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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2016 16:02:58 GMT -5
By Robbie Andreu Staff writer
Published: Thursday, August 18, 2016 at 3:58 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, August 18, 2016 at 4:56 p.m.
In an announcement that has been anticipated by many since April’s spring game, sophomore Luke Del Rio was named Florida’s starting quarterback Thursday by coach Jim McElwain.
“Luke is going to work as the starter the rest of camp and start in the season opener barring any unforeseen development,” McElwain said. “Our other quarterbacks remain in the plans and are ready to move forward and help the Gators any way they can.”
Del Rio, a transfer from Oregon State and the son of Oakland Raiders coach Jack Del Rio, was clearly the Gators' best quarterback in the spring game, completing 10 of 11 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns.
Despite Del Rio’s performance, McElwain kept the competition open heading into preseason camp, with Purdue transfer Austin Appleby battling Del Rio for the starting role. True freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask are the other scholarship QBs on the roster.
McElwain’s decision comes a little less than a week after UF’s first scrimmage.
Del Rio said last Friday that the competition with Appleby was close, but that he was expecting to be UF’s starting quarterback.
“Yeah, I feel confident in my ability. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could play, and start. I didn’t come here to sit on the bench,” he said. “I’m confident in my ability to lead this team, but it’s up to the coaches who starts.”
Florida opens the season Sept. 3 at The Swamp against UMass.
Contact Robbie Andreu at 352-374-5022 or robbie.andreu@gvillesun.com. Also check out Andreu's blog at Gatorsports.com.
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Post by cbisbig on Aug 18, 2016 16:09:23 GMT -5
By Robbie Andreu Staff writer Published: Thursday, August 18, 2016 at 3:58 p.m. Last Modified: Thursday, August 18, 2016 at 4:56 p.m. In an announcement that has been anticipated by many since April’s spring game, sophomore Luke Del Rio was named Florida’s starting quarterback Thursday by coach Jim McElwain. “Luke is going to work as the starter the rest of camp and start in the season opener barring any unforeseen development,” McElwain said. “Our other quarterbacks remain in the plans and are ready to move forward and help the Gators any way they can.” Del Rio, a transfer from Oregon State and the son of Oakland Raiders coach Jack Del Rio, was clearly the Gators' best quarterback in the spring game, completing 10 of 11 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns. Despite Del Rio’s performance, McElwain kept the competition open heading into preseason camp, with Purdue transfer Austin Appleby battling Del Rio for the starting role. True freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask are the other scholarship QBs on the roster. McElwain’s decision comes a little less than a week after UF’s first scrimmage. Del Rio said last Friday that the competition with Appleby was close, but that he was expecting to be UF’s starting quarterback. “Yeah, I feel confident in my ability. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could play, and start. I didn’t come here to sit on the bench,” he said. “I’m confident in my ability to lead this team, but it’s up to the coaches who starts.” Florida opens the season Sept. 3 at The Swamp against UMass. Contact Robbie Andreu at 352-374-5022 or robbie.andreu@gvillesun.com. Also check out Andreu's blog at Gatorsports.com. I always liked LDR, glad to see he made it big at Uf
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ROLL TIDE!
