Florida Gators Spring Depth Chart Predictions - Aaron Philo or Tramell Jones?

0:00Spring football is back. The Florida haters start spring practice tomorrow. Here's what their depth chart might look like You are locked on gators your daily podcast on the Florida Gators part of the locked on podcast network your team every day Hello, and welcome back to another episode of locked on gators part of the lock on podcast Network your team every day. Thanks for getting locked on gators your first listen of the day every day We are available daily and free rivers in the podcast and on YouTube as always I am your host Brandon Wilson Like long Florida Gators fan the host of locked on gators and I write about the Florida Gators for swamps It will that's samstack.com and today's episode of locked on gators is brought to you by Fandall fandall is giving you a way to turn that energy into even bigger potential wins with a college basketball parlay profit boost had to fandall.com to get started and

1:01Florida Gators start spring football tomorrow. We're going to talk about their depth chart today. We're going to go position by position Just quickly before we get into it because I know there's going to be someone mad about something This isn't me saying who's going to win the battle. This isn't me saying who's better. It's not even honestly me saying who I think is better It's me trying to predict what the coaching staff will do Based on what I think their offense and defense are going to look like what I think they're looking for in some of these players It's a lot of speculation. It's fun If you have thoughts about the depth chart go ahead put it in the comments put it in the live chat if you're watching this live Whatever it is go ahead do it and and we'll talk about it We'll see who's right who's wrong right life's about keeping score And we're going to stick to mostly a two deep some positions. We'll talk about you know A third um But for the most part we're going to stick with the two deep quarterback. It's Aaron Fylo Tremel Jones right like those are the two I don't know who's going to start everything that this coaching staff has told us has been

2:02Well, this is going to be a battle. This is going to be a competition Um, John Sarmarol has even said hey Aaron Fylo actually does not have a leg up in this competition just because of his familiarity with buster falter Which Frankly, I don't think he should from a coaching standpoint I don't think the coaches should say oh, well, you know, he's been in my office So he's are he's more likely to be our starting quarterback I think as a coach it's your job to say We're going to watch practice. We're going to watch how they handle themselves. How they work in a locker room and meeting rooms and all that stuff um And whoever's the best guy starts I think from a fan perspective And from an analyst perspective it makes a lot of sense to go well Aaron Fylo knows the offense so he probably has a leg up. I think that's fair But I don't think that the coaches are going Well, you know, he's been here, right? Um, yeah, say I don't think that's it I think that it's still going to be a very open competition between Aaron Fylo and from L Jones. I think it should be and look

3:03I think that there's a lot of people that try to speculate about well Aaron Fylo knows the offense um Well Aaron Fylo and buster like like Aaron Fylo didn't come here to be a backup buster didn't bring him to be a backup I don't know right. I think that Both buster Faulkner and john Somal have all the and and I mean bride white everybody on this coaching stuff has been very open We want to win. That's all we care about is winning I don't think they care about what I brought him here to be a starter If he brought him here to be a starter and he does not win the battle in camp I don't think he's going to start then So I think it'll be Aaron Fylo or Tremel Jones that's going to be our setup Where whoever loses that is going to be kv2 in 236 So that's your two deep right there We know that two deep will be Aaron Fylo and Tremel Jones Which is I don't know what order that's going to be in I running back at jaden ball starter right no one no one's questioning that no one's doubting that no one's suggesting anything else

4:03Behind jaden ball is where it gets really Opened because it's going to be heaven prior from Cincinnati London Montgomery from East Carolina and Duke Clark who was at Florida last year Personally, I think Evan Pryor is the most likely option to be running back to Just because I think he's got insane speed I think he's a great one cut back and I think he was brought in with a very specific role Right, I think he was brought in where you go all right We've got this hammer of a back in jaden ball And he's going to pummel defences and then we're going to bring in someone that's just fast and let him run And oh like jaden ball he can contribute as a pass catcher But Evan Pryor we could put him in space just throw a swing to him Throw a screen and just let him run and I think that that's why Evan Pryor will be running back to it's just the home run proven Home run ability as far as running back three between Duke Clark and London Montgomery honestly

5:04I'm interested to see how it's going to go I really don't know but I my hope is One that we see both of them play, you know, just a few carries a game There's only so many carries you around right if you want 15 for ball you want I don't know eight eight to 10 for Pryor and then what Three each for Duke and London and then you still got to throw the football so it's tough to break those up I do hope that in blowouts sure you get more carries for Clark and Montgomery um But my other hope is that both Duke Clark and London Montgomery are back in gains between 2027 Because Evan Pryor will be out of eligibility and jaden ball will be in the NFL and so I do hope that you go Yeah, Duke Clark London Montgomery. There you go 2027 is your guys backfield and I'm hoping that's the selling point there um Wide receiver I just decided to list the trios instead of anything else about Like the X the Z the slot because

