent Kelby Collins potentially LJ McCrae as a true freshman you're deep on the defensive line with I think some high upside Talent this is a unit that I think can surprise a lot of people in the 2024 season so I had dline at four I'm a little surprised you don't have wide receiver at two that's where I had him before I dive too deep into the wide outs my issue with the defensive line I think fundamentally is a lot of these guys were here last year and it just was not a well playing unit and I think again the talent in that room is far better than what they were putting out on the field that group I think does need to again you can be all talented as you want I think Florida's probably dealt with this for a long time where they've had talent and they're not playing to it they need to put that on the field that's why I've met far I thought the wide receiver you started to do that I thought they were playing really good ball they have some upside I think this defensive line you said it I mean that that crop of true sophomores is really exciting I think TJ cersi's got the talent to be really good Cameron James Kelby they all have the traits they they had flashes of really good football last year but I think as a group that just collectively they weren't good enough and I before I put them over some really good units like the like what I think the wide receiver in secondary rooms are I think I need to see more outside of Chris mlen who do you think underperformed that much I thought you had some guys that potentially they're giving up a lot of yards in the run I know that the the unit as a whole but I think that had a lot more to do with just getting grinded down like I just don't think they had the amount of bodes you need in the SEC to play on the defensive line that they were relying on a lot of guys that were young I mean you had a lot of true freshman and young cats playing a lot of football in the SEC which is not necessarily ideal you look at what they have coming back I mean reter Junior's red Shir seniors you're bringing Joey slackman as a graduate I think the depth is a lot better and I think in turn you see this defensive line play a little bit better side note coach Chapman coming in he is the coaching change at linebacker and defensive line was well both needed to have a change both needed obviously a different voice because both units are very talented and did not play great football as all right number three I have the pass catchers as well and what you obviously know Eugene Wilson is is a guy one of the better just Dynamic Playmakers we see not only in the SEC but in the country what I love what they did is they saw hey we are young but talented in the wide receiver room let's go out and get some that have played a lot of football at a high level to balance out some of that youth chir dek I think's a really sneaky addition I mean we were looking for a guy that could work vertically down the field within this Florida offense something that they just didn't really have that much of last year I mean you look at Eugene Wilson a guy that kind of works in that short intermediate rout Tre Ricky Pierce saw much more of an intermediate wide receiver as well we were baying the table for Florida to push the ball down the field a little bit more with graham Merz I think Napier would argue say hey our offensive line couldn't pass protect that makes it hard to get some of those those longer route developing Concepts down the field they also didn't really have a wide receiver that excelled work in the deeper third Shamir dek is that guy then you bring in Elijah Badger who is a dog after the catch along with Eugene Wilson look at that starting three wide receiver and say I feel pretty good about that then you sprinkle in aen Melle going into year two Andy Jean going into year two and then Arles borham at the tight end position I I look at Florida and say I can kind of get with what this pass catcher unit is going to look like in the 2024 year a little bit yes see you know I'm have no debates about that I had him at two and I think the big thing is I think a I thought they played good last year Eugene Wilson I thought played really really good I think CLE Jackson's a guy who's solid Dependable guy you can believe in and then I think you go add the two transfers along with the fact that you have that young talent coming up through the pipeline I do think this is a really nicely constructed unit the Florida I'll say one other thing tank Hawkins just watch he he's going to be a true freshman he's a small guy speed plays man like we see kids from the high school ranks who are just the fastest player on the football field have success immediately I don't think he'll be a starter I don't even think he'll be that involved in the rotation but he's a guy that if you can get him a few touches per game maybe let him work vertically down the field a few times he's got game breaking ability in the speed Department number for the linebacker room a fascinating position group the Florida Gator fans who've been rocking with the fellas for a while know that I am extremely fired up about what the potential is for these linebackers right it starts with Shamar James a guy that we've seen play extremely good football pop Howard a guy that we haven't seen play great football yet but know has the physical traits to play really good football you have an experienced kid in Derrick wingo and then you sprinkle in Miles Graham and Aiden Charles with Ben Roberts taking over this linebacker room I look at it and say you got one of the most talented linebacker rooms in the conference although they haven't necessarily played great football yet and then you combine that with what I think is an elite player developer at the linebacker position with Coach Roberts disguise the limit for this unit there's a reality where we're talking about this linebacker position being the best unit on this football team in the 2024 Year all right now I have to dive in the fact that you have the secondary so low in this ranking I think is preposterous I think you look I think a what you saw from Castell and Bryce Thorton I think that's exactly what you want to see from Young safeties both really good I think they're physical they can tackle they can cover I I mean Jordan Castell I think will be one of the better safeties in the conference by the time he hits that junior senior year and then I think you added a handful of guys in the portal who just raised the floor a little bit I think good Dependable guys I think frankly you're gonna see mostly Castell and thoron still I think those are the two most talented players and then at the other spots I I mean again you have good young guys coming up through the pipeline jaem Jackson if Jason Marshall like slips a little bit or doesn't play a little bit better frankly you have guys who I think can push him and be on his heels and keep that room competitive and play good ball and then Shar Dunson is a guy I think has all the makings of being a really really good Nickelback I think this is a really good unit for Florida in 202 very similar conversation to the linebacker spot all the the