Next Gators Coach Inherits a Team with Talent and Some Questions

Freshman quarterback Treon Harris is one of the key players UF's next head coach will inherit. (Photo: Tim Casey)

Article by SCOTT CARTER GatorZone.com Senior Writer 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – As the search for Florida’s next head coach heats up, the players left in the wake of Will Muschamp’s departure after a 24-19 loss at Florida State on Saturday are wrapping up the fall semester and waiting to hear their bowl destination.

Interim head coach D.J. Durkin (photo, left) will direct the Gators through the yet-to-be-determined bowl.

As for the new coach, what kind of team will he inherit?

The Gators finished the regular season 6-5 and lost three games by five points or less. Florida’s two decisive losses were to SEC West champion Alabama (42-21) and SEC East champ Missouri (42-13).

Despite the close calls, Muschamp could not survive a 10-13 record over the last two seasons and numerous missed opportunities that cost Florida any chance at qualifying for Saturday’s SEC Championship Game in Atlanta for the first time since 2009. The Gators’ five-year absence in Atlanta matches the program’s longest streak (2001-05) since the SEC started playing a championship game in 1992.

For the Gators to earn a trip to Atlanta in 2015, a lot of improvements must be made, especially on offense. The Gators must also learn to close out games when they have an opportunity. Failure to do so in losses to LSU, South Carolina and Florida State ultimately turned what could have been a huge turnaround season into a disappointing one.

In his final address to Florida fans on his Sunday TV show, Muschamp described the kind of team he sees the next coach inheriting.

“They’ve got a good locker room and a bunch of talented players and a bunch of good kids,’’ Muschamp said. “We’ve cleaned up the place and it’s ready for somebody to go take the next step.”

Let’s take a look at each position group on the current roster to determine what factors likely need to come into play for the new coach to take that next step:

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE: This group is losing starting nose tackle Darious Cummings and junior defensive end Dante Fowler Jr., who announced recently on Twitter that he is going to enter the NFL Draft. While both will be missed, young interior linemen Joey Ivie and Caleb Brantley got significant reps this season and showed drastic improvement. A pair of redshirt sophomore defensive ends, Alex McCalister and Bryan Cox Jr., also came on strong, combining for 10 sacks. McCalister leads the team with six. A big question mark is whether junior Jonathan Bullard will return. Bullard played primarily defensive tackle this season and produced the best results of his career (46 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks). Still, Bullard could use more seasoning to improve his draft stock and develop as an interior lineman. A group of inexperienced underclassmen includes Jay-nard Bostwick, Taven Bryan, Khairi Clark, Thomas Holley, Jordan Sherit, Justus Reed and Gerald Willis, a talented player who saw time as a true freshman at defensive tackle but also encountered off-the-field issues, most recently being sent to the locker room Saturday for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty while on the sideline.

Junior defensive lineman Jon Bullard could be a key building block next season.

LINEBACKERS: Junior Antonio Morrison had his finest season and led the Gators with 98 tackles during the regular season. Morrison (6-1, 225) is undersized but plays a physical brand of football. If he decides to return for his senior season he gives the Gators a solid anchor at middle linebacker. This unit loses a pair of starters in seniors Michael Taylor and Neiron Ball. Still, there is depth with sophomores Jarrad Davis, Alex Anzalone, Jeremi Powell and Daniel McMillian set to return. In addition, redshirt freshman Matt Rolin has been hampered by injuries and remains a mystery. Besides Morrison, Davis is the most proven of this group. He had 23 tackles in nine games before suffering a season-ending knee injury that cost him the final two games of the regular season.

SECONDARY: When the new coach arrives he will be pleased with this collection of players, the most talented of any position group on the roster. Sophomore Vernon Hargreaves III and true freshmen Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson are strong cover corners. Safety Jabari Gorman is the only player lost from this group. However, sophomore Keanu Neal will be back as one of the SEC’s most physical defensive backs. Starters Marcus Mayeand Brian Poole also return from a defense that usually played nickel. Freshman Duke Dawson can play safety and corner and has a bright future. Redshirt freshmen Marcell Harris and Nick Washington should factor more into the big picture next season and freshman J.C. Jackson, considered perhaps the best corner of the group, returns after missing this season due to shoulder surgery. Finally, former prep quarterback Deiondre Porter was redshirted and adds another versatile athlete to the mix.

OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK: This position rarely found stability in Muschamp’s four seasons and 2014 was no different as redshirt junior Jeff Driskel opened the season as the starter but was replaced midseason by true freshman Treon Harris. Skyler Mornhinweg and true freshman Will Grier round out the depth chart with Grier considered a potential starter one day. While all four are eligible to return, Driskel could transfer or pursue a professional baseball career; Harris showed flashes of promise and remains a work in progress after going 3-2 as the starter; Mornhinweg is a depth guy; and Grier, a former Parade All-American, redshirted and has four years of eligibility remaining. Regardless, the next Florida coach must create more consistency at quarterback to win more games.