6:08My thought at least is that These receivers many of them are very versatile. They're going to be going all over the place all over the formation Moving around being used in all different ways that I don't think it necessarily matters Who's listed as the X the Z A slot whatever you're going to call it right um, so I put that they starting trio will be Eric singleton junior Burn out around the third And Dallas Wilson and I kind of just rank those in terms of how I think like who I think is better of the bunch right um And like I think Dallas would be on the outside more often than not. Yeah I think Eric singleton junior and for now around the third can both play inside out a lot And so for me it's it's like I don't care who's listed as what position You're gonna be playing football. That's it um Also hopefully we get Dallas for more than three and a half games this year Your other wide-racy retreat that they're too deep behind them TJ Abrams and this one is more about you know

7:09um Who's going to be a direct like who's going to be directly Eric singleton junior's backup TJ Abrams Who's going to be directly burn over on the third spec of Bailey Stockton because I think for now Brown that they're just going to start in the slot But again, they're going to play all over the place uh and Bailey Stockton will also as well And then who's going to be Dallas's backup most likely cool Jackson. I've been very open. I'm not huge Khalil Jackson fan I think that he can't separate very well, but he's incredible with contested catches So he can make those catches even if he can't separate um But he also has consistently found his way onto the football field when he's healthy And I think that matters. I think he does things that coaches like and coaches appreciate And I think he'll continue to those things in gamesville for one more year at tight end We've got two spots. We've got the in line and the flex reality They're both going to be playing in line. They're both going to be playing flexed out It's just who's going to be doing what more right uh in line. I have Lakota DiPri and then I think for me My second in line guy's going to be Micah Jones a big fan of what he did in in high school

8:11We love this film coming out, but I also think there's a there's A legitimate composition there for tied into on the in line between Evan Shika from New Haven and he can't true freshmen We'll see what it is there, but I think Micah Jones is the guy that I'd have above him And then the flex Amir Jackson and Luke Harper All right, like Amir I think you brought back With the with A plan for him. I think Luke Harper. He we know what he can contribute as a pass catcher But we also know from watching the film that he needs work as a blocker And so I'm hoping that he'll get that so I do think having him as a second flex is no big deal I will also save this in the tight end room I could see a world where it ends up being you know what like hey guys hey We're going to sacrifice some in line blocking ability So that we're more versatile in the passing game Right, and we're going to start both Amir Jackson and Luke Harper I don't necessarily know if that happens, but I do think that that's something that they're going to discuss

9:13Because you could say hey like we're going to put out these two pass catching tight ends where Amir reportedly is a pretty good blocker right Luke Harper needs work we know that But you could put them both out there and say hey you we might sacrifice a little bit of blocking ability But as a defense you need to bring in guys that can cover better if those the two tight ends we have out there And so blocking probably becomes a little bit easier there So I could see that happening for Ted and we're about to move to the trenches where I'm in Florida I'm excited for it, right? I'm nervous as hell for some of it. I'm excited for it. Let's talk about when you get back with Lockdown Gators College basketball is non stop big games tight spreads momentum swings every single night from early tip off to late night West Coast shootouts Gonzaga Portland, right? There's always action on the board and now Fand was giving you a way to turn that energy Into even bigger potential wins with a college basketball parlay profit boost You can build any college shoots probably that you want rivalry games rank matchups whatever fits your read right

10:20Then you can apply the profit boost and instantly bump up the potential payout So you can look at the Florida Gators putting you know DTA on just about anybody that they play right especially if they're ranked And coached by an overrated legend coach, right? You'd hate to see that, right? But you could do that and then you can make more money with it head to fandall.com to get started It's fandall.com fandall play your game of workplace chaos deadlines stacking up inbox over flowing And the one position that you have to fill still sitting open when the pressure is on and you need the right higher This is a job for sponsor jobs indeed sponsor jobs how do you reach the people who actually fit what you're looking for skills experience Location so you're not just hoping that the right candidates stumble across your post on a chance, right now spend less time searching And more time actually interviewing candidates to check all of your boxes less stress less time more result And you need the right person to cut through the chaos This is a job for indeed sponsor jobs and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsor job credit to help you get the premium job for your status that it deserves

