Florida football will begin fall camp on Wednesday with both optimism and a sense of urgency.
The Florida Gators will have a month to prepare for their season opener on Aug. 31 at The Swamp against Miami (3:30 p.m., ABC) in a pivotal game that could dictate the course of the rest of the 2024 season.
“We’ve been hard at work, going all the way back to the beginning of this off-season, developing the fight, a mentality, the intangibles of our team, our core values, the integrity, the togetherness, the discipline, the effort and toughness of the team,” Florida football coach Billy Napier said. “If we can do these things consistently, we’ll develop a high level of belief.”
In all, Florida will hold 17 practices over a 22-day stretch before game-week preparation for its first matchup with the Hurricanes since beating Miami 24-20 in Orlando in 2019.
Here are five storylines to watch for Florida during 2024 fall camp:
What positions are up for grabs for Florida football?
The main starting position battles will come at wide receiver (Chemire Dike-Elijhah Badger), right tackle (Brendan Crenshaw-Dickson and Kamryn Waites), linebacker (Grayson “Pup” Howard-Derek Wingo), safety (Asa Turner-D.J. Douglas) and star (Sharif Denson, Trikweze Bridges, Aaron Gates). Other position battles could come along the defensive front as well.
Dike, a Wisconsin transfer, has a slight edge on Badger, an Arizona State transfer, based on his familiarity with quarterback Graham Mertz when the two were teammates in the Big Ten. Howard was impressive as the best linebacker in spring camp and will give Wingo, a fifth-year senior with 2.5 sacks last season, a run for the starting job.
What new faces are worth watching during Florida football fall camp?
Badger brings experience as a playmaking threat, with 142 catches for 1,640 yards and 10 TDs in three seasons at Arizona State. Incoming freshman linebacker Aaron Chiles, an Under-Armour All-American, enrolled in the summer but has the talent to compete for playing time on UF’s defense. Incoming freshman tight end Amir Jackson, another summer enrollee, could emerge as another target in UF’s passing game, depending on how quickly he adapts to the offense. Transfer sophomore cornerback Cormani McClain, a former five-star recruit from Lakeland, has added 10 pounds of muscle during the offseason but needs to prove that he’s both physically and mentally ready to compete at the SEC level.
Can Florida football set a physical tone during fall camp while avoiding injuries?
Last season, Florida lost running back Cam Carroll and edge rusher Justus Boone to torn ACLs during fall scrimmages. The Gators want to get prepared for a physical matchup with Miami without overdoing it. New strength coach Tyler Miles has put together a program in which players have arrived in camp thicker and capable of withstanding contact.
How will Florida football QBs Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway look throwing the football?
Mertz has been on time and on target with his receivers since first arriving at UF, resulting in a completion percentage (72.9%) that led the SEC last season. There are questions as to whether he can throw consistently downfield, but Napier is confident that, with better protection in front of him, he’ll be able to generate more big plays. Lagway will get more time to get in sync with his receivers after showing off a strong but sometimes erratic arm during spring drills.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Florida football: 5 storylines to watch as preseason practices begin
The Gainesville Sun
