GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- With Florida set to start spring ball on March 16 and Jim McElwain to meet with the media this Tuesday, one of the key questions is the health at linebacker.

Both Antonio Morrison and Jarrad Davis ended the 2014 season sidelined by knee injuries, with Morrison suffering an undisclosed injury in the Birmingham Bowl that sources tell GatorBait.net could keep him out up to nine months and Davis suffering a torn meniscus against South Carolina on Nov. 15.

While Davis could be ready for spring ball, coaches will certainly keep a close eye on him, and he could be limited early on. Morrison, on the other hand, is expected to miss spring practice.

In total, Florida only has six scholarship linebackers going into spring practice, so with Morrison likely out, the Gators will be remarkably shy on depth. Redshirt sophomore Matt Rolin has yet to play a down for Florida after suffering an ACL tear in August 2013, and there's no guarantee he can get fully healthy again.

With a depth chart that thin at the position, a couple of juniors will get a chance to show what they can do. Redshirt junior Jeremi Powell has played primarily on special teams and been hampered by knee injuries throughout his career. True junior Alex Anzalone was playing good football at the end of the year on the strong side, and he has a chance to win a starting job this spring. Fellow true junior Daniel McMillian struggled to pick up the mental side of the game in his first two years on campus, but a new system could benefit him.

The bottom line is that Florida will have very few bodies at the position this spring. That can be both a blessing and a curse.

Everyone playing there this spring will get plenty of reps and chances to learn the new system and impress the coaches. But the depth chart is also very thin, leaving little margin for error if players don't adapt quickly or there are any injuries.