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Florida Football: 5 keys for a successful 2019 season

By Briley Hughes

GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 06: Quincy Lenton #27 of the Florida Gators asks the crowd for noise during the game against the LSU Tigers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 06: Quincy Lenton #27 of the Florida Gators asks the crowd for noise during the game against the LSU Tigers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – DECEMBER 29: Lamical Perine #22 of the Florida Gators is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a third quarter touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – DECEMBER 29: Lamical Perine #22 of the Florida Gators is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a third quarter touchdown against the Michigan Wolverines during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /

4. Rebuild offensive line

The offensive line’s surprising improvement served as the catalyst to the increased potency seen by the entire offense in 2018. With a cleaner pocket, Feleipe Franks became a serviceable quarterback which allowed the staff to run more effective schemes and unlock new dimensions in the offense.

If last year’s improvement was seen as a semi-miracle, maintaining the success this upcoming season will require a full miracle. Having lost four starters from last season, offensive line coach John Hevesy has his work cut out for him. Further, spring practices and the spring game showed that the new-look offensive line struggled to protect the quarterback and open holes in the run game.

Raising the level of play from the fellas on the line should be priority number one for the offensive coaching staff this summer. But not just this crop of players; the staff needs to develop a pipeline of talent to prevent a similar situation from happening in the future. This means recruiting at an elite level and preparing those recruits for when their name is called – right away or in future seasons.

It would be a shame to see Florida’s most talented offense in years be sunk because of poor offensive line play, but even more shameful would be to see the offensive line become a crutch year after year. This needs to be the year the offensive line proves doubters wrong by maintaining the standard set last year, and the coaches must replenish the talent in the room by securing commitments from highly rated recruits.

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