2007 Florida Gators Predictions & Season Preview
June 5, 2008
Now check out our 2008 Florida Gators Football Predictions
The 2006 National Champion Florida Gators start the season ranked just 11th in the country. The reason: Florida returns just 8 starters for the 2007 season. Not being ranked in the Top 10 will be a big motivational factor for head coach Urban Meyer to use in hopes of getting the best out of his young talent. The Gators should have little trouble moving the ball and scoring points because the offense is still loaded with playmakers.
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It all begins with sophomore quarterback Tim Tebow, a bruising runner behind Chris Leak Leak ended the 2006 season as the Gators’ second-leading rusher with 469 yards and 8 touchdowns. Tebow was superb in the spring game, completing 17 of 27 passes for 216 years with three touchdowns to no interceptions. The Gators are looking very promising with Tebow as their play caller this season.
The offense will likely have more of the option element than it did the past two seasons with Tebow’s ability to read defenses on option plays. A big setback with projected starter Mon Williams’ torn ACL in the spring has the Gators’ backfield looking a little suspect. Junior Kestahn Moore enters the fall as the No. 1 back. He has minimal experience with 559 career rushing yards for the Gators. His ability to carry the load as a full-time SEC back will go a long way in the Gators having a successful season.
Florida football has a group of talented, play-making receivers. It begins with senior Andre Caldwell and his 129 career catches. Sophomores Percy Harvin and Jarred Fayson will be making plays up and down the field as well. Harvin had 75 touches with 34 catches and 41 runs for 856 yards and five touchdowns despite being hampered by a hamstring injury last year. Junior Louis Murphy was Florida’s best receiver in the spring and the star of the spring game with 8 catches for 129 yards and a touchdown. Junior tight end/receiver Cornelius Ingram came on at the end of last season, catching 20 of his 30 passes in the final five games.
The Gators’ biggest problem heading into the 2007 season is the fact that only 2 starters return from last year’s National Championship squad. Nobody has any significant experience in the trenches. It is likely hat two true freshmen in John Brown and Torrey Davis will be on the field a lot. Redshirt junior end Derrick Harvey, the Defensive Most Valuable Player of the BCS National Championship game with three sacks and a fumble recovery, is one of the two returning starters. He had 11 sacks last season and will be a force to be reckoned with in 2007.
The Gators are limited at linebacker. Sophomores Dustin Doe and Brandon Spikes played a lot last season but their isn’t much depth to follow these two starters. Just two spots have been settled in the secondary in sophomore Markihe Anderson at one cornerback and Tony Joiner, the only other returning starter, at strong safety. Senior Kyle Jackson has big shoes to fill as he should replace All-American Reggie Nelson at free safety. As many as six true freshmen could win starting jobs or become key backups during the season.
Florida’s defense carried the Gators last season, but that definitely won’t be happening in 2007. They have too many question marks at too many positions. Meyer has assembled top-five recruiting classes the past two years, so there is much reason for Gator faithful to have no worries in the upcoming seasons. There is plenty of talent to go around, just little experience. Can the playmakers on offense carry the Gators to an SEC East title? It is a good possibility but Florida will have to wait until the 2008 season for a bigger prize.
