Blogging live from practice...

GAINESVILLE -- Just walked through the practice gates and what do I see? Major Wright teaching Will Hill how to play safety.

--OL James Wilson appears to be practicing gingerly. Is this guy still hurt?

--Freshmen hit the field first today. The returning players came out about an hour later. Guess who the first returner was to hit the field...at a dead sprint, no less. Miami's own Javy Estopinan.

-Special teams is up first. Field goal block practice time. Chris Rainey is the only offensive player on the field-goal block unit. What's the over/under on the number of field goals Rainey blocks this year?

--Rainey is now a gunner on punt defense. Chris Rainey special teams dynamo.

--Terron Sanders and Troy Epps at first-team tackle positions today.

--On to individual position drill work. From time to time I'll tell you guys what the beat writers who cover Florida are talking about. Today we were wondering aloud when Lorenzo Edwards is going to start at strong-side linebacker. He looks really good. Today, A.J. Jones appears to still be the first-string starting linebacker on the tight end side. Jones had a great offseason, according to UF's strength and conditioning staff.

--Percy Harvin and Riley Cooper were goofing off earlier and playing catch. Both players have great arms.

--Speaking of great arms, punter Chas Henry fills in as a quarterback quite well during defensive drill work. Will we ever see him throw a fake punt?

--Justin Trattou, Carlos Dunlap and Matt Patchan practicing with the defensive tackles. Or at least practicing that technique with the DTs. Slightly interesting.
--Percy not practicing at all now. Just standing alone in his No.1 jersey. Kind of poetic. He hasn't moved in 10 minutes. Safe to say he's under strick rehab orders.

--Receiver Paul Wilson is practicing in a cast.

--Lo Edwards just made a great play during 7-on-7 drills, ranging far to his right to deflect a pass.

--Harvin is walking with a pronounced limp.

--Full-team drills now. Amazing catch by Deonte Thompson over Ahmad Black and Major. (Will Hill would have knocked it away...Just saying.)

--Practice is over.

-jo-

Comments

[James]

has AJ jones been with the safeties at all?

[Rich]

Good info: A couple of questions:
Just curious why you didn't have Riley Cooper in your starting 5 WR's. He has the experience and speed to burn.
Is Jeff Demps really as big as Rainey. I read this somewhere. I thought Demps would be small. I know Rainey is not huge but he's a lot bigger and stronger than last season.
Last Question/Observation: I saw pictures of William Green & Earl Okine, are they as impressive in person? They look like prototype DE's. I can't imagine with their frames what they'll look like in a couple of seasons. Probably like NFL DE's. They just look very impressive for freshman.
Thanks for all your efforts,
~Rich

[Goody]

James,

Just got back from practice. A.J. Jones is practicing at first-string weak-side linebacker. I don't think he's moving to safety.

Rich,

1. If I wrote that Riley wasn't one of the five best receivers at UF, then I apologize. The order probably goes Harvin, Murphy, Riley and then everyone else.

2. Jeffrey Demps is indeed thicker than Rainey. Although, Rainey has bulked up considerably since last season. Rainey weighed in at 185 on Monday.

3. I was just watching the DEs practice today and noticed Green and Okine standing side-by-side and thinking the exact same thing you just mentioned. In a couple of years, watch out for that pair. I even said something to one reporter about Green being a young Jason Taylor. He laughed at me but, hey, you never know. The kid is fast enough to play linebacker. Green actually played a little roving linebacker in high school for Hoover Spain Park High. The school made it to the Class 6A state championship game and lost to Prattville. I only know this because I'm from Birmingham, Ala. It was a big deal because Hoover Spain Park was better than Hoover High of MTV Two-a-Days fame. Also, my kids are zoned for Hoover Spain Park. Anyway, Green will probably give Florida a chance to play a little 3-4 defense in a year or two. They probably won't, but they could.

-jo-

[Gatormann]

Good blog. One piece of information I'd really like to get is Patchan's current weight. I know they wanted him at 270 but Dline coach recently said that would be unlikely given his setbacks in the offseason.

[Goody]

I'll find out the exact weight today. With all Patch has been through, he looks pretty good after the first two days of practice. He's surprisingly quick.

-jo-

[James]

would you mind giving an update on the WR core (not including Murphy, Percy, and Riley but rather deonte, carl moore, etc) and how they look? I haven't seen much on some of these guys

[Goody]

James,

I'll include that in the live blog.

-jo-