Florida Gators 2021 Report Card: Grading Each Unit, Coaching, and Recruiting

A thorough evaluation of the Florida Gators' 2021 season, in every category.

The grades are in for the Florida Gators' 2021 season, and let's just say, if the Gators were a student in school, they wouldn't want to take their report card home to their parents.

After the AllGators offered an analysis of UF's season at the midway point in a bye week report card, we've reassessed the team's performance and our previous grades to offer a season-long summation of what went right and what went wrong in 2021.

Perhaps it should be expected as Dan Mullen and his entire UF coaching staff has since been fired, but in case that isn't the expectation, it should be noted that grades have regressed since the bye week in almost every category. You can find our evaluations of the Gators' offense, defense, special teams, coaching and recruiting below.

Offense

Zach Goodall: C 

It wasn't pleasant as a whole, but a year ago, Florida appeared to be able to afford struggles defensively while it paired the underperforming unit with a high-flying offense. Dan Mullen's offense produced two first-round pass-catchers, a Heisman Trophy finalist at quarterback and several other notable players en route to one of the best passing seasons by a team in college football history, leading UF to its first SEC Championship appearance since 2016.

Mullen had earned the trust of Florida fans everywhere, a noted offensive guru who could put together a great offense no matter who his players were. That trust was broken, however, a mere nine months later when his 2021 squad took the field, a team primarily comprised of players he recruited to UF after three seasons of a Jim McElwain-influenced roster paired with transfers.

It wasn't pretty on either side of the ball; this time, the offense and defense disappointed in unison. Emory Jones, Mullen's protégé at quarterback, was largely underwhelming as a starter, struggling with decision-making within a stale offense that did not mesh with his strengths as a passer. His rushing ability proved fruitful as Florida prioritized running the ball, but Mullen was negligent in establishing a passing scheme that Jones could operate cleanly within. As a result, Florida couldn't find a way to win close games when throwing the ball efficiently was required.

Receivers also struggled to get open, only furthering Jones' inefficiency. Running back utilization was confusing as Dameon Pierce was UF's clear-cut best runner, yet, he did not earn 10 or more carries in a game until the regular-season finale and the Gasparilla Bowl. UF ran the ball well throughout the year, but one could only imagine if the unit could have been even better should Pierce have gained more handoffs - he scored a touchdown every 7.7 times he earned a carry.

Florida's offense in 2021, to sum it up in one word, was stale. It was not what UF fans had grown accustomed to under Mullen, yet, Mullen would brag that the unit outgained its opponents in losses, only emphasizing the thought that he had checked out as a head coach. But I'll get into that more later in the coaching section of the report card.

Demetrius Harvey: C

Florida's offense this season was a mess, it's as simple as that. There was a quarterback controversy seemingly one game into its season, and there never appeared to be a rhyme or reason to many of the different paths the program took. Their quarterback, Emory Jones didn’t have the season the program was looking for, tossing 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

The Gators began the year by utilizing its strength, running the football, and they quickly became the top running team in college football. As the season progressed, however, the team doing well on the ground simply wasn’t good enough, and even when they did give it to their top running back, Dameon Pierce, the program refused to give him more than 10 carries in a given game, sticking to a heavy rotation instead.

With Anthony Richardson, though, Florida had hope. The redshirt freshman quarterback nearly led the team in a come-from-behind matchup against the LSU Tigers, but ultimately it was too little, too late in that regard. He showcased plenty of talent both through the air and on the ground, but ultimately Florida decided too late in the process to give him any real opportunity.

Brandon Carroll: C

The Gators' offense never reached its full potential during the 2021 season. Expected to experience some growing pains due to the schematical adjustments that were forced to be made with quarterback Emory Jones taking over for second-round NFL Draft pick Kyle Trask. Jones failed to find his footing as a passer, plagued by inaccuracy and lack of anticipation.

Florida’s saving grace was a ground attack. Led by star-caliber ball carrier Dameon Pierce — complemented by Malik Davis and Nay'Quan Wright — the Gators imposed their will rushing the football in the early portion of the season. However, the inefficiency of the rotation in the backfield and considerable regression of the offensive line led to stagnancy after a promising start.

