2023 Preview Part 6: Three Predictions, Two Questions, One Hot Take

In the final summer season preview I wanted to wrap up with some final thoughts on what I feel are the important themes of this team before the games begin. I’m going to make three confident predictions, ask two big outstanding questions about the team, and finish it up with the hottest take I can bring myself to make for the 2023 season.

Prediction #1: Peewee Jarrett will be the top QB and Offensive POY in the Gulf South Conference in 2023.

I feel like this is a relatively easy one because even just marginal improvement over last year would probably put him over the top, and everything out of fall camp has indicated Peewee is ready to take his game to a whole new level in 2023. Ultimately I think that the weapons UWF has accumulated are going to give the Argos’ signal caller an advantage over reigning GSC OPOY Patrick Shegog.

Prediction #2: The Tight End group will play a significant role offensively.

I’m buying on the combination of D1 transfers Jackson Blalock and Carson Powers to provide a pass catching dynamic that’s been missing from this program pretty much since the beginning. Generally speaking, TE are such an integral part of modern CFB offenses and I think the coaches signaled a need to get better at the position with those two additions. I believe this TE unit will combine to top the 247 yards and 6 TD’s of Blake Austin-Smith and Gage Krull in 2017, which was by far the best season for Argonauts TEs in program history.

Prediction #3: A West Florida defender will have double digit Sacks for the second time in school history.

The new defensive system is going to lend itself to more play making along the DL. The Argos have an intriguing, mostly new, group of pass rushers who seem well suited to the new system. While this may seem like a leap of faith, I expect the new staff will capitalize on the established, high level talent they added at Defensive End with NMU’s John McMullen, SVSU’s Jake Dorn, and College of DuPage’s Byron Puryear. Bonus prediction, three players will have at least 5 sacks.

Question #1: Can the Argonauts keep the magic going with a new coaching staff?

This one is tough to pin down, impossible to quantify, but the most looming question for this team. UWF saw immediate, unprecedented success under Coach Shinnick, and you cant help but wonder how much of it was because of one special coach? This roster is talented, on paper one of the most talented in school history, and UWF plays both FCS FAMU and GSC powerhouse West Georgia before the end of September, so we should be able to answer this one before too long. One underrated factor in UWF’s quest to maintain the established level of success is the familiarity of the staff with the program. Coaches Nobles, Dickerson, Saulnier, Remsza, Wintrick, Campbell, Wilsher, and Beaudry all having coached or played for (or in several cases both) for the Argos previously. Having 8 of the 12 coaches who know what Arete is all about should bring a high level of continuity to the program.

Question #2: How improved can the 2023 defense be?

In 2019 and 2021, UWF fielded some really good defenses, they weren’t perfect, but they were disruptive and could cover a lot of mistakes with pure athleticism. In 2022, the defense struggled relative to talent, finishing in the bottom quarter of D2 in many key metrics, including Sacks and TFL’s, Rushing Yards/Carry Allowed, and Turnovers caused. A UWF team sporting even a top 50 defense, with the firepower on the other side of the ball, would be very dangerous. That would be a big improvement, UWF finished 2022 103 nationally in SP+ defense (an opponent and situationally adjusted metric for overall defensive efficiency), 72nd out of 163 in scoring defense per game and 95th in yards allowed per game. However, the new scheme and a high level group of experienced transfers could be just the cure for the Argonauts’ defensive woes of 2022.

Hot Take: UWF’s WR group will be better in 2023 than in 2022, and maybe the best ever.

Out goes an All-American David Durden, who has been impressing as a part of the Dallas Cowboys organization this off season before suffering a season ending knee injury. This was a guy who put up almost 2000 yards in two seasons as an Argonaut, toasting defenses to the tune of more than 20 YPC, and I’m here saying the group will be even better this year? Not to mention UWF lost their third and fourth leading WRs this off season as well with their combined 449 Yards and 4 TDs. Hear me out:

UWF returns an All-Conference WR in Caden Leggett, a guy who looks really good to one up his 602 Yards and 9 TD debut season in Pensacola, but it isn’t just last years’ WR2 returning. At the end of spring practice it looked like Jared Smith and Jakobe Quillen (combined 20-272-6 in 2022) were probably the next two guys, with a group of players who haven’t yet made an impact at UWF, lead by Mystikal McGhee, Zac Offord, and Anthony Ballard, coming up behind the top 3. It was a group I was excited about already, Smith is a two year contributor and when he gets his chances has been a down the field playmaker, while Quillen has all the makings of a red zone TD machine, converting 4 TD on his 11 Receptions last year. Then Memorial Day weekend hit and turned the group up to 11. UWF landed commitments from two established college starters, KJ Franklin from Nich0lls State (two time All-Conference FCS Slot) and John Jiles from Virginia Union (2022 CIAA Receiving TD co-leader), and immediately this went from a position with potential to a group that could rival some of the best WR units UWF has ever put on the field. UWF has since added another experienced FCS transfer WCU two year contributor Toler Keigley, who had 10 catches 162 yards and 2 TD last fall, including a 22 yard TD against Georgia Tech. There is also a talented crop of True Freshman now on campus including Ja’Corey Scott, Patrick Delcour, Brenden Cook, and Jamari Dickens.

There may not be individual star power as has been the case with Durden, but UWF has been its best in the passing game when there is a deep rotation of WRs getting in on the action. The 2022 campaign was anomalous with really just two primary pass catcher, and a handful of lesser contributions from the 3rd-6th guys. In the 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2021 seasons the Argonauts FIFTH leading pass WR averaged 301 yards and 4 TD, averaging 16.5 YPC and a TD every 4.5 Catches. Last year the fifth leading WR for the Argonauts was Quillen who only had 11 catches and 139 yards. I think this season between the loss of a sure fire #1 guy, a Coach Kaleb Nobles lead offense looking to distribute, a returning star QB, and a reinforced WR room, you’re going to once again see a lot of guys making plays. It may not even matter who is the “top” guy at WR this fall, because there are just so many proven playmakers on the team.

So there it is, I think that the UWF WR unit ends up making a bigger impact in 2022 even after losing one of the best players in school history at WR or any other position.