Tuesday, April 17, 2018

[gatortalk] FW: [gatornews] GatorNews from the Palm Beach Post (including SEC Country), courtesy of JunoGator

ESPN's Lee Corse with some thoughts on wearing the Gators mascot hear on College GameDay.

I don't know about you, but I don't care what Lee Corso has to say about wearing the Gator head.

Nor, anything else he has to say.

 

Oliver Barry, CRS, GRI

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Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2018 11:01 AM
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Subject: [gatornews] GatorNews from the Palm Beach Post (including SEC Country), courtesy of JunoGator

 

 

Looking back at Florida's spring quarterback competition

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Ryan Young/SEC Country

Feleipe Franks and Florida's QBs will continue their competition into fall camp.

https://www.seccountry.com/florida/florida-gators-football-quarterback-competition-recruiting-dan-mullen 

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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.

Kyle Trask makes strong impression this spring

Dan Mullen didn't name a starting quarterback coming out of the spring, nor did he ever intend to make any such decision at this point.

The Gators' quarterback competition will extend into fall camp after redshirt sophomores Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask each had strong moments this spring, while freshman Emory Jones eased into his first taste of college football.

"I've seen both guys be very up and down all spring long. I keep talking to them about consistency of performance," Mullen said of Franks and Trask.

Trask, still untested through two years in the program, made a strong impression this spring, though, and closed with a strong performance in the Orange & Blue game Saturday.

MORE: Click here to sign up for the Good Morning, Gators newsletter!

In other Florida football news

Recruiting roundup

Florida baseball hosts Jacksonville

  • Florida's JJ Schwarz was named the SEC Co-Player of the Week after batting .500 (7 for 14) with 2 home runs, 2 doubles, 6 RBIs, a 1.071 slugging percentage and .563 on-base percentage last week. Schwarz shares the honor with LSU's Austin Bain.
  • The Gators (32-6) host Jacksonville at 6 p.m. Tuesday night at McKethan Stadium. Florida won the first meeting, 10-3, last month.
  • Freshman right-hander Jack Leftwich (3-1, 3.56 ERA) will start for the Gators, while Jacksonville throws righty Austin Temple (2-0, 3.09).

What they're saying on Twitter

  • Florida running back Lamical Perine adding more praise for the fans who came out Saturday for the spring game:
  • Ditto for Gators freshman QB Emory Jones:
  • SEC Network with an interesting question:
  • Florida QB commit Jalon Jones:

Miss a previous edition of Good Morning, Gators? Get caught up here.

 

 

Vowing to make Florida fun again, Dan Mullen delivers with spring game

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Florida coach Dan Mullen celebrates with fans after the spring game Saturday.

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Welcome to Chomp Chat, SEC Country's daily Florida podcast with reporter Zach Abolverdi and Gators broadcaster Jeff Cardozo.

Dan Mullen's debut didn't disappoint Saturday.

The first-year Florida coach and his Gators football team attracted more than 53,000 fans for the spring game as the Orange squad defeated the Blue, 35-30.

In the latest edition of Chomp Chat, we discuss highlights from the game, how the new-look offense performed and what Mullen was able to accomplish this spring.

Here are the topics on today's show:

  • Florida didn't set the spring game attendance record, but fans came out in large numbers and Mullen entertained them with some fun on offense.
  • Hundreds of former Gators also returned to Gainesville for a pre-game meal with Mullen and Gator Walk. A couple players even saw some action on the field.
  • Quarterbacks Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask both made plays during the game, combining for 298 passing yards, 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. However, the position is still a work in progress and their competition will continue into the offseason.

You can listen to the podcast on iTunes or below on SoundCloud.

 

Miss a previous edition? Find every episode of SEC Country's daily Florida Gators podcast.

 

Florida recruiting: Gators improve standing with multiple spring-game visitors

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Zach Abolverdi/SEC Country

4-star cornerback Chester Kimbrough named Florida his leader on Saturday.

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We are tackling the best recruiting question supplied by Florida fans each day. If you'd like to submit a question, tweet to Zach Abolverdi here. Check out our question of the day every Monday through Friday. Go here to see our previous answers.

The Gators didn't land any commitments over the weekend, but they improved their standing with several visitors who were in attendance at the Orange & Blue Game.

Derek Stingley Jr., a 5-star cornerback from Baton Rouge, La., named Florida in his top 6 last month with Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Stanford and Texas.

Stingley moved the Gators up his leaderboard Saturday.