My C grade is awarded because of the promising emergence of quarterback Anthony Richardson. Otherwise, it would have been even lower. 

Splitting time with Jones more as the year progressed, Richardson contributed heavily to the success on the ground and supplemented UF’s passing game. In doing so he displayed the potential — through stature, athleticism and arm talent — to operate as the face of the program if he can stay healthy going forward.

Defense

Zach Goodall: D

As Demetrius and Brandon will similarly note below, Florida's defense improved in 2021 compared to the year prior. Which doesn't mean all that much, especially if you watched the 2020 unit in action - one of the worst defenses in Florida Gators history.

Florida wasn't routinely gashed by the run, nor was it taken advantage of on simple run-pass-option concepts with bang routes or abused week after week by freshman quarterbacks in 2021 as it was last year. However, those issues would pop up on their own from time to time, in large part leading to the losses against LSU, South Carolina, and UCF specifically. They also appeared in full force when UF gave up 52 points to FCS Samford near the end of the year, a historically poor showing by an SEC squad against a lower-division program.

Players such as Zachary Carter, Gervon Dexter, Brenton Cox Jr. (at times), Ty'Ron Hopper, Jason Marshall Jr. and Rashad Torrence II offered the unit hope and some big plays, and Dexter, Hopper, Marshall and Torrence will be a part of the defense's foundation under new coaching along with a few other young contributors. But nothing about the unit's performance was consistently impressive or sound, suggesting a need for additional talent across the defense as well as a fresh start schematically and refined development.

Demetrius Harvey: D+

Defensively, Florida was markedly better than last season, though it would have been difficult not to be. The team still had plenty of issues, especially late in the season against the run. Florida ran with primarily graduate transfers at the defensive tackle position, while a lack of real recruiting over the years under then-head coach Dan Mullen showed up at all levels of the defense.

It wasn’t until early November that defensive coordinator Todd Grantham was finally fired from the program, but by then the damage was done and Florida’s nightmare of a season only got worse. While the program does have some potential defensively with the likes of DT Gervon Dexter, LB Ty’Ron Hopper, there still was a void at far too many spots, ultimately leading to its failure this year.

Giving Florida a D+ here is more about its future, which looks far brighter already under Napier than it ever would have under Grantham and Mullen.

Brandon Carroll: C-

Outplaying the 2020 version of themselves — which wasn’t a tough task as I would have graded it a D- at best — Florida’s defense showed signs of playing at a competent level but was unable to turn those flashes into prolonged periods of consistency. That was, in large part, due to an undisciplined squad paired with the complicated scheme defensive coordinator Todd Grantham runs.

However, once he was released, the unit began to turn around for the better. Excluding an abysmal effort against Samford, interim defensive coordinator Christian Robinson began to incorporate some youthful pieces that fans have clamored for the past two seasons into the rotation.

Linebacker Ty'Ron Hopper was inserted into the lineup, providing a noticeable uptick of defensive production down the stretch. Just as the offense discovered a foundational piece for Napier to build around in Richardson, Hopper will serve as the cornerstone of the defense.

Overall, the defense was below average, but similar to the offensive grade, C- is a reflection of the talent that emerged that will aid in the reconstruction of the program under Napier.

Special teams

Zach Goodall: D

Aside from a pretty good year from redshirt freshman punter Jeremy Crawshaw, the Gators' special teams units were disappointing across the board in 2021. This could be chalked up to poor coaching and management, much like the offense and defense's issues.

Former walk-on kicker Chris Howard earned the starting role in fall camp but was given an incredibly short leash on the job due to the offseason transfer of Jace Christmann, a grad student who had played for Mullen before at Mississippi State. Howard was replaced by Christmann after the first missed kick of his career, an extra point against Alabama, although Howard took the job back after Christmann missed two extra points against Georgia. It is worth noting that Howard dealt with an injury in his plant foot throughout the year, AllGators has learned.

