Florida Gators football Roundtable: Predictions ahead of the 2022 season

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — There is just one more sleep before the Florida Gators begin the Billy Napier era. The No. 7 Utah Utes will arrive in Gainesville the favorites to beat Florida and spoil Napier’s debut. Can the Gators prevent that?

Gators Online got together to answer that question and more in our preseason roundtable.

Who will lead the Gators in rushing?

Zach Abolverdi: I gotta go with Nay’Quan Wright. Both he and Montrell Johnson will receive more than 100 carries in 2022, but Wright should finish the season as the team’s leading rusher. Despite missing the spring and having to pick up the offense in a hurry, he earned the starting job in fall camp.

Nick de la Torre: The Gators will run the football all season. That’s their bread and butter. There will be carries to be had but I’ll go with Montrell Johnson leading the way. Johnson carried the ball 162 times last season as a true freshman. You’d have to go to back to 2017 to find a running back who carried it that many times (Jordan Scarlett – 179). I think Wright, Johnson and Anthony Richardson will all have 100-plus carries but Johnson leads the way.

Corey Bender: This one is more complicated, as the Gators have several running backs who could take on the starting role in Gainesville. Louisiana transfer Montrell Johnson flashed during the Orange and Blue Game, but I’m rolling with Nay’Quan Wright.

Wright, a native of Miami, is a crafty ball carrier who shows patience and does a good job of navigating through the clutter. He is more of an all-purpose back who is reliable when assisting as a pass catcher as well. All in all, Wright has plenty of SEC experience and can impact the game in a variety of ways for the Gators.

Pat O’Donnell: Nay’Quan Wright. The Gators certainly have a lot of talent in the running back room, and it seems a majority of the backs will get carries. Wright is coming off injury, so the spring for him was all about recovering. He returned to full action in fall camp and seems to have impressed. This will be the first season that Wright is going to be one of the top two backs in the rotation, and he will chew up yards on the ground.

Donavon Keiser: Montrell Johnson. As for rushing yards, Johnson has excellent balance paired with footwork and a big frame. Johnson should see a healthy dose of carries and should be a back the Gators can lean on throughout the season.

Most impactful freshman

Zach Abolverdi: It appears running back Trevor Etienne and linebacker Shemar James will both make an immediate impact as rotational players. However, I expect Devin Moore to eventually become a starter as a true freshman. Linebacker Ventrell Miller said Moore will be “a problem” at cornerback pretty soon, and the good kind. 

Nick de la Torre: While there are several freshmen that I think can make an impact this season including three that Zach mentioned, Trevor Etienne will have the most opportunity. He didn’t enroll in the spring like Moore, but Etienne has already surpassed former five-star Lorenzo Lingard on the depth chart.

I’ve talked all off-season about how I believe the Gators will be a run-heavy team. I’m thinking 60 percent run, or more when you begin to factor in Richardson scrambling. As the third running back on the depth chart, Etienne will get more of a chance than any other freshman right out of the gate.

Corey Bender: While he is not expected to start against Utah, cornerback Devin Moore has received rave reviews since relocating to Gainesville. He will have plenty of opportunities to shine. We are expecting Avery Helm to start opposite of Jason Marshall; however, do not be surprised if Moore ends up starting at some point during the season.

The Naples native is equipped with intriguing size and length and has impressed the staff with his football IQ. He also possesses the versatility to play all over the secondary, so there is a lot going for him as he enters year one.

Pat O’Donnell: Devin Moore. The true freshman has turned the heads of multiple defensive coaches throughout fall camp. The Gators know Jason Marshall is CB1, but the opposite side of the field is up for grabs. Moore may not start right off the bat, but he will certainly see the field in big games. At 6-foot-3, he’ll be able to use his size and speed to guard the SEC’s top receivers.

Donavon Keiser: Shemar James. While the popular pick will be Devin Moore, I’m going to choose the true freshman inside linebacker. The Alabama talent stepped into a shallow position room and has already earned a backup role in fall training camp, surpassing some older players.

Team MVP (offense and defense)

Zach Abolverdi: You can’t overstate the value 15 and 51 bring to the Florida football team. They are the quarterback of the offense and the quarterback of the defense, but more importantly two of the team leaders in the locker room. Anthony Richardson and Ventrell Miller will be the difference in some UF wins this year.

Nick de la Torre: What comes down to MVP on offense for me is one thought. If Anthony Richardson is removed from this team, they don’t have an answer. It would be a catastrophic turn of events that would change the season entirely, so he’s my offensive MVP. Ventrell Miller is the obvious pick for defense, but I’ll go with Gervon Dexter instead. I have huge question marks about Florida stopping the run and the depth behind Dexter. The Gators need him to be a dude in 2022.

Corey Bender: As for the offensive side of the ball, it has to be Anthony Richardson. Standing 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, Richardson is a load to bring down in the open field. He does a great job of busting through tackles with power but is equally as explosive. This is a big play waiting to happen in both the passing and running game, so expectations are certainly high.

Switching over to defense, I’m going with linebacker Ventrell Miller. The Polk County native was sidelined for the majority of last season; however, when healthy, he is a wrecking ball and throwback type of inside linebacker. He provides that pop at the point of attack and fills up the stat sheet. Now healthy and entering his fifth season, I’m expecting Miller to end his collegiate career on a high note.

