Gator Clause

Gators pick up commitment from St. Thomas Aquinas DE Cox Jr.

Florida coach Will Muschamp added a necessary piece to the recruiting puzzle Saturday with the pickup of three-star defensive end Bryan Cox Jr.

Cox, the son of former All-Pro NFL linebacker and current Miami Dolphins pass rush coach Bryan Cox, fills a need on the defensive line, where Florida was extremely thin following the 2011 season. Cox is also a candidate for the Buck linebacker position currently played by rising junior Ronald Powell. 

From Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, Cox will join two former high school teammates in cornerbacks Cody Riggs and Marcus Roberson on the Gators roster. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Cox is rated as the No. 37 strongside defensive end in the country, according to Rivals.com. 

He is the 19th commitment in Florida's 2012 class, which will not be finalized until National Signing Day on Feb. 1. The Gators have commitments from three defensive ends and two defensive tackles so far. 

Cox committed Saturday while in Gainesville on an official visit. Several other Gators commits are also in town, as well as a handful of high-profile undecided targets, and more commitments could be coming soon. 

 

St. Thomas Aquinas alum Roberson out for remainder of season

Florida will play the rest of its season without its best cornerback.

Freshman Marcus Roberson suffered an injury to his neck during last week's loss to South Carolina and will miss the Gators' final two regular season games and the team's bowl game should they beat Furman on Saturday.

Florida coach Will Muschamp announced the news this morning at his weekly press conference, saying Roberson is still being evaluated. Muschamp classified the injury as a strain, and he said the medical staff is erring on the side of caution because of the seriousness of neck injuries.

"It's nothing that's going to be permanent," Muschamp said, adding that Roberson should "be fine" in 4 to 6 weeks. "He's going to be back for spring, but he will miss the rest of the season."

Sophomore Cody Riggs, also a graduate of Fort Lauderdale's St. Thomas Aquinas, will step back in to the starting lineup in Roberson's absence, Muschamp said. Riggs started the first seven games for Florida but was replaced by sophomore Jaylen Watkins against Georgia. Freshman Louchiez Purifoy and senior Moses Jenkins could also see playing time, with freshman safety De'Ante Saunders serving as an emergency option. 

Roberson started all of Florida's games this season, racking up 22 tackles, two pass break ups, a fumble recovery and an interception. Roberson and Saunders both started the season opener, becoming the first freshman duo to do so in school history. 

TE Gerald Christian and WR Robert Clark to transfer

Florida released the following statement Tuesday:

University of Florida head coach Will Muschamp announced on Tuesday that sophomores Gerald Christian (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) and Robert Clark (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.) intend to transfer from the program.

“Both of these players have expressed a desire for more playing time and felt that it would be in their best interests to transfer,” said Muschamp. “We wish them both the best of luck and appreciate their contributions to the program.”

“I’m looking for an opportunity to play more,” said Christian. “I have no bad feelings about Florida or the coaching staff, I just want to get a fresh start and see the field more.”

“I’ve enjoyed being a part of the Gator program but at the same time I’m excited about future opportunities to play more,” said Clark. “I will have nothing but good memories from my time in Gainesville.”

Christian, a 6’3”, 245-pound tight end, had four catches for 72 yards and one touchdown this season. Clark, a 5’9”, 173-pound wide receiver, does not have a catch this season but totaled seven catches for 69 yards and one touchdown in 2010.

Muschamp apologizes, promises to curb the cursing

Florida's Will Muschamp apologized Tuesday for using foul language on the sidelines during Saturday's loss to Auburn. After running back Chris Rainey muffed a punt, Muschamp could be heard on ESPN's live broadcast berating the officials and using multiple swear words. 

Video of the incident has since made the rounds on blogs and forums.

Muschamp was upset at the officials for not calling a kick-catch interference penalty on the play. He called a timeout during which he continued to yell at multiple officials. Muschamp said Tuesday that he would cut back on the cursing. 

"I do want to apologize for my language on the sidelines the other night," he said. "That’s not something that’s going to be tolerated at the University of Florida, first of all by me or anyone in our program, but that’s certainly not representative of this program, what this university’s about."

But the high-energy, aggressive nature with which he coaches is here to stay. Muschamp has said repeatedly that he would not change his demeanor, and he didn't back off from that Tuesday.

"It’s just the language. It’s hard when you got a 6-year-old and 10-year-old at home and you got to go home and explain to them what you said — that’s not good, and that’s not how we’re going to run our program. As far as the sideline stuff is concerned, we’re just going to be who we are. I’m just going to apologize for my language and nothing else." 

Bottom line: Don't expect Coach Boom to be changing anytime soon.

If you want to see the video, click here. Be warned, however, it does contain foul language.

Brissett to start against Auburn on Saturday

Florida coach Will Muschamp announced Friday that true freshman quarterback Jacoby Brissett will make his second consecutive start against Auburn this Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Brissett was battling with fellow freshman Jeff Driskel in practice this week, and Muschamp said the ankle injury that kept Driskel from dressing last week at LSU was not an issue. Florida has had to turn to inexperienced options after fifth-year senior John Brantley went down with an unspecified lower leg injury against Alabama. 

Brissett completed 8 of 14 passes for 94 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in his debut against LSU last week. Driskel has looked shaky in limited action, completing 7 of 16 passes with two interceptions. 

Coaches said Driskel is healthy, and if possible, they plan to play both quarterbacks against Auburn. I wouldn't expect Driskel to play meaningful snaps in the game, however, unless Florida is well behind, or Brissett is struggling, or both.

Expect Mike Gillislee to get the start at running back ahead of Chris Rainey, while the Gators offense once again tries to establish a running game to protect the quarterback. Gillislee was effective against LSU, rushing for 56 yards on nine carries, mainly between the tackles — where Rainey and Jeff Demps have struggled. 

10 Things Florida Must Do To Beat Alabama

This is it. This is the week we find out if Florida is for real. 

Entering Saturday's game, No. 3 Alabama is the favorite after embarrassing No. 12 Florida last year in Tuscaloosa. But things have changed in Gainesville. Will Muschamp is in his first year at the helm, and the Gators' defense is ranked in the top 10 in the country. It's a nationally televised game in primetime between two coaches who know each other like the back of their hands. 

This is why they play the game, for weekends and games like this. While the line has shifted toward Florida from Alabama (-6) down to (-3.5) in some places, not many people expect the Gators to have a chance.

Stewart Mandel of SI.com — "Theoretically, the Tide face a significant road test this week at Florida. In reality, those teams are as evenly matched as LSU and West Virginia were. — has already declared Alabama the victor.

All the talking heads on College GameDay this morning picked Alabama. 

But there's the feeling of upset in the air down here in central Florida. (Or, maybe it's just that cold front that sneaked into town overnight.)

Here's 10 things Florida must do tonight to beat Alabama and give Will Muschamp a statement win:

Run the ball: It all starts here. Florida is first in the SEC in rushing offense (259 yards per game), while Alabama's defense is first against the run. Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps have been tearing opposing defenses apart through four weeks. But they haven't played a defense like they will face tonight. In its only four SEC losses over the past four years, Alabama has faced a more than 2-to-1 run-pass ration in those games. The Tide have given up just one 100-yard rusher in their last 50 games; the key to beating them is pounding the rock. 

Stop the run: Every game comes down to these first two. They're fundamentals. But they also have greater importance in this matchup. Alabama backs Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy are better than anything Florida has seen thus far, and together they average more than 200 yards a game on the ground. Both are big, bruising backs that the Gators will struggle to bring down one-on-one. But to win, Florida must stop, or at least slow, Richardson and Lacy and force A.J. McCarron to beat them in the air.  

Get others involved: Florida has had success leaning heavily on Rainey and Demps, but more production will be needed from other positions against Alabama's defense. Tight end Jordan Reed and receiver Andre Debose, sat out last week's win at Kentucky with minor injuries and should be ready. Florida offensive coordinator Charlie Weis said he will empty the kitchen sink tonight, meaning players like Reed and Debose should finally see an increased role in the offense apart from blocking for UF's speedy backs.  

Force a turnover or two: Historically, turnovers have been the ultimate deciding factor in this rivalry. Florida couldn't recover from two giveaways in its first three drives last season, losing a laugher in Tuscaloosa 31-6. The Gators want to force three per game. But if they can keep the score close, and as long as they don't give it away on offense, just one or two should do the trick tonight.  

Avoid the big play: Apart from turnover margin, the only stat Muschamp routinely emphasizes is big-play ratio. The Gators have done a nice job this season of limiting the game-changing big play. But Nick Saban and Alabama are known for it, especially against Florida. The Crimson Tide pulled away from Arkansas last week after McCarron threw a touchdown on a fake field goal, and receiver Marquis Maze has made a living throwing touchdown passes against the Gators.  

Start fast: The Gators haven't played from behind once this season, scoring on their first possession three out of four games. A young, inexperienced team led by an emotional coach needs to play with a lead and avoid getting behind early. Florida couldn't recover from a first-quarter 14-0 hole last season. Forcing John Brantley to win a game through the air is a recipe for disaster. 

Tackle: Another fundamental, another important one. When Richardson and Lacy get to the second level, the Gators defense needs to swarm to the ball and wrap up. If allowed to the third level, both running backs will run straight through Florida's diminutive secondary, breaking the type of long run the Gators 'D' must avoid. Florida will likely bring an eighth defender into the box on obvious running downs to try and slow the Alabama run game.

Take advantage: Alabama's linebacker, C.J. Mosley, is out for tonight's game. Arguably the team's fastest linebacker, Mosley's absence should help Demps and Rainey find some space. While everyone is enamored with their ability to get to the edge, Demps and Rainey truly beat you when they get north and south. Expect Alabama to try to keep them running laterally, which will be increasingly tougher without Mosley. Florida must take advantage.  

Watch the screens: The Tide make a living in the screen game. Florida's defensive line has shown a knack for exploding off the ball and penetrating into the backfield, usually a dominant trait. Expect Alabama to try and exploit their aggressiveness.

Win the battle of field position: Weis said this week that punting isn't necessarily always a bad thing. He's absolutely right. In this game, which could very well be a slugfest decided late in the fourth quarter, winning the battle of field position will be imperative. The play of both team's special teams units should play a large role in this one. 

If Florida can do all these things, then its chance of pulling off the upset increase significantly. I just don't think they're ready to do it yet. The Gators are young, and while sometimes that can be an advantage, it won't be against the experienced Crimson Tide. Muschamp will make sure they don't get blown out of The Swamp, however. 

Prediction: Alabama 24, Florida 20. 

The Dee Finley Saga -- Why You Shouldn't Expect A Suspension

When news first broke Monday that Gators backup linebacker Dee Finley was arrested and charged with a third-degree felony charge of resisting arrest with violence, troubling visions came to mind. Did Finley hit a police officer? Did he get Tased? What the hell happened? 

Actually, it was nothing like that. Finley is not a felon and should not be labeled or treated as such. 

And with the news Tuesday that the State Attorney has reduced Finley's charges, it would not surprise me to see little or no punishment come his way. 

Before you explode, let me explain.

Mark Long of the Associated Press is reporting that his felony charge has been reduced to a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest without violence. Reading the initial police report, it seemed a little fishy to me, and this reduction does not surprise me at all.

Here's why: The University Police Department, and the arresting officer in particular, has quite a checkered past.

From accusations of officers egging hookers, to fighting motorists in a fit of road rage, to threatening to shoot a kid during a traffic stop, the UPD has never been the beacon of upstanding and honorable law enforcement. The case is no different with Dee Finley. 

The arresting officer in Finley's case, William Sasser, was one of five UPD officers involved in the shooting of UF doctoral student Kofi Adu-Brempong in 2010. Sasser was a part of the UPD's Critical Incident Response Team — their version of S.W.A.T.  But he was reassigned (read: demoted) following the incident.  He was also reprimanded in February 2010 for handcuffing a student to a stop sign. He's been suspended, crashed multiple police vehicles and he even admitted to taking speed and getting a DUI. Stand-up guy, eh? Read more about Sasser here.

From reading the vague police report, and this is purely speculation at this point, the area where Finley was stopped is very close to the access ramp to the football locker rooms and training areas. While through traffic is not allowed past the barricade that Finley supposedly avoided, players and football staff generally are. Most players park their scooters under the ramp to go to meetings, workouts or class, and they must pass the barricade to get there.

Now, before you accuse me of defending Finley outright, let me say this. Nothing can change the simple fact that Finley should not have been driving. I don't care if it's just a scooter on campus. The man has four — FOUR! — tickets in three years for driving on a suspended license or a similar charge. His license is suspended in Florida and his home state of Alabama. He has an open case for one of those charges. He knows he shouldn't be driving. 

But if you watch the video that recently resulted in a UPD officer's overdue firing, and you consider the questionable reputation of Sasser, it's not hard to envision a different scenario than the one he filed in his report (see below). 

The fact that the State Attorney reduced the charge to a misdemeanor offense means he disagrees with Sasser's assessment of the crime, if indeed a crime really was committed. With Gators Super Attorney Huntley Johnson on the case, I wouldn't be surprised if the resisting arrest charge is dropped completely.

“The State Attorney reviewed the case and decided to treat it as a misdemeanor,” Johnson told the Gainesville Sun. “I did not see resisting with violence in the description in the police report.”

Me either, Huntley. Me either.

I also don't expect Finley to be publicly disciplined for his alleged misconduct. Players are very rarely, if ever, suspended for traffic violations, which, at the end of the day, is what this whole saga is about. 

I'll say it again: Finley is not a felon and should not be labeled or treated as such. 

. 

Gators coach Will Muschamp releases statement in response to DT Sharrif Floyd's suspension

The NCAA released a statement informing the University of Florida that defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd has been suspended for two games for receiving impermissible benefits. There's a ton of information going around right now, and coach Will Muschamp just released an official statement. Here it is in full:

"I’m angered, disgusted and extremely disappointed that Sharrif will have to miss two games.

In my opinion Sharrif is getting lumped into what is bad about college athletics. As we indicated in the statement Saturday night his issue was not related to sports agents, University of Florida boosters or his recruitment to Florida or anywhere else.

Sharrif is what is good about college athletics – his life is about survival, struggle, disappointment and adversity. I have recruited kids that did not know where they would sleep that night or what they would eat. Growing up, Sharrif was one these kids. Sharrif’s life is also about triumph, honesty, integrity, determination, perseverance and character.  The NCAA stated that he received preferential treatment; there is nothing preferential about his life.

He grew up with only his great grandmother and still sends her Pell Grant money so she can pay her bills. How many kids do you know that would do that?  I know one – Sharrif Floyd.

I want to make it clear that this issue is not about sports agents, Florida boosters or his recruitment to Florida or anywhere else.  The issue is about his survival and the only reason the NCAA, the SEC and the University of Florida were aware of these issues is because Sharrif brought them to our attention last February. He came forward because, as I said before, he is honest and because of his integrity.

The toughest day that I have had as a head football coach at Florida was the day that I had to tell Sharrif that he could not play in our game vs. FAU last week. I took away part of his family. 

He had tears in his eyes and said “What have I done wrong?” I told him he did nothing wrong. It wasn’t any easier to tell him today that he would be missing Saturday’s game.

I have two sons at home- if they end up like Sharrif I will consider myself a successful father."

More to come later.

Breaking News: DT Sharrif Floyd declared ineligible

Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, who was announced pre-game as a starter against FAU, did not dress for the game and has been declared ineligible by the school. The University Athletic Association released the following statement:

"We have declared Sharrif Floyd ineligible and he is not eligible to compete until his eligibility is reinstated by the NCAA. We have been and will continue to work with the NCAA until this matter is resolved. This is an issue that is not related to sports agents, University of Florida boosters or his recruitment to Florida. We will not have any additional comment on this matter until it is resolved."

What to watch for tonight: FAU at UF

Offensive line: The Gators will need an unproven group of offensive linemen to come together in a big way this season. Charlie Weis' offense is built on the ability to pound the ball in the running game, and the line must be able to provide adequate time for quarterback John Brantley in pass protection. If Florida is going to have a chance at bettering last season's 8-5 record, it starts up front with Xavier Nixon, Dan Wenger, Jonotthan Harrison, Jon Halapio and Matt Patchan. While they shouldn't have much trouble against FAU, you should be looking for cohesion across the board and solid play at the tackle spots, where Nixon and Patchan are trying to stay healthy for the first time in their careers. 

The quarterback: Much has been made this offseason about Brantley's renewed confidence and how Weis' pro-style offense is a much better fit than the spread. Now we'll see if all that hype was justified. Brantley has gone on record as saying he's always nervous in games. He'll need to shed that to have success this season. 

Underclassmen in the secondary: The Gators will likely start two freshmen in the secondary for the first time in school history today. After switching to safety from corner in camp, freshman De'Ante Saunders has impressed and will make the start at safety alongside sophomore Matt Elam. At corner, freshman Marcus Roberson appears to be the favorite to start opposite senior Moses Jenkins. But sophomores Cody Riggs and Jaylen Watkins will also see the field extensively. FAU's weakness is at quarterback and receiver, so this should be a good coming out party for the secondary. If the unit struggles against the Owls, coaches should start worrying.

