Florida Football: What we’re most looking forward to in spring 2019

Florida football’s spring will provide some much-needed clarity to some of the most important questions heading into the 2019 season.

Gainesville certainly has much to be excited about this spring. Dan Mullen and this Florida football team seem prepared to take a competitive leap in 2019 and get Florida back to competing with the elite of college football.

But – as Gator fans should well remember – this isn’t the first time a coach has led the Gators to the precipice of truly competing. Both Will Muschamp and Jim McElwain produced promising seasons under their tenure, only to see the Gators plummet back to average-status the next year. Most around the program admit that this time feels different as Mullen appears to be building a true powerhouse program the right way. Ultimately, only time will tell.

One of the most interesting storylines in spring 2019 will be if Mullen can take advantage of the foundation and momentum built during the 2018 season and, unlike his predecessors, produce a more successful follow-up season. This offseason already portended good future results – securing a solid 2019 recruiting class and a fast start to the 2020 class, overcoming coaching changes and drama and keeping interest high during the offseason lull.

Spring, however, is where the rubber meets the road, if you will. Mullen needs to prove that the 2018 season wasn’t just a flash in the pan, but instead the beginning of a dominant run. Fans should look forward to discovering how Mullen will set the “Gator Standard” early and motivate his team to exceed expectations in the coming campaign.

Maybe more important than motivation in 2019 will be the play at quarterback. Groundbreaking news that is not, but no less vital. Tracking the progression of Feleipe Franks and Emory Jones during the spring should pique everyone’s interest.

Franks improved drastically over the course of the 2018 season, and some have even discussed the possibility – though unlikely – of his early departure if he displays the same improvement in 2019. First things first: If Florida wants to compete for a national championship in 2019, Franks must become more than a game-manager.

Of equal interest to Franks’ growth is whether Jones will push for the starting position. Jones is considered the future quarterback, but he eventually needs to show that he’s capable of becoming a playmaker, especially since he’s tailor-made for Mullen’s system. It’s no secret that Gator fans lack patience with their quarterbacks, so this spring would be the perfect opportunity for Jones to make a play for playing time.

There are plenty of other young players poised to factor into the rotation heavily if they can prove their readiness during spring. How Todd Grantham will utilize new and returning talent to reshape a defense that lost several leaders and playmakers will be of high interest.

Especially exciting is how quickly the early-enrollees will make their presence felt. Freshmen like Chris Steele, Mohamoud Diabate and several offensive linemen will begin their campaign to carve out important roles for the 2019 season – they certainly have the talent to pull it off.

Winning is what fans care most about, and these storylines should garner the most attention and interest for one simple reason: If the progress on these areas during the spring is exciting, the 2019 season could be even more successful than the refreshingly-productive 2018 campaign.