Florida Football: Breaking Down Spring Practice

Will Muschamp's first year as the Florida Gators head coach didn't exactly go as planned. Florida had one of the worst seasons in recent memory. They finished with a 7-6 record and many times didn't even look competitive.

This season should be much different for the Gators, as they return a total of 18 starters and have an absolutely loaded recruiting class coming in. They also are more familiar with the coaching staff and should be prepared to be the competitive Florida team that we're all used to seeing every season.

But, of course, there are questions surrounding this team, and these need to be addressed in the spring practices, which begin on March 14.

As we get closer to spring ball kicking off for the Gators, here is everything you need to know about the team.

Schedule

Spring practice for the Gators begins on March 14, and the spring game will take place on April 7 at 1 p.m. ET in Bill Hill Griffin Stadium.

You can purchase tickets to the Orange and Blue game here.

Offensive Depth Chart

Quarterback: Jacoby Brissett, Jeff Driskel

Fullback: Hunter Joyer, Trey Burton

Running Back: Mike Gillislee, Mack Brown, Matt Jones

Wide Receiver: Andre Debose, Quinton Dunbar

Wide Receiver: Frankie Hammond Jr., Omarius Hines

Tight End: Jordan Reed, A.C. Leonard

Offensive Tackle: Matt Patchan, Nick Alajajian

Offensive Guard: Kyle Koehne, Trip Thurman

Center: Jonotthan Harrison, Sam Robey

Offensive Guard: Jon Halapio, Nick Alajajian

Offensive Tackle: Chaz Green, Xavier Nixon

Defensive and Special Teams Depth Chart

Defensive End:  Ronald Powell, Lerentee McCray

Nose Tackle: Leon Orr, Omar Hunter

Defensive Tackle: Dominique Easley, Omar Hunter, Sharrif Floyd

Defensive End: Sharrif Floyd, Earl Okine

Strong Side Linebacker: Lerentee McCray, Darrin Kitchens

Middle Linebacker: Jonathan Bostic, Michael Taylor

Weak-Side Linebacker: Jelani Jenkins, Chris Johnson

Cornerback: Marcus Roberson, Cody Riggs

Cornerback: Jaylen Watkins, Loucheiz Purifoy

Safety: Matt Elam, Jabari Gorman

Safety: De'Ante Saunders, Josh Evans

Kicker: Caleb Sturgis, Brad Phillips

Punter: Kyle Christy

Best Position Battle

There's no question that the best position battle to watch during the spring is the quarterback battle. What makes it even more intriguing is the fact that nobody is the front-runner to land the starting job. John Brantley is gone, which leaves the race down to three sophomores in Jacoby Brissett, Jeff Driskel and Tyler Murphy.

Murphy hasn't even taken a college snap, but he has good size and was originally recruited as a wide receiver. Driskel was the backup quarterback last season before losing that to Jacoby Brissett. While they may both have more experience than Murphy, neither impressed in the games they played last year.

Brissett completed 46 percent of his passes and threw four interceptions, while Driskel completed 47 percent of his passes and threw two interceptions. Driskel has great mobility and an excellent arm, while Brissett has great field vision and excellent size at 6'4", 225 pounds.

This is the position that everyone will be watching throughout the spring.

Big Man on Campus

With two senior running backs on their way to the next level and questions at quarterback, the big man on campus has to be wide receiver Andre Debose. This is a guy that was a 5-star wide receiver in the 2008 class and hasn't exactly lived up the hype quite yet.

In his first two seasons, he only has a combined 26 receptions for 528 yards and four touchdowns. He is a very explosive player and has the speed to take it the distance every time the ball is in his hands.

Debose will likely be more involved in this offense and should really have a breakout season this year.

Expect a big year from the junior wide receiver.

Biggest Shoes to Fill

Florida lost two starting running backs with Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps graduating. This a difficult hole to fill, considering that those were two backs who both had terrific speed and caused fits for the opposing defense. Who will fill this void remains unanswered, but somebody will have to step up and contribute on the ground.

The leading candidates are sophomore Mack Brown, who rushed for 42 yards on 12 carries last season, and junior Mike Gillislee, who has 142 carries in his three-year career, and has rushed for 920 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. Another name you can't count out is recent recruit Matt Jones, who is a 4-star player in this year's class. He has great size at 6'3", 225 pounds and has awesome acceleration.

These shoes will likely be filled by a combination of all three of these running backs, but somebody has to step up and become the main runner.

Most Important Questions to Answer

Besides the questions at quarterback and at running back, the Gators need their offensive line to play a lot better. Now, the offensive line did suffer a few injuries last season, but the poor performances can't be blamed all on injuries. Sure, only 23 sacks were allowed last season, but very few running lanes were opened up and pressure on Gators quarterbacks was constant.

With the entire offensive line returning except for Dan Wenger, the Gators must keep their starting quarterback upright.

The focus will also remain on the offense to see who can emerge as a playmaker. We've already talked about Andre Debose, but who else can make plays for this offense? Speedsters Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps are no longer on the roster, so Florida needs to find somebody else who can make plays for this offense and help this team score.

Players that could fit in this category include Quinton Dunbar, Mack Brown and tight end Jordan Reed.

Randy Chambers is a B/R featured columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].