Key battles in fall practice

<p><b>1. Left offensive tackle:</b> Junior Carl Johnson held the starting role throughout the spring after being the starting left guard in 2008. But late in the spring, true sophomore Matt Patchan came on strong and was so impressive that the coaches are considering a possible move back to guard for Johnson, which would help put the best five linemen on the field together.</p><p><b>2. Strong safety:</b> Will Hill showed lots of playmaking ability as a true sophomore last season (he seemed to make every tackle on kickoff coverage) and appears ready to break out. The problem is Ahmad Black is pretty much impossible to move out of the starting role because he makes so many plays. But with so many teams playing four and five wide receivers, Hill will be almost like a full-time player because he's a starter in the nickle package.</p><p><b>3. Tailback:</b> With Jeff Demps likely starting out the preseason trying to fill the Percy Harvin role, Chris Rainey and Emmanuel Moody will be getting after it for the starting job. Rainey has the moves and breakaway speed the Gators like in their tailback, but Moody isn't far behind in either regard. Moody made a move late in the spring and is showing signs he's ready to break out.</p>