11:24At nd.com slash podcasters go to nd.com slash podcast right now and support our show by saying that you heard about it on lockdown gators It's nd.com slash podcast terms and conditions apply if you need to hire this is a job for indeed sponsor jobs Thanks again for a lot on gators your first listen of the day every day we are available daily and for you as the podcast and on youtube and we're going to talk about the floor to gators in the trenches in this segment We'll talk about the back seven in the next segment Where you know the floor to gators could have a Could have an interesting situation in the trenches is here right you look at the offensive line And we're going to go position by position here We're starting at left tackle and this one is just it's it's going to be very open right like no one knows who it's going to be I Would imagine it's going to be Either egan boyer Or a meku gorgi so egan boyer from Penn State and meku gorgi the transfer from stanford

12:26and I don't necessarily agree with it. I'll say that but when you gorgi came over It was reported that they wanted him at left tackle Okay, that was the report before he ever committed the floor to the report was that they want to try him at left tackle So for this experiment I'm putting him as the second left tackle here. I think egan boyer would win the battle um But even then it's really close, right Like they both got skills they both got tools, but neither of them are really refined or great Actually, it's about you know filled trial line making them work and again. I do think that you're going to see hey We're going to let this be a competition right like we're going to let this be a battle and I think you can see them just Huh just do get out and figure out whoever the best the unit is right so egan boyer and meku gorgi left guard Nigerian Harris is who I think will be the starter and rod kerni behind him look like I am a huge rod kerni fan have always been But at a certain point you got to get right like we got to see it man like we like we do his film in 2025 is not very good

13:32And I look like I don't think Nigerian Harris was awesome either right but I think his film was better I think he was more consistent and I think that that matters with the coaching staff where you could say hey you know what We need the guy that's more consistent. We can't have a volatile offensive lineman All right, we can we can we can have volatility on the offensive line We can't have guys who get crushed guys who get killed like let's give give me someone who might not have a dominant game But also isn't going to get bullied at any point and so nice hair starting left guard rod kerni behind him at center Harris and more from Georgia Tech is is the guy that I expect to be there again. I think there's a possibility that you could say hey Harris and more left guard But that's basically saying nice your Harris will not be starting As basically saying rod kerni would be third string And I don't think that's likely so I could see Harris and more coming into start for one more year for florida with jason's and amela backing him up And I think zandamela will eventually get his shot

14:34On the offensive line though Sometimes you just got to wait a few years really genuinely sometimes you just got to wait a couple years in the offensive line That's how it works It's a really intense spot really difficult position really high IQ position that I don't think enough people consider that that it is incredibly Incredibly mentally taxing to play on the offensive line And at center especially it's a lot the experienced guy probably going to get the leg up there Right guard. I think it's tj shana hen. I've been open about that since writing his scouting report for small obstacle that Think he's got enough to be a starting right guard here Think that he really fits the Georgia tech offense Just watching how he pulls and how he moves. Oh my god. That's that's a guy that that genuinely just fits what buster falconer wants to do And so I think tj shana hen will be the starting right guard. I think Bryce love it. She'll be backing him up I hope Bryce love it's backing him up Bryce love it is not enough to tackle. He should not be at offensive tackle

15:35Please don't put him at offensive tackle It's amazing to me that that's that that's the thing that like I have to be nervous about it. Is that going to happen? I watched him play yard in 2024. I watched him play tackle in 2025 Let me just say he got benched after two games at one of those spots It wasn't guard if that doesn't tell you enough and right tackle Kaden Jones starting with fletcher Westfall as the backup there is is my prediction Um, I think Kaden Jones has you speak or I know Kaden Jones has the experience. I think that's a big leg up and We haven't seen fletcher Westfall since spring game last year right If he was even healthy for that honestly at this point. I don't know. It's been so long since we've seen him play football Got to see it at some point Defensively you got the f that field end that'll be cam James or Emmanuel Oyevidesha and honestly I don't care who wins the battle. They're both going to play a lot

16:37They are they're both going to play a lot Cam James is very underrated. I still don't know why he wasn't playing more last year But Whoever starts starts whoever's the backup is the backup again. I think they're going to play a lot Emmanuel Oyevidesha like We've heard john somral talk about the investment that they made in Emmanuel Oyevidesha to get him to gainsville That's that matters. That's significant right because that means that shows you how much they value him And so I think you'll see that um and you'll see you know whoever wins wins But I think at f forward is really good for the field then spot in 2026 Your nose tackle. I have joseph and bachu starting with jimari lines backing him up um I have been Pretty openly not very high on jimari lines um I know that every year for some reason we'd we do this like oh like lines is going to be the guy this year We do every year it happens in amongst the florida gators fan base I don't know why I got to see it at some point