Pat O’Donnell: Anthony Richardson on offense. If the Gators are to find success this season, Richardson will be at the forefront. Although he’s started just once before this season, he still has the highest ceiling of any player in the entire country with his dual-threat ability. Florida may have to ask Richardson to go out and win ball games, and it’ll be interesting to see how he responds. My pick for defensive MVP is the man in the middle, Ventrell Miller.

Donavon Keiser: Offense: Anthony Richardson. The bottom line, this year’s UF offense will run through Richardson. If he plays well, the Gators will be fine. If not, things could get dark. Richardson should be productive but will still make mistakes as he lacks experience. Regardless, Richardson is as advertised. 

Defense: Gervon Dexter. Similar to AR on offense, the defense will go as far as Gervon Dexter Sr. can take them. Moving Dexter around will allow co-defensive coordinator Patrick Toney to put him in all sorts of positions to succeed. 

Upset Win

Zach Abolverdi: The Gators could open the season with an upset win over No. 7 Utah, but I like their chances better in two SEC matchups. I expect them to still be unranked when they visit Tennessee, which will be a top-20 team. I think Florida is victorious at Rocky Top and against LSU in The Swamp. 

Nick de la Torre: The whole summer I have penciled in Utah as a loss. As the game gets closer, I’ve come off of that stance some. I think Utah not practicing full-contact, 11-on-11 will cause them to start slow. It’s understandable why Kyle Whittingham did that for a veteran team, but you can’t replace those reps. If the Gators can start fast and get Utah on its heels, I think they have a chance, but I don’t see it happening. I think Florida will be a dog on the road in Knoxville, especially after the way the Vols looked on Thursday night. That’s a game I have Florida winning.

Corey Bender: In previous seasons, it would be difficult to call a home victory over Utah an upset, but the Utes will enter the Swamp on Saturday ranked No. 7. Just a season ago, Kyle Whittingham’s program won their third Pac-12 South title in four years and came out victorious in the Pac-12 Championship game as well. There is a lot of buzz in Salt Lake City right now, but the Swamp will certainly be roaring for Billy Napier’s Florida debut.

Winning in Gainesville is difficult as it is, but to do so under the lights in the season opener and against a program with a new head coach is a whole other conversation. The Gators have plenty of talent behind Anthony Richardson and could make the Utes pay due to early-season hiccups. If there was a perfect time to earn a top-10 victory, Saturday would be the day for the Gators.

Pat O’Donnell: @ Texas A&M Aggies. The Aggies may very well be heavy favorites over the Gators in College Station, but this feels like a game UF could steal. Jimbo Fisher and company have incredible talent. However, there’s so much talent that is unproven. There’s also a new defensive coordinator with former UF assistant coach DJ Durkin entering his first season in College Station. Just too many question marks with this Aggies team, so be sure to keep an eye on this one.

Donavon Keiser: LSU. I don’t expect for Florida to be an underdog come LSU week, but Billy Napier will pull out every stop to beat the Tigers in Gainesville. The Gators want revenge from last year and should get it in The Swamp. 

Overall Record

Zach Abolverdi: My record prediction is 8-4. The Gators could start out the season 2-2 or possibly 1-3, but I think they come out of the first month 3-1 after dropping their opener to Utah. Two more preseason top-10 teams, UGA and Texas A&M, will beat Florida in back-to-back weeks, and that snowballs into a third-straight loss to Spencer Rattler and South Carolina.

Nick de la Torre: I have the Gators losing to: Utah, Georgia, and Texas A&M. That would be a 9-3 season but I think there are some 50-50 games. Kentucky in week two is a game I think Florida should win. LSU at home is another game Florida SHOULD win but the last two times the Gators should have beat LSU it didn’t end that way. The Gators, in my opinion, should beat South Carolina. I think they drop one of those three games, so I’ll go with 8-4.

Corey Bender: Once the regular season comes to a close, I have the Gators sitting at 8-4.

They kick off the season with a trio of home games against Utah, Kentucky and USF, respectively, and then travel to Knoxville in week four. I have UF going 3-1 over that span with the lone loss coming at the hands of Tennessee.

Home matchups against Eastern Washington, Missouri, LSU and South Carolina are wins in my eyes. The LSU matchup is nearly a toss-up, though. That should be a huge recruiting weekend for the Gators as well.

As for the three additional losses, I have those coming against Georgia and then on the road against Texas A&M and Florida State. The matchup in Tallahassee is a 7:30 p.m. kickoff, so that played a role in my prediction. However, we all know college football is about momentum and staying healthy. This season for the Gators could go in several directions. Also, will Anthony Richardson live up to all the hype?

There is no doubt this will be an entertaining season in Gainesville.

Pat O’Donnell: 8-4. As of right now, every game on the schedule is winnable except Georgia. Come late October, though, and the Gators might just be playing for an SEC East crown in Jacksonville. Florida will have at least one big victory this year, but it might be due for a tough loss as well with the lack of depth. Establishing momentum early in the season with some wins will be key. Regardless, 8-4 is certainly a good start for Napier and fans should be excited for what’s to come.

Donavon Keiser: 8-4. Given Florida’s schedule, the Gators will go through some growing pains throughout Napier’s first season. If UF can get to eight wins, I see the season as a success given the status of the roster and the 6-7 record last year.