The University of Florida football program is over a month away from the start of the Dan Mullen era. Mullen has already coached Florida to a championship as an offensive coordinator. Now, he will try to repeat that feat as the head coach. The Gators finished last season with a disappointing 4-7 record, but expectations are much higher. Florida has a talented roster with top NFL prospects and big-time playmakers. Today, we look at three breakout players on the Florida offense.
The Gators have established stars like Jordan Scarlett and Tyrie Cleveland, but there are other players that are flying under the radar. This could be the season that those players finally break out and show the nation what they’re made of.
1. Kadarius Toney
The first player on the list is a sophomore wide receiver, Kadarius Toney. Unlike the other players on this list, Toney is very well known in the SEC. Toney was a big piece in Florida’s offense last season. However, due to injury, he had difficulty getting back into the offensive rhythm. Now stronger and fully healthy, the sophomore wideout is poised to have a great season. He is in an offense that’s better suited for his skill set, and Mullen recognizes his playmaking ability. The Florida offense will have some packages that are designed to get the ball in Toney’s hands and watch him go to work.
Florida has added a lot of talent at wide receiver. New to the fold is Ole Miss transfer Van Jefferson and Ohio State transfer Trevon Grimes. Toney will likely start as the slot receiver and be one of Florida’s top targets.
2. Kemore Gamble
The tight end position at the University of Florida has produced an abundance of NFL talent. Trey Burton, Ben Troupe, and Aaron Hernandez are just a few standouts. But the past few seasons, the production out of the tight ends has been lacking. With Larry Scott as the new tight ends coach, Florida could see improvement at the position. Gamble should see the benefit of that change in leadership. The four-star recruit out of Miami was expected to play as a freshman but was sidelined with injuries. Gamble is now fully healthy and could be a big part of the offense.
Florida has added some nice talent at the position that will push Gamble. Senior C’yontai Lewis will start at tight end, but the competition for the second string will be wide open and could see a lot of playing time.
3. Jawaan Taylor
The last player on the list is former Freshman All-American offensive tackle, Jawaan Taylor. The big right tackle was expected to be one of Florida’s best lineman but struggled last year. Taylor was not the same player as he was last season. A nagging knee injury he was playing through had something to do with that. Now, he appears to be healthy and Taylor is ready to make a name for himself again. Taylor is one of the biggest linemen in the SEC and could have a great season if healthy. One of his biggest assets is his aggressiveness and strength. With Martez Ivey at left tackle, Florida could have one of the best offensive lines in the SEC. Having Ivey back is huge but having Taylor back to his freshman form would make Florida’s offensive line much better.
