Florida Football: Updating the 5 Best Spring Position Battles

The Florida Gators entered spring practice with several question marks, most notably on offense. With a fifth-year senior quarterback and two senior running backs graduated, along with a arrival of a new offensive coordinator, the Gators will have a new look offense in 2012.

A new offense will certainly be a sight for sore eyes as the Gators offense cannot get much worse than it was a season ago. Florida finished 105 in the nation in total offense, a number new offensive coordinator Brent Pease will surely look to improve on. 

In order to do so the Gators will look to find playmakers on offense. Starting with the quarterback position, Pease will try to find players who can learn and execute his system quickly and efficiently. Along with the quarterback position, there are other position battles taking place this spring. 

Let's take a look at the top five recruiting battles and make a prediction on how they will end up. 

Free Safety

When the 2012 spring depth chart was released, there was an often overlooked but surprising change on defense: Josh Evans starting opposite of Matt Elam. 

In his true freshman season, Saunders played in 12 games, starting nine of them. Saunders recorded 26 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and scored a touchdown. Similar to last spring, when he was an early enrollee, Saunders started the spring as a backup on the depth chart. 

Senior Josh Evans is listed as the starter at free safety and is having a good spring, but will battle with Saunders for playing time as the offseason progresses.

Evans is coming off his most productive season as a Gator. In 2011, he recorded 51 tackles, with a sack, interception and fumble recovery. Equipped with a new number, nine, and a new outlook, Evans is looking to make a statement during his final season in Gainesville. 

Prediction: Saunders will win this battle as he did last season. If Saunders can beat out Evans while he's supposed to be getting ready for prom, then he should be able to do it after a full season of playing time. 

Running Back

Mike Gillislee waited, then waited, was named for a week and then waited some more. The waiting turned out to be in vain, as Gillislee was never given a real opportunity to excel in Charlie Weis' offense. With Weis gone, Gillislee is being afforded an opportunity to run in the offense, and he is taking advantage of it. 

Gillislee was named the offensive player of the day in the Gators first scrimmage, and Muschamp noted that he has improved his pass protection, which was one of the reasons he was kept on the sideline a season ago. 

The Gators are thin at tailback and have moved players from other positions to fill the need. Omarius Hines along with Chris Johnson have both made the move to tailback and are coming along nicely. While Johnson will likely remain at tailback, Hines will split time at tight end, H-back and tailback. The former tight end is looking to have a breakout season, after being used sparingly in his first three seasons. 

Prediction:  Gillislee has the job locked up for now. Muschamp has revealed that Gillislee has distanced himself from the pack. Essentially he is competing against a tight end, a converted safety and Mack Brown. Gillislee will come out of camp the starter and will not face serious competition until Matt Jones enrolls in the summer. Jones will give Gillislee a serious push athletically and will raise the competition level of every practice. 

Wide Receiver

Wide receiver is arguably one of the most open position battles on the team. Quarterback is more exciting to talk about, but is essentially a two-man race. The Gators are looking for playmakers at receiver and be looking at all applicants. 

Much like last season, Quinton Dunbar has become a name that finds coaches' lips often, but will he have a repeat of 2011? 

In 2011 the coaching staff raved abut Dunbar and how good he looked in spring practice. Going into the season, Dunbar was thought to be the Gators best receiver and was surely going to be targeted and used as such.

Dunbar finished the season with 14 catches for 216 yards and two touchdowns. Or, in other words, one more catch, seven more yards and the same amount of touchdowns as Justin Blackmon had... against Kansas State. 

The Gators receivers will be asked to be much more of an offensive weapon than they were last season. The position is wide open and will literally be open to any player who shows promise and consistency in practice. So far in practice Dunbar along with Debose have stood out along with freshman Latroy Pittman. 

Prediction: Debose and Dunbar will start the season as the top receivers. Debose has shown that he is a big-time play waiting to happen but has lacked consistency so far. Dunbar is again drawing praise in spring practice and will turn the corner this season. He will become a household name for Gators fans in 2012. Expect Pittman to see his fair share of catches as he is showing to be a very reliable pass catcher. 

Cornerback

Cornerback is an area of strength for the Gators. Florida has a plethora of talent at the position and most of it is young talent. Aside from elder statesman Jaylen Watkins and Cody Riggs, the Gators also have Brian Poole and Willie Bailey coming is as freshman who could make an impact. Bailey is a 6'2'' ball-hawk who will certainly see time on special teams, but is trying to throw his hat into the ring for a starting job.

For the most part, Marcus Roberson earned a starting job last summer and showed every bit during the year that he deserved that starting position. Even though he hasn't been cleared for contact this spring and possibly won't be for the summer either, his starting job is safe.

That leaves us with three cornerbacks all vying for one more starting position.

Jaylen Watkins and Cody Riggs both received a lot of playing time a season ago. Riggs has shown durability, making an appearance in every game that he has been a Gator, while earning 13 starts. Watkins has appeared in 23 of the 32 games he has been a Gator, earning eight starts. While Riggs and Watkins both had some struggles in coverage last season, they will be better for it in their junior year. 

Prediction: Watkins will earn the starting position. Riggs and Watkins are currently locked in the second closest position battle of the spring. Watkins and Riggs both played roughly the same last season. Both had big time plays and both were beat for touchdowns and long receptions. In the end, Muschamp will choose Watkins over Riggs based on his size (Watkins: 6'0'' 187, Riggs: 5'9" 180). Muschamp likes bigger defensive backs in his defensive scheme and that will ultimately be why Bailey (6'2") will get a longer look when it comes to who will start. 

In the end Watkins and Riggs are so evenly matched that both will receive plenty of playing time, with Watkins getting the starting nod. 

Quarterback

Finally, the slide you have all been waiting for. The battle that is on every Gator fans minds, Jeff Driskel versus Jacoby Brissett. 

Unfortunately the coaching staff has been very tight-lipped this spring as to how the battle for the starting quarterback position has been going. 

When pressed about how the quarterbacks have looked and if either one has created distance from the other Muschamp responded, 

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"Both Quarterbacks are doing well. Neither one has distanced themselves at this point, but I'm very pleased with the progress both guys are making."

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The one thing that is becoming apparent in this quarterback battle is that this is a decision that will likely come down to a week before or even the week of the the first game. Both quarterbacks have had their share of interceptions and good passes in the spring, but neither have been able to create distance from the other. 

Both signal-callers have been instructed to keep the position battle details close to the vest, but when pressed Quinton Dunbar revealed that Driskel took the first snap of spring practice. This bit of news could mean everything and it could mean nothing. More likely than not, it was just due to what coach Pease had seen on tape of last season, but should not be an indication of who takes the first snap on Sept. 1. 

Prediction: Driskel will win the starting job narrowly over Brissett. While both quarterbacks have had their ups and downs in spring practice, Driskel has provided more even-keel quarterback play. After a season of unrest at the position, Muschamp and Pease will give the nod to whichever quarterback can bring a consistent and effective style of play week in and week out.

The decision will not be made in the spring or the summer and will probably remain unanswered for most of the fall. When the dust settles, Driskel will prove to be the more reliable option at quarterback on Sept. 1. If he can remain the starting quarterback or if the Gators choose to play both quarterbacks remains to be seen, but it would behoove the Gators to make a decision and stick with it. I tend to stick with the saying, "If you have two quarterbacks, you don't have one." 

The quarterback battle is far from over and my opinion may change over time, but as it stands now I give Driskel the slight edge and the early nod for starting quarterback.