Wide receiver and running back: It's senior Deonte Thompson's last chance to prove himself. All accounts from camp have Thompson primed for a break-out type season. I'm not buying it. But Florida will need someone to emerge as a go-to guy for Brantley. Will it be redshirt freshman Quinton Dunbar? Frankie Hammond? Can Andre Debose get on the field? At running back, it will be interesting to see how Weis utilizes Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps, who Weis has called the fastest running backs he's ever coached. But neither fit the prototypical pro-style mold, and Mike Gillislee could be in line for some short-yardage carries. 

Muschamp and his staff: The Gators have closed practices and been extremely secretive with any information released pertaining to their new schemes. FAU coaches have admitted it's been difficult to gameplan for UF because they don't know what to expect. Will Muschamp must be thrilled. But this is Week 1 against a team Florida paid half a million dollars to come to Gainesville. Don't expect much to be revealed, especially on defense. Unless the Owls can keep it close, Florida will likely keep things very vanilla today. 

Prediction: UF 34 - FAU 10

 

Gators Release Depth Chart for Week 1 (Kinda)

There were some surprises on Florida's first depth chart since spring, but coach Will Muschamp cautioned that the list was tentative, saying it “certainly can change as we work through the week.”
Muschamp said offensive line and secondary are both positions that are still very much up in the air. Take a look at cornerback on the chart below to see what I mean. Muschamp said the final week of practice would determine the starters.
“All of those positions are a little bit up for grabs as far as who practices the best.” 
“I’m young, but I’m old-fashioned and generally how you play is how you practice," Muschamp said. "Nobody, in my opinion, has separated themselves to be named the starter here Monday before our first game.”

Here's how it looks: 

 

Muschamp shuts scrimmage down early: Truly frustrated or motivational ploy?

Apparently, Florida coach Will Muschamp wasn't pleased with his team's effort in a team scrimmage Wednesday. It was cut short by more than 30 minutes, leading to Muschamp's scheduled press conference being pushed up. 

"We did not execute very well," a seemingly frustrated Muschamp said. "Mental toughness was not there. Very immature football team at this point not consistently performing at the level we need to perform at.

"[There were] some procedural issues we should not be having at this point. [On] defense [there were] some mental mistakes we should not be having at this point. Overall, pretty displeased. Not what we were looking for tonight, that's for sure."

“It’s just a lack of focus on what you’re supposed to do and how you’re supposed to do it,” he said of why the practice ended early. “We’re in (a two-minute drill); we have guys walking around. We have no sense of urgency about what we do and how we do it and how we approach it. Very frustrating.”

While Muschamp wouldn't call the scrimmage — the same one he said would cost potential starters their jobs — a step backward, he did have this gem: “It dang sure wasn’t a step forward.”

But, coming from Muschamp, can we really believe anything he says at this point? Who knows if practice was bad? Practice is closed. It has been since spring. The only people that know what's going on aren't talking about it. Players are coached up on what to say, and what not to say.

To that end, it's this writer's opinion that Muschamp and his staff realized that the spewing overload of positive spin coming from the program was just too much.

Florida realized that people were starting to expect, at the very least, a very competitive football team this fall. Last night's verbal beatdown by Muschamp was merely a tempering of expectations and a motivational ploy for some camp-lethargic players. 

Defensive tackle Dominique Easley confirmed that sentiment Thursday.

"He just wants us to know that we’re not who we’re supposed to be yet," he said. 

Easley said Wednesday's scrimmage wasn't actually that bad. In fact, it was an improvement over the previous two. 

"From my perspective, everything went good," Easley said. "Obviously some things went bad. Every team, certain things go bad. But the way I look at it everything went good. He seemed a little upset because some plays went wrong, some people didn’t do what they were supposed to be doing, but that happens every where."

The fact is this team isn't where Muschamp, or the rabid fans of Gator Nation, expect it to be. There is a minimal senior presence, and a lot of the more-talented players on the roster are underclassmen. Add a brand new coaching staff and a complicated pro-style scheme on both sides of the ball to the mix and what you get is a mentally confused, young football team. 

There will be growing pains this fall. There aren't many guarantees around this team, but that much you can count on.

Just ask Jeff Demps.

"If we played tonight, I couldn’t even tell you [what would happen]," Demps said. "I’m pretty sure guys would go out and compete and play as hard as they can, but as far as just mentally being there, I’m not sure."

Florida cornerback Jeremy Brown reportedly out up to 3 weeks

Junior cornerback Jeremy Brown, who is expected to compete for a starting role this season, has been held out of practice this week with a knee injury, a source close to the team told alligatorSports Wednesday. 

Brown is expected to miss up to three weeks after injuring his knee in practice last week. A UF spokesperson declined comment until coach Will Muschamp can address the media. Muschamp said recently he is the only team source for injury-related news.

"It's not the NFL. We don't have to disclose anything," he said.

Muschamp's next scheduled media session is set for Saturday. 

 

Chris Rainey has a word for opposing defenses

With the reported resurgence of Chris Rainey and the return of Jeff Demps for his senior season, all indications point to the Gators backfield as the strength of the offense in 2011.

Asked about Trey Burton’s new F-21 role — a hybrid blend of fullback, slot receiver and short-yardage running back — and the combination of talent in the backfield, Rainey, exuding confidence, summed it up.

“We’re going to be giving a lot of defenses hell this year,” he said, carefully picking the right words through a wry smile. "We've got different athletes everywhere and they can't focus on one person."

Rainey missed five games last season after he was suspended following his much-publicized arrest, but teammates and coaches have praised Rainey's approach during the offseason, saying he has matured. 

Burton, Rainey and Demps combined for 1,808 yards from scrimmage in 2010 out of Urban Meyer's spread offense. And new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis has raved about the speed of the Florida offense, saying he's never had anything like it.  One of the more heralded offensive gurus around, Weis has elaborate plans to get his playmakers the ball in space. 

"It’s interesting to talk to Charlie and look at the different ways we are going to get those guys the football," coach Will Muschamp said recently. "Because that’s the bottom line at the end of the day, is getting [it to] those guys [at] the playmaker positions."

With quarterback John Brantley's ability to succeed in the Southeastern Conference still in doubt, the backfield will likely be leaned on early to carry the offense. Rainey, Demps and Burton are all in line for big years should they remain healthy. 

RB Demps set to return to Gators

The University of Florida released a statement Tuesday confirming running back Jeff Demps is returning to the football team.

"As I stated last week in Birmingham, Jeff Demps will be joining our football program when our squad reports for camp on August 5^th and when we start practice on August 6^th," Florida coach Will Muschamp said in a release from the school. "I met with him [Tuesday] and Jeff is looking forward to focusing on football for his upcoming senior season."

Demps also had some words that put to bed any rumors of a professional track career — at least for now.

"When I came to Florida I wanted to compete at a very high level in both sports and I’ve done that," Demps said. "Football has been my first love, but I also love running track. All of my coaches have been supportive and I’ve always been able to concentrate on whatever sport I’m competing in during that season. I concentrated on track this past spring and summer, and I’m now ready to concentrate on football. I’m looking forward to getting back together with my football teammates and having a great senior season."

There you have it. Demps will be back. 

 

SEC Media Days: What they're saying about Florida coach Will Muschamp

While Florida's presence is greatly diminished from previous years, new coach Will Muschamp and the Gators are still a topic of discussion throughout SEC Media Days. Here's what other coaches and players are saying about Muschamp and the Gators:

Georgia coach Mark Richt on his impressions of Will Muschamp and thoughts on an ex-Georgia player being a coach at Florida.
Richt: That's right. I'm sure he's going to tell everybody in Florida he's through and through, all that. I'm sure there's some red and black in his veins. Will is a great person, great coach, great competitor. He understands the game. He understands how to recruit. He gets it. That's why he's where he's at. 
I don't think there's any doubt that he's going to have a high level of success at Florida. Probably going to be a little weird for him, my guess is, when we play. ... I will say, once you play the game, once you kick it off, it changes everything. You know who you're playing for, you know who you're rooting for. ... It won't take him long to know where his allegiance is. 

Tennessee coach Derek Dooley on if working with Muschamp at LSU helped him and their current relationship.
Dooley: Will and I are good friends. Of course, we talked a lot. I know he told you guys that prior to him getting the job at Florida. We still stay in touch. Not as much, obviously. We certainly don't talk about the same things we did before. 
As far as helping, it does help being in this league and understanding this league, understanding the expectations of the fan base and the traditions. I do think it helps. 
But as long as you have an appreciation for a program and an institution and a university, and you open yourself up to how they do things, anybody can really come in this league and have success. You don't have to have a background in the SEC to have success in the SEC. 

On his opinion on the Muschamp hire and how it will affect the coaches' game-planning.
Dooley: Of course, I had mixed feelings. I was proud of him. He deserved it. He's earned it. But I'd rather him been at Texas because he's a friend of mine. I mean, that's just how it is. 
I don't think that has any impact, I really don't, on the game. I think we make this a bigger deal than it is. I don't know him in a way and he doesn't know me in a way that's going to be this difference maker on game day. We're certainly not going to be concerned about the other's well-being on game day. 
I just think it's probably a bigger story than we're making it out to as it relates to the competitive part of it on the game day. 
He's earned it. He's going to do a great job, there's no doubt in my mind. But we got to play each other every year and that's a big game for both programs. 

Five topics for SEC Media Days

More than 900 members of the media and coaches and players from each member institution converge on Hoover, Ala., this week for Southeastern Conference Media Days. Football is back, people. Here are some topics that are likely to be at the forefront during interviews Wednesday through Friday. Check back each day as I'll be bringing you daily updates from Hoover.

Scholarship increases — More and more, people are accepting the fact that college football is a business. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier had an interesting proposal at the spring meetings and commissioner Mike Slive is on record in support of “paying for an athlete’s full cost of attendance, which over and above tuition, room and board, books and university fees would also pay for reasonable personal expenses as well as travel expenses when an athlete returns home to see family.” There are many hurdles to be crossed before that’s a possibility, expect a lot of discussion on this.

The Auburn NCAA Investigation — The New York Times reported last week that Auburn coach Gene Chizik had a heated interchange at the spring meetings with the NCAA vice president for enforcement. Chizik reportedly wanted to know why the NCAA hadn’t announced that the investigation was over. He was informed the investigation is ongoing. The feeling is that the NCAA is stepping up its enforcement after a year filled with scandal.  Since 1987, the year of the “Death Sentence” for Southern Methodist University, the SEC leads all conferences in major violations with 13. 

Muschamp/Weis/Brantley — Florida representatives coach Will Muschamp, quarterback John Brantley, receiver Deonte Thompson and defensive end William Green are likely to face one of the larger frenzies of the three-day spectacle. With so much change in Gainesville, there will be questions abound. The public wants to know if Florida is back, if Brantley can step up in a pro-style offense and if Charlie Weis is ready for a return to the college ranks.

Media picks — If Media Days teaches you one thing it’s that the media is notoriously bad at picking a preseason winner. Only four times since 1992 have those behind the notepad and keyboard correctly projected the winner. Florida was the choice in three of those years (1994, 1995, 2008). There’s no clear-cut favorite this year and it will be interesting to see how many votes South Carolina and Arkansas receive compared to the more-popular selections of LSU and Alabama.

7-on-7’s and recruiting rules — Slive sent a letter to the NCAA last month proposing an array of new recruiting rules including forbidding college campuses from holding 7-on-7 tournaments. Expect recruiting and oversigning to be another hot topic this week.

 

Side note: I won't be able to attend Friday Night Lights as I'll be in Hoover, but I'll post an update on the blog from a good friend and fellow reporter, Bryan Holt. Check back, it should be a busy week. 

 

 

Pre-season All-SEC team announced, six Gators selected

The 2011 All-Southeastern Conference Coaches' Team was announced Thursday, and as you may have guessed, Florida did not have a player selected to the first-team. 

The Gators had a sole second-team member, running back Jeff Demps, and six total selections. Alabama led all conference schools with seven first-team selections. Arkansas had a league-high 14 selections, but just one on the first-team. 

Linebackers Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins were both selected to the third-team defense. Kicker Caleb Sturgis made the second-team for specialists, while Andre Debose and Trey Burton were third-team selections. 

While some may wonder why the first-team isn't littered with Gators like usual, understand that this isn't a big deal. It is pre-season after all. Much of it can be attributed to a down year in 2010 and the unknowns that accompany a new coaching staff.

Florida has plenty of talent, but the majority of it is largely unproven. The good news is we are a little more than a month away from the start of the season and some clarity. 

Here are the team listings: 

OFFENSE

First-Team Offense

TE            Orson Charles, Georgia                                     

OL           Cordy Glenn, Georgia                                         

OL           Barrett Jones, Alabama                                       

OL           Bradley Sowell, Ole Miss                                  

OL           Larry Warford, Kentucky                                   

C             William Vlachos, Alabama                                   

WR          Greg Childs, Arkansas                                         

WR          Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina                         

QB           Aaron Murray, Georgia                                       

RB           Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina                   

RB           Trent Richardson, Alabama                               

Second-Team Offense

TE           Brandon Barden, Vanderbilt                              

OL           Alvin Bailey, Arkansas                                       

OL           D.J. Fluker, Alabama                                            

OL           Brandon Mosley, Auburn                                  

OL           Rokevious Watkins, South Carolina                  

C             Ben Jones, Georgia                                            

WR          Joe Adams, Arkansas                                           

WR          Rueben Randle, LSU                                            

QB           Stephen Garcia, South Carolina                         

RB           Knile Davis, Arkansas                                           

*RB         Jeff Demps, Florida                                              

*RB         Mike Dyer, Auburn                                              

Third-Team Offense

TE          Philip Lutzenkirchen, Auburn                           

OL          Grant Cook, Arkansas                                          

OL          Alex Hurst, LSU                                                     

OL         Bobby Massie, Ole Miss                                      

OL         Kyle Nunn, South Carolina                                  

C           Travis Swanson, Arkansas                                   

*WR       Emory Blake, Auburn                                          

*WR       Marquis Maze, Alabama                                     

*WR       Jarius Wright, Arkansas                                       

QB          Chris Relf, Mississippi State                                

RB          Vick Ballard, Mississippi State                           

RB          Onterrio McCalebb, Auburn                            

 

DEFENSE

First-Team Defense

DL           Jake Bequette, Arkansas                                    

DL           Josh Chapman, Alabama                                     

DL           Malik Jackson, Tennessee                                  

DL           Devin Taylor, South Carolina                            

LB           Dont’a Hightower, Alabama                              

LB           Chris Marve, Vanderbilt                                     

LB           Danny Trevathan, Kentucky                            

DB           Mark Barron, Alabama                                       

DB           Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina                      

DB           Robert Lester, Alabama                                      

DB           Morris Claiborne, LSU                                       

Second-Team Defense

DL           Melvin Ingram, South Carolina                         

DL           DeAngelo Tyson, Georgia                                  

DL           Kentrell Lockett, Ole Miss                                 

*DL          Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State                          

*DL          Barkevious Mingo, LSU                                      

LB           Ryan Baker, LSU                                                   

LB           Jerry Franklin, Arkansas                                     

LB           Courtney Upshaw, Alabama                              

DB           Brandon Boykin, Georgia                                 

DB           Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt                               

DB           Tyrann Mathieu, LSU                                          

DB           Tramain Thomas, Arkansas                                  

Third-Team Defense

DL           Corey Lemonier, Auburn                                  

DL           Sam Montgomery, LSU                                    

DL           Travian Robertson, South Carolina                   

DL           Tenarius Wright, Arkansas                               

LB           Jon Bostic, Florida                                              

LB           Jelani Jenkins, Florida                                         

LB           C.J. Mosley, Alabama                                          

DB           Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State              

DB           Dre’ Kirkpatrick, Alabama                        

DB           Neiko Thorpe, Auburn                                      

DB           Prentiss Waggner, Tennessee                            

SPECIALISTS

First-Team  Specialists

PK           Blair Walsh, Georgia                                           

P             Drew Butler, Georgia                                         

RS           Brandon Boykin, Georgia                                    

AP           Joe Adams, Arkansas                                         

Second-Team  Specialists

PK           Caleb Sturgis, Florida                                          

P             Tyler Campbell, Ole Miss                                  

RS           Warren Norman, Vanderbilt                             

AP           Trent Richardson, Alabama                                 

Third-Team  Specialists

PK           Zach Hocker, Arkansas              

*P           Dylan Breeding, Arkansas                                 

*P           Ryan Tydlacka, Kentucky                                    

RS           Andre DeBose, Florida                                       

AP           Trey Burton, Florida                                       

* - Ties

Check back soon as I'll be previewing SEC Media Days and Friday Night Lights.

 

 

 

Hope and Change

Hey gang, a little bad/excellent news for you today. This is my last post as CEO of Gator Clause, as I'm headed to Jacksonville for a new job next week. Sorry posts have been really infrequent lately due to some hectic changes in my life, but my replacement, Matt Watts, will get things kicked off this weekend with some coverage of Carlos Alvarez and his induction into the college football hall of fame.

