Gator Clause

Highly regarded freshman recruit transferring away from UF, according to recruit's father

GAINESVILLE -- Freshman strong safety Jordan Haden is transferring from Florida, according to his father, Joe Haden Sr.

In a text message on Monday morning, Haden told the Miami Herald that "Haden will be transferring." Florida has not granted the transfer yet, according to Haden Sr., but he said he and his son "are working on that today."

Haden was a highly regarded piece of UF's 2011 recruiting class and rated a four-star prospect by Rivals.com. He's also the brother of former UF All-American Joe Haden.

"When asked why his son is transferring, Haden Sr. said, "No hard feelings. Florida is a great program and we love them. It just wasn't the best fit for Jordan."

-jo-

Tebow video highlights from first NFL preseason game

Because you knew we would, here's a video of Tebow's highlights from his first preseason game. (Complete with a trippy, Space Odyssey soundtrack.) Make sure you watch until the end. That's when Tebow jacks up Bengals safety Kyries Hebert on the last play of the game. Hebert lost his mouthpiece during the goal-line collision and was slow to get up.

Thoughts from Tebow's first start ...

1. Everyone cares about Tebow. They might love him. They might hate him. But everyone cares. If you followed the real-time comments on Twitter about Tebow during the game, then you know this as a fact. I mean, Tebow played one quarter ... as a third-string quarterback ... in a meaningless preseason game ... and became a top-five "trending topic." Good grief.

2. Tebow looked pretty fast on that touchdown scramble.

3. Love how the Cincinnati fans booed Tebow when he took the field. Tebow owns Ohio from his college days.

4. Tebow turned a sack into a five-yard gain. Classic Tebow.

5. Bengals defender Frostee Rucker blindsided Tebow but he bounced right back up.

-jo-

Miami swagger alive and well in Florida Gators' first football scrimmage

GAINESVILLE -- Florida scrimmaged on Saturday. Here is my knowledge ...

1. Quinton Dunbar likes to run his mouth. Didn't learn this today. I knew this already.

2. On Saturday, I learned he could back it up. Dunbar of Miami Booker T. Washington made an athletic touchdown reception that had everyone talking after UF's first scrimmage of fall camp. When the cornerbacks concede that you're doing pretty good in fall camp -- as Janoris Jenkins did of Dunbar on Saturday -- you're probably doing pretty good.

3. Janoris Jenkins of Dunbar: "Lil' Quin from Booker T. a nice good receiver."

4. Jenkins' reference of Dunbar's roots didn't go unnoticed by this guy. It seems Miami swagger is alive and well in Gainesville. Now we'll just have to wait and see if all this early positive attention fills up Dunbar's head and he loses his edge or he ignores the meaningless hype and continues to work hard.

5. John Brantley was rocking a FILTHY 1970s mustache today.

6. Brantley said he was thinking about keeping it just because everyone said he wouldn't.

7. One reporter -- that would be me -- told Brantley his mustache was "pretty dirty."

8. "Thanks," Brantley said. "That's the look I'm going for."

9. So, Brantley got a little cooler in my book on Saturday.

10. Brantley indicated that Deonte Thompson and Carl Moore are currently his go-to receivers.

11. Of course, Brantley doesn't want to rock the boat too much during fall camp. So he followed up that admission with this: "All the other receivers are awesome and they're all go-to players."

12. Rainey (irregular heart beat) is expected to return to full contact next week. He has been limited to only participating in pre-practice drills for about a week now.

13. The extra reps have helped redshirt freshman Andre Debose, who receivers coach Zach Azzanni called "young" and "green" and said "has a lot to learn."

14. The good news -- really the only news that matters -- is that Debose's hamstring is holding up. I think everything else will take care of itself. Azzanni was gushing about Debose during UF's Media Day.

15. Azzanni said freshman Chris Dunkley is struggling with bumps and bruises and didn't do much during the scrimmage.

16. Something tells me Azzanni has studied at the Urban Meyer School of Coaching Psychology in the past couple of days.

17. Carl Moore and Frankie Hammond Jr. caught touchdowns from Brantley on Saturday during the scrimmage.

18. Brantley on Hammond Jr.: "His approach has been the same as always -- just go out there everyday and get better and fight for a position. He put everything in the past and he forgot about [his arrest] and he's trying to just move forward."

19. Azzanni on Hammond Jr.: "He's doing great. He's such a utility player for us. He'll go out there and play every position and play as hard as he can. If there's a receiver not in there for any reason he jumps in there. He's a great kid. He's having a heck of a camp, I can tell you that."

20. According to Deonte Thompson, Stephen Alli "is a freak!"

21. Alli met with reporters on Saturday. You pronounce his name like the side street, not the famous boxer. As in, Stephen Alli ran down the alley.

22. Interesting story on Alli. He's from Canada and played his first season of football during his final year of high school.

24. After three years of Canadian high school, Alli attended a boarding school in the New England to play basketball. Just for fun, he went out for the football team.

25. A UF assistant saw some film on him and invited him to UF's summer camp.

26. Alli, who says he's either 6-5 or 6-6, ran a 4.3 in the 40-yard dash at that camp.

27. Urban Meyer offered him on the spot. Alli accepted.

28. Deonte Thompson on Alli: "He's athletic. He's just so athletic. He's making strides. He's going to be a great player here in the near future. He's getting his game down. Coach [Azzanni] is one of the best things that could have happened to him. [Azzanni] going to get him back to fundamentals and learning the game because he came from Canada and, you know, football is not big up there like that. So, he's going to teach him the game and he's going to get good."

29. Deonte Thompson wore a black T-shirt on Saturday that read in big, silver cursive letters: "I got 99 problems but my kicks ain't one."

30. So, my wife would like Deonte. The Organist loves shoes, too.

31. Offensive tackle Xavier Nixon is hurt, according to fellow tackle Marcus Gilbert. He wouldn't name the injury but indicated it was minor.

32. Gilbert played left tackle on Saturday and Kyle Koehne played right tackle.

33. You pronounce Koehne this way: "I went to Sonic, drank a cherry-limeade and ate a chili-cheese Koehne."

34. I found this slightly interesting on Saturday. Janoris Jenkins said Will Hill apparently didn't try his hardest last year but he's a leader this year.

35. Hill had a lot on his mind last season. He became a father and that's always stressful.

36. From a cornerback's perspective, what makes John Brantley a tough quarterback to play against? "He can read the field," said Janoris Jenkins.

37. Jenkins said Brantley is also difficult to defend against because he can look off cornerbacks and then go back to that area.

38. Of course, here's the money quote from Jenkins in describing what John Brantley does best. Jenkins didn't say Brantley throws a nice ball or is accurate. No, Jenkins said Brantley "throws the ball into the hands of the receivers."

39. Hard to defend against that.

40. Brandon Hicks (dehydration) didn't scrimmage on Saturday, according to defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.

41. When pressed, Austin said to "ask Coach Meyer" when Hicks will be back in action.

42. But Meyer doesn't talk to reporters much anymore. So ...

43. ... it's good to be the king.

44.  Teryl Austin said Moses Jenkins had a great scrimmage on Saturday.

45. Everyone, prepare for the MOSES JENKINS ERA to begin!

-JO-

RECRUITING: Scouting report of Florida Gators commitment Chase Hounshell

GAINESVILLE -- So, here's a little scouting report on the Florida Gators 13th commitment, lineman Chase Hounshell of Mentor Lake Catholic in Northeast Ohio...

According to Hounshell's high school coach, he is exactly what the Gators are looking for when it comes to athletic lineman. Hounshell is 6-5, 265-pounds and very athletic. He also runs well and is easily coached, according to his high school coach.

Hounshell has started at Lake Catholic for three years and chose UF over Notre Dame, Boston College, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan State. Those five schools were his finalists until Florida swooped in and offered a scholarship. Hounshell committed immediately.

Hounshell's older brother plays for Central Florida and Hounshell's twin sister is a star basketball player for Lake Catholic. Hounshell was initially recruited by UF linebackers coach D.J. Durkin, who knows the region after coaching at Bowling Green.

If Hounshell remains committed to Florida, he'll be the first player from Ohio to sign with Florida during the Urban Meyer Era.

-jo-

THE BIG DAY for Gators cornerback Jeremy Brown has finally arrived; Learn the details of his strugglels and personal triumphs

GAINESVILLE -- So, like I mentioned in the previous post, here's a link to my story about Jeremy Brown's comeback. Have a 15-minute conversation with Brown and it's easy to see why UF coach Urban Meyer loves the guy. Brown has been through a lot and he's better for it.

LINK TO THE STORY!

-My UF video reports are up on the website. They're attached to the story about Jeremy Brown.

-The talents of Mike-Mike McCall are back. He'll be writing the daily rail from here on out. CLICK ME!

-jo- 

Random things I learned at Florida Gators media day

GAINESVILLE -- Here is my knowledge ...

1. Jaye Howard calls Omar Hunter, Omar Nagurski.

2. Omar Hunter calls Jaye Howard, Ndamukong Howard.

3. T.J. Pridemore hates it when Omar Hunter sings Lynyrd Skynyrd.

4. Omar Hunter's favorite Skynyrd song: "Simple man."

5. T.J. Pridemore's dad taught Omar Hunter how to shoot a gun when Hunter was a sophomore in high school. (Hunting is a pretty big deal in Buford, Ga.)

6. Brandon Spikes' New England Patriots teammates apparently tried to cut his hair, according to some of the Gators. Spikes fought them off.

7. The Gators' pass rush was designed for Spikes and Carlos Dunlap last year on third down. This season, the defensive tackles are going to have a chance on third down, according to Howard. That means less 3-4.

8. A side note to that thought: There are a few theories out there that the Gators are going to actually play more 3-4 defense this year just because Teryl Austin is the new DC. Don't count on it, says I. The Gators' defensive line is loaded with talent -- deeper than its been since 2006. Clearly, the Gators' strength is 4-3. And ... you play to your strengths.

9. Jonathan Dowling's mom drove him to the tattoo parlor when he turned 18.

10. Dowling wanted "sleeves" since he was a little kid, and that's what he got.

11. Tight end Jordan Reed is a big-time Yankees fan.

12. Reed's favorite player is Jeter.

13. We both agreed that Jeter has done things the right way.

14. Which is to say, Jeter is still single.

15. Punter Chaz Henry kicked a football 65 yards this summer.

16. In the air!

17. The ball hung in the air for 5.48 seconds.

18. I asked Henry if he took out an insurance policy for this season.

19. He laughed. I was serious. This guy is going to be in the NFL for a long time if he remains healthy.

20. Marcus Gilbert's dad retired from the Secret Service in May.

21. He served for 22 years.

22. Now he has a cushy job working for Pepsi ... in Chicago.

23. President Obama is ... from Chicago.

24. Wish I knew the President.

25. William Green is from Hoover, Ala., but he hates the Lynyrd Skynyrd song, "Sweet Home Alabama."

26. I only mention this because Omar Hunter appeared sincerely hurt when he learned this on Tuesday.

27. John Brantley likes to fish on a lake in Hawthorne, according to his teammates.

28. Dominique Easley is going to regret saying this: "Ronald Powell is Chris Bosh, Sharrif [Floyd] is Dwyane Wade and I'm LeBron [James]."

29. In the words of veteran Gators defensive lineman Jaye Howard: "Everyone gets knocked down to Earth."

30. Tight end coach Brian White landed recruit Ronald Powell.

31. White had a good relationship with Powell's high school coach ever since White coached at Wisconsin.

32. If you're assuming that White landed Josh Shaw, you'd be wrong. That was all Urban Meyer.

33. An old connection when Meyer coached at Colorado State.

34. White and quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler will be the offensive coaches in the booth on game days this season.

35. DC Teryl Austin still hasn't decided which defensive coaches will be in the booth on game days.

36. Coaches didn't like me pressing about the booth questions. Whatever.

37. Recruiting coordinator Stan Drayton is in charge of recruiting Miami-Dade County. But Drayton didn't pull in the Gators' haul of current Miami-Dade frosh. Drayton came on late and was in charge of landing running back Mack Brown.

