Florida Football: Biggest Storylines Heading into Fall Camp
The expectations for new head coaches have changed a bit over the last decade. The ability to recruit, catch lighting in a bottle and turn around programs that have struggled in a hurry has virtually erased the margin for error for newcomers.
Urban Meyer and Gene Chizik each won national titles in their second years at Florida and Auburn, respectively. Nick Saban turned Alabama around from an afterthought and went undefeated in the regular season in his second season in Tuscaloosa in 2008. Gus Malzahn was 13 seconds from a national title in his first season as Auburn's head coach in 2013.
Does the "win now" mentality put more pressure on first-year Florida head coach Jim McElwain?
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A little bit.
What are the biggest storylines in Gainesville heading into McElwain's first fall camp with the Gators?
Quarterback Malaise?
The quarterback position in Gainesville has been a wasteland ever since Tim Tebow graduated after the 2009 season.
John Brantley couldn't get it done, Jeff Driskel, Jacoby Brissett, Tyler Murphy and Skyler Mornhinweg all started games and eventually transferred, and Treon Harris stepped in for Driskel last year and was decent in former coordinator Kurt Roper's tempo system.
Now, it's Harris—the dual-threat weapon—vs. redshirt freshman pro-style prospect Will Grier this summer for the starting job in McElwain's more traditional scheme.
The scheme doesn't matter as much as the quarterback's ability to impact the players around him in whatever way possible.
"Really what it comes down to is when we get there in August is which one of those guys affect the play of the other people around them to help them be successful," McElwain said at SEC media days. "There's a lot of talented guys out there that can throw it and do all that, but for some reason don't click with the guys around them."
Grier has a slight edge on Harris heading into fall camp due in large part to Harris' absence for several practices this spring while he dealt with a family issue.
Grier, a former 4-star prospect from Davidson, North Carolina, has plenty of potential, looked good with the first-team offense in the spring game and fits what McElwain and new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier want to do more than Harris.
That doesn't mean that Harris won't have a role, though.
If he doesn't win the job, his athleticism will undoubtedly be used either as a Wildcat quarterback or in the lineup at the same time as Grier in an effort to confuse opposing defenses.
It will be interesting to see how McElwain uses both of his quarterbacks, how the battle progresses this August and how the offense changes based on which contender steps up.
Piecing It Together
One look at Phil Steele's offensive line returning starts chart will (and should) make Florida fans cringe. The Gators return just 10 starts—all from Trip Thurman, who's nursing a shoulder injury—up front, which is the third-worst mark in the country.
That list was created prior to the arrival of two-time FCS (Fordham) All-American Mason Halter, but the point remains the same. There's a lot of work for McElwain and Nussmeier to do this summer in piecing together an offensive line that is wildly inexperienced.
The offensive line will define just what kind of offense the 2015 Gators will run.
"We're a multiple shift, multiple motion, try to create as much confusion, some unbalance, create an edge here and there to give us an opportunity," McElwain said. "And we'll continue to do that. Kind of how they grow is kind of how we're going to grow."
The Gators will get stud 5-star freshman Martez Ivey this summer, and he could go the "Cam Robinson route" and immediately start at tackle—just like Robinson did for Alabama a year ago.
"These guys are going to have an opportunity to go take reps," McElwain said. "How you learn to play is sometimes by making mistakes, but you've got to get that opportunity to take those reps, and they're going to have a lot of chances."
Watching how the offensive line evolves this summer will be fascinating.
There's plenty of talent for McElwain to work with, but a lot of it is young and/or new to the program, which could lead to inconsistencies that prevent the Gators from getting into the SEC East mix.
Making the Transition
Part of the transition to the new staff is the switch to new defensive coordinator Geoff Collins, formerly of Mississippi State.
Known for his "psycho defenses" in Starkville that buckled down in the red zone and forced field goals rather than touchdowns, Collins will have more talent to work with in Gainesville than he ever had at his previous stop.
Will it work, though?
Collins his been more of a strict 4-3 coach during his career, and Florida had used more of a hybrid scheme that featured a "Buck" at defensive end who was largely responsible for rushing the quarterback but did drop back from time to time.
"There's a lot of similarity, a lot of same language, and I think that that's really important as we go," McElwain said. "I just love [Collins'] energy every day, and the way his teams have played, that speaks for itself."
How will stud defensive linemen Jonathan Bullard and Bryan Cox Jr. adjust to the new coaching staff? How will blue-chip defensive end Cece Jefferson fit in? Will the linebackers be as successful as they were under the previous staff?
There will be a slight learning curve. If Florida can manage it well this August, the defense won't miss a beat in September and beyond.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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