Florida Football: Nothing Can Happen to These 5 Players in 2012

After Ronald Powell went down with an injury, the Gators will now have to shake things up and get creative to fill the void at the BUCK position. Powell was having the best spring camp of any defensive player and probably of any player on the team. 

Powell going down with a torn ACL is a big blow to the defense and the team as a whole. The initial estimate on his return is four to six months (via CBSSports.com). That's a bit optimistic, and the injury got us thinking.

Who are the top five players that the Gators can't afford to miss time this season?

These next five players are going to be essential to the Gators success in 2012 and some of them will be essential in filling the void that Powell's injury has created. 

Jonotthan Harrison

Harrison made 12 starts last season at center, second most at one position on the offensive line to Jon Halapio. Plus, he is a good constant for both of the young quarterbacks.

Harrison is a player who has shown he can be durable and will be asked to anchor a much-improved offensive line. 

If Harrison were to go down with an injury, it would not only force a young quarterback to adjust to a new center, but would disrupt one of the two most stable lineman the Gators have. On top of that, Harrison's backups—Sam Robey and Kyle Koehne—are not ready to be starters in the SEC on a week in, week out basis. 

Hunter Joyer

Hunter Joyer is enjoying an expanded role in the Gators new offense. 

Joyer will be asked to not only be a blocking fullback for Mike Gillislee, but he will also be asked to carry the football for the Gators in short yardage and goal line situations. 

Joyer played in every game during his freshman season and will play a pivotal role for the Gators this season. While Gillislee is an improvement over Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps when it comes to inside running, Joyer gives the Gators a true power back who enjoys contact and can get the tough yards inside. 

If Joyer were to go down with an injury, his backup—Trey Burton—is more of an H-back or hybrid tight end/fullback. The Gators would lose the option of having a 5'10'' 250-lb bruiser in the backfield. 

Lerentee McCray

There will not be just one player who can fill in for Ronald Powell, but Lerentee McCray is the early favorite to become the starting BUCK linebacker in Powell's absence. 

McCray was having a good 2011 campaign before a shoulder injury forced him to miss four of the final five games. After offseason shoulder surgery forced him to miss spring practice, McCray should be healthy and ready to go by the start of the season. 

If McCray were to go down with an injury, it would further deplete the defensive line and force true freshmen Dante Fowler or Bryan Cox into the lineup. Fowler is a player I expect to see a lot of playing time this season—especially with the loss of Powell—but it would behoove his development not to have to rush learning a new position. 

Sharrif Floyd

Sharrif Floyd has become a leader both on and off the field. He has shown that he is a team-first player by playing out of position and really working hard at it. 

Floyd was recruited as and is a natural defensive tackle, who because of depth concern, was asked to switch to defensive end. Floyd struggled at times last season, but had a very productive spring and will be asked to play both tackle and end this season. The time that Floyd will spend at end will depend upon how Earl Okine, Tevin Westbrook, Jonathan Bullard and Kedric Johnson progress and if the coaches can trust them to start. 

An injury to Floyd would further deplete the depth concerns the Gators have along the defensive line, and none of his backups have stepped up enough to allow Floyd to move to tackle permanently. If his backups are not good enough to start over a player who is playing out of position, it is certainly not good for the team—especially if they are having to start because of injury. 

Jeff Driskel or Jacoby Brissett

Yes, I know that this will make the list six players instead of five.

The Gators saw firsthand last season what instability at quarterback can do to a team. Going into every game not knowing who their signal-caller will be is taxing mentally.

The Gators cannot afford to go through it again. 

As of now, neither quarterback has distanced themselves from the other, but by September, we will know definitively who the starting quarterback is. Once that decision is made, the coaching staff should stick to it for better or worse. 

The psyche of a young quarterback can be fragile and giving him a short leash will only deter development. 

While at this time nobody can say with confidence which quarterback gives the team a better chance to win, an injury to whoever wins the starting job would throw the offense into a state of uncertainty yet again. We saw the outcome of an injured quarterback and how it affects an offense in 2011. It's an outcome Gator fans do not wish to see again. 

Let me know in the comments below who you think the Gators cannot afford to be without in 2012. 

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