38. I met Cody Riggs and liked his haircut. It's a very puffy mo-hawk.

39. I have mad respect for Jeremy Brown. And I'm also worried about him. Read my story in Tuesday's Herald for details.

40. Don't forget to watch my Gators video reports on the sports section's front page of the website.

-jo-

Gators linebackers Bostic and Jenkins possess different skill sets but both are good enough to start, says UF defensive coordinator

GAINESVILLE -- Everyone wants to know who the starting middle linebacker is going to be for the Gators in 2010. Who is going to replace former All-American Brandon Spikes? Well, the Gators' defensive coordinator doesn't even know at this point. Either that, or Teryl Austin didn't want to give anything away on Saturday.

Jelani Jenkins and Jon Bostic are locked in a dead heat for the starting middle linebacker position, according to Austin. Jenkins is the speed option and Bostic is the power option. Austin says both players can get the job done.

"Right now I don't think anyone is leading," Austin said. "Jelani and Jon are both doing well in there and they're both going to play for us. Who starts? That's still to be determined but both of those guys are going to be very good players.

"Jelani is speed. I mean just absolutely flat-out speed. He sees the ball. He goes and gets it. Jon has speed but he's also a thumper. He can get that big body and sit down on some guards and the fullbacks and get that stuff. So, they're different types of players but each type can get the job done the way we want it. It's just a matter of how it shakes out in the end."

-jo-

Gators freshman Darrin Kitchens a hard hitter during Circle of Life drill; Ronald Powell tossed to the ground

GAINESVILLE -- Freshman linebacker Darrin Kitchens of Homestead looked impressive during Monday's Circle of Life drill. Cody Riggs of Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas showed some spunk as well.

Here's the link to Urban Meyer's website. CLICK ME! Once there, click on the link "New Circle of Life Drill" under Gator News. At the end of the video, UF freshman defensive end Ronald Powell gets tossed to the ground by an offensive lineman (David Young, I think).

-jo-

Emmitt Smith's emotional speech highlights Hall of Fame inductions but did he purposely snub the Gators? Doubt it.

GAINESVILLE -- Florida coach Urban Meyer took a break from fall camp this weekend to visit his home state and attend the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Former Gator Emmitt Smith was inducted along with Jerry Rice, Rickey Jackson (Pahokee!), Dick LeBeau, John Randle, Floyd Little and Russ Grimm.

One of five members of UF's exclusive Ring of Honor, Smith starred at Florida for three years before being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. He enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the NFL's top runner with 18,355 yards. He is also the NFL's leader in rushing touchdowns (164), seasons with 1,000 or more yards rushing (11) and games with 100 or more yards rushing (78).

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones introduced Smith and Smith's acceptance speech was emotional and touching. His tribute to Cowboys' fullback Daryl Johnson was especially moving. For some strange reason, Smith didn't mention the University of Florida. Maybe he just wanted to focus on the professional aspect of his football career. After all, it is the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I've spoken briefly with Smith in the past about his time in Gainesville and he didn't seem bitter.

For what it's worth, every year there are several prominent photographs of Smith in the Gators' football media guide, which doubles as a recruiting tool. There is a photo of Smith receiving his degree in 1996 on page 18 of this year's media guide. The caption reads: "Emmitt Smith, the NFL's career rushing leader, came back to Florida in the spring of 1996 to earn his degree in public recreation after completing courses during the NFL offseason." On page 27, there's an even larger photo of Smith (shaking hands with Meyer during a game) in a section of the media guide entitled "Gators in the NFL."

Finally, one criterion to merit consideration for UF's Ring of Honor seems to discredit a conspiracy that Emmitt Smith holds contempt for his alma mater. It reads: "For a player or coach to merit consideration for induction into the Gator Football Ring of Honor, at least one of the following criteria must be met. In addition, the individual must have been departed from UF for at least five seasons, and he must be in good standing with the institution."

-Here is the complete transcript of Emmitt Smith's induction speech. LINK!

-jo-

Tebow endures more hazing; Head tonsured like Franciscan

Ouch! No amount of hair gel will fix that, Tebow!

In a bit of irony, this haircut -- known as a "first tonsure" -- is still a form of hazing for some Franciscan monks of the Roman Catholic Church. 

-jo- 

Breaking down the Gators' two-deep depth chart before pads

GAINESVILLE -- OK, here's the depth chart as I see it heading into the nasty part of fall camp. The boys strap on the pads come Wednesday. They will not have fun. Just remember, guys: "Accountability and development." A few quick notes before breaking down the roster...

1. WR T.J. Lawrence is gone. He's transferring. Was never going to play.

2. WR Frankie Hammond Jr. is practicing but not on schollie.

3. Freshman tight end Desmond Parks is rehabilitating a hand injury. He's out indefinitely.

4. Tim Tebow wears briefs.

5. UF associate athletic director Greg McGarity has applied for the AD job at Georgia.

6. Mike Pouncey and Justin Trattou have been named team captains. Two more captains could be named later.

7. DT Terron Sanders is practicing again seven months after tearing his anterior-cruciate ligament.

8. Deonte Thompson claims he ran a 4.22 in the 40-yard dash this summer.

9. Tebow was baptized during Broncos training camp on Thursday. LINK!

10. The ghost of Lane Kiffin is still haunting Tennessee. LINK!

BREAKING DOWN THE TWO-DEEP DEPTH CHART
LEFT TACKLE
Xavier Nixon - Consistency needs to improve during fall camp.
Matt Patchan - Back from injury and pushing Nixon.

LEFT GUARD
Carl Johnson - A beastly man of men.
David Young - Could use a big spring with so many talented players behind him.

CENTER
Mike Pouncey - One of nation's best, according to assistant Steve Addazio
Sam Robey - A capable back up.

RIGHT GUARD
Maurice Hurt - Time to shine for redshirt senior
James Wilson - Time to get mean for redshirt junior.

RIGHT TACKLE
Marcus Gilbert - Stud.
Up for grabs - Ian Silberman, Chaz Green and Kyle Koehne.

TIGHT END
Jordan Reed - Needs work.
Gerald Christian - Needs work.

FULLBACK
Steven Wilks - Solid.
T.J. Pridemore - Unstable.

RUNNING BACK
Jeff Demps - How much of the load can he actually carry?
Emmanuel Moody - Wants to be a 1,000-yard rusher.

RECEIVER
Deonte Thompson - Something to prove.
Omarius Hines - Gators' strongest receiver.

RECEIVER
Carl Moore - Finally healthy.
Stephen Alli - Tall and fast.

SLOT RECEIVER
Chris Rainey - Will his shoulders hold up?
Andre Dubose - Will his hamstring hold up?

DEFENSIVE END
Justin Trattou - Enforcer.
Lerentee McCray - Small stature. Big motor.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Jaye Howard - Ready to dominate.
Terron Sanders - Back from ACL surgery.
Sharrif Floyd - Will contribute early.

NOSE TACKLE
Omar Hunter - Looking great.
Lawrence Marsh - Hungry.
Brandon Antwine - Champion of men.

DEFENSIVE END
Duke Lemmens - California kid ready to shine.
William Green - Ready to make an impact.

STRONG-SIDE LINEBACKER
A.J. Jones - Senior leader.
Lorenzo Edwards - Capable back up.

MIDDLE LINEBACKER
Jon Bostic - Strong and smart.
Jelani Jenkins - Fast and smart.

WEAK-SIDE LINEBACKER
Brandon Hicks - Speedy veteran.
Dee Finley - Speedy sophomore.

STRONG SAFETY
Ahmad Black - Three-year starter.
Matt Elam - Talented youngster.

FREE SAFETY
Will Hill - Ready to be a star.
Jonathan Dowling - Learning quickly.

CORNERBACK
Janoris Jenkins - Solid veteran.
Josh Shaw - Blue-chip recruit.

CORNERBACK
Moses Jenkins - The pride of Boyd Anderson!
Jeremy Brown - Will be a factor if he can stay healthy.

NICKELBACK
Matt Elam - Learning on the job.
Jeremy Brown - Urban loves him!

PUNT RETURN
Chris Rainey - Taking a guess, here.
Robert Clark - More guessing.

KICKOFF RETURN
Mike Gillislee - Still guessing.
Mack Brown - Because anyone named Mack should return kickoffs.

PUNTER
Chas Henry - Thunder foot.
David Lerner - Luckiest man alive.

KICKER
Caleb Sturgis - Clear No.1
John Crofoot - Great last name for a kicker.

-jo-

Epic hype already growing for Florida at Alabama

GAINESVILLE -- The Coaches Poll is out. LINK!

Florida is No.3.

Alabama is No.1.

Oct.2 looms.

Setting the early line: Alabama -3.

-jo-

Chris Rainey is right, of course; UF's prima donnas and selfish cats and rock stars were a problem

GAINESVILLE -- First things first, Chris Rainey is a redshirt junior. I wrote that Rainey was a senior in today's Herald. For that, I apologize. Been getting plenty of nasty emails. "Hey, idiot, don't you know anything!?! Chris Rainey is a junior!!!" ... So chemically balanced, some people.

OK, so Rainey -- redshirt junior -- is glad all the prima donnas, selfish cats and rock stars are gone. A lot of people were shocked by these words. Well, guess what? He was right. It's true. Congrats to Rainey for speaking exactly what was on his mind. There were some inflated egos on last year's team and, in the end, they weren't as hungry as Alabama and it cost UF the Southeastern Conference championship game.

Just my opinion, but Rainey's words were a direct reflection of the Gators' coaching staff. Rainey just didn't get the memo that the prima-donna language was for in-house ears only. Who was Rainey talking about? No one and everyone. The team grew complacent last December, fat and happy, stale, predictable.

Alabama 32, Florida 13 is why the team's offseason theme was "finish the mission" and the team's preseason theme is "accountability and development." Preach on, Chris Rainey.

-jo-

Position battles will highlight Gators' fall camp

GAINESVILLE -- Intense battles for several starting positions will be the focus for well-informed Gators fans when camp begins on Thursday morning. Be informed ...

BATTLE FOR CORNERBACK
All-American Joe Haden and his keen fashion sense are gone. Replacing Haden will be a priority this preseason. There are options. Senior Moses Jenkins (6-2, 188 pounds) is the veteran. He'll be pushed by redshirt sophomore Jeremy Brown, who is immensely talented if only his troubled back will cooperate. Brown (5-10, 182 pounds) has been on the mend for a few seasons after injuring his back his freshman season. Consider true freshmen Josh Shaw (6-0, 189 pounds) and Jaylen Watkins (5-11, 180 pounds) legitimate contenders. Both players enrolled at UF in January and performed well in the spring. Greenhorn Cody Riggs (5-10, 165 pounds) of St. Thomas Aquinas will likely have some catching up to do. 

BATTLE FOR MIDDLE LINEBACKER
We're prefacing our analysis of the battle for middle linebacker under the assumption that A.J. Jones and Brandon Hicks will be manning the outside-linebacker positions. Jones will likely start at strong-side linebacker while Hicks is currently in the best position to start at weak-side linebacker. That leaves Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins left to battle for the coveted middle-linebacker spot. Jenkins is fast and smart. Bostic is strong and smart.

BATTLE FOR DEFENSIVE END
Justin Trattou appears to be the heir apparent to Jermaine Cunningham at one defensive end position but who will replace Carlos Dunlap at the other end spot? Duke Lemmens sits atop the depth chart entering fall camp but William Green should be ready to make a move. How does true freshman Ronald Powell work into the plans?

BATTLE FOR TIGHT END
Tight end is a major concern for offensive coordinator Steve Addazio. There is no one with experience to replace tight end Aaron Hernandez. Redshirt freshman Jordan Reed appeared to have the leg up on the back end of spring practice. I don't think that means much. We'll see. True freshman Gerald Christian is a man-child and will get a look. Ronald Powell could potentially be moved to tight end in a pinch. Desmond Parks is the redshirt freshman who's returning from a knee injury. Fullback Steven Wilks could be used in place of a tight end if it seems like a better option. True freshman Michael McFarland will likely need a year to get used to the speed of the SEC.

BATTLE FOR SLOT RECEIVER
Chris Rainey or Andre Dubose? Wow, there's not much else to say other than that. This battle will be interesting. Rainey moved from running back to try his hand at the Percy Position. Dubose is returning from a hamstring injury and is apparently looking pretty good.

