The Blind Side: New Face Emerges at Left Tackle for Gators
Caden Jones wants to put in the dirty work to help the offensive line shine, no matter the position. This offseason, the redshirt junior is learning the value of positional flexibility and how to impose his will at the line of scrimmage at 6-foot-8, 348 pounds.
With a new coaching staff and deep offensive line room, Jones’ starting spot at right tackle isn’t guaranteed in 2026, but all signs point to Jones retaining his place in the depth chart for the fall.
“It’s not like we have a set starting five,” Jones said. “But I think competition is the best thing for the room right now.”
Jones appeared in all 12 games for Florida in 2025 but earned his first career start in week three against LSU and never let it go. After 541 snaps, Jones was a monumental piece in Jadan Baugh becoming the first player in a decade to reach 1,000 rushing yards in a season for the Gators, last set by Kelvin Taylor in 2015.
Baugh was also the first Gators underclassman to do it since Errict Rhett (1991) and Emmitt Smith (1987). While the No. 13 jerseys are flying off the racks for Florida’s star back, Jones and the offensive line certainly deserves a cut of the sales.
A four-star recruit in the 2023 class coming out of New Orleans, Jones’ athleticism in space and ability to get to the second level wooed the previous Florida football staff — a skill developed not only on the gridiron, but also on the hardwood in high school.
In the early weeks of spring practice, Jones has taken reps at both positions with hopes of being the starting left tackle for the 2026 season.
“My first and second year of high school I played left tackle and did right and left after that,” he said. “It’s like riding a bike: once you do it, you never forget it.”
He’ll have to knock off a little rust, but the Gators could use a tower on the left side after losing Austin Barber, a redshirt senior who started 38 games for the Gators and is headed to the NFL. Barber’s backup, Devon Manuel, transferred to Appalachian State.
The tackle competition is slim for Jones. Bryce Lovett, a right tackle who split reps with Jones in 2025, started working at guard this offseason. Then there’s Fletcher Westphal, who holds experience at left tackle, but is still sidelined with a wrist injury. Redshirt freshman TJ Dice Jr. could fill the void at right tackle if Jones starts kick sliding to the left, but no bigger name presents itself at left tackle than the goliath that is Jones, who is eager to protect against SEC competition.
“It’s a dominant league with very dominant pass rushers but that’s the best part about it,” he said. “Once you play them here, it puts you in the best position to be ready for the league.”
The switch isn’t easy, but Jones couldn’t have picked a better staff to turn him into the player he wants to become. On Jan. 6, Gators coach Jon Sumrall made the home-run hire of former Penn State offensive line coach Phil Trautwein to win the trenches. Trautwein’s resume is impeccable, producing nine NFL draft picks in his five years at Penn State.
“Dealing with a new coach, I love him,” Jones said. “It’s completely night and day with the team; you can tell that people actually want to compete.”
In 2024, when the Nittany Lions made it all the way to the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Orange Bowl, Trautwein’s veteran offensive line thrusted the team to first in the Big Ten in rushing touchdowns, rushing yards per game, yards per carry and total rushing yards. It was a total domination of the trenches that earned the two-headed tailback duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton the nickname “Thunder and Lightning.” But despite Trautwein’s success at Penn State, the orange and blue always meant home.
Trautwein was a four-year letterman for the Gators from 2004-08. At left tackle, he was a two-time All-SEC selection and two-time team captain, contributing to two national championships. He’s the best mentor for a player that wants to make the switch to left tackle.
“The more versatile you are, the longer you play in the league,” Trautwein said.
Jones still practices his natural position, but earning reps at the most valuable spot on the offensive line could mean Florida has their anchor heading into next season. An open slot at left tackle and the experience that Jones offers provides the perfect time to switch to the most esteemed position in the trenches, but there’s never a guarantee on this new-look Gators offensive line.
“It’s going to be a competition and it’s going to stay that way all the way up til the first game, and even there after that,” Trautwein said.
Category: Feature Sports News, Gators Football
