That's why we have a new coach. We have a long way to go.
Oliver Barry CRS, GRI
Real Estate Broker
PARKS Real Estate Services
305 B Indian Lake Blvd
Suite 220
Hendersonville TN 37075
Office: 615-826-4040
Mobile: 615-972-4239
barryo@realtracs.com
> On Dec 31, 2017, at 9:05 PM, Charles Simpson <imagator@outlook.com> wrote:
>
> How do you get outscored 30-4 in the 4th quarter of a game that was fairly
> close.
> Charlie
>
>
> --
> --
> GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
> 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007)
> ---
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GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007)
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Sunday, December 31, 2017
[gatortalk] Womens BB
How do you get outscored 30-4 in the 4th quarter of a game that was fairly
close.
Charlie
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--
GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007)
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close.
Charlie
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GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007)
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Friday, December 29, 2017
Re: [gatortalk] FW: [gatornews] Yesterday's GatorNews from the Palm Beach Post (including SEC Country), courtesy of JunoGator
Same question I have about his claims about how good the O-line was supposed to be then looked unprepared and got totally manhandled by Meatchicken (granted, they did improve as the season went on) . He worked at Bama, who had some of the best O-lines in the country, how can he not know what they should look like?
On Fri, Dec 29, 2017 at 12:18 PM, Oliver Barry <barryo@realtracs.com> wrote:
--Why would Mac have done such a poor job with strength and conditioning? He had all the money he needed for that.
Another thing about the guy that got him fired.
What about Jacob Copeland? Do you think he'll turn back to the Mighty Gators? This is pretty encouraging news.
And… Haley Lorenzen!! Woohoo! She's a beast playing among children.
From: gatornews@googlegroups.com [mailto:gatornews@
googlegroups.com ] On Behalf Of Broadreach Financial Services
Sent: Friday, December 29, 2017 8:44 AM
To: GatorNEWS
Subject: [gatornews] Yesterday's GatorNews from the Palm Beach Post (including SEC Country), courtesy of JunoGator
Dan Mullen jokes to recruit that the Marines would be an easier route than Florida's new offseason conditioning program
Rob Foldy/Getty Images
Florida coach Dan Mullen has promised a more intense offseason strength and conditioning program for the Gators.
Additional article content not readily reproduced here can be seen at URL at the top of the story.
Florida Gators football is the No. 1 topic in Good Morning, Gators every day — but we cover news, notes and analysis from across the Gators sports world. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Florida football, recruiting, basketball and more.
Much has been made about new Florida coach Dan Mullen's pledge to dramatically make over the Gators' offseason strength and conditioning program.
In his introductory news conference, Mullen said, "It's probably going to be something they have never even experienced in their life before, our off-season conditioning program."
Some of Mullen's former Mississippi State players later backed up that claim, with one even apologizing in advance to the Florida players for what is to come.
Mullen, meanwhile, has already warned his incoming early enrollees about the offseason expectations as well.
"Coach Mullen told me if I wanted to take it easy I should go to the Marines," incoming Florida safety/outside linebacker Amari Burney told SEC Country on Wednesday.
"He said if you want it easier than what we're going to go through, you might as well join the Marines," added Chris Burney, Amari's father.
That was just one of the interesting things Burney shared as part of SEC Country's Recruiting Rewind series. Florida fans might also be interested in reading about how his relationship with former embattled Gators offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier helped reassure Burney through the coaching change.
MORE: Click here to sign up for the Good Morning, Gators newsletter!
Recruiting roundup
- SEC Country's Zach Abolverdi is counting down the Gators' top remaining targets in this Class of 2018. The list continued Wednesday with No. 3, 4-star wide receiver Jacob Copeland. Abolverdi writes that Alabama and Tennessee are the biggest competitors for Copeland, who was once committed to Florida before backing off his pledge during the coaching change.
- The list started at No. 5 on Monday with 4-star defensive end Andrew Chatfield and continued Tuesday at No. 4 with offensive lineman William Barnes.