I had a great time picking this blog up from Joe, despite the struggles with the insane commenters that we all know and love. I'll be out of sports reporting for the time being, but this was a great gig while I was in school, and I'll miss the back-and-forth I got to have with some of you.

Enjoy your new daddy, and please don't make his life too hard in the comments section.

-Mike

Florida gets a trick-shot video of its own

Finally, Florida has joined the illustrious ranks of Texas A&M, UConn, Monmouth, and Washington State. UF alum Brodie Smith, a former national champion with Florida's ultimate frisbee team, has put the Gators on the trick-shot map with his video of crazy frisbee shots, mostly done on-campus. It's embedded, but in case it shows up funny, here's the link. I know it's a little off-beat, but if you hate this, you hate fun.

Given how popular trick shots are, this could get pretty big. In fact, Smith said a Japanese TV network is running the video. "It's huge in Japan," he said. "I don't know why, but these Japanese people are loving these trick shots."

There's a lot to love, especially the shot around the two-minute mark where he spins the disc and pretty much slaps it into a trash can from the top of the track stadium, which, when you watch the replay and really think about it, has to go down as one of the toughest trick shots of any kind on YouTube.

And like most good videos, he finishes with a bomb -- an 85-yard hammer-style throw inside The Swamp. Smith said he hit most of his shots fairly quickly, but that one took 60-70 unsuccessful tries the first day, thanks in part to the huge impact the wind has on a throw that far. On the second day, he warmed up and nailed his first attempt, leading a memorable reaction from the camera man.

The concept for the video and Smith's YouTube channel of frisbee highlights was to show people that "it isn't a hippie sport." A few years removed from making yours truly look silly during Nease High School Frisbee Club games, Smith is teaching at Gainesville Eastside High and preparing to play with his team in the national championships, which would lead to a shot at the world title. In the meantime, he's working on a second round of trick shots.

"The first video, we didn't spend much time thinking of and creating shots. It was kind of on the fly. This next one, we a had a meeting for a few hours to try and get a game plan together," Smith said. "There are so many capabilities with a frisbee between kicking it, skipping it and throwing it different ways, so I would say if you like the first one, the second one is going to out-do it. You can't come out with another trick-shot video and not be better than the first."

Honestly, would this not be the perfect way for John Brantley to re-vamp his image? He came in with a reputation for accuracy and has fallen on some hard times, so why not recapture some glory with a video of him nailing some crazy football throws? With no snaps, pass-rushers or receivers to worry about, I'd imagine he could do some damage, and he could use the personality bump that would come along with a video like that. If only I could be an agent for college football players...

If you go to a Gator Club outing, wear a belt: Muschamp might charm the pants off you

Did You Know: While examining fossilized stomach contents of the Xiphactinus audax, a predatory fish from the Late Cretaceous period, researchers were able to determine that the animal swallowed its last meal (a 6-foot-long fish) whole, and the prey thrashed around in the Xiphactinus' stomach until it choked it?

Pretty crazy right? Well, that's the most interesting thing I learned during Will Muschamp's speech to the Central Florida Gator Club on Tuesday night, which took place in the surreal setting of the Orlando Science Center's dinosaur exhibit, hence the photo (that's Muschamp in the middle below the banner) and newfound knowledge.

OK, OK, I'm kidding (but not about the location). In fact, Muschamp was his usual, engaging self on the evening, offering a masterful blend of preaching core values while also keeping people laughing. He has six stops left on his tour (schedule here), which feels like a string of stump speeches where he's campaigning for Gators fans to love him. He's doing a great job.

I got a little risky with that lead-in, but if you're still with me, here are some notable moments:

• One fan praised him for kicking Janoris Jenkins off the team, which led to a round of applause (Re-elect Sheriff Muschamp! He's cleaning up the streets!). He wasn't about to bask in it, but he did urge fans to refrain from making judgments about private decisions (like the Jenkins one) without knowing all the facts. Since he's not going to share those facts, I guess that's him politely asking everyone to shut up.

• Jenkins said Muschamp gave him the boot without hearing him out, but Muschamp told reporters Tuesday that he presented a few options before making the decision. He added that he doesn't think the Gators have a marijuana problem, and while he declined to say Jenkins' punishment was meant to send a message to the team, this general quote pretty much sums it up: "Sometimes actions speak louder than words."

• He was very complimentary of quarterback John Brantley, saying he had a great spring and adding, "Everybody wants to bellyache about the spring game, but we've got to play better around him," citing poor pass protection as a major factor. The largest bottle of Pepto Bismol ever made won't stop my Orange and Blue Game Brantley Bellyache, unless it also erases memories.

• He expects everyone healthy by June 22, with running back Mack Brown being the last one. He said he always rips on Chris Rainey for not being able to beat Jeff Demps in a race, had high praise for safety Matt Elam and cornerback Jeremy Brown and even lauded receiver Deonte Thompson (though he added the hilarious comment that Thompson needs to improve on "finishing plays").

• Muschamp said his main focus is the line of scrimmage, as that's where he believes games are won in the SEC. That's also his biggest area of concern because of depth: "I think we've got quality players, but I'm worried about our numbers. ... We don't have the numbers to have guys getting injured, so we've got to be smart." I have to call him out here though, as he called guard James Wilson "John." To be fair, Wilson has been hurt since Muschamp arrived, so maybe that's why. Side note: James played at my high school and is a great person, and though injuries have derailed his career, I'm not giving up hope that he's going to make sure everyone knows his name this year.

• On a fan's concern that offensive coordinator Charlie Weis may have a tough time adjusting to the SEC: "Charlie Weis has coached in four Super Bowls. I think he'll be OK."

• When he hired defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Muschamp said Jason Taylor texted him in disbelief that he could pull that off.

• On recruiting at UF: "There's a lot of great scenery, and I'm not just talking about the trees." A little creepy, but right on, coach.

• When athletics director Jeremy Foley first called him about the job, Muschamp saw the 352 area code and was skeptical (Gainesville was 904 when he lived here). "I have a lot of buddies who like playing jokes," he said, so when the caller identified himself as Foley, Muschamp said "What do you want?" Foley responded with "Uh, maybe this isn't a good time," at which point Muschamp realized it was for real.

• Muschamp was big on reminding the crowd that he grew up going to UF games and is familiar with the SEC, two facts that seem to have everyone really jacked up. He told a funny story about how he used to sell Coca-Cola at games, but when he relayed that to a previous audience, Foley called to ban him from using the C-word (UF has a contract with Pepsi), so he now says "I don't remember what it was, but it was something like Pepsi."

• He also made sure to bring up a lot of Gators legends, saying he brought in Fred Taylor, Wilber Marshall (his favorite player) and Tim Tebow to speak with the team. He had to show the players highlights of Marshall so they'd know who he was.

Now, Muschamp is really a hit on the road with his southern charm and embrace of UF history, but I've picked up a sentiment that's really alarming. I've heard/seen a few comments of fans griping about Urban's personality (or lack thereof), such as the guy in front of me Tuesday, who said "Urban would have been on his plane back to Gainesville right now." Well yea, he needed a little extra time to get through security because of those rings on his fingers.

But that got me wondering how widespread the feeling is. Meyer was always an outsider in the south whereas Muschamp is a good ol' boy, but does that matter to you? It clearly does to some, and from what I saw in Orlando, that's probably only going to spread from here.

In my mind, Meyer should be unassailable based on the success he had here. It will likely never be replicated, but I'm becoming increasingly convinced that Meyer will always rank below Steve Spurrier and any other winning coach who has the right accent. What are your thoughts?

And if you have any other thoughts or questions, fire away. There was a lot of other material I'm not about to cram in here, and if I can't answer your question now, I'll ask The Man at the next Gator Club event I go to.

He gone: Jenkins off the team, and I think it's a mistake

Florida coach Will Muschamp announced via Twitter that Janoris Jenkins is no longer part of the team today, a move that stems from Jenkins getting popped for marijuana twice in three months.

Now, it's unclear whether Muschamp really kicked Jenkins off the team or if Jenkins decided to leave rather than face suspension and other punishments. A UF spokesman simply said they both agreed to move on, which could mean just about anything. In my mind, if Muschamp didn't try to keep him, he made a mistake.

What would Muschamp really gain by kicking Jenkins off the team? He's the best player -- one of the only proven guys on the squad -- and would be especially valuable in what could easily be a rough season. Does it send a message to the rest of the team that they better behave? Yes. Will they? Come on. Will Coach BOOM start truly recruiting the "top 1% of 1%" that Urban Meyer used to talk about? If he wants to lose games, sure.

This is a sport that does not fall in line with the usual moral code of life, and I see no reason to treat it as if it does. Suspending Jenkins for 2-6 games, making him do community service and all kinds of physical penance would still send a message to Jenkins and the rest of the team, he'd be in tip-top shape, the Gators would have their best player, and hell, he might even learn something.

Instead, he's gone, and Florida is facing a likely 2007-ish cornerback duo of Jeremy Brown and Cody Riggs, with Moses Jenkins, Jaylen Watkins, Josh Shaw and De'Ante Saunders the other competitors. I like Brown, Riggs and Moses a lot, both as people and players, but I can't imagine them getting close to as solid as a pairing of Janoris and any one of them.

So, what is gained? If only for a moment, the Gators' reputation as The New Thug U may go away. There's a new sheriff in town, and he's ready to get everyone in line. But do you really care? Would you rather people poke fun at your team for arrests while they win titles, or would you rather be praised as a more wholesome, 8-4 program? I wouldn't be on this soapbox if I thought college football or Florida was really going to change. Since I don't (neither ever has), I'm going to keep preaching my rule-breaking philosophy.

All in all though, I have to admit this isn't a bad time for Muschamp to put his foot down. I don't see Florida as a serious challenger for the SEC this year, so if you want to make a statement, do it in a season where you already have a grace period and don't have much to lose.

For Jenkins, the next move is likely the NFL's supplemental draft -- assuming the league can stay lockout-free -- but he could also move to a lower-division school if he feels he can pump up his draft stock that way. I seriously doubt he elects to sit out a year at another D-1 school to play his final season. As I understand it, the supplemental draft works like this: Teams submit bids of what round they would take the player in, and if Team A says second round while Team B says third, Team A gets the player and loses their second-round pick in the next year's draft. It's a bit more complicated than that, but there's the general idea.

---

How do you feel about this? Looking at yesterday's poll, the majority of you said you'd kick him off the team, though that came via a very late surge, which is suspicious to me. If Jenkins goes in the supplemental draft, would you want your team to take him? I sure as hell would. Because he's good at football and isn't violent or crazy.

Be Muschamp for a minute: How would you discipline Jenkins?

With yesterday's news that linebackers Chris Martin and Kedric Johnson also got busted for weed in January, it's clear that the Gators have a chronic issue with marijuana (get it?!) and Will Muschamp needs to do something about it before his entire roster goes up in smoke (I'm on fire!).

First, he should call them all into a room and scream "For the love of God, just smoke in your homes and not in public!" Martin, Johnson and Janoris Jenkins have all been caught with weed in a vehicle, and Jenkins was also snagged in a nightclub. Keep it indoors, and these problems go away.

Alas, it's too late for that with these three, so how would you handle it? Feel free to chime in on what you'd do with Martin and Johnson, but I'm most interested in Jenkins because he was caught twice and is probably the team's best player. My inner moral code says two-game suspensions for Martin and Johnson, and then six games for Jenkins (half the season).

BUT, I wouldn't do that with Jenkins for a simple reason: he's good. Look, college football is a dirty, twisted sport with a bass-ackward financial scheme, rampant misconduct by players and administrators and a laughable "postseason." In this case, I'm inclined to treat it like the circus it really is. Suspend Jenkins for four games (that's FAU, UAB, Tennessee and Kentucky) and bring him back in time to face Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Georgia, when the season really heats up. Hit him with plenty of conditioning, community service and the promise that one more slip-up means he's a goner, but I wouldn't kick him off the team or suspend him for half the year because he might bolt for the supplemental draft. Publicly, I would only say that Jenkins is suspended, but not for how long. Everyone would just have to wait week-by-week to see if Jenkins would play, thereby slowly diminishing the story.

Plenty of you will think that's too lenient, and in the real world, I'd agree. But this sport is a joke, and if I'm the coach, I want to be the one laughing with my shutdown corner ready for the toughest part of the schedule. After all, what's the NCAA going to do about it? As Dave Chappelle once said about the United Nations, "You got a problem with that? You know what you should do? You should sanction me. Sanction me with your Army. Oh, wait a minute, you don't have an Army!"

NOTHING is making Muschamp be hard on Jenkins except for the risk of his players not taking him seriously from a disciplinary standpoint, but he can handle that behind closed doors enough to fix that problem. Athletics director Jeremy Foley could pull rank and make a decision, but if that's the case, it doesn't really matter what Muschamp thinks anyway. As only Gator Clause can, we're giving you the power to be coach Muschamp for the next five minutes. So what would you do?

 

Jenkins in trouble again, think he'll bolt for the NFL supplemental draft?

The second arrest of the Will Muschamp era is in the books folks, and it's the same as the first.

Cornerback Janoris Jenkins got popped with a citation for possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana late Friday night after a cop saw him sitting in his car smoking a cigar. When the officer approached, Jenkins left the car, but the officer spotted the burnt marijuana cigar on the center console and put another notch in the belt of America's war on high-level drug trafficking by busting Jenkins. Mission accomplished!

In a vacuum, I feel the same about this as I did the last Jenkins arrest, which came in January when he got caught with a marijuana cigarette in a nightclub -- it's not a huge deal. But unfortunately for Jenkins, there's more to it. It's his second arrest for weed in three months and his third overall arrest, as he got hit with a Taser and arrested after a fight in May 2009.

This shows a clear lack of judgment and responsibility, and you'd think Muschamp has to lower the BOOM! for it. He took over a program known for its prowess in criminal activity, and I don't think he can afford letting the same player (a starter and team leader, no less) flaunt the rules. Jenkins is the only player arrested so far, and he's done it twice. Surely he got a stern talking-to after the last one, but all he did was switch from cigarettes to cigars.

So, what now? Muschamp is using the "behind closed doors" policy that Urban Meyer used, so I doubt we hear anything publicly about Jenkins' punishment (no comment yet from UF), but he'll likely be suspended for a few games at the least. It probably doesn't matter if he misses the FAU or UAB games, but will Jenkins even want to stick around? He's had a rocky start with the new coach and missed all of spring after shoulder surgery, so I'd wager that the NFL supplemental draft is looking like a decent option to him right now.

Obviously, the NFL is a complicated situation at the moment with the lockout, but if his recovery is going well and he knows he's missing a few games anyway, he may  want to make the jump. It won't look good, but he'll have to answer all the same drug questions this time next year if he stays, and it's obvious that staying out of trouble in Gainesville is a tough task for him.

We'll have to wait for the dust to settle on this, but in the meantime, Jenkins was off to Orlando today according to his Twitter. I guess he isn't too fazed by all this, but we'll see how Muschamp feels.

This wasn't the debut the Gators hoped for

Some things are better left unseen, like the 2011 Orange and Blue Debut.

The short of it: John Brantley's Blue team beat the Orange team 13-10 in front of 53,000.

The long and painful of it: Brantley's Blue team Blew, and Orange wasn't much better. Brantley went 4 of 14 for 45 yards, missing his first six passes and leading his team to just 3 points. The squads combined for 6 points in the first half, with 3 of those coming on a fifth-down field goal. Both touchdowns came via walk-ons, and walk-on defensive back Malcolm Jones led the game in rushing. And the crowd was more like 40,000.

What did we learn about the Gators on Saturday? Nothing, and I think everyone would be happier if the game hadn't taken place in public. Fans hoping for a revamped offense and new-look Brantley got more of the same, opening the team up to criticism it probably doesn't deserve and definitely doesn't need. After all, with a ton of key injuries and only a few weeks to learn new schemes from the ground up, how was this team going to look good?

If the object of a spring game is to make the team better, stick with the philosophy used for the rest of spring practice and conduct it in private. If the goal is to entertain fans, why not have a skills competition or something? Let Caleb Sturgis try outrgeous field goals, have a QB trick shot contest, make Chris Rainey race a horse -- do anything other than subject everyone to what we watched in The Swamp.

Maybe that's just me. And even though there are lots of excuses to make for UF's offense, including the fact that Charlie Weis isn't going to pull out all the stops in spring, it still looked worse than I thought. This was the fewest points ever scored by a winning team in the spring game, and Blue tied a record-low for completions at six. And both teams combined for just 340 yards. Ew.

Now, Andre Debose, Jeff Demps, Trey Burton, Mike Gillislee, Mack Brown and Mike Blakely were all out, leaving Rainey as the only true running back. And injuries to Xavier Nixon, Matt Patchan, Nick Alajajian and probably like 25 other linemen I'm forgetting made the offensive line a major problem.