29 SEC Championships 18 National Championships
2015-16 Bowl Champion Douche 2020 Pandemic Bowl Champ
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2016 16:23:23 GMT -5
By Robbie Andreu Staff writer Published: Thursday, August 18, 2016 at 3:58 p.m. Last Modified: Thursday, August 18, 2016 at 4:56 p.m. In an announcement that has been anticipated by many since April’s spring game, sophomore Luke Del Rio was named Florida’s starting quarterback Thursday by coach Jim McElwain. “Luke is going to work as the starter the rest of camp and start in the season opener barring any unforeseen development,” McElwain said. “Our other quarterbacks remain in the plans and are ready to move forward and help the Gators any way they can.” Del Rio, a transfer from Oregon State and the son of Oakland Raiders coach Jack Del Rio, was clearly the Gators' best quarterback in the spring game, completing 10 of 11 passes for 176 yards and two touchdowns. Despite Del Rio’s performance, McElwain kept the competition open heading into preseason camp, with Purdue transfer Austin Appleby battling Del Rio for the starting role. True freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask are the other scholarship QBs on the roster. McElwain’s decision comes a little less than a week after UF’s first scrimmage. Del Rio said last Friday that the competition with Appleby was close, but that he was expecting to be UF’s starting quarterback. “Yeah, I feel confident in my ability. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could play, and start. I didn’t come here to sit on the bench,” he said. “I’m confident in my ability to lead this team, but it’s up to the coaches who starts.” Florida opens the season Sept. 3 at The Swamp against UMass. Contact Robbie Andreu at 352-374-5022 or robbie.andreu@gvillesun.com. Also check out Andreu's blog at Gatorsports.com. I always liked LDR, glad to see he made it big at UfHe has been given the keys to what should be an improved offense this season. Chris Doering who got to watch a lot of UF's practices last season said he thought Del Rio would have beat out Grier had he been able to play. If he is that good, the UF offense is in good hands.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2016 15:58:14 GMT -5
The Florida DL is the best in the SEC. That's what ESPN analyst Booger McFarland thinks. If Florida is DBU and DLU along with a good LB corps, the Gators D is going to be nasty in 16:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Most defensive line units would have trouble replacing two starters who combined for 13 sacks.
The Gators, however, have no worries.
“It’s Florida,” said junior defensive tackle Caleb Brantley. “We always reload. I feel like we can be even better than we were last year.”
SEC Network analyst Anthony “Booger” McFarland seems to agree. This week, the former LSU and NFL defensive tackle listed Florida as the No. 1 D-line in the SEC for 2016, and named Gators defensive end Bryan Cox Jr. the league’s second-best linemen.
“Shoutout to Booger McFarland. He’s a smart guy,” said Florida’s CeCe Jefferson, who was on McFarland’s board for best SEC players at the position.
UF finished second in the SEC in sacks, due in large part to the production of defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard and defensive end Alex McCalister. Each linemen recorded 6.5 sacks, and Bullard’s 17.5 tackles for loss ranked third among league players.
“We lost two key guys, but it doesn’t make a difference,” said Cox, who feels the Gators still can confidently rotate seven or eight linemen. “We’re going to be a top group no matter what. We have a lot of talent on the D-line.”
Bullard and McCalister are now in the NFL, though they ended the Gators’ three-year streak of first-round picks from their defensive line. To fill that void, Florida defensive coordinator Geoff Collins is taking a simple and sensible approach.
“The first meeting we had as a unit in the offseason, we talked about Alex McCalister and Jonathan Bullard,” Collins said. “Here is the production that is off the table: Sacks, tackles for loss, fumble recoveries.
“We need to find this production and get it back on this defense, whether it be one guy, two guys, or four or five that replace that production.”
Nose tackle Khairi Clark, who had 16 tackles and one sack as a redshirt freshman, has taken Collins’ message to heart.
“My mindset for this year is to create more stats and provide more than I provided last season,” Clark said.
Florida’s starting lineup is set with Joey Ivie at nose, Jordan Sherit as weakside defensive end, Cox on the strongside and Brantley taking over for Bullard at 3-technique. Brantley called himself the nation’s “best D-lineman” during spring football, and his coaches feel the same way.
“I think the coaching staff as a whole feel Caleb could be as dominant a defensive lineman as there is in the country,” Collins said.
But Brantley believes his entire position group is playing at an elite level, and he’s looking to steal some shine from Florida’s secondary.
“We have a nickname, ‘DBU’ here,” Brantley said. “Obviously we embrace that, but we’re trying to be the best unit on the team.
“Those guys around us would start anywhere else. I think we have the best D-line in the country and we’re going to prove that.”
Collins thinks highly of Cox and Sherit as well, both of whom will be Florida’s primary pass rushers this season.
“Those are two of the arguably hardest-playing defensive players I’ve ever been around,” Collins said. “Their motor, their energy, their pursuit to the ball is as high as anybody in the country. So I think that kind of gives them the edge to play at a high level for us.”
Ivie started five games last year and is one of four returning defensive linemen who had three or more sacks in 2015. The senior said he and the other upperclassmen have perfected their craft because of the exposure they had to Bullard, McCalister and former first-round picks Dominique Easley and Dante Fowler Jr.
