Gators Football's MOST IMPORTANT and LIKELY Plan for 2023

well the Florida Gators are no stranger to playing a tough schedule but 2023 could be one of the toughest that they have ever faced they're going to go on the road to take on a very good Utah team to start the season and all of uf's Rivals are coming off of Good Seasons plus teams like Arkansas and Kentucky and South Carolina all seem to be on the rise so let's do our first conversation around expectations for the 2023 Gator season we've invited Graham Hall from Swamp 24 7 on to talk about what he is expecting from UF this season all right Graham let's start here tell me about the quarterbacks you've watched them in the spring there's been a lot of talk there so what is your biggest takeaway right now I think that right now it kind of remains to be seen who is the starting quarterback for Florida I think that's obviously the biggest conversation when you look at that battle itself Jack Miller in his second year in the system but you bring in a guy Graham Mertz who'd been at Wisconsin through his entire college career and played in what 32 of 34 games and he he comes to Gainesville and Billy Napier said he had evaluated 20 plus quarterbacks in the portal so many people believe that that would lead to him being the starting quarterback but by the end of spring he hadn't been named the starter I do think after seeing Graham Mert's work for the four months that he had been in Gainesville um before the end of spring camp that that is going to be a guy who eventually is named the starting quarterback whether that's the first wing of camp or on that depth chart on Wednesdays 24 hours before Florida plays Utah whatever it is I don't think it's going to be an indictment I think it's going to be for strategic reasons obviously because they kind of played things a little bit you know close at hand without divulging any info but the biggest thing about I think Florida's offense the season is going to be how well Florida runs the football how well Florida can block establish holes and get Montreal Johnson Trevor etn even cam Carroll and Treyon Webb those guys I think all are going to be involved in different ways but Montrell Johnson and Trevor etn you know I kind of want to steal something from the Carolina Panthers and call them double trouble and they just are going to be that for Florida this season both those guys are going to get double digit carries per game in this offense and they're really going to be how Florida goes you want a game manager at quarterback and that's really what Florida I think has on their roster right now and I think that that's not a knock on either quarterback but this is a running offense and that's just Billy Napier you go back to his entire head coaching career he has rushed the ball um you know 55 45 60 40 split his entire coaching career so you can expect that Baseline expectation and when you factor in the talent that Florida has a running back and you even consider that not to get ahead of ourselves Florida was even bringing in running back to the transfer portal looking at other guys maybe to add a boost to that position before the season you know how important that is going to be for Florida to be successful if a quarterback is going to be successful for Florida the season they're going to have to run the ball this season it's you know the chicken before the Agate Ascension and the quarterback's bag here so like you just said Florida really likes what they have at running back obviously and and semi-confident at wide receiver there are a lot of young guys there though and Titan has seen some injury but from a skill player perspective how do you think this team compares to last year's I think that wide receiver wise you get Ricky Pearsall back and that is absolutely massive for Florida getting him is your number one wide receiver a guy who I I think you know Florida State fans know at the end of the year he had a really good game maybe he wasn't as consistent as he would have liked to be but when you saw him in those big games you saw the potential of a future NFL guy he's going to be the leader in my mind but after him you lose Xavier Henderson to the transfer portal he lost DeJean Reynolds last year guys who contributed and then you get I think some impressive freshmen in here and Andy Gene Aiden Mizell they're going to add Eugene Wilson as well this is going to be a a unit that maybe is going to rely on some underclassmen this year Caleb Douglas another guy who I think had a breakout year last year and really had a strong spring Pearsall and the three guys I just mentioned are really going to be the weapons for Florida this year but when it comes to the tight end position that's one of the ones that's probably the most difficult to project as you go back to last year Florida really didn't have fantastic pass catching options at tight end Dante Zanders who was really kind of there you know most usage tight end outside of key on zipper he wasn't really a true pass catching tight end last year and then you lose key on zipper to a torn ACL for the year that's putting again the onus on underclassmen there's five underclassmen first or second year guys that Florida is really really you know impressed with their potential right now and how they looked in spring camp but in terms of experience and how much you can rely on them this season I think that remains to be seen the big name to watch obviously I think is Arla sporting him he's kind of been called a Kyle Pitts light and I I kind of already roll my eyes sometimes with that term because why would you bestow something so daunting on someone like that and I know I'm guilty of that now I just committed that sin but you look at his wingspan you look at how he can just get open how just impressive he is as an