But on the plus side, those injuries set up the lone bright spot of the afternoon: Sharrif Floyd and Dominique Easley destroying Brantley's pocket like Uncle Sam's about to do to mine when I finally file my taxes. They were in his face just about every play, leading to the quote of the day:

"I wouldn't call John Brantley's play today a struggle. I would call it, 'Not enough room,'" Floyd said. "Me and Dominique Easley collapsed the pocket. We forced offensive linemen into his face, and he had to roll out. That's just how our d-line plays. We play physical."

Indeed, those two looked great, and Ronald Powell was solid as well. Easley did come off the field late with an injury, but coach Will Muschamp said, "Easley is fine. Easley got tired, alright?" That trio is one of the few reasons to get excited about this team that's founded in some kind of solid evidence. They're all talented and look ready to break out, though Muschamp pointed out they still need some refining. Once they do that, Floyd said, "We will be completely unstoppable."

Meanwhile, I don't see how the same could be said of the offense. Not to pick on Brantley too much because, as I've said many times, he's a great person and has handled a very difficult situation in a professional manner, but he just doesn't seem to have it. Muschamp said he'd be the starter if the season began today, and he added that Brantley completed 70 percent of his passes in spring practice, which has to count warm-up throws to stationary targets not named Deonte Thompson (who, by the way, added to his already-impressive portfolio of drops by mishandling a reverse).

The other concerning thing about Brantley: The question of whether he looked the same Saturday as he had throughout spring practice was asked to Muschamp, Brantley and several other players. Everyone said he was his usual self in the spring game, which is scary. It's even scarier that they all appear to think that's a good thing, but hey, there's really no point in them bad-mouthing him.

As for the alternatives, Tyler Murphy and Jeff Driskel looked all right. Both out-did Brantley numbers-wise, but neither was that impressive. And to remind everyone of just what they're missing on offense, Tim Tebow, Danny Wuerffel and Steve Spurrier were honored at halftime with statues to commemorate their Heisman Trophies.

Spurrier's daughter accepted the statue for him, while he sent in a video message to fans (wearing a Gamecocks shirt in front of their logo), and Tebow and Wuerffel were there in person. Unsurprisingly, the biggest ovations of the day were for Tebow -- once when he was introduced and once when he picked up an errant Brantley pass and tossed it back.

That was a cool ceremony, and the statues are definitely worth a look next time you're near the stadium (located on the west side near the O'Connell Center). A reporter joked with Tebow that his was the only one not in a throwing pose, but it still looks pretty badass.

But besides the statues and defensive line, I'm not sure how many other positives you can take from this game. Oh, here's one: Kyle Christy tied the spring game record for longest punt at 55 yards. And they hype around Quinton Dunbar is sounding more and more legit. He ran with the first team, and they called a deep ball to him on the first play. Last year, the same call led to a long catch by Thompson, but this one was a bit underthrown with good coverage and was incomplete. But Muschamp repeatedly praised Dunbar after the game, so it's looking like he's your 2011 deep threat. We'll see if the ball ever meets him down there.

---

So how'd you feel about this game? Agree with me that it'd be better off behind closed curtains? Think I'm blowing it out of proportion and that they weren't really that bad? Can Kyle Christy take home the Ray Guy Award this year?

W2W4 in the Orange and Blue Debut

Ah, the spring football game, where all of our questions will be answered and where we find out exactly who the playmakers are. Like last year, where John Brantley and Carl Moore came out and established themselves as one of the best combos in the SEC and Deonte Thompson showed flashes of why he'd be one of the nation's premier deep threats. Wait a minute...

My point is, don't get too carried away with Saturday's Orange & Blue Debut. It's a (very, very) glorified scrimmage for a team dealing with injuries and players who can't possibly have mastered the new schemes on offense or defense. So what can we get out of this? First, we at least get to watch some football. After a spring of closed practices, it'll be interesting to watch the Gators do just about anything, but there are a few players to keep an eye on.

-QB John Brantley

Obviously, the senior-to-be is the key to the offense. If he reprises his role as [demeaning nickname for Mr. Brantley redacted per UF request. I was a bit harsh here, and I apologize to anyone who may have been offended. Namely, Brantley] next season, the Gators are doomed. He hardly ever showed flashes of his alleged talent last year, lost his grip on the position and was rarely a threat to opposing defenses. Blame Steve Addazio all you want, but good players still shine through crappy play-calling on occasion. Brantley never did that, save for that catch he made of a deflected pass for a loss of yardage. That was tight.

Brantley has a good history in spring games. In 2009, he was 12-of-18 for 214 yards, 3 TDs and a pick, then switched teams and went 2-of-5 for 51 yards. Last year, he completed 15 of 19 passes for 201 yards and two scores. In the entire 2010 season, Brantley had four 200-yard games and three multi-TD games, so those spring outings weren't really a good predictor of how he'd play.

So what can you look for out of Brantley that's meaningful? Make sure he doesn't stink. If he looks like I would out there, it's a huge red flag. If he plays super well, it's not that big of a deal because he's supposed to.

-WR Quinton Dunbar

The Miami native has drawn rave reviews from teammates and coaches, and now's his chance to show off. The Gators are in desperate need of a downfield playmaker, and Dunbar is supposed to be that guy based on what we've heard out of practice. I don't buy any of this until I see it with my own eyes, and even though a big showing doesn't guarantee Dunbar will shine next year, he needs to display some of the talent we keep hearing about. 

Chris Dunkley is suspended for academic issues and Andre Debose has apparently still not made the kind of impression that everyone keeps waiting for, so Dunbar is the best bet to step up alongside Frankie Hammond, Omarius Hines and Deonte.

-C Jonotthan Harrison

Harrison moved from guard to center this off-season, and now that everyone in Gainesville knows how crucial it is to have a functional snapper, there ought to be lots of eyes on his play. There's expected to be a lot less shotgun this season, so his job should be easier than Mike Pouncey's, but he's still the leader on a line that only brings back Xavier Nixon, who might miss Saturday's game with an ankle injury. Also, it'll be interesting to see how Harrison deals with the next guy on this list.

-DT Dominique Easley

To put it bluntly, Easley was a little [again, redacted per UF request. Let's say "problem child"] last year. He couldn't handle going from five-star stud to a freshman on the bench. He clashed with older players. He skipped a practice along with Ronald Powell, and kept bucking the system even after Powell bought into the team concept, leading to Easley being left off the travel roster for the Vanderbilt game. Ouch.

But after Will Muschamp came in and told him "You either do it our way or you leave," Easley seems to have turned a corner. He's come out and talked about his attitude change this spring, and he, Powell and Sharrif Floyd appear to have a prettty good relationship to match their outrageous potential on the defensive line. One thing no one has ever questioned is Easley's talent, and he's been singled out as one of the top defensive performers in camp.

My biggest gripe with d-linemen is often their effort level. You can see the talent is there, but it's frustrating when they don't make the most of it (looking at you, Carlos Dunlap). A spring game is a good time to measure that work ethic. If Easley shows up and goes beast mode, it's a good bet that his head is in the right place. Powell and Floyd will be fun to watch too, but we've seen enough of them to know what they're capable of.

-LB Gerald Christian

This one's a bit tricky, as depth issues at tight end have forced Christian to play at his old position in recent practices, but he's expected to start alongside Jelani Jenkins and Jon Bostic at linebacker, and Saturday should be our first glimpse of him on defense. The part of his job that requires covering tight ends shouldn't be hard because he was one, but I'm interested to see his instincts and how comfortable he looks in his new spot.

-Others

Matt Elam needs to be the cornerstone of the secondary. Janoris Jenkins is the best player, but he's less of a veteran leader and more of the shutdown corner who just does his own thing. Elam has to fill the void Ahmad Black leaves behind, which is crucial. He said being vocal isn't his forte but that he's trying, so I'm interested to see how he looks tomorrow.

Chris Rainey always seems to have a few insane plays in the spring game, and I'd look for more of that. Also, he now has the chance to play like he did in high school, taking hand-offs deep in the backfield, picking a hole and darting between linemen, and he should be fun to watch.

Jordan Reed is a full-time tight end again and needs to be a big target in the passing game, and he'll be important as a blocker too. That's been an adjustment for him, so seeing how he handles guys like Powell is key.

And obviously, we get our first look at The Man tomorrow. Jeff Driskel and Tyler Murphy don't appear to have blown the doors off practice, but it's important they keep some pressure on Brantley.

Overall, this is a team with plenty of unsettled position battles, so effort should be top notch. I'm a fan of this year's format. Rather than split the players up randomly into two groups, it'll be the first-team offense (Blue) vs. the first-team defense (Orange), while the second-team offense (Orange) will face the second-team defense (Blue). That should give us the best look at these guys in the most competitive environment, and they're leaving room for some fun too.

Four "Guest Media Coaches" will get a chance to call some plays. The Gainesville Sun's Pat Dooley and Tampa Tribune's Joe Henderson will work with the Blue team, while the Orlando Sentinel's Mike Bianchi and WRUF's Steve Russell will "help" the Orange team. My money's on Russell to do the best job since I know he coaches youth sports. Word is that I didn't get a call because Muschamp is worried about getting shown up by a kid.

One last note, Muschamp took the team to play paintball Thursday rather than practice. Pretty cool.

---

Thoughts? What are you most looking forward to on Saturday?

 

Still plenty of mysteries, but here are my guarantees about the UF offense

"Everything is different, but it's not that different. It's pretty much just like the spread, except it's not at all, and the terminology is new. Everyone has gotten a lot better, but they were all great last year so there wasn't that much room for improvement."

That, ladies and gentlemen, pretty much sums up every interview with Florida football players this spring. So, with practices closed and only this stuff to go on, what have we learned about the Gators? Very, very little.

Sure, post-practice chatter about things like Quinton Dunbar emerging as a playmaker and John Brantley looking like a perfect fit for a pro-style offense are positive, but it's all vague and could be completely false for all anyone knows.

But, after a few go-rounds dealing with the myths and occasional straight-up lies that come out of practices (like Joe Haden running the Wildcat a couple years back), I've got three things I think you can take to the bank when it comes to the 2011 Gators.

-First, I fully expect Chris Rainey to thrive. He's back at running back full-time after that silly little wide receiver experiment, and Will Muschamp praised Rainey's performance out of the I-formation so far. On Thursday, Rainey spoke to the media for the first time since his arrest in September for aggravated stalking, and he already seems like he learned how to keep his mouth shut. He had a knack for dropping controversial quotes in the past, and that loose tongue eventually landed him in trouble last season, albeit via text.

He should be a focal point of the offense, and despite his small frame, he's always been an excellent runner between the tackles because of his quickness. And now that he's taking handoffs deeper in the backfield, he says he has more of a chance to use his field vision.

“When I get the ball, I can just read the whole field and do whatever I want," Rainey said. "It's more freedom and a lot of fun. I tell them out there that it feels like high school again.”

-Second, the tight end position is about to gain a lot of importance. Jordan Reed became a playmaker last season more by virtue of his quarterback play, and even Aaron Hernandez was a hybrid player rather than a true tight end. Now, Reed is playing the traditional tight end role and says he isn't taking any reps at quarterback. He even said today he's not being used as a short-yardage option, which he previously said he'd be doing.

Instead, Reed said he's focused on improving his blocking, and with more two-receiver sets expected this year, his role in the passing game should increase. And frankly, he's one of the few real mismatches on this offense, so he has to get the ball.

-Third, there's no magic new Brantley in town. I expect him to be better than last season simply because he can't be worse, but not because he's touching the center's butt when he takes the snap rather than standing in the shotgun. At the end of the day, it will come down to Brantley finding open receivers and throwing footballs in their immediate vicinity, tasks he struggled mightily with last year.

The consensus between players and Muschamp is that Brantley looks really comfortable and awesome in the pro-style offense. For two years before last season, the consensus between players and Urban Meyer was that Brantley was extremely polished and could run the spread with ruthless efficiency. The latter certainly didn't pan out, and I'm not sold on the former until I see it.

It's the same Brantley in a new package, and the package doesn't change what he has to do to succeed. Take it from receiver Frankie Hammond: “He looks good, but from the spread to the I-formation, it really isn’t a difference in my opinion. He still has to make reads, still has to throw the ball around, now there are just more tight ends involved and a two-receiver set, which you didn’t see much in the spread.”

I'm not saying Brantley will be miserable, but going under center doesn't flip a switch. Yes, being more comfortable should help, but he also has an offensive line stacked with rookies, so that comfort may only last two seconds per play.

-Finally, so that I don't leave you on a depressing note, here are some tidbits.

Rainey on Charlie Weis' excitement working with Florida's pool of talent: “The first thing he said when he got here was that this is the most athletes he’s ever been around, so we felt good about that.”

Rainey on what to expect from the offense: "Fans are going to be happy again."

And, as I mentioned briefly up top, Dunbar is getting a lot of praise at receiver. I'm usually very hesitant to make too much of stuff like this when it comes out of closed practices, but everyone seems to love him. Hammond singled him out as the best young performer at the position and labeled him a great deep threat, and Muschamp has also talked him up a little bit. Add the fact that Carl Johnson said last season he didn't understand why Dunbar didn't get a chance during games, and the hype around the Booker T. Washington product may actually be legit.

---

Agree/disagree with my guarantees? Have any of your own? How do you feel about Brantley? Does a new offensive style wipe away all the lowlights of 2010 for you?

Gators had the shots, just didn't make them

Kenny Boynton said it best: "Couldn't ask for anything more."

Boynton and backcourt partner Erving Walker had three late chances to win, take the lead and then tie Florida's Elite 8 matchup with Butler on three-pointers. They missed all three, handing the Bulldogs a 74-71 win and second straight appearance in the Final Four. Obviously a lot happened, and like with any NCAA Tournament game, a ton of factors could have changed the outcome. But those three shots will get the most attention, and I'm in what I can only assume is the minority in thinking the Gators handled them OK. Poor planning and execution, but Florida ended up with open shots and just didn't make them.

-The First Shot

With the game tied and 30 seconds left in regulation, Butler's Matt Howard missed a go-ahead free throw to set up a game-winning attempt. Walker dribbled the clock down to about five seconds, got a screen near the top of the key and threw up a shot from the right wing that just missed to send it to overtime.

A few things here. First, Florida didn't call a timeout, which I don't like at all, but there was a play on. The idea was for Walker to get a screen from Patric Young and either pull up or drive based on what his defender did. Butler's Andrew Smith backed down a bit, but at that point it didn't really matter since Walker had little time to drive. He pulled up from a few feet behind the arc but was open, and even though Walker had yet to hit a shot on the night, we've seen him make those before. There's no one on this team you'd rather have taking that shot than Walker -- I don't care what kind of game he's having.

Going inside wasn't a great option either. Chandler Parsons had zero points after the half, and while Alex Tyus looked good with 14, I'll take Erv anyday. The single best option was center Vernon Macklin, who had 25 points and dominated whenever he was on the floor, but he was on the bench because his poor free-throw-shooting makes him a liability late in games. Perhaps you could call time out, sub Macklin in at the beginning of that possession and get him the ball, but I'll take Big Shot Erv from three ahead of Macklin's knuckleball free throws.

Macklin said after the game that the combination of his four fouls and form from the charity stripe pretty much left Billy Donovan no choice but to sit him out.

-The Second Shot

Then, in overtime, the Gators again had the ball with 30 seconds left. This time they were down 1 and called a timeout, and the result was less of a play than the first time around. Walker got Boynton the ball on the left wing, and he launched a deep three that was just long with 19 seconds to go. Donovan said his only complaint would be that he'd like to see Boynton drive, but he was OK with the shot. So am I.

-The Third Shot

And for the final heave, down 3 with 10 seconds left, Walker came straight down and fired a bomb from straight away that came up short, and Butler wisely chucked it downcourt to pretty much end it. This shot had to be a three, and getting it up quick leaves time for a rebound and second shot if possible. Walker's shot was from pretty far out, but he's made them before. Sink that one and he's a hero who saves his best for the end of games. Miss and it's "Dammit Erv always takes stupid shots!"

That's what this came down to. Two players took three shots they're perfectly capable of making, and they didn't go down. Obviously any strategy that fails is subject to criticism, but the bottom line is that the top scorers on a No. 2 seed had chances to lift their team to the Final Four. They just didn't hit them, and that happens.

Guarantee you that if it ended on a missed turnoaround from Tyus, everyone would be complaining that it should be Walker taking the big shot. Everything gets second-and-third-guessed when it doesn't work out, but I think any of those three situations could have gotten the job done. One of those goes in and it's a different conversation.

All in all, great season and great run for this team. Next year will be very interesting as well since the starting frontcourt is graduating and guards Mike Rosario and Brad Beal join the fold, but what did you think about the way this one ended? Furious about the late-game management or are you on my side? I haven't found anyone who agrees with me yet, so I'd welcome you with open arms.

 

Gators join nation's Elite with win over BYU

Not the best of performances against a team that was essentially Jimmer Fredette & Friends, but Florida's 83-74 overtime win against BYU puts it in the Elite 8 and ONE win away from the Final Four. I don't care how strongly tinted your orange-and-blue shades are or how seriously you bought into this team's preseason hype -- looking at things at this point is damned impressive.

