Gator Clause

Is Reaves' UF legacy tarnished after his arrest?

GAINESVILLE -- UF legend John Reaves was recently arrested for pointing a gun at two people and then later for possession of cocaine and introducing contraband into a detention facility. CLICK ME! for a story about the matter by St. Pete Times writer John Kaplan. CLICK ME! for the story from the Tampa Tribune.

Is Reaves' legacy as one of the Gators' greatest quarterbacks forever tarnished? Does anyone under the age of 35 even know who John Reaves is?

-jo-

Hippies rejoice the monumental story of Ronnie Wilson

POT HEADS TAKE NOTICE. In Gainesville there is a prosecuting attorney with a forgiving heart...CLICK ME! to find out why Ronnie Wilson didn't violate his probation when he was busted for marijuana.

GAINESVILLE -- This town of tazers in north-central Florida was once called the Berkeley of the South. I think that old reputation might be making a comeback. At least one state prosecutor is a softy when it comes to misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

According to the state attorney's office, the state's marijuana possession case against Ronnie Wilson was dropped because the prosecuting attorney didn't want to violate Wilson's probation with a "weak case." You read that correctly, folks. They knew and did nothing. 

This is cutting edge stuff, people. If you can't legalize the use of marijuana, then do the next best thing, dismiss the cases. Jerry Garcia is singing in his grave. The UF admissions office should expect an influx of hippie transfers [PICTURED AND CHEERING THE MONUMENTAL WILSON CASE] from Appalachian State. Maybe the music festival Bonnaroo will relocate from Manchester, Tenn., to Gainesville. We can throw the whole big party the weekend of Florida-LSU!

The reason Wilson's case was dropped? Well, I got two reasons from the state attorney's office. A spokesman for the state told me that it was tough to prove "constructive possession" in many drug possession cases. So, the case was dropped despite Wilson being on probation for a 2007 arrest. (The nightclub battery/gun thing.)

The other reason the state gave? There was an understanding that the University of Florida was going to take over the case and impose disciplinary action. That's classic, right? Now, it's important to remember one little detail here. The school suspended Wilson from campus because of the nightclub battery/gun thing. Clean up your act and we'll give you another shot at higher education (and maybe football). Wilson was pinched for pot on Jan. 6. He began his fresh start at UF on Jan. 7, the first day of classes.

Peace and love, dudes. It's just good karma.

-jo-

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-

Estopinan: Wilson in no form to play

GAINESVILLE -- For those wishful souls out there who might be hoping that Ronnie Wilson can give the Gators an immediate boost at defensive tacke, think again says Gators senior defensive tackle Javier Estopinan.

The Gators' senior leader, who many think will be the Gators' defensive captain this season, told Gator Clause that Wilson is out of shape and not ready to contribute at defensive tackle. First things first for Wilson: Get back into good graces with his teammates, Estopinan said.

"He has tried to change his act around," Estopinan said. "He hasn't been working out with the team or anything. He's trying to work his way back into the drills and get back on everyone's good side."

Estopinan said that Wilson should be commended for making an attempt to rejoin the team by paying his own through school, but indicated Wilson's gesture is only the beginning to winning back the trust of his teammates. Wilson, of course, was arrested in 2007 and UF coach Urban Meyer was forced to kick him off the team. According to Meyer, Wilson is being allowed to practice with the team during fall camp but has not officially made the team yet. Wilson is listed on the Gators' roster.

"[Wilson] just got back on the team," Estopinan said. "Everybody deserves a shot and everybody makes a mistake. You learn from it and hopefully you grow from it. [Wilson] is just like a walk-on, so he's just got to earn his rights again."

Estopinan of South Miami High said on Monday that his left knee is close to full health following offseason surgery to repair a torn anterior-cruciate ligament. He tore the ligament against Georgia. The senior, who has already earned his undergraduate degree and is now attending graduate school on a full athletic scholarship, is projected as a starting defensive tackle. He weighed in at 285 pounds on Monday.

The Gators' second starting defensive tackle spot will be up for grabs during fall camp and two-a-days. Terron Sanders, Troy Epps and Lawrence Marsh are the top contenders.

-jo-

Emails I get: Goodman, you're a D'bag!