17:39It's I gotta see I'm treating him how I treated taric sap before the 2024 season I'm like I know that that fans love him. I know fans want to see him do things But and think he can do things but I gotta see it at a certain point And so I'm going to say joseph and bachu who also like I'm not confident that he's going to be amazing, but he's got a really high ceiling and I'm just trusting Gerald Chapman here um joseph and bachu also has only been playing football for a couple years a lot of room to grow there To say and also a reminder Would have really loved to have macaque burrow back at nose tackle defensive tackle So you're more three tech past rushing type and it's Brendan Betton Jeremiah McLeod and I love that duo um I think that Brendan Bette is going to really pop off this year I think the film's there to say hey he could explode and and really be an impressive Impressive defensive lineman here. I think he's gonna be a great fit for the defense and Jeremiah McLeod Also, I think a great fit for the defense. I think the way that he wins

18:39First step just motor intensity like I think that that is a great way to win I think he's got that first step that can win at three tech or even the two And you've got a guy that hey just put him on the field let him chase Right, I think those two work perfectly together um at jack jade and woods as a starter no doubt about that and I was born between two names really at jack um behind jade and woods And it was kofia sorry the transfer from you mass last year and kj forward And I'm gonna pick kj forward uh, I am and and look kj could end up Being a hand in the dirt guy. I don't think he is, but He's that kind of juiced up twitched up ed rusher that like he just wins right he just wins around the edge And he hasn't won in college. I get that

19:40Kofia sorry hasn't done much for florida either right and like when I watched kofi last year Which could be different this year of a new strength edition program and a strength edition program That doesn't suck right but extend to other miles because he's got motorcycle tattoos cool But when I look at kofia sari's film last year that he got he got bullied every time that they just ran the ball in his general direction I gotta see more right at that point like if I'm gonna have a guy that can't defend their run Then I mean give me the young guy that's twitched up and just let him rush the pastor. That's it I hope it'll be different This is one of the reasons that I spent a lot of time saying I would have gone after an atom trick on the edge um and just give yourself just just menaces on the edge but I like what you have at f I like what you have it. I like what you have in jade and woods at jack and and what kj forward can become Little bit room of growth A room for growth absolutely, but florida gators could see significant development against strength editioning works wonders

20:43It really does we're gonna talk about the back seven when we get back with lockdown gators What if sports were traded like markets Now you put your sports IQ to work in real time with robinhood prediction markets It's not you against the house. It's you participating in a live market You can buy or sell your positions live all game long use your sports knowledge in the moments that matter Robinhood prediction markets changes the game. It's people moving the action. So when momentum shifts you can move with it Right always knew the game, but never had a dynamic way to apply that knowledge Now I can actually take part live in a market powered by people You're no longer just a spectator play by play you decide trade every plane with robinhood now available across the US Download the robinhood app now to begin futures and cleared swaps trading and both significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone Event contracts are offered by robinhood derivatives LLC a registered futures commission merchant and swap firm

21:44Thanks again for making a lot of time gators. You're first listen of the day every day. We are available daily and free reference podcast and on YouTube and To wrap up today's show we're talking about the defensive side of the ball for Florida the back seven Which I guess in in a way we're talking about the back eight really Because we're talking about three linebackers five dvs Which obviously will not all be on the field at the same time, but at linebacker I think one spot probably you're probably your mic is going to be Probably going to be miles gram tie Jackson there. I think Jaden Robinson and Miles Johnson at your will and Aaron Childs and Malik Morris are going to be your same right And that's middle week strong side rather Aaron Childs can be your strong side Malik Morris can be your strong side Because they're going to be right there with the tight end most likely to run there just come downhill and attack All right You can have honestly I think miles gram and jaden Robinson is really interchangeable

22:46I struggled with saying Mike or will for either of them just because I think they could both do both I've always been very high on jaden Robinson Miles Graham is obviously Miles Graham like he's a stud out there. So whoever lines up wherever they line up I think they're just dudes like I think your linebackers especially at the top are just dudes and in depth Frankly does concern me a bit um Like them as recruits Does not mean that they're going to work out as players in 2026 Really young? So we're going to see what that looks like, but I mean I also just take solace in knowing that well in linebacker room you're going to have john somral played linebacker Brad white was a linebacker scoach Greg is Faradow is your linebacker scoach and he was a dc for two lane So like the IQ wise linebacker room should be golden. It's just about actually going out there and doing it um For corner I'm going to say once or I don't

