Florida Football: Gators' Most Important Players at Each Position
In a quick two months, the Florida Gators will open up their season against New Mexico State on September 5 in Gainesville.
This season will mark the beginning of the Jim McElwain era in Gainesville, and Florida fans are anxiously awaiting the debut of the new-look Gators after several years of disappointment under former head coach Will Muschamp.
However, McElwain won't be the only new face on the field for the Gators this season. They return some key players on both sides of the ball, but a few freshmen and transfers are sure to have an impact this season as well.
It might not be the most talented player at each position that proves to be the most important for Florida.
Rather, a player's importance also depends on his opportunity this fall and how much his performance may affect the team's success this season.
Let's take a look at the most crucial players at each position for the Florida Gators in the 2015 season.
Quarterback: Will Grier
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Will Grier, a redshirt freshman out of North Carolina, entered the spring locked in a quarterback battle with sophomore Treon Harris. Grier came out of spring as the favorite to start the season.
If the season started today, Grier would likely be given the reins to the Gators offense. Although no official announcement has been made yet, 247Sports' Thomas Goldkamp believes that the position battle is all but decided:
"Based on everything we saw this spring and what the coaches are saying, it seems more like a matter of when than if Grier ends up winning the starting job. He has better size and a very lively arm. Couple that with his ability to get the ball out quickly and make generally good decisions and Harris will have his work cut out for him if he hopes to make a serious move in the battle this fall.
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Grier's ability to thrive in the new offensive system will be a large part of the success of the Florida attack this season.
Facing SEC defenses is a tough task for any young quarterback, but Grier has the talent to settle in and lead what should be a much improved Gators offense.
Luckily for Grier, Coach McElwain has a strong track record of developing young quarterbacks. He coached up NFL quarterbacks A.J. McCarron and Garrett Grayson in his last two stops at Alabama and Colorado State, respectively.
Running Back: Kelvin Taylor
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Kelvin Taylor split carries with Matt Jones in 2014. But with Jones gone to the NFL, Taylor figures to be the featured back in the offense.
There's plenty of talent on the roster at running back for Florida, including Adam Lane and incoming freshman Jordan Scarlett. All three should get carries and see the field, but Taylor has the most experience of the three and is poised for a breakout season.
His importance to the offense is made even greater if the Gators end up breaking in a new quarterback in Grier. If Taylor can be effective on the ground, he can force defenses to ease up the pressure on Grier, which will make the freshman's transition much easier.
Bleacher Report's Barrett Sallee has even called Taylor an early sleeper in the Heisman Trophy race.
Wide Receiver: Demarcus Robinson
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Demarcus Robinson had a solid 2014 campaign, posting 810 receiving yards despite playing in an offense predicated on the running the football.
He might be one of the SEC's best-kept secrets and has the ability to be a legitimate go-to wide receiver for the Gators in his junior year.
Much like Taylor, Robinson's importance to the Gators is deeply rooted in making life easier for Grier. Having a security blanket like Robinson at wide receiver should help Grier early on, and if they develop a strong connection, SEC defenses might want to be on the lookout for that combo.
Expect McElwain to draw up plays to Robinson to generate easy offense early on and give the Gators the balanced attack that the coach has become known for implementing.
Tight End: Jake McGee
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Jake McGee joined the Gators a year ago as a fifth-year transfer from Virginia. However, his season didn't last long as he broke his leg in the first half of the season opener against Eastern Michigan.
McGee received a rare sixth year of eligibility and chose to return to Florida for another chance at playing for the Gators.
He was an effective receiver at Virginia and should thrive in McElwain's offense, which stresses the use of tight ends in the passing game. If McGee isn't hampered by his previous injury, he should be a key weapon for Florida.
McElwain seemed pleased to have McGee stay in Gainesville. The coach told Fox Sports' Scott Carter, "I sure didn't want him to leave. That really was out of our hands. We were sure excited, and he was, too. The smile on his face to be able to come back and play that last year was something that was huge."
DeAndre Goolsby is another potential contributor at tight end.
Offensive Line: Martez Ivey
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There's no shortage of hype surrounding Martez Ivey's debut season in Gainesville.