Per Gator Clause custom: If I get a quality email, then I post it for everyone to read...

GAINESVILLE -- This email comes to us from E. Ross Weinstein of origins unknown. Weinstein's email in blue font:

SUBJECT FIELD: COULD YOU ACT LIKE A BIGGER D'BAG?
BODY TEXT: I think not.  I guess it is more important to use your position as a writer for a major newspaper to try to get kids in trouble than it is to be concerned with them trying to get their lives in order.  I know that rivalries get everyone going, and I also know that you likely probably grew up in a pretty stable upper middle class household and had most things handed to you, but take a step back and try to have some compassion.  You are trying to ruin a kids life simply because he is on a team that you do not root for.  Yes, Ron Wilson has made some mistakes in his life, but regardless of what you think of Coach Meyer and the Gators, they are giving this guy a chance because they don't want him to wind up like Atkins.  Some people need second and third chances in life, and maybe he [messes] up again, but as a reporter, and more so as a human being you should not let your homerism effect what stories you choose to report on, and intentionally go out of your way in a smug manner about serious issues just because you have the forum to do so.  These are kids and they are still learning from their mistakes.  Think about it before you decide to put your stamp on their lives.

Best regards,

E. Ross Weinstein

This next email comes to us from Joe Norsworthy of Coral Gables. Norsworthy's email in blue font:

SUBJECT FIELD: Ronnie Wilson
BODY TEXT: I am going to split hairs for a moment with you. Ronnie Wilson has not been found to violate any laws since he has been on probation.  He was arrested, but no charges were filed against him.

You may consider it lucky that he did not have charges filed against him, and there is no way to prove such an opinion right or wrong.  I do not believe it is fair, however, for you to consider him lucky because he “violated his probation” but was not caught.  That simply is not the case.

Sincere regards,

Joe Norsworthy
Coral Gables

-jo-

Ronnie Wilson was at Ely all last season and Patrick Johnson still went to LSU?

GAINESVILLE -- As you know, The Miami Herald broke the news last night of Ronnie Wilson's marijuana arrest and the lucky break he got from the state attorney's office in Gainesville. (If you or I are on probation for a felony (reduced to misdemeanor), and we get pinched for marijuana, do you think the DA overlooks that? Uh, no.)

Here's a link to my story in The Herald. CLICK ME!

Here are some more interesting details from the case that I uncovered during the reporting phase of the story. You won't read this stuff anywhere this morning other than on Gator Clause.

In case any of you canine lovers out there are wondering, Grady of the Alachua County Sheriff's Office is the drug dog that busted Wilson on Jan. 6 for possession of an illegal substance, according to the police report. The arresting officer [that would be Grady] also found drug paraphernalia, according to records. Grady is a German shepherd and a fine a police dog of impeccable record. (Good thing Grady wasn't an American bulldog; otherwise we might have to launch a formal investigation into the Alachua County Sheriff's Office for planting evidence. We kid because we can here on Gator Clause.) As we all know, German shepherd's are the undisputed king of all dogs. I know this as fact and it is not even open for discussion or argument. If you travel to Gainesville on game day this fall, rest assured that Grady will be working hard to keep you safe! [That's not Grady in the picture.]

--The terms of Wilson's plea bargain were spelled out in the official Judgment and Sentence. The court document reads: "Live and remain at liberty without violating any law. If you fail to complete the terms of your probation as required, you will be arrested ..." In the words of Napoleon Dynamite, "Lucky."

--According to the Judgment and Sentence, the court ordered a mental evaluation of Wilson.

--Wilson had to pay $578 in fines.

--The court ordered Wilson to meet with the victim of the 2007 incident and apologize. Bet that was fun.

--While the state attorney's office didn't notice that Wilson was arrested while on probation, the state attorney's office was aware of Wilson's arrest. On April 1, the state attorney, William Cervone, dismissed all of the charges against Ronnie Wilson. Cervone, no stranger to Florida football, is out of office until Thursday. An assistant state attorney, Jesse Smith, signed off on the case action report, ordering all of the evidence against Wilson to be disposed of in accordance with Florida statutes. WHOOPS!!!

--The Alachua County judge who terminated Wilson's first probation (the one for the misdemeanor that ended on April 22, 2008) is no longer on the bench. Wilson is still on probation for the original felony charge until April 2009.

