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Post by Deleted on Aug 12, 2015 14:35:02 GMT -5
Written by Nick de la Torre, August 12, 2015
The Florida Gators enter the 2015 season with just 10 starts returning among their offensive line — down from more than 60 a year ago. Senior Trip Thurman is the possessor of all of those starts so Jim McElwain and Mike Summers will need to dig deep to find their five starters and a group of 8-10 linemen that they can count on this season.
Apparently Florida’s recruiting efforts have served them well and the Gators may have found a future star along the offensive line in freshman tackle Martez Ivey.
“Oh my gosh, Ivey, Martez Ivey. The guy’s a freak, dude,” junior running back Kelvin Taylor said. “The guy’s going to be great. He wasn’t a five-star for nothing, trust me. He’s physical, he’s smart, he knows exactly what he’s doing.”
The transition from high school to college isn’t easy for football players. Coaches will tell you that the further you are away from the ball, the easier the transition is. That’s why you’ll see more freshmen impact players at positions like cornerback and receiver. The transition for offensive linemen is particularly tough. Scouting offensive linemen involves more projecting than just about any position. Ivey’s high school ran a version of the Wing-T offense, so the technique in pass-blocking is something new to him and he’s having to learn on the fly, going up against Florida’s defense. That’s no easy feat.
“I feel like it’s tough coming in as a freshman offensive lineman in the SEC,” junior defensive lineman Joey Ivie said. “You’re going against all these older guys but I feel like we’re only making them better.”
Being a younger player in a new locker room can be intimidating. Senior offensive guard Trip Thurman has been there before. He knows what it’s like to walk into a new locker room where friendships have already been established and try to find a place. Thurman says the biggest thing freshmen can do is to not be afraid to ask questions. Everybody wants to get on the field but it’s the little things that you do that make the difference between being a spectator or a participant in your first season.
“A big thing in wanting to be on the field is wanting to learn the offense, meeting with coach individually and meeting with me individually,” Thurman said. “That’s big for the young guys and a lot of the young guys don’t understand that. To get on the field, you have to know exactly what you’re doing. Martez and Tyler have stepped up.”
Despite the steep learning curve, Ivey has come along and impressed the older players on the team. After two seasons in Gainesville, Taylor knows that the offensive linemen will be his best friends on game day and he’s excited about how quickly Ivey has come along in such a short time.
“I feel like him, there’s a couple more of those guys who may impact, but the one when I turn on film, I’m like, ‘Dang, who is that?’ I knew it was him,” Taylor said of Ivey. “He wasn’t a five-star recruit for nothing. He knows something.”
A lot can be said of how freshmen acclimate to the next level. It takes a certain level of maturity to leave home for the first time and handle the day-to-day things that parents or guardians took care of when you were growing up. Not only is Division I football a full time job, but freshmen are now juggling an increased workload in the classroom, laundry, cooking, cleaning all in a new environment. Taylor said he could tell there was something different about Ivey from the first day he stepped on campus. Ivey was less wide-eyed and more determined than most freshmen.
“You could tell, just his demeanor,” Taylor said of Ivey. “Just the way he carries himself around the locker room. He’s quiet, he gets his work done, and he goes about the next play. The guy’s very mature, man.” Florida needs to identify the five best offensive linemen on their roster and put them in place quickly to establish some consistency at the position. The transition is difficult but the highly touted kid out of Apopka is already turning heads in Gainesville and, possibly soon, will be turning heads around the country. Just remember, who told you first.
“He’s going to be a really good one,” Taylor said. “Just remember I told you that. He’s going to be a really good one, trust me.”
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2015 14:06:28 GMT -5
Robbies Playbook These freshmen will play Friday, August 14, 2015 at 1:18 by Robbie Andreu
Since signing day back in February, we’ve been matching names with needs and making predictions/guesses about which true freshmen will be playing for Florida this fall.