Yes, the Gators' road to Houston was paved with gold, as they snatched a tenuous 2-seed, had top dogs Pitt lose to Butler and got to face BYU without sexytime suspended forward Brandon Davies (I made this joke on Twitter but think it needs repeating: Is Davies the first athlete in history you can taunt by saying, "Hey, why don't you go have sex with your girlfriend again?") BUT, this is March Madness, and getting to the Elite 8 is not easy, much less a Final Four. The Gators are poised to do that now after surviving Fredette's 32 points and winning in an extra period that turned out to be pretty easy.

Kenny Boynton and Scottie Wilbekin did a pretty good job on Fredette despite that point total. He didn't score until late in the first half and didn't hit a three until the second, and while he got his points, they weren't easy, and that was kind of the plan anyway. No other Cougar scored in double figures (UF had four), depriving them of the support they got via Michael Loyd's 26 bench points in last year's win against Florida.

Two things stood out to me. First: Erving Walker's rebound near the end of regulation. Boynton missed a three with 25 seconds left, meaning Fredette could have had the ball for a final shot (I can see Billy Donovan screaming "NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" in slow motion). Instead, Walker, who said he was supposed to be getting back down the other end for defense after the shot, took off toward the corner and corralled it. Chandler Parsons couldn't connect on his game-winner attempt, but the possession ran out the clock and kept Jimmer from doing something terrifying (like that three he nailed in the second half where he pulled up from Drew Brees' house and gave his Mormon fans the jolt of energy they've learned to survive on in lieu of caffeine).

The other thing was Alex Tyus. Where the hell did that come from? Nineteen points and 17 rebounds, a crazy shot block that came halfway up the backboard, and no huge mistakes in crunchtime. Honestly, that's the kind of game he should be having more often considering the fact that he's usually the best athlete on the floor, but Donovan will probably just take it when he can get it. If Tyus flips a switch and keeps that up while the other starters are playing well, the Gators suddenly get a lot more dangerous.

At the end of the day, Florida barely snuck by a smaller, less-talented squad tonight. The Gators should have been pounding the ball inside and using their size early rather than jacking up threes from all over the floor, but whatever. They figured things out late and got the win, and that's more than can be said for plenty of good teams who have already lost in this tournament.

Most importantly, they live to play another game, and they're in a spot plenty of great teams would kill to be in.

Gators set for showdown with their old pal Jimmer

Don't want to see Jimmer Fredette scoring on your Gators Thursday night? Easy. All you need is to go to New Orleans with a backpack full of the following items: a can of Red Bull, a fake beard, a roll of $1 bills and a camera. Kidnap him, drug him and take some compromising photos of him at a Bourbon St. strip club. That's three BYU Honor Code violations right there (just make sure it's an odd number of violations, as an even number would cancel out via the old double-negative rule).

Pretty easy, right? And if you fail, you still have all the necessary items for a classic night in Nawlins. Point is, there's really no stopping Jimmer, and I don't think it matters too much. Obviously, Florida can't afford to let him score 50 in their Sweet 16 matchup, but even in last year's 99-92 double-overtime loss to BYU in the first round, Fredette's 37 points didn't do all the damage. Michael Loyd, Jr. came off the bench to score 26 and actually had more points (12) than Jimmer (10) in the two overtimes.

Good news: Loyd is gone, and third-leading scorer Brandon Davies is suspended for the rest of the year for some out-of-wedlock lovemaking. Bad news: Fredette is better now than he was last year, and the Cougars still average more than 80 points a game, meaning that's about 52 points per game from non-Jimmers.

"It’s not like we’re going to say, ‘Alright, face-guard him and he’s not going to score,'" UF forward Chandler Parsons said. "He’s going to get his, he’s going to score points. The biggest thing is, he’s going to hit some ridiculous shots and we just gotta smack him on the butt and go down to the other end because we can’t hang our heads on shots he’s going to hit like that."

The likely man in charge of the early-game ass-slapping will be Kenny Boynton, who was full speed in practice Wednesday and ought to be fully recovered from the left ankle sprain he picked up against UCLA. Last year, Boynton did pretty well on Fredette (about as well as anyone can) and scored 27 himself, but all the work wore him out, and he ended up fouling out. Billy Donovan wants to avoid that this time around, so he'll also lean on Scottie Wilbekin and Casey Prather to help off the bench, in addition to likely support from Parsons and Erving Walker.

As far as BYU's approach, No. 2 scorer Jackson Emery is the next in line, but depending on how UF handles Fredette, anyone could go off. This is a good team, and coach Dave Rose said the Cougars' strategy in recent months has been to watch how opponents deal with Jimmer, then plan an attack strategy. If the Gators double-team Fredette on the perimeter, it's open season for the rest of Stormin Mormons. Take him one-on-one, and he'll probably burn you.

If it's me, I rotate Boynton and Wilbekin on Jimmer and focus on locking everyone else down. Let Fredette get his, but keep the Cougars from finding a solid second option. That sounds like the approach Donovan wants to take.

"They're getting over 80 points a game," he said. "Eighty points a game would lead the SEC in scoring, and it's because of the other guys around him, and that's what makes them such a great team is you may look at the scoring differential, but in a lot of ways they're balanced."

Two interesting moments from the press conference, when Parsons and Donovan were asked about the Davies' suspension.

Parsons: "I mean, rules are rules, so he knew what he was doing. I mean, it's something that we can't worry about really because he's not playing in the game tomorrow and that's really none of my business. Yeah, that's it." Laughter ensued.

Then, Donovan was asked how tough recruiting would be if he had to tell kids they weren't allowed to have premarital sex: "I'm not going to get into that. I mean, I don't know. First of all, I don't really talk about any of that stuff, either. I'll pass on that one."

---

Alright, it's all set up for Thursday night's showdown. Florida is one step away from an Elite 8 matchup with either Wisconsin or Butler, and I have to say, I like the Gators' chances of getting to the Final Four. A lot can happen in March Madness, but I think an average defensive night and good offensive night gets UF through this next game, barring some transcendent performance from Jimmer (very possible).

How do you feel? What would you do about guarding Jimmer? And let's all pause for just a second and marvel at the fact that BYU has assembled a No. 3-seed caliber team despite that Honor Code. I fancy myself a pretty decent person, and my recent evaluation of those rules had me breaking seven of nine in a week. Is there a bigger recruiting handicap out there?

Pratice update: Powell buckles down, takes on "Buck" role

With Florida practices closed to the public, it's hard to learn much about the Gators, but here's what we got about the defense today:

-Ronald Powell seems pretty excited about his new role, and an excited, focused Powell should have you pretty jazzed up. The kid's a total freak, which isn't lost on his new coaches. This year he'll be playing the "Buck" position, a hybrid DE/LB spot pretty similar to what he did at times last season. D-coordinator Dan Quinn said it's patterned after what Charles Haley did with the 49ers back when I was in diapers, and Powell is pumped about it. He said he's watched film of Jason Taylor and Sergio Kindle to learn the role a little, but he doesn't know anyone who has played it personally.

“I’m loving it,” Powell said. “It’s more freedom. You don’t have to have your hand on the ground all the time. You can stand up, and it’s kind of my choice. … It’s the best position for me. If I could have picked any position, it would be the buck.”

That's good to hear from Powell, the nation's top overall recruit in 2010 who had some problems adjusting to his freshman year, when he and Dominique Easley skipped a practice and had trouble getting along with veterans. Powell calls that "a rough start," and he turned things around pretty quickly. Now, he could be the centerpiece of UF's defense.

-Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins said they've been working in a 3-4 during practice, and they're both happy with it. Jenkins, a HS running back, is most excited about the chance to fly around a little more, which he said the 3-4 offers.

“I like it a lot because it seems like it really frees up the linebackers and allows us to run a little bit,” Jenkins said.

-Gerald Christian is one of the most interesting guys to watch this spring (well, guys to not watch but think about what they might be doing behind those locked gates). He moved to LB from tight end this winter and was listed as a starter on the preliminary depth chart, which may or may not mean anything at all. Christian played some LB at Palm Beach Dwyer, and he said high school teammate and safety Matt Elam was glad to have him back on his side. He said the adjustment hasn't been tough for him, but he also admitted he would've preferred to work his way up the depth chart rather than starting out on top and having to hold everyone off. Also of note: he could be on offense in short-yardage situations at times this year.

---

How excited are you for Powell? Anyone watch Christian in HS and have thoughts about him at LB? Any questions, just fire away and I'll check back.

One small step on the bracket, one giant leap for Florida's confidence

If that's what over-seeded looks like, then by all means, keep seeding.

It doesn't get much better than what Florida did with its first game in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. The 79-51 win against UC Santa Barbara, which included a 24-point halftime lead (second best of the season after a 25-point cushion against NC A&T in November) should quiet some of the critics who said the Gators didn't deserve to be a No. 2 seed.

UCSB coach Bob Williams was certainly convinced, as he began his postgame press conference by saying, "They're really good. They're really good," and went on to say he thinks UF is better than the second-seeded Ohio State team the Gauchos lost to last year.

Now, it's important to remember that the Gauchos snuck into the Big Dance thanks to a three-game hot streak in the Big West Tournament, becoming the first No. 5 seed to ever win it. But guard Orlando Williams and forward James Nunnally are scoring threats against anyone, so this team wasn't a total joke. The Gators just made them look like one.

A 10-1 run to start the game, a 54 percent shooting night and Chandler Parsons' near triple-double (10 pts, 10 assists, seven rebounds in 27 minutes) were all very positive offensive signs, as was Erving Walker knocking down 4 of 6 threes. And on defense, they harried the Gauchos -- who shot nearly 50 percent in their conference tourney -- into 10 first-half turnovers and just 6-of-22 shooting before the half. By then, the game was all but over, and the lead grew to as high as 34 in the second half.

This was just about the best start UF could have hoped for, and it was especially encouraging to see them get a lead and make it grow rather than fumbling it away and winning late. That's the mark of a good team, and if they can add that component to the verstility and chemistry that's arleady in their lineup, this is a group you don't want to face.

The only negative to me was the crowd. Yes, there were plenty of Florida fans in the St. Pete Times Forum, but there weren't nearly as many as there should have been, and I hope that changes Saturday. Gators fans always want to talk "House of Horrors" and "We're a basketball school too," but I went to that school, covered many hoops games and was there tonight. It ain't no basketball school, and what I saw in Tampa today was not how a basketball school's fans travel to an NCAA Tournament game that's two hours away.

Barring a big second-half comeback, UCLA is next up, and I'll have more on that as we get closer to Round 2 (I refuse to refer to the play-in round as Round 1 like the NCAA does. Bite me.) Funny moment in the press conference: Walker said, "This should lead us into Michigan...excuse me, either UCLA or Michigan State." Oops. Looks like his bracket is gonna take a hit.

---

Feeling pumped about your Gators? Predicting a Final Four run or still a little skeptical of this team? And if you were there, how did you feel about the fan support?

Know your foe: the UCSB Gauchos

I feel guilty for just sitting courtside at the St. Pete Times Forum and watching free basketball all day before Florida and UC-Santa Barbara play tonight, so let's do some learning. Today's subject is one most of the Gators are probably still a little rusty on -- their opponent, the Gauchos.

We'll start at the top. A Gaucho is a cowboy, just more Spanish-sounding and maybe a little more badass. Their gym is called The Thunderdome, which is all kinds of awesome, and they play in the Big West Concerence, which they've won the past two years. This time was a bit of a surprise, as they became the lowest seed to win the tourney since a 6-seed won in 1996.

UCSB had a disappointing 15-13 regular season where its longest win streak was three games, but in the Big West Tourney, the Gauchos turned that around. They shot a blazing 49.7 percent from the field in those three games, beating Pacific, Cal State Northridge and Long Beach State -- teams against which they'd gone a combined 0-6 against this year.

The biggest reason for that turnaround was guard Orlando Johnson. At 6-foot-5, he's a matchup problem, and the kid is a natural scorer. In 61 career games, he's scored in double figures 60 times, with the lone exception being a 6-point showing in the regular-season finale. He went off at the Big West Tourney for 85 points in three games to take MVP, and he'll be the main focus of the Gators' defense tonight.

He'll be really dangerous if he's on the same hot streak that carried UCSB into this tournament, and it's clear he still has the confidence. Here's what he said about UF on Wednesday: "They're not that different, they just play on a bigger stage. I think once we get out there, our players will be able to do the talking."

His players are forward James Nunnally, forward Jaime Serna and guard Justin Joyner. Those four all have to play well for the Gauchos to become the first 15-seed to win since 2001. Nunnally (6-foot-6) is the No. 2 scoring option at 16.4 ppg, and Serna (6-foot-9) is next at 8 ppg. Serna was limited by a groin injury this season but has found his form of late, averaging 15 points across the conference semifinal and final. And Joyner is the assist/steal guy. He dropped 112 dimes (equal to UF leader Chandler Parsons) and had 50 steals (Erving Walker is Florida's best at 37).

Those are the big four names to watch tonight, and keep an eye out for Greg Somogyi. The Hungarian is 7-foot-3 but only plays 14 minutes per game. In that short time, though, he averages 1.9 blocks. But I wouldn't expect him to impact the game too much. This will really come down to whether Johnson can keep up his hot streak and get good support from Nunnally and Serna.

I really don't know who the best guy is to stick on Johnson. He can also play forward, and from watching his highlights, he will pop off from well behind the three-point line, and he's also good at scoring on the drive and cutting through the lane for putback dunks. If his size is too much for Kenny Boynton and Scottie Wilbekin, look for Parsons and maybe even Alex Tyus to match up with Johnson.

Now, to end with a little fun. First, UCSB alum Jim Rome already has his celebration planned in case of a win. And you need to watch these two videos from the Gauchos' athletics department, which sounds like a fun place to work. First, there's this Old Spice spoof starting Joyner, and then check out their take on Dos Equis Most Interesting Man In The World.

---

That should have you primed for tonight's matchup. Anyone out there afraid of UCSB?

Breakdown of Gators depth chart for spring ball

Will Muschamp said he isn't sure this depth chart "is worth the paper it's printed on," but I hear Jeremy Foley is springing for some high-grade printer paper these days. At the very least, it makes for interesting discussion, so without me blabbing too much, here's what UF released today:

QB
Starter: John Brantley. 2nd String: Tyler Murphy/Jeff Driskel
There will be plenty of discussion about the quarterbacks later this week, and they'll be available for interviews Thursday, so I won't get too deep here. No surprise that it's Brantley. Muschamp and Charlie Weis both said Brantley is a good fit, both of them declined to say what they thought went wrong with him last year, and they also said it's open competition. Weis also praised Murphy and called Driskel "a classic drop-back quarterback." Can't wait to see what happens with this group, but we won't really know til August. Weis added that he went after Jacoby Brissett because the depth at QB wasn't as great as it sounded with that three-way battle last year. It appears both Jordan Reed and Trey Burton are moving away from quarterback full-time.

RB
Starter: Chris Rainey. 2nd String: Mike Gillislee/Mack Brown
Again, no surprises, other than the fact that the "Rainey's a receiver" charade is over. Jeff Demps is running track and Mike Blakely is out after surgery, so spring is really about making sure Rainey knows the plays. I wouldn't be shocked if Gillislee or Brown really establish themselves either.

WR
Starter: Frankie Hammond. 2nd String: Stephen Alli/Quinton Dunbar
Starter: Omarius Hines. 2nd String: Andre Debose
THEY GOT IT RIGHT! As far as the starters go, this is the common sense lineup. You're obviously wondering if they dumped Deonte Thompson off a bridge or something. More on that in a minute, but this could be a big year for Hammond and Hines if they head into the season like this.

TE
Starter: Jordan Reed. 2nd String: A.C. Leonard
So Reed is full-time TE now, which is good and bad. Good because he could be a great tight end, but bad because the quarterback position could completely fall apart again and he'll be in less of a position to help.

F
F-21: Trey Burton.
F-12: Michael McFarland, Josh Postell
F-11: Deonte Thompson, then Solomon Patton OR Robert Clark.
Just what the F is F? Get ready to dive into the mind of Charlie Weis. I asked him to break this down since there are no F's on my Playstation, and he was really nice and helpful about it (aka not the Weis I expected to meet after all the stories about how he's a jerk). Basically, these three are the real second-stringers at their positions, though it's a little more complicated than that.
The numbers correspond to the number of backs (first digit) and tight ends (second digit) in the formation, and one of these three will always be on the field when their combination comes up. So, Burton will be the second back in the backfield, leaving one tight end and two receivers. McFarland will be the second tight end, meaning one back and two receivers, and Thompson will play when there's one back and one tight end, leaving three receivers.
Weis quizzed me at the end of his response, asking me how many receivers are on the field in a 22 formation. I correctly answered one, then asked for a job. He declined.
So, these three will play quite a bit. I'd like to see Leonard take this spot from McFarland and Debose, Patton or Clark take it from Deonte, and there's plenty of time for that. The important thing is that these coaches seem to have identified Hammond and Hines as being better than Thompson (they are), though maybe this will be the kick in the ass Deonte needs.

