Florida vs. Tennessee: Austin Appleby, four RBs top Gators’ depth chart

Another week, another depth chart for Florida. (Whoops on missing the North Texas one, by the way. Florida thought that one was so important that it neither published a FloridaGators.com piece or sent a @GatorsFB tweet about it, though one could find it in the pre-game notes.)

And though the SEC is trying to brainwash fans into believing that "It just means more" is an objective truth about a completely subjective thing, the Gators’ visit to Tennessee certainly does mean more than any Florida game yet this year.

Here’s the release in tweet form.

And here are our tables.

Offensive Depth Chart

The absences of Luke Del Rio and Tyler Jordan are obviously explained by their respective injuries. Jordan was listed as Florida's starter at right guard on the North Texas depth chart, which was published before he sustained the eye injury that's likely to keep him sidelined for at least a couple more weeks.

In Del Rio's stead, Austin Appleby is now Florida's starting QB, with Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask set to battle to be his backup this week. I have no clue which of those two guys is more likely to be the backup, but I do know that most Florida fans who care remember Trask's fine showing in the spring game (and Franks's three-pick performance) and have cast their lot with the Texas-grown passer for now.

The three-OR, four-back logjam at first-team running back actually isn't new; it was like that for North Texas, too, and Florida dividing 41 carries between the four against the Mean Green is a sign that there really isn't a starter or a backup at the position. Jim McElwain did say on Monday that Florida has a rotation for those backs for the first three quarters, but it's not clear what it is: All four had carries in the first quarter against North Texas, and while Mark Thompson started, he got three carries on three separate drives, while Jordan Scarlett and Lamical Perine each had consecutive carries.

The right side of the offensive line remains in flux, but I think that Florida's far more likely to start Fred Johnson at guard and Jawaan Taylor at tackle than any other combination. Johnson's been better at guard in 2016 after Taylor's emergence and Jordan's injury have shifted him inside, and he has an experience edge on Richerd Desir-Jones — but having Taylor at right tackle is probably the most critical puzzle piece in that situation.

Defensive Depth Chart

There remains very little change on defense for Florida, which is what one would expect for the nation's No. 1 scoring and total defense. Jeremiah Moon was listed as Daniel McMillian's co-starter for Kentucky, as McMillian dealt with an ankle sprain, but moved down to backup for North Texas, and is now nowhere to be seen after an arm injury. Kylan Johnson slides over from backup weak-side linebacker to back up McMillian, while Vosean Joseph moves up to backup in his stead.

Special Teams Depth Chart

This has remained the same since the Kentucky game and the loss of Dre Massey for the season.