7=1? Gators Detail OL Growth; Richie Leonard, Austin Barber's Emergence

Florida's offensive line development equation may not add up to mathematicians, but it's working for the Gators.

Photo: Austin Barber; Credit: Zach Goodall

Five equals one, unless six or seven equals one.

While the equation may not indicate that Florida assistants Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton majored in mathematical studies, the Gators' unique duo of offensive line coaches' formula is working in their approach to developing UF's trenches.

And, in football terms, the blueprint makes a lot of sense. Think of a chain being as strong as its weakest link — one quality offensive line is made of five quality contributors. But in Florida's case, that number extends to seven. 

"We've got a saying in the O-line room, five equals one," interior lineman Richie Leonard IV said after Florida's win over Eastern Washington. "And our coaches preach to us, coach Sale and coach Stapleton, you know, if six equals one, six are going to play. If seven equals one, seven are going to play."

That's been the case through six games of the 2022 season. Leonard, a backup on UF's depth chart, has frequently cracked the lineup along Florida's interior offensive line, appearing in five games and tallying 89 snaps along the way, with over half of those reps coming in the Gators' FBS contests this season.

He's aligned at all three interior spots, left and right guard as well as center, and has graded out well in each performance. Leonard has yet to allow a quarterback pressure or sack, according to Pro Football Focus, and has improved his PFF run-blocking grade almost every week, beginning with a "below average" score of 53.8 against Utah and peaking with a "high quality" mark of 80.5 versus EWU. 

Keep in mind, Florida's offense has only been credited for four sacks allowed this season, good for the second-best mark in the SEC, and ranks No. 4 in the conference for generating 213.7 rushing yards per game. Leonard's utilization hasn't been out of necessity, but rather because he's earned the opportunities. 

"Just going through this camp and into this season so far," Leonard explained, "I think I've worked pretty hard, being able to be that sixth guy to step up."

His fellow linemen agree.

"Richie is a great asset for the team," starting offensive tackle Richard Gouraige said in September. "Having him rotate in [on] the offensive line has definitely helped us."

Leonard's emergence extended UF's formula from five to six equaling one. Another young lineman, redshirt freshman Austin Barber, has stepped up in a big way this season and added another tally to the left side of the equation.

Barber was tasked with replacing Michael Tarquin in Week 2 against Kentucky when the Gators' starting right tackle went down with a lower-body injury. Tarquin has yet to be cleared to return, resulting in Barber earning four starts and 287 snaps in total through six appearances.

He, too, has yet to allow a sack, but has given up eight pressures thus far per PFF. In fairness, three of those came in Barber's fill-in showing in Week 2, and four stemmed from the first road appearance of his college career versus Tennessee. He's graded out as "above average" or better, with one "elite" mark of 90.1 vs. USF, as a run blocker in four of his six games as well.

"Coach Sale and coach Stape have turned me into a new player," Barber said last week. 

“I’ve been a totally different player from high school to now. In high school I was kind of like a big guy, just taking people down. It was easy. But when I came here it was a reality moment, that I actually had to get better with my technique and fundamentals."

Both Leonard and Barber thoroughly credited Sale and Stapleton for placing an emphasis on improving their blocking techniques this offseason, proving beneficial as the duo has quickly taken on significant roles in the Gators' offense as a result of mechanical development.

Head coach Billy Napier offered a glimpse into the process of developing their technique and shared his pleasure in Leonard and Barber's growth, as well as the rest of the offensive line's progression with Sale and Stapleton supervising the unit.

"I think it's really a developmental position and one that requires a lot of synchronization," Napier said. "You know, great communication, there's a set of fundamentals that need to be taught there. 

"We have two full-time coaches that are on the field, we're the only team in the country that has that. And we really have created a culture here where the offensive line has been and will continue to be a strength of our team."

In the event that an injury, or perhaps underwhelming play, the quality of depth on an offensive line can make or break an offense. Six games into Napier, Sale and Stapleton's tenures at Florida, Week 1 reserves have developed into capable contributors, strengthening the unit as a whole and lending credence to the idea that, in this sport, one does not always equal one.

In this case, seven and one are one and the same.

"Austin and Richie made leaps and bounds as players individually and [are] kind of fitting into the unit better," explained starting left guard Ethan White. "Just having them in practice and games and just being ready at all times helps."

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