--This next bit might be even more interesting. According to official court documents, Wilson completed his 100 hours of community service as an assistant offensive line coach at his old high school, Pompano Beach Blanche Ely. Beats trash detail. A defensive backs coach, Anthony Wiggins, signed off on the student volunteer service program forms. Wiggins is a long time Ely assistant. He was on staff when Wilson played for the Tigers when Steve Davis (Now the head coach at Plantation.) was at Ely and Wiggins was on staff last year when James Jones was the head coach at Ely.

According to the volunteer service forms signed by Wiggins -- forms that list every day that Wilson apparently was at Ely and span nearly two months but which have that unmistakable look of something that was filled out all at the same time -- Wilson was at Ely nearly every day from August 22 to October 10. I spoke with Jones to verify this. According to Jones, Ely's head coach, Wilson was only at the Tigers' practice "twice a week."

--I asked Wiggins about the discrepancy and he said that Jones didn't know that Wilson was at Ely nearly every day during the 2007 football season.

--Jones played football for the University of Florida.

--Jones is no longer the head coach at Ely, but Wiggins was retained by the new staff. Lawal McCray is the new head coach at Ely.

--According to Wiggins, Wilson served as a role model to Ely's team and even spoke in front of the team several times.   

--Wait, wait, wait. So, let me get this straight: Wilson was apparently at Ely's practice every day last season and coached in every game and cornerback Patrick Johnson still snubbed Florida for LSU? Wow!

--OK, OK. All jokes aside, here's my opinion on the matter: Should Ronnie Wilson be allowed back on the Gators' football team? Yes. Florida coach Urban Meyer is doing the right thing in giving Wilson another chance despite the drug arrest. Kids smoke pot. Kids make mistakes. I know my life needed a few breaks from some nice people. Meyer cares about winning football games but he also cares about the lives of young men. Football is an important thing in Wilson's life and it's important to Wilson's development as a young man. Just taking a guess, but I'm assuming this is Meyer's logic in keeping Wilson around. It probably doesn't matter to Meyer at all if Wilson ever plays a down of football for the Gators. If Wilson graduates, then it was all worth it.

--I'm happy to report that Wilson is taking EXTRA hours to get caught up in school! If Wilson makes it, then this could be one of the most important stories of the Meyer Era. 

SOME MORE NOTES
--Percy Harvin didn't participate in 7-on-7 drills yesterday.
--Maurkice Pouncey is running extra for his traffic citation, open container in a motor vehicle.
--Only one practice today, this afternoon. Check back for live updates!

-jo-   

Meyer: No timetable on Torrey Davis' return; Rainey says he's the king of the streets

GAINESVILLE -- Torrey Davis wasn't at practice today, wasn't on the roster and appears to be academically ineligible. Florida coach Urban Meyer said on Monday after practice that there is no timetable for Davis' return.

It seems like just yesterday that everybody (except me) was writing about how hard Davis worked to get into Florida, and blah, blah, blah. Yeah, right.

--Safety Bryan Thomas wasn't on the roster and didn't practice today because of the minor surgery we've been talking about for a few weeks on Gator Clause. He had a cyst removed from his knee.

--The Gators had a nice crowd this afternoon. I'd estimate the number of fans at about 400 and the number of Internet fan website reporters at 15,000.

--By the way, Ronnie Wilson has his old number, 70.

--Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson native Moses Jenkins looks great at cornerback.

--Lorenzo Edwards has officially moved to strong-side linebacker. Told you guys, the coaches couldn't afford to keep him out of the line-up. HA!

--South Miami alum Javier Estopinan told me that his knee is near 100 percent. Javy looked impressive leading the defense today.

--Back-up QB Cameron Newton's passes were all over the place. Up, down, anywhere except where they're supposed to be.

--Chris Rainey is the funniest guy on the team. He held court for about five minutes with reporters after practice. He said he beat Jeffrey Demps TWICE in the 40-yard dash in the previous weeks. Rainey's quote: "Undefeated in the skreets!"

--Rainey is 2-0 all-time against Demps in the 40 but his record is 1-1 against Percy.

--A New York Giants just left practice and I asked him if he saw any talent. He said, "Not this year."

