Checking out the comp: Florida
Missouri finished spring football over three weeks ago and is moving onto the next portion of its offseason, and until the transfer portal opens May 1-15 things may enter a bit of a quiet period around the program. So, while we give the Tigers a break for a little while there's nothing stopping us from checking out what their 2023 Power 5 opponents' rosters are looking like.
We've already covered Mizzou's first four Power 5 opponents in Kansas State, Vanderbilt, LSU, Kentucky, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.
Today is Florida's last day of spring football and its spring game.
Last season's record: 6-7
Key departures: (NFL Draft) QB Anthony Richardson, WR Justin Shorter, LT Richard Gouraige, RG O'Cyrus Torrence, DT Gervon Dexter, LB Ventrell Miller, LB Amari Burney, S Rashad Torrence II, S Trey Dean III, S Tre'Vez Johnson
(Transfer Portal) OL Josh Braun, OL Michael Tarquin, DB Corey Collier Jr.
Key additions: OL Micah Mazzccua, OL Kiyaunta Goodwin, QB Graham Mertz, OL Damieon George, DT Caleb Banks, RB Cameron Carroll, LB Mannie Nunnery, DL Cam'Ron Jackson
Key departures
Florida is going through a true roster overhaul with over 20 players transferring to other schools and 10 more declaring for the NFL Draft.
Starting with the players the Gators lost to the draft the headliner is quarterback Anthony Richardson, who had an alright, but not spectacular 2022 campaign.
He completed 53.8% of his passes for 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 12 games a season ago. He was also the team's third-leading rusher with 654 yards and nine touchdowns on 176 carries (6.3 yards per game).
Richardson has now shot up draft boards and is almost a lock to be drafted in the top 10 due to his NFL Combine performance and his potential.
Wide receiver Justin Shorter, who was the Gators' second-leading receiver, caught 29 passes for 577 yards and a pair of touchdowns in nine games. He's projected to be somewhere between a seventh-round pick and a (priority) undrafted free agent.
Left tackle Richard Gouraige started all 13 games last season and had a pass-blocking grade of 78.9 and a run-blocking grade of 68.7, according to PFF College. He also gave up just one sack and 12 pressures but also had five penalties.
Gouraige appears to be in a similar boat to Shorter draft position-wise.
One of the better players in the draft, right guard O'Cyrus Torrence, could sneak into the end of the first round.
Torrence had a pass-blocking grade of 89.9 and a run-blocking grade of 76.1. He only allowed eight pressures in 11 games in 2022 and he didn't commit a penalty or allow a sack.
His run-blocking grade was the second-best in the nation among guards who played seven games or more.
Former five-star defensive tackle Gervon Dexter looks to be a lock as a day-two pick for a team (particularly one that runs a 3-4) needing someone with immense size to plug up a gap or two.
The 6-foot-6 and 310-pounder recorded 55 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, a pass deflection and an interception in 13 games a season ago.
The Gators' fourth leading tackler from a season ago, Ventrell Miller, had 74 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, a pair of pass deflections, a couple of forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 11 games.
He had 11 tackles and two tackles for loss in the win over Missouri last season.
He is projected to be a day-three pick.
Another linebacker departing for the draft is Amari Burney, who was a true stat sheet stuffer.
He was the team's third-leading tackler last season with 79 tackles to go with nine tackles for loss, four sacks, four pass deflections, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 13 games.
He's not projected to get drafted but could be another priority undrafted free agent if he doesn't slide into the seventh round.
In addition to losing a pair of starting linebackers the team also will lose a pair of starting safeties in Rashad Torrence II and Trey Dean III.
Torrence was the team's leading tackler a season ago with 84 tackles to go with a pass deflection, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 12 games.
He's expected to be selected somewhere in the fifth round or possibly at the top of the sixth.
Lastly, Dean, who was the Gators' second-leading tackler could be drafted in the same range Torrence could be selected.