Howard memorably missed two field goals in the Gasparilla Bowl, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of Florida's faithful after a bad year on special teams as a whole. With his injury in mind, though, another questionable coaching decision came when the staff had Howard attempt a 51-yard field goal in the game, beyond his proven range even when he was healthy.

Struggles were evident in the return game and coverage units as well. When All-SEC cornerback Kaiir Elam trotted out for the first punt return of the season against FAU, it was evident that the team did not have a sound plan in the return game, putting one of its top players on the roster at risk of injury instead of a designated speedster and quality return man, such as Fenley Graham, who was specifically recruited as a return specialist in the class of 2020 but has yet to return a kick or punt. 

Receivers Ja'Markis Weston and Xzavier Henderson both failed as returners, both struggling with ball security and creating quality field positions despite numerous chances to improve. Running back Malik Davis ended the year as a serviceable kick returner but provided nothing special.

Demetrius Harvey: F

The Gators’ performance on special teams was dreadful this season. Not only did the program allow a kick-off return for a touchdown against Samford, it allowed far too many yards in that area, especially under a head coach that had prided himself as being incredibly detailed in that area. Florida also missed too many kicks this season, connecting on just 10 out of 15 of its kicks this year.

While that is not remarkably bad, the misses came during the worst situation, including a pivotal attempt against Kentucky that was returned for a touchdown.

In its own return game, the program wasn’t impactful in the slightest, with top punt-return specialist Xzavier Henderson averaging just 7.04 yards per return on 23 attempts. The team’s kick-off return specialist, Malik Davis, averaged just 22.79 yards per return on 14 attempts. Both players had longs of 33 yards.

The saving grace for Florida’s special teams comes from its punter in Jeremy Crawshaw, who routinely made decisive punts that helped the team’s defense in terms of field position.

When the most impact a unit made is kicking the ball away to an opponent in the middle of a drive, you deserve an F.

Brandon Carroll: D-

The Gators' special teams unit was anything but special in 2021. In fact, it was the phase that started the unraveling of their season.

Led by Greg Knox, who doubled as the running backs coach before taking over interim head coaching duties for the final two contests, the third phase of the game appeared to be an afterthought during Mullen’s tenure.

There was no true kick returner or punt returner — failing to employ the two worthy return candidates in Fenley Graham and Demarkcus Bowman — nor kicker in place on the roster. The only bright spot for special teams was the strong leg of punter Jeremy Crawshaw to flip the field and consistency from long snappers Marco Ortiz and Rocco Underwood.

However, punting should be a complementary piece of a good special teams unit, not the main attraction, resulting in the D- grade.

Coaching

Zach Goodall: F

I think if you were to point to one overarching reason for Florida's struggles, honestly, dating back to the LSU loss in 2020, it would have to be the program's coaching. Mullen would never say this publicly, but it was clear at the time that the Gators were in cruise control with eyes on the SEC Championship. That approach largely resulted in a loss to the lowly Tigers, the first of a three-game losing streak to end the season including the conference title game and an embarrassing defeat to Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl.

Mullen called his players in the Cotton Bowl "scout team guys" after the 55-20 loss, an insult not only toward his players but toward his own recruiting abilities. That much was made clear when many of those "scout team" players became starters this year, and struggles similar to those in the Cotton Bowl were evident. The team lacked confidence and charisma, its talent was underdeveloped, and Mullen refused to make adjustments to fix things or create a spark.

In hindsight, one could look to Adam Schefter's blurb of a report on Jan. 3, 2021, and hypothesize that Mullen had checked out at that time: “Dan Mullen, in the college ranks, is open to going to the pros," Schefter said on live television. 

But Mullen's interest in the NFL was not reciprocated by owners across the league, forcing him to stay at UF after it was clear he had lost some of the passion he had on the job. It never came back, either.

As a result, Mullen and his staff were canned less than a year later. Only Paul Pasqualoni, a well-accomplished coach outside of his time at Florida who has been an off-field assistant for two years, was retained by Napier, speaking volumes to the job the previous staff had done. 

