Florida finally passed “The Gauntlet,” a strength and conditioning test conjured up by Rusty Whitt, just ahead of spring practice set to get underway next week. Between a brand new coaching staff and a roster that brought in over 40 new players, there are bound to be some shakeups in the depth chart ahead of 2026.
While there is still plenty of time for spots to shuffle around once the pads get put on, these are the four position battles we will keep an eye on the most during spring practice.
Quarterback battle will be front and center for Florida
If we had to bet money right now on who we think the QB for Florida is going to be in 2026, we would wager on transfer Aaron Philo. He has worked previously with offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, he is going to have a leg up on the verbage starting out, and he would have been the starter at Georgia Tech had he not come to Gainesville.
But that doesn’t mean we should sleep on Tramell Jones. After winning the backup job out of nowhere last year, Jones made two appearances in 2025 and looked fine. Jones also has a higher ceiling than Philo based on his recruiting profile.
The fact that Jones stuck around for another year means he feels he too has a shot at the starting and this is bound to be one of the most watched battles during the spring game.
Left and right tackle
We are lumping the tackles into one battle for the sake of simplicity. While the offensive line as a whole is going to be a bit of a mystery given all the new faces it will need to break in, the safe bet is for Georgia Tech transfer Harrison Moore to get first crack as the center, while returners Knijeah Harris and Roderick Kearney feel like safe bets to slot in at guard.
The mystery really starts to thicken at tackle, where Florida will have options but few who are proven. Eagan Boyer played for new offensive line coach Phil Trautwein at Penn State, and should get early looks. Boyer also played just 135 snaps over two seasons in Happy Valley.
Caden Jones got 541 snaps last year as Florida’s right tackle, but he did not have a great season. Likewise, Emeka Ugori got 523 snaps as a true freshman last year at Stanford. Most of those were at guard, but he did get some time at right tackle, which also didn’t go well.
Throw in some other Florida returners who were decently rated out of high school but haven’t seen much of the field in Gainesville, like TJ Dice, Jahari Medlock, and Fletcher Westphal, and the battle to be the two tackles could get crowded in a hurry.
Defensive end
One side of the line is bound to be occupied by Jayden Woods, whom Florida made a massive push to keep this offseason.
But the battle to play opposite Wood will be an intriguing one. Returning is Kamran James, who had 44 tackles and 3.5 sacks last year with the Gators. Florida also picked up Emmanuel Oyebadejo out of the transfer portal from Jacksonville State, who was one of their more intriguing pickups from the portal.
Then there is the ultimate wildcard for Florida, LJ McCray. The former five-star didn’t see much time in 2024 and was hurt for 2025, and so whether or not he is going to live up to his five-star billing is still a mystery.
STAR
Florida’s two main corners on the outside look like they will be Dijon Johnson and Cormani McClain, with former top prospect Ben Hanks III trying to work into the mix.
But it is the STAR position that will see a new face in 2026. Kanye Clark got 207 snaps with UCLA last year, most of which were at the STAR slot. DJ Coleman played over 1,000 snaps for Baylor over the past three seasons as a safety but is viewed as a candidate for the spot as well.
Then there is JUCO transfer Elijah Owens, who is listed at 6’3” and 210 pounds, making him a potentially intriguing possibility if he can figure things out in the spring.