23:48It's going to be two of these three right it's going to be dejon johnson jivari flowers or chroma name acclaim Like two of those three are going to be your starters um I think kormani is is definitely going to be one of them I just think that that the coaching staff is really going to love what he brings to the table Athletically and intellectually and instinctively Is just being able to make a play on the ball and they're really going to prioritize that and so I think having a guy that kormani Makes sense having the eyes You know your your guy that can just line up with anyone you can line up with your your extracer that's going to be run on one running vertical Line up anywhere and so I think kormani is going to be one of the starters And then you got dejon johnson jivari flowers I get like jivari just popped as a freshman He did like I go back to the mrb sake game And I think that that was such a good game for a guy that was pretty much playing his first

24:48truly significant snaps And I just watched him and like it was not easy, you know Brennan Thompson one of the receivers that he had to cover ran what the the fastest time amongst any receiver at the combine And jivari was just going out there Stop running running like like I think that that was incredible to see I thought it was a fantastic game Um and again, especially for someone that had basically no experience against an offense That's really tough to cover vertically I thought it was awesome. So it could be dejon johnson or jivari flowers. I'm good with either one really as long as all three of them are playing a good bit And it's that and I think Ben hangs that there will be the fourth corner um How much he'll play who knows because in theory you say all right, well, we're going to have kormani and Dejon start And then it's going to be you know two drives later. It's going to be kormani and jivari Then two drives later. It's going to be dejon and jivari And and you can rotate with those three heavily and maybe depth doesn't play as much

25:54At safety, I think you're going to see a duo of Bryce Thornton and DJ Coleman Uh, Bryce Thornton of course coming back. He was the one safety that worked consistently last year for florida and DJ Coleman from bailer No surprise there that that's how I feel about I think he's I think he's awesome Um, loves his film. We talked about him before. He was a legitimate likelihood for florida and he he can hope it's just it's funny. So it was that physically. He's everything you need Mentally, he's smart enough to operate in that defense last year. That was not easy at bailer It's not easy to play safety in that Ron Roberts Dave a random tree. It's really not um And athletically he can cover whoever you need to Good with it willing to be physical and hit. Love it the backups. I think alfonso Allen junior will probably back up Bryce Thornton And my my reasoning there is I think that athletically And just just physically in general. I think they're pretty similar Um alfonso Allen way more of a hitter Bryce Thornton way better in coverage

26:56Um But I think stylistically with how you're going to move them around than how you're going to use them I think they could both be used in in similar ways um maybe way better was a bit much but Like they both have the same physical limitations And I think that that's important when you're talking about not getting exposed in certain parts of the secondary and then camduly I think we'll be backing up DJ Coleman um light camduly's film a Kentucky Like and more at safety and I do it star which brings me to star or nickel whatever you're going to call it And I'm very open about this Personally for me this would be DJ Coleman Okay, I would say DJ Coleman in the star or in the nickel with Bryce Thornton camduly at safety That would be my trio there. That's how I would get all three of those guys on the field as much as possible As far as what floor does actually going to do at nickel Uh

27:58It's it I got I got no clue honestly um My guess is that they will try a bunch of guys there See who works see what works um when I look at what they've done at Their previous stops for for some wrong disparity, you know Troy Tulane um for Brad white Kentucky Especially when I look at what Brad white's done He's had completely different molds In the nickel like like he doesn't have a guy where he's like all right. I'm looking for this um 511 190 pound Safety corner hybrid guy that I can use as a past pressure and can defend the run and do all these things like You're gonna have to do all these things But he doesn't seem like he is necessarily a fit that he's looking for He kind of just looks like he's like hey who who's the best guy that I can put that that I could put there And then I'll use him however he can be use best Sometimes it's been an outright corner Sometimes it's been a safety

29:00Like I think that they're they're very open to figuring things out um I'm thinking it'll wind up being cognac Clark from UCLA who I like on the outside more And Lagonza Hayward who played star last year I think both those guys can fit again for me. It would be DJ Coleman there uh Cam dually starting safety and Lagonza would be backing up Cam dually at that point, but I don't get paid to make those decisions. I get paid to Criticize them explain them and and try to give my thoughts on them Thanks for making a lot of Don Gators your first this and of the day every day We are available daily and free ever since podcast and on YouTube We will be back later on today to talk more Florida Gators for locked on gators on brand Then also don't forget to follow me on twitter at wms underscore brand and find all my written work The New York Giants on SI and swampstackle.com that's website.com if you want Florida Gators written work Now I'll see you all next time