Three Things to Watch in the Florida Gators Spring Game

What to keep an eye on during the Florida Gators' first Orange and Blue game under Billy Napier.

Photo: Anthony Richardson; Credit: Alex Shepherd

Florida's first spring camp of the Billy Napier era will come to a close on Thursday, concluded by the Gators' (typically) annual Orange and Blue game in front of fans at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

The playbook won't be fully unveiled on either side of the ball, and there will certainly be hiccups as players continue to adjust to new schemes, but regardless, the game will provide media and fans alike with an extended opportunity to check in on the team's progress under Napier after 13 spring practices.

Below, we've compiled the three most important things to watch when the orange and the blue go head-to-head in The Swamp on Thursday evening.

Anthony Richardson's progression

Richardson has been the first quarterback up throughout spring and appears poised to start when Week 1 rolls around. When that opportunity arises, Richardson will have a lot to prove after a promising yet inconsistent first season of playing time in 2021.

By now, we know that Richardson is a freak athlete for the position. He has a rocket launcher for a right arm and was clocked at 21 miles per hour on an 80-yard touchdown run last year.

But how has Richardson developed as it pertains to making his reads as a passer and limiting turnovers? What is his comfort level in the offense Napier has installed thus far?

Field processing and turnovers were reasons of concern last year for Richardson, seen specifically in his start against Georgia — to be fair, he couldn't have asked for a more daunting first start than against the Bulldogs' defense — as well as the conclusion of his otherwise miraculous comeback effort against LSU the week prior.

Now that he holds the keys to the car that is Florida's offense, Richardson has been given every opportunity to showcase his growth as a quarterback while earning a fresh start with the new coaching staff. Thursday night should show us just how far he's come — perhaps with a few jaw-dropping plays onlookers have grown accustomed to.

How are Florida's spring transfers fitting in?

Napier welcomed five transfers to the program before spring practices began, a mix of immediate contributing-caliber talent and depth players to develop for the long run: Three of his former Louisiana players in running back Montrell Johnson and offensive linemen O'Cyrus Torrence and Kamryn Waites, as well as former Georgia cornerback Jalen Kimber and former Ohio State quarterback Jack Miller III.

Realistically, Johnson, Torrence and Kimber could step onto the field and contribute immediately for UF this season. Johnson was the 2021 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year at UL after scoring 12 touchdowns and, as expected, has worked himself into the first-team rotation at running back this spring.

Torrence, a three-year starter for Napier at guard, has yet to allow a sack in his college career. Florida could use that dependability on its O-line and must replace a starter at right guard anyway, so it's easy to peg Torrence into the top of the depth chart. Kimber, meanwhile, is competing to start at cornerback opposite Jason Marshall Jr. after being in the mix to start for Georgia last year before a season-ending injury.

It will be interesting to see if these three players work their way into the "starting lineup" on Thursday night (be prepared for plenty of players to rotate in and out). Miller's progression as Richardson's projected backup and Waites' development as a reserve tackle — a massive one at 6-foot-8, 358 pounds — will be worth monitoring as well.

New-look Gators defense

The Gators will be rolling out at least four new starters defensively on Thursday with the need to replace two defensive linemen, a linebacker and a cornerback, as well as a new defensive scheme under coordinator Patrick Toney.

Players have praised Toney quite a bit this spring for his informative and interactive coaching style and for simplifying the Gators' defense, allowing players to think less and play faster. If this is truly the case, expect the unit to look a lot different than it did under Todd Grantham, whose defense was known to be complex and ask a lot of its players.

But what will the new scheme look like, exactly? And who will step into larger roles to replace the snaps that have been left behind? The Orange and Blue game will provide the first set of clues. 

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