--Major Wright spoke with reporters for about three minutes. He didn't say much but I thought it was pretty funny that he called Will Hill a kid, referring to Hill's understanding of college football so far.

-jo-

Live from practice...Ronnie Wilson looks good; So does Frankie Hammond Jr.; And guess who's a safety now...

Really upset with Krispy Kreme. The doughnuts are not fresh...Here's a link to my story in today's Miami Herald! Gators Hope To Blaze Trail to National Title. Here's a public-service link: Miami Heat dance team tryouts photo gallery! Sorry if the picture quality in this blog post isn't up to snuff. Deal, folks. I used my BlackBerry.

(If you noticed any typos earlier this morning it's because I wrote this blog on the BlackBerry as fast as possible...It has since been edited.)

GAINESVILLE -- The sun isn't up yet and already I've been at practice for 35 minutes. Freshmen and walk-ons are the only players practicing this fine morning. A few quick notes...

-T.J. Lawrence appears to be the Gators' latest safety convert. Lawrence, who was recruited as a receiver, is wearing a white practice jersey (meaning he's a defender; offense is in blue) and learning how to backpedal and defend. Safeties coach Chuck Heater is correcting his mistakes every five seconds. Yep, he's a safety now. Now Urban is actually working one-on-one with Lawrence.

-Ronnie Wilson [PICTURED] of Pompano Beach Blanche Ely is practicing at defensive tackle. Wilson was kicked off the team last year for firing an assault rifle into the air near a downtown nightclub. Notice how there's no stripe on Ronnie's helmet. Guess that means he's already a part of the team. (For those who don't know what I'm talking about, incoming freshmen at UF have thin stripes on their helmets during preseason camp. When coaches take the stripe off, it signifies that you're officially a member of the team. Major Wright was the first player to be de-striped last season. Percy Harvin had the honor the year before that. I'm calling for Jeffrey Demps to lose his stripe first this season.)

-Texas cornerback Adrian Bushell [PICTURED] is in street clothes. Guess he hasn't made it through the NCAA Clearinghouse yet. Bushell didn't practice but he was still up early with the rest of the freshman. He was reading a sheet of paper throughout practice and following around cornerback's coach Vance Bedford. Assuming the paper was some kind of practice schedule or tip sheet.

-Jeffrey Demps is a strong freshman. He's bigger than Chris Rainey. (Well, that's not saying much.)

-Omar Hunter is a beast. He doesn't look out of shape to me. This guy is already bigger than John Brown.

-Matt Patchan is participating in drills but D-line coach Dan McCarney is telling him to take it easy. Patchan is looking good.

-John Brown and Brandon Hicks are practicing with the freshmen. Punishment? The probably have to take tests this afternoon, says UF's people. Summer B isn't over yet.

-Staying with the defensive line theme: Hoover, Ala., defensive end William Green is tall and lean. This guy is really fast. He could play linebacker. Speaking of speed, Matt Patchan is pretty fast. He looks to weigh about 250 pounds. Green appears to be about 225 at the most.

-Defensive backs coach Vance Bedford's metaphorical coaching technique: "You're a cat. You're hungry and you want to eat."

Corners Janoris Jenkins and Jeremy Brown are apparently hungry and sleepy.

-Bedford is a crowd pleaser. He just called himself "gangsta.'"

Now he's dancing and talking about "Bullet" Bob Hayes. Hysterical.

-Hallandale native Frankie Hammond Jr. [PICTURED] appears to have put on some muscle over the offseason. He looks good and just made an impressive diving catch near the sideline. Wow! Another great catch by Frankie Hammond Jr. He is definitely the highlight of the first practice. He caught a pass in traffic and then cut to the outside and blew past three defenders.

-More Bedford, as he walks off the field to fans: "Y'all got no life but you love football." I love this Bedford guy.

OK, that's it. Check back around 5 p.m. for a live blog from today's second practice. Will try to snap a picture or two of Tebow.

Oh, a final picture to share with y'all. A lot of people have been asking me to post a recent picture of myself up on the blog. I snapped this photo yesterday in the dog park. That's my new hat. (That's Guinness, my dog, behind my head.) I'm wearing the hat every day to practice (and maybe games) this season. (My offering of sarcasm to the ridiculousness of the recruiting craze.) I'm a six-star recruit. I write stories in 4.19 seconds.

