Florida’s offense flashes in Orange and Blue Game

Entering the spring game, the attention seemed to be on two things: Florida’s new head coach and its quarterback battle.

However, Saturday's exhibition proved to have far more substance, as many players emerged on the offensive front. The flashes from some in particular provided a priming glimpse into the Gators’ first fall under Jon Sumrall and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner.

“Today, we kept it very simple for the guys,” Faulkner said. “I thought our guys did that at a high level, and that's pretty good to see.”

Here is a breakdown of who shined in each room during the Orange and Blue debut. 

Quarterbacks

Both frontrunners for the starting quarterback slot, Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo and redshirt freshman Tramell Jones Jr., posted solid performances Saturday despite experiencing some ups and downs. 

Philo got the start and came out hot, completing his first four passes and going 8 of 9 before tossing his first interception of the game, when safety DJ Coleman read Philo looking for fellow former Yellow Jacket Eric Singleton Jr.

He threw his second, looking for Vernell Brown III, but rebounded with just over a minute to go in the first half, connecting with him for a 31-yard touchdown. 

"One thing about him is he'll shrug them off,” Faulkner said. “He came back and made some elite throws."

Before turning in for the game, he found Wake Forest transfer Micah Mays Jr. in the endzone with nine seconds left in the half on a 23-yarder. 

Philo finished the game with a 75% completion percentage on 21-of-28 passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions and a 142.2 quarterback rating. 

Meanwhile, Jones also impressed despite a slow start. Coming in behind Philo, he ended the afternoon with a 219.1 rating, completing 76% of his passes on 13-of-17 passing.

He finished with no interceptions and found both Singleton and Mays in the endzone. The pass to Singleton was complete for 38 yards, and the latter was a 75-yard touchdown pass on the right side with 44 seconds to go in the opening half. 

“Both guys have done some good things,” Sumrall said. “I think that room's done good things as a whole.”

Running Backs

With star running back Jadan Baugh seeing limited time and only playing the opening drive, Florida’s deep running back room saw plenty of run Saturday. In particular, two transfer players and two returning Gators emerged as standouts. 

Cincinnati transfer Evan Pryor and East Carolina transfer London Montgomery both were involved in the contest, combining for 14 carries and 57 yards. Further, Montgomery served as Florida’s primary kick returner, including on the game’s opening kickoff.

“Evan Pryor, every scrimmage has been elite with the ball in his hands,” Faulkner said. “And then London Montgomery, he's done the same thing.”

Meanwhile, returning Gators Duke Clark and Byron Louis both flashed in extended action. Clark showcased his elite speed, taking 5 carries for 30 yards. Louis, meanwhile, showed off his passing game chops, grabbing all 5 of his targets for 45 receiving yards.

Faulkner commended the group for stepping up Saturday just as they have all Spring, which could lead to more opportunities in the future.

“I think it's a really deep room,” Faulkner said. “I think we got some guys with some different skill sets. You could see some two back stuff maybe down the road.”

Wide Receivers

The standout at receiver was Mays. The redshirt junior showcased his ability to make big plays, posting four receptions for a team-high 122 yards and two touchdowns, including his 75-yard catch. 

“It was a great feeling,” Mays said. “Just want to be really explosive, really electric out there.”

Behind him, it was Singleton who was Florida’s other stronghold. He caught six passes on eight targets for 92 yards and a touchdown. The senior was expected to be a key transfer for the Gators, and he surely didn’t disappoint in his Florida debut. 

Tying Singleton for a team-high six receptions was TJ Abrams. The returning redshirt sophomore saw action in 10 games last season, and his comfort level was evident. Most notably, he connected with Jones for a 35-yard catch, his longest of the game. 

One of Sumrall’s key retentions, Brown, also had a solid outing. He logged 47 yards on four receptions and added a touchdown on the second-quarter pass from Philo. His four receptions tied another Georgia Tech transfer, Bailey Stockton, who posted 24 yards in his Gator debut. 

“We've got some speed there for sure,” Faulkner said. “I think 6-7 guys in that room are playing really good football. The hard part for us is going to be to make sure they all get a chance to touch the football.”

Tight Ends 

There was one Gator who stood out among the rest at tight end in Saturday’s contest: Amir Jackson. The redshirt sophomore logged three receptions for 44 yards. His longest was a 33-yarder from quarterback Aidan Warner in the third quarter.

Jackson primarily rotated with Georgia Tech transfer Luke Harpring, who had a single catch for 9 yards. He, however, has familiarity with Faulkner’s system and has shown flashes throughout the spring.

“Both those guys are extremely versatile,” Faulkner said. “They add a different element to the room. Being able to stretch the field vertically. You also saw them catching balls in the flats today. They can do that. They both can run. They're more of your spread guys.”

Meanwhile, James Madison transfer Lacota Dippre and New Haven transfer Evan Chieca both chipped in, with the latter making 2 grabs for 16 yards. 

Those two tight ends, however, served as crucial blockers, a role they will likely carry into the season.

“Evan and Lacota have been extremely physical,” Faulkner said. “We like the way that they're learning the offense.”

Offensive Line

Coming into the Spring, arguably the most difficult position group to evaluate has been Florida’s offensive line. With over 10 guys vying to fill 5 starting positions, plenty of players were given playing time Saturday.

Florida started the game with Stanford transfer Emeka Ugorji at left tackle and Georgia Tech transfer Harrison Moore at center. Meanwhile, returning Gators Knijeah Harris, Bryce Lovett and Caden Jones got the start at left guard, right guard and right tackle, respectively.

Penn State transfers TJ Shanahan Jr. and Eagan Boyer, as well as center Jason Zandamela, also factored into Florida’s offensive line rotation early Saturday.

Lovett and Ugorji rotated both at tackle and guard spots, while Boyer played both left and right tackle at points in the contest.

“We do have a lot of moving parts up front right now, still trying to figure out the best five,” Faulkner said. “I think we've got some guys that can do guard and tackle, which is exciting.”

Despite the uncertainty, Faulkner said the offensive line group has grown the most of any positional unit throughout Spring.

“What Phil [Trautwein] has done with those guys, from an individual and a fundamental standpoint, has been phenomenal,” Faulkner said.

Special Teamers

After all three of Florida’s specialists from last season, kicker Trey Smack, punter Tommy Doman Jr. and long snapper Rocco Underwood, all declared for the NFL Draft, a group of transfers have stepped into the roles.

At kicker, Tulane transfer Patrick Durkin went 3-for-4 on field goal attempts on Saturday, hitting from as far as 48 yards out. His lone miss was 49 yards out.

Meanwhile, fellow Tulane transfer Alec Clark sent two of his four punts inside of the 20-yard line, while Louisiana transfer long snapper Carter Milliron was solid all afternoon.

Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.

Contact Ava DiCecca at adicecca@alligator.org. Follow her on X @avadicecca24.

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