Sophomore running back Kelvin Taylor had a productive second half of season.

RUNNING BACK: The Gators have talent at halfback in sophomore Kelvin Taylor and freshman Brandon Powell. Taylor finished the regular season with 565 yards rushing, second on the team to junior Matt Jones (817 yards, six touchdowns). Jones has a year of eligibility remaining and told team officials this week he will make public his decision whether to return to school after the bowl game. If Jones departs as expected, Powell and redshirt freshman Adam Lane are in line for bigger roles. The Gators lose seniors Mack Brown and fullbacks Hunter Joyer and Gideon Ajagbe. None were factors in their only season in offensive coordinator Kurt Roper’ssystem but they depart as well-respected players in the locker room and by the coaching staff. Junior Mark Herndon suffered a season-ending knee injury on special teams early in the season and returns next season as a potential backup.

RECEIVERS: The most significant loss from this group is fifth-year senior Quinton Dunbar, who was benched at midseason but rebounded at the end to finish with 20 catches for 347 yards. Folk hero Michael McNeely also departs after a memorable finish to his career. Sophomore Demarcus Robinson fulfilled some of his promise with a team-high 47 catches for 774 yards and seven touchdowns. Robinson is the most dangerous receiver on the current roster and a key piece of the offense that Florida’s new coach can build around. Junior Latroy Pittmanshowed signs of improvement as a slot receiver and sophomores Ahmad Fulwood and Chris Thompson remain potential targets if they can continue to improve. True freshmen C.J. Worton and Ryan Sousa, redshirt freshman Alvin Bailey and junior Raphael Andrades are unproven but could have more opportunities under a new coach. Redshirt junior Valdez Showers saw time at slot receiver and caught a touchdown at Alabama. As for tight end, seniors Clay Burton and Tevin Westbrook exit. Burton was third on the team with 17 catches and Westbrook will be remembered for a pair of costly non-catches. DeAndre Goolsby, Moral Stephens and C’yontai Lewis are true freshmen who offer some options at the position moving forward. Meanwhile, fifth-year senior transfer Jake McGee, whose season ended with a broken leg in the first game, would have to be granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA to return.

Roderick Johnson, No. 55, improved under direction of Coach Mike Summers.

OFFENSIVE LINE: First-year offensive line coach Mike Summers deserves a lot of credit for turning this rag-tag group into a productive unit. However, the Gators’ offensive line will have a much different look next season with the loss of seniors Max Garcia, Trenton Brown and Chaz Green. In addition, redshirt junior Tyler Moore, who played tackle and guard in his two seasons, plans to enter the draft. That leaves junior left tackle D.J. Humphries, guard Trip Thurman, redshirt-freshman Roderick Johnson and true freshman David Sharpe among the group of eight who played regularly. Humphries is weighing his options to enter the draft. As for depth, that took a hit this week when junior-college transfer Drew Sarvary announced on Facebook he was retiring from football due to concussion symptoms. While Johnson and Sharpe emerged as building blocks of the future, for the O-line to succeed in 2015, recruiting will be key. In addition, redshirt freshmen Antonio Riles and Cameron Dillard, and true freshmen Andrew Mike, Travaris Dorsey and Kavaris Harkless need to develop into productive players. Another freshman from the 2014 signing class, Nolan Kelleher, redshirted after back surgery and the future of his career is uncertain.

SPECIAL TEAMS

KICKERS: The duo of senior Frankie Velez (12 of 14 field goals) and redshirt sophomore Austin Hardin (7 of 10) combined to make 79.1 percent of their attempts compared to 54.5 percent (12 of 22) in 2013. Hardin finished the season as the starter and made four field goals in Saturday’s loss at FSU – including a career-long 52-yarder – before missing his final two attempts that would have given the Gators the lead. Hardin returns next season and appears to have regained the confidence he lost by missing eight of 12 attempts as a freshman.

Kicker Austin Hardin missed his final two kicks at FSU but showed off leg earlier.

PUNTERS: Senior Kyle Christy departs after a comeback season in which he averaged 44.4 yards per kick on 56 attempts. After losing his job in 2013 to true freshman Johnny Townsend, Christy regained the job as a senior and got the job done. Townsend is expected to take over next season.

RETURNS: Sixth-year senior Andre Debose never developed into the next Percy Harvin at Florida, but Debose was a threat in the return game each time he touched the ball. Debose returned four kickoffs for touchdowns in his career and averaged 24.7 yards per return this season. As a punt returner, Debose averaged 14 yards and added a 62-yard return for a touchdown in his final season. Showers, Powell and Hargreaves are among those who have return experience with Debose gone.

SNAPPER/HOLDER: Last but not least, senior long snapper Drew Ferris and holder Kyle Crofoot will be difficult to replace. Why is that? Well, they rarely were mentioned in game reports, which means they did a good job and not candidates for “SportsCenter.”