Per 247Sports, he was the top offensive line prospect in the country before choosing the Gators, and he's been slated as a Day 1 starter ever since he signed his letter of intent.
Ivey will likely take over the starting job at right tackle, replacing Chaz Green. Florida only returned eight scholarship offensive linemen this season, giving Ivey the opportunity to contribute right away.
While there's no doubting his talent, it remains to be seen if he will adapt to the speed of SEC defenses the same way that recent freshman standouts Laremy Tunsil (Ole Miss) and Cameron Robinson (Alabama) did in their first seasons.
Ivey's importance to Florida is based on his potential. He could live up to expectations to become a force on the offensive line or underperform and be the weak link. Only time will tell, but no other offensive lineman presents the same possibilities as Ivey does.
Defensive Line: Alex McCallister
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Alex McCallister has some large shoes to fill this season as he tries to replace Dante Fowler Jr. as the premier pass-rusher off the edge.
New defensive coordinator Geoff Collins will use McCallister in different ways whether it's letting him put his hand in the dirt as a defensive end or standing him up to speed-rush off the edge.
Regardless of how he's used, putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks will be McCallister's primary responsibility this season.
His speed and length make him one of the SEC's top pass-rushers coming into the season.
Incoming freshman CeCe Jefferson is also expected help the pass-rush effort for Florida this season, but if McCallister can't pick up where Fowler left off, Florida's front seven may have a tough time attacking quarterbacks. That will put a lot of pressure on the secondary.
Linebacker: Alex Anzalone
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Alex Anzalone had the opportunity to make a move in the spring in the absence of Antonio Morrison and took full advantage of it.
Anzalone finished 2014 playing well and figures to have a bigger role in his junior season.
The Gators have a glaring lack of depth at linebacker, especially with injuries to Morrison and Jarrad Davis. Having Anzalone healthy and able to play at a high level has to alleviate some of Geoff Collins' concerns about his linebacking corps.
Anzalone is a versatile linebacker who can stuff the run game or drop back to help in pass coverage. His versatility and development are key parts of the defense, especially as the linebackers continue to be nagged by injuries.
247Sports' Thomas Goldkamp pegged Anzalone as a player on the verge of a breakout year in 2015:
"Anzalone shows great discipline in the run game, a must for a linebacker who's expected to be a leader on the defense. Healthy and playing fast, Anzalone looks like the type of player who could lead the team in tackles. He flies to the ball and knows where to be. If there's anyone poised for a breakout year at a position of need, it's Anzalone. He had a terrific spring and will be counted on in a major way, even if Jarrad Davis and Antonio Morrison don't hit any setbacks recovering from their respective knee injuries.
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Secondary: Jalen Tabor
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Everyone knows about Vernon Hargreaves. He's possibly the best cornerback in the country and the best prospect on this team.
If Hargreaves blankets receivers the way he has the past two seasons, quarterbacks will be forced to throw the ball elsewhere. That's where Jalen Tabor comes in.
Tabor was a freshman All-American at cornerback a year ago, and if he can build off that success, he and Hargreaves will create the best cornerback duo in college football.
As quarterbacks avoid Hargreaves, they may be forced to look Tabor's way, giving him plenty of opportunities to make big plays this season.
Gator Country's Nick De La Torre lauded Tabor's ability: "Tabor is a big bodied, long corner. He reads receivers hips very well and can stay with his man. He’s a good press corner who is able to get his hands inside and on the pads of his man, disrupting routes before they even begin."
Tabor can take the secondary from good to great.
Special Teams: Austin Hardin
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Austin Hardin rebounded from a tough freshman season to convert seven of 10 attempts as a sophomore, including a going 4-of-7 from 40-plus yards.
Hardin has to be a reliable option for the Gators to turn to, especially when they're unable to convert in the red zone.
His leg could also end up being the difference-maker in close games in 2015. Also, he is perfect on extra-point attempts in his career, going 27-of-27.
Hardin needs to improve his kickoffs in order to consistently produce touchbacks for the kickoff coverage team.
Recruiting information via 247Sports.com. All statistics taken from cfbstats.com.
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