Demetrius Harvey: F

Anytime your entire coaching staff gets fired, there has to be a failure somewhere, and the failure this season came from within with Mullen at the helm. The Gators couldn’t get out of their way far too often, allowing egos and potential in-fighting to take over on the direction the program needed to go. That all starts at the top, and it’s why Mullen is no longer with Florida.

Florida spent far too long holding onto Grantham, another failed coach at Florida after four seasons of questionable play on defense. The team did not do enough to replace quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson, either, instead opting to hire from within with analyst Garrick McGee. The team’s offense and QBs struggled as a result.

There’s no saving grace here.

Brandon Carroll: F

Any direction you turned, signs of poor coaching were evident for the Gators in 2021. Responsible for the undisciplined play that resulted in constant self-inflicted wounds and irreversible mistakes on the road, the coaching staff was viewed to be a catalyst for UF’s fall from grace.

On top of that, the Gators staff was painstakingly loyal to veterans over more talented youngsters and struggled to incorporate the best players on both sides of the football. 

Offensively, that was evident with the sparing usage of the team’s most valuable and dynamic weapon in Pierce. Defensively — while it wasn’t as easy to spot — the inability to employ youngsters like Hopper and Derek Wingo exasperated the question marks about the decisions made throughout the past two seasons on that side of the football. 

I don’t believe the coaches were inept, necessarily. Instead, they were apathetic, a feeling which grew as things started to spiral. With the staff seemingly going through the motions throughout the year, the only rightful stamp on their report card is an automatic failing grade.

Recruiting

Zach Goodall: C

I'm going to factor the early signing period into my grade here, as that was, technically, a part of the 2021 season. And it saved my grade from falling into the D range.

The obvious lack of emphasis on recruiting during Mullen's tenure became fully apparent this past season, seen by the poor performance across the board as Mullen's crop of recruits began to see the field more regularly. This could be seen at quarterback, wide receiver, across the offensive and defensive line and in the secondary at times.

On top of what was put on display this year, Mullen's 2022 class offered little to inspire hope moving forward. There were some talented commits at points including quarterback Nick Evers, wide receivers Jayden Gibson and Isaiah Bond, linebacker Shemar James and cornerback Julian Humphrey, but the class was small, beginning to lose talents such as Humphrey and James.

Once Napier stepped in, the class that Mullen has built was gutted but quickly rebounded by obtaining three SI99 signees in mid-December: No. 1 safety Kamari Wilson, James, the nation's No. 2 linebacker, and No. 10 cornerback Devin Moore. You can't blame Napier for attempting to rebuild the class from scratch, and he's arguably pulled in as many blue-chip prospects in a month as Mullen landed in four years, naturally leading to a curved grade.

Demetrius Harvey: C-

If this grade included just how Mullen and his staff recruited this season, it would have received a D, and that’s only because the class included at one time QB Nick Evers who looks to become a good player in his own right in college football. Other than that, the program didn’t do well enough on the trail, especially heading into its most important season.

But, with Napier now in charge of everything, the Gators look to redeem themselves a bit. They’ve already done what Mullen was able to do only twice in four years, land a top-rated player in safety Kamari Wilson. The team is also expected to add a couple of more surprise additions down the line for National Signing Day.

Behind the eight-ball, it would be unfair to really judge how Napier has handled his transition class, but for now, it seems to be headed in the right direction.

Brandon Carroll: C-

A much-maligned portion of the previous regime's résumé was their inability to draw in elite-level recruits like the programs they were expected to compete with. It came due to the staff’s disinterest in building relationships with prospects.

Despite the relative inconsistency and lack of desire to recruit, the Gators made some positive strides where the wide receiver position was concerned.

Earning commitments from Isaiah Bond, Chandler Smith and Jayden Gibson, former wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales proved to be monumental in keeping the 2022 class afloat. Although all three decommitted when Napier took over, the haul was promising while it held. Secondly, former linebackers coach Christian Robinson had formed the foundational relationship with Gators linebacker signee Shemar James which was a notable addition to Napier’s transition class.

Recruiting played a large factor in the decision to move on from Mullen and company this season, deservedly so. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t necessarily terrible either.

It was slightly above average, aligning with the C- grade.

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