“The talent we’ve had behind them is the same caliber,” Ivie said. “We were able to learn from those guys and critique ourselves based on what they did. It’s also a confidence booster when you see their success.”
Defensive tackle Taven Bryan and defensive ends Keivonnis Davis and Justus Reed also have playing experience along with Clark and Jefferson, a member of the SEC Coaches All-Freshman team who has moved from end to tackle as a sophomore.
“He’s got some real natural strength and suddenness that helps him on the inside,” Florida coach Jim McElwain said of Jefferson. “He’s done an unbelievable job with his quickness and ability to split some of those double-teams.”
A pair of young defensive ends, former 4-star recruit Antonneous Clayton and redshirt freshmen Jabari Zuniga, also have generated some buzz in fall camp. In addition to the Gators’ talent and production along the defensive line, Jefferson points to their depth as a reason for recognition.
“The younger guys are the ones I’m most impressed with,” Jefferson said. “It’s expected from the older guys to be dominant. … But the way these younger guys just fly around and play without thinking, man, that’s impressive.
“If everybody in that room is ready to play, and we can get that rotation going, that’s a scary thing.”
Zach Abolverdi is the Florida beat writer for SEC Country and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2016 18:31:35 GMT -5
I really like what I'm seeing on CeCe Jefferson. He reported to UF at 288, but he dropped to 258 getting rid of fat. He is now floating between 265-270 and is one of the strongest players on the team. His goal is to play the season at 275 which is a good size for a hybrid SDE/DT with his combo of strength and speed.
What's interesting is Caleb Brantley is at 297 and he is going to play the 3 technique DT and some SDE. Both are going to replace the role Jonathan Bullard played last season.
With Jefferson at 275, that gives UF 5 DTs. Bryan Cox, Jr. (SDE) is at 270 and he is capable of sliding inside.
True freshman Jachai Polite reported at 272 this summer. He is well on his way to growing into a DT too. My guess is he redshirts, but he is a very talented young player who can play if we need him.
Booger McFarland on ESPN rates the UF DL as #1 in the SEC ahead of #2 bama. This Gator defense is going to be wickedly good.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2016 14:03:37 GMT -5
UF is doomed. Paul Finebaum is bullish on the Gators:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — ESPN and SEC Network personality Paul Finebaum is a believer in Florida football this fall — at least, more so than the voters who slotted the Gators No. 25 in the Associated Press preseason poll.
That’s where Florida finished in the final 2015 AP poll after climbing as high as No. 8 during its 10-4 campaign.
During an appearance on ESPN’s SportsCenter on Sunday, Finebaum was asked which team from outside the preseason top-15 could be a surprise this season.
“I go all the way down to the bottom, No. 25. I think the Florida Gators are going to be better,” Finebaum said. “They’ve named their quarterback in Luke Del Rio. They surprised a lot of people last year getting to the SEC championship game, and then they had a crash and burn at the end of the season when they were struggling with the quarterback position. But I think they’re better this year. They don’t have that big game early on. They do have the big game at the end of the season against Florida State. They have LSU at home. They still have to go to Tennessee, but they’ve beaten Tennessee 11 years in a row.”
Despite winning the SEC East in coach Jim McElwain’s first season in Gainesville, the Gators are being picked behind Tennessee — preseason No. 9 — in the division by most pundits. Their showdown in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 24 will be Florida’s first truly big test this fall.
The Gators host LSU (preseason No. 5) on Oct. 8, take on Georgia (preseason No. 18) in Jacksonville, Fla., on Oct. 29 and close the regular season Nov. 26 at Florida State (preseason No. 4).
Ryan Young is a Florida beat writer for SEC Country and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2016 13:35:36 GMT -5
Mac's Monday Presser:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gators head coach Jim McElwain met with reporters Tuesday.