Lorenzen reaches 1,000 points
Senior Haley Lorenzen scored her 1,000th career point for the Florida women's basketball team on Wednesday night in the Gators' 85-51 win over Delaware State.
Lorenzen scored 11 of her team-high 18 points in the first half and added 12 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season.
"It's quite an honor. I wouldn't be here without my teammates now and in the past, my coaches," Lorenzen said. "There are a lot of people I would like to thank that helped me get here, but I don't like talking about myself. I would rather talk about being prepared for Auburn. It's great to have teammates like these."
The Gators open SEC play Sunday at Auburn.
Let's keep talking
Want to keep the conversation going? Hop over to our free Florida message board. Sign up now and join the discussion here.
What they're saying on Twitter
Florida center T.J. McCoy continues to make his push to the Gators' top uncommitted recruiting targets:
And Copeland responded in turn, leaving Gators' fans to decipher his intentions:
QB Malik Zaire hasn't officially announced that he won't pursue an extra year of eligibility, but this tweet indicated he's of that mindset:
Miss a previous edition of Good Morning, Gators? Get caught up here.
No. 3 target for Florida recruiting: WR Jacob Copeland
Wide receiver Jacob Copeland is a top target for Florida recruiting.
Additional article content not readily reproduced here can be seen at URL at the top of the story.
Join us here on SEC Country for a daily recap of the latest Florida recruiting news, tales from the trail and perspective on what it all means for the Gators.
With the dead period now in effect, SEC Country is counting down the top-five recruiting targets for Florida in the Class of 2018.
No. 3 is Jacob Copeland, a 4-star wide receiver from Escambia High School in Pensacola, Fla.
Recruiting importance of Jacob Copeland
Florida once had five wide receivers committed, but that number is now down to one. And it's probably just a matter of time before Corey Gammage joins the de-commitment list. Gators coach Dan Mullen is basically starting from scratch at the position, but one of his top targets is a familiar face. Copeland committed to Florida over Alabama in early August, then re-opened his recruitment last month because of the coaching changes at UF. However, Mullen & Co. have history with Copeland and he is a priority to the new staff — especially with the recent defections.
Biggest competition for Jacob Copeland
Tennessee is trending for Copeland, but Alabama is still the biggest threat to Florida. The Crimson Tide have been pursuing the top-100 overall prospect for a year and a half. His primary recruiter at Alabama was former defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, who just became the head coach at Tennessee. Copeland is now considering the Vols because of Pruitt, but he also has a close relationship with Alabama coach Nick Saban and assistant Derrick Ansley. Copeland officially visited Tennessee on Dec. 12 and likely will take trips to Alabama and Florida in January.
Signing day projection for Jacob Copeland
Copeland isn't committing until National Signing Day, which is good news for the Gators. That gives Mullen time to conduct an in-home visit and bring Copeland back to Gainesville for an official visit. Mullen and wide receivers coach Billy Gonzalez recruited Copeland when they were at Mississippi State and that relationship was rekindled this month. It also helps that the Gators have found their quarterback of the future in Emory Jones, who has a friendship with Copeland and will be on campus when he visits. Florida is Copeland's dream school and now has a QB recruit and a coaching staff that he likes. I think those factors will result in a re-commitment.
Miss a previous Gator Chomps notebook? Find every daily recap of Florida Gators recruiting right here.
Recruiting Rewind: Surprising source helped assure Florida signee Amari Burney after coaching change
Early enrollee Amari Burney could end up at safety or outside linebacker for Florida.
Additional article content not readily reproduced here can be seen at URL at the top of the story.
CLEARWATER, Fla. — One of the key defensive additions in Florida's 2018 recruiting class is ball-hawking, sure-tackling, versatile 4-star prospect Amari Burney, who could end up at safety, nickel or even outside linebacker.
Fans might be surprised to learn who played the key role in initially landing Burney's commitment and then reassuring him during the uncertainty that followed the dismissal of former Gators coach Jim McElwain.
None other than former Florida offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.
