Florida’s roster-building concerns entering 2023 season

As Florida enters Year 2 under Billy Napier, the Gators roster is like many others across the country — still full of question marks. Part of that is life in a conference like the SEC but it is also about the players Napier has inherited and signed during his time.

Last season’s 6-7 record featured some high moments and some low ones but Napier is hopefully for more success in year two. It will depend at least somewhat on the team’s depth.

On3’s Andy Staples hopped on with J.D. PicKell on The Hard Count last week. The two discussed many things, including Florida’s depth questions at multiple spots.

One place where Staples said the team feels better about itself than you might expect is on the defensive line.

“It’s interesting because they lose Gervon Dexter to the NFL on the d-line, but I think they do feel like they’re going to be a little bit deeper upfront on defense,” Staples said. “Cam Jackson’s the transfer from Memphis. He’s the nose. Caleb Banks, the transfer from Louisville, they like a lot. They’ve got some younger guys that are moving up. That’s a position group where they have needed to be better for quite some time. Gervon Dexter, as good as he was, it felt like he was just getting all of the offensive line’s attention for a lot of the time. I think that group needs to be better.”

While the defensive line might not be more sured up than people might have expected, the offensive side of the ball has a lot more questions.

The team has two transfers in Graham Mertz and Jack Miller fighting it out for the starting role. Neither one has one the job so far. Whoever wins, Staples said, might not be as big of a difference maker if other players aren’t able to step up around them.

“But you mentioned Graham Mertz, unless some of those receivers other than Ricky Pearsall blow up, I don’t know how good Graham Mertz can be,” Staples said. “That’s the thing. You feel pretty good about their backfield. We’re not sure about their offensive line — though it should be fine. But who are the guys that Graham Mertz can throw to? Who are the guys they can rely on to make a play?”