Three Questions About the Florida Gators Specialists Entering 2022

Three questions about the Florida Gators' specialists that will need to be answered early on in the 2022 season.

Photo: Jeremy Crawshaw; Credit: Alex Shepherd 

With spring football squarely in the rearview mirror, and not much going on in the realm of college sports, AllGators has decided to take a stab at going over various position groups for the Florida Gators and the three pressing questions for each room.

After covering all major positions on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, we round out the series by taking a deep dive into the specialists unit for the 2022 version of the program.

Undergoing immense turnover following a season to forget in 2021 from the unit as a whole, the proclaimed "game-changers" led by coordinator Chris Couch will be an intriguing group to follow in the early going of the Billy Napier regime.

AllGators' three questions by position series

• Quarterback
• Running back
• Wide receiver
• Tight end
• Offensive line
• JACK edge rusher
• Defensive line
• Inside linebackers
• Cornerbacks
• Safeties and nickels

Who will assume place kicking duties?

The departure of Evan McPherson following the 2020 season left a significant hole in the Gators specialists unit that was evident a season ago.

Utilizing the likes of Chris Howard and Jace Christmann in rotation, Florida combined to make just 67% of its 15 field goal attempts on the year and saw the number of missed extra points McPherson had in his entire collegiate career surpassed between the two.

The inconsistency and lack of leg power took its toll on the Gators' season, namely by way of a missed extra point against Alabama that would ultimately be a difference-maker between Florida losing in regulation versus having an attempt to steal a huge victory over the Crimson Tide in overtime.

Now, with both Howard and Christmann both leaving UF, a new face is set to assume the role of placekicker heading into the future.

While there isn't an abundance of options, two have set themselves up to battle for the start spot for the fall.

First, and likely the one who has the upper hand due to his placement on scholarship, is true freshman kicker Trey Smack.

His competition is former preferred walk-on Adam Mihalek, who showed significant promise during the opportunity he received in the team's spring game. Knocking through multiple long-range kicks from 52 and 49 yards out, Mihalek displayed desirable accuracy and pop off his foot in the place kicking department.

However, he struggled on his kickoff attempts, showing that he is limited to just place kicking if the Gators want to utilize him, giving Smack the upper hand if he can do both effectively.

Will the return game's productivity re-emerge under new leadership?

A much-maligned aspect of an already poorly performing team last season was the lackluster return unit Florida trotted out onto the field a season ago.

Characterized by mishaps along the goal line, unsolicited return attempts and, frankly, the wrong personnel in spots to return kicks, the group was a detriment to Florida's success.

Entrusting running back Malik Davis and wide receivers Xzavier Henderson to return kicks, with an occasional appearance from wide receiver Ja'Markis Weston, Florida totaled just over 13 yards per return on average and failed to record a score.

Davis recorded the team's longest return of just 33 yards.

Likewise, Henderson was the primary handler of punt return duties. In 23 attempts, he compiled just seven yards per attempt with a long of just 33.

Across the board, the return unit left much to be desired in 2022.

As they look to introduce new faces into the fold in an attempt to find a spark, namely the likes of Demarkcus Bowman and the man who was recruited heavily to be a return game specialist in Fenley Graham, the Gators hope they can find a spark much-needed spark in the third phase of the game.

Will Couch get more production out of the game changers than former special teams coordinator Greg Knox was able to? Or are the Gators in for another year of mediocrity at best in the return game?

Can punter Jeremy Crawshaw provide consistency?

The drastic turnover and hope for improvement are the strong storylines for the special teams unit heading into 2022. However, the Gators do have the luxury of continuity in one of the major areas in the form of punter Jeremy Crawshaw.

Showing flashes of elite leg strength to bomb balls downfield at points last season, Crawshaw has the potential to be a weapon for the Gators.

But, can he be that each time he steps on the field?

A season ago, the Australian native was a bright spot for Florida's special teams unit. Averaging 44.1 yards per punt on 52 attempts, his ability to send opposing teams on their heels was evident at points.

However, just as he would get off 60-plus-yard bombs — his career-high coming against Vanderbilt with a 69-yarder — the Sydney product struggled with mis-hits.

The volatility of his game was encapsulated in Florida's upsetting loss to Missouri in overtime on the road, where he paired a 67-yard punt and a 54-yard punt with an 11-yarder, a 29-yarder and a 31-yarder.

His boom or bust nature will be an area the new Florida staff looks to drastically improve this offseason to ensure they get performances matching the numbers of the former more often.

Employing an offense that will lean toward a power-rushing game that is designed to wear down opponents and wind down the game clock, Florida will hope they can rely on their punter — although sparingly — to flip the field when their rushing attack gets stymied consistently.

If they can, the entire unit, offense and defense, will reap the benefits of Crawshaw's work.

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