Gators Have 'Top 10' Potential, Per CBS Sports' Josh Pate

While the Florida Gators are expected to open the season as a top 25 team, CBS Sports’ Josh Pate on Thursday went as far as saying they have top 10 potential on both sides of the ball next year. 

“[Florida] is one of the teams in the country that truly does have top-10 offensive and defensive potential,” Pate said. 

He isn’t the first personality to hold the Gators in high regards, especially their offense. They bring back star quarterback DJ Lagway to run the show along with four returning starters on the offensive line to protect him

Florida head coach Billy Napier has also put a lot of weapons around his signal caller. Out wide, he’ll have Eugene Wilson III, Aidan Mizell and Tank Hawkins returning. Additionally, he signed former California and UCLA receiver J. Michael Sturdivant and five-star freshmen Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III this past recruiting cycle. 

The hype surrounding Wilson was backed up as well in his first spring game of his collegiate career. The former Tampa Bay (Fla.) Tech receiver set a school record for receiving yards in a spring game with (195) and catches (10) while also recording two touchdowns. 

It’s not just the pass catchers, though. The Gators have stacked their running back room, too. Running backs coach Jabar Juluke has brought in top-level talents to his group in Jadan Baugh, Ja’Kobi Jackson, Treyaun Webb and KD Daniels. 

For Baugh, he enters his sophomore season as one of the best tailbacks in the SEC. He rushed the ball 133 times in 13 games for 673 yards and seven scores last season. He also had four receptions for 33 yards and a touchdown. All of that as a freshman earned him Freshman All-SEC honors. 

On the defensive side of the ball, Florida will get to see some of the best defensive linemen in the SEC back in the orange and blue. 

Defensive lineman Caleb Banks leads the way on the interior. He had a fantastic stretch to end the season. In Florida’s two top-25 wins over LSU and Ole Miss, Banks recorded seven tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss and 3.5 sacks. This production has now propelled him into first round discussions for next year’s NFL Draft. 

Joining Banks as a player to watch for the Gators is edge rusher Tyreak Sapp. Sapp had a career-year as a junior, logging 47 tackles, 13 tackles-for-loss, seven sacks and two forced fumbles. All of these either set or tied a career high. 

Florida also is set at the linebacker position with Grayson Howard, Myles Graham, Jaden Robinson and Aaron Chiles all donning the uniform next season.

Then, capping it off the Gators have Jordan Castell and Bryce Thornton roaming deep and protecting the back end of the defense. 

All in all, the Gators have tons of talents at each position on both sides. However, having the potential and showing it on the field are two different things. The Gators will have to back up all of the offseason talk when they kick their season off on August 30 against LIU.

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