Florida will find success on offense behind a leaner, meaner group in the trenches

There are a lot of questions surrounding the Florida Gators as they start training camp Wednesday, but the one that probably won't get answered immediately is the offensive line.

Jon Sumrall, offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner and offensive line coach Phil Trautwein have some work to do in order to figure out how the Gators will look when they open the season on September 5 against Florida Atlantic. It's highly likely that the five players that will get first-team reps on Wednesday will not be the same group that gets those reps a week or two from now.

However, the unit seems to have an identity and that revealed itself during Tuesday's pre-camp media day.

Florida's trench warriors are ready to show off a leaner look

Sumrall has been extremely open about how much the players on both sides of the lines need to be stronger and get into better shape. Clearly, they took that message to heart. Coming into camp, the offensive linemen are leaner. Fletcher Westphal, who is finally healthy after dealing with ton of injuries, is 22 pounds lighter, down to 309 and ready to compete for one of the tackle spots.

Caden Jones, who is expected to be the starting right tackle to open camp, is nearly 30 pounds lighter, dropping from 348 to 319 pounds. Even some of the incoming recruits, like guard Desmond Green, have lost considerable weight, which should help them get through this grueling training camp.

A leaner, meaner offensive line could give the Gators offense its best look this season. Faulkner is going to want to play fast and to keep up that pace in the SEC it will require players to have the endurance and athleticism to go along with the toughness.

"You still have to be really, really physical with the line of scrimmage, but you also have to be athletic and efficient with your movements," Sumrall said. " To move other people, you have to be able to move yourself. So, like, if you can't move yourself well, you can't move others."

Conditioning and confidence is key for Florida offensive line

Size is obviously important in the SEC. It's the league with the biggest, strongest and fastest players in college football. But, as Sumrall correctly stated, conditioning is just as important. 

Jones will be leaner and more explosive, but he won't lose any of his strength under Rusty Whitt's watch. As a matter of fact, he'll likely be even stronger and Sumrall hopes that strength combined with better conditioning will show itself in the second half of these tough SEC games.

Also, there's the confidence factor. They all simply look better. And if you look good and feel good, there's a great chance it will show on the field this fall. 

"Bryce Lovett seven months ago wouldn't have taken his shirt off. And now he's like, I'm feeling pretty good about myself," Sumrall said. "And I think when you put that kind of work in, you've made the changes, it helps you build confidence. Like you believe, hey, this is working. My hard work is working. And so I'm excited to watch those guys put into action."

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