Scarlett colors Gators’ future
Running back emerges as focal point of offense.
GAINESVILLE — The clamoring started early this fall as fans soured on Florida’s running back by committee approach and wondered why sophomore Jordan Scarlett wasn’t getting more carries.
It wasn’t just fans, for that matter.
Re p o r t e r s r e p e a t e d l y asked coach Jim McElwain about the shared backfield, about pulling out a hot running back for the sake of the rotation, and time and again about Scarlett’s potential to be a featured back.
It finally happened over the second half of the season and Scarlett reciprocated. During one stretch, he had at least 93 rushing yards in four out of five games.
Like everything with the Gators’ offense, the rushing att ack wasn’t consi stent. With the offensive line’s up-and-down play and falling behind big against Arkansas, Florida State and Alabama, the ground game struggled.
But Scarlett nonetheless emerged in 2016 and should be positioned as a focal point of the offense in 2017.
He earned that after rushing for 795 yards and six touchdowns on 4.8 yards per carry in a breakout sophomore season. His yards-perattempt stat was dinged by Alabama’s stifling defense in the SEC Championship game, in which Scarlett was held to 17 yards on 11 carries, but he will look to boost those numbers in the Outback Bowl against Iowa on Jan. 2.
“I’m pretty satisfied, but I know I can do a lot better. And I’ll (be) looking to show that this game and for the continued years I’m here,” Scarlett said last week.
As for that four-man running back committee? Fellow sophomore Jordan Cronkrite is transferring out after falling to fourth in the pecking order for touches. Junior college transfer Mark Thompson fell short of the considerable hype he brought and saw his role diminish in the second half of the season after struggling on and off the field.
So that leaves Scarlett and Lamical Perine, who produced some memorable moments as a true freshman while rushing for 402 yards and a touchdown.
That’s a solid foundation, especially if the Gators better use their strongest assets.
After showing great vision a n d a n a b i l i t y t o c r e a t e yards after contact, Scarlett deserves every opportunity in 2017 to prove he can be a bell cow for this offense.
Receivers not issue in offensive struggles: It’s hard to make sense of how Florida got so little production the second half of the season from what should be a productive wide receiver duo.
Antonio Callaway was a breakout star as a freshman in 2015 and projected to be even better heading into his second season. Tyrie Cleveland was the prize of the Gators’ last recruiting class, and once he got past the hamstring issues that slowed him through the preseason and first handful of games, he showed enough potential for everyone to see where the hype originated.
And yet, Callaway didn’t total more than 63 receiving yards in any of the final eight games, averaging 3.75 catches and 41.4 receiving yards during that stretch.
Those aren’t the numbers of a No. 1 receiver, or even a good No. 2 option.
That’s not an indictment of Callaway, who is a legitimate big-play threat, but of the Gators’ inabilit y to use him. Be it the quarterback play, the play calling, the lack of a high-level second option to keep defenses from taking him out of the game, etc.
Still, confusion continues because Cleveland is good enough to be that second option.
He was the No. 2-rated wide receiver in the 2016 class, has terrific speed and showed his playmaking ability with a 98-yard touchdown reception against LSU that stands as one of the Gators’ top highlights of the season.
Yet, aside from that 124yard game in Baton Rouge, Cleveland only topped 40 receiving yards one other time all season and was held to one or no catches in four of the final six games.
The Gators’ passing attack h a d p r o b l e m s a p l e n t y, including the inconsistent quarterback play and inconsistent offensive line play. There were plenty of times Cleveland was left open and not targeted, and he hinted at his frustration after the SEC Championship Game.
B ot t om l i ne: I mprove - ment in other areas will lead to improvement from the Gators receivers.