athlete still has some room to grow for aim to really become I think this physical Force but just in his second year he suffered an injury last year that kept him off of the field this is the guy that I think a lot of people at Florida are secretly hoping can have a breakout year and become a weapon in an offense that likes to use a lot of two tight ends so if he can emerge and maybe Hayden Hansen another one of these young guys can step up with Dante Zanders there that could be a unit that takes a leap after they really didn't have a significant contribution last year in the past catching game but were above average solid uh from a blocking perspective so offensive line was great last year uh it's basically going to be a whole new unit out there for 2023. some injuries already have happened on the line but we hear that there's some really good depth there how good do you think that unit can be when it comes to the offensive line I think that there is really good depth at certain positions although there are certainly some question marks obviously let's start with the bright side Austin Barber is a future NFL offensive lineman just one of the hardest working guys in Gainesville uh does everything the right way you saw that emergence last year it just takes himself yeah you know very seriously in how he approaches his preparation but not too seriously so that he's not willing to engage with teammates give advice just kind of a consummate teammate and someone you want to to play for and now protecting whichever quarterback starts he's going to protect their Blind Side at left tackle this season I think that that is absolutely a huge boost for Florida there at left guard I think it's a little bit more dicey you bring in Mica mizuka from Baylor uh he suffers an injury um early in spring camp and then then there's that tweet about kind of Uncertain future he still is with Florida and I just don't know how healthy he's going to be by Fall camp but if he is healthy at left guard there you're talking Austin Barber Michael Mazuka returning Kingsley aguacon you have Richie Leonard at Right Guard who a lot of people were really impressed with last season you saw him rotate in for Ethan white at left guard last year and then at right tackle you have former five-star chiante Goodwin from Kentucky battling out with Damien George um from Alabama two guys to Florida if they had to start the season right now they they feel comfortable with either one of those guys starting to write tackles so I think you could make an argument that and it comes to the turnover how they have replaced those guys and addressed the position through either the depths on the roster or the transfer portal that is one of the positions that I think is is most impressive right now heading into the off season one more name to watch because he started at left guard in the orange and blue game that's Naji Harris of IMG Academy a true freshman early enrollee started at that position so if you have Micah who maybe is unable to go by week one um you have a true freshman that they're really impressed with already so I think that right now it is a strength for this team right now and for a offense looking to run the ball effectively you have to be very optimistic when you look at that offensive line that they're gonna be able to do that I think Gator Nation just collectively breathed a sigh of relief there oftentimes going to be a strength y'all this is good uh the defense though has plagued this team for a while but talk to us about the secondary do you think that they can take a pretty significant step forward this year obviously they need to I think that Jason Marshall come coming back I think that that is you know you get him back another year comfortable I think he is going to be someone who emerges as one of these top 10 Corners top five corners in the upcoming draft and you have that conversation about him being one of you know the next floor to Corners out the door um and then you look at that second Corner position three names really that are really impressive um on the outside there uh you know everyone I think knows Jalen Kimber he dealt with an injury last year played with that club on his hand but they really are impressed with him he could be the other starting cornerback because you had Devin Moore still a little bit limited from injury during spring camp that he's gonna expect it to be healthy uh by the Fall they expect him to contend for that starting job and then maybe another guy who can help Florida defend or maybe bring back the DBU moniker is true freshman early enrollee JC Jackson or excuse me wow jakeem Jackson um that show my Florida history right there uh jakeem Jackson um a true freshman that a lot of people are really really high on and expect him to be starting sooner than later played wide receiver uh until two years ago so maybe still learning some intricacies of the position but when you have a defensive back who knows how wide receivers think that really can add another level and expedite maybe some of that development process and I think that maybe that's the case with him anyone in the front seven that is really standing out to you is a true Difference Maker two of the big additions that Florida from Louisville he impressed me I think maybe more than I was expecting in Spring and maybe that's on me but he had limited reps there at Louisville you know that they were a little bit sad to lose him the only thing I think he played like 30 snaps last year but it comes to Gainesville and I think that that could be a guy starting on the interior of the defensive line for Florida and then you look at cam Jackson out of Memphis I mean that is a guy who is just physical you know force of nature he is going to start for Florida can you imagine lining up cam Jackson