-jo-

CAMP COUNTDOWN: Seven strengths in seven days...No.1: Experience, of course

Less than 24 hours until fall camp. Hope everyone enjoyed our CAMP COUNTDOWN. Posted below are individual links to the series...

7: TIGHT ENDS
6: SPECIAL TEAMS
5: BRANDON SPIKES
4: OFFENSIVE LINE
3: WIDE RECEIVERS
2: QUARTERBACKS
1: And the No.1 team strength entering fall camp is ... experience.

GAINESVILLE -- Last season was more about learning than it was about winning for the Florida Gators. The team that won a national championship in 2006 and the team that returned for 2007 were entirely different. From Tim Tebow to Urban Meyer, everyone had something to learn. Experience came in different forms.

For Meyer, 2007 was the first time he had ever been a third-year head coach with a team. There were signs of inexperience. A number of Gators were arrested in the offseason following the national championship. The experience led to some in-house changes this offseason, including the hiring of full-time player mentor Terry Jackson. Distractions were limited this offseason. (Jamar Hornsby was dismissed from the team but that was addition by subtraction. Just my opinion.)

For Tebow, 2007 was about learning how to lead. He cried after losing to Georgia. The quarterback displayed a much different emotion after the Michigan defeat. He was just plain angry and admitted that his team lacked focus leading up to the bowl game.

Brandon Spikes wasn't in top form last August when the 2007 fall camp began. The experience helped him prepare his body correctly this offseason. Now, UF strength coach Mickey Marotti says Spikes is one of the Gators' most physically fit players.

One of the Gators' starting cornerbacks was a true freshman last season and the other was still learning how to play football. As a result, Florida's secondary was the worst in the Southeastern Conference. Joe Haden [PICTURED] and Wondy Pierre-Louis begin this season as preseason all-SEC defenders.

Those are just a few examples of how the Gators begin fall camp on Monday with the experience needed to vie for a conference and national championship. All told, the Gators return 17 starters. Depth and team speed are two of the Gators' greatest team strengths this season but experience might be the most important.

"With guys leaving early now -- and our championship year we had four guys on defense leave as juniors; last year we lost Derrick Harvey as a junior -- I think the shift of leadership has to go from the young players," Meyer said. "That's a big point of discussion with our group, and already has been, that just because you're a senior, that's not entitlement. We had some issues a year ago that weren't very good for our outfit. (Tony Joiner/Kyle Jackson?) If you're a sophomore, you walk the walk, talk the talk, do everything the right way, then you're a leader."

OK, with the countdown done and fall camp set to begin. Let's have some fun and predict the two-deep depth chart for offense and defense.

OFFENSE
LT: Phil Trautwein; Matt Patchan
LG: Jim Tartt; Carl Johnson
C: Maurkice Pouncey; Mike Pouncey
RG: Mike Pouncey; James Wilson
RT: Jason Watkins; Marcus Gilbert
TE: Cornelius Ingram; Aaron Hernandez
WR: Percy Harvin; Deonte Thompson
WR: Louis Murphy; Justin Williams
WR: Carl Moore; David Nelson
RB: Kestahn Moore; Emmanuel Moody
QB: Tim Tebow; Cameron Newton

DEFENSE
DE: Jermaine Cunningham; Carlos Dunlap
DT: Javier Estopinan; Torrey Davis
DT: Terron Sanders; John Brown
DE: Justin Trattou; Duke Lemmens
SLB: A.J. Jones; Ryan Stamper
MLB: Brandon Spikes; Lorenzo Edwards
WLB: Dustin Doe; Brandon Hicks
SS: Ahmad Black; Will Hill
FS: Major Wright; Will Hill
CB: Joe Haden; Markihe Anderson
CB: Wondy Pierre-Louis; Jacques Rickerson

SPECIALISTS
K: Caleb Sturgis; Jonathan Phillips
P: Chas Henry; Caleb Sturgis
PR: Brandon James; Chris Rainey
KR: Brandon James; Chris Rainey

FRIENDLY REMINDER: Free doughnuts!!!