OL
LT: Chaz Green, Kyle Koehne
LG: Jonotthan Harrison, Cole Gilliam
C: Sam Robey, Nick Alajajian
RG: Jon Halapio, William Steinmann
RT: Xavier Nixon, Ian Silberman
LOT of new faces, and this is going to be a real problem. Muschamp said he's concerned with the line on both sides of the ball, though offensively looks a little worse. Nixon has the most experience, and Halapio should be fine, but after that it's real questionable and this spring should decide a lot. Matt Patchan, David Young and James Wilson are all limited through spring.

DL
Buck: Ronald Powell, then Lerentee McCray/Lynden Trail
DT: Sharrif Floyd, Earl Okine
DT: Dominique Easley, Leon Orr
DE: William Green, then Chris Martin/Clay Burton
Depth issues, but a good bunch of talent. Omar Hunter and Jaye Howard are both limited, which is a GREAT thing in my opinion. They don't need much work, but the other guys do. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn couldn't tell us why Powell's spot is called the Buck, but it's a hybrid role that he should thrive in, and it's modeled after the also-dubiously-named "Elephant" position Charles Haley played with the 49ers. I love Powell and McCray there. Green could be good at the other DE spot, but that's certainly a question mark and Martin needs to come along quickly.
Good talent at tackle, and as long as everyone keeps their heads on straight, that could be a good position. Muschamp said he told Easley, who had some problems with not being BMOC last year: "You either do it our way or you leave."

LB
Strongside: Gerald Christian, Gideon Ajagbe
Middle: Jon Bostic, Michael Taylor
Weakside: Jelani Jenkins, then Dee Finley OR Darrin Kitchens
The obvious oddity is Christian, who's been moved from TE. Muschamp made the decision, and he likes Christian's size and speed to cover tight ends, which should work because he was one. This discussion also led to the quote of the day from Muschamp: "I trust Jack Daniels" (Christian's HS coach).
No surprises outside of that. Neiron Ball is out for spring, and Finley needs to step up and earn some playing time this spring.

DB
CB: Moses Jenkins, De'Ante Saunders
CB: Jeremy Brown, Cody Riggs
S: Matt Elam, Josh Shaw
S: Josh Evans, Tim Clark
Nickel: Elam, then Riggs OR Saunders
Janoris Jenkins is out for spring, which I also think is a good thing. The other guys need a lot of work, and they'll get it. No big surprises here. Jaylen Watkins is limited, and we don't know anything about Saunders yet, but I wouldn't be shocked if Cody Riggs made some noise. Muschamp spoke highly of Riggs on Monday, and with the lapses Brown had at the end of last year, the door is certainly open. This is basically a four-or-five way competition for the spot oppisite Janoris, and there will probably be plenty of chances to get interceptions in practice.
At safety, Elam and Evans were the sure-fire starters, and Shaw has moved over from corner.

Special Teams
K: Caleb Sturgis, Brad Phillips
P: Kyle Christy, David Lerner
PR: Chris Rainey, Frankie Hammond
KR: Andre Debose, Solomon Patton
LS: Christopher Guido, Drew Ferris
Sturgis is limited in spring, and breaking in a new punter after Chas Henry's departure is a concern. No surprise on the return men, and I think we're all excited about the Guido-Ferris battle.

---

Thoughts? What position battles are you most interested in?

"Over-seeded" Gators poised for deep run in NCAA Tourney

Florida got a brisk spanking from Kentucky in Sunday's SEC Championship, but in the words of the Notorious B.I.G., "It's all good baby bay-bay." That's because UF still landed a No. 2 seed for the NCAA Tournament, prompting ESPN's Doug Gottlieb to call it "the most over-seeded team in the tournament" during a brief anti-Florida rant that no doubt followed a meal of urine-soaked Corn Flakes.

That comment probably bothered some of you, but I say take a step back. Regardless of what anyone thinks, the only thing that matters is the Gators are in a GRRRREAT position (cereal on the brain for me tonight).

First off, they're playing in Tampa (if you watched Eastbound & Down, you know what profanity-filled video clip I wanted to put here), which means good fan support. And the first-round opponent, 15-seed California Santa-Barbara, shouldn't be much of a problem. The Gauchos (18-13) snuck in by winning the Big West Tourmanent, becoming the first No. 5 seed to pull that off. I suppose you could make the argument that they're hot heading into the tourney, but the Gators have no business losing to a team like that.

After that, it's either No. 7 UCLA or No. 10 Michigan State for a trip to the Sweet 16 in New Orleans. A win there, and the likely opponent would be either No. 3 BYU or No. 6 St. John's, and both those teams are hurting. BYU, which knocked UF out of last year's tournament, is without forward Brandon Davies -- who committed the unforgiveable sin of premarital sex and was kicked off the team -- and SJU is missing forward D.J. Kennedy, who tore his ACL on Thursday.

And looking waaaay down the road, it'd probably be either No. 1 Pitt, No. 4 Wisconsin or No. 5 Kansas State (whom Florida beat this year) standing in the way of a Final Four trip. That's assuming a lot, but most analysts I've seen have the Gators penciled into the Elite 8, as will many females by virtue of that No. 2 seed and Chandler Parsons.

Meanwhile, Kentucky is a No. 4 seed and will likely face top overall seed Ohio State if they make the Sweet 16. A lot of good winning the SEC did them.

---

Thoughts? I expected a No. 2 seed if Florida won today, but this came as a surprise. A 3 would have made a bit more sense to me, but I'll stop short of Gottlieb-ing them. Over-seeded or not, it doesn't matter because the hand has been dealt. To me, it looks great. How do y'all feel?

 

Closed-door policy in effect for spring practices and Pro Day

As expected, Florida announced Wednesday that spring practices would be closed to everyone, but, not as expected, the Gators' Pro Day (March 15) will be closed to the public and open to the media. (Ha! Take that suckers! I get to watch Will Hill run windsprints in person and you don't!)

I'd imagine you're far more bummed about not being able to see practices, given the massive changes in store for Florida this year and the lack of starpower among the NFL hopefuls, but the Pro Day thing caught me off guard. Lots of other schools keep them closed, and this is either Florida following suit or responding to a direct request from its players.

UF released two statements on the decisions today:

Head coach Will Muschamp on spring practices:

"With a new coaching staff here teaching our system, we feel like minimizing our distractions is important. We realize that there is high interest from the fans, and we are extremely appreciative of the support that The Gator Nation gives us. We hope they understand that this decision has been made in the interest of helping our program be successful on Saturdays this fall by allowing our team to learn and develop together in this type of environment. We also respect that the media have a job to do and understand that this creates a challenge for them, so we ask for their patience with us as we work through our first spring practice here at Florida.”

Spokesman Steve McClain on Pro Day:

"Pro Day is an extremely important day for the career hopes of these players, and they’ve spent an enormous amount of time and energy preparing for it. We feel that creating a more private environment and minimizing potential distractions will help give them the best chance to perform up to their potential. We also feel like it’s become more important than ever for us to monitor who is around our team and student-athletes, and taking this step provides us an even greater ability to manage that."

I think Muschamp's comments are pretty standard and very agreeable, and McClain's make sense as well. The most interesting part to me is the last sentence, which screams "WE'RE SHOOTING AGENTS ON SIGHT FROM NOW ON!"

Not much to say about all this. Pro Day isn't a big deal since this is the least-anticipated one in quite a while, and I'll have a lot more on spring practice early next week, when a press conference is scheduled with Muschamp and Charlie Weis in advance of the first workout on March 16. But the red flag, at least for me and other reporters, is that this could be the dawn of a new day as far as media access with the Gators. Weis has never been a fan of reporters, and Muschamp came up under Nick Saban, who's also closely guarded. I'll spare you the soapbox rant, but if the program does become less accesible to reporters, it affects fans too.

---

You all cool with practices and Pro Day being closed? It essentially means no one will know anything about the formation of a new offense and defense, but it should make life a bit easier for the players and coaches. And with Pro Day, I promise to recount all the drama from every last epic drill.

O'Sullivan's March to Omaha: Gators pitchers burning everything in their path

(First off, check out the basketball post from last night if you missed it)

You know you have a baller pitching rotation when this is a disappointing outing: five innings, two runs, seven hits, four strikeouts, one walk.

Those were freshman Karsten Whitson's numbers from the Gators' 5-3 win Sunday that completed a sweep against Miami, and they were UF's worst of the weekend. On Friday, Brian Johnson went five scoreless innings, gave up just three hits, struck out nine and walked one. Saturday, Hudson Randall (pictured next to a very angry looking me during postgame interviews -- props to Daniel for getting me busted in stalkerface AGAIN) tossed seven scoreless, one-hit innings, fanned five and walked none.

So, on the season so far, these are the combined stats for the Phillies Gators' weekend starters: 50.1 IP, 5 runs, 53 strikeouts and five walks, and they've each contributed to a shutout (which ties UF's total from 2010). That is disgusting, filthy, dirty, nasty, grotesque stuff (can we use nauseating too?). It's too early in the season to have any meaningful comparisons around the country yet, but it's looking safe to say that Florida can count on having one of the nation's best staffs this year -- especially with these new bats sucking the juice out of the game.

And beyond those three, Tommy Toledo and Anthony DeSclafani are starting to really show something as well. DeSclafani tossed three innings of relief this weekend, striking out three and allowing just one hit (his only baserunner). He's looking like the favorite to take over the closing role vacated by Kevin Chapman, while Toledo could either be a solid midweek starter or top relief guy. He threw 2.2 perfect innings Sunday after a disappointing loss Tuesday to Florida State, where he alloved three runs and three walks in 2.1 innings.

It's funny listening to coach Kevin O'Sullivan after games. He's clearly happy with his pitchers but is sticking hard to the "We still have a lot of room for improvement" line. He's right not to let them get big-headed, but other than getting deeper into games, these guys can't be doing much more than they are right now. If I were the coach, I'd be walking around with a big-ass goofy grin all day long. And my team would probably lose. And these would be mandatory.

All this comes on top of the fact that the Gators have Preston Tucker (3-for-4 with a HR Sunday, hitting .435), Brian Johnson (who doubles as the No. 5 hitter and went 1-for-3 with a double Sunday, hitting .342) and Daniel Pigott (1-for-4 with a two-run double Sunday, hitting .514) absolutely stroking the ball. Leadoff man Nolan Fontana has cooled off bigtime -- going 3-for-27 after a 9-for-12 opening weekend -- and clean-up hitter Austin Maddox is at .256 with one homer, but odds are that some combination of those guys, catcher Mike Zunino and second baseman Josh Adams will always be hitting well enough to support this pitching staff.

There have been some mistakes, mainly on the basepaths, but in a sport where pitching and defense are becoming increasingly important, Florida is looking primed to actually live up to the mammoth hype they started the season with. Like I said, still too early to start making any meaningful comparisons or statements about this team, but this is definitely the best weekend rotation of all time.

For serious though, if you're in Gainesville and like pitching, get out to McKethan Stadium on the weekends and watch these guys play. Spring practices are going to be closed, and they're all far more accurate than John Brantley anyway.

---

Anyone come out for the Miami series? Hit me with your thoughts in the comments. I've gotten a few e-mails asking for baseball coverage, so now's your chance to shine people.

How do the Gators match up with UF's past Final Four teams? You decide.

Florida's regular season is in the books, and despite a few moments of extreme disappointment earlier in the year, the Gators are looking like the team we all thought they'd be when the season started.

They finished strong with a win at Vanderbilt on Saturday, a victory that ends the year in very positive fashion (except for this unfortunate incident). All five starters scored in double figures to clinch the first SEC title since 2007 -- back when UF was the Jesus of college basketball.

That got me thinking: Where does this team rank compared to some of the great Florida teams of the past? So, since I'm so popular and cool, I spent a large part of my Saturday night preparing a blind comparison between this team, the 2000 NCAA Tourney runners up and the national champions from 2006 and 2007.

Below, you'll find the four teams listed in random order and compared across the categories that I either thought were important or were easily researchable thanks to the wonders of this website.

So, take a look, try to figure out which seasons are most impressive to you, rank them, then click the "continue" link and see if anything surprises you. PLEASE don't sit there and try to figure out which is which based on clues because that's no fun, and it'll mean I sacrificed untold amounts of booze and women for nothing tonight.

Note: Numbers are from the regular season only. I used AP rankings for the wins and losses when applicable but went with RPI across the board so that every team has some context.

Here we go:

Team A
Record: 24-6, 10-6 SEC
RPI: 15
Vs. the Spread: 14-10
Vs. AP Top 25: 2-1
Scoring: 78.3 to 63.5 (14.8-pt margin of victory)
Best 5 Wins: By 9 vs. RPI #13, By 5 vs. RPI #17/AP #16, By 15 vs. RPI #41, By 15 at RPI #41, By 5 vs. RPI #85/AP #19.
Losses: By 4 at RPI #6, By 4 vs RPI #6/AP #10, By 4 at RPI #45, By 5 at RPI #56, By 6 at RPI #62, By 4 vs. RPI #62.

Team B
Record: 24-6, 13-3 SEC
RPI: 11
Vs. the Spread: 13-13
Vs. AP Top 25: 4-2
Scoring: 71.5 to 62.4 (9.1-pt margin)
Best 5 Wins: By 2 vs. RPI #12/AP #10, By 13 vs. RPI #16/AP #6, By 4 at RPI #23, By 10 at RPI #25/AP #21, By 4 vs. RPI #25/AP #23.
Losses: By 18 vs. RPI #2/AP #4, By 8 at RPI #12/AP #22, By 3 at RPI #53, By 7 at RPI #104, By 3 vs. RPI #128, By 3 vs. RPI #149.

Team C
Record: 23-6, 12-4 SEC
RPI: 9
Vs. the Spread: 14-9
Vs. AP Top 25: 4-4
Scoring: 83.8 to 68.9 (14.9-pt margin)
Best 5 Wins: By 17 vs. RPI #5/AP #11, By 25 vs. RPI #12/AP #24, By 29 vs. RPI #27/AP #11, By 2 vs. RPI #31, By 26 vs. RPI #41/AP #20.
Losses: By 15 at RPI #5/AP #22, By 3 at RPI #15/AP #8, By 2 vs. RPI #15/AP #16, By 11 vs. RPI #25/AP #22, By 2 at RPI #37, By 10 at RPI #41.

Team D
Record: 26-5, 13-3 SEC
RPI: 6
Vs. the Spread: 10-13-1
Vs. AP Top 25: 4-1
Scoring: 79.8 to 62.6 (17.2-pt margin)
Best 5 Wins: By 26 vs RPI #1/AP #3, By 16 vs. RPI #12, By 3 at RPI #13/AP #20, By 13 vs. RPI #13, By 10 vs. RPI #47/AP #24.
Losses: By 2 vs. RPI #11/AP #10, By 10 at RPI #12, By 4 at RPI #41, By 13 at RPI #47, By 10 at RPI #90.

Breakdown
OK, so I just did this research and typed it out, and I've already forgotten which team is which (I think one of them is the Monstars from Space Jam).

By overall record, it goes: D, B, A, C.
By RPI, it's: D, C, B, A.
Against the spread, it's: C, A, B, D.
Against the Top 25: D, B, A, C.
Margin of victory:  D, C, A, B.

As far as wins and losses, you can judge for yourself. Team B had the worst losses but is also the only one with five wins against the RPI Top 25, and though Team D probably wins those categories as well, C really beat the hell out of some people and had the "best" losses.

Hopefully you made your way through all those numbers. If so, towel off, grab a drink and click continue.

Continue reading "How do the Gators match up with UF's past Final Four teams? You decide."

A lot will happen during Gators spring practices, we just might not get to see it

Good afternoon Clausers. First off, my sincere apology for walking out on you the last couple of weeks. But the good news is, daddy's home and he's ready to shower you with attention. Baseball season is heating up, basketball is headed to the postseason and spring football is right around the corner, so we'll have plenty to talk about.

Speaking of spring football, got some bad news for you. The Gainesville Sun's Robbie Andreu blogged that practices may be closed to the public (and media) this spring. It's based on rumors and the word on the street, but Robbie knows what he's talking about, so there's a good chance this happens.

Two thoughts on this: 1. Huge bummer: With a new coaching staff, there are going to be big changes on both sides of the ball. And there's a quarterback battle! And we can't watch any of it! 2. Smart move: With a new coaching staff, there are going to be big changes on both sides of the ball. And there's a quarterback battle! Why would you want anyone else watching that?

My job will totally suck if this happens because I'll have nothing to go off of besides the coaches' and players' words, which, in four seasons around this program, I have come to realize don't mean s***. We'll hear all the same BS we heard in the past. Remember all that "John Brantley is the most pure passer of all time" stuff everyone used to say? No one knew it wasn't true until we could actually see Brantley play, and this spring will be the same problem.

But I still agree with the decision if they go that route. How does having open practices benefit a program? Don't tell me fan support, not here at least. Y'all Gators fans are straight-up crazy for your team (I mean that lovingly) and you're going to buy your tickets and shirts whether you got to see Frankie Hammond do one-on-one drills or not. This way, they get to work on everything with minimal distractions.