"It was kind of bittersweet because in the 10th grade they were the ones that kind of first recognized his talent — Nussmeier," said Chris Burney, Amari's father. "And then even through the whole situation, even through the whole transition, we hadn't talked to Mac, but Nussmeier was still like, 'Listen, hey, this is still a great school.' He was just very professional about the whole situation after everything that happened.
"I'm quite sure it was kind of awkward for everybody, but even during the whole duration of the transition, he was very professional, like, 'Hey this is the school for you, man. No matter what happens, you can still come here and do great things.'"
Nussmeier, a target of fans' ire after three seasons of struggling offenses, was a lame-duck coach at that point with no chance of remaining on staff regardless of who Florida hired, but he had formed a strong personal connection with Burney and even met with him after the Gators' season finale against Florida State.
It was during a camp at Florida before Burney's sophomore season that Nussmeier first noticed the prospect, who was then auditioning as a wide receiver. He liked Burney's size and speed and said they'd keep an eye on him during the upcoming fall.
Miami threw Burney a scholarship offer after that sophomore season, but he hadn't spoken to the coaches there. Then he visited Auburn and received another scholarship offer, but Florida quickly followed with its own after Burney returned for the Gators' junior day.
"Then after Florida, that's when everything started coming," Burney recalled. "Nuss was there before I had any offers. I was just a kid out there running routes, doing things and he came over and pulled me to the side and he started talking to me. He was like, 'I see something in you special.'"
Said Chris Burney: "He's a high-quality person. It was just very bittersweet because he was one of the first ones to recognize his talent. So we hated to see him to go, but at the same time, it is what it is and we want to win."
Enter new Florida coach Dan Mullen, who phoned Burney in the evening after his introductory press conference in Gainesville to let him know he was still a big part of the Gators recruiting class.
Later that week, Mullen visited Burney and his family in Clearwater.
"It was great. Very high energy, came in there talking about everything I needed to hear. Just telling me if I want to be better as a person and as a player, come to Florida, and then just giving me his background, everybody he coached. I just seen the things he can do," Burney said.
His father, meanwhile, was sold after that phone call the Monday that Mullen was officially introduced as Florida's new coach.
"Once they actually got Coach Mullen, we were kind of relieved because we know he had been there before. He's somebody that loves the program, he's won with them before so it's not like you have this total outside person coming in. Because Gainesville is a very hard place. So he knows what's expected of him there," Chris Burney said. "… That [phone call] kind of locked us in with him. As busy as he was, he still found his time to call … just reassuring him. I think that right there kind of did it for us."
Burney is rated the 15th-best safety in this recruiting class by the 247Sports composite and ended up with more than 20 scholarship offers.
Listed at 6-foot-1, 219 pounds, Burney said he was clocked as fast as a 4.35-second 40-yard dash time during a visit to Alabama, when he had a more slender frame. Now he packs a combination of speed and size that makes him a versatile piece for new Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham.
As a senior at Calvary Christian High School in Clearwater, he recorded an interception for touchdown, a tackle for loss and caught 33 passes for 558 yards and 5 touchdowns on offense while also rushing for a score. Florida had told Burney earlier in the recruiting process that he could play whichever side of the ball her prefers.
He says he likes the control he feels on defense, the challenge of 1-on-1 matchups and he's not concerned about not having the ball in his hands as much as he did in high school.
"I can get interceptions," he said matter-of-factly. "If I want the ball, I can go get it."
As for what position he ends up playing at Florida, he's happy to help the defense in any way Grantham feels he fits best.
"He just told me how they're going to use me, how they're going to blitz me a lot, how they're going to move me around on the defense from safety to outside linebacker to nickel and things like that," Burney said. "I just want to play where I can benefit from … and I can make myself better and just make myself a better player."
The following is part of SEC Country's "Recruiting Rewind" series:
Q: Now that it's over, how do you reflect back on the recruiting process as a whole?
