5 questions for UF’s spring

Developing a QB is Mullen’s top priority

The Florida Gators open spring practices Friday under new coach Dan Mullen following a 4-7 season and facing major question marks in all three phases of the game.

Here are five questions Mullen and his staff will look to address leading up to April 14’s spring game:

1. Will Mullen develop a serviceable quarterback?

Mullen’s reputation as a quarterback guru is going to put to the test during the coming months. The Gators have not produced a reliable quarterback, much less a dynamic one since Mullen left the program a decade ago.

UF once again enters spring drills seeking to stabilize the position. Mullen inherits an unproven group led by redshirt sophomore Feleipe Franks and firstyear freshman Emory Jones. Standing 6-foot-5, 227 pounds, the strongarmed Franks looks the part but was benched three times in 2017 primarily due to poor decision-making. He now will have to learn a new offense.

The 6-foot-3, 196-pound Jones was the centerpiece of UF’s 2018 class. But the 17-year-old faced smallschool competition in Georgia and needs to gain 15 pounds to handle the punishment from running the ball in Mullen’s spread attack. Improvement at the position is not much to ask from Mullen’s first QB at UF. Since Tim Tebow’s departure in 2009, no Gators’ signal caller has accounted for more than 16 touchdowns in a season.

2. Does CeCe Jefferson finally develop into a force off the edge of the defense?

Jefferson has been a solid player for the Gators and led the team with 13.5 tackles for loss (4.5 sacks) last season. He returned for his senior season with a chance to become a star in Todd Grantham’s 3-4 scheme. An explosive pass rusher standing just 6-foot-1, 242 pounds, Jefferson was miscast under the former coaching staff, which wasted more than half of his sophomore season asking him to gain weight and play inside in a 4-3 scheme. Grantham and Co. plan to move around Jefferson to capitalize on mismatches and unleash him on the quarterback.

One of just two five-star recruits signed by Jim McElwain in three years, Jefferson was considered the top pass rusher in the 2015 class. With just 9.5 sacks in three seasons, he finally will have a chance to prove it.

3. Can the Gators replace the best kicking game in school history?

The record-setting onetwo punch of Johnny Townsend and Eddy Piñeiro was a bright spot amid a dismal 2017 season and leave huge shoes to fill. Townsend led the nation in punting for the second straight season and his career average of 46.2 yards is best in SEC history. Piñeiro closed the season making 16 straight field goals and his career field-goal percentage of 88.4 (38 of 43) is best in school history.

Townsend’s brother, Tommy, will look to continue the family tradition while Mullen landed the nation’s top-rated kicker, Evan McPherson of Alabama. The potential for success is there, but the Townsend-Piñeiro duo was special.

4. Is the Gators’ offensive line ready to become an SEC-caliber unit?

The Gators’ struggles at quarterback and lack of offensive playmakers have been exacerbated by a line pushed around by top opponents the past three seasons. The day UF hired Mullen, athletic director Scott Stricklin cited an ineffective strength program as the source of many of the Gators’ ills.

Mullen soon hired 28-year-old Nick Savage away from Mississippi State to create a culture in the weight room that translates to physical play and relentless effort on the field. Mullen’s 2017 Bulldogs went toe to toe with Alabama before falling 31-24 to the eventual national champion. UF was 0-7 against Bama, Florida State and Michigan under McElwain and totaled just seven offensive touchdowns in the losses.

This time last year, McElwain predicted big things up front based on experience, a new position coach and a commitment to the offseason program. UF returns four starters, including senior Martez Ivey, and now looks to deliver on the promise.

5. Are the Gators able to field another dominant defense?

UF’s defense has been the program’s backbone this decade and gave the Gators a chance in most games. While he sorts the issues on offense, Mullen certainly could use a strong defense.

Whether enough pieces are in place to field an elite unit remains to be seen. McElwain and his staff failed to sustain Will Muschamp and Co.’s high level of recruiting on defense.

Last season, the unit took a step back, finishing out of the top 15 nationally for the first time since 2007.

JOHN RAOUX/AP Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks (13) was benched three times in 2017 for poor decision-making and this year will have to learn a new offense.