Insider notes on Florida and Arkansas: Draft grades for top prospects ft. Caleb Banks, Taylen Green, & more

At two programs in flux, many believed the head coaches for the Florida Gators and Arkansas Razorbacks deserved to get canned after the 2024 season. Yet both are back with rosters that offer a lot of potential.

Florida Gators

Florida decided to roll the dice and stay with maligned head coach Billy Napier, hoping he could finish what he started. The roster should finally see results in the NFL Draft after not having a top-100 pick last year, as there are several Day 2 prospects on the depth chart.

There is a large divide of opinions on Austin Barber in the scouting community versus what those on the outside think of him. Many have projected Barber as a potential first-round pick in 2026, yet the earliest scouts grade him is the middle of the draft’s final day, with some even pegging him as a UDFA. Barber is a tall lineman and a fundamentally sound blocker. He’s very effective in pass protection and even shows ability in motion. The divergence of opinion comes as Barber is more of a position/finesse blocker who doesn’t show overwhelming power, yet at the same time he’s not a top athlete. Still, I believe he offers a lot of potential at right tackle.

Caleb Banks also draws a variety of opinions, though he is an athletic big man. Banks is explosive, moves incredibly well and displays himself as a playmaker, on occasion. Too often he gets tied up in blocks and can be a nonfactor. Scouts I’ve spoken with have him graded anywhere from the early-to-late part of the second day. Banks looked like an unstoppable force against Georgia last season, and if he plays like that every week, he’ll definitely be a top-40 pick.

Tyreak Sapp does not get the credit he deserves, as he’s a playmaker standing over tackle and out of three-point stance who totaled 13 TFLs and seven sacks last season. He looks very athletic and disruptive on the field.

Florida Prospects
Grade	Rnd	Pos	Full Name	Yr	#
3.82	2nd	T	Austin Barber	4Sr	58
3.78	3rd	DT	Caleb Banks	5Sr	88
3.63	3rd	DE	Tyreak Sapp	5Sr	94
3.45	5th	C	Jake Slaughter	5Sr	66
3.44	5th	T	Bryce Lovett	3So	53
3.42	5th	WR	J. Michael Sturdivant	5Sr	9
3.38	6th	TE	Hayden Hansen	4Jr	89
3.05	FA	WR	Eugene Wilson III	3So	3
3.03	FA	CB	Devin Moore	3Jr	28
3.02	FA	S	Jordan Castell	3Jr	14

Arkansas Razorbacks

Embattled head coach Sam Pittman survived a season in which many thought he would be on the unemployment line. Pittman and Arkansas then hit the transfer portal hard this offseason, and while the Razorbacks’ draft board is littered with Day 3 prospects, there is a lot of potential for upward movement with this group.

Taylen Green is the most physically gifted quarterback that will come out of the Arkansas program since Ryan Mallett in 2011 and he doesn’t have the baggage. Green has great size and a terrific arm, and he is very athletic. He can make all the throws thanks to his arm strength, powering the ball through tight windows and driving deep passes downfield on the move. He’s also a legitimate threat to pick up yardage with his legs, either making defenders miss or running over them. He’s patient as well as poised in the pocket and takes off upfield only when nothing is available, or on designed quarterback runs. At the same time, Green needs a lot of work on his accuracy and pass placement, as the ball gets away from him too often. Receivers are adjusting for errant passes or leaving their feet due to the inaccuracy of Green’s throws, often when they are wide open. His upside is incredible, yet improving the accuracy of a quarterback is often tough.

Cam Ball is an explosive interior defender who can make plays on the ball or occupy gaps. He fires off the snap, moves well and shows a lot of power in his game. Ball is also a leverage lineman who is impossible to move from the point. He offers potential in a variety of one or two-gap defensive schemes.

Linebacker Xavian Sorey Jr. is built more like a big safety, yet he’s a terrific defender who makes plays all over the field. Sorey is explosive, fast and very fierce. He sells out up the field but also displays a lot of ability in coverage. He’s more of a one-gap linebacker who will be downgraded due to his size, yet Sorey can play at the next level.

Arkansas Prospects
Grade	Rnd	Pos	Full Name	Yr	#
3.49	4-5	QB	Taylen Green	5Sr	10
3.45	5th	DT	Cam Ball	5Sr	5
3.42	5th	ILB	Xavian Sorey Jr.	5Sr	10
3.38	6th	DT	David Oke	4Sr	92
3.3	6th	G	Fernando Carmona	5Sr	55
3.1	FA	TE	Rohan Jones	4Sr	88
3.08	FA	WR	O'Mega Blake	5Sr	9