and Desmond Watson next to each other and then having a chance to rotate in Caleb Banks Chris McClellan Tyreek Sapp that could be a really really good interior defensive line which kind of like the offensive line that was not the case for Florida last year much of the conversation topic was the high usage of jervon Dexter and how his you know Effectiveness may be waned in second half when he was playing 60 70 snaps that shouldn't be the case this season they shouldn't have to Tire someone out they're comfortable with the depth that they have and it's because of the transfer additions and and the guys returning on the roster why that could be a strength for Florida defense that really is gonna see some interesting packages this season now with an edge rather than the Jack linebacker a couple guys that maybe are gonna be able to rush the passer and let those inside guys be a little bit more effective and it's going to be really I think interesting to see this season all right so I can't not ask you about special teams any sort of rumors or Whispers you're hearing that could maybe bring some Gator fans good news because listen last year's special teams were not special at all they were awful so I think we need some major Improvement there I mean unless Trevor etn is going to somehow become Brandon James 2.0 I can't see him housing a ton of kicks I I I hope it happens I hope he proves me wrong I hope that it has a Jordan Travis being snub type reaction and that he goes out there and houses seven eight kicks this season I just don't know we know that punt returned kind of a difficult thing for Florida last year that I think it maybe hurt them more than it helped them you could say last year and I I guess when it comes to special teams what I'm really looking for are two things improvements in both regards from a return aspect number two I need Jeremy crawshaw to do a fake punt on fourth down again because when he did it the one time two years ago it went for 29 yards and ever since they have locked my man in a cage they have just said punt the ball that's it you're not a weapon this is a former rugby guy let the man fake it on fourth down release the punter please I'm begging you I would also take some uh punt blocks that would really help Urban Meyer used to always say black punt win the game and so I'm I'm ready for that kind of energy to come but you know I'm all about handing the ball to the punter and letting some magic happen there all right this is how we're gonna wrap this up Vegas put out an over under of five and a half so we're gonna say six wins here on DraftKings ESPN has UF at eight and four which of those records are more likely to you someone asked me this and said 5-1 season or eight win season you have to you have to go right now in three seconds and I literally stammered and I try never to go uh you know someone who does podcasts but that's literally the first thing out of my mouth because I really don't know Florida fans love to say the difference between six and six and and nine and three last season was three plays because technically Florida was in there for three Hail Mary's at the end of the game which if you want to see things that way all the power to you I gotta say I'm closer right now to to five or six wins I made the list of quarterbacks the schedule is daunting I'm gonna go ahead and say Florida fans would love to have George's schedule this season right and that may sound ludicrous to compare see you know schedules because comparison is the fee for Joy right but you know you got to play the hand you're dealt but that schedule makes it so difficult to see eight wins right now I think that they could win seven six is absolutely within the realm of possibility and I don't think that's a failure a lot of people are talking Hot Seat about Billy anchor and I don't think it's six win season is going to you know lead to that seat warmer being lit in his 2023 Mercedes I don't think that's gonna happen whatsoever I do think that it's more possible that Florida is around 500 than sitting there at eight and four at the end of the year um it's just hard for me to see that right now it doesn't mean I'm down on Florida or I don't see a path to it I think that Montrell Johnson and Trevor etn can combine for 2 000 yards Florida could limit turnovers and especially game breaking turnovers the defense could take an improvement and that is a team that does win eight games I absolutely see a pack but if you're asking me if I think it is more likely that they do that then win five games right now I'm about sixty percent forty percent that they were winning five games or forty percent they're winning eight games if that makes sense that makes perfect sense all right well thanks for coming on Graham we've we've tell everyone where they can follow you find your work and keep up with what you've got going on yeah hey I really appreciate y'all having me back you again have to bring me back at the end of the season please so I can be held over the fire and you can toast me again double Crow no slaw um you can read me at swamp 247 follow me on Twitter at Graham Hall underscore and uh if you want to listen to our podcast hear all of my hot takes about Florida's quarterbacks and who they're gonna face this season you can listen to us on YouTube and wherever you get your podcast that's a swamp 247 podcast and again looking forward to being back next time and talk everything with you guys all right sounds like a plan thanks to Graham Hall from Swamp 247 for coming on and chatting tonight we spoke with him about what UF needs to do in the portal and what they've already done there that will be coming out soon so make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss it if you missed our video on the QBs UF will face this season click here