Now, after having seen these kids in pads a little bit and hearing reviews from their coaches and teammates, there is some hard evidence to go on in making these predictions/guesses.
So, here we go, the true freshmen who will be playing for the Gators this season:
Martez Ivey, offensive tackle — This five-star stud has lived up to expectations so far and should have an immediate impact on the depth-shy, experience-shy offensive line. Big, strong and athletic, he plays with great energy and is very mature for a true freshman.
Cece Jefferson, defensive end — Another five-star guy who is living up to the hype. The way things stand now, this edge pass rusher is going to be in the defensive line playing rotation.
Jordan Scarlett, tailback — He was probably the No. 2 tailback even before Adam Lane left, so he’s in a position to see playing time and take some of the carries away from starter Kelvin Taylor. How many carries he gets likely will depend on how well he grasps the offense and pass protections in the next few weeks.
Jordan Cronkrite, tailback — When Taylor was asked about the freshmen tailbacks the other day, this is the kid he mentioned first. He’s pushing Scarlett hard for that No. 2 spot, and with the lack of depth at the position, he’s going to play this season.
Antonio Callaway, wide receiver — His teammates have been raving about him since the summer workouts. The reviews have remained positive with the camp he’s having. He has great speed and hands and apparently is a very good route runner for a freshman. He’ll be in the playing rotation.
Fred Johnson, offensive tackle — This guy is huge, with really long arms to fend off pass rushers. He’s been the No. 2 right tackle throughout camp and holding his own against the defensive front.
T.J. McCoy, center — The North Carolina State transfer was not part of the recruiting class, but he is a true freshman, and he is battling for playing time behind Cameron Dillard. A very tough, aggressive player, he benefited from being an early enrollee and going through spring practice with the Wolfpack. He also could play guard.
Tyler Jordan, C — He and McCoy are engaged in a close battle for the No. 2 center role. He’s gained considerable strength and weight since signing day and is an athletic lineman with good feet. With so little depth up front, he’ll see the field.
Rayshad Jackson, linebacker — With so little depth at linebacker there may be no choice but to play him. The good news is he’s flashed some really good signs in camp and appears close to game ready. He could push for a starting role on special teams.
So, there you have it, nine true freshmen who will be playing this season, a considerable contribution from Jim McElwain’s first recruiting class.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2015 23:31:36 GMT -5
By SCOTT CARTER GatorZone.com Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The season is creeping closer and closer by the day, and on Thursday night, that reality started to sink in deep for first-year Gators head coach Jim McElwain.
As he retired for the night, McElwain knew that on Friday -- 22 days from Florida’s season opener Sept. 5 -- he would get a better gauge on his team as it held the first scrimmage of preseason camp at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
McElwain did not sleep like a baby.
“I’ll be quite honest with you, I kind of didn’t sleep last night thinking this could be a disaster,’’ he said.
McElwain spoke those words to the media about 10 minutes after he walked off the field on a typical sun-soaked, humid August afternoon in Florida.
In the previous two-plus hours, McElwain saw enough rays of hope to think the Gators have what it takes to have success if they dig deeper and believe.
“It actually turned out pretty darn good,’’ he said. “I guess that’s comforting.”
The Gators ran 109 plays and 26 special-teams plays Friday, testing every facet they could.
Will Grier, Treon Harris and Josh Grady each took significant snaps at quarterback. Kelvin Taylor and Jordan Scarlett got plenty of carries. The receivers -- new and old -- had ample chances to make plays.
And the defense, well, it did what it has done for the past several seasons.
The defense is ahead of the offense at this stage of spring camp. That old adage has run deeper than usual the past four seasons as Florida featured one of the nation’s top defenses under former head coach Will Muschamp.
As the defense soared, the Florida offense sputtered under the direction of three coordinators in four seasons.
McElwain is ready for more balance. He wants the offense to believe in itself as much as the defense does.
If that transformation can take place, then he could have a better team than most expect.
