Florida releases Week 1 depth chart vs Miami Hurricanes

The first two-deep of the season is here.

Florida football released its Week 1 depth chart on Wednesday ahead of the season opener against Miami.

Most of the starters are as expected, but there are a few surprises here as well.

The biggest news is that Montrell Johnson Jr. is listed as Florida’s starting running back. Johnson underwent minor knee surgery at the start of fall camp, but head coach Billy Napier downplayed the injury over the following weeks.

It’s unclear if Johnson will have any limitations in Week 1, but getting him on the field makes Florida better. He’s the obvious No. 1 in the running backs room following Trevor Etienne’s departure, and the guys behind him are still developing.

The other major change on offense is at the right tackle position. Kamryn Waites, who followed Napier to Florida from Louisiana, has emerged as a starter over San Diego State transfer Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to explaining this move. Either Waites has proven himself capable of starting at tackle in the SEC a year after switching from the guard position or Crenshaw-Dickson has disappointed in camp enough to lose the role he was brought in to lock down.

Hopefully, it’s the former. Waites’ play on Saturday should provide a more clear picture of where the right side of the line stands.

Defensive depth chart – Florida vs. Miami

Despite some conditioning concerns coming into fall camp, Desmond Watson has earned the start at nose tackle for Florida in Week 1. At nearly 450 pounds, it’s hard to imagine Watson plays every down, but it’s notable for him to be listed above Cam Jackson, who is listed second as an “OR” option.

At linebacker, Shemar James and Grayson “Pup” Howard are getting the start. James felt like a bonafide starter entering Yera 3 with the program, but Howard transferred over from South Carolina during the offseason to a ton of hype.

Another notable position is the Fox, which has three players listed as potential starters. Justus Boone is returning from an ACL injury that kept him out all of last year, and Tyreak Sapp is fighting for snaps after holding down the starting job a year ago. There’s also sophomore Kamran James listed as an “OR” option. Depth is never a bad thing, and competition breeds excellence.

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