The return of Jeff Driskel will be big for the Gators. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
GATORS at a GLANCE
LOCATION: Gainesville, Fla.
COACH: Will Muschamp — At Florida and overall: 22-16, 3 years
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR: Kurt Roper
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR: D.J. Durkin
LAST LEAGUE TITLE: 2008
LAST BOWL: 2012, Sugar
RETURNING STARTERS: 15; 6 offense, 8 defense, kicker
PLAYERS TO WATCH: QB Jeff Driskel, RB Kelvin Taylor, WR Quinton Dunbar, C Max Garcia, DE Dante Fowler, DE Jonathan Bullard, CB Vernon Hargreaves III
PRIMARY STRENGTHS: Florida has a strong ground game that features quarterback running from Driskel and a deep backfield led by Taylor. The defensive line has a strong veteran presence with all-conference caliber defensive ends in Fowler and Bullard. The Gators also have a lock-down cornerback in Hargreaves, possibly the best in the country.
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: The offensive line is inexperienced after the starting unit, with four first-year players rounding out the second team. Injuries to the starters could quickly derail Florida’s offense. The Gators don’t have much experience in the secondary, with several freshmen expected to play major roles in 2014.
OFFENSE
Junior quarterback Jeff Driskel returns as the starter after a broken leg ended his 2013 season. He should be a much better fit in Florida’s new spread offense.
He has plenty of help in the backfield. Starting tailback Kelvin Taylor rushed for 508 yards as a true freshman after taking over for Matt Jones, who returns from a season-ending knee injury. Mack Brown is back after leading the Gators with 543 rushing yards.
The receiver corps needs retooling after losing two of the top three targets from a year ago. Quinton Dunbar is the lone veteran, having caught at least one pass in each of his past 28 games. Sophomores Ahmad Fulwood, Demarcus Robinson and Chris Thompson will be counted on to take a big step forward.
Florida’s projected starters on the line have combined for 67 career starts, and each has at least five career starts. Left guard Tyler Moore, center Max Garcia and right tackle Chaz Green all have at least 10 starts. Left tackle D.J. Humphries is a former high school All-American who has struggled with injuries. Right guard Trenton Brown is a 6-8, 348-pound mountain in the middle.
DEFENSE
Florida’s entire starting defensive line is back, featuring bookends Dante Fowler Jr. and Jonathan Bullard on the edges. That duo should be one of the best in the SEC.
The Gators need better play at linebacker, where veterans Antonio Morrison and Michael Taylor had a lackluster 2013. Sophomore Jarrad Davis might be the best of the bunch after turning in a thoroughly impressive season as a true freshman. Senior Neiron Ball provides a pass-rushing threat off the edge.
In the secondary, the Gators return a trio of experienced players in All-American Vernon Hargreaves III, Brian Poole and Jabari Gorman. Poole will start at nickel back in Florida’s base package, while Gorman will play free safety.
True freshmen Jalen Tabor and Duke Dawson will compete for the starting job at cornerback opposite Hargreaves.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Sophomore Austin Hardin won the kicking job in the spring after hitting just 4 of 12 field goal at- tempts in 2013. He’ll have competition from a pair of kickers enrolling this summer.
Former Ray Guy Award finalist Kyle Christy put together a solid spring at punter after losing his job to then-fresh- man Johnny Townsend in 2013. Both are back.
Andre Debose returns from an ACL injury that sidelined him last season. He has a school-record four kickoff return touchdowns. Hargreaves will handle punt-return duties.
OVERVIEW
Florida must replace several key players in the back end of its defense and the offense is looking to execute a major turnaround after finishing in the bottom 20 nationally in total offense in each of the past three years. Driskel will lead a new offense that will move the Gators from a power-running attack to a spread passing game. It’s a make-or-break transition for coach Will Muschamp.
TOP NEWCOMER
CB Jalen Tabor: The five-star prospect from Washington, D.C., enrolled early and staked an early claim to a starting job at cornerback opposite Vernon Hargreaves III. Tabor, who originally committed to Arizona and was hotly pursued by Alabama, provides length and good press-coverage skills.