“There's some offensive pieces here, especially with some of these young guys,’’ McElwain said. “And yet we've got to get over the hump from the psychological standpoint. It's OK to care. It's OK to compete. It's OK to get out there and just let it all happen.
“That's where we've got to get offensively a little bit. Because there's times they allow a negative play to affect the next couple plays. To develop a really good offense and core defense, you've got to have a short memory. You've got to come back and compete. One of the things we've got to do is continue, especially some of those guys we would have to say are veterans on the offensive line, is just keep competing on every single down.”
Tight end Jake McGee understands where McElwain is coming from.
McGee experienced offensive success at Virginia prior to transferring to Florida a season ago. His season was over in the first game because of a leg injury.
However, he has been around the program long enough to sense that few outsiders have much faith in Florida’s offense. Some of that can creep into the locker room.
McElwain wants the players to kick the doubts out the door and out of their heads.
“That’s something that he’s been really preaching, especially to the offense,’’ McGee said. “There’s not a lot of people expecting a lot from us. That’s something you put in the back of your head and you build on it.”
In Friday’s scrimmage, the offense certainly had some highlights. McElwain praised running back Kelvin Taylor for his running, showing more ability to cut up field rather than dance toward the sideline.
Grier led the Gators on a long scoring drive early, capped with a touchdown pass to redshirt freshman tight end C’yontai Lewis. Brandon Powell hauled in a long reception, and receiver Chris Thompson broke loose after a short catch to race for a score. Later in situational drills Lewis added another touchdown catch on a throw from Harris.
“We had a good first series as a 1 offense,’’ McGee said. “It’s getting better and better. I think we’re in a place that’s a pretty good place and we’re going to keep continuing from there.”
Defensive back Brian Poole, while confident the defense had a better day Friday, admitted at seeing some progress from the offense.
“They’re getting better, they really are,’’ he said. “You can see a difference in their attitude and what they are trying to get done out there.”
On the flip side, McElwain saw too many dropped passes for his liking and some turnovers that could have been avoided.
With two weeks remaining in preseason camp, the coaching staff will continue to install more of the offense and push the players to believe more in themselves as a unit.
“Very pleased as to where we are at this point,’’ McElwain said. “Keep loading the wagon and teaching, and as we get closer to game time, we’ll start slowing that part down and start pulling out the pieces that we’re going to use in the game plan for the first game.”
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2015 23:35:18 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2015 23:45:28 GMT -5
By Robbie Andreu Staff writer
Published: Friday, August 14, 2015 at 6:06 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, August 14, 2015 at 6:06 p.m.
Florida’s new indoor practice facility will not sit vacant during stretches of good weather. Rain or shine, the Gators are going to use it on a consistent basis for the rest of camp and during the season and offseason, UF coach Jim McElwain said Friday.
The facility is scheduled to open in about a week.
"There’s a plan I was able to learn from a master on this,” McElwain said. “The whole idea is the use of it to take that beating of the sun off during two-a-days every third practice. That doesn’t mean you go slower. It then makes you fresher as the season works at the end.”
McElwain said the Gators will practice indoors twice during game weeks in the fall.
“The use of it is based on weather on Monday,” he said. “We try to always get outside on Tuesday. Wednesday’s a push based on that. Thursday’s an indoor day no matter what. Friday’s a walk through indoor no matter what.
“During two-a-days, normally, the natural rotation of the schedule would be every three (practices) you’re indoors. Obviously, in the offseason, we’ll be in there every time, four days a week (during conditioning). The use of it will be huge."
Gators on the return
McElwain revealed Friday that All-American cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III will be the punt returner this season, while slot receiver Brandon Powell will return kickoffs.
“We’ve got a little bit of explosive guys at those, I think. We just give them a chance,” he said.
Injury Update
The good news on the injury front is wide receiver C.J. Worton (leg) and offensive guard Travaris Dorsey (leg) will not require surgery and could be back in a matter of days or weeks.