Burney: "It was fun in the beginning, just getting those first few offers as a sophomore in high school. All your friends hyping you up, telling you you're doing good and just keep pushing. It was a fun in the beginning, but when it comes down to committing and things like that, taking a visit, then it started getting a little stressful because you've got to check [on] all the schools that are still hitting you up, you've got to see what they provide for you in the future. And your parents have a say in what schools you're going to visit, what schools you're not, so it got stressful I think in like February, but then after that I knew where I was going so then it got fun again."
Q: You didn't really waver through the coaching change. How did you stay so sure in your decision?
Burney: "I really didn't waver that much because I still wanted to be a Gator either way. … It was just being patient. Talking to my parents, we were just going to be patient and see who came in. It really wasn't, 'I'm going to de-commit and see.' It was just like, we're going to stay and see through it. And when we got Coach Mullen, it was a great fit."
Q: Who was the hardest coach to say no to during the process?
Burney: "[Defensive coordinator Greg] Schiano, Ohio State. He called me the day before I committed. He called me that morning and it was his birthday. He was just telling me how bad he wanted me. It was very hard to say no to Ohio State. He called me that morning. I was going to commit like 15 minutes before and he called me. … He tried a little bit [after that], but then when they saw I wasn't taking no more visits they just stopped trying."
Q: Who was the nicest head coach you dealt during recruiting?
Burney: "Probably Coach [Justin] Fuente from Virginia Tech. My cousin played there, Brandon Facyson, so he just was a nice dude to me. He called my cousin and we sat down and talked. So he was probably the nicest coach I met."
Q: In the end, which school was your runner-up?
Burney: "Virginia Tech. And then it was Ohio State behind Virginia Tech. They was close. Just me taking that final visit to Virginia Tech [for the Hokies' spring game] and just me sitting down with my parents listening to what my cousin had to say about the coaches, because he played there and he knew all the insight about everything. They just can't tell me nothing, because if you tell me something I'm going to go back and ask him the same thing and if he told me different, that's just a no. But he told me that same thing so that's why they were the runner up."
Q: What was the funniest thing a coach said to you?
Burney: "Coach Mullen told me if I wanted to take it easy I should go to the Marines."
Chris Burney, Amari's father: "He said if you want it easier than what we're going to go through, you might as well join the Marines."
Burney: "That's pretty crazy. … I'm ready. I've been training every day for the past few weeks so I'm ready."
Q: What was the funniest moment on a recruiting visit?
Burney: "Probably, I'm going to say Ohio State. My mom told me that it was going to be like 60 or 70 degrees outside and I came out there with gym shorts on and a jacket, and I was out there freezing the whole game. I really couldn't pay attention to the game, I was just out there freezing."
Chris Burney: "That was the Rutgers game [on Sept. 30] so it was probably like 30-something. Yeah, I remember that game."
Q: Did you have a lot of schools using negative recruiting to try to steer you to their program?
Burney: "Not really. I had a lot of offers, but it was only a few schools that actually recruited me. Some schools offered me, but then they were too far so they weren't really going to get me. So there really wasn't [any] schools throwing down on other schools."
Q: What school would have had a better chance with you if it had come in earlier?
Burney: "Probably Virginia Tech. They kind of waited, then after they waited they tried to [leverage that] my cousin went there. It was kind of too late after that, honestly."
Chris Burney: "If they would have used that to their advantage, because his cousin has been the cornerback for the last three years, and if they would have used that to their benefit, 'You see what we're doing with your cousin,' I think it would have been a little bit harder for him to kind of turn them down. But they didn't play that card so much. They kind of came in late."
Q: In addition to the coaches, what else sold you on Florida?
Burney: "It was just the school. Just looking into everything they talked about, academics and things like that. That's what I was mainly looking at. And one the things coaches always told me was, 'Do you see yourself being here if you [weren't] playing football?' And I see myself in Gainesville just being a regular student, going to class and things like that, and that's why I chose Florida."
Q: What advice would you give a high school junior just getting started in the recruiting process?
