1. Dan Mullen, Florida
I don’t know how he does it anymore. I’m fairly confident that if Dan Mullen recruited a baby to start at quarterback, he would turn in an elite-level season. What Mullen was able to do with Feleipe Franks, when it seemed like all of Gainesville was ready to see him benched, is nothing short of spectacular. Franks improved to 24 touchdowns and only six interceptions in 2018, after finishing with nine touchdowns and eight interceptions the year before.
That’s why Florida is my surprise pick to potentially sneak into the College Football Playoff in 2019. Mullen has managed to bring in back to back top-15 recruiting classes to Florida, and has built a strong contender out in the SEC East.
This team is just littered with talent that screams potential All-American. Florida has what I consider the best cornerback duo in the country, in CJ Henderson and Marco Wilson. Jabari Zuniga will help them by being able to get after the quarterback from the defensive end position.
On offense, the Gators have a strong arsenal of skill position players. Running back Lamical Perine leads the rushing attack this season, while Florida has about five wide receivers who can make an impact. Keep an eye on sophomore Jacob Copeland, he was a top recruit who couldn’t stay healthy last season. He can become a big time performer this season.
All of this talent will try to take advantage of Florida’s relatively easy schedule. Florida plays only three teams ranked in a lot preseason Top 25 polls: LSU, Auburn and Georgia. Not to mention the expected regression from Kentucky, and Florida is poised to contend with Georgia for the SEC East, if they can win a couple of those games, they’re poised to make it to the conference championship and possibly even beyond.