Florida Gators Top 10 Players | Florida Gators Football 2024

welcome back to another episode of rock boys football top 10 players for this Florida Gator program heading into the 2024 season and this list was extremely difficult to come up with and I think it's going to be very controversial to a lot of Florida Gator fans there are about 30 players that you could make a strong argument will be top 10 players for this Florida Gator's program and I think that really speaks to the depth of this roster there is a ton of young Talent that very well could break out in the 2024 year that's partially why I'm a little bit more optimistic than a lot of other people across the country about this Florida Gator program fired up to get into it before we doing as always just want to say thank you to you guys and to the Florida Gator fans it's been a very exciting last couple of weeks with this program breaking down the transfer portal commitments and the amount of support you guys continue to show it truly does mean a lot if yall do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel and much more importantly let it fly in the comment section there are a lot of players that I might be sleeping on heading into 2024 if you guys want to drop some of those players drop your top 10 in the comment section as well I want learn a ton from you guys but the best part about doing this is talking ball with you guys in the comments section and without further Ado let's get into this one and let's start with one of the reasons that I'm a little bit higher on the Florida Gator than a lot of other people across the country and that is I think this offensive line is going to take a massive step in the right direction and Brandon Crenshaw Dixon is going to be a large reason why that happens you take a look at him coming over from San Diego State 343 pass per opportunities only gave up three sacks only gave up six quarterback curries I think one thing that really intrigues me is played both left tackle and right tackle and that versatility the ability for him to play both of those positions such a high level might be a massive factor with this Florida offensive line you talk about you know why Florida struggled so much on the offensive line last year I mean it had a lot to do with the tackle play they went into that 2023 season with not enough tackle depth really guys like Damen George that should not be playing tackle at the SEC level I think Brendan khaw Dixon we talk about a guy like Devin Manuel going to really help this Florida Gator offensive line heading into 2024 and if offensive line does indeed take that step and this Florida offense can be extremely dangerous I mean Greg Merz played exceptionally well in 2023 with one of the worst pass protecting offensive lines that you saw in the conference what happens when we gve gram Merz a little bit more time a little bit of some more cleaner pockets that's one reason to be fired up about the Florida Gator and going to number nine another offensive lineman and an offensive lineman that I feel like just is flying under the radar but was arguably the best offensive lineman for this Florida team in 2023 and that's Center Jake Slaughter you take a look at the pass Pro numbers 3 and 30 pass for opportunities only gave up two sacks only five quarterback curries graded out as the best run blocker for this Florida program he's a phenomenal athlete that plays with really good pad levels so he can deal with some of those bigger bodies on the inside of the defensive line but that phenomenal athleticism really does allow him to get to the second level exceptionally well picking up linebackers and and if you can get that run game going for Florida led by a guy like Jake Slaughter at that Center position again expecting to take a step a step in the right direction for this Florida offensive line going to number eight and I'm gonna go Kelby Collins and this is a a really interesting like where you want to rank Kelby Collins I think eight is relatively fair right now now if there are some Florida fans in the comment section that are want to argue that he's a top five player on this roster heading into 2024 I will certainly not be the one to push back on that you guys know I've been a massive fan of Kelby Collins since he was coming out of high school and and I think that's another one of those guys that you kind of expect to take that massive step going into year two he was third on the team in 15 quarterback curries had 10 run stops and although the production in the Box Score wasn't necessarily extremely flashy you saw the bones of a very special defensive line and a guy that can play on the inside can play on the edge you can move him all along that defensive line the versatility what he can do in the Run game with the heavy hands I think Kelby Collins was a guy that was really RW relied on just being a better athlete and More Physical than guys trying to block him to win in 2023 you know what happens when he knows how to use that length knows how to use the power in his hands a little bit better kind of sharpens up that pass rush tool kit again I think a guy that