"It was a nice spring game and there was no point during the day when I was bored. I got to see everything I wanted to see," Stingley told SEC Country. "It helps out their case really good. This is my first game here, so getting to see all that bumped them up higher."

Another cornerback from Louisiana — 4-star recruit Chester Kimbrough — was on commitment watch this past weekend. He didn't pull the trigger while in Gainesville, but the New Orleans product named Florida his No. 1 school.

"Florida has always been in the picture for me because of their past history. They're my leader right now," Kimbrough said. "I'm just going to wait [on deciding] until I go through the process. … Coach [Dan] Mullen told me whenever I'm ready to jump on board, just tell him and he's going to make it happen."

Florida also took the lead for 3-star cornerback Cordale Flott (Saraland, Ala.), according to John Garcia of 247Sports. Flott couldn't attend the spring game because of he had to take the SAT, so he visited campus Friday and moved the Gators ahead of Alabama, Auburn and Ole Miss.

Former Florida commit Tyrique Stevenson, a top-100 defensive back from Miami, made a surprise trip to the game. The Gators improved their chances with him as well.

"It was pretty exciting and pretty great," Stevenson said of his visit. "I saw the vibe and I liked it. It just feels better. I got an even better vibe than I got when I was committed. It just opened my eyes up to a lot."

The Gators also established themselves as a finalist for 4-star running back/wide receiver Mark-Antony Richards, a top-50 overall athlete from West Palm Beach, Fla. He plans to return to Florida for an official visit.

"I just wanted to hear what they had to say and give them an opportunity like I give every other school. They took advantage of that. Florida is up there for me now," Antony-Richards said. "My top 10 is coming out this summer, but they're a school that will be up there."

For answers to our previous Questions of the Day, check out our archives. 

 

Top-100 WR Mycah Pittman's comfort level increases with Florida coaches

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Top-100 wide receiver Mycah Pittman visited Florida last weekend for the second time this spring.

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Join us here at 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.

WR Mycah Pittman has strong bond with Florida staff

Top-100 overall recruit Mycah Pittman has become part of Dan Mullen's daily routine.

Florida is one of more than two dozen schools recruiting the 4-star wide receiver from Calabasas, Calif. In an effort to separate himself from the pack, the first-year Gators coach has found a unique way to communicate regularly with Pittman.

"Every morning I wake up to a Coach Mullen text," Pittman said. "He sends me quotes about hard work and all that. It's awesome. I love getting them. He's always telling me about dedication. Nothing is given to you easy. You have to go get it if you really want it.

"You're born with genetics, but you have to do certain things to become a great player and make the big bucks. It takes a mentality and the heart of a lion. He's just always constantly on me."

That constant communication has helped Mullen form a strong bond with Pittman, who attended the Orange & Blue Game on Saturday. Having already visited Florida once this spring, his highlight over this weekend was spending time with Mullen and wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales.

"I talked to Coach Mullen and Gonzales for like an hour. We were just nonstop talking and it was awesome," Pittman said. "Coach Gonzales just told me he really likes me and he wants me bad. I'm the No. 1 wide receiver on his board right now. He feels like he can move me around and get me the ball a lot, get me some direct snaps."

Pittman last visited Florida in mid-March for the opening weekend of spring practices. The nation's No. 8 wide receiver likes that Gainesville is a college town and enjoyed the atmosphere in The Swamp on Saturday.

"It was a lot of fun. The fan base was crazy," Pittman said. "I talked to the coaches a little bit longer. Just getting to know them more and building that relationship. Coach Gonzales was telling me what he's going to use me for. It was music to my ears and everything I wanted to hear. So hearing that from him just made me feel good about it and more comfortable."

Gators QB commit recruiting Mycah Pittman

Mullen and Gonzales aren't alone in their efforts to land Pittman.

He also has started hearing from Gators quarterback commit Jalon Jones (Baltimore), who joined Florida's 2019 class earlier this month. Mullen already has asked Jones to recruit Pittman, 5-star running back Trey Sanders (Bradenton, Fla.) and 4-star defensive end Nathan Pickering (Seminary, Miss.).

"That guy," Pittman said with a smile when asked about Jones. "He's fired up about Florida. He's telling me the fans are really awesome, everyone is supportive of his decision and he's ready to go. He sent me long paragraphs about how great Florida is. He's just telling me to come join the family and it's a great atmosphere.

"He's just a cool guy. He told me, 'I'll give you the ball every single play.' So he was just trying to hype it up and get me on board. It's great to have him around. He said he would love to have me and we could break some records at Florida. Maybe that will happen, maybe not. It's all God's plan to see how it goes."

