Adam Lane Release Significantly Thins RB Depth for Florida

First-year Florida Gators head coach Jim McElwain has the heavy task ahead of him of turning around a stagnant offensive attack in Gainesville. That job looks like it will get even more difficult following the news that running back Adam Lane has been granted his release to transfer closer to home. Lane’s departure is a serious cut to a warily thin running back corps that could be a major stumbling block for the Gators’ offense this season.

Lane appeared to be in line for a significant role in the offense in 2015 after a promising finish to his freshman season. Last year, Lane averaged an excellent 7.54 yards per carry average as he rushed for 181 yards on 24 carries with a touchdown in seven games played. He flashed a special kind of ability in the Birmingham Bowl last season, earning bowl MVP honors with 109 yards rushing and a touchdown on 16 carries.

Coming into this season, Lane was the team’s second-leading returning rusher and figured to be the No. 2 back behind projected starter Kelvin Taylor. Without him in the mix, Florida’s depth chart get plunged into a significant degree of uncertainty after Taylor at the top. Two names that will likely get plenty of action as fall camp ramps up will be incoming freshmen and four-star prospects Jordan Scarlett and Jordan Cronkrite. Scarlett, 5-foot-11 and 207 pounds, was the No.-13 rated running back in the 2015 recruiting class while Cronkrite, 5-foot-11 and 199 pounds, was the No.-29 rated athlete in the 2015 class.

McElwain and the Florida coaching staff were likely looking forward to seeing Lane build off his strong finish to the 2014 season. Instead, they lose the young back to “family issues” that will end Lane’s Florida career and put the Gators into a tough spot in the offensive backfield.

You can follow Tyler Brett on Twitter @ATylerBrett, on Facebook and on Google.