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Post by lz2112 on Aug 15, 2015 5:01:11 GMT -5
By Robbie Andreu Staff writer McElwain revealed Friday that All-American cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III will be the punt returner this season, while slot receiver Brandon Powell will return kickoffs. “We’ve got a little bit of explosive guys at those, I think. We just give them a chance,” he said. That makes me nervous, like putting Nattiel or Jacquez Green back there. The risk/reward is ..... Nevermind.
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Gator Bait!
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Post by lz2112 on Aug 15, 2015 5:15:28 GMT -5
ET I suggest to turn your sound down because the music sucks, but the video is fun to watch.
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Gator Bait!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2015 6:43:31 GMT -5
ET I suggest to turn your sound down because the music sucks, but the video is fun to watch. I saw that when I was looking for a suitable Emmitt video. Yes, the music is less than desirable, sucks.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2015 9:17:55 GMT -5
Tim Tebow to play for Philadelphia on Sunday against Indianapolis. The third string job is up for competition. With Bradford's injury record, it could be more for Tim if he makes the team:
The Associated Press
Published: Friday, August 14, 2015 at 4:33 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, August 14, 2015 at 4:33 p.m.
PHILADELPHIA — When Tim Tebow completes a pass or takes off running with the football, fans watching the Philadelphia Eagles practice cheer loudly and reporters quickly post about it on social media.
Few, if any, players fighting for a roster spot ever drew more attention.
Tebow is back after sitting out two seasons and competing for a job as the No. 3 quarterback. His passing skills have improved and everyone is eager to see how innovative coach Chip Kelly plans to use him.
“Tim obviously has a lot of skills that other quarterbacks don't have because of his ability to run the football,” Kelly said. “But we haven't delved into any of that.”
Tebow will get a chance to show his skills Sunday when the Eagles host the Indianapolis Colts. He's been impressive and sometimes erratic during training camp.
With Tebow, it's not always pretty. But he often finds a way to win.
“Tim is a little bit of a gamer,” offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said. “These team settings which are a little bit uncontrolled, he gets out there and makes plays. And we've seen great improvements in him from his ability to execute our offense. Then he's got that skill set where if it's not right, he's willing to take off and run, and when he's running with it, he's like a running back.”
Sam Bradford is Philadelphia's starting QB. Mark Sanchez is the backup. Tebow and Matt Barkley are battling for the third spot. Tebow may have an advantage because of the intangibles. His athleticism fits Kelly's up-tempo offense. Perhaps Kelly will use him to run a few zone-read plays. Maybe he'll be a 2-point conversion specialist.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2015 11:18:40 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2015 16:40:24 GMT -5
Florida Football - Fall Camp - Week 1:
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Post by lz2112 on Aug 15, 2015 22:38:12 GMT -5
I just stumbled on this, apparently from a couple years ago. I have mixed feelings since I still miss the old F. ![](http://i.imgur.com/cCqt2pL.png)
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Gator Bait!
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Post by roxalot on Aug 15, 2015 23:17:38 GMT -5
so what do you really think, ET... Do the GATORS compete this year in the toughest, strongest, conference or not..?..
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Go Bucks!
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Post by beuycek on Aug 16, 2015 7:16:06 GMT -5
I just stumbled on this, apparently from a couple years ago. I have mixed feelings since I still miss the old F. ![](http://i.imgur.com/cCqt2pL.png) One would think that face mask would be distracting to the player.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2015 7:18:22 GMT -5
so what do you really think, ET... Do the GATORS compete this year in the toughest, strongest, conference or not..?.. My over/under is at 7-5. UF is a year away from competing for the SEC. Defense and special teams will do fine, but Mac just doesn't have the offensive playmakers at WR or experience on the OL and at QB to compete at the top of the SEC. If UF is competing for the SEC East, it will be because the East sucks again, not that the Gators are true conference championship contenders. The good news is 2016 starts the process of getting back to the Gators norm of the last 35 years.
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