Within the recesses and numbers regarding the Florida Gators offense, another fact bubbles to the surface: If the Gators want to win in 2024 and every season, they need to protect the quarterback better. No metric or catchy buzzword fit here. 

Plain and simple, opponents lived in the Florida backfield. They probably needed to fill out change-of-address forms for their new residence. Despite this, the offense still thrived, even under the direst of circumstances. Enjoying a mobile quarterback is one thing, watching someone run for life is completely different. Nothing positive happens in 2024 without a complete 180-degree improvement in pass blocking.

Early Fleeing

From the first whistle of the 2023 season, Florida’s offensive line could not block a number on a cellphone. Defenders broke through and punished Graham Mertz, and to a lesser extent Max Browne. Utah kicked off the season with five sacks of Mertz. All afternoon, the Utes hit Mertz over and over, to the point of exhaustion. 

After holding McNeese and Tennessee to one sack, the line looked better than the season opener. Then, the proverbial wheels started falling off, surrendering six combined sacks to Charlotte and Kentucky. If opponents didn’t sack Mertz, they hurried him and occasionally knocked him down. Those hits pile up over the course of a season. A broken collarbone actually saved Mertz from an entire season of abuse. 

Issues

In all honesty, the offensive line looked rather slow and robotic in their pass pro. When SEC teams can send rushers from the line and edge, the scheme needs some sort of adjustment. If a defense doesn’t disguise where they want the pressure to start from, and they still get home, the offense shoulders the blame.

In the SEC, no off days exist and offensive lines remain under a constant state of chaos. Watching your quarterback, with a defender in his face on every snap does not make for a smooth-running offense. Additionally, people want to find fault with Mertz’s struggles with the deep ball. Imagine trying to find your wideout vertically and you can see him because the defensive line decided to congregate within arm’s reach. 

Solutions?

In the offseason, head coach Billy Napier and Florida hit the transfer portal hard to address an obvious need. They grabbed right tackle Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson from San Diego State. The former Aztec linemen looks to provide stability on the right side. Meanwhile, Arkansas transfer left tackle Devon Manuel also provides quality depth and competition with returning-starter Austin Barber.  

Jason Zandamela might be the biggest prize in the portal. The former USC Trojan was rated the No. 1 interior lineman available.

Honestly, the current starting offensive line needs an infusion of the nasty, play-to-the-echo-of-the-whistle aggression. Too often, too many unfinished blocks littered the field. Now, they need to pay with a sense of urgency. Florida will only go as far offensively, as their line will take them.