Photo: Keon Zipper; Credit: Alex Shepherd
With spring soccer right in the rearview mirror, and not much happening in the college sports world, All Gators she has I decided to take a dip in reviewing Florida Gators’ different attitude groups and the three pressing questions for each room.
We’ve already covered quarterback, run back and wide reception rooms and will continue on the offensive side of the ball, asking three questions that need answers by the time the season begins on a tight end.
Yes, the position struggled badly with injuries during spring camp, but there are reasons to be optimistic about the Gators’ tight side going forward.
How will the increase in 12 individuals change the UF offense?
As noted since new head coach Billy Napier arrived in Gainesville, the Gators are expected to transition from a near-exclusive 11-man attack to a balanced 11-12 scheme, meaning the Gators will have tight ends often on the field in same time.
This should be obvious, but adding a second narrow end to the attack will force a wide receiver into these groups, something Florida fans have not become accustomed to as former head coach Dan Mullen almost exclusively. Three receivers are in the field simultaneously.
In theory, 12-person schematics give the running and passing game flexibility. Tight ends should be solid blockers when playing in the line, and given the evolution of the situation, they can also introduce mismatches as passers due to their size and sporty style.
The narrow ends will line up at several different points and the physical skill set of each contributor will give some flexibility in defining roles.
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Who will be the narrow ends in Florida?
In terms of pure experience, great Kion Zipper The red shirt is great Dante Zanders They are the leading candidates to start in the narrow final positions for Florida in 2021. Zipper, although he has yet to start a game with the UF, returns as the most productive of any player in his position on the team in 2022.
Zanders, who went from the defensive end to the tight end during the spring due to injuries in the last position, originally joined Florida to play a tight end and spent two years in that position. He might have had some rust to keep getting rid of but he looked comfortable at once in the spring game, resulting in the Gators getting 56 yards.
Having said that, we can see Nick Alexness Push for a starting role or at least a significant increase in usage once fall campground and season spin. It’s Florida’s biggest and longest tight end with a great sportiness to pair up, suggesting that it could make an impact in both a running and passing game. Elksnis was prominent as a true freshman in the spring and fall practices last season but he finally got a red year.
Is the narrow end room too crowded?
This may seem an odd question given the important depth issues for UF in the position throughout the spring. But, if the room is in full health, come to fall camp and both Zanders and the converted back Noah Ketter Holds on tight end as expected – maybe Griffin McDowellAlso, the Gators can have up to nine players at once to enter the 2022 season.
Count Up: Zippers, Zanders, Ketter, McDowell, Elksness, Jonathan Odomand new students Tony LivingstonAnd Hayden Hansen And Arliss Bordingham.
Is this too much? Most likely, which could at least lead to McDowell sticking to a defensive intervention and narrowing the space to eight contributors.
Even then, eight players in one position—seven of them on scholarship with Ketter being a candidate to earn one of his own—makes the room pretty dense.
However, it’s worth noting that Zipperer (a Rising Senior) and Zanders (a Rising Senior) are nearing the end of their college eligibility, which means the room could drop to six members in the 2023 season when Napier & Co. should have their roster numbers by position. firmly established.
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