Offensive line for Florida Football was suspect in 2023, but could be top ten in 2024
Last season the offensive line for Florida Football was a liability at times. The inability to give Graham Mertz time in the pocket inhibited the Gators ability for any kind of down field passing attack, thus stunting many of the concepts Billy Napier wanted to employ.
So it is a bit surprising to see Florida listed as a potential top ten unit heading into 2024, but at least one notable publication is drinking the Kool-Aid and has faith in Florida's big boys.
Florida Football: In The Trenches
Last season Pro Football Focus graded Florida 63rd in the country in pass blocking and 25th in the country is run blocking.
This narrative feels close enough as tackles Damieon George and Austin Barber were turnstiles at times, while center Jake Slaughter and guard Micah Mazzccua had respectable seasons. Richie Leonard was also a liability and added all together it was a unit that took a big step back from a solid 2022 season.
Mazzccua has left for Nebraska and Leonard is in Tallahassee. With Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson transferring in from San Diego State and Devon Manuel transferring in from Arkansas, hope springs eternal heading into 2024.
Slaughter has been getting a lot of love in the preseason, George is moving from tackle to guard, and if Crenshaw-Dickson and Manuel provide any kind of upgrade at tackle, there might just be a reason to believe this unit could be a plus unit for Florida.
As such, PFF has graded the Gators O-Line as the 10th best in the country heading into 2024. The rationale is that it is a veteran group that was one of the better run-blocking teams in 2023 despite being a mismatched unit at times.
Grading them 10th best in the country feels like a massive leap of faith, but it isn't outside the realm of possibility for 2024. The two key wild cards to the equation will be Crenshaw-Dickson and George. The former only allowed three sacks and six hurries off of 343 pass-blocking plays in 2023. But that was at San Diego State where he didn't have to go against the SEC. In fact, one of his worst games of the season was against Oregon State, one of only two Power Five teams he faced in 2023.
The latter of that duo is the single biggest wild card on the Florida roster for 2024. George did not have a good season at tackle after transferring in from Alabama. Napier has said that George is more of a natural guard and hopes to unlock him as a right guard this year.
If George is who the coaching staff thinks he can be in a new position along the offensive line, then there is a pathway for this to be a top 25 unit. If George is still the same player who allowed 24 hurries and 29 pressures and playing guard doesn't change that, then all Florida is doing is shuffling chairs on the deck of the Titanic.
There is reason to have hope for the offensive line in 2024, but until they prove it when the season starts, there is reason to be skeptical.