Burney: "Just be patient, stay humble. Don't fall into all the hype. You still have to work. I mean, they can throw you all the stars, they can throw you all the offers, but at the end of the day they still got to come back your senior season and [make it] official. So just stay hungry."
Q: Lastly, if you had sway with the NCAA, what would you change about the recruiting process?
Burney: "For some people to take more officials. I only took one so I wouldn't be in that, but some people like, you've got certain schools where you want to go here, but [you] want to go all the way to California to take an official. So I'd give two more officials, so make it like seven."
--
--
GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions |
Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007)
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GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007)
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GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007)
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[gatortalk] FW: [gatornews] Yesterday's GatorNews from the Palm Beach Post (including SEC Country), courtesy of JunoGator
Why would Mac have done such a poor job with strength and conditioning? He had all the money he needed for that.
Another thing about the guy that got him fired.
What about Jacob Copeland? Do you think he'll turn back to the Mighty Gators? This is pretty encouraging news.
And… Haley Lorenzen!! Woohoo! She's a beast playing among children.
Oliver Barry, CRS, GRI
Real Estate Broker
PARKS
305B Indian Lake Blvd
Suite 220
Hendersonville TN 37075
Phone: 615-826-4040
Mobile: 615-972-4239
From: gatornews@googlegroups.com [mailto:gatornews@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Broadreach Financial Services
Sent: Friday, December 29, 2017 8:44 AM
To: GatorNEWS
Subject: [gatornews] Yesterday's GatorNews from the Palm Beach Post (including SEC Country), courtesy of JunoGator
Dan Mullen jokes to recruit that the Marines would be an easier route than Florida's new offseason conditioning program
Rob Foldy/Getty Images
Florida coach Dan Mullen has promised a more intense offseason strength and conditioning program for the Gators.
Additional article content not readily reproduced here can be seen at URL at the top of the story.
Florida Gators football is the No. 1 topic in Good Morning, Gators every day — but we cover news, notes and analysis from across the Gators sports world. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Florida football, recruiting, basketball and more.
Much has been made about new Florida coach Dan Mullen's pledge to dramatically make over the Gators' offseason strength and conditioning program.
In his introductory news conference, Mullen said, "It's probably going to be something they have never even experienced in their life before, our off-season conditioning program."
Some of Mullen's former Mississippi State players later backed up that claim, with one even apologizing in advance to the Florida players for what is to come.
Mullen, meanwhile, has already warned his incoming early enrollees about the offseason expectations as well.
"Coach Mullen told me if I wanted to take it easy I should go to the Marines," incoming Florida safety/outside linebacker Amari Burney told SEC Country on Wednesday.
"He said if you want it easier than what we're going to go through, you might as well join the Marines," added Chris Burney, Amari's father.
That was just one of the interesting things Burney shared as part of SEC Country's Recruiting Rewind series. Florida fans might also be interested in reading about how his relationship with former embattled Gators offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier helped reassure Burney through the coaching change.
MORE: Click here to sign up for the Good Morning, Gators newsletter!
Recruiting roundup
- SEC Country's Zach Abolverdi is counting down the Gators' top remaining targets in this Class of 2018. The list continued Wednesday with No. 3, 4-star wide receiver Jacob Copeland. Abolverdi writes that Alabama and Tennessee are the biggest competitors for Copeland, who was once committed to Florida before backing off his pledge during the coaching change.
- The list started at No. 5 on Monday with 4-star defensive end Andrew Chatfield and continued Tuesday at No. 4 with offensive lineman William Barnes.
Lorenzen reaches 1,000 points
Senior Haley Lorenzen scored her 1,000th career point for the Florida women's basketball team on Wednesday night in the Gators' 85-51 win over Delaware State.
Lorenzen scored 11 of her team-high 18 points in the first half and added 12 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season.
"It's quite an honor. I wouldn't be here without my teammates now and in the past, my coaches," Lorenzen said. "There are a lot of people I would like to thank that helped me get here, but I don't like talking about myself. I would rather talk about being prepared for Auburn. It's great to have teammates like these."