Despite his relationship with the Florida coaches and the early impression of Jones, Pittman isn't on the verge of committing to the Gators. He wants to take his recruitment the distance and has nine more schools under consideration.

That being said, his latest trip to Gainesville helped Florida's chances.

"It strengthens things a lot," Pittman said. "My mom loves the staff, but we're still going to keep our options open obviously. I'm not just going to stay on one school like Florida. It's a great school and there's nothing bad about it. I just have to keep my options open, keep my recruiting process going and just have fun with it.

"It's just about communication and making me feel at home. Florida doing very well at that. They're definitely staying in contact and they're probably the school that's on me the hardest. Them, Nebraska and Alabama. They're constantly hitting me up on the phone."

Pittman plans to visit Georgia next weekend and will take future trips to Alabama, LSU and Nebraska. He hopes to make his decision on National Signing Day, but may commit sooner if a school sways him.

"Honestly, I'll probably wait until Signing Day just because of my patience," Pittman said. "I want to take in every school and take all my officials. If I get a change of heart, the school turns around and just makes me feel right at home, I'll probably end up committing there.

"Nebraska, Florida, Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, those schools are all really on me. I'm just considering all of them and taking in what those coaches have to say to me. I just want to see where I feel most comfortable and where my family feels they can move and live comfortably."

Miss a previous Gator Chomps notebook? Find every daily recap of Florida Gators recruiting right here.

 

 

Sunshine State Showdown: Paul Finebaum predicts winner in Dan Mullen-Willie Taggart conference title race

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Paul Finebaum (center) picked between Dan Mullen (left) and Willie Taggart (right) on Monday.

Florida athletics/YouTube, Scott Hallaran/Getty Images, Florida State athletics/YouTube

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Gators and Seminoles fans alike knew what was at stake when Jim McElwain and Jimbo Fisher left their respective posts last year as the state's most prominent college football coaches. A battle for power would commence, and new Florida coach Dan Mullen and Florida State coach Willie Taggart would be the generals.

So who wins? After each coach's first spring practice, it's still very much up for debate.

During a Monday morning interview WJOX-FM's The RoundTableon Birmingham, Ala. radio, SEC Network personality Paul Finebaum was asked to make his prediction on which new Sunshine State football coach would win his conference's title first.

"Wow, that's a good one," Finebaum said when posed the question. "I think I would probably go with Willie Taggart for the simple reason that to win at Florida State you have to beat Clemson, to win at Florida you have to beat Georgia and Alabama. And that is a much taller mountain.

"The ACC is a good league. It's a much better league than it ever was in the days of Bobby Bowden when he really only had to beat one team. It's deeper, the coaching is better, Miami is significantly better as are many others, but it's still much easier to win the ACC than it is, in my opinion, to win the SEC as long as Nick Saban resides in Tuscaloosa."

Gators fans really shouldn't be discouraged by that answer. Winning the first conference title between the two new coaches would likely give Taggart a small leg up on Mullen in the recruiting world with some, but these programs largely measure themselves by success on the national championship level. And that's an area that Mullen has been in with the Gators program already as the offensive coordinator on Urban Meyer's staff during the program's last great run.

Florida's last conference title was in 2008, though the Gators have been to the SEC Championship Game three times since then. Florida State won the ACC during three consecutive seasons from 2012-14, but has missed out on the title game during the last three thanks to a dominating run from Dabo Swinney's Clemson program.

With Mark Richt turning things around at Miami, Charlie Strong crushing it at South Florida, Central Florida's magical 2017 run and Lane Kiffin turning heads at Florida Atlantic, the outlook for many Florida college football programs is as bright as it has ever been. It's safe to say both Mullen and Taggart have their work cut out for them in that regard.

You can listen to Finebaum's entire interview with WJOX-FM here:

 

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Mike Pouncey said he was heartbroken when he and the Dolphins were parting.

Now it seems he's bitter.

Pouncey, a Pro Bowl center, was released by the Dolphins last month after declining to take a pay cut. He quickly joined the Los Angeles Chargers.

Speaking to reporters in Southern California on Monday, Pouncey said he was unhappy that the Dolphins texted his agent, Joel Segal, to let him know he was being released instead of calling Pouncey directly.

"They have added fuel to the fire," Pouncey said.

The comments were tweeted by Fernando Ramirez, a reporter for the NBC affiliate in San Deigo, and Dan Woike, who covers the Chargers for the Los Angeles Times.

Segal did not immediately return a message from The Post.