Two more thoughts on this: 1. The Orange and Blue Game is going to be one of the most anticipated ever. It'll be the unveiling of Jeff Driskel and Brantley 2.0 and the first look at the offense Charlie Weis has cooked up. Will it be a ramshackle, cheaply thrown-together fast food offense or an impeccably thought-out five course meal? (Sorry).

2. I really want Will Muschamp to make a commercial for spring practice to parody Eric Cartman's Cartmanland on South Park: "Hey everybody! Check out the all new Florida Gators! It's our grand opening, and we've got more than three returning players who didn't make fools of themselves last year to go along with a ton of young talent! There will be new coaches and lots of surprises, and the best part is...you can't come! So come on down to spring practices, but don't plan on getting past the parking lot, because remember...[Now singing] So much to do at spring practice, but you can't come! Especially Stan and Kyle."

We'll talk more about the main questions heading into spring practice in the next week, it just looks like we won't have those questions answered until the fall. That clearly sucks, but how do you feel about the decision if practices are closed? Think it's a good idea? Would it affect your support of the team? If the only security system at practices was for the quarterbacks to throw footballs at the trespassers, would you just take your chances?

Me? I'll be sitting in the parking lot, relentlessly blaring this song. Should make for a pretty creepy time.

Which Gators team is most likely to win a title this spring?

There's a considerable amount of ass being kicked in Gainesville right now. The men's basketball team is hitting its stride and may finally be headed back toward postseason success, the baseball and gymnastics squads are both ranked No. 1, and the softball team is playing like the softball team always plays.

So here's the question: If you could only bet your life on one, which team would you pick to win a national title?

-Men's Basketball
The No. 14 Gators are 21-5, lead the Southeastern Conference with a 10-2 record and have won five straight after beating LSU without Chandler Parsons on Sunday. Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama and Vanderbilt present a pretty tough closing schedule before UF leads to the SEC Tournament, but they look destined for a solid seed in March Madness. Given this team's scrappy nature, I like their potential in the postseason, and if they can get Parsons, Erving Walker, Kenny Boynton, Vernon Macklin and Alex Tyus (gasp!) all playing well at the same time, they have Final Four ability to me. That could be said about a lot of teams though, and slugging your way through the Tourney is a tall task, so I'm pegging the hoopsters No. 4 on my list.

-Baseball
One series isn't nearly enough to make a judgment on whether the Gators will live up to all the Omaha hype they started the season with, but the first three games (7-2, 4-1 and 5-0 wins against USF) didn't leave much room to poke holes, either. Starters Brian Johnson, Hudson Randall and Karsten Whitson combined to allow one run in 17 innings. They struck out a total of 21, faced just seven batters more than the minimum and walked ONE DUDE OUT OF 58. So UF's starters are boasting a Cliff Lee-like strikeouts-to-walks ratio right now. Whitson was really impressive, hitting 95 on the gun Sunday. I guess he should be, since he was the No. 9 overall pick in the MLB Draft and passed on $2.1 million to come to UF. Shortstop Nolan Fontana was the other baller this weekend, going 9-for-12 and making a great diving play Saturday to get out of a bases-loaded jam. This team is nasty, but a word of caution: The 2006 Gators started No. 1 after finishing second at the 2005 CWS. The year began well, but then they floundered and finished .500. So just remember there's still a looong way to go.

-Gymnastics
They're undefeated, No. 1 and came damn close to posting another score of 197 (which is good) Friday against Auburn despite resting some studs. Alaina Johnson is killin' it, as she posted the nation's best all-around score last weekend, and with three away meets left before the SEC Championships and NCAAs, this team sure looks poised for some hardware if it keeps up this pace. The gymnastics program has been solid for years but has rarely lit it up on the biggest stages, so mental toughness will be the key. Nerves can make a big difference in a sport where inches separate perfect 10s from stumbles, and they won't have the advantage of the home crowd when they (likely) reach the NCAA finals in Cleveland. I hope one of them does a LeBron James chalk toss while wearing a Heat jersey in warm-ups.

-Softball
The No. 5 Gators are 9-0 after sweeping No. 22 North Carolina by a total score of 22-0, and ace Stephanie Brombacher threw a perfect game last weekend. What else is new? Florida will probably go as far as Brombacher's arm can take it, which is looking pretty good right now. She's thrown 31 scoreless frames, while Hannah Rogers has given up just two runs in 21 innings. And they're hitting .386 as a team against .137 for their opponents.

-Breakdown
Power poll-wise, I'd say it's baseball, gymnastics, softball then basketball, but the hoops team certainly has the talent and could go on a run. Gymnastics has the easiest path to a title, since the team is performing well and doesn't have to worry about head-to-head competition. If they do their thing at regionals (they will) and in the finals (we'll see), they could easily take the crown.

For that reason, I'm picking gymnastics, followed by baseball, softball and basketball as far as likelihood of a title.

---

Who you got? Track and swimming both won titles last year, so you can toss them in the ring as well if you like.

Gators sitting pretty after another nail-biter

If you were looking for a reason to believe this season is going to be better than Florida's past few, it came last night. UF's mindset in recent years has seemingly been "Well, we've strung together a win streak. Better lose one." I'm not sure UF has moved on from that strategy since the Gators tried their best to lose to Tennessee on Saturday, but the difference is they were able to win despite themselves.

Erving Walker was the hero, as his furious drive to the basket and left-handed lay-up between three defenders with 14 seconds left provided the winner in a 61-60 victory.

Here's what they overcame last night:
-Alex Tyus had an assist on the Gators' first bucket and scored their next six points. It was looking like a good night until he turned the ball over three times in four minutes, leading to six points in a 15-4 run by UT. Then, with 31 seconds left and UF down 60-59, he bricked two free throws and only avoided being the goat because UT missed the front end of a 1-and-1 to set up Walker's heroics.
-They allowed five three-pointers and turned the ball over 10 times in the first half. "Robbed blind" doesn't quite describe Tennessee's nine steals before the half. It was more like a looting, yet they only trailed by six.
-Patric Young grabbed a rebound with 57 seconds left and a 59-58 lead, but he was stripped of the ball and UT's Cameron Tatum laid it in. Really stunning to see that from Young, who's been valuable because of his aggressiveness.
-Kenny Boynton was out from the 6:10 mark to the 0:25 mark.He got a technical for slamming the ball after being fouled, and Donovan sat him down. Vernon Macklin only played 10 minutes in the second half because of foul trouble, and Chandler Parsons limped through most of his game-high 37 minutes with a thigh bruise after colliding with Tyus (does Tyus owe some bookies money or something? He did have 11 rebounds though). Parsons scored just three points and had three rebounds, meaning three of UF's four best players were largely ineffective for the end of a Florida-Tennessee game.

You can probably think of more mistakes if you watched, but even all that wasn't enough to secure a defeat, and the Gators have two people to thank for that: Walker and Scottie Wilbekin. Wilbekin (henceforth referred to as either Drake or Drizzy) had five points and an assist, but without him, Walker never gets a chance to be the hero.

Tennessee's Scotty Hopson went OFF last night. He had 15 points in the first half and was at 21 with 7:40 to go. That's when Billy Donovan sent Drizzy into the game and told him to stick on Hopson. That's a lot to ask of an unheralded freshman, but Drake held Hopson to one point for the rest of the night. Amazing work. Thank Him Later.

And that brings us to Walker. He can be a liability on defense, and his height can make things difficult on offense sometimes, but boy does he seize the big moments. Donovan had drawn up a play for UF's final possession, but when Walker saw open space in the lane, he darted to the hoop and made a very tough lay-up to take the lead and prompt Tyus to say "Thanks for saving my ass" (pictured).

The best part of the postgame interviews was Donovan's assessment of Walker's mindset in clutch situations:

“I’ve coached guys that love to take the last shot because they don’t want to shy away from it, but they have no intention of making it. ... I think a lot of it has to do with, being his size, he can’t win the dunk contest and do all those things. He’s not a spectacular player, so the only way he’s able to win respect is through winning. I totally understand it, because I went through the same thing as a player.”

The first part of that quote immediately brings Nick Calathes to mind, and heading to the postseason with a fearless player like Walker is huge. He embodies the resiliency Donovan is always talking about with this team. They always seem to fight, scratch and claw their way out of trouble. The problem is, they haven't made the leap toward carrying themselves like an elite team. That's what Donovan is waiting for -- them to consistently play like they're the best team on the court (which they are).

Yes, they pounded South Carolina and Arkansas, who aren't very good, but three of their last four wins have come by a total of seven points. You'd like to see them play like the top-10 team everyone expected them to be, but at least they're winning. For the first time since 2007, I don't have to sit here and try to project the NCAA Tourney bubble. Barring a huge collapse, Florida (20-5, 9-2 SEC) is goin' dancing, with the possibility of landing a really high seed if it wins the SEC Tourney.

Side note: The win makes UF one of five schools to reach 20 victories in 13 straight seasons (Kansas, Duke, Syracuse and Gonzaga). Donovan said when he was hired that athletics director Jeremy Foley asked him how many 20-win seasons he thought Florida had. Donovan's guess was "20 or 25," and Foley shot back "Five."

---

Thoughts on last night's game? A bunch of exciting basketball going on in the O'Dome lately, with close games and the top two crowds in school history in the last week. How good do you feel about this team heading into the postseason?

Ladies and Gentlemen, your 2011 Cam Newton Memorial All-Transfer Team

It's that time of year again. The letters of intent have been faxed, spring practice is right around the corner (March 16) and some student-athletes are re-evaluating their place with the Gators. Transfers are inevitable, and there are some prime candidates to get the heck up outta here in search of greener pastures.

The new coaching staff can work two ways when it comes to transfers. There are guys whom Urban Meyer loved despite their faults, and a fresh start is worrisome for them (COUGHDEONTETHOMPSONCOUGH). Excuse me. Then there are those who didn't seem to get their due but could now that everyone's starting at square one.

Now, I've written things like this in the past and usually gotten angry feedback, so I'd like to make myself clear first. From a UF fan's perspective, nothing could be better than playing for the Gators, but that's not necessarily the best fit for everyone, so this list is full of names for whom a move could be of benefit and is in no way meant as an insult. In fact, Gator Clause wishes any future transfers from UF nothing but the best: $200,000, a Heisman Trophy and a national title.

Now, let's get to it:

-QB: John Brantley and Tyler Murphy
Brantley made the decision to stay because he's happy with Charlie Weis and a pro-style offense. But he'll have to deal with Jeff Driskel in spring practice, and if Driskel gets off to a hot start and there's an open competition, I wouldn't be shocked to see Brantley up sticks (one of the best phrases known to man). However, Brantley handled a very tough situation last season like a professional. He never whined, and he held his leadership role even in the face of diminished playing time. Granted, he helped put himself in that situation by sucking, but I say that to point out that he's a resilient fellow.

If Brantley stays, Murphy has got to be leaving unless he wants to inherit the Jimmy Hoffa position on the depth chart. He'd be behind Brantley, Driskel, Jacoby Brissett, Jordan Reed and probably be battling Gainesville High walk-on Ryan McGriff for scout-team duties. Side note: I saw McGriff play at GHS, and he's got a good arm. Good guy to have around.

-RB: Mack Brown
Brown never got a chance this season, and he fits into that category of guys who can impress and earn some playing time. But he's still got Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey and Mike Gillislee in front of him and Mike Blakely coming in. Blakely is out for the spring because of shoulder surgery, which makes Brown leaving less likely in my mind. This is a guy Florida should want to keep around since Demps and Rainey are gone after this year.

-WR: Andre Debose
Weis and Will Muschamp better be promising the world to Debose. I had him figured for a definite transfer until Meyer left, and if he doesn't feel like he'll be a bigger part of the offense during spring practice, I still wouldn't be surprised to see him leave. That would be a disaster, so I'd imagine Muschamp and Weis wouldn't let that happen. Then again, I would have imagined there was no way Meyer wouldn't realize Debose needed to play more, yet he seemingly didn't. If you were at the Florida-Kentucky basketball game Saturday, you witnessed the hilarity of Debose being honored with an award for being a baller kick returner, meaning his speed and elusiveness was impressive enough to warrant public commendation but not playing time on one of the most dysfunctional offenses in the country. LOL. And I'd expect to see a non-Debose receiver leave as well, because that happens just about every year.

-TE: Desmond Parks
Reed, Gerald Christian and A.C. Leonard are all likely ahead of Parks, and then there's pseudo-tight end Trey Burton. Roll out.

-CB: Any and everyone not named Janoris Jenkins
This is going to be one hell of a position battle in the spring. Jenkins' surprise announcement that he's staying for his senior year cranks up an already intense struggle for the No. 2 spot. Jeremy Brown, Cody Riggs, Moses Jenkins and Jaylen Watkins all saw a fair amount of playing time there last year, and there's only so much to go around. Add in bigtime recruit Josh Shaw (now a redshirt freshman) and the whopping six defensive backs in this recruiting class, and there are bound to be some heading for the door. I have very close to zero insight on Watkins (not that much of a drop from my usual insight I suppose), but Riggs is the least physically gifted and will have to re-enact the Rudy routine that gained him favor with last year's coaches. Moses will lose all the goodwill he built up through years of special teams work, and Brown was one of those "Meyer guys" but struggled late in the year. This crew should be tripping over themselves to hold doors open for their new coaches.

---

What do y'all think of this list? I tried to stick to the bigger names and not guys at the bottom of the depth chart. Any other names you're worried about? I'd expect the offensive linemen to stay since playing time is wide open for next year, and the annual rumors of more 3-4 defense make me hesitant to pick out any linebackers. There are some interesting cases like Earl Okine -- guys who bounced around positions and could be left drifting in the wind a bit -- but we'll have to wait and see what happens in the spring for those.

QB Brissett picks Gators, can still change his mind

Dwyer High quarterback Jacoby Brissett committed to Florida before his basketball game tonight, addressing two of the issues Will Muschamp raised at his press conference on National SIgning Day. Muschamp hinted that he was still waiting on a recruit and said he wasn't happy with the depth at quarterback.

It's a big pull for Muschamp to take Brissett away from Miami, especially because he already has Jeff Driskel in his pocket, BUT there is still a decent chance the Hurricanes end up with him anyway. Brissett didn't sign a letter of intent today and apparently won't do so until Monday. As you'll read in the story linked above, Brissett's momma ain't happy with the choice, and she'll be trying to change his mind all weekend.

Even if he flips, this should make people feel a little better about Muschamp and Charlie Weis as recruiters. They jumped on Brissett pretty quick and obviously made a good impression on him. Momma Brissett is upset Muschamp never met with her ("That man Mr. Muschamp is THE DEVIL!"), but she liked Weis, and this whole thing at least says Weis had some pull in recruiting after all.

Now, if Brissett comes to UF, it'll be really interesting to see what happens. Will he be the favored freshman because he was the one Muschamp and Weis picked? Or is Driskel the Golden Boy, meaning Brissett will eventually throw some expensive computer equipment out a window and win a national title at Auburn? Brissett is mobile, but he isn't truly a dual-threat quarterback, so he could fit into a Weis-run offense.

---

Have any of you seen him play? What do you think of this pickup? Will it stick? I can already tell the comment cop is going to have his hands full on this one.

Fiction Friday: The truth behind Maurkice Pouncey's injury

Welcome to the first edition of Fiction Friday, a potential new semi-weekly feature on Gator Clause. This week, I chugged a bottle of NyQuil, spun in my office chair 25 times and typed until I passed out. This is the result:

IT'S THE NIGHT BEFORE THE SUPER BOWL, and Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey is in his hotel room, nervously pacing back and forth with a protective boot on his left foot. He’s just been ruled out of the game because of a sprained ankle, an outcome that had been planned for months. That was Step 1 of a devious plan. Step 2 is due any second.

There’s a knock at the door, and Maurkice hobbles over. “Who is it?” he asks.

The reply comes from a gruff but familiar voice. “Housekeeping.”

Maurkice opens the door, and in walks Temple football coach Steve Addazio, dressed as a maid and pushing a large laundry cart filled with towels and a snorkel popping out of the top. Suddenly, the pile of towels bursts into the air to reveal Florida center Mike Pouncey, wearing a Steelers tracksuit and boot. He climbs out and grabs Addazio and Maurkice for a bearhug.

“We don’t have much time,” Addazio says in a whisper, breaking up the emotional moment. “Mike, you know what to do. Climb in Maurkice.”

Maurkice steps into the laundry cart and is covered with towels. Addazio pushes him out of the room to an elevator, which he takes to the below-ground parking garage. Maurkice pops his head out.

“Coach, where do I go? I’ll have to lay low so know one figures it out.”

“Don’t worry,” Addazio says. “I have a guy for that.”

A black Thunderbird with tinted windows is idling a few feet away. Addazio gives a quick whistle, and the driver’s door opens to reveal former Oakland Raiders center Barret Robins.

“You’re in good hands,” Addazio says. “If anyone knows how to hide a center before the Super Bowl, it’s Barret.”

Maurkice walks to the car and turns back toward Addazio, holding back tears.

“It’ll all be OK,” Addazio assures him. “This is the only way. We’ll be back together soon.”