Here were the highlights from his press conference. •On Friday’s scrimmage: “We were able to get some really good just situations come up within the scrimmage. We had some turnovers, which we’re obviously not excited about as far as the ball security piece. We had three of those in the scrimmage and we’ve got to get better at that. A couple of them were kind of misjudged throws that we threw into coverage rather than just taking what the defense gives us, in two of those cases.” •Slot receiver Dre Massey stood out in the scrimmage. As did the running backs. … Jordan Cronkrite got “banged up” and will be held out until Thursday probably. Freshman Lamical Perine “really showed up.” •Defensively, redshirt-freshman defensive linemen Jabari Zuniga and true freshman linebacker Vosean Joseph impressed McElwain. •Injuries: In addition to Cronkrite, WR C.J. Worton is still out with a leg injury. “Should be back at the end of this week, but we’ll see on that.” OL Andrew Mike is still out, no update. •McElwain on the week ahead: “Really more than anything we’re kind of looking this week for some competition at some of the spots as we start to look to kind of solidify playing time in certain rotations at some other positions.” •On the OL’s progress: “I don’t know if you can really quantify exactly where it’s at until we can get out there and see. Obviously the numbers and where we were sack-wise is something that is just unacceptable. And yet, it takes other pieces in there as well. I don’t see that as being as big an issue for us, or it hasn’t been in camp. I think we are markedly better at all the spots, and that has as much to do with guys that gained experience, gained a year of strength, knowledge as to what we’re trying to accomplish. Footwork-wise, at times we’re going sideways. We need to make sure that we’re trying re control the line of scrimmage and not let the line of scrimmage control us. But those are things we’re working on, and I actually like our depth there too. I think we’ve got some answers even with (Antonio) Riles being down.” … True freshman Jawaan Taylor continues to draw praise, redshirt-freshman Brandon Sandifer (both at guard and tackle), redshirt-sophomore Kavaris Harkless and redshirt-freshman center T.J. McCoy are some of the young guys who have impressed McElwain. •On Del Rio’s performance in the scrimmage: “He definitely had a little bounce and that was good to see. I talked about the ball security piece, but we also had some really good explosives — both in the run and the pass game — and that was good to see. … And Luke was a big piece to that.” •Competitions McElwain is watching closely this week: wideout rotation, the defensive line rotation. “Those are kind of the big pieces to me.” •Overall on camp: “Well, it’s camp. I’ve never really thought about rating camps. We got a lot of things accomplished that we had on our checklist. We have things we still need to work on. … It’s been warm. Yeah, so I’ll rate it as warm.” •On special teams: “(Punter) Johnny Townsend, he’s got great hands even with the JUGS machine (injury) he has, but I see a real comfort level there between the kickers and the holder and our operation time is (better) than it was a year ago. We spread up the pre-kick ritual by Eddy, and he’s handled that well. And Jorge Powell is back doing a great job as well. He’ll handle our onside stuff and things like that.” •More on Townsend: “I’ve said it, I think he arguably was one of the most valuable players on our team a year ago with what he did flipping the field on kicks and not being selfish about his average and pinning guys inside the 10.” •On Eddy Pineiro: “From a kickoff approach standpoint, he’s messed with a couple different things. We’ve talked about how he can become a weapon with not only his distance, but his hang time.” •On Pineiro’s consistency: “There is no way to simulate what it’s going to be like come game time and he needs to learn to adapt to that and kick. With each time he’ll be able to get a little bit better as we go from there.”
Ryan Young is a Florida beat writer for SEC Country and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2016 16:03:41 GMT -5
Pineiro can be the best PK at UF since Caleb Sturgis. After last season, he is a welcome addition to UF's special teams:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — To the extent that a kicker can be viewed as a high-profile recruit, Eddy Pineiro was exactly that for the Florida Gators after flipping from an earlier commitment to Alabama back in December.
Although he has never attempted a field goal in a live game at any level, the converted soccer player from Miami caught the attention of major college programs with his powerful leg and prowess from long-range.
He also caught the eye of former Gators kicker Caleb Sturgis — now with the Philadelphia Eagles — who took a special interest in Pineiro soon after he arrived on campus at Florida this past winter.
“He showed up one day in practice in the indoor facility. That’s pretty much where I met him, and I got his number and we started talking,” Pineiro recalled. “He says that I have a bright future here and just (to) just keep on doing what I’m doing, stay focused. So that’s how I created a relationship with him, and then he started flying in from Philadelphia just to train with me here in in the indoor.”
Pineiro said Sturgis flew down to Gainesville to work with him four or five times, and he’s also formed relationships with Kansas City Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos, whom he met at a camp, and another accomplished former Gators kicker in Judd Davis — the 1993 Lou Groza Award winner.