The Dolphins declined to comment.

But Pouncey's comment likely surprised some in Davie. For one, his release came only after the Dolphins asked him to take a pay cut. After declining, Pouncey asked to be released, so the move couldn't have come as a surprise.

Secondly, Pouncey at the time put an upbeat face on his departure, saying he gave Miami everything he had and was "heartbroken" to be moving on.

"At the end of the day I'm a Miami Dolphin for life," Pouncey told The Post. "This city gave me an opportunity to play in the NFL. I think it was awesome. I had a hell of a ride here."

 

 

 

 

Football recruiting: Benjamin's Kaiir Elam adds LSU offer

Benjamin's Kaiir Elam scores a touchdown against Immaculata La Salle during the in North Palm Beach on September 20, 2017. (Richard Graulich / The Palm Beach Post)

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Benjamin's Kaiir Elam received another big offer on Monday night.

The Buccaneers star athlete, who was a first-team All-Area pick as a junior, picked up an offer from Louisiana State, which he announced on his Twitter account.

Elam, the son of former NFL defensive back Abe Elam, is among the top defensive backs in his class. The website 247Sports ranks him 53rd overall in the class and the No. 7 defensive back (the site's composite rankings, which takes other sites' rankings into account, has him at 117th and 12th in his class). The 2019 star announced last month he would play in the Under Armour All-America Game.

Last year, Elam had 361 receiving yards and four touchdowns on offense, two interceptions and 225 yards on kick and punt returns.

Elam currently holds offers 34 offers, according to 247Sports. The list of schools after his services include Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Miami and Stanford.

 

 

Lee Corso says Florida mascot head is his least favorite to wear on College GameDay

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Lee Corso has been an analyst on ESPN's College GameDay since its inception in 1987.

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Over the past three decades, Lee Corso has donned many mascot heads on ESPN's College GameDay.

When Corso makes his final prediction for the game taking place where the show is being hosted, he puts on the mascot head of that school. But he certainly has his favorites — and his least favorites.

As a former Florida State player, it's not too surprising to hear Corso say that he doesn't like wearing the Florida Gators mascot head. But the true reason behind why Corso doesn't like the Gator head is a bit more surprising.

"I hate the Florida Gators anyhow, being a Florida State man," Corso told AL.com's Mark Heim in a recent interview. "I hate to put the Florida Gator head on. The Florida Gator head is long and funny looking. It scrapes my nose. Every time I put that thing on I get scraped and blood comes down my face."

Last season, Corso never wore the Gators mascot head. That's because Florida struggled to a 4-7 season, which included the firing of former coach Jim McElwain.

But Corso will most likely be wearing the Florida mascot head at some point in the future. And it could be this upcoming season, depending on how well the Gators fare in their first under new coach Dan Mullen.

 

 

 

 

Major Wright ready for Florida's return to greatness: 'They have all the pieces'

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Former Florida safety Major Wright spoke to SEC Country about the current version of the Gators last week.

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Major Wright knows how to win a national title. His experience with Florida's championship team in 2008 is one of the primary reasons Gators coach Dan Mullen asked him to speak with his team last month.

During his visit, the former NFL safety saw some players who gave him looks as if to say, "We don't need to hear this." But he came away encouraged by the team's overall attitude.

"I think the guys got the message about us winning and keeping tradition going and what it takes to win," Wright told SEC Country last week in preparation for his flag-football game with Danny Wuerffel and other ex-Gators. "How it's within the team; if everybody can push each other, then nobody can stop 'em. And that's the mindset that we had when we were at Florida. We got each other better. Percy Harvin. Joe Haden. You know, the Pounceys. Pushing each other. And we had one common goal: winning the national championship. That's what we wanted to do, and we did it."

Wright sees Mullen as the driving factor behind a hypothetical championship run.

"First off, they've got the coach," he said. "The coach's mentality is to win, and Dan Mullen's gonna get it up outta them. I think they're headed in the right direction."

Asked about his time with Mullen at Florida in the late 2000s, Wright remembered an offensive coordinator who kept his calm under pressure.

"To be honest, man, he's so cool. He's so chill," the recently retired NFL vet said. "He has winning in him. He's learned it from one of the best in the game right now: Urban Meyer."

It's been a long decade for Florida fans since that '08 title. The program has gone 0-3 in conference championship games since, and a few particularly ugly seasons — including the surprising 4-7 campaign last year — have knocked the Gators down a peg in the national conversation.

In particular, Wright said, the once-dominant defense has been cringeworthy at times.

