Envisioning Roles for Florida's 2024 Transfers: OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson

How might transfer offensive lineman Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson make an impact for Florida in 2024?

Florida leaned into the winter transfer portal to upgrade its roster for the second offseason in a row, securing a dozen college football veterans to bolster the Gators' roster entering the 2024 offseason. 

All Gators is projecting roles for each transfer acquisition. After beginning this series with a focus on defensive players back-to-back, next up is offensive tackle Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, a super senior addition to Florida's offensive line from San Diego State.

A member of the 2019 recruiting class, Crenshaw-Dickson enrolled at San Diego State as a consensus lower-rated three-star tackle prospect from Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne. According to 247Sports, his only other scholarship offer at the time was from Arizona State.

Yet, the 6-foot-7, 310-pound Crenshaw-Dickson quickly outplayed his recruiting ranking with the Aztecs. Despite redshirting his first season, he played a crucial practice role during the year en route to SDSU's Offensive Scout Player of the Year recognition.

Crenshaw-Dickson took the field for one game as a redshirt freshman in 2020 before earning a starting spot at right tackle in 2021. He never looked back.

Over his next 37 appearances, Crenshaw-Dickson started 36 games on San Diego State's offensive line. After originally aligning on the right side, he flipped to left tackle for the 2022 season then split time between the two spots in 2023. 

He accumulated 2,410 blocking snaps along the way, 1,216 on the left and 1,195 on the right.

1,187 of those reps were in pass protection, where Crenshaw-Dickson gave up just six sacks overall and allowed an average of 15 quarterback pressures per season, per Pro Football Focus. His PFF run-blocking grade peaked at 69.4 out of 100 in 2023, a mark that is considered "above average."

All around, Crenshaw-Dickson proved himself to be a dependable, versatile tackle talent with the Aztecs and realized an opportunity to upgrade his competition for his final season of college eligibility via the NCAA transfer portal. 

He entered the portal on Nov. 29, 2023, and quickly obtained interest from Power 5 programs like TCU, Mississippi State, Louisville, California and of course Florida, among others.

Crenshaw-Dickson visited UF the weekend of Dec. 16 and committed to the Gators before leaving campus. 

"He's played, I think, 2,500 snaps. He started 35-plus games. Very productive player, All-Conference player in the Mountain West, and equally as impressive when you meet him.," Florida head coach Billy Napier described Crenshaw-Dickson on Dec. 20.

"Good compliments out there related to teammate, toughness, leadership, smart player. Looking to play against better competition. Very similar dynamic to maybe what [former Florida and current Buffalo Bills guard O'Cyrus Torrence] was trying to do when he came here." 

Crenshaw-Dickson's pledge offers Florida a starting-caliber tackle on either side of the line, one that can be expected to compete with incumbent first-team tackles, Austin Barber and Damieon George.

George, a former Alabama transfer who joined Florida last year and started at right tackle in 2023, struggled in pass protection throughout the season by allowing four sacks and 29 quarterback pressures, per PFF.

George has since moved to guard, according to his social media, indicating that Crenshaw-Dickson could be in line to occupy the position of starting right tackle for the Gators in 2024. 

Barber could, as well, given his 490 snaps of experience on the right side accumulated between 2021-22. 

In addition to Crenshaw-Dickson, Florida added Arkansas transfer tackle Devon Manuel and 2024 high school prospects, tackles Fletcher Westphal and Mike Williams, hybrid blocker Marcus Mascoll and guard Noel Portnjagin to its offensive line this offseason.

Find All Gators' previous transfer role projections, for defensive back Trikweze Bridges and defensive lineman Joey Slackman, below. 

Envisioning Roles for Florida's 2024 Transfers: DB Trikweze Bridges

Envisioning Roles for Florida's 2024 Transfers: DL Joey Slackman

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