The post-Tim Tebow era of Florida football begins Thursday when the Gators begin the countdown to the September 4 season opener with Miami of Ohio. Here are five burning questions about the offense that have to be answered before the Gators take the field for game one.
1. WHAT KIND OF SUMMER DID JOHNNY BRANTLEY HAVE?: It's the Johnny Brantley Show now and the Gators will only go as far as he can take them. He's got the arm and the smarts to be a truly gifted quarterback, but if he's going to be the next big thing in Gainesville he has to be THE man when he steps in the huddle. That means JB needs to be coming off a summer in which he not only led by example but showed the moxie to get in the face of a teammate who's dogging it on a hot afternoon if necessary. If he's made that stride from quiet leader to one who when he speaks everybody listens, then he will have total command of the huddle and that means you can expect a truly explosive Florida offense.
2. IS DEONTE THOMPSON READY TO BECOME THE GO-TO GUY ON THE OUTSIDE?: Deonte has the speed (sub 10.3 in the 100 meters) to go with the size and strength it takes to be one of the most feared receivers in the country and now is his time to take the next big step by showing what he can do on the field. We've seen glimpses of what he can do in the past two years when he's played a secondary role but now the expectations are different. Now he is expected to be the leader of the receiving corps. He's got a lot of young guys looking up to him to set the example so if he shows up primed and ready to go from day one, the entire receiving corps will follow his lead.
3. WHO'S GOING TO PLAY RIGHT GUARD?: Four of the five positions on the offensive line are set with Mike Pouncey at center, Carl Johnson at left guard, Xavier Nixon at left tackle and Marcus Gilbert at right tackle. That leaves right guard as the only unsettled position and we can expect a three-way battle for the starting job in August. Mo Hurt and James Wilson have starting experience and they've been in the system long enough (this is Hurt's fifth year; fourth for Wilson) but both of them have a history of injuries. Can they hold up for an entire season? And then there is Jon Halapio, the big sophomore of Tongan descent. He's built like a concrete block and he has that nasty streak that offensive coordinator/line coach Steve Addazio likes. There's no question these three guys have the talent to play the position well, but line play goes beyond talent. It's all about the chemistry and for that to happen, one of the three has to distinguish himself as the starter in August. If that happens, the Gators will have the best offensive line in the Southeastern Conference.
4. CAN JORDAN REED TO A REASONABLE IMITATION OF AARON HERNANDEZ?: The Gators are going to use the tight end, particularly now that they're transitioning from an option-first team to a pass-first team. Aaron Hernandez gave the Gators tremendous production last year and while it might be unreasonable to expect redshirt freshman Jordan Reed to equal those numbers (68 catches, 850 yards, five touchdowns), he needs to give the Gators something in the neighborhood of 35-40 catches for 500-600 yards. If he can do that, then the Gators will be able to do some serious damage in the middle of the field. When Reed is on the field, he can also take wildcat snaps and from what we saw of him in the spring, he's a real threat to pick up big yardage any time he has the ball in his hands.
5. CAN CHRIS RAINEY GIVE THE GATORS A PERCY-LIKE THREAT IN THE SLOT?: The Gators went from an average of 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns in the slot the previous three seasons with Percy Harvin to 350 yards and one touchdown last year when Brandon James had to play the position by default due to the injury to Andre Debose. James was a great return guy but just not cut out for every play duty. Rainey, who has a half-dozen runs of 50-plus yards in his two years at tailback, moves to the slot where he has the ability to be that hybrid running back/receiver who drives defensive coordinators nuts. We got a glimpse of Chris in the Sugar Bowl when he produced more than 200 all-purpose yards. If he can catch the ball consistently, he could put up All-American numbers. And, if Debose is back 100 percent after missing all of last year, the Gators could do some serious damage with a double slot.
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