The Gators open SEC play Sunday at Auburn.
Let's keep talking
Want to keep the conversation going? Hop over to our free Florida message board. Sign up now and join the discussion here.
What they're saying on Twitter
Florida center T.J. McCoy continues to make his push to the Gators' top uncommitted recruiting targets:
And Copeland responded in turn, leaving Gators' fans to decipher his intentions:
QB Malik Zaire hasn't officially announced that he won't pursue an extra year of eligibility, but this tweet indicated he's of that mindset:
Miss a previous edition of Good Morning, Gators? Get caught up here.
No. 3 target for Florida recruiting: WR Jacob Copeland
Wide receiver Jacob Copeland is a top target for Florida recruiting.
Additional article content not readily reproduced here can be seen at URL at the top of the story.
Join us here on SEC Country for a daily recap of the latest Florida recruiting news, tales from the trail and perspective on what it all means for the Gators.
With the dead period now in effect, SEC Country is counting down the top-five recruiting targets for Florida in the Class of 2018.
No. 3 is Jacob Copeland, a 4-star wide receiver from Escambia High School in Pensacola, Fla.
Recruiting importance of Jacob Copeland
Florida once had five wide receivers committed, but that number is now down to one. And it's probably just a matter of time before Corey Gammage joins the de-commitment list. Gators coach Dan Mullen is basically starting from scratch at the position, but one of his top targets is a familiar face. Copeland committed to Florida over Alabama in early August, then re-opened his recruitment last month because of the coaching changes at UF. However, Mullen & Co. have history with Copeland and he is a priority to the new staff — especially with the recent defections.
Biggest competition for Jacob Copeland
Tennessee is trending for Copeland, but Alabama is still the biggest threat to Florida. The Crimson Tide have been pursuing the top-100 overall prospect for a year and a half. His primary recruiter at Alabama was former defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, who just became the head coach at Tennessee. Copeland is now considering the Vols because of Pruitt, but he also has a close relationship with Alabama coach Nick Saban and assistant Derrick Ansley. Copeland officially visited Tennessee on Dec. 12 and likely will take trips to Alabama and Florida in January.
Signing day projection for Jacob Copeland
Copeland isn't committing until National Signing Day, which is good news for the Gators. That gives Mullen time to conduct an in-home visit and bring Copeland back to Gainesville for an official visit. Mullen and wide receivers coach Billy Gonzalez recruited Copeland when they were at Mississippi State and that relationship was rekindled this month. It also helps that the Gators have found their quarterback of the future in Emory Jones, who has a friendship with Copeland and will be on campus when he visits. Florida is Copeland's dream school and now has a QB recruit and a coaching staff that he likes. I think those factors will result in a re-commitment.
Miss a previous Gator Chomps notebook? Find every daily recap of Florida Gators recruiting right here.
Recruiting Rewind: Surprising source helped assure Florida signee Amari Burney after coaching change
Early enrollee Amari Burney could end up at safety or outside linebacker for Florida.
Additional article content not readily reproduced here can be seen at URL at the top of the story.
CLEARWATER, Fla. — One of the key defensive additions in Florida's 2018 recruiting class is ball-hawking, sure-tackling, versatile 4-star prospect Amari Burney, who could end up at safety, nickel or even outside linebacker.
Fans might be surprised to learn who played the key role in initially landing Burney's commitment and then reassuring him during the uncertainty that followed the dismissal of former Gators coach Jim McElwain.
None other than former Florida offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.
"It was kind of bittersweet because in the 10th grade they were the ones that kind of first recognized his talent — Nussmeier," said Chris Burney, Amari's father. "And then even through the whole situation, even through the whole transition, we hadn't talked to Mac, but Nussmeier was still like, 'Listen, hey, this is still a great school.' He was just very professional about the whole situation after everything that happened.
"I'm quite sure it was kind of awkward for everybody, but even during the whole duration of the transition, he was very professional, like, 'Hey this is the school for you, man. No matter what happens, you can still come here and do great things.'"
