Rapid Reaction to Florida Gators’ spring game in The Swamp

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Gators Online senior writers Zach Abolverdi and Nick de la Torre give their rapid reaction on the Florida Gators’ spring game on Thursday night.

Check out the conversation and video from The Swamp below.

Abolverdi: “Florida’s 2023 spring game, it was not a high scoring affair like last year, Nick. 7-7 until the final play of the game where Trey Smack hits a 46-yarder for the game winner. We saw a touchdown from Jack Miller, a touchdown from Graham Mertz and a quarterback battle that is still undecided.”

de la Torre: “A year ago at this very spot, this time last year, we left thinking, Anthony Richardson is gonna be that dude. You had your quarterback. We don’t leave with that this year. I think we talked about that and didn’t expect to leave with a starting quarterback this year. I don’t know that either one showed you a ton that makes fans really happy or excited. Overall for me, it was kind of just a disappointing spring game. I wrote right before the game, I wanted to see what the offensive line would do. You’re banged up. There’s no Kingsley Eguakun, you don’t have Micah Mazzccua. You’re out a bunch of guys. And the defensive line — we’ve talked about it a bunch — much deeper, much more talented this year. How would the offensive line hold up? Not great. Nine sacks. You gotta try to figure some things out there on the offensive line. I think that you want to think this team can run the ball, but you’re gonna need the five guys up front to create some lanes.”

Abolverdi: “Yeah. And that won’t be the starting five that we see in the fall. So that’s something to keep in mind. But I think if you’re looking at this as a glass half full, then the defense looks much improved as a unit and gave the offense a lot more fits than what we saw last year. I think they are better in some spots, but a lot of this has to do with where we are at the quarterback position.”

de la Torre: “And it’s also the spring, too. So, if the defense looks great, OK, well, the offense stinks. Or if the offense looks great. Oh, ‘Austin Armstrong is just another Patrick Toney.’ So, no matter what happens when you’re scrimmaging yourself, you can look at it glass half full, glass half empty or you can kick the glass and shatter it up against the wall.”

Abolverdi: “That is what Billy attributed it to. He did give his credit to the defense. That was his stance.”

de la Torre: “Yeah, I just, I think my thoughts are pretty well known on what I think the talent level in the quarterback room is. And I asked Billy after the game, do you need another quarterback? And he gave us his thoughts on that. So I think you’ll see Florida either in the transfer portal or look to Austin Simmons to reclassify.”

Abolverdi: “I think [Napier] alluded to that.”

de la Torre: “He said there’s something already in the works, and we think that that’s in the works. Also, though, you and I both said it and we’ve been asked a ton, will Florida go after a quarterback in the transfer portal? Not one just for a number. If there’s somebody in the portal that can come in and compete with what you guys saw on the field tonight, Florida will go after them.”

Abolverdi: “Yeah, and there’s gonna be safety help that I think they try to address as well. We saw a lot of newcomers tonight, 25 I think that ended up (playing). They have 27 total but two guys didn’t play. Impressions on some guys? I thought Cam Carroll probably had one of the highlights of the day. That hurdle!”

de la Torre: “I mean, Cam Carroll’s making me look foolish. And I’m fine. I’m here for it. But I said, ‘What are you offering to recruit a running back?’ And, ‘You’re not gonna get a good running back out of the portal because you have two ballers coming back.’ And Cam Carroll said, ‘Bet. I hear you, Nick. I got you.’ And he looks fantastic. He had a great spring. We watched him jumped over a dude, run through Deuce Spurlock. Like, Cam Carroll imposes his will on defenders. He’s gonna be a great addition to that running back room. And I think even if you’re like last year, leaning on just two guys, when somebody needs to come in late in the third quarter, fourth quarter, if Cam Carroll is fresh, that’s not somebody a tired defense is trying to get in front of and get in the way of.”

Abolverdi: “One win that did happen tonight was for Florida recuiting. They not only added another commitment to the 2024 class, which is just killing it right now, they have a better player average rating than Georgia right now, but the recruiting night they had. Another turn out of almost 300 kids for the second straight year. It’ll be interesting, Nick, to maybe see what (recruiting) attendance numbers get thrown out on Saturday at some of these other spring games. But I would imagine there’s gonna be some schools that don’t have 300 kids show up at their game because all these kids are having to choose between the schools. And I honestly think as much as fans don’t like it, we’re probably gonna see this continue. And I think if that means they get maybe half the crowd that they could have got (on Saturday) but twice as many recruits, they’re going to do it.”

de la Torre: “I’m gonna save my soapbox for the Gators Online Show, which will happen on Friday. But I didn’t love the attendance today, but you’ll hear more about that on the Gators Online Show. I think it was a big day. For me, when I watched the team this spring and when I watched them today, I don’t know how good Florida will be in 2023. I think the best talent they have on the roster are freshmen and sophomore and transfers. So I think you’re building for the future. And then, certainly with the way that football is recruiting right now, with DJ Lagway on campus, Simmons on campus, I hate to ask, but I think you’re going to have to be patient. I don’t know what the team will be in 2023, but they’re building, recruiting, and I think the best players on this team are the younger guys. So, the future looks bright. It might be the distant future, but I think the future is bright.”

Abolverdi: “Yeah, and we got to see the first glimpse of that tonight here in The Swamp where the 2023 football team. Make sure you guys stay locked to Gators Online.”

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