Florida football: Gators starting O-line becoming clear
By Will Thomas
Florida football was very active in the transfer portal when the offseason rolled around, bringing in guys like Graham Mertz and lots of depth at both the linebacker and offensive line positions.
The Gators are going to be a run-heavy offense, making the o-line the most important position group on the field in Gainesville. And with all the new talent coming in, alongside some returning talent, Florida has a chance to have a dominant unit this season.
Leading up to spring practice, we weren’t sure what the line would look like with so many bodies and only five spots. Offensive line coach Rob Sale gave us some clarity on what the starting unit may look like at his press conference yesterday.
From left to right, we’ll see Austin Barber, Micah Mazzccua, Kingsley Eguakun, Richie Leonard IV, and Damieon George Jr.
Many thought we’d see Kentucky transfer Kiyaunta Goodwin in there, but he isn’t ready to be in the starting unit yet.
Let’s start off with the guys returning on the line, Austin Barber, Richie Leonard, and Kingsley Eguakun.
This group has plenty of experience at the college level, with the youngest guy being Barber, a redshirt sophomore. Barber and Eguakun both had starting roles last season at their same positions, while Richie was behind Ethan White at left guard. With Leonard’s size and talent though, he’ll make the transition to the right side of the line look easy, and do a good job filling the starting role.
More exciting than these three however are the new guys. Starting with Micah Mazzccua, the giant transfer from Baylor, Micah is bringing tons of size and strength to the Gator OL.
Last year at Baylor he played in 11 games and was PFF’s 2nd-best OG in the BIG 12. More impressive than that was his running blocking grade, which came in at best in the BIG 12 and 15th in the nation.
His ability to block for ball carriers makes him a perfect fit with Florida football.
The next transfer set for a starting role is Damieon George Jr. who’s coming over from Alabama. If you thought Mazzccua was big at 6’5”-329, wait till you see George.
Damieon is listed at 6’6”-369. That’s a big boy. In the 2021 season with the Tide, he played in 12 games at right tackle and graded out at 97% on his blocking assignments.
Getting the stamp of approval from Saban is enough to have confidence in what George can do blocking on the edge.
Establishing the starting unit early on is critical for the offense. Being able to get comfortable and form chemistry early on in spring practice will make this unit even better, and be the driving force of the Gators’ offense.
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