BATTLE FOR PRIMARY RECEIVER
UF has had some pretty good players at this position over the last three seasons. First there was Bubba Caldwell, then Louis Murphy and then Riley Cooper. Deonte Thompson is next in line but he was inconsistent last season. (Really, so was Riley Cooper.) Omarius Hines will be pushing Thompson for playing time, it's now or never for Carl Moore and host of new faces with plenty of talent will be vying for playing time as well. Frankie Hammond Jr. will be playing catch up after his offseason arrest.

-jo-

Florida Gators freshmen make important life decisions

GAINESVILLE -- They picked their numbers!

Rank and file ...

NO.85 LYNDEN TRAIL, DE, MIAMI BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
THE SKINNY: He's skinny. At 6-7, 220 pounds, Trail will have to double up his South Beach diet and get serious in the weight room before he can be taken seriously on the field.

NO.25 GIDEON AJAGBE, LB, MIAMI RANSOM EVERGLADES
THE SKINNY: This player did it all for his small high school football team. Expect a quick learning curve here.

NO. 31 CODY RIGGS, CB, FORT LAUDERDALE ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
THE SKINNY: Kids from STA always come with a lot of hype. Can Riggs back it up?

NO.84 QUINTON DUNBAR, WR, MIAMI BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
THE SKINNY: So, Dunbar and Trail played high school ball together, chose the University of Florida together and now they're only separated by one number on the official roster. I'm going to assume they're pretty good friends. Dunbar will be looking to make a name for himself in fall camp and Urban Meyer is looking for play-makers.

NO.49 DARRIN KITCHENS, LB, HOMESTEAD
THE SKINNY: Urban Meyer is excited about this player. Kitchens is a candidate for this year's special teams dynamo if he works hard throughout camp. Kitchens (6-3, 215 pounds) is a big-motor guy with a lot of heart, so coaches will like his effort right off the bat. He clocked a 10.9 in the 100 meters and 22.1 in the 200 meters wil in high school.

NO.27 CHRIS DUNKLEY, WR, PAHOKEE
THE SKINNY: I'm interested to see Dunkley in action this preseason and see what he's about. It never impresses me when players transfer their senior years of high school.

NO.32 GERALD CHRISTIAN, TE, WEST PALM BEACH DWYER
THE SKINNY: Christian looks the part (6-3, 240 pounds). He enrolled early and competed well in spring practice. With questions galore at tight end, coaches are hoping Christian can learn the position quickly.

NO.22 MATT ELAM, S, WEST PALM BEACH DWYER
THE SKINNY: As much nonsense as he created during his recruitment, he better be good ... for his sake.

NO.88 MICHAEL MCFARLAND, TE, TAMPA BLAKE
THE SKINNY: An unknown quantity. He played quarterback in high school but has the size (6-6, 230 pounds) to compete at tight end at UF.

NO.81 ROBERT CLARK, WR, WEST PALM BEACH DWYER
THE SKINNY: At 5-8, 172 pounds, Clark is the smallest player on the team. I'm assuming he's fast.

NO.14 JAYLEN WATKINS, CB, CAPE CORAL
THE SKINNY: Enrolled early and had a great high school career. Should provide immediate depth to the secondary.

NO. 13 TREY BURTON, QB, VENICE
THE SKINNY: Enrolled early and made a strong first impression with his natural leadership abilities and tough, physical quarterbacking style.

NO.77 IAN SILBERMAN, OT, FLEMING ISLAND
THE SKINNY: This guy has been hanging around the field house since his sophomore year of high school. He probably had five ex-girlfriends on campus before he enrolled in Jan.

NO.33 MACK BROWN, RB, LITHONIA MLK
THE SKINNY: This running back (5-11, 190 pounds) chose Florida over Alabama, Michigan, Oklahoma and Tennessee. That usually doesn't happen.

NO.75 CHAZ GREEN, OL, TAMPA CATHOLIC
THE SKINNY: Offensive coordinator Steve Addazio is excited about this player. Should fit right in with the other big uglies.

NO.30 JONATHAN DOWLING, S, BRADENTON SOUTHEAST
THE SKINNY: Just call this guy The Pick Master. Dowling had 14 interceptions his senior year of high school and blocked three punts. At 6-4, 185 pounds, he'll need to beef up before he can be taken seriously at the collegiate level.

NO.29 JOSHUA SHAW, CB, PALMDALE (CALI.)
THE SKINNY: From Antelope Valley to Gainesville, Fla. Wow, talk about a change in scenery. This desert roadrunner should fit right in, though. Shaw enrolled early and could push Moses Jenkins and Jeremy Brown for playing time.

NO.58 DOMINIQUE EASLEY, DT, STATEN ISLAND CURTIS
THE SKINNY: Interested to see how this player deals with August in Gainesville, Fla.

NO.73 SHARRIF FLOYD, DT, PHILADELPHIA WASHINGTON
THE SKINNY: When I ran into this kid on his official visit I remember telling myself, "That's probably the best looking recruit I've ever seen." With a good head on his shoulders, this player could go far.

NO.68 LEON ORR, DT, NEW PORT RICHEY GULF
THE SKINNY: If this guy can stay healthy, then he might be the best defensive tackle of this class. And that's saying something! Orr is an athletic freak with a mean streak. A broken leg his senior year of high school didn't scare off the Big Three. Orr chose Florida over Miami and FSU.

NO.39 JORDAN HADEN, S, FORT WASHINGTON FRIENDLY
THE SKINNY: Joe Haden's little brother enrolled early and, like his brother, is already ahead of the curve as a freshman.

NO.48: NEIRON BALL, NT, JACKSON (GA.)
THE SKINNY: AAA All-State in Georgia his senior year, Ball chose UF over Alabama, Clemson and Georgia. This guy is tough.

NO.10 TYLER MURPHY, QB, WETHERSFIELD (CONN.)
THE SKINNY: With three players from the Nutmeg State in four years, Connecticut is now officially a pipeline to Florida. And how did this happen?

NO.51 MICHAEL TAYLOR, LB, ATLANTA WESTLAKE
THE SKINNY: Played for a great high school coach in Greg Minnis. Minnis is the coach who led Deerfield Beach to the 6A state championship game (and famously defeated Miami Northwestern in the state semis) the year Hurricane Wilma tore through Broward. Like Kitchens, Taylor (6-1, 213 pounds) is another high-energy guy who could make an early impact on special teams.

NO.8 ADRIAN COXSON, WR, BALTIMORE (MD.) CITY COLLEGE
THE SKINNY: This player can run and catch. Coxson (6-2, 195 pounds) played Wildcat quarterback his senior year of high school and rushed for over 1,280 yards. He averaged 12.08 yards per carry as a senior and rushed for over 200 yards four times.

NO.7 RONALD POWELL, DE, MORENO VALLEY RANCHO VALLEY (CALI.)
THE SKINNY: Comes to Hogtown with a lot of hype. Hope he's not reading his own press clippings.

NO.83 SOLOMON PATTON, WR, MOBILE (ALA.) MURPHY
THE SKINNY: Patton was a big-play guy in high school who chose Florida over Alabama. He enrolled early, so Patton could potentially work his way onto the field this season.

-jo-

Florida Gators ranked No.4 nationally in composite preseason magazine top 25

HOOVER, Ala. -- Florida is ranked No. 4 nationally in a composite preseason Top 25 poll of six preseason college football magazines. The poll includes these publications: Sporting News, Lindy's, Athlon, Yahoo Kickoff, Steele's and Blue Ribbon.

COMPOSITE TOP 25 NATIONAL RANKINGS
1. Alabama (1.43)
2. Ohio State (2)
3. Boise State (4.43)
4. Florida (5.29
5. Oklahoma (6.86)
6. Texas (7.43)
7. Texas Christian (8.43)
8. Southern Cal (9.86)
9. Virginia Tech (10.14)
10. Iowa (11.14)
11. Oregon (12)
12. Nebraska (12.57)
13. Wisconsin (13.43)
14. Miami (14.43)
15. Pittsburgh (17.43)
16. North Carolina (17.71)
17. Florida State (18.43)
18. Arkansas (19)
19. Georgia Tech (19.57)
20. LSU (20)
21. Auburn (21)
T22. Georgia (21.14)
T22. Penn State (21.14)
24. West Virginia (22.71)
25. Oregon State (23.43)

-jo- 

Media poll predicts Alabama will defeat Florida Gators in SEC championship game

HOOVER, Ala. -- Media types who attended the 2010 Southeastern Conference Media Days predicted that Alabama would defeat Florida in the SEC championship game this summer. Just a reminder, Gator Clause predicted last week that Florida would lose to Alabama in October but then defeat the Crimson Tide in December.

Florida begins the season as the overwhelming favorite to win the SEC Eastern Division, according to media who cover the SEC. The Gators received 153 first-place votes compared to 15 first-place votes for Georgia. South Carolina, led by former UF coach Steve Spurrier, was picked to finish third in the SEC with eight first-place votes.

Predicted order of finish, according to 177 votes cast in SEC preseason media poll
EASTERN DIVISION
1. Florida (153) 1030 points
2. Georgia (15) 791
3. South Carolina (8) 790
4. Kentucky   462
5. Tennessee     450
6. Vanderbilt (1) 194

WESTERN DIVISION
1. Alabama (157) 1034 points
2. Arkansas (6) 726
3. Auburn (10)   691
4. LSU (1)     653
5. Miss. State   320
6. Ole Miss (3) 293

-jo- 

Gators Frankie Hammond Jr. without a scholarship after DUI arrest

HOOVER, Ala. -- Florida coach Urban Meyer said on Wednesday at Southeastern Conference Media Days that UF receiver Frankie Hammond Jr. of Hallandale lost his scholarship after being arrested for DUI this summer.

"He's off of scholarship at Florida," Meyer said. "If he tries to come back and play, which I understand he will, he'll have to pay his own way and earn a spot like any other member that would like to be a part of Florida football. There will be playing time taken away for him. He'll be on probation like other players that have made mistakes. If he does something again, it will be probable dismissal.

"As of right now, he's not on the football team. He's training away from the team, off of scholarship. We'll see how he shows up and if he goes. If he goes, we'll make the adjustment as we move on."

Hammond, a redshirt sophomore, was expected to compete for playing time this preseason. An accomplished high jumper, Hammond was also an important part of the Gators' track and field team before his arrest. Players at the University of Florida, including former All-American Brandon James, have lost their scholarships in the past for various mistakes and worked their way back onto the field.

-jo-

Is Florida Gators center Mike Pouncey going to sit out this season for being Maurkice Pouncey's twin brother?

GAINESVILLE -- Let's cut through the fat on this Maurkice Pouncey story. What's the worst thing that could happen to UF if the allegation that Pouncey accepted money from the representative of a sports agent while still an amateur is proven to be true?

First, here's a link to what the Herald learned on Monday. LINK!

So, what's the potential end game here? Well, Maurkice Pouncey is expected to turn over information today in an attempt to prove he took nothing. Why would he do this? It seems foolish to me. If I'm Pouncey, I just ignore it and move on. That's what Reggie Bush did and it worked out for him. But it's not that simple in this case. See, Maurkice has a twin brother, Mike, who is still a Gator. Mike Pouncey, an incredible player just like his brother, is expected to start at center this season for the Gators. For UF, proving that Maurkice Pouncey took nothing is basically proving that Mike Pouncey also took nothing.

Former players do not have to cooperate with NCAA and UF investigations but current players certainly do. This is a unique circumstance and it will be interesting to see how UF handles it. Being twin star football players, both Maurkice and Mike Pouncey are linked to this story. There's no way around that logic. They have always made choices together and based on each other. Heck, Maurkice Pouncey only agreed to sign with UF until after UF offered his twin brother a scholarship.

This is the reason behind Maurkice Pouncey and UF trying to prove Maurkice Pouncey's innocence so quickly. If Maurkice is cleared, then Mike is cleared then UF is cleared. If Maurkice is guilty, then Mike is guilty, then UF is guilty then UF will have to vacate its Sugar Bowl win against Cincinnati, then UF will likely have to hold Mike Pouncey out of games this season.

Is it a coincidence that all this news is breaking right before SEC Media Days? Not a chance. Someone is intent on either hurting the Gators, hurting the Pouncey family or both.

-jo-

Gators enter preseason with pressing needs at key offensive skill positions

GAINESVILLE -- Untapped potential overflows from Florida's preseason offensive depth chart. To fully take advantage of all that talent, some very important things must happen between now and Sept. 11.

