Takeaways from the Florida Gators 2024 Spring Roster.

Gainesville’s spring football season has arrived. The Florida Gators will practice on the field on Thursday for the first time since November. But after yet another offseason of talent purging, the roster (coaches and players alike) will appear very different. Consequently, Florida unveiled its official 2024 spring football roster on Wednesday, giving fans a first look at the team before the following season. The most important lessons learned by All Gators from the roster are listed here.

Even though Billy Napier has broken with the program’s long-standing custom of jersey numbers having significance, there is always a great deal of mystery surrounding the person who will receive the once-coveted number from the fan base whenever the No. 1 jersey is released. The No. 1 was out for grabs this offseason on both the offensive and defensive ends of the ball.

As the current government enters its third year, two unquestionable program leaders have risen to don the uniform. According to FloridaGators.com, defensive end Justus Boone and running back Montrell Johnson Jr. are expected to start at that position. With Trevor Etienne, his backfield partner, leaving for Georgia, Johnson is anticipated to command a strong workload in the backfield when he returns to Florida for his third season. During his tenure at UF, Johnson has demonstrated that he possesses a dependable skill set as a rusher, pass protector, and pass catcher. He averaged a team-high 817 yards, 5.4 yards per carry, and five scores last year.

Entering his fourth year at Florida, Boone continues to be a favorite among the coaching staff despite having sustained an ACL rupture before the 2023 campaign. This season, he will take on significant duties for the Gators in the defensive meeting room and on the edge. This summer, a few other returning players also changed their jersey numbers. Defensive back Sharif Denson, for example, goes back to wearing No. 0 after donning No. 4 in the last seven games of the previous campaign. For the first time, Florida’s transfers and freshman class of 2024 were given numbers in orange and blue. The number designations for both new and returning pieces have been provided by All Gators below.