Continue reading "Fiction Friday: The truth behind Maurkice Pouncey's injury"

If you're hoping Muschamp will be like Meyer, 2011 NSD is a good sign

A first-year Florida coach signs 18 recruits, gets mixed reviews on his first class and finishes way behind Florida State. Sound familiar? It happened in 2005, when Urban Meyer brought in his inaugural crew, and that was the case this year for Will Muschamp.

Why do I bring this up? Because it's a coincidence and SPORTSWRITERS LOVE COINCIDENCES!

This doesn't mean Muschamp is headed for unprecedented success and years of happy hunting on the recruiting trail, but it's important to cut him some slack based on the tough situation he walked into. He officially took over a month before National Signing Day and didn't get his full staff together until...today, when he hired Derek Lewis to coach tight ends and moved Brian White to running backs.

The Gators finished No. 14 on Rivals.com (Meyer's first class was No. 15. Just sayin) and could move a bit since there are still a few players out there who've yet to sign. I'd name them, but last time I did that it turned out to be a gigantic jinx, and I don't want to piss off my readers.

No. 1 prospect and apparent attention whore Jadeveon Clowney is waiting to announce until all eyes are on him (this feels like a Super Sweet 16 episode or something). He's probably not Florida-bound, to which I say you should be thankful. That punk thought it'd be funny to "announce" on Facebook that he's headed to a crappy team a few months ago and freak everyone out. He picked East Carolina as his joke school, and as a lifelong Pirates fan, I'm confident that the football gods will punish him with a career to match his last name.

Some good and bad news today, and I'll make it quick because I'm burned out.

Bad first, we'll end happy: Lake City DT Timmy Jernigan is going to FSU, and Richmond (Va.) LB Curtis Grant is going to Ohio State. Both are considered the bluest of chips, and Muschamp couldn't get Jernigan despite the fact he grew up a UF fan. That always hurts, and apparently Jernigan was upset with the way Meyer and Dan McCarney left, so I suppose Muschamp can't shoulder the blame.

Good: WR Ja'Juan Story and DB Marcus Roberson are headed to Gainesville, and as of writing, Jeff Driskel is still alive and well. Story committed to UF in June, but he and the Buckeyes had been casting sultry glances at each other, and he said he hadn't even made up his mind when he sat down to announce today. Roberson is a big pickup, a South Florida DB to go along with Jabari Gorman. Y'all have to be pretty happy with Muschamp for snagging those two.

---

Like I said, I'm beat, but I'm planning a new feature for Friday that you will either think is hilarious or the dumbest thing you've ever seen. What did you guys think of NSD and Meyer's work on ESPN? No matter how bad you think it was, no UF committs were arrested for fondling girls the night before, so you'll always have that to hang your hat on. Kid gets an A for creativity though.

5 kids who will totally (maybe) be stud college football players and might sign with the Gators but also might not

Remember when you were a little kid and the day before Christmas produced a kind of jittery feeling inside? So much anticipation and excitement, and the joy of unwrapping That Thing You Always Wanted was just hours away. Well, National Signing Day is that emotion for grown-ups who follow college football.

Consider me Jewish for the purposes of this discussion, but I certainly understand why NSD matters. There are high school football players out there who still haven't settled on a college, and some of them will have the same impact on their future schools that guys like Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin had on UF. There's no denying that it's a huge deal.

So who do the Gators still have a shot at? Below are five top prospects who are still considering Florida, and the addition of any one of them would be a big help to the legacy of Will Muschamp's first recruiting class, as discussed in my story last week: LINK. Here we go (rankings from Rivals.com):

LB Stephone Anthony
(6-3, 220 pounds, Wadesboro, N.C.)
-Competition: Clemson and North Carolina
-Why He'll Sign: The nation's No. 3 OLB has a good relationship with UF linebackers coach D.J. Durkin and was happy when Durkin was retained, and with the departures of A.J. Jones, Brandon Hicks and Lorenzo Edwards, there are openings on the depth chart.
-Why He Won't: People in the know seem to think he's headed to Clemson.
-Meaningless Percentages: 40% Clemson, 35% UF, 24% UNC, 1% Tulsa Welding School

QB Jacoby Brissett
(6-5, 225 pounds, West Palm Beach)
-Competition: Miami and Wisconsin. He just eliminated Washington, which is a shame because Seattle is a lovely city.
-Why He'll Sign: The No. 3 dual-threat QB would be a great fit for Urban Meyer's spread offense! Oh, right. Well, Meyer only offered Brissett a grayshirt, but Charlie Weis has been all over Brissett like a...OK I'll skip the fat joke since it made y'all mad last time. Weis is supposed to be a great recruiter, and he's giving Brissett the full court press, so there's smoke here even though it looks unlikely on paper. He also has former Dwyer High teammates Matt Elam, Gerald Christian and Robert Clark in Gainesville already, and he wants to play basketball as well.
-Why He Won't: He's only a two-star fence-climber, so experts fear he won't be able to escape Al Golden's State of Miami and flee north. Also: Jeff Driskel.
-Meaningless Percentages: 65% Miami, 30% UF, 5% He Freezes His Ass Off For 3-5 Years

LB Curtis Grant
(6-3, 222 pounds, Richmond, Va.)
-Competition: Ohio State
-Why He'll Sign: The biggest fish in the pond for UF, Grant is the No. 2 overall recruit in this year's class, making him a stone cold lock to be the greatest thing since sliced bread. For real though, this kid is a baller and would seem a natural fit at the coveted middle linebacker spot. He kept the Gators in his sights despite all the turmoil of Meyer leaving, so he must like Florida quite a bit.
-Why He Won't: The Buckeyes are the leaders, and part of that is surely due to the fact they don't have a new coach and a few years of uncertainty ahead of them.
-Meaningless Percentages: 70% Ohio State, 20% Florida, 10% Culinary School

DT Timmy Jernigan
(6-2, 275 pounds, Lake City)
-Competition: Florida State
-Why He'll Sign: Timmy is one of the top-rated players at his position, and he grew up a Gators fan just a short drive from Gainesville. Now, he has a chance to make his dreams come true, but he finds himself considering a school he once hated. Sound familiar? Jernigan even played for the same HS coach as Tim Tebow, Craig Howard. He's a priority for UF, as defensive line coach Bryant Young was meeting with Jernigan before even being announced as hired.
-Why He Won't: The 'Noles are putting together one hell of a recruiting class, and they're the leaders for Jernigan's signature. In cases like this, I won't believe anything til ink hits paper, but Florida appears to be the underdog.
-Meaningless Percentages: 55% Jernigans Roast Marshmallows Over A Bonfire Of Their Old UF Gear, 45% I Get To Make A Tebow Comparison In My NSD Story

WR/TE Junior Pomee
(6-3, 210 pounds, Moreno Valley, Calif.)
-Competition: USC, Utah and Arizona
-Why He'll Sign: He played with Ronald Powell in high school and the two are close friends.
-Why He Won't: Pomee's dad said Monday that he's headed to USC, then Pomee came out and denied it. I say he's just trying to keep some suspense for NSD.
-Meaningless Percentages: 100% USC, 100% That's A Total Guess

---

Which one of these guys do you want the most? Think any will sign with UF?

How will Stan Drayton's departure affect recruiting?

After getting a late start, finally putting together a staff and having to wait on his coordinators to lose in the NFL Playoffs, Will Muschamp didn't need anything else to overcome on the recruiting trail. He got it anyway.

Muschamp's staff is incomplete once again, as running backs coach Stan Drayton leaves Florida for the second time, this time to be Ohio State's receivers coach. Drayton was also the Gators' recruiting coordinator, had been formerly honored by Rivals.com for his recruiting skills, and he was the guy with the most experience at UF.

So far, no reaction to this, but in the oh-so-fickle world of recruiting, you never really know. I know y'all have an isatiable thirst for recruiting news, and I'll be the first to admit that the whole business is a huge turn-off for me, being that it's the pinnacle of the rumor-driven, shady reporting that I've come to detest.

BUT, just because I love my blog readers so much, I made a phone call today. Monsignor Pace safety Jabari Gorman, a four-star safety who Drayton recruited, told me he'd known "for a while" that Drayton was leaving (to be closer to family) and that it wouldn't affect his commitment. This is important not only because Gorman is good, but he's also the only commit since Muschamp took over. Pulling a talented kid out of Miami was a good get for Muschamp, and if he loses Gorman without another solid pickup, he doesn't have much to hang his hat on with this recruiting class.

As for the potential fall-out from Drayton leaving, Ja'Juan Story seems to be the next problem. The 6-3, 190-pound receiver committed in June but is now playing the percentage game ("Don't worry, I'm still 64 percent committed. I'm 22 percent de-committed, 10 percent undecided and 4 percent sure that people who put legitimate stock in these numbers should be committed to an asylum").

Story is looking at the Buckeyes, where Drayton would now be his position coach. Drayton wasn't the main guy handling Story, but taking a familiar face away from School A and adding him to School B is not good news for School A.

Really, all we can do is sit back and see what happens in the coming days. Signing Day is next Wednesday, and while bringing in the current 15-man class with no changes would be a disappointment for a program used to No. 1 rankings, there's something to be said for Muschamp and his crew hanging on to the guys Urban Meyer brought in.

Check the paper and site Friday for my UF recruiting feature, and I'll have another post up soon with the big fish still out there that the Gators are chasing.

---

In the meantime, who do you want to see Florida close with? Worried about Story? Does Drayton leaving bother you?

Jenkins cited for marijuana: Muschamp has his first test

He won't be going high in the NFL Draft this year, but Janoris Jenkins will be damned if that's going to keep him from getting high in a Gainesville night club.

Jenkins was cited for misdemeanor possession this weekend after the fuzz spotted him rolling a marijuana cigarette in the bathroom of a club, giving new coach Will Muschamp his first bit of negative press. It's not an arrest, so I'll keep the Official Muschamp Arrest Counter at zero for the time being, but it's still a big moment.

Muschamp did a lot of talking about discipline during his introductory press conference, and his players will no doubt be interested to see how he handles this from a player like Jenkins, who'll be a team leader next season after putting off a pro career to return for his senior year. The crime is pretty tame. The fact Jenkins got caught is the bigger issue to me.

I (and most likely you) know people (certainly none of us would ever do it) who smoke weed and don't get busted for it. It's not a big deal when enjoyed responsibly, and the effects are far less dangerous than alcohol. At least that's what people I know tell me.

But here's Jenkins, bringing drugs into a club and having them out in the open where cops can see him. That just speaks to a general lack of common sense, a missing piece that I feel excludes him from the "top 1 percent of 1 percent" that Urban Meyer said he strived to recruit. He also got hit with a Taser and charged with fighting and resisting arrest in 2009.

A very small number of people would be able to avoid illegality in a four-year career in college football, but the art is in not getting caught. As a reporter said when Brandon James got popped for buying weed from a police informant a few years ago, "Doesn't he know there are people who can get that for him?"

In light of that, let's all pause and appreciate Percy Harvin. Harvin enjoys his marijuana, a fact proven by his failed drug test at the NFL Combine. That was incredibly dumb, and I wouldn't be shocked to know that a few of the games he missed for "injury" at UF were really because of drug issues, but in three years, Harvin didn't run afoul of Johnny Law. He was a big star who kept his nose clean and seldom disappointed on the field. Realistically, THAT is the top 1 percent of 1 percent, as far as college football goes.

Moving forward, this is mostly a non-issue to me. The deadline to declare for the NFL Draft has passed, meaning there's no chance Muschamp cracks the whip, Jenkins gets upset and bolts for the pros. It would seem a bit harsh to suspend him for a game seven months from now, but even if that happens, it's just FAU.

But for a struggling program largely relying on young players, leadership will be a constant battle. This issue isn't likely to crush Jenkins' credibility with his teammates, but it does cast doubt about whether he's the kind of guy you want atop your roster's power pyramid.

-----

Anyone really upset about this? Do you care? What do you think Muschamp will do?

Did you want the Gators to hire Mike Leach?

Great column from SI's Stewart Mandel today about the plight of former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach trying to find a new gig. Check it out and meet me at the next paragraph.

Those of you who did the required reading can print and mail this to me as a prize, but since most of you probably didn't, here's the rundown: Leach is down in Key West doing a radio show, occasionally working as an analyst, and of the 21 Division 1-A schools that had recent coaching vacancies, Maryland was the only one to contact him.

Mandel talked to an anonymous administrator whose school recently passed on Leach, and the source said Leach's 84-43 record with 10 bowls in 10 years at Tech isn't enough to make up for the headache that comes with the Adam James fiasco and Leach's pending lawsuit against Tech, not even when you throw in the fact that Leach had the nation's best graduation rate when he left the Red Raiders.

That administrator did say Leach would probably be met with tons of excitement from fans, but media attention and complaints from the higher-ups at a university would be the problem. Would you have been OK with Florida hiring Leach instead of Will Muschamp? For that matter, would our guests from Coral Gables have chosen Leach over Al Golden to run Miami's program?

I want to hear your thoughts on this. I can see it going both ways. Muschamp and Golden were both questionable hires because neither has been the top dog at a bigtime program, but Golden can't be punished for being successful at Temple, and Muschamp is intriguing because of his familiarity with the SEC.

If it's me, I'll take Leach all day. When Skip Holtz left my favorite team for South Florida, I wanted East Carolina to hire Leach right away. He's an offensive genius (and maybe a real-life genius. he also holds a law degree), he's funny, he's really funny, and he's obsessed with pirates, making him a natural fit at ECU.

Instead, they hired his hula-hoop-waisted defensive coordinator, Ruffin McNeill, who brought along Leach understudy Lincoln Riley to run the TTU offense, which made ECU one of the best attacks in college football this season. It's hard for me to imagine the Pirates wouldn't be better with Leach at the helm. Let's not forget, he was the man behind one of the best moments in recent college football history.

I have little doubt Leach would be a good head coach should be find a new job, so the next question is all the attention that athletic directors and school officials feel he'd bring. In a word, I'll refer to those people as "idiots," since it fits them so well. This can be taken care of with a press conference or two. Hire him, come out and support him. This isn't an ongoing scandal. He may or may not have locked a kid widely regarded as a prick in a closet. There's a decent chance one of your coaches did worse to you in pee wee football.

Sports is all about redemption stories. Tear them down, build them back up and call them heroes. It's a cycle of BS, if you ask me, and no portion of the cycle is more absurd than the part Leach is stuck at. He'll land somewhere, and Tom Rinaldi will show up with his piano for a tear-jerker ESPN piece letting everyone know that "Leach is, once again, the captain of his ship."

I can't believe no one in charge feels that way, and it's especially shocking that Leach can't even get interviewed. It's one thing to fear hiring a guy who just sued his last employer (with good reason) and may very well be smarter than you, but no one has cited that as a reason that I know of.

And I don't want to hear anything about how a coach is supposed to be a molder of men. This isn't middle school. It's college, it's crooked, and everyone is pretty much going to do what they want. (See: Hill, Will). For real, click that link and remember that at the very time he was Tweeting those things, UF coaches were telling reporters about how mature Hill was.

Leach is a great coach and a captivating character, and I'd love to see what he could do with a program like Florida or Miami. Would you? If you don't think he'd fit, is it because of on- or off-field issues?

 

Blakely out for spring, what do you expect from Gators RBs next year?

It's raining and it's a Monday, so bad news is fitting. Freshman running back Mike Blakely will miss spring practice due to shoulder surgery. That's a real bummer, as it'll just about negate the head start he hoped to get by enrolling early.

This can be said about almost every position for the Gators next season, but the running back spot is going to be really interesting to watch. Charlie Weis will have his work cut out to run a pro-style offense with a bunch of spread scatbacks, and I felt like Blakely could have a shot at early playing time with a good spring.

At 5-foot-9, 194 pounds, Blakely isn't a big bruiser or even an Emmanuel Moody (who gets big bruises), but he runs tough and could be a great every-down back if he adds a little size. If the surgery and missed spring cause him to redshirt, he should be ready to blow up in 2012, but that'll leave this as the RB depth chart for next season:

Jeff Demps (SR, 5-8, 190) Career: 269 carries, 1,901 yds (7.1 ypc), 17 TDs
Chris Rainey (RSR, 5-9, 178) Career: 174 carries, 1,237 yds (7.1 ypc), 9 TDs
Mike Gillislee (JR, 5-11, 198) Career: 89 carries, 592 yds (6.7 ypc), 8 TDs
Mack Brown (RFR, 5-10, 193) Career: 3 carries, 23 yds (7.7 ypc)

Demps is obviously "the man," and he and Rainey should both be looked to as the big play guys, but if Weis wants more of a consistent pro-style threat out of the backfield, I think Gillislee might be the better option. I'd expect to see all four play next year, and it'll be really interesting to see how they're used in an offense that isn't as shotgun-heavy and with an inexperienced offensive line.

Will Muschamp gave the ever-popular "we fit our offense to our players, not the other way around" line when he was hired, but I'll believe that when I see it from Weis. If that's truly the case, next year's offense would have to still feature the spread.

What are you expecting out of this bunch for next year? Who do you want to see leaned on as the main rushing option? Any of these guys have 1,000-yard potential if given the chance?