That's the second Saturday of the season, when Florida hosts South Florida in what will be a game of high energy and high stakes. It seems unlikely, but Florida could lose this game in a worst-case scenario. After all, USF defeated Florida State at Doak Campbell last season. And I'm quite certain no one needs reminding of Florida 23, Arkansas 20 or, more to the point, Ole Miss 31, Florida 30.

To avoid such an upset, Florida must take full advantage of every single skill position in its spread offense. That didn't happen last season for two reasons. 1. Florida relied too much on Tim Tebow. 2. Tebow usually delivered. There will be no Tebow this season -- no fail-safe back-up plan. Florida's offense must adapt but a few pressing needs and potential deficiencies could hinder that growth. Here they are:

1. Who is going to play tight end and will he be any good? Tight end was a key position last season. Where would the Gators have been without Aaron Hernandez? He led the team in receptions. UF offensive coordinator Steve Addazio said during the spring that finding a quality tight end was one of his most important tasks. As Addazio explained it, tight end was a crucial piece of the puzzle in Florida's new offense. If Florida can't rely on its tight end, then the offense as a whole will suffer and need to be adjusted.

The options at tight end are redshirt freshmen Jordan Reed and Desmond Parks and true freshman Gerald Christian. All three players have talent but all are young. Reed, who seemed to emerge as the first-stringer after spring practice, only began playing tight end in the last year. In the mold of Cornelius Ingram, Reed was a quarterback when he first arrived at UF. Parks was injured much of last year. Christian seems to be on the right path but is a bit raw.

2. Can Florida's receivers stretch the field? They couldn't last season with any consistency. Riley Cooper and Deonte Thompson both suffered from the yips at times. Thompson must be the man this season and his confidence must improve. (This is the real reason why Urban Meyer flipped out on a reporter this spring.)

3. Who is going to play slot receiver? The Great Brandon James Experiment just didn't pan out at slot receiver last season. Now UF wants to experiment by putting another running back at the position? Chris Rainey is great -- don't get me wrong -- but surely there's a receiver on UF's roster who can, you know, actually play receiver. Will Andre Debose be ready? Meyer knew he had problems when the extent of Debose's hamstring injury was discovered last year. Meyer was right. He had problems.

4. Who's the power back? Tebow played this position for four years. He carried the ball more than anyone else for three years. He did it so well I think people took it for granted. Jeff Demps is no power back. Chris Rainey would completely fall apart if he had to pound the ball. The options are Emmanuel Moody and Mike Gillislee. Remember a long time ago when Meyer convinced Moody to transfer to UF because he could one day be the "featured back?" That time is now.

5. Can John Brantley handle the pressure? People are assuming Brantley is going to be a world-class quarterback from the first snap of the season. Maybe he will be, but keep in mind he hasn't started a football game in three years. Brantley, of course, is the least of UF's worries. He should be fine.

-jo-

Gators will win the SEC, lose to FSU and play in the Sugar; Plus five reasons UF can win the national title

GAINESVILLE -- Gator Clause has officially returned from its Self Imposed Surfing Sabbatical. We're not going to lie. It was tough to stay away from the blog, but we did.

Southeastern Conference Media Days begin on Wednesday from a crowded conference room in a hotel attached to a mall in suburban Birmingham, Ala. For many around the Southeast, SEC Media Days will be the unofficial start of the college football season. For the people of Alabama, it will be a chance to touch The Great Nick Saban or at least see the man and generally enjoy his presence. And those people are just the reporters who cover Alabama and Paul Finebaum. Fans of the Crimson Tide and its coach will pack a hotel lobby, attached to a mall in suburban Birmingham, Ala., and weep in Saban's presence.

Yes, I'm preparing myself for a freak show on Wednesday morning, when, fresh off a national championship, Saban and Co. kick off SEC Media Days with all the energy of a Star Trek convention at the Kennedy Space Center. Thank the stars the SEC had the good sense to schedule Alabama first. Leonard Nimoy and his Trekkies will be long gone by the time Florida coach Urban Meyer begins his media obligations.

What to expect from Meyer this season? What to expect from Florida? Win or lose it, will be a fascinating season. OK, let's begin the coverage of this season the right way. I'm going to go out on a limb right from the beginning and make a few bold predictions. Why not, right?

1. Florida will win the SEC.

2. Florida will lose to Florida State.

3. Florida will play in the Sugar Bowl.

4. Florida will finish the season 12-2.

5. Florida will finish the season ranked in the top 5.

OK, those are the predictions. Now for five reasons why UF can win the national championship this year.

1. Tim Tebow is gone. Call me crazy, but I think the hype surrounding Tebow took away from the team last season. Now, before you begin sending me death threats, understand that I'm not saying Tebow himself took away from the team. I'm simply saying that, by no fault his own, Tebow's media-driven circus took away from the team. With Tebow gone, the team will actually have a better chance of, you know, being a unified team, instead of being Tim Tebow and the Heartbreakers. I think Tebowmania took away from the team last season both from a strategic, X's-and-O's standpoint and from a team-chemistry standpoint. Those distractions have moved to Denver.

2. Urban Meyer is refocused. Meyer lost it last season and nearly worried himself to death. Totally understandable, I might add. The effects of Tebowmania were enough to make the most levelheaded person go crazy. Last season was so bizarre. Meyer was like the main character in a reality TV show called, "Breaking Urban Meyer." The stress 2009 put on Florida's coach was tough to watch and I felt bad for the guy, but Meyer is now better for it. A stronger and wiser Urban Meyer will emerge this season.

3. Personnel. Florida lost some talented players after last season but there is more than enough talent on the 2010 roster to win a national championship. Guys like Mike Pouncey, Will Hill, Brandon Hicks, A.J. Jones, John Brantley and Justin Trattou are ready to be positive team leaders. Guys like Ahmad Black and Marcus Gilbert are now seasoned veterans. Guys like Ronald Powell, Matt Elam and Andre Debose are ready to add instant energy. Guys like William Green, Carl Moore, Emmanuel Moody, Omarius Hines, Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins are ready to prove themselves. Guys like Jeff Demps, Omar Hunter and Carl Johnson are ready to dominate. It's a good mix.

4. Motivation. Motivation is the most important aspect of college football right after personnel. The Gators have the personnel and they are motivated. Alabama 32, Florida 13. 'Nuff said.

5. Humility. There isn't a single player on the Gators' football team who can be considered a superstar. But for a few, all the starters are relatively unproven. No one has achieved greatness. Everyone has failed. For the first time in three years, there are no returning first-team All-Americans. There is no Percy. There is no Spikes. There is no Tebow. There is no Brandon James. Even the players being hyped as "preseason whatevers" have proven little. Center Mike Pouncey is starting at a new position. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins was ... um, how to put this ... not his best when it mattered most last season.

Take away difficult road test at Alabama (Oct.2) and Florida State (Nov.27) and Florida's schedule sets up nicely. A national title run is not out of the question. Florida can lose to Alabama on Oct. 2 and still win the national title with strong finish.

-jo-

Florida Gators boosters show off considerable smarts (and wealth) in Heisman statues

GAINESVILLE -- Alabama erects statues of its national championship coaches. Florida commissions statues of its Heisman winners. Which tradition do you think most helps with recruiting?

Florida's Heisman winners -- Stephen Orr Spurrier, Daniel Carl Wuerffel and Timothy Richard Tebow -- will be immortalized (once again) after the 2010 football season when the University of Florida erects three bronze statues of the former UF passers. Price tag: over $500,000. 

QUESTION: Why erect the statues now?

ANSWER: Tim Tebow, of course.

QUESTION: Who's the big time Bull Gator who donated the money? 

ANSWER: Bill Heavener, we're assuming.

Heavener is a close family friend of the Tebows and has donated millions to the program ever since Timmy became a Gator. But it doesn't matter who donated the money. That's not the point. The Point: This is an audacious move by UF and serves two purposes. One: it pays tribute to former Gator greats. Two (the real reason): it serves as an excellent recruiting tool. This statues idea has Urban Meyer's savvy recruiting fingerprints all over it.

URBAN MEYER: "See these three statues, RECRUIT A. If you win a Heisman, you get a statue."

RECRUIT A: "I'm an eight-star recruit. I deserve a statue right now."

URBAN MEYER: "With that attitude, you'll be great at Florida State."

ANYWAY, spending half a million on three bronze statues might seem a little excessive. That's because it is. But, hey, this is the SEC, where the only thing more important than winning football games is winning recruits who win football games. Some might consider the three Heisman statues gaudy. I am one of those people. It's pretty disturbing, but I do understand the logic and respect it for being so bold and over the top. Consider these statues a sound investment. (And a shrine to Timmy. Personally, I would have went with an eternal Timmy flame.)

-jo-

Florida State ousts Gators from College World Series

GAINESVILLE -- An incredible season for the Florida Gators baseball team came to end on Monday with an 8-5 loss to Florida State in an elimination game at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.

Florida finished the season 47-17. The Gators' top accomplishments this season included winning the Southeastern Conference regular-season title and sweeping rival Miami in the Gainesville Super Regional.

The University of Florida was the only school this year to play in a BCS bowl game, compete in the NCAA Tournament and play in the College World Series.

-jo-

Gators receiver Frankie Hammond: A good guy who made a poor decision

GAINESVILLE -- Troubling news amid UF's College World Series celebration on Saturday night. UF receiver Frankie Hammond Jr. of Hallandale was arrested early Sunday morning for driving drunk.

Hammond has been suspended from team activities, according to UF. Let's hope UF coach Urban Meyer remains consistent and allows Hammond back on the team. Meyer gives second chances to deserving people and Hammond is certainly deserving of a second chance.

Janoris Jenkins, beast that he is, resisted arrest last year by fighting through a police Taser and received limited punishment from Meyer. Aaron Hernandez played football and smoked marijuana at UF, God bless him. Carlos Dunlap was arrested for driving drunk before the SEC championship game and remained on the team. I could keep going, but you get the point. Meyer is usually a forgiving coach, and it has served him well in the past.

Hammond is a good student and a good person who made a poor decision on Sunday. UF is sometimes tough on students who drive drunk and for good reason, but Hammond deserves a second chance.

-jo-

On Southeastern Conference expansion: Add Texas, Texas A&M, Miami and Florida State

GAINESVILLE -- You know that far off, foggy "paradigm shift" of college football Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive so judiciously spoke of last week? It just registered a 9.5 on the Richter Scale.

Seek shelter, college football fans. The sport as we know it is about to explode. On Wednesday, Nebraska and Colorado decided to part ways with the Big 12. According to reports, Nebraska is headed to the Big Ten and Colorado is moving to the Pac-10. The Big 12? Kablooie!

I'll cut to the chase here a little bit, and will not bore you with what you already know or think you know. The Pac-10 is trying to gobble up Texas and its friends. So, what's the SEC's play? That's the big question. What is the most powerful conference in college football going to do to stay on top? Invite Texas and Texas A&M to join the league, of course.

Leaders at Texas and Texas A&M are scheduled to meet on Thursday to decide the future of their athletic programs. They have two options: Join the Pac-10 or join the SEC. Put that way, it's really no choice at all. If you're Texas and Texas A&M and your conference is about to go under and you have a choice to join the SEC, then that's what you do. End of discussion. And if Mike Slive and his SEC constituents miss the boat on this one they'll have a lot of explaining to do.

So, Texas and Texas A&M brings the SEC to 14 teams. I'm going to go ahead and write that one down because any other home for Texas and Texas A&M would be idiotic. But is that enough, or should the league expand further? Should the SEC move to 16 and remain the undisputed king of college football, or should the SEC pass the torch of college-football innovation off to Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott and the Stanfords of the world?

Put a different way, what would Roy Kramer do? You know Roy, right? He's the man who made the SEC what it is today. He expanded the league to 12 teams in 1992, created Division I-A's first conference championship game and then masterminded the Bowl Championship Series. I hope Mike Slive is paying attention. The SEC isn't in the business of reacting to "paradigm shifts." No, the SEC is in the business of creating college football earthquakes. Reacting to paradigm shifts is for leagues like the Big 12, which will be history in 2012.

