SEC Football Roundtable: Florida

What are some of the major position battles going on within your team?

The most high-profile position battle is at running back, which was a famously ineffective position last year. Kestahn Moore is the incumbent and the best blocker, but he had fumble issues. USC transfer Emmanuel Moody is a playmaker, but he had fumbling problems of his own this spring. Chris Rainey is a shifty speed back who will take some of the carries that went to Percy Harvin last year. Also in the running are power back Mon Williams and tiny return man extraordinaire Brandon James.

Question marks abound on defense in the secondary and on the line. In the backfield, only CB Joe Haden and S Major Wright have their spots sewn up.

Up front, two of the most anticipated players are tackles John Brown and Omar Hunter, but neither of them has played a down as the former is a redshirt freshman and the latter is a true freshman. Senior Javier Estopinan and a variety of sophomores will be battling those guys for the starting spots.

Who are some players on each side of the ball that you see emerging as stars this year?

On offense, Rainey is the obvious answer here. He lit up the Gator defense all spring and appears to be ready for stardom. At tight end, Cornelius Ingram gets all the publicity, but Aaron Hernandez could end up being better. A little off of the radar is WR Louis Murphy, but he might emerge as the productive, reliable target that Dallas Baker was in 2006.

DE Carlos Dunlap is the obvious answer on defense. At 6'6"/290 lbs, the guy is huge, strong, and fast. All spring long he abused what should be one of the best offensive lines in UF's recent history. MLB Brandon Spikes should become a national household name.

On special teams, James will likely assemble an impressive highlight reel of long returns. P Chas Henry has a strong enough leg to earn All-SEC honors, if not more.

Are there any injuries your team is worrying about?

Without question, Harvin's heel injury is the biggest concern. He apparently had a bone issue dating back to high school, and he had surgery this spring to fix it. He's Florida's most electrifying player, so a foot injury for him gives fans the shakes.

What do you think your team’s major strengths and weaknesses will be?

If the offense can keep things balanced, not necessarily in run/pass ratio but in ball distribution, it should be nearly impossible to stop. The receiving corps is arguably the deepest and most talented in school history. As long as Tim Tebow doesn't get locked on to Harvin like he did last year, the passing game will be among the best in the country.

The linebackers are unquestioned strength on defense. Starting defensive ends Jermaine Cunningham and Dunlap also will be a major strong point.

It's too early to say the running backs won't be a weakness again. There is plenty of talent there, but it seems they all either have fumblitis or are smaller than 5'9". Urban Meyer called the secondary the most improved unit on the team in the spring, but it will probably still be the weakest link on defense.

Kicker is a concern since the job is a tossup between Jonathan Phillips, a 5th year senior who has done nothing in his career so far, and Caleb Sturgis, a true freshman with a huge leg but accuracy problems.

What games are you most looking forward to watching this year?

I personally am looking forward to playing Miami, if only because it will likely be Florida's first win over the Hurricanes since the Reagan administration.

Georgia is the big one though. Florida fans will be out for revenge for the Bulldogs' endzone display last year, and both teams could be ranked in the top 5 at the time. The winner of the game will almost certainly be in Atlanta in December. UF has an edge, since it plays Kentucky at home the week before while UGA goes to LSU, so at least right now I anticipate a Gator win.

What record do you think your team will end the regular season with?

It all depends on the progress the defense makes, but the floor is 9-3 and the ceiling is 12-0. Going undefeated in the regular season is extremely tough for anyone, though, and it's happened only once in UF history.

Since the schedule is not as difficult as last year's was and the team should be better, I'm going with 11-1 and a berth in the SEC championship game.

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