Nussmeier, a target of fans' ire after three seasons of struggling offenses, was a lame-duck coach at that point with no chance of remaining on staff regardless of who Florida hired, but he had formed a strong personal connection with Burney and even met with him after the Gators' season finale against Florida State.
It was during a camp at Florida before Burney's sophomore season that Nussmeier first noticed the prospect, who was then auditioning as a wide receiver. He liked Burney's size and speed and said they'd keep an eye on him during the upcoming fall.
Miami threw Burney a scholarship offer after that sophomore season, but he hadn't spoken to the coaches there. Then he visited Auburn and received another scholarship offer, but Florida quickly followed with its own after Burney returned for the Gators' junior day.
"Then after Florida, that's when everything started coming," Burney recalled. "Nuss was there before I had any offers. I was just a kid out there running routes, doing things and he came over and pulled me to the side and he started talking to me. He was like, 'I see something in you special.'"
Said Chris Burney: "He's a high-quality person. It was just very bittersweet because he was one of the first ones to recognize his talent. So we hated to see him to go, but at the same time, it is what it is and we want to win."
Enter new Florida coach Dan Mullen, who phoned Burney in the evening after his introductory press conference in Gainesville to let him know he was still a big part of the Gators recruiting class.
Later that week, Mullen visited Burney and his family in Clearwater.
"It was great. Very high energy, came in there talking about everything I needed to hear. Just telling me if I want to be better as a person and as a player, come to Florida, and then just giving me his background, everybody he coached. I just seen the things he can do," Burney said.
His father, meanwhile, was sold after that phone call the Monday that Mullen was officially introduced as Florida's new coach.
"Once they actually got Coach Mullen, we were kind of relieved because we know he had been there before. He's somebody that loves the program, he's won with them before so it's not like you have this total outside person coming in. Because Gainesville is a very hard place. So he knows what's expected of him there," Chris Burney said. "… That [phone call] kind of locked us in with him. As busy as he was, he still found his time to call … just reassuring him. I think that right there kind of did it for us."
Burney is rated the 15th-best safety in this recruiting class by the 247Sports composite and ended up with more than 20 scholarship offers.
Listed at 6-foot-1, 219 pounds, Burney said he was clocked as fast as a 4.35-second 40-yard dash time during a visit to Alabama, when he had a more slender frame. Now he packs a combination of speed and size that makes him a versatile piece for new Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham.
As a senior at Calvary Christian High School in Clearwater, he recorded an interception for touchdown, a tackle for loss and caught 33 passes for 558 yards and 5 touchdowns on offense while also rushing for a score. Florida had told Burney earlier in the recruiting process that he could play whichever side of the ball her prefers.
He says he likes the control he feels on defense, the challenge of 1-on-1 matchups and he's not concerned about not having the ball in his hands as much as he did in high school.
"I can get interceptions," he said matter-of-factly. "If I want the ball, I can go get it."
As for what position he ends up playing at Florida, he's happy to help the defense in any way Grantham feels he fits best.
"He just told me how they're going to use me, how they're going to blitz me a lot, how they're going to move me around on the defense from safety to outside linebacker to nickel and things like that," Burney said. "I just want to play where I can benefit from … and I can make myself better and just make myself a better player."
The following is part of SEC Country's "Recruiting Rewind" series:
Q: Now that it's over, how do you reflect back on the recruiting process as a whole?
Burney: "It was fun in the beginning, just getting those first few offers as a sophomore in high school. All your friends hyping you up, telling you you're doing good and just keep pushing. It was a fun in the beginning, but when it comes down to committing and things like that, taking a visit, then it started getting a little stressful because you've got to check [on] all the schools that are still hitting you up, you've got to see what they provide for you in the future. And your parents have a say in what schools you're going to visit, what schools you're not, so it got stressful I think in like February, but then after that I knew where I was going so then it got fun again."
Q: You didn't really waver through the coaching change. How did you stay so sure in your decision?