So, the SEC adds Texas and Texas A&M from the west and then adds Miami and Florida State from the east. It's that simple. And if ESPN is smart, which it is, they'll demand this, broker this and help get it done. In adding all of the football powers from Texas and Florida to your league, you lock down the country's two most influential football states and then let the rest of the college football fight for the scraps.

And I don't want to hear anything about Georgia Tech, Clemson, Virginia Tech or anyone else. The SEC should add Texas, Texas A&M, Miami and Florida State and rule college football forever. And guess what, Canes fans, if the 'U' is lucky enough to join the SEC -- And, believe me, UF athletic director Jeremy Foley and coach Urban Meyer will put up a fight on this one -- it will change the culture of Miami football for the better, and by better we mean more money, more fans in the stands, more respect, more everything.

A bit of a rant, that was. Now back to the point. If the Big 12 is completely dissolved, then the new home for Texas and Texas A&M should be the SEC. If Miami doesn't bring enough to the table to warrant a spot in the SEC, then add Virginia Tech instead.

Parting thought: Would Miami finally win an ACC title if Florida State and Virginia Tech were no longer in the league? In all seriousness, a watered down ACC might better suit the Canes.

-jo-

Gators blank FAU; Await winner of Coral Gables Regional

GAINESVILLE -- The Florida Gators baseball team dominated the NCAA Tournament's Gainesville Regional from beginning to end and now await the winner of Monday's game between Miami and Texas A&M to learn their opponent for next weekend's Gainesville Super Regional.

Florida defeated Florida Atlantic 15-0 on Monday night to sweep the Gainesville Regional. UF defeated Bethune-Cookman, Oregon State and FAU in three days. Sunday's finale was the weekend's highlight. UF (45-15) had 19 hits, including six home runs, a school postseason record. Sophomore Tyler Thompson of Tequesta had three homers and six RBI. Freshman left-hander Brian Johnson (6-4) pitched seven scoreless innings.

"It was a great team effort tonight," UF coach Kevin O'Sullivan said. "We had a chance to get everyone in the ballgame, first and foremost. We swung the bats really well, got off to an early lead and had production all the way down the lineup."

Johnson was named Most Outstanding Player of the Gainesville Regional for his dominance on the mound and at the plate. He allowed six hits in seven innings against FAU (37-24) and batted .625 (5-for-8) over the weekend, including three hits and a home run against FAU.

Miami lost to Texas A&M 11-7 on Sunday afternoon in Coral Gables. The Hurricanes (42-18) and Aggies (43-20-1) play at 7 p.m. on Monday. The NCAA will release schedules for its eight Super Regionals late Monday night. The Gators hosted a Super Regional last season but lost to Southern Miss.

-jo-

Gators advance to regional championship game

GAINESVILLE -- A win tonight puts the University of Florida baseball team one series away from a trip to Omaha. Standing in the way could be Miami.

The Gators (44-15) play either Oregon State or Florida Atlantica at 7 p.m. on Sunday in the championship game of the NCAA baseball tournament's Gainesville regional. UF defeated Oregon State 10-2 on Saturday night, receiving a strong pitching performance from lefty Alex Panteliodis (10-2), who had eight strikeouts over five innings. At the plate, seven of UF's 14 hits went for extra bases, including three homers and two triples.

"Once again, we had an awesome start on the mound for us," said UF coach Kevin O'Sullivan. "[Panteliodis] was solid and the offense did a heck of a job in the third inning with seven two-out runs. Our pitching was good and we only walked two batters tonight. I'm awfully proud of our guys."

A win on Sunday by the Gators coupled with a victory by the University of Miami in the Miami regional would set up a classic super regional: Gators vs. Canes in Gainesville.

-jo-

Gators baseball to face Oregon State at 7 p.m. in Gainesville regional

GAINESVILLE -- The University of Florida baseball team plays Oregon State at 7 p.m. on Saturday in a winner's bracket game of the NCAA Tournament's Gainesville regional.

The Gators (43-15) defeated Bethune-Cookman University 7-3 on Friday in a regional opener for both teams. UF freshman right-hander Hudson Randall had 10 strikeouts in the win. It was Randall's sixth victory in a row.

"Hudson Randall was outstanding on the mound," UF coach Kevin O'Sullivan said. "We knew Bethune-Cookman would be a tough opponent. We jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but like we expected, they battled and gave it everything they had. It was hard to pull away from them. Bethune is always tough and they proved it again tonight."

Randall didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning.

-jo-

Billy Donovan pays respects to John Wooden

GAINESVILLE -- Gator Clause was lucky enough to interview John Wooden for about 30 minutes in 2007 for a piece previewing the NCAA Tournament. Wooden thought the Gators had what it took to repeat and, of course, he was right.

Wooden died on Friday. He was 99. Wooden was always a fan of UF coach Billy Donovan, so it was no surprise when Donovan won the Wooden Award in April. Donovan, so moved by his relationship with Wooden, issued a statement Friday night about his friend:  

"John Wooden was a great coach and a great man. He was a man of humility who embodied the best in character and values, and exemplified what coaching is all about.

I was fortunate enough to be honored with the Wooden Award in April, an award that now takes on added significance to me personally. I found out that I was being honored on his 99th birthday. To have the opportunity to go out to Los Angeles and see firsthand how great an impact he still has is something I will always be honored and humbled to be a part of. His legacy will endure forever.

I also didn't want to go unnoticed the sad passing of Duke Llewellyn today, the co-founder of the Wooden Award and Team. Duke was a kind and compassionate man, and I feel truly honored to have known him, even if only briefly. He was a class individual with a great sense of humor who touched many lives around him."

-jo-

Gators Meyer feeling 'fantastic' after 'bizarre' year

DESTIN -- Greetings from wonderful Destin, where I'm happy to report there is no oil on the beach!

Of course, oil is not the reason I'm in Destin. The Southeastern Conferene's spring meetings are Tuesday through Thursday at the Sandestin Resort and on Tuesday Urban Meyer and Billy Donovan spoke with reporters in back-to-back news conferences.

For the record, Urban Meyer is against conference expansion. Just more tough opponents, presumably, in an already difficult league, says he of two national championships.

The big news out of Tuesday was an announcement of sorts by Meyer is that he is feeling "fantastic" now that he's on the proper medication to control ... esophageal spasms. That's what Meyer said was causing some of his health concerns "for the past three years." I have no idea what esophageal spasms has to do with one's heart, but I'll take Meyer's word for it that he's feeling fine.

According to a definition on the Mayo Clinic's website: "Esophageal spasms are an uncoordinated series of muscle contractions that prevent food from traveling properly from your esophagus to your stomach. These spasms can be very painful. Chest pain is a common symptom of esophageal spasm."

So, Meyer has had trouble swallowing for the past three years, but now he's got it all figured out. Okey-dokey ... Yeah, so I texted UF football PR man Steve McClain just to confirm that esophageal spasms is indeed what Meyer meant to say in the news conference and McClain texted back one word, "Correct."

While esophageal spasms sounds like more damage control by the Gators' PR people, the most important thing to note here is that Meyer is feeling "fantastic" and all signs point to him returning to normal ... because things have been crazy in Gainesville for the past year. I mean, from hourly speculation about Tim Tebow's concussion to early morning trips to the ER for esophageal spasms, it's hard to wrap your head around it all.

"I just think that exercise and -- I don't want to stand up here and sound like a doctor now -- but it's the same issues that everyone deals with -- work," Meyer said. "Just take care of yourself. I didn't do that. It seems the last year and a half -- it was a bizarre deal."

-jo-

Masterful recruiting by Billy Donovan leaves Gators set for SEC, NCAA run

GAINESVILLE -- Billy Donovan is back on top of the recruiting game. Florida's coach is close to finalizing a six-player recruiting haul this offseason, which positions UF a favorite to win the Southeastern Conference next season and beyond and potentially make a substantial run in the NCAA Tournament this winter.

The final piece of Donovan's recruiting class slid into place last week when 11th-grader Scottie Wilbekin of The Rock School in Gainesville announced he would graduate high school a year earlier to enroll at UF this summer. A point guard, Wilbekin adds depth to the Gators' backcourt, which returns starters Kenny Boynton Jr. and Erving Walker but little else.

The addition of Wilbekin and the return of Alex Tyus currently leaves Donovan two scholarships over the NCAA's maximum of 13 for next season, but it is believed that freshman Nimrod Tishman of Israel will not return to UF after this summer and forward Adam Allen will be granted a medical hardship, freeing up another scholarship.

Donovan now enters the 2010-2011 season with five returning starters and plenty of talent coming off the bench, including a McDonald's All-American (Patric Young) and a 6-11 veteran center (Kenny Kadji). Donovan will have multiple line-up options with which to tinker this preseason. Two to consider...

PG Erving Walker; SG Kenny Boynton Jr.; PF Alex Tyus; SF Chandler Parsons; C Vernon Macklin

PG Kenny Boynton Jr.; SG Chandler Parsons; PF Patric Young; SF Alex Tyus; C Vernon Macklin

-jo-

Billy Donovan is giving troubled Gators recruit Cody Larson the benefit of doubt. Good idea?

GAINESVILLE -- Florida coach Billy Donovan has a history of taking chances on players with questionable backgrounds. The latest example seems to be Cody Larson, a 6-9, 225-pound power forward from Sioux Falls, S.D.

We'll have a story up on MiamiHerald.com shortly about Larson's travails. To make a long story short, the guy allegedly knows a thing or two about people who might at one point have illegally taken a few painkillers. Larson and a buddy were suspended from their high school basketball team in February after a run-in with the cops, allegedly over some Hydrocodone (Vicodin).

Don't want to stereotype here (well, yeah I do), but this all sounds so very South Dakota, where there is absolutely nothing to do except apparently eat a bunch of pills to pass the time. Larson, for his part, has not been charged with taking drugs. He has only been charged for living in a place where he knew illegal substances were being stored and used, a misdemeanor. At best, that doesn't sound like a great environment for young Mr. Larson. At worst, Florida basketball is about to inherit some potential drama.

Coach Billy Donovan was well aware of Larson's legal troubles during the recruitment process, meaning Donovan knows the risk he's taking on Larson. Larson's court date is set for June 22 but he'll probably work a plea deal before then. At that point, it will be up to Donovan, UF's support staff and the basketball team's leaders (Chandler Parsons and Kenny Boynton Jr.?) to keep Larson out of trouble. Hopefully this relationship will work out for both parties.

-jo-

For the second year in a row, Alex Tyus flirts with leaving Gators but returns

GAINESVILLE -- Give Gators forward Alex Tyus credit for one thing, he allows such plentiful Gator hacks as these to write about something during the doldrums of summer.

So, for the second year in a row, Tyus (Billy Donovan's 6-8 identity crisis) thought about leaving Florida, told everyone he was leaving Florida, waited for the reaction and then returned to Florida. I'm sure psychologists have a term for this type of peculiar pattern, but I'm too lazy right now to look it up.

You might recall that last year around this time, Tyus told everyone via his Facebook page, or Myspace page, or whatever attention-seeking page, that he was transferring away from Florida because he was unhappy with his role on the team. Tyus thinks he's a small forward; Donovan uses him as a power forward. In the end, Donovan convinced Tyus to return to UF. This time around, it was much of the same. Tyus told everyone he was turning pro, everyone told him he was crazy and now Tyus is coming back for his senior season.

Well, welcome back Tyus, but guess what? I don't think your starting position is a guaranteed anymore. Last year, Donovan had no other option but to grovel for Tyus' return. This year, Donovan has options. Alex Tyus meet Patric Young. That's not to say an incoming freshman is going to take away the starting position of a senior, but Young will make Tyus work.

Tyus' return to UF plus the four incoming freshmen gives UF 13 players on scholarship (14 if you count Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario, who will not be eligible until 2011), or the maximum allowed by the NCAA. Donovan had hoped to add another point guard to the 2010 recruiting class but something will have to change for that now to happen. Stay tuned.

-jo-

Florida Gators coaches live in murky recruiting gray area during evaluation period

GAINESVILLE -- So, UF assistant coach Steve Addazio CAN'T answer one simple question about recruiting strategies because he says it violates rules set out by the NCAA. This happened a few days ago when I wanted one question answered during a conference call. However, UF assistant Stan Drayton CAN do a two-part series with Rivals.com.