-jo-

CAMP COUNTDOWN: Seven strengths in seven days...Quarterbacks (Podcast exclusive: Will Tebow turn pro?)

A quick heads up before we continue our CAMP COUNTDOWN series. Check out the combined efforts of The Miami Herald's college football crew in today's paper. Excellent work focusing on key questions concerning UF, UM, FSU, FIU and FAU. No paper in the state covers more college football teams than The Herald. CLICK ME! for the online version.

There will be plenty of time during preseason practice and two-a-days to write about the unknowns. For one week, let's break down the Gators' perceived strengths...Friendly reminder: Free doughnuts at 6 a.m. on Monday morning!!

TWO DAYS TO GO...Quarterbacks

GAINESVILLE -- Life is so much easier for a reporter when there's no quarterback controversy to worry about. The only thing remotely controversial about the Gators' signal caller, Heisman winner Tim Tebow, is whether or not this is his final season with the Gators. Well, is it? That is the topic of today's Gator Clause Podcast. For now, let's focus on what we know for sure.

THIS IS WHAT WE KNOW FOR SURE: Tim Tebow [PICTURED] will run the football. (And he has no earlobes.) Last season Tebow was the Gators' best running back in addition to being a pretty good passer. He was Larry Csonka with an arm. (I wrote that a bunch last season.) Now, will Tebow once again lead the Gators in rushing this season? Probably. In words of Florida coach Urban Meyer, UF is going to "ride that horse." Meyer says he's going to limit Tebow's carries, but does anyone believe that's really going to happen? Not me.

There are drawbacks to Tebow the horse, of course, of course: 1. The running backs don't get any better. 2. Tebow gets hurt.

Tebow is not Superman. He's more like Captain America. (Or maybe Batman on account of the earlobes thing.) Tebow broke his leg in high school and last season he injured his right shoulder and later broke his right hand against FSU. Chances are Tebow will get hurt at least once this season. That's bring us to today's Camp Countdown topic: Quarterbacks and not just Tebow. Florida has some pretty good back-ups waiting for some playing time.

Cam Newton [PICTURED, NO.13] will begin camp as the second-string quarterback. Newton's personality has blossomed this offseason. He is now one of the team's vocal leaders and plays with more confidence, according to one member of the football team. The players respect him. Newton, a sophomore, played sparingly last season but will likely be given more game-time opportunities in 2008 to improve his poise.

Behind Newton on the depth chart is Brantley. Brantley, a redshirt freshman, is the team's best pure passer. He's more accurate than both Tebow and Newton and has the potential to one day be UF's starter. His development last season was limited by injuries (shoulder and hand). If Brantley stays healthy throughout fall camp, he could quickly turn into a realistic option.

QUARTERBACKS PRE-CAMP PODCAST
(Run time is four minutes and 50 seconds.) Outline:
1. Greetings
2. Five things Tebow will work to improve during fall camp.
3. 15 Tebow predictions, including a prediction on whether or not Tebow will turn pro after this season.

-jo-

Coaches' poll released: Gators to start season at No.5; Rival Dawgs are No.1

GAINESVILLE -- The coaches' poll came out this morning. The Gators are ranked No.5. (For a link to my story in The Herald CLICK ME!)

If you're counting, that's four spots behind Georgia, the No.1 team in the land. This is the first time Georgia has ever started the season No.1 in the coaches' poll.

Three teams from the Southeastern Conference are ranked in the coaches' preseason top 10: Georgia (1), Florida (5) and LSU (6), the defending national champs. Auburn is ranked 11th. Tennessee is ranked 18th. South Florida is ranked 21st.

Here's a link to the whole USA Today/ESPN preseason coaches' poll. CLICK ME!

-jo-

CAMP COUNTDOWN: Seven strengths in seven days...Wide Receivers

There will be plenty of time during preseason practice and two-a-days to write about the unknowns. For one week, let's break down the Gators' perceived strengths...Friendly reminder: Free doughnuts at 6 a.m. on Monday morning!!

THREE DAYS TO GO...WIDE RECEIVERS

GAINESVILLE -- Here's all you need to know about how deep the Gators are at wide receiver. Even if Percy Harvin isn't healthy by the beginning of the season, and Florida is forced to play Hawaii Percy-less, UF will still have one of the best receiving corps in the Southeastern Conference.