In 12 games, Dean recorded 81 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four pass deflections and a pair of fumble recoveries a season ago.
When you include Dexter being the team's fifth-leading tackler Florida will be losing its five leading tacklers from 2022.
Lastly, someone Missouri fans have already started to become a bit familiar with is safety Tre'Vez Johnson, who transferred to Mizzou in early January.
Johnson recorded 26 tackles, two pass deflections, two fumble recoveries and an interception. He was ranked as the No. 315 overall available transfer.
For more information about Johnson, you can find it here.
Offensive lineman Josh Braun transferred to Arkansas after seeing 24 snaps at left tackle in 2022.
He had previously appeared in 24 games as a reserve and quasi-starter at guard before head coach Billy Napier came in last season. Braun was ranked as the 35th-best overall available transfer.
Joining Braun in the portal was fellow offensive lineman Michael Tarquin, who transferred to USC.
Tarquin started eight games and played nine overall in 2022.
He had a pass-blocking grade of 81.3 and a run-blocking grade of 68.4 last season. He also allowed nine pressures and three sacks.
He was ranked as the No. 82 overall available transfer.
Defensive back Corey Collier Jr. rounds out the Gators' key departures after he transferred to Nebraska.
Collier was a five-star prospect in the class of 2021 and was the third-best safety in that class.
He played just five games in two seasons in Gainesville with him serving as a special teamer in three games in 2022.
Collier was ranked as the No. 96 overall available transfer.
Key additions
The Gators added 10 players via the transfer portal with three of them being offensive linemen to fortify that line after losing three starters.
Left guard Micah Mazzccua comes over after three seasons at Baylor. In 2022, he started 11 games and played in 12.
The 6-foot-5, 331-pounder had a pretty good season in the run game with a run-blocking grade of 76.9. However, his pass-blocking grade was 66.9 and he allowed eight pressures, a sack and had five penalties.
He was ranked as the 58th-best overall available transfer.
Left tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin transferred over from division foe Kentucky after spending just one season in Lexington. Goodwin, who was the No. 8 offensive tackle in the class of 2022 presents a massive presence at 6-foot-8 and 351 pounds.
He only appeared in a handful of offensive snaps last season but was a fixture on Kentucky's field goal unit.
He was ranked as the No. 114 overall available transfer.
Accompanying Mazzccua and Goodwin is former Alabama right tackle Damieon George.
Much like Goodwin, George didn't appear in many offensive snaps last season and leaves Tuscaloosa after appearing in 17 games since he got there in 2020.
He was ranked as the 158th-best overall available transfer.
Despite all of the movement on the offensive line, the position with the most turmoil may be quarterback. Richardson is league-bound, Jalen Rashada was allowed to depart the team after a NIL miscue and Jalen Kitna was dismissed from the program.
Graham Mertz, who was the No. 118 overall available transfer, is looking to beat out the last remaining quarterback from a season ago 一 Jack Miller III.
The former Wisconsin quarterback completed 57.3% of his passes for 2,136 yards 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2022.
Florida also added one running back with former Tulane Green Wave Cameron Carroll coming along.
He suffered a season-ending injury in the season opener last season, but in 2021 he recorded 516 yards and three touchdowns. He also added 17 receptions for 198 yards and three touchdowns.
He was ranked as the No. 509 overall available transfer.
On the defensive line, Florida added former Louisville Cardinal Caleb Banks and former Memphis Tiger Cam'Ron Jackson.
Banks is hoping to find a bigger role in Gainesville after appearing in just six games a season ago and recording two tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack and a fumble.
The 6-foot-7, 265-pounder was ranked as the No. 417 overall transfer available.
Jackson appeared in 13 games and had 41 tackles. 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a pass deflection.
Jackson, who stands at 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds, was the No. 579 overall available transfer.
Linebacker Mannie Nunnery transferred from Houston after three seasons there. He recorded 46 tackles in 2022 and was ranked as the No. 557 overall available transfer.
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