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The Gators Face a Tall Task in Replacing Special Teams Veterans

With the loss of many veterans on special teams due to graduation, the Gators have some thinking to do about who can step in for the 2020 season.

Donavon Keiser

The Gators Face a Tall Task in Replacing Special Teams Veterans
The Gators Face a Tall Task in Replacing Special Teams Veterans /

Although Florida has more important spots to fill across their roster, their special teams have been gutted with the loss of their two starting gunners, punter, and punt returner all to graduation this offseason. 

The loss of Van Jefferson, Tyrie Cleveland, Freddie Swain, and - obviously - punter Tommy Townsend will have the coaches looking for new bodies to fill out their special teams unit. 

The starting long snapper from 2019, Jacob Tilghman, will also have to be replaced, most likely with former five-star long snapper Brett DioGuardi. 

Luckily, the Gators will return starting kicker Evan McPherson, who has been near perfect at kicking field goals - as well as other impressive feats with his leg as seen below - over his two years as the starter for the Gators. 

Gunners 

The Gators have plenty of wide receivers who could potentially fill in at the gunner spot, including the new addition from the transfer portal, Justin Shorter. 

Shorter, a freak athlete, ran a swift 4.5 40 yard dash coming out of high school. Running a 4.5 is no easy task, especially for someone who is 6-4 and 220 pounds. 

If his waiver is cleared, I have Shorter filling in for Van Jefferson as a gunner due to his combination of size, strength, and speed. For reference, Van Jefferson measured in at 6-1, 200 lbs at the combine. 

Shorter is a perfect candidate to be a gunner, as his size will make him immune to jams at the line of scrimmage and his speed allows him to quickly get down the field. 

On the other side of the field, Tyrie Cleveland was the other starting gunner for Florida in 2019. His 4.46 speed made it very easy for him to cover on the punt team, and I believe senior Trevon Grimes could step in and make his presence felt more than just on offense. 

I'd also keep an eye on Jacob Copeland or freshman Xzavier Henderson to potentially add the gunner role to their repertoire. 

Punter 

With the departure of the fan-favorite Tommy Townsend, the Gators' next punter will have some big shoes to fill. The next UF punter could hail from Australia, that being 2020 signee Jeremy Crawshaw. As a redshirt senior, Jacob Finn is also another name to note, but the staff bringing in Crawshaw on scholarship is telling that they view the position as an instant need for 2020. 

Head coach Dan Mullen said prior to the beginning of spring that he was excited to see Crawshaw on the field.

"I don't know if he's probably worked out at this level before with the intensity of it, but I mean he is a tough competitive guy and so I'm really excited to see how he kicks the ball," said Mullen in March. "So, I've seen it on film from when he was in Australia so I'm excited to see it live. He worked hard though. You get reports about, of the way he competes at a high level, like a tough competitive edge, which I like."

Returners

Before I begin, I do not see Kadarius Toney replacing Freddie Swain as the primary punt returner for 2020. It was clear that Mullen wanted someone with sure hands to receive any punts and Toney can struggle with moving up the field with the ball in his hands. 

Trevon Grimes would make for a trusty returner, much as Swain did, which is why he is my pick to fill the position in 2020. Grimes is able to make plays in space with the ball in his hands and he is able to catch any ball that comes his way, which is exactly what Mullen and the other coaches look for in their return man. 

Incoming freshman Fenley Graham could easily skyrocket on the depth chart upon his arrival to campus, but you'd figure Mullen would rather roll with experience to begin the season. The Lakeland return man was one of the best returners in the entire country in high school, but there are questions to be answered before he gets snaps just three months after he enrolls at Florida. Graham should see some reps as a return man once he garners the trust of the staff but that could take some time. 

Iverson Clement could also be a dark horse, as he has the speed and the hands to make plays on special teams. Clement is looking to take a bigger role on the team and this opportunity could easily become a reality considering running backs coach Greg Knox oversees the special teams as well.

As always, Florida has options on who they could utilize in their return game. Mullen will mix and match his return men up throughout fall camp to decide which direction he'd like to go.

Overall, the Gators have many spots to fill across their special teams and many players will be pushing to earn these roles as fall camp (hopefully) goes on. Mullen is a coach who relies on special teams to change his games and wants his best 11 on the field when he needs to change the game in its third phase. With this, I'll leave you to enjoy Tommy Townsend's fake punts as evidence. 

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Donavon Keiser
DONAVON KEISER

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