JP25 - #4 FLORIDA

Urban Meyer had high expectations placed on him when he took this job, yet he still managed to surprise everybody by winning a national title in only his second season in Gainesville. Now that he’s got a roster full of his own recruits its pretty obvious Florida is going to be a national title contender every year. The stockpile of talent and speed Meyer has collected is downright ridiculous.

OFFENSE
Meyer continues to place a priority on speed during recruiting and this approach has succeeded in churned out flashy playmakers every year. This season its redshirt freshman Chris Rainey’s turn to burst into the spotlight. His freakish speed and agility made him the breakout star of the spring, and gives the Gators yet another game-breaker on an offense that already averaged 42.5 points per game.

Speaking of game-breakers, I’m sure by now you’ve heard the names Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin. You’ll be hearing even more about them in 2008 because they are both back. And as you already know Tim Tebow is the greatest human being to walk the planet since the dawn of time. Bow in his presence or CBS will eliminate you.

Aiding all these speedy playmakers will be what should be the best offensive line Meyer has assembled yet. Three starters are back and so is former starter Phil Trautwein, who missed last year with an injury. Maurkice Pouncey started 11 games last season as a true freshman and is quickly becoming one of the best centers in the league. There are also a handful of talented sophomores to provide quality depth, which always comes in handy in the trenches.

Overall, there’s no reason this offense won’t continue to light up scoreboards, even in the defensive minded SEC. Ideally somebody will step up (USC transfer Emmanuel Moody maybe?) and take some of the pressure off Tim Tebow in the running game, but it doesn’t really matter. Florida will score points.

DEFENSE
The talent and speed (there’s that word again!) on this roster is without peer, but the Gators will need to tighten up the defense if they want to make another run at the national title. Eight starters return and the depth chart is littered with sophomores and juniors, so potentially this will be a unit to be reckoned with in the very near future.

The defensive line will benefit from the addition of Dan McCarney to the coaching staff. McCarney, the former Iowa State head coach, is a fantastic line coach who comes over from South Florida where defensive end George Selvie turned into an All American under his tutelage. The anticipation on the Florida campus is that super-sophomore Carlos Dunlap will have the same kind of emergence in 2008.

The defensive tackle rotation is already stout, but incoming freshman Omar Hunter was all Urban Meyer could talk about this spring. That means Hunter will probably be seeing the field sooner rather than later, and he could have a significant impact on a defense that could use a little more physicality.

This group of linebackers has the potential to become one of the best in the nation. Middle linebacker Brandon Spikes plays fast and furious and led the team with 131 tackles in ’07. He also chipped in 16 tackles for loss. Dustin Doe adds even more athleticism and A.J. Jones rounds out the starting lineup. As with every other position on this Florida team, there is an exciting up-and-coming star providing depth off the bench. Brandon Hicks was a top recruit a year ago and gained limited experience as a true freshman. Look for him to take the next step in his development.

The secondary is where the Florida defense was let down the most in 2007. The Gators finished last in the SEC by giving up 258.5 passing yards per game, and they only picked off 11 passes all season. With three of four starters returning, those numbers should improve. Safety Major Wright stepped onto the scene as a true freshman a year ago and showed experience beyond his years. Look for him to take a leadership role this year as he establishes himself as one of the best in the league.

KEEP AN EYE ON
The defense. There is no excuse for this unit not to come up with more key stops than they did a year ago. There is too much talent up and down the roster to accept another 9-4 season, so it is imperative that the defense show improvement.

RISING STAR
Umm, the entire roster? Players like Chris Rainey, Carlos Dunlap, and Omar Hunter will all make names for themselves this year. There are another half dozen or so behind those three too.