“They’ve given me advice as in like, ‘Stay calm when you’re going to kick and don’t worry about the crowd, don’t worry about the cameras and just do what you know how to do,'” Pineiro said Tuesday.
While those three are all eager to see how the redshirt-sophomore rookie does this fall, so too are countless others both inside and outside the program hoping for vast improvement after the Gators made just 7-of-17 field goals last season.
And Pineiro realizes full well the optimism the fan base has attached to his right leg.
“Seeing them go through those kicking struggles last year was pretty depressing because Florida’s always been known for having good kickers like Caleb Sturgis and Judd Davis and stuff,” he said. “But I was very aware of it. That was part of my recruiting process.”
Even though Pineiro played in only seven high school football games while focusing on kickoffs and extra points before playing soccer at ASA College in Miami, one look at his YouTube videos and it’s easy to see why everybody’s excited about his potential.
But the question is how will the highly-touted newcomer do inside a full Ben Hill Griffin Stadium or in tough SEC road environments like Tennessee.
Gators head coach Jim McElwain knows that won’t be answered until it happens.
“He’s been (good) so far from what we’ve done, and there again there is no way to simulate what it’s going to be like come game time,” McElwain acknowledged. “He needs to learn to adapt to that and go out and kick. With each time, he’ll be able to get a little bit better as we go from there.”
Pineiro got a taste of kicking before a large crowd at Florida’s spring game — when he made 3-of-5 field goal attempts while hitting from 52, 46 and 56 yards and missing two others from beyond 50 yards — but he, too, knows that isn’t a true indicator for what he’ll experience on an actual game day.
That said, he doesn’t expect it to be anything he can’t handle.
“I think people exaggerate saying ‘Oh you know, like pressure in a game’ and this and that. But if you work on the same thing every single day, why can’t you do it in a game?” he said. “It’s called muscle memory when it comes to kicking. You should be able to put a blindfold on and kick it because it’s the same kick every single time. It’s muscle memory. …
“I guess I’ll say I embrace (the game day atmosphere) because it’s a good feeling when you have people saying ‘ED-DY, ED-DY.’ So, yeah, but I mean I don’t really pay too much attention to it. I just focus on the ball right before I kick it and I don’t focus on anything (else). I don’t focus on the guys running at me. I don’t focus on people screaming at me. I just focus on (holder Johnny Townsend’s) finger, where his hand is and I just kick it.”
One of McElwain’s favorite concepts is simulating chaos of some sort for his players to work through in practice, and while he admits there’s no true simulation for what a kicker faces in a pivotal moment of a tense game, that doesn’t mean they haven’t tried to fluster Pineiro this month.
The kicker said the coaches have had the whole team gather around him at the end of practices as he kicks field goals, screaming in his ear, throwing water in his face, anything to try to get him off-balance.
And how has that gone?
“So far I’m like 4-for-4 on those, whatever you want to call them, pressure kicks. So he’s happy about that,” Pineiro said.
The main technical critique the coaches have had for Pineiro is trying to speed up his pre-kick routine and be aware of the limited time to get a kick off in a game, but overall the assessments have been encouraging.
Pineiro said he’s “gone almost pretty much perfect” on his short to moderate kicks this preseason while missing only a couple of long ones.
Going back to that notion of the added pressure he’ll face starting with the Sept. 3 season opener against Massachusetts, Pineiro countered with a different perspective.
He thought beyond football. He thought of his father, who makes a living for the entire family installing kitchens.
That, he says, is what keeps him grounded in the moment as much as anything.
“My confidence comes from my family, just knowing the struggles they’ve been through and the struggles that they’ve gone through in their lives trying to help me to be a good kicker, waking up at 5 o’clock in the morning and taking me to practice and stuff,” Pineiro said.
“They say (there’s) pressure on kickers. You want to know pressure? Pressure is my dad going to work every single day and he’s the only one that brings money into my house. So that’s pressure.”