Is UF breaking the rules here, or does UF just not know the rules? Actually neither is true. Coaches know the rules so well they know ways to skirt the rules without breaking them. Giving away recruiting strategies to the Miami Herald would just be foolish. Coaches give information to recruiting websites regularly, though. Recruiting websites are one of the ways coaches can bypass the NCAA's rules to communicate and recruit kids surreptitiously during this evaluation period.

Drayton, who's back at UF after brief stints at Tennessee and Syracuse, recently told Rivals.com that Florida plans to remain a player on the national recruiting scene. Once just a regional recruiting power, UF is now pulling in major recruits from the Northeast, the Midwest, Texas and California. Incoming freshman Ronald Powell of Southern California is nation's best high school player, according to Rivals.

Drayton per Rivals: "We understand that some of the best talent in the country is right here in our backyard. I think we are able to compliment what we get instate with what we are able to get out-of-state, but at the end of the day when you look at our roster, you're going to continue to see a whole bunch of guys from the state of Florida playing for the Gators.

"The way we balance it out is that our goal is to bring in the best student-athlete in the country to the University of Florida and we believe that the University of Florida deserves that. It's not that we are turning our backs on anyone. For us, it's just a matter of finding out who are the best student-athletes in the country and do we have a chance of getting them?

"We're always going to look to Florida first to fill our needs and then expand outward from there."

-jo-

Saw my first Tebow Broncos jersey today

PANAMA CITY BEACH -- So, I'm in Panama City Beach helping with the Herald's coverage of the Gulf oil-spill disaster. Unsettling stuff. No oil in P.C., I'm happy to report. Saturday was a long day of work and I decided to eat at a local landmark, Capt. Anderson's.

Great fish at Capt. Anderson's. I recommend the stuffed flounder. Get it while you can, I was thinking. ANYWAY, so there I am eating my flounder and its stuffing when I glance up and notice something interesting. That's right! My first sighting of a Tim Tebow Denver Broncos jersey in Florida. Naturally, I interrupted the nice people to take a picture for the blog.

Pictured are Tommy Sims and Ruby Bentley of Panama City. Thanks, guys.

 -jo- 

Tebow impresses media during first practice with the Broncos, completes 21 of 22 passes

(Photograph by Craig F. Walker of the Denver Post) 

GAINESVILLE -- Have you ordered your officially licensed Tim Tebow Denver Broncos jersey? If you haven't, then you're apparently in the minority. CLICK ME!

Tebow donned his No.15 Denver Broncos jersey for the first time in practice on Friday at the Broncos' headquarters in Englewood, Colo. Members of the media were allowed to watch a portion of the Broncos' first rookie minicamp. Tebow reportedly completed 21 of 22 passes. The one incompletion was a drop. According to a report by the Associated Press, Tebow's throws were "tight and compact."

-jo-

Addazio speaks to Gator Club of Miami

GAINESVILLE -- Amazingly, I haven't received any emails from excited Gators fans regarding Steve Addazio's visit to Miami. Hello, Gators fans! Where are you? Is it true that only about 50 fans showed up for the Gator Gathering? That's the information I received from colleague Barry Jackson, who attended the event.

I spoke with Addazio briefly on Thursday during a conference call and he said Gator Gathering was "great." During the same conference call, Addazio said that he didn't know if UF coach Urban Meyer would be attending the Southeastern Conference spring meetings June 1-4 at the Sandestin Hilton.

Addazio has become the UF football team's public mouthpiece this offseason. The offensive coordinator has taken Meyer's place at several Gator Gatherings and represented UF during the SEC's coaches conference call on Thursday. For whatever reason, Addazio would not address the regional recruiting assignments of his fellow assistant coaches during the current high school evaluation period. Spring football for Florida high schools begins next week. Addazio did say during the conference call that he expects UF to field one of the best offensive lines in the country this fall. UF returns four starters along the offensive line.

Listed are the regional recruiting assignments for the Gators' assistant coaches. Of note, co-defensive coordinator/cornerbacks coach Teryl Austin does not have an assigned region in the state of Florida. 

Chuck Heater, co-defensive coordinator/safeties: Panhandle to Tallahassee area.

Brian White, tight ends: Alachua County and north-central Florida.

Scot Loeffler, quarterbacks: Jacksonville area down to Flagler County and also Marion County.

D.J. Durkin, linebackers: Daytona Beach area and down the coast to Martin County

Stan Drayton, running backs: Orlando and Lakeland areas and also Miami-Dade.

Dan McCarney, defensive line: Tampa Bay area.

Steve Addazio, offensive coordinator/offensive line: Manatee and Sarasota down to Collier County and across the Everglades to Glades and Hendry counties.

Zach Azzanni, wide receivers: Palm Beach and Broward counties.

-jo-

Best picture of the 2010 NFL Draft

GAINESVILLE -- One for the scrapbook.

-jo-

Gators Major Wright overcome with emotion upon being drafted by the Chicago Bears

PICTURED: Major Wright welcomes Oklahoma Sooners receiver Jauquin Inglesias to South Florida during the 2009 BCS national championship game. The bone-rattling play will go down as one of the best hits in Florida football history.

GAINESVILLE -- So, picture this: A football player gets drafted by the Chicago Bears and then momentarily loses his mind. He bursts out of his home, runs up and down the street screaming to all of Fort Lauderdale and the world and then breaks down and cries.

That was former Florida Gators safety Major Wright on Friday night. He was drafted in the third round (75th overall) by the Chicago Bears. It was the Bears' first pick of the NFL Draft.

"I'm living in my dream," Wright said.

Wright's punishing style will fit in nicely with the Bears, who are in need of some help in the secondary after finishing 27th in the NFL against the pass last season. Wright, a graduate of Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, was one of four Gators drafted on Friday, the second day of the NFL Draft. Seven Gators have been drafted through the first three rounds. Rounds four through seven will be determined on Saturday. UF players still to be drafted are Aaron Hernandez, Riley Cooper, David Nelson, Markihe Anderson, Brandon James and potentially others.

Defensive ends Jermaine Cunningham and Carlos Dunlap and middle linebacker Brandon Spikes were drafted in the second round on Friday. Cunningham was taken 53rd overall by the New England Patriots. Dunlap was drafted 54th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals. Spikes went 62nd overall to the Patriots.

-jo-

Tim Tebow Q & A

GAINESVILLE -- Stuff Tim Tebow said on Thursday night ... And, oh, by the way, bet the good folks at Nike got a real kick on Thursday night out of seeing the first images of Tebow as a drafted player wearing ... a Reebok hat! Love it.

Did he know the Broncos were going to draft him?

"It all started at the combine. I had an opportunity to do an interview with their staff and I left thinking ‘Gosh I love those guys, I love Coach McDaniels. He's so passionate, he loves football.'

[We interrupt this quote with an important message: Tim Tebow loves Reebok like Josh McDaniels loves football. Just look at the hat! Go buy a pair of Tim Tebow Reeboks and donate your Nikes! Now, back to the quote ... ]

After that they didn't come to the Pro day and I didn't hear from them and I thought, ‘Man, are they not interested?' But then at the end they called me up and so I came up and I did a work out for them and I thought that went really good and we thought they liked me and were very straightforward the whole time and said that they were interested in me. So we prepared as thought I was their draft pick. So we had the hats ready and when Coach McDaniels called we pulled them out and we're wearing our pride right now."

How did he deal with the criticism?

"A lot of people said it was going to be a hard process or a long process and that it was going to be very frustrating for me but I loved it and I enjoyed the working process. All the critics and negativity only pushed me that much more and made me work that much harder and made me better. I think that was a positive thing for me, to be honest with you. I believed in myself and the people that were around me and supporting me. I thank my quarterback coaches for the work that they put in and trying to constantly get better. Not only get better but show that I was coachable, to be humble and learn to do what someone says and I think that is something that I tried to show and I think I showed that to Coach McDaniels and the staff there."

How long will it take for him to be a starter?

"I have no idea. That's not even something that I'm thinking about. I'm thinking about just going in there and learning the offense, competing, working hard and just being the first one in and the last one to leave. And showing them that I love this, I love what I do and thank you so much for taking me and I'm not going to let you down."

What number will he wear?

"To be honest, I will wear whatever number they want me to wear. If that's 15, I'll wear 15. If that's 95, I'll wear 95. I don't really care, just as long as I can wear a Denver Broncos jersey. That's my approach and my attitude."

How much does he love Denver Coach Josh McDaniels?

"I definitely want to repay Coach McDaniels for the faith he showed in me. I want to be a great quarterback, I want to pursue that. I've wanted to be a quarterback in the NFL for a great many years. That's my goal and has been my goal since I was 6 years old. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get there. I'm thankful to Coach McDaniels for having the strength and the voice in me, to choose me and to believe in me. I'm just thankful for that and obviously I do, for the next few years, repay him for what he did for me and believing in me. Just like it was when I was at Florida, my biggest thrill was doing things for Coach Meyer, winning championships and being able to help him. That's going to be my greatest joy in Denver is going to be to repay Coach McDaniels for believing in me. That's something that's always been very important to me, is my relationship with coaches. Our connection means more to me than anything else."

How will he balance his off-the-field commitments and football?

"I want to do a lot because I honestly feel that that is more important than playing football. Being able to make a difference and put smiles on kids' faces. I'm excited about the opportunity but I probably won't do that much right now because this whole summer I'm going to be in the film room and in the meeting room, learning, working and grinding. I'll probably start that after my rookie year. I do have my foundation up and running, the good thing about that is that my brother and other members of my family can really help out and run that while I get to working on football."

-jo-

Can't believe Tebow fell all the way to 25th

GAINESVILLE -- Wow! Who saw that coming? Gator Clause is still in shock that Tim Tebow fell all the way to 25th in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. (Sarcasm, people.)

The Denver Broncos gave away three lower-round draft picks to the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night to select Tebow at 25th overall. Bold move by the Horses.

Congratulations goes out to UF cornerback Joe Haden, who was selected seventh overall by Cleveland, and of course congrats to the talented Maurkice Pouncey, was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers at No.18. Pouncey has Steeler written all over him, doesn't he?

So, guess who Tebow and the Denver Broncos play to begin the 2010 season? You guessed it. The Jacksonville Jaguars. Question: Will there be more Tebow fans than Jags fans in Jacksonville Municipal Stadium that day? Answer: Yes.

Jacksonville not drafting Tebow could seriously come back to haunt this franchise. Jacksonville should have drafted Tebow. Instead, the Jags drafted some defensive lineman from California. Of course, Denver drafting Tebow could eventually cost Denver coach Josh McDaniels his job. At least, that's what some people will write this weekend.

McDaniels, a Bill Belichick clone, is all about team chemistry, apparently. Case in point: McDaniels ditched his old No.15, Brandon Marshall, for a new No.15, Tebow.

Tebow was the second quarterback selected on Thursday. Sam Bradford, who never defeated Tebow, was selected first overall by St. Louis. As we move to the second day of the NFL Draft, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy are still waiting to hear their names called.

So, which Gator will be selected first one the second day of the draft? My money is on Major Wright to the Maimi Dolphins.

-jo-

Billy Donovan and Urban Meyer pulling in the recruits

GAINESVILLE -- Plenty of recruiting news to report now that I'm back in town.

1. Former Rutgers guard Mike Rosario is headed to the University of Florida. Rosario visited Gainesville this week and signed his transfer papers on Sunday. He plans to enroll in June but won't be eligible to play in a game until the 2011-2012 season. Rosario averaged over 16 points per game for Rutgers as a sophomore. He'll be a redshirt junior for the 2011 season. Rosario scored 14 points in a loss to Florida this season.

2. Florida basketball coach Billy Donovan picked up his third commitment for the 2010 class this weekend after a visit from 6-7 forward Will Yeguete of Melbourne Florida Air. Yeguete joins 6-5 forward Casey Prather of Jackson, Tenn., and 6-8 forward Patric Young of Jacksonville as members of the Gators' 2010 recruiting class.

3. Florida football coach Urban Meyer picked up a commitment from 2011 quarterback Jeff Driskel of Orlando Hagerty High on Monday. A 6-3, 225-pound quarterback, Driskel is a mobile quarterback with a strong arm who will likely be ranked one of the Southeast's top high-school passers this fall. Meyer now has four commitments for the class of 2011.