"It's been very disappointing, to know that we're not playing at the level we know we can play at," Wright said. "Shoot, we've got all the talent. We have all the pieces. We've just gotta put them together. And to put them together, it takes a great coach like Dan Mullen. It takes leaders on the team to get everything together. To make everybody buy in to the system that Dan Mullen is running. 

"So I think they have it. I think they have all the pieces. They've just gotta put it together and get back to that '08 championship defense and play lights out and say, 'We're not going to allow anything.'"

On the Beat: Reflections and takeaways from Florida's first spring under Dan Mullen

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Florida coach Dan Mullen just wrapped up his first spring as Gators coach.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Dan Mullen is strategic, and he coordinated Florida's Orange & Blue game Saturday as effectively as he has the rest of his short tenure so far as Gators coach.

Some fans have griped on social media about the laid-back nature of the spring game, with former players catching uncontested "touchdown passes," etc.

Rewatching the broadcast and listening to Mullen mic'd up on the field as he persuaded the officials to grant first downs on close plays, as the refs swallowed their whistles on Feleipe Franks' 60-yard scamper into the end zone while not ruling him touched down at any point, it was clear what Mullen wanted out of the day.

The intent was to have fun and give a fan base starved for offensive production a little taste of what he hopes Saturdays in The Swamp will look like again.

If that took a little engineering, well, that was all part of the plan.

Mullen has worked the last four and a half months to reinvigorate interest in Florida football, and as reflected by the announced crowd of 53,000-plus on Saturday, he's done a great job at that.

And even if the Orange & Blue game wasn't a true "game," there were takeaways to be had. Here are some thoughts from both Saturday and the spring as a whole.

Florida quarterback Kyle Trask had a strong spring while trying to keep the pressure on 2017 starter Feleipe Franks. (Ryan Young/SEC Country)

Quarterbacks

I've been impressed with Kyle Trask all spring, and especially Saturday. And I'm not alone.

Here's what SEC Network analyst Jordan Rodgers said during the broadcast, after Trask's final completion on a 23-yard back-shoulder strike to Tyrie Cleveland: "Kyle Trask is playing a heck of a game. He's been accurate, he's pushing the ball downfield. … Really impressed with how Kyle Trask has thrown the ball from the pocket today."

I didn't know what to expect from Trask entering this spring. To be honest, I thought he was a long shot again. No more.

He has the combination of zip and accuracy on his throws that an SEC quarterback must possess, and he showed it time and again Saturday. More than that, though, he looked comfortable in the pocket and confident attacking the middle of the field.

Here are a handful of throws that stood out:

  • Facing a third-and-5 on the opening drive, the pocket collapsed quickly from both edges, but Trask stayed poised and hit Kadarius Toney for a slip screen that became a first down.
  • In the middle of the second quarter, he threw a missile on a crossing route to Rick Wells for a 19-yard gain. Those plays down the middle were sorely lacking last season, and he showed no hesitation attacking the defense in that way all day.
  • He had an impressive back-to-back sequence late in the second quarter, starting with a sideline strike to Freddie Swain. It was a simple 9-yard gain, but it again showed off Trask's arm strength as he threw a rope from the far hash to Swain with cornerback Brian Edwards nearby. Then on the very next play, he again worked down the seam to hit Toney for a 13-yard pickup. Trask had a pass rusher charging straight at him as he stayed calm and delivered a tight pass.
  • Then, of course, there was the back-shoulder completion to Cleveland down the left sideline for a 23-yard gain down to the 2.

The majority opinion seems to be that Franks is still the favorite for the job, but I believe Trask has put himself right in the mix with the spring he's had.

Talking to a member of the program last week, I asked him who has impressed him this spring in general, and the first name he offered was Trask.

For his part, Mullen has given no indication about where the depth chart stands and noted during the broadcast that both QBs have been inconsistent. "I've seen both guys be very up and down all spring long. I keep talking to them about consistency of performance."

I don't dismiss Franks' upside. He proved last season he's always a threat for a big play downfield. He tried for a couple Saturday but couldn't connect, relying mostly on short screens and check-downs. His most impressive pass came when he showed good poise as nothing materialized downfield and he rolled out to hit Van Jefferson for a 17-yard gain.

Franks also has shown that he can make plays with his legs. That's not a surprise. He had the big 79-yard run against Texas A&M last fall and is an elite athlete in general. So there's still plenty of potential there.

But two things have me leaving the spring feeling Trask was Florida's best QB.