Ryan Young is a Florida beat writer for SEC Country and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2016 17:18:01 GMT -5
UF recruiting update - My opinion is we keep Lemon, fight like heck for Soloman since we need another DT or two in this class, and we have virtually no chance with Leatherwood who is coming to watch the LSU game with Nick Saban's blessings - don't hold your breath on the official visit:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Adarius Lemons is Florida’s top-ranked offensive pledge for 2017, and he’s still on board despite his tweet Monday.
The 4-star running back, whom the Gators landed last month, surprisingly decommitted on Twitter, saying he has “so much going on” and needs to worry about his priorities. But Lemons never informed the staff, and his tweet apparently was a knee-jerk reaction.
It appears Lemons had an off-the-field incident that he thought would jeopardize his recruitment with the Gators. But after speaking with the Florida coaches, he was reassured of their commitment to him and decided to remain a member of the class.
Lemons reiterated his pledge to running backs coach Tim Skipper late Monday night and coach Jim McElwain on Tuesday. He also tweeted a message indicating he was still a Gator and nothing had changed.
This is huge news for the Gators. Lemons not only is Florida’s No. 1 running back, but he may be the best offensive weapon the state has to offer this year. The Clearwater, Fla., standout has been a priority recruit for McElwain & Co. since August of 2015.
Nation’s No. 5 DT back on market
One of Florida’s top defensive tackle targets has re-opened his recruitment.
Aubrey Solomon announced his de-commitment from Michigan on Monday. Alabama, Florida and Georgia are now considered the favorites for him — he’s named each school as his leader in the past.
In April, Solomon told SEC Country he might prefer playing college football in the South.
The 6-foot-3, 305-pounder from Leesburg, Ga., is ranked the nation’s No. 5 defensive tackle and No. 78 overall prospect.
5-star OT will officially visit UF
Alex Leatherwood’s last two planned trips to Florida have fallen through, but he still intends to see the Gators.
The 5-star offensive tackle from Pensacola, Fla., told SEC Country last month he would officially visit Michigan, Southern Cal and Alabama, the school to which he’s committed.
He’s now added Florida to that list. Leatherwood told Gator Country he plans to check out UF twice this fall, for the LSU game and an official visit.
Leatherwood, the No. 2 offensive tackle and No. 5 overall prospect in the nation, currently has the Gators in second place behind the Crimson Tide.
Unless otherwise noted, rankings and ratings come from the 247Sports Composite.
Zach Abolverdi is the Florida beat writer for SEC Country and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2016 8:22:31 GMT -5
I'm thinking UF is going to sign 26 players on NSD. We're at 14 now, so we have 12 to go.
The 4 recruiting services have UF at an average ranking of 16.25, but 247 Sports is an outlier:
13 ESPN 23 247 Sports 16 Rivals 13 Scout
16.25 Average Ranking
UF will end up with a top 10 class, but I doubt it can reach the top 5 unless a 5 star player or two find their way into the class. The important thing is UF is filling the biggest needs, DT and DB. UF has 2 DTs in the class and is looking to add at least 1 more. UF is DBU. Filling our DB needs will be no problem at all.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2016 12:15:23 GMT -5
RB Lamical Perine is going to be a good one:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators came into fall camp feeling good about their four returning running backs.
The two Jordans (Cronkrite and Scarlett) and two Marks (Herndon and Thompson) all played well in the spring, prompting UF coach Jim McElwain to call the position the strength of his team.
But a new name has been turning heads at practices this month.
“This Lamical Perine guy,” McElwain said, “he’s gotten pretty good.”
Perine is one of two backs the Gators signed in their 2016 class. The other is Thompson, the nation’s No. 1 junior college tailback who transferred to Florida in January.
Perine was the top prospect at his position in the state of Alabama and received heavy interest from the Crimson Tide after a strong senior season, but ultimately stuck with his commitment to the Gators.
McElwain knew Perine was talented, but said he didn’t expect him to excel this early. Perine “really showed up” in the last scrimmage, according to McElwain. He may not redshirt this year and is now in the mix for playing time.
“No doubt about it,” McElwain said. “I want every one of these guys’ mindsets that they’re playing. They don’t need to step in to, ‘Well, I’m redshirting and not getting any better.’ None of those things will be determined until after the fourth game anyway.
“I tell you what, he’s a guy that runs with great pad level. He’s slippery in there. I mean, guys bounce off him, and he’s really strong, he’s got a great stiff arm and he’s done some really good things.”