JOAKIM NOAH IN THE NEWS
Former Gator Joakim Noah scored 25 points and had 13 rebounds in the Bulls' 112-102 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

On Sunday, Noah told reporters that "Cleveland sucks," referring to the lack of a downtown attractions. Guess you can only go to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame so many times. Noah was booed handsomely on Monday night for his comment.

Noah made even more headlines on Sunday when he called Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett a dirty player. Noah was asked about Garnett's role in the altercation between the Celtics and Heat during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

-jo-

Joakim Noah vs. Lebron James: Let the NBA Playoffs begin!

GAINESVILLE -- So, you know how different blogs always have their individual niches. Like, this blog is dedicated to protecting the poor and fighting illiteracy. Well, the editorial board here at Gator Clause -- in our collective brilliance -- has decided to branch out.

We're now going to add coverage of Joakim Noah to our repertoire. From henceforth, this blog is dedicated to providing its readers with periodic updates of Noah and his exploits. There are two archetypes for athletic leaders at the University of Florida. There is the Tim Tebow archetype and there's the Joakim Noah archetype. They both win championships. They both inspire excellence. They both speak their minds. The difference in Tebow and Noah: One guy is kind of dorky and one guy is undoubtedly cool.

So, we've already established here at ol' Gator Clause that Noah is pretty much one of the coolest athletes in the world. That's a proven fact. And, it's already been established that Lebron James really wishes he was cool and authentic and he pays a lot of people a lot of money to make him appear cool and authentic but he just isn't and never will be.

So, Lebron is envious of Joakim, and that's understandable considering Lebron's insecure personality and Joakim's Jedi powers. It's made for an interesting rivalry. That rivalry will be renewed at 3 p.m. on Saturday in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The winner of the seven-game series matches up in the second round with the winner of Heat-Celtics series.

Noah has promised to try and shock the world with a first-round win against Cleveland. Noah's Bulls are the Eastern Conference's eighth seed (last) and Cleveland is seeded first.

"Everybody thinks we're going to get our [butts] whipped," Noah said. "And, you know what, we're going to try to shock the world. That's what we're going to try to do. That's pretty cool, I think."

And since Noah is the foremost authority on cool, he's right, of course.

Noah pretty much single handedly transformed the Bulls' team culture when he arrived in Chicago in 2007. It took some getting used to by the lazy veterans who were with the team at the time, but everyone got the message. Now Noah has the Bulls in the playoffs for the second year in a row. Noah has Lebron's attention, too.

"We're ready for the challenge," James said. "I think Noah's a really good player. He's a really good talent. But, you know, he asked for us a couple weeks ago and he got us. So we're ready. It's a different monster they're going to be playing against on Saturday."

-jo-

Gators Ray Shipman breaks down the campus-groupie game

GAINESVILLE -- Interesting stuff from UF's student newspaper. Apparently Ray Shipman was scoring plenty his freshman season just not on the court. LINK!

In the article, Shipman says that athletes pass around girls.

"A lot of the older players show you around," Shipman said. "If my teammate is with a girl and it's not really serious, they end up switching to me. And now that I'm older, I introduce them to the new players. Some teammates of mine, some other athletes, they don't really care. That's not my type. That's nasty. But some freshman, they'll hop right on it."

Those crazy freshmen. They got mad hops.

-jo-

Joe Paterno: 'Expansion is coming'

GAINESVILLE -- Talk of college football expansion is starting to heat up. Today's links:

1. Joe Paterno leads chorus of coaches calling for Big Ten expansion

"Expansion is coming," Paterno said. "I think the trend is there's going to be bigger conferences. There's going to be 12-, 14-team conferences and maybe even 16-team conferences.

"Do I know what I'm talking about? Who knows? We're naive if we think that you can sit back and watch everybody else move ahead, because they're going to move ahead. We better start thinking about where we're going."

2. If conference expansion comes true, college athletics will never be the same, by Dennis Dodd

Writes Dodd: We seem to be heading, inexorably, to the era of super conferences in college sports. To get there, there may be more conference shifting than ever experienced in the past.

Dodd goes on to write: Part of this particular arms race is about ego -- [Jim] Delany and the Big Ten staying ahead of Mike Slive and the SEC. The Big Ten reportedly pays out $22 million per school in football revenue per year. The SEC number is $17 million. The completion of the SEC deal is July followed the start of the [Big Ten Network] in 2006.

"If the Big Ten went to 16, the SEC wouldn't be far behind," said Tom Hansen, former Pac-10 commissioner. "It's all driven by football TV income."

-jo-

Pine Crest coach on Kentucky commitment Brandon Knight: 'I hope he is happy.'

GAINESVILLE -- Patrick Patterson. John Wall. Eric Bledsoe. Brandon Knight: Anyone see a pattern here?

They were all elite recruits. They all considered going to Florida. They all chose Kentucky. OK, Wall probably didn't even consider UF, but you get the point. Kentucky has dominated Florida both on the recruiting trail and the court for the last three years. Bottom line: There is a perception that Kentucky has more to offer the game's best players.

Knight of Fort Lauderdale is the most recent super recruit to choose UK over UF. He announced his decision on Wednesday. This latest example of Kentucky's recruiting superiority especially hurts for UF fans because Knight is a homegrown player and two-time Gatorade national player of the year.

"On my trip to Kentucky, I couldn't believe the amount of support the players got from fans," Knight said on Wednesday. "People were shouting my name."

Florida has a respectable basketball following but it's nothing compared to Kentucky. In Kentucky, the fans are crazy about their basketball the way Florida fans are crazy about their football. Only, Kentucky basketball might have a bigger following. Let's not be naive here, though. Fan support is not why Knight chose Kentucky over Florida.

Here's an interesting quote from Knight's high school coach that might shed a little light on Knight's decision.

"I hope he is happy," Fort Lauderdale coach David Beckerman said on Wednesday. "I'm sure this decision that was made between him and his parents is one that will make him achieve the goals and objectives that he is looking to meet."

I hope he is happy. That's an interesting thing for a high school coach to say on the day his star basketball player committed to Kentucky. It implies, obviously, that Knight might not be happy. To fully understand the quote, you must fully understand the man who said it. Pine Crest's Beckerman is a man who coaches high school basketball for two reasons: One, he truly loves the game and, two, he wants to make a difference in young people's lives. It's what makes him happy. He does it for free and literally travels thousands of miles to do it. Beckerman founded Starter Sportswear. He's a semi-retired snowbird who lives half the year Guilford, Conn.

The sentiment among those who covered Knight for several years is that Wednesday's choice to play for Kentucky was made for reasons other than the Wildcats' rabid fan base. Exposure, creating the Brandon Knight brand, getting ready for the NBA, making money: Those are the reasons. Nothing wrong them, of course.

Here's another interesting quote from Beckerman, taken from the New Haven (Conn.) Register in December: "There's a lot of things involved [in Knight's recruitment]. Someone says, 'Do you want to be John Wall's replacement?' Another one says, 'Is Kemba Walker going to be back?' And this one says, 'What will the team you're going to play with be like? Are you going to be playing with enough good players to get you in the national spotlight at the Final Four?'"

We reported last summer that Knight wasn't coming to Florida. At the time, we reported that his handlers didn't want him following Kenny Boynton Jr. to Gainesville. To be frank, those in the know said that Knight's father didn't want his son having to share the spotlight with Boynton. Never mind that a Knight-Boynton backcourt combo would have been the quickest way for both players to reach the Final Four.

Knight will now be playing against Boynton, his old buddy from AAU, but Knight will be playing against more than that at Kentucky. He'll be playing against UK's memory of John Wall. Good luck.

-jo-

Gators spring football and everything after

GAINESVILLE -- A few items to address before we begin breaking down the spring game.

1. Urban Meyer received his third commitment of the 2011 recruiting class this weekend when prep standout Jeoffrey Pagan of Asheville, N.C., committed to the Gators. A 6-4, 250-pound defensive end, Pagan committed to Meyer on Friday. Pagan, who is from Miami, made the trip to Gainesville for the spring game and told Meyer of his decision in person. Meyer apparently did a little dance when Pagan committed. Meyer can dance? Well, he was a shortstop in the minors. I've always contended that shortstops are the best dancers. On the bucket list: Dance with Urban Meyer at a Jimmy Buffett concert. ANYWAY, Pagan had scholarship offers from Alabama, USC, FSU, LSU, Notre Dame and Georgia. He told recruiting websites this weekend that he doesn't plan on taking any official visits (other than his official to UF, of course).

2. Sticking with the recruiting theme, Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest guard Brandon Knight will announce his basketball commitment at 4 p.m. Wednesday on ESPNU. Knight will choose between UF, Kentucky, Syracuse, Kansas and Connecticut.

3. I'm still sticking by my prediction that the Seattle Seahawks will select Tim Tebow with the 14th pick of the NFL Draft. Call me crazy.

4. While my original blog post on the idea was presented with a what-if slant, I now have serious reason to believe that if the Big Ten adds five schools and one of those teams is Notre Dame then the SEC will in fact consider adding teams but only if it's a slam dunk and benefits the league. Again, think big here: Texas and Texas A&M in the SEC West and FSU and Miami or Georgia Tech in the SEC East. Just a guess, but Florida would likely try and block the addition of Miami into the SEC. Of course, UF could always be outvoted by other members in a collective power play. FSU recruits primarily against UF, Miami, Alabama, Auburn and Georgia. Miami recruits primarily against UF and FSU. Also, keep in mind that Georgia Tech was an original member of the SEC. Of course, Notre Dame has a pretty sweet deal going with the BCS. My guess: As long as there is a BCS, Notre Dame will remain independent. If Notre Dame joins the Big Ten, then the gears of a national playoff might -- MIGHT -- slowly begin turning.

NOW TO THE SPRING GAME ...

5 TOP NEWCOMERS
1. Trey Burton, QB: Gator Clause must take the time and thank Mr. Burton for making our editorial board look like a collective genius. The Gator Clause Board of Directors named Burton the spring's most improved player on Thursday. On Saturday, Burton accounted for 243 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns. Burton's 76-yard run was a thing of beauty and set an spring-game record for longest run from scrimmage. (UF began keeping spring-game stats in 1996.) Burton also did an excellent job at the end of the second quarter in leading the Gators' no-huddle offense. Burton completed five consecutive passes to get his offense in field-goal range.

2. Carl Moore, WR: Moore isn't really a newcomer but since he missed all of 2009 and played sparingly in 2008, we're including Moore in this list. Officially, I have no idea why Moore missed those two practices this spring, but it certainly wasn't because he feared competition. Moore was UF's best possession receiver on Saturday, accounting for eight receptions, 130 yards and a touchdown. Welcome back, Carl. Be smart this summer.

3. Mike Gillislee, RB: The rising sophomore from Deland was his usual steady self on Saturday. He had 10 carries for 47 yards and a touchdown on tired legs. No one worked harder this spring than Gillislee.

4. Josh Shaw, CB: Shaw was picked on plenty Saturday but the Californian kept battling and finished with a spring-game high eight tackles. He also had an interception. Shaw also made a nice play when he knocked down a pass over the middle intended for Carl Moore. Moore created a little separation but Shaw recovered quickly to make the play in one-on-one coverage.

5. Andre Debose, WR: After sitting out last season with a hamstring injury, Debose showed everyone in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium that he still has plenty of speed. In limited duty, Debose had two receptions for 30 yards. I like Debose and I like his aggressive demeanor. As much as he hates being compared to Percy Harvin, Debose and Harvin certainly share some of the same characteristics: toughness, confidence, quick first step, speed, play-making ability, etc.

HOMETOWN HEROES
Frankie Hammond, Jr., WR: Hammond of Hallandale is such a smart receiver. It's fun to watch him play. His awareness on the field helped UF's quarterbacks on Saturday. Hammond had four receptions for 20 yards, including a touchdown. On the touchdown, Hammond noticed quarterback John Brantley scrambling, adjusted his route and got open in the end zone for his quarterback. Nice play, Frankie!

Moses Jenkins, CB: Jenkins of Lauderdale Lakes Boyd Anderson had a solid spring game. He made several impressive tackles, including one that prevented a touchdown and another that forced a fourth down inside the red zone. Jenkins finished with four tackles.

