If the Florida Gators want to win in 2024, it starts in the trenches

After a disappointing start to Billy Napier’s tenure, all the pressure is on the former Louisiana Lafayette coach to finally break through in 2024 in order to keep his job. But there’s just one problem.

The Gators face the toughest schedule in the nation according to CBS Sports. While the first half of the schedule is no walk in the park, the Gators have a gauntlet in its last five games– facing Georgia, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss and Florida State to finish out the season. Just going 6-6 could be considered a successful year for the Gators considering the quality of teams they face.

The good news is that Florida should be competent at quarterback, the most important position on the field. That is because sixth-year quarterback Graham Mertz decided to return for his final season of college eligibility. Mertz was one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the SEC last season, throwing for 20 touchdowns and three interceptions while possessing a 72.9 percent completion percentage.

The Gators have also provided Mertz with an assortment of skill weapons: including Eugene Wilson III, Arizona State transfer Elijhah Badger, Wisconsin transfer Chimere Dike and running back Montrell Johnson.

But none of that will matter if Florida doesn’t improve their play in the trenches. Last season made it clear that the Gators are still multiple tiers below the SEC’s best when it comes to line play. On paper, Florida improved their offensive line by adding tackles Brandon Crenshaw-Dickinson and Devon Manuel through the transfer portal and the rise of sophomore Knijeah Harris. Plus Damieon George, who struggled at right tackle last season, moved to right guard.

“I think we brought in some great pieces. These other guys we brought in in the portal, young bucks, are stepping into that role. I think you see it through our strength training throughout the winter and the summer. Guys truly changed their bodies. That’s the biggest thing I see. I look up there and I’m like ‘holy crap, these guys are huge and they can bend’,” Mertz told reporters recently. “That’s the biggest thing. When you look at an O-lineman and he’s just big it’s like, ‘ok, he’s big, what can you do. Can he bend, can he move, can he do everything he needs to do’. That’s the biggest thing I see. The run game, pass game, guys are executing their assignment, being in the right place with the right hand/head placement. All those little details of playing the position. They’ve taken a huge jump this season.”

But early reports from fall camp have suggested that the right side of the offensive line, which includes George and Crenshaw-Dickinson, have struggled in practice. Left tackle Austin Barber also missed spring practice, which means the starting line has had less time to build chemistry than they otherwise would have.

It is fair to say that Florida’s offense hinges on how much the offensive line can improve from last year’s disastrous performance. If they can’t give Mertz a clean pocket, the deep passing and big plays that Napier and co-offensive coordinators Rob Sale and Russ Callaway have tried stressing in spring and fall won’t come to fruition. Without those plays, Florida won’t be able to pull off upsets in games they’re likely outmatched from a talent standpoint.

On the flip side, if the Gators want to keep opposing offenses off the field, it will need to create plays in the other team’s backfield. Florida ranked just 92nd overall in sacks and 104th overall in tackles for loss in 2023. They also lost last year’s sack leader Princely Umanmielen to Ole Miss.

Cam Jackson is one of the best nose tackles in the SEC, and although he doesn’t offer much pass-rush upside, he should do a fine job at plugging running gaps. Florida is hoping 2023 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Joey Slackman can provide a pass-rush threat at the three-technique. Slackman had 12.0 tackles for loss last season for Penn and is hoping to make an immediate impact in his last season of college eligibility. Meanwhile at the EDGE position, the Gators are hoping that one of Justus Boone, Tyreak Sapp and Kelby Collins or even five-star freshman LJ McCray can have a breakout season and wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks.

But besides Jackson and Slackman, none of the other players on the Gators defensive line have proven to be major contributors at the college level. Florida surely has the talent, as evidenced by the 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes. But it is unseasoned talent.

While Florida looks to have one of the top secondaries in the SEC, it won’t matter if they can’t make plays and the backfield and force quarterbacks to make errant decisions.

Going into the 2024 season, it appears that the Gators will need to rely on the skill positions greatly before the trenches can catch up. But we’ve seen this movie play before. In college football, spread teams ultimately face a wall when they have to go against teams much better in the trenches.

More often than not, the team that embraces bully-ball prevails, pulverizing the spread team by firing off the line and mauling the opposing lineman.

Can the Gators be the bully-ball team this season?

We will find out come August 31st.