Cronkrite has been impressed with Perine’s work ethic as he helps the freshman get acclimated to the college game.
“He’s doing a great job,” Cronkrite said. “He’s definitely in the playbook. I’ve stayed extra time after meetings and stuff to help him. He’s trying to catch up with the rest of us. He’s definitely pushing himself.”
Zach Abolverdi is the Florida beat writer for SEC Country and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 24, 2016 14:08:11 GMT -5
Two sophomores starting in UMass at UF game:
Last week, Florida named Luke Del Rio its starting quarterback.
On Wednesday, the Gators’ first opponent named their starting quarterback.
Per Daniel Malone of masslive.com, UMass has named Ross Comis its starting quarterback. He beat out former Virginia Tech quarterback Andrew Ford.
Comis, a sophomore, completed 15 of his 21 passes last year for 171 yards and two touchdowns. In addition to playing Florida, UMass also plays Mississippi State and South Carolina this year. The Minutemen will take on the Bulldogs at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, on Sept. 24. South Carolina will host UMass on Oct. 22.
Florida will kickoff its season against UMass on Sept. 3. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start time in Gainesville, Fla.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2016 11:45:16 GMT -5
CJ Worton (WR) missed a couple of weeks of preseason practice. Mac admitted it is a high ankle sprain today. Don't look for CJ to be ready to practice again until after the UK game. Bring him back sooner and a tweak could start the 4 to 6 week healing process all over again. I don't like that he is going to miss an SEC game, but I don't see how it can be avoided. He should be back in practice and ready for North Texas or at UT if being abundantly careful.
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Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2016 14:22:49 GMT -5
Mac's Thursday presser from floridagators.com
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Gators head coach Jim McElwain just concluded his Thursday press conference.
Here are five quick-hit notes:
--Gators cornerback Teez Tabor and tight end C'yontai Lewis are set to return to practice on Thursday. McElwain announced Tabor and Lewis were suspended last week for an an altercation at practice. "We've talked about it as a family ... they're good to go,'' McElwain said.
--Linebacker Alex Anzalone has answered the call during preseason camp coming off a shoulder injury that forced him to miss most of last season. McElwain said Anzalone is full-speed ahead for the opener against UMass. "I don't see any limitations there at all,'' he said.
--The status of sophomore receiver Antonio Callaway remains uncertain for the opener. McElwain said "we're still working through some things." Callaway has practiced with the team since the start of preseason camp after being suspended from team activities in the spring.
--McElwain said receiver C.J. Worton is dealing with a high-ankle sprain that is taking time to heal. Worton remains unable to practice.
--For the second time this week, McElwain spoke highly of the talents of junior-college transfer Dre Massey. A receiver, Massey's play-making ability is the reason he is here and McElwain said he can also punt if needed. Massey is expected to share kickoff duties with Brandon Powell and can also take handoffs or direct snaps as a former high school quarterback.
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Woah, this is a default personal text! Edit your profile to change this to what you like!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2016 9:24:17 GMT -5
I like reporting recruiting news like this. UF picked up the commit of talented DT Fred Hansard out of New Jersey:
www.seccountry.com/florida/gators-land-4-star-dt-fred-hansard
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Gators desperately need defensive tackles for 2017, and they got a good one Friday.
Fred Hansard, a 4-star recruit from Princeton, N.J., committed to UF over Rutgers and Tennessee. The 6-foot-3, 324-pounder revealed his decision in a Bleacher Report video.
Hansard is ranked the nation’s No. 11 defensive tackle and No. 201 overall prospect. He held 30 total offers, including Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.
Hansard attended Florida’s Friday Night Lights in July for his first-ever visit to the school and fell in love with it.
“I really loved everything,” Hansard said of his trip. “The coaches, the players, the commits and the university. The way I felt comfortable there stuck out to me.”
The Gators now have 15 members in their 2017 class and three defensive tackles. Hansard joins junior college prospect Javier Edwards and Jordon Scott on the commitment list.
Coach Jim McElwain tweeted his approval of Hansard’s commitment.
Unless otherwise indicated, ratings and rankings come from the 247Sports Composite.
Zach Abolverdi is the Florida beat writer for SEC Country and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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