With Dan Mullen as the Florida Gators head coach, there are going to be a few changes to the Gators offense. For starters, Mullen will run a spread offense and make opposing teams defend all eleven players on the field. The spread offense is what most collegiate programs are starting to do as the Gators were running a pro-style offense in the Jim McElwain era. With a spread offense, players that are usually the fastest, have the most success because they’ll be in space. Here are three current Gators who could really benefit in Dan Mullen’s offense.
Three Gators Who Should Thrive In Mullen’s Offense
WR Kadarius Toney
When Dan Mullen was hired as the Florida Gators head coach, freshman wide receiver must have been jumping for joy. Toney is the most explosive and dangerous playmaker the Gators have on their staff. Although he isn’t tall, Toney can still make big plays happen at any time. He is one of the quickest and most agile players in the SEC and puts defenders on ice. Toney is still learning how to play the position but he has a very good position coach in Billy Gonzales who has very good collegiate receivers like O’Dell Beckham Jr., Percy Harvin, Riley Cooper and Louis Murphy. Once Mullen sees how explosive of a playmaker Toney is, he will find many ways to get the ball in Toney’s hands. Something the last staff had a hard time of doing.
RB Malik Davis
Another freshman that would be able to thrive in Mullen’s offense is the running back Malik Davis. Just like Toney, Davis isn’t a big or tall player but he is very quick and fast. Davis does have great vision and hits the hole hard. For a smaller back, Davis is pretty tough and rarely goes down on the first hit. He is also agile enough to create many missed tackles. With a lot of open field, Davis will use his quickness and explosiveness to hit the hole hard and create some explosive plays. Davis probably could have been a 1,000 yard rusher if he hadn’t suffered a season-ending knee injury. A healthy Davis in a new system could really benefit him and take a load off the Florida passing attack.
WR Dre Massey
Florida’s other slot receiver, Dre Massey, should have a great season under Dan Mullen’s offense. Massey is very similar as Toney with his speed and playmaking ability. The one thing Massey brings to the table that Toney doesn’t is experience. Massey will be a redshirt-senior in 2018 which could really help him get playing time. The last coaching staff rarely used Massey but when they did, he was exceptional. Massey could be used in many different ways in Mullen’s offense. One of the things Massey was most successful at was in jet sweeps. Massey’s only touchdown of the season was on a jet sweep against Texas A&M. Since that game, Massey saw more playing time and was targeted more often by Feleipe Franks. Massey is a big time playmaker on Florida’s offense that hasn’t been used properly. Mullen could make one of the most dangerous receivers in the SEC.