Burney: "I really didn't waver that much because I still wanted to be a Gator either way. … It was just being patient. Talking to my parents, we were just going to be patient and see who came in. It really wasn't, 'I'm going to de-commit and see.' It was just like, we're going to stay and see through it. And when we got Coach Mullen, it was a great fit."
Q: Who was the hardest coach to say no to during the process?
Burney: "[Defensive coordinator Greg] Schiano, Ohio State. He called me the day before I committed. He called me that morning and it was his birthday. He was just telling me how bad he wanted me. It was very hard to say no to Ohio State. He called me that morning. I was going to commit like 15 minutes before and he called me. … He tried a little bit [after that], but then when they saw I wasn't taking no more visits they just stopped trying."
Q: Who was the nicest head coach you dealt during recruiting?
Burney: "Probably Coach [Justin] Fuente from Virginia Tech. My cousin played there, Brandon Facyson, so he just was a nice dude to me. He called my cousin and we sat down and talked. So he was probably the nicest coach I met."
Q: In the end, which school was your runner-up?
Burney: "Virginia Tech. And then it was Ohio State behind Virginia Tech. They was close. Just me taking that final visit to Virginia Tech [for the Hokies' spring game] and just me sitting down with my parents listening to what my cousin had to say about the coaches, because he played there and he knew all the insight about everything. They just can't tell me nothing, because if you tell me something I'm going to go back and ask him the same thing and if he told me different, that's just a no. But he told me that same thing so that's why they were the runner up."
Q: What was the funniest thing a coach said to you?
Burney: "Coach Mullen told me if I wanted to take it easy I should go to the Marines."
Chris Burney, Amari's father: "He said if you want it easier than what we're going to go through, you might as well join the Marines."
Burney: "That's pretty crazy. … I'm ready. I've been training every day for the past few weeks so I'm ready."
Q: What was the funniest moment on a recruiting visit?
Burney: "Probably, I'm going to say Ohio State. My mom told me that it was going to be like 60 or 70 degrees outside and I came out there with gym shorts on and a jacket, and I was out there freezing the whole game. I really couldn't pay attention to the game, I was just out there freezing."
Chris Burney: "That was the Rutgers game [on Sept. 30] so it was probably like 30-something. Yeah, I remember that game."
Q: Did you have a lot of schools using negative recruiting to try to steer you to their program?
Burney: "Not really. I had a lot of offers, but it was only a few schools that actually recruited me. Some schools offered me, but then they were too far so they weren't really going to get me. So there really wasn't [any] schools throwing down on other schools."
Q: What school would have had a better chance with you if it had come in earlier?
Burney: "Probably Virginia Tech. They kind of waited, then after they waited they tried to [leverage that] my cousin went there. It was kind of too late after that, honestly."
Chris Burney: "If they would have used that to their advantage, because his cousin has been the cornerback for the last three years, and if they would have used that to their benefit, 'You see what we're doing with your cousin,' I think it would have been a little bit harder for him to kind of turn them down. But they didn't play that card so much. They kind of came in late."
Q: In addition to the coaches, what else sold you on Florida?
Burney: "It was just the school. Just looking into everything they talked about, academics and things like that. That's what I was mainly looking at. And one the things coaches always told me was, 'Do you see yourself being here if you [weren't] playing football?' And I see myself in Gainesville just being a regular student, going to class and things like that, and that's why I chose Florida."
Q: What advice would you give a high school junior just getting started in the recruiting process?
Burney: "Just be patient, stay humble. Don't fall into all the hype. You still have to work. I mean, they can throw you all the stars, they can throw you all the offers, but at the end of the day they still got to come back your senior season and [make it] official. So just stay hungry."
Q: Lastly, if you had sway with the NCAA, what would you change about the recruiting process?
Burney: "For some people to take more officials. I only took one so I wouldn't be in that, but some people like, you've got certain schools where you want to go here, but [you] want to go all the way to California to take an official. So I'd give two more officials, so make it like seven."
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GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY!
1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions |
Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007)
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