Mailbag: Thoughts on Florida's Offense and Defense From Open Practice

All Gators answers submitted questions regarding Florida's open fall training camp practice.

Photo: Florida quarterbacks Graham Mertz and Max Brown; Credit: Zach Goodall 

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida fans and beat reporters covering the Gators, for the first time in nearly a decade, observed UF in a full football practice on Saturday. 

The program offered outsiders a look into how it is preparing for the 2023 season and the makeover its roster underwent this offseason.

RELATED: Notes, Takeaways and Highlights From Florida's Open Practice

Although one practice does not paint a full picture of how a team will perform during a season, the session was revealing nonetheless. All Gators was posed multiple questions about what was witnessed on the field, each of which has been addressed below.

Questions, submitted via Twitter responses and direct messages, have been edited to meet publishing standards. 

From Crystal Mafia: In your opinion, do you believe the Florida offense is in a better place than previously thought? If Graham Mertz performed solidly without his top target I'd think that bodes well, right?

It's tough to make that judgment in good faith based on one practice, especially when you consider it was open to the public and the script was likely adjusted as a result. Internal, fanbase, media and rival expectations for Florida's offense in 2023 are also pretty out of sync, so to answer this, the previous thought in question will purely be my own. 

When it is firing on all cylinders — good blocking leading to a strong rushing attack and a potent West Coast-style passing game — I think the offense can work in 2023 and potentially be effective. It will undoubtedly be limited as Graham Mertz doesn't have the arm to support a consistently vertical offense, but he made the quick, short-to-intermediate concepts work on Saturday.

Before someone asks: Yes, Max Brown has a strong arm, and his accuracy has seemingly improved from last year. But his throw timing and anticipation for openings still need significant development if Saturday's practice is any indication, which isn't necessarily surprising as he has only played quarterback for three years.

Importantly, as you mentioned, Mertz made the offense move without his No. 1 receiver in Ricky Pearsall. Starting guard Micah Mazzccua remained limited and tackle Lyndell Hudson II, a potential starter or swing tackle, was absent, too.

But defensive coordinators will understand that Florida's offensive ceiling isn't very high, and ultimately they will scheme against it. Opposing defenses are likely to sell out against the run this season and dare Mertz to beat them through the air. 

He struggled to do so at Wisconsin, but can he change that narrative at Florida? We'll soon find out. 

From TheSwampThing: Overall thoughts on what the offense will look like this season?

I think it will look old school. 

Billy Napier's ground-and-pound offensive philosophy is a bit out of date in the present era as is, and it appears he will lean into that approach greatly this year considering Florida's current quarterback situation. 

Of course, Napier infuses modern concepts into the scheme. His usage of pre-snap motion and run-pass option takes a few pages out of San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan's book. But at its core, Napier's offense wants to wear defenses down with a physical rushing game that is supplemented by the air attack. 

Without a quarterback that can consistently push the ball beyond 20 yards or provide a rushing threat on their own, like Anthony Richardson last year — although Richardson sometimes struggled with passing consistency in the areas Mertz is expected to perform well — efficiency from the running backs will be essential to create manageable passing situations. 

Despite the great talent that makes up Florida's running back room with Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne leading the pack, it doesn't help that Florida's offensive line has turned over so greatly this offseason. 

Even if the unit performs well in 2023, it lost eight contributors over the past nine months and does not enter the season with the same level of chemistry that it did a year ago. Two key contributors are currently nursing injuries, too. The unit will require time to gel, which could limit early rushing production.

All of this is to reiterate what I said in response to the first question: The offense needs to be firing on all cylinders in order to be effective. I certainly think that's possible, but it is also hard to guarantee.

From Crystal Mafia: O-Line or D-Line, who gets the most push?

The defensive line was getting the most push in Saturday's practice, for sure. Granted, the offensive line was impacted by Mazzccua's limitations and Hudson's absence, but the edge rushers and interior trench-men made their way into the backfield and created disruption often throughout the workout. 

Memphis transfer lineman Cam Jackson, Louisville transfer lineman Caleb Banks, sophomore Chris McClellan, and freshman EDGEs Kelby Collins and TJ Searcy specifically stood out to me during the practice pertaining to getting into the backfield. 

From Dan: What differences in terms of corner blitzes, overloads, and man coverages are you seeing with this new defense that you possibly didn’t see last year?

I anticipate more aggression from the secondary than what was showcased last season, but truthfully not a drastic amount. 

Defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong's scheme is basically the same as Patrick Toney's, but the talent that has been recruited since Napier's hiring should generally fit better into the system entering its second season of molding the Gators' defensive unit. 

The scheme aims to abundantly deploy Cover 3 concepts in zone, and standard Cover 1 and match concepts in man coverage. Florida's cornerbacks are faster and longer than a year ago, so as long as a rangy safety can cover the deep zone, I would think we'll see an increase in press-man calls.  

I don't think overloading will ever be common in this scheme because its end goal is to simulate pressure rather than force it, but improved man coverage play will make simulating pressure more effective. A similar idea can be applied to corner blitzes — better coverage by the linebackers and safeties would make such calls viable.

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