Florida coach Urban Meyer says that Harvin will be "ready to go" by Aug. 30. That remains to be seen. What we know as of right now is that Harvin [PICTURED] is not completely healthy as of Aug. 1 and will be limited on Monday when fall camp begins (at 6 a.m. Join me and get free doughnuts!!!). Harvin, of course, had offseason heel surgery to correct a bone-on-bone problem that was causing him a considerable amount of pain.

Despite the offseason setback, Harvin is considered a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate because, well, he's probably the best college football player in the country. He's so talented Florida's coaches don't even know where to play him. Is he a wide receiver? Is he a running back? He's both, according to the Gators' online roster. In 2007, Harvin led the Gators' in receiving (59 receptions/858 yards) and was second -- behind Tebow -- in rushing (83 carries/764 yards).

Replacing Andre Caldwell will be a major topic once fall camp begins (at 6 a.m. on Monday. Get your free doughnuts!!!). There are plenty of receivers ready to fill that spot. Louis Murphy (6-3, 205-pound senior [PICTURED]) is the heir apparent to replace Caldwell and ready to fill Murphy's role are Riley Cooper (6-3, 215-pound junior), Deonte Thompson (6-0, 195-pound redshirt freshman) and Justin Williams (6-1, 205-pound redshirt sophomore).

Cooper, who spent his offseaon playing baseball, started the 2007 season with three touchdown catches but then suffered through several injuries. He's one of the best athletes on the team but Thompson [PICTURED] is one of the most focused and determined football players I've ever been around. (Just my opinion after several interviews.) Don't be surprised for Thompson to make a push during two-a-days for a starting spot.

Williams is the darkhorse to replace Murphy as the Gators' third option. Williams has excellent hands and, like Thompson, is a dedicated worker. Williams, redshirt freshman receiver Paul Wilson and the three pure freshmen receivers (T.J. Lawrence, Frankie Hammond Jr. and Omarius Hines) will more than likely be competing for starting spots on the Gators' special teams units this fall.

Carl Moore (6-3, 220-pound junior) and David Nelson (6-5, 215-pound redshirt junior) are the frontrunners for playing time as the Gators' first-option possession receiver. Moore, a JUCO transfer from northern California, is an exciting addition to the Gators' receiving corps. He was one of the nation's top recruits in 2007 and caused a little problem for the Gators when he told reporters in Sacramento that he spoke with Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow the night Tebow won the Heisman. It had the smell of a recruiting violation -- coaches aren't supposed to tell current players to speak with recruits over the phone -- but UF was later exonerated. Moore has been enrolled at Florida since January. He participated in spring practice and, according to Harvin, will be the Gators' 2008 version of Dallas Baker (big target, sure hands).

And don't forget, when the coaches need a burst of speed from the slot receiver position, redshirt freshman Chris Rainey could be a lethal option. The same goes for Jeffrey Demps.

The question is simple:
With all that talent, who gets the ball on the deep fly route with the game on the line?

-jo-

Emails I get: Why he gotta be poor and stupid?

This wonderful email greeted me this morning while I was drinking a nice cup of coffee...

Mr. J. Kebler writes,

You have a job and you call a college kid poor and stupid? And if ya want so bad to get back at the Gators for some reason why don't you show up 9/6 and take the [rhymes with "glass"] whooping like a man.

RESPONSE FROM THIS BLOG'S AUTHOR: OK, folks. Let's just get one thing straight. Stupid people graduate from college, too. Take me, for example. That's the point I was trying to make at the end of the Maurkice Pouncey blog post. All college kids drink beer. (OK, not Tebow.)

On to another point: Contrary to popular opinion, I don't want to "get back at the Gators." This is absurd. I'm a reporter and reporters check the public records of the people they cover. I cover the Florida Gators. That's part of the job. Rest assured that Maurkice Pouncey's open container citation, unfortunately, is probably not the only bad news I'm going to have to write about this season. Good things happen, I write about it. Less than good things happen, I write about it. Laws get broken, I write about it. I write about it all. That's the gig.

Look at it this way. If I uncovered information and didn't write about it, then what kind of reporter would I be? Answer: An unemployed reporter.

-jo-