Florida Football: 2013 Stat Projections for Matt Jones

Like Mike Gillislee in 2012, running back Matt Jones is expected to be one of the key weapons on the Florida Gator offense this season.

The sophomore ended last season on a high note, rushing for 162 yards and two touchdowns in Florida's final three games. This strong finish has left Gator fans optimistic that Jones can keep the team's rushing attack at a high level.

But what can we realistically expect from the Florida native?

 

Yards Per Carry

Projected: 5.0 yards

Jones may not fit the ideal definition of a speedster, but his skill set should allow him to pick up solid yardage on most carries.

Jones is a back who can run through a defender and turn a three-yard gain into a six-yard pickup. He can grind out extra yardage on broken plays and run up the middle with ferocity.

Plus, he is still a big-play threat, which he showed against Florida State. You can expect him to periodically break off a big run of 20 or more yards, which will certainly pad his season average.

Jones has a great combination of size and speed. As long as his blockers can create gaps for him, he could easily average five yards per carry.

Rushing Yards

Projected: 1,075 yards

The key to figuring out this number will be determining how many carries Jones will be given.

This projection would equate to 215 touches for Jones, which is a reasonable number. This means he would average about three fewer carries per game than Gillislee did last season. Considering Kelvin Taylor and Mack Brown are capable relief backs, it should only make sense that Jones' workload will be lower than that of Gillislee.

A total closer to 1,200 yards is not completely out of the question, but it is not likely. Brent Pease will no doubt want to incorporate more weapons into the offensive attack, and this should limit Jones' output.

However, 1,000 yards are definitely in the cards.

Rushing Touchdowns

Projected: 1,075 yards

The key to figuring out this number will be determining how many carries Jones will be given.

This projection would equate to 215 touches for Jones, which is a reasonable number. This means he would average about three fewer carries per game than Gillislee did last season. Considering Kelvin Taylor and Mack Brown are capable relief backs, it should only make sense that Jones' workload will be lower than that of Gillislee.

A total closer to 1,200 yards is not completely out of the question, but it is not likely. Brent Pease will no doubt want to incorporate more weapons into the offensive attack, and this should limit Jones' output.

However, 1,000 yards are definitely in the cards.

Receiving Yards

Projected: 100 yards

Although Jones showed promise on the run last season, he looked less than impressive as a receiver. He caught only three passes for 10 yards.

Granted, his playing time was limited for much of the year. However, these numbers don't exactly leave one to think positive thoughts.

If Driskel is slinging the football, he will not be looking for Jones. He will want to find Quinton Dunbar or Demarcus Robinson (or preferably both). Jones might get a screen pass here and there, but Gator fans should not expect much more than that.

Jones has to develop his pass-catching skills to be considered a complete threat. He should make some improvements, but he certainly won't light up the stat sheet.