TOP FIVE PLAYS
1. Burton's 76-yard run was the day's rushing highlight. He made just about everyone on the Gators' second-team defense miss at least once.

2. John Brantley's 47-yard bomb to Deonte Thompson on the first play from scrimmage was a REAL football play. (sarcasm, people!)

3. Brantley's 14-yard touchdown strike to Carl Moore in the second quarter was excellent. Moore was at his best in the red-zone on Saturday.

4. Burton's 20-yard touchdown pass to Omarius Hines in the second quarter showed everyone that Burton is certainly capable of making quality throws.

5. Jordan Reed's 31-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Lawrence in the fourth quarter excited coaches, including offensive coordinator Steve Addazio who gushed about Reed's arm strength after the game.

OTHER STUFF
1. The first-team offensive line struggled at times to form a pocket for Brantley. Of course, the offensive line was without some of its projected starters.

2. Which reminds me. Offensive guard Carl Johnson, who sat out with a shoulder injury, was on the sidelines looking a little beefy. Let's hope Johnson's shoulder heals in time so he can be in shape for two-a-days.

3. The interception throw by Burton on the second-team offense's first play from scrimmage was a coach's fault. Of course, the coach who called the play was a student. Two students won contests to call the first offensive plays for each team. Brantley completed his bomb on the first-team offense's first play. Burton's bomb was predictable and was picked off by Josh Shaw. (Still, it was a great play by Shaw.) After the game, Burton said he didn't agree with the student's call, and instead wanted a designed quarterback run.

4. Plenty of South Florida recruits made the trip to Gainesville for the spring game. Some I've been able to track down: Eli Rogers, a wide receiver at Miami Northwestern; Jeremy Cash, a safety at Plantation; Ryan Shazier, a defensive end from Plantation; Curt Maggit, a defensive lineman was West Palm Beach Dwyer.

5. Other top recruits in attendance: Lateek Townsend, a top linebacker prospect from South Carolina; Mike Bellamy, a running back from Punta Gorda; Nick Waisome, a defensive back from Southlake; Ray Drew, a defensive end from Thomasville, Ga.

6. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin told me that cornerback Adrian Bushell is currently not with the team while he deals with personal issues (most likely grades).

GATOR CLAUSE POST-SPRING DEPTH CHARTS
OFFENSE
QB: John Brantley, Trey Burton, Jordan Reed
RB: Jeff Demps, Emmanuel Moody OR Mike Gillislee, Chris Rainey
FB: Steve Wilks, T.J. Pridemore
Z-receiver: Deonte Thompson, Omar Hines, Frankie Hammond Jr., T.J. Lawrence
Y-receiver: Carl Moore, Frankie Hammond Jr., Justin Williams, Stephen Alli
Slot-receiver: Chris Rainey, Andre Debose, Frankie Hammond Jr., Solomon Patton, Robert Clark
TE: Jordan Reed, Gerald Christian
RT: Marcus Gilbert, David Young, Jonotthan Harrison?
RG: Maurice Hurt, Nick Alajajian?
C: Mike Pouncey, Sam Robey
LG: James Wilson, Jon Halapio?
LT: Xavier Nixon, Matt Patchan?, Ian Siberman?

DEFENSE
DE: Justin Trattou, Kedric Johnson OR Lerentee McCray?
DL: Terron Sanders, Jaye Howard
DL: Lawrence Marsh, Omar Hunter
DE: Duke Lemmens, William Green
SLB: A.J. Jones, Lorenzo Edwards
MLB: Jon Bostic, Brendan Beal, Jelani Jenkins
WLB: Brandon Hicks, Dee Finley
CB: Janoris Jenkins, Josh Shaw
FS: Will Hill, Matt Elam
SS: Ahmad Black, Miguel Carodine/Jordan Haden
CB: Moses Jenkins, Jeremy Brown, Jaylen Watkins
NB: Matt Elam, Jeremy Brown

SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker: Caleb Sturgis, John Crofoot
Punter: Chas Henry, David Lerner
Punt return: Chris Rainey, Robert Clark
Kick return: Chris Rainey, Mike Gillislee

-jo- 

Will Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer be back this fall?

GAINESVILLE -- Steve McClain cut me off before I could ask Urban Meyer. It's the question everyone wanted answered: Will the Florida Gators' coach be back this fall?

Who is Steve McClain? He's the air-traffic controller during Urban Meyer's post-game interviews. On Saturday, he seemed more like a bodyguard. His message: If you're going to ask difficult questions, then this interview is over. The kid gloves being used for Meyer seem so bizarre to me, but bizarre and out of the ordinary is an everyday thing for this football program recently.

Will Meyer be back? No one can say for certain, not even the guy who likely be in charge if Meyer stepped down tomorrow. On Saturday, Steve Addazio was stuck answering the difficult question I wanted to ask Meyer. I felt kind of bad putting Addazio on the spot. But, hey, that's the gig. 

QUESTION: Steve, can you say for a certainty that Urban is going to be back in the fall?

After a long pause, here's what Addazio said.

ADDAZIO: "I can't even respond to that question, you know what I mean."

MY REPLY: Well, you would be the guy to be the head coach.

ADDAZIO: "Here's what I would say to you. I'm hoping to make it -- I don't get hit by a car when I walk across the street right here. Seriously, I can't even comment on that. I'm just so fired up right now. He's great -- looks good, feels good. I think you just enjoy the heck out of what we're doing and thrilled to death. I can't wait to start the season. I see what you see: energy, passion. I see it all. I'm not worried about anything, OK."

Addazio will be filling in for Meyer this summer during the annual booster club tour. My suggestion to fans: Go meet Steve Addazio. This man is a top-notch motivator and a great guy. Here's how Addazio describes the attitude of the coaching staff right now:

"It's a foxhole mentality," he said. "When you get in that foxhole and you got a lot of good things around you, you feel good."

Never been in a foxhole and never want to be a foxhole, but if I was, I would want Addazio covering my six.

As for Meyer, I guess shielding him from the press is necessary, and I can accept that. His health is the most important thing here. Meyer said on Saturday that avoiding the press is part of the plan to reduce stress. I just don't get it. It doesn't have to be that way, but whatever.

Meyer met with reporters for about nine minutes on Saturday. He spoke with the press for about 20 minutes the entire spring. Covering Florida is a challenge these days. You've got choose your words carefully. You never know if that last interview is going to be the last time you get a chance to ask Meyer a question. Saturday was actually the first time I've had a chance to ask Meyer a question since National Signing Day. I was covering the Florida-BYU basketball game the first time Meyer spoke. I was covering the Final Four the second time.

I would much rather have asked about the spring game, but that didn't seem like the best use of my precious questions.

QUESTION 1: Urban, what's the reason or thought process behind scaling back the news conferences and booster club meetings?

MEYER: "I just did some research on my own, and [sports information director] Steve [McClain] and the administration, we did some research on what other places do and the focus is on recruiting, our players, our team and obviously raising my children and the coaches raising their children and doing it the right way," Meyer siad. "So, if that takes away from other stuff, that's got to happen."

QUESTION 2: And, what are some of the ways you've learned to manage stress here in the last few months?

MEYER: "Manage stress?"

REPLY: Yes.

MEYER: "By cutting back on media. [LAUGHTER] By seeing Ron Powell and Sharrif Floyd and some of these great players walking around here. That's how I manage stress."

QUESTION 3: And, are you going to be back ...

[CUT OFF]

-jo-

Gators Tebow missed his chance to take a stand when he signed with Nike

Tiger Woods YouTube voiceover. So funny. So brutal. Quick, Timmy, save Nike's image.

I'm just going to throw this out there. Does anyone remember the Tim Tebow Super Bowl commercial? Remember when Tebow said he did the commercial because Focus on the Family is something he believes in and supports. That was great, the press said. A prominent figure standing up for something he believes, the press said.

Well, imagine for a second if Tebow came out and said he wasn't going to sign with Nike because Tiger Woods is still on Nike's payroll. Now THAT would have sent a message and EVERYONE would have listened. Only in a perfect world, I guess. Now Nike is paying Tebow and Woods. What's the difference between a sinner and a saint? Nothing, when it comes to selling shoes.

-jo-

Miami and Florida State to the SEC? Here's how it could happen

GAINESVILLE -- There was plenty going on in Indianapolis last weekend other than basketball.

Behind the scenes, powerbrokers were discussing potentially dramatic changes to the sport of college football. There was talk of the Big Ten adding five schools and forming a 16-team mega-conference. There was talk of the Southeastern Conference following suit. Nothing could happen. Everything could happen.

How does Miami and Florida State joining the SEC sound to Gators fans? How does it sound to Canes and Noles? Don't laugh. It could happen. It's unlikely, but it's not folly. (OK, maybe it is, but whatever.) Here's how it could go down ...

College athletics as we know it teetering on a knife's edge. It's an arms race, folks, plain and simple. According to the Columbus Dispatch, Big Ten presidents met in Indianapolis last weekend to discuss the possibility off adding one, three or five teams. Eleven teams currently play football in the Big Ten.

The Big Ten wants a playoff. The conference is seriously considering expansion. Let me put this the most elementary way possible, the Big Ten wants to try and be richer and better than the SEC. How to do that? There are a several ways.

1. Add Notre Dame, bringing Big Ten football to 12 teams.

2. Notre Dame chooses to remain independent in football and the Big Ten adds one school from another conference. (Big East or Big 12, most likely).

3. Add Notre Dame and two schools from another conference.

5. Notre Dame chooses to remain independent and the Big Ten adds three schools.

4. Add Notre Dame and steal four schools from other conferences to form college football's first mega-conference. A Big 16 to rule all.

5. Notre Dame chooses to remain independent and the Big Ten adds five schools from other conferences to ... you guessed it... form college football's first mega-conference to rule all.

Or maybe not.

For the fun of it, let's say the Big Ten becomes the Big 16 and adds Notre Dame, Louisville, West Virginia, Pitt and Cincinnati. (There are other possible variations, obviously, but let's stick with these teams just because, geographically, it makes for some interesting rivalries.) As you can plainly see, this would be a mega-conference that would trump even the SEC.

Would the SEC stand pat and allow itself to fall behind the new Big 16? That doesn't seem very SECish, if you ask me. The SEC (God bless Roy Kramer and Mike Slive) enjoys being the top dog of college football. Fans demand it. Alumni demand it. Heck, even politicians demand it. Ahh, politics. That's where this whole conference-expansion speculation gets really interesting.

With the Big 16 in place, the SEC and Atlantic Coast Conference are now feeling the pressure. Does the ACC add the football schools of the old Big East, bringing the ACC to 16 teams? Will the SEC follow suit and pilfer the ACC and/or Big 12? This brings us to the oh-so-titillating opportunity for the SEC to make a play for four more major football schools.

From the west, the SEC adds Texas and Texas A&M. From the east, the SEC adds Miami and Florida State. Take that, Big 16.

(Before we play make believe and realign the conferences, keep in mind that Notre Dame is the X-factor in all this. If Notre Dame joins the Big Ten then things could get interesting very quickly.)

NEW SEC
SEC WEST
Alabama 
Arkansas 
Auburn 
LSU 
Mississippi
Mississippi State 
Texas 
Texas A&M

SEC EAST
Florida
Florida State
Georgia
Kentucky
Miami
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vanderbilt

NEW ACC
ACC NORTH
Boston College
Connecticut
Maryland
Rutgers
Syracuse
Virginia
Virginia Tech

ACC SOUTH
Clemson
Duke
Georgia Tech
North Carolina
N.C. State
South Florida
Wake Forest

NEW BIG 16
BIG 16 EAST
Cincinnati
Indiana
Louisville
Ohio State
Penn State
Pittsburgh
Purdue
Wisconsin

BIG 16 WEST
Illinois
Iowa
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Northwestern
Notre Dame
West Virginia

The Big 12 could possibly add Texas Christian and Southern Methodist to take the place of Texas and Texas A&M. The remaining schools in the Big East do not play football in the Football Bowl Subdivision: Villanova, Marquette, Georgetown, Seton Hall, St. John's, Providence and DePaul. All of Notre Dame's sports would move to the Big 16.

Bottom line: Florida, Florida State and Miami would play EVERY YEAR! And, maybe, the possibility for a college football playoff seems more likely. Wow, OK, let's not go overboard here.

-jo-