Florida Gators Focus: Skill Positions.

The Gators have more depth at the skill positions on offense than perhaps any team in the entire country. Essentially every playmaker is returning with adequate experience. How will these groups look in 2019?

Depth. Unbelievable depth. 

Especially at wide receiver. Now that AJ Brown and DK Metcalf have departed from Ole Miss, Florida has the best receiving corps in the SEC not named Alabama. 

The X and Z receiver spots have three guys that have played valuable minutes in orange and blue and have showed they are difference makers. Van Jefferson and Trevon Grimes were essential to the revitalized Florida offense in 2018. The Ole Miss and Ohio State transfers immediately became UF's most explosive receivers, accounting for a combined eight touchdowns. 

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Tyrie Cleveland's return after a broken collarbone against Florida State in 2018 will bring more experience as well. The fourth-year Houston native saw his role diminish before his injury because of the arrival of Jefferson and Grimes, but still accounted for three touchdowns and was a special teams difference maker. Should anything happen to Grimes or Jefferson, Cleveland is more than capable of being a starting X or Z. 

The slot receivers boast the reliable Josh Hammond and Freddie Swain. Swain is an excellent punt returner and has big-play capability at slot, as shown by his 65-yard catch-and-run against Tennessee and punt return touchdown against Colorado State. 

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Kadarius Toney has shown flashes of explosion the last two years as well for the Gators. The next step for him is becoming an every-down receiver instead of a gadget player. 

Jacob Copeland was the No. 1 rated high school wide receiver in the state of Florida in 2018 and was a gem in that year's UF recruiting class. He struggled with injury all of last year and was buried down the depth chart by the time he got back to health. However, with a healthier off season in 2019, Copeland could make an impact this year now that he is caught up in the playbook and with practice reps. 

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The running back room is pretty simple. Fourth-year La'Mical Perine will carry the load. Perhaps no player other than Feleipe Franks benefited from the arrival of coach Dan Mullen than Perine, who’s average yards per carry went up more than two yards in 2018 (6.2), from 2017 (4.1). 

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Junior Malik Davis, along with sophomore Dameon Pierce will get carries as the backups. Those two are really 2A and 2B, there is not a defined second and third guy, but both are extremely capable. Pierce was excellent when he came in during his freshman campaign to relieve Perine and Jordan Scarlett, averagine 6.1 yards per carry in his limited action. 

Davis has had limited action in his Gator career due to injury. In 2017 he suffered a torn ACL against Georgia and in 2018 he suffered a broken foot against Colorado State. He only played in four game in 2018, but in his 2017 season before the ACL, he averaged 6.7 yards per carry and had 526 yards in just seven games. 

Tight ends are a bigger question mark within the Florida offense. JUCO transfer Lucas Krull is entering year two with the Gators and is an enormous presence at 6 foot 7, 260 pounds. He will get plenty of action this season along with second-year Kyle Pitts. 

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They will be match up nightmares for opponents as their body's are so different. Pitts looks more like a WR than TE. Even though he is 6 foot 6, 240 pounds, his build is significantly leaner than Krull. Krull is the big body, Pitts is the quick route runner that linebackers will struggle to keep up with.  

Kemore Gamble and Dante Lang are listed as the backup tight ends currently. They will in all likelihood stay there barring injury to Krull or Pitts. 

The unknown is freshman Keon Zipperer. The Lakeland native is extremely talented but did not start practicing with the team until the fall. As he becomes more comfortable with the playbook and practice, expect sparing usage of him sometime in the middle of the year, similar to what the team did with Kyle Pitts last season. 

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These groups are Florida's strongest besides maybe defensive line. If Florida has another successful season, they will be an enormous part of it.