On November 26th, 2017, the Florida Gators hired former Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen as their new head coach. It was a big day for Gator Nation as Mullen won two National Championships at Florida as the offensive coordinator. He looks to be the perfect hire for the Gators as they hope he brings confidence and swagger to Gainesville. In fact, he also signed some very talented high school seniors who will be entering their freshman year at Florida. Moreover, Florida’s 2018 recruiting class, finished strong. They signed some of the top recruits in the country, especially on offense. One of the main reasons Mullen was hired by Florida was to fix the offense. Some of those 2018 signees could be the answer to the Gators offensive woes. Now, here are three freshmen who could make an impact on the 2018 Florida Gators offense.
1. QB Emory Jones
One of the biggest needs for Florida’s 2018 recruiting class was at quarterback. Mullen landed one of the best QBs in the country. Four-star quarterback Emory Jones flipped his commitment from Ohio State to Florida and signed on December 20th. Jones was a big commitment for Florida as he seems to be a perfect fit for Dan Mullen’s offense and enrolled early. During spring camp, Jones showed some promise with his legs, big arm, and escapability. Now, Jones might not be ready to be the starter, day one, but he should get some playing time. Jones is a terrific ball carrier and could be used as a wildcat type QB that is a threat on the ground and through the air. If he isn’t the starter this season, Jones could be the starter for the 2019 season.
2. WR Jacob Copeland
On National Signing Day, the Gators won a tough recruiting battle for one of the top wide receivers in the country. Four-star wide receiver Jacob Copeland signed with Florida over Alabama and Tennessee on National Signing Day. It was an important signing for the Gators as they might have signed their next star wide receiver. Copeland is a very talented wide receiver in a deep and loaded wide receiver core. He will have to compete for playing time but will likely be the number two slot receiver behind Kadarius Toney. Even so, Copeland should still get some playing time as he is expected to be one of Florida’s top playmakers. Also, Florida signed a really talented wide receiver and could become one of the key contributors in the future.
3. TE Kyle Pitts
Notably, in the 2017 season, the Gators had horrible tight end play. Their top two tight ends had a combined two touchdowns for the season and rarely made big plays. With this in mind, Florida needed to sign top-tier tight ends to get them more involved with the offense. The Gators signed three tight ends in the 2018 class including an Under Armour All-American. Of course, four-star tight end Kyle Pitts was a big addition to the Gators as he brings new dimensions to the table. He’s a 6’6” 250 pound tight end that can be used all over the field. Pitts is a QB’s best friend as he’s a very good pass catcher and a solid blocker. Comparatively, one thing that separates Pitts from other tight ends is that he can be used as a receiver and will be a red zone mismatch for corners.
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