can take a step in the right direction in 2024 going to number seven and we're going to go to Montreal Johnson and a lot of people like to look at this Florida running back room and say it's gonna take a step back losing a guy like Trevor etn I think a lot of Florida fans are saying well Montreal Johnson was our leading rusher in 2023 and he was phenomenal you take a look at some of the numbers over 800 rushing yards five touchdowns also I mean was really good pass catcher out of the backfield 30 catches for 236 yards now some of the numbers that I really was impressed with 3.5 yards per carry after contact monell Johnson is a bruising running back that deals with contact exceptionally well and I think for Florida fans I think you're most excited to see what Montell Johnson can look like being a 20 plus k a game kind of back because he is a running back that probably gets better in the third and fourth quarters wearing defenses down he's a running back that if you're an opposing defense you don't want to have to tackle 20 25 times a game and I think that's exactly how Billy Napier is going to use a guy like Montell Johnson you got some nice young running backs that we saw in the spring game in that running back room as well Montreal Johnson maybe a little bit low coming in at number seven moving up to number six and we're GNA go to the most recent transfer for the Florida Gators Elijah Badger and the Florida Gator fans who've been listening for the last couple of weeks and months know that not only am I a massive fan of Elijah Badger but more importantly I'm a massive fan of how Elijah Badger fits into this Florida Gator offense you look at how Billy Napier has constructed this passing attack it is predicated on getting the football out in space and letting these wide receivers operate after the catch you look at Elijah Badger and say 26 missed tackles forced in 2023 those are some running back numbers with the football on his hands 546 yards after the catch in 2023 you are largely looking at one of the better wide receivers after the catch in the country and I said it when he committed I'll say it again I think Elijah Badger was probably an NFL wide receiver had he had better quarterback play the last two years at Arizona State he's certainly going to have that in 2024 with grah Merz I'm I'm fired up about Elijah Badger and how he fits in to this Florida Gator offense going to number five and another guy that he's coming in at five could be a top three play player for this Florida Gator program that is Shamar James the flashes that you've seen from Shamar James are truly special right he us 54 tackles that was second on this Florida Gator program in 2023 he missed the last four games due to injury and I think the uh main concern you have if you're a Florida Gator fan and you have two guys like this pop Howard Shamar James two of the more in my mind freakier linebackers that you see in the country now how can we get these linebackers one more involved in this defense playing downhill being a little bit more having a little bit more Hands-On in terms of the outcome of the game but I think more importantly you know just the consistency right down and down out game in game out can these two linebackers and Shamar James and pup Howard really put it together you guys know I'm a massive fan of Coach Roberts coming in to coach these two young linebackers up I am extremely optimistic about this linebacker room because you talk about Shamar James and pop Howard you also have some phenomenal line backers miles Graham Aiden Charles excuse me coming in as true freshman a lot of different ways you can allow these linebackers to have a massive impact on this Gator defense going up to our number four player and that's going to be Jason Marshall Jr and I there are a couple of different ways you want to talk about Jason Marshall Jr and this might upset a lot of Florida Gator fans to have him as the fourth best player on this team you go back to the 2023 film and say he was really damn good you take a look at some of the numbers led the team with 10 pass breakups had a 44.7% completion percentage when targeted that is extremely low for number one quarterback now I think the big narrative around Jason Marshall Jr is he gave up the big play too often didn't come up with some plays that he probably should have made and I think those are the plays that kind of stick with a lot of Florida Gator fans heading into 2024 but you kind of evaluate the aggregate season that Jason Marshall Jr had did he necessarily reach his potential probably not that's why he came back to Florida we all know how talented this kid is I think he played a lot better than a lot of Florida Gator fans probably appreciate coming in at number four and I think what's most exciting is disguise the limit and if you can cut down on some of those big plays you give up in coverage again 25 yards per reception is far too high for a quarterback that has all American caliber traits I think you could be looking at one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC going to number two and we're going to go to safety Jordan Castell