Florida Football: Winners and Losers from Gators' 2015 Spring
Everyone can rejoice—football is here. Well, sort of. The Florida Gators wrapped up the 2015 portion of spring practice with a Orange versus Blue game on Saturday.
New head coach Jim McElwain originally wasn't going to have the traditional spring game due to injuries and depth concerns—particularly along the offensive line. However, McElwain changed course this week and decided to put together a spring game, per Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel.
"We're still kind of piece-mealing those groups together right now," McElwain said. "Yet I think we'll be able to go, we'll have a good competitive game as much as we can."
After Saturday's scrimmage, McElwain, an offensive guru, probably realizes he still has some work to do on that side of the ball. The aforementioned offensive line lost five former starters who combined for 99 career starts for UF.
The Orange won Saturday's scrimmage by score of 31-6 (if you're keeping score), and here are the winners and losers from Florida's 2015 spring practice sessions.
Winner: Jim McElwain
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Spring games aren't about winning or losing. They're about finding guys to fill starting spots and create depth. For new coaches, it's the first time you get to see your new players in live game situations.
Despite the depth concerns along the offensive line, McElwain was able to see his quarterbacks—mainly Treon Harris and Will Grier—perform in certain situations. McElwain, per his halftime interview, was particularly impressed with Grier in the first half.
McElwain was also able to get a look at certain players who weren't able to impress the previous coaching staff, such as senior receiver Raphael Andrades.
So, while the Gators spend much of the spring short-handed, McElwain was able to find players who could help Florida in 2015.
And McElwain endeared himself to Florida fans by having a spring game when there were concerns about depth. That's something former coach Will Muschamp didn't do in 2013.
Loser: Offensive Line Coach Mike Summers
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It's tough to call second-year offensive line coach Mike Summers a loser, but in terms of what he's dealt with this spring, he belongs on this list.
The Gators lost all of their top offensive linemen from 2014. Florida returned eight scholarship offensive linemen this spring—and only six healthy—making a spring game a difficult challenge.
Summers will get reinforcements in the fall, when six freshmen, including 5-star Martez Ivey, according to 247Sports, enter the program.
Veteran coaches, like Summers, often like working with smaller numbers in practice sessions because it gives them a chance to find hidden gems. Summers certainly hopes that's the case as he probably doesn't want to start the season with several freshmen protecting the quarterback.
Keep an eye on sophomore Antonio Riles. He could be the next great Florida offensive lineman.
Winner: Kelvin Taylor
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Junior running back Kelvin Taylor, the son of Florida legend Fred Taylor, took advantage of his opportunity with two rushing touchdowns in the spring game.
Florida is also dealing with depth issues at running back, so Taylor received a lot of work in the spring. He looked comfortable in McElwain's new offensive system with some inexperienced offensive linemen blocking for him. McElwain likes his running backs to make one cut and go. Taylor looks ideal in this system.
The 2015 season could be a big one for Taylor if he stays healthy.
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Loser: Will Grier
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Will Grier came to Florida as one of the most heralded players in the country. With McElwain in charge, he is getting his chance to unseat Harris as the starting quarterback.
Grier was solid in the spring game. He made some good throws and moved the offense. He also looked comfortable in the pocket, even with very little time. Sure, he had a white no-contact jersey on, but he definitely has a good grasp of when and where to go with the football.
Did Grier do enough to show the coaching staff he deserves to play over Harris? No, not in the spring game. And that is not a knock on Grier. He is good, and he could be very good. However, for a Florida team that will have a young offensive line this fall, Harris looks like the right choice to start the season.
Is Grier a loser? No. But he didn't separate himself from Harris, and that could cost him the starting job this fall.
Keep in mind, Harris missed some time this spring due to a family tragedy, allowing Grier to move ahead of him for the time being and McElwain acknowledged Grier is still slightly ahead, per Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun (h/t Sarasota Herald-Tribune).
"Obviously, Will is ahead simply because he's been here more,” McElwain said. “When Treon has been here, (he's done well). And Skyler (Mornhinweg) did a really good job in that first scrimmage."
Winner: Treon Harris
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Sophomore quarterback Treon Harris had some good moments in the spring game. He led the Blue offense to its first score right before the half, and when he received a chance with the first-team offense, he led a strong third-quarter drive that ended with a terrific touchdown pass to C'yontai Lewis.
McElwain had both quarterbacks get reps with the first-team offense, and Grier seemed more comfortable early. Harris often took too much time to get rid of the football. With an offensive line that was struggling to hold its blocks, Harris needed to do a better job of getting the ball out of his hands.
McElwain acknowledged this, especially in the red zone, per Thompson.
"Treon's gotta understand the sense of urgency the closer you get down in the red zone," McElwain said. "He's slow with his feet, he's gotta get his feet set and the ball out."
But once Harris got with the first-team offense, he was much more comfortable. McElwain eventually may prefer Grier as he is more of a traditional pocket passer, but Harris is more of a playmaker and can do things to help bail out a young and inexperienced offensive line.
Harris was a winner this spring, despite missing four practice sessions. His performance leading both units proves he deserves to be the Gators' top signal-caller in 2015, at least initially.
Winner: Martez Ivey
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Ivey will arrive in Gainesville this fall and automatically becomes Florida's most talented offensive lineman. That's not a knock on the rest of Florida's linemen; it's just that Ivey can become an All-SEC player his freshman season. He's that good.
No, Ivey wasn't here this spring. But watching the Gators struggle up front showed how much he is needed and will be counted upon this fall.
Ivey is big and moves like a tight end. He is a terrific building block for McElwain and Summers along the offensive line.
Florida Spring Game Final Analysis
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The Orange squad defeated the Blue squad 31-6, but most aren't concerned with the final score.
It's all about the quarterbacks.
While Grier's performance was more impressive, Harris moved the ball more consistently. Grier's biggest play came on a flea-flicker late. Grier appears to be comfortable with the playbook; however, he seems a bit robotic at times in the pocket. You can use the offensive line issue as an excuse, but he was in a no-contact jersey. He often seemed to dump the ball to the first read.
Harris, on the other hand, looks like he has a good grasp on the playbook, too. In the first half, though, he was tentative. Once he got with the first-team offense in the second half, he looked like the Harris of 2014. He made some tremendous throws on the Orange team's third-quarter scoring drive.
Grier had his chance to win the job in the spring game. He didn't take advantage of that opportunity. Will he in the fall practice sessions? As of now, the quarterback job should be Harris' to lose. This battle will go well into the summer, writes Barrett Sallee.
The offensive line held up fairly well considering the lack of available bodies. The unit opened up some nice holes for Taylor.
Here are the final offensive stats for Florida's 2015 spring game, courtesy of Gator Country's Nick de la Torre:
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