Florida Football: Three newcomers that flashed during Spring Game
![Florida Gators running back Cam Carroll (27) leaps over Florida Gators cornerback Javion Toombs (37) during the first half during the Florida Gators Orange and Blue Spring Game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, April 13, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Orange Blue Spring Game](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F957ee2cb02b243995bff132b5e95cc099e28d3fceb7048d09424389f2069e4c5.jpg "Florida Gators running back Cam Carroll (27) leaps over Florida Gators cornerback Javion Toombs (37) during the first half during the Florida Gators Orange and Blue Spring Game at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Thursday, April 13, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Orange Blue Spring Game")
Last night was ugly for Florida football, at least on the offensive side. The offensive line looked out-of-synch, and the QB play left much to be desired during the annual Orange and Blue game.
But it wasn’t all bad for the Gators, and a handful of new guys showed potential heading into the 2023 campaign.
Florida Football: Cam Carroll
The redshirt senior transferred from Tulane after being a mainstay running back for the Green Wave in 2020 and 2021. His arrival in Gainesville was met with mostly shrugs, given that most people expect him to sit behind Trevor Etienne and Montrell Johnson throughout the season.
But Carroll showcased he is ready to step up in the event that in the event one of those two goes down with an injury. His final stat line was nine carries for 39 yards, an average of 4.3 yards per carry. While that is less than Treyaun Webb had (eleven carries for 53 yards, 4.8 YPC), Carroll had one of the highlights of the night when he bounced to the outside and hurdled a defender, showcasing his athleticism.
Zach Abolberdi from On3 had the perfect view of the play.
What a run by @cam__carroll to set up the first touchdown of the #Gators spring game. https://t.co/xux5Wa1jnD pic.twitter.com/FLrr65zad3
— Zach Abolverdi (@ZachAbolverdi) April 14, 2023
Aiden Mizell
If you look at the final box score and wonder if true freshman Aiden Mizell played last night, we promise you he did. He finished with zero catches, so dismissing his night as a bust is easy.
But Mizell showcased his speed multiple times during the night. The only reason he didn’t have a couple of long TDs was that Jack Miller couldn’t throw the ball far enough.
Mizell drew multiple PI penalties from the Orange Team’s secondary and showed that he might be the over-the-top threat the Gators have been lacking.
Aiden Mizell is the fastest guy on the field. He’s fast, fast.
— Jaws (@Jaws960608) April 13, 2023
Cam Jackson
One of the key addition along the defensive line, Cam Jackson, transferred in from Memphis and was a wrecking ball all night for the Orange Team.
Now there is the caveat that the Blue Team offensive line couldn’t block anyone last night, but Jackson was constantly in the backfield and looked like he’s been playing in the SEC his whole career.
Napier made sure to give Jackson praise both during the broadcast and during his post-game press conference.
On newcomers such as Cam Carroll, Cam Jackson, Caleb Banks and Mannie Nunnery, all of whom flashed throughout the game:
— Jacob Rudner (@JacobRudner) April 14, 2023
"I think that's probably the takeaway from me. I can go home and sleep tonight because there's a lot of new players making plays tonight."
Related Story. The QBs weren't good enough during Spring Game. light