potential in the world and I feel like we're just saying this about every single position group for the Florida Gators I look at this secondary and I say I'm kind of with you I don't love that I have him coming in at number five Jason Marshall Jr and I know I get some flak in the comment section for this take I'm aggregate didn't play that bad gave up the big play way too much if he can clean that up I think you're we all know he's an NFL caliber dude from a physical trait standpoint Deon Moore played some really good football you kind of left out like Monty mlan or jaem Jackson like there is a lot of young Talent on this team when you made a good point is they kind of brought in some veteran guys that we know what they are to kind of elevate the floor and they get to work in the secondary for a second year I think that's a really tough thing especially when you're super young you take over a new defensive coordinator new scheme they all that was all kind of hitting Florida at once and again you kind of mentioned aside from big plays I didn't think this unit was too bad they need to limit some of those but otherwise I think this is a unit really talented everybody seems like they're like 62 long big athletic guys so you have the physical trades I think you want that unit I think this is one of those units that's gonna catch a lot of people all you might you might have sold me you might you maybe maybe I'm a little too low because I think you make a good point at I don't know if there's more complicated defense in the country than what Austin Armstrong tries to do and that's a lot for kids that were playing High School 12 months ago to kind of digest all right I don't know maybe put him over linebacker but that's the that's the most both units because I could make the same things about the linebackers you got good true young interesting true freshman you had a couple of true s true sophomores that you really like it's say the same thing about both but that we're saying the same thing about a lot of this Florida roster there's a lot of young juice for this Florida team and again if they reach their potential they can be a dangerous team in the SEC going to number six and you kind of gave me some heat about this before we went live the running back room I love Montreal Johnson the way I look at this running back room is the reason they're coming in at six is the depth question marks that I have so it's Montell Johnson Jr wearing the number one he's gonna be the guy you're bringing Jaden ball Who as a freshman looks to be a guy that's gon to play a lot you have a guy in TR and web but what I want to see a little bit more is just some depth a little bit more reliability at the the running back spot that's why I have have him at six but again there's some young guys that you kind of feel good about in that running back room and you have the guy I mean Montell Johnson's played at a very high level for a good chunk of his college career that's where I kind of again when you talk like there's some units that I still think very much need to prove at secondary linebacker defensive line they all need to prove something and again on the aggregate as their talent there is it deeper than the running back room probably but I do think monell Johnson there's an element of the way he's played it's tough for me to put him below those two guys depth is certainly a question but when you have a guy who's playing at or has played at a very high level and then a couple units that I think frankly need to see a lot more from that's where I kind of maybe push this running back room my well it's the off season so we're supposed to be making some projections and I'm out here making some projections that being said I do really like Montell Johnson Jr this was a really difficult one to think Jaden B is very very good I love the way he played in that spring game yeah he he he looked like the real guy real real deal I guess you could say offensive line coming in at seven you talk about needing to prove it this this the definition and we've been staying all offseason we think it's much better I mean you look at the Florida offensive line last year there was one glaring problem and it was the right tackle spot with Damen George Jr you kick him on the inside you bring in two offensive tackles Brandon cruncha Dixon who we just kind of feel really good about slotting in and being a very solid tackle in the SEC then you have an interesting competition Austin Barber Devin Manuel might have the highest upside as an offensive tackle in this room at least you have capable guys I think Florida was going into 2023 forced to play Damen George Jr because they didn't have anybody else healthy you got three tackles that you feel good about there are not a lot of programs that are going into 2024 saying that kind of thing then you look on the inside Jake Slaughter sneaky really good Center Damen George Jr kind kind of a wait and see see how he plays at guard and then n Harris that's my guy I think he can be an allconference caliber guy over the next couple of years this offensive line is going to be better the question is how much better and if it's much better again this Florida team can be awfully dangerous yeah and I think the fact that they're sitting there that low is probably had a lot to do with why their record was was it was is that was pathetically bad I thought last year and I think you're right I think this is like a big one for Napier in his like proof of what he's doing is he on the right track if this offensive line plays really poorly again I think that's again I'm not like a Napier's on the hot seat if he doesn't win X number of games I think he's a bit on the hot seat if like guy units like this linebacker dline don't play to their standard their potential what they have in that room so I think again offensive line is that's going to be one of the ones I think we're all watching like if this group doesn't get better I think then the seek gets very that's the conversation we've had and for Billy Napier looking at the 2024 year yeah you got to win football games nobody's arguing that there are certain spots on this roster where that's kind of what matters to me in terms of Billy Napier being on the hot seat retaining his job obviously you want to see some Flash from DJ lagway that's probably number one but number two is the offensive line play Man Florida Gator fans know more than anybody you can't win games in the SEC if you can't hold up on the offensive line it was one of Billy Napier's calling cards as you hired him to join like development on the offensive line you got to see it going into year three that's probably one of the biggest questions if not the biggest question within this Florida roster lots to proof from this unit but I think they have some answers on the offensive line D we'll cut it there fascinating conversation we didn't necessarily agree on a lot of these position rankings would love to hear from the Gator fans in the comments section appreciate you guys rocking with it if you all do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel appreciate you guys and we'll talk to youall later PE