another guy that the Florida Gator fans who've been rocking with the fellas for the last couple of weeks and months probably not surprised to see him at number three he was a true freshman last year he led this team in tackles had an interception three pass breakups but really what stands out to me you guys don't see this notes because of the banner we'll take take that down he's versatile this is a guy that was used in so many different ways as a true freshman I mean Austin Armstrong put a ton on Jordan castel's plate and He was largely up for the task this was a guy that could play that box safety role could play as a nickel corner and hold up in man coverage only missed 10.7% of his tackles that is an exceptional number for a true freshman in the SEC if Jordan Castell can build on what he did as a true freshman in my mind you're looking at one of the better safeties that you see not only in the SEC but in the country going up to number two and a guy that made a lot of people including my brother look very silly quarterback grah Merz and there was so much slander on grah mz's name heading into the 2023 season as a I mean a really talented quarterback coming out of high school never really put it together at Wisconsin I think you can blame a lot of that on how that offense was constructed around him and what does he do in 2023 in the SEC throws for almost 3,000 yards 20 touchdowns to only three interceptions was top five in the country with a 73% completion percentage and I think the big thing we're looking for for not only grah Merz and Billy Napier for this Florida Gator offense is hey we now trust grah Merz as being one of the better quarterbacks in the SEC let's treat him like that and I don't think Florida necessarily treated Graham Merz as a differen maker at the quarterback position in 2023 if they can do that in 2024 I think Grant merch could even take a step in the right direction he's going to have a better offensive line he's going to have better wide receivers he's going to have I think year two in the system which certainly is going to help he had a 41% completion percentage when targeting 20 plus yards down the field I think the problem with that is his average depth of Target was only 6.7 yards so can Billy Napier put a little bit more on Grant mz's plate ask him to be that difference making quarterback that I think we all know grah MZ can be I think you might see him take a passive step in 2024 and build on what was already a very good season in 2023 and the number one player on this Florida Gator program probably not a surprise to a lot of people Eugene Wilson I third and again you talk about we talked about Jordan Castell Eugene Wilson Kelby Collins we could have talked about Bryce thoron we could have talked about po Howard all these guys only going into year two of this Florida Gator team you talk about Billy NEP here kind of building a young nucleus to this roster it starts with Eugene Wilson again you talk about the fit in this Florida Gator offense I mean there's not a better guy in the country after the catch right 480 yards after the catch 18 Miss tackles forced had zero drops as a true freshman an 86% completion percentage when targeted and I think what's most exciting is you look at you Eugene Wilson I third and say there's another reason that you can believe he takes a step I think at last year Florida kind of treated him as a true freshman kind of a Gadget guy at times we're going to get you some swing passes some screen passes some Ender rounds they didn't ask Eugene Wilson to really be a wide receiver to work vertically down the field and I think we all know that he can be that kind of wide receiver so what I'm most looking forward to is treating Eugene Wilson as a true Difference Maker at the wide receiver spot and I'm not saying we don't give him screen passes and we don't give him touches out of the back field because again he is one of the most dynamic Playmakers in the country with the football in his hands but treat him as a true wide receiver one and I think he might take another step heading into 2024 as well and again those are my top 10 to kind of emphasize it let's talk about some players that we left off the list right Joey slackman coming over from Penn I left him off the list because you kind of want to see the transition from the FCS to the SEC but he's a guy that there was a reason every Power five team across the country was looking to add Joey slackman to the roster cam jacks was sneaky very good for Florida LED them in run stops last year we talked about pup Howard we talked about Bryce thoron you have a couple transfers in the back end DJ Douglas ASA Turner triquest Bridges who certainly could be top 10 players as well there this list was difficult because there's a lot of guys that we expect to take that step heading into 2024 I would love to hear your top 10 in the comments section and again appreciate you guys rocking with the boys you all know I love talking this program the support you show truly does mean a lot if you guys do enjoy the content consider subscribing to the channel and we'll talk to youall later peace