1) While Franks can hit the deep bomb downfield, he doesn't make enough plays in the second level. It's usually either the deep shot or short passes. Trask has looked more proficient attacking the middle of the field, which again, was an element of the passing game that was glaringly lacking last fall.

2) There is some benefit of the unknown with Trask. It may not be fair, but it's hard to ignore the experience of watching Franks struggle from start to finish last fall and expect he'll be dramatically different on Saturdays a year later while learning a new offense.

Some fans on social media have strongly disagreed with my perspective, especially when it comes to Franks, but this is what I've seen.

I think everyone is on the same page that watching better offensive football in 2018 is the preferred outcome — from whichever QB the coaches decide is best equipped to deliver that.

Expect that position battle to continue most of the summer, but also don't discount freshman Emory Jones.

I believe he'll play this fall and get eased into the action, perhaps in the same way Tim Tebow was as a freshman behind Chris Leak. Jones threw some nice passes Saturday when he got his chance, including the dart to R.J. Raymond that went for a long touchdown.

His upside is obvious, and while he may need some more time to fully show it, I think he gets his chances this fall.

Ole Miss transfer Van Jefferson made a strong impression in his first spring with the Gators. (Ryan Young/SEC Country)

Other thoughts on the offense 

  • Having wide receiver transfers Van Jefferson and Trevon Grimes eligible would change the complexion of the passing game. Jefferson, with two years of SEC experience from his time at Ole Miss, is ready to step in and be a focal point for this offense. Grimes is a big-play threat who will only keep getting better. Here's what Rodgers said during the broadcast on those two: "Both of those guys are NFL prototypical WR bodies. … Van Jefferson is a first-round talent. If those guys are able to play this fall and they figure out the QB position, whether it's Franks or Trask, anybody, this offense has a lot of firepower." Agreed.
  • Running back Jordan Scarlett looks to be back in top form, and Florida has some interesting decisions to make at the position. As much as everybody is eager to see 2017 breakout star Malik Davis return from his knee injury, the Gators have every reason to be as cautious and careful with Davis as possible. Scarlett needs a large share of the carries, Lamical Perine will get his touches and the coaches have to decide how they'll sprinkle in the young running backs. Adarius Lemons was held out of the spring game because of an ankle injury, but he's too talented to keep on the bench. The coaches have made it clear he has to become more consistent in all facets to earn a larger role, but he has big-play potential.
  • The offensive line still has some work to do, and it looks like center will be a real position battle in fall camp. Incumbent starter T.J. McCoy is getting pushed by redshirt junior Nick Buchanan. The announcers for the spring game, Tom Hart and Rodgers, kept making reference to Brett Heggie getting in the mix at center when he returns as well. It's not clear if that is something they heard from the coaches or not, but it would seem Heggie would be most valuable returning to his left guard role when healthy.

Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham looks on during the spring game Saturday. (Zach Abolverdi/SEC Country)

Thoughts on the defense

  • I think Florida will make a lot of plays in the opposing backfield with the combination of their defensive line talent and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham's variety of blitzes. "Coach has a lot of blitzes in it, so we're going to get a lot of sacks this year. A lot of sacks," redshirt junior Jabari Zuniga said.
  • Zuniga told me last week that he was not happy at all with his 2017 season, in which he tallied 8 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. "It was honestly a disappointment. I feel like I left a lot of stuff on the table," he said. He noted that Grantham has him playing all over the line, even at the nose.
  • Zuniga notched a nice sack in the spring game Saturday, rush end Jachai Polite had an impressive play to disrupt Toney's wide receiver reverse and Antonneous Clayton had back-to-back sacks against Trask late in the first half Saturday. "The first half I was like, 'Man, wait, what's going on? This ain't me.' And then I was like, 'OK, time to turn it on.' Back to back sacks," Clayton said. The Gators' highest-ranked defensive recruit in the Class of 2016, Clayton remains an intriguing player to watch entering his third year, if he's able to "turn it on" when it counts.
  • Having a pair of cornerbacks such as Marco Wilson and C.J. Henderson should only help Grantham be more aggressive in his play calls. It will be fun to see if those two can find another level as sophomores. Henderson was terrific in the spring game, nearly picking off Trask on the opening drive and later breaking up a well thrown deep sideline pass from Trask to Grimes with air-tight coverage.
  • The linebackers and young safeties will be the wild cards for this defense. Redshirt junior Rayshad Jackson worked as a first-team inside linebacker along with returning starter David Reese throughout the spring, but we didn't hear much about him from the coaching staff. It will be interesting to see the competition there in fall camp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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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