OGGOA had the opportunity to participate in Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer’s Southeastern Conference teleconference on Wednesday (we will be doing so every week). Below are some notes from Meyer’s media availability (full transcript later):

» Meyer answering OGGOA’s question about redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Rainey’s importance to the offense: “It’s his year. He’s gonna perform. He’s ready for it. He’s up to almost 180 – 178 he told me yesterday. He’s stronger than he’s ever been. He’s now focused on a position that really his body is more trained to be. And he has to give us the home run shot, and he’s got the ability. There’s really not an offense who can function without a home run hitter. And he’s either one or two on our list of guys that can take it to the distance.”

» Asked about whether or not he was concerned about junior running back Jeff Demps returning kickoffs, Meyer said the team is being “very cautious” but “hopefully we don’t return many kicks.” He also noted that Demps getting injured is one of the team’s main concerns; he no longer participates in “non-essential running” drills during practice and the team is “very cautious” with him throughout the week. “He just goes 40 yards every time he touches it at warp speed.”

» Meyer refused to pick either redshirt sophomore Jeremy Brown or senior Moses Jenkins as the team’s No. 2 cornerback, saying the duo is both competing in practice and will split time.

» He went out of his way to give shout-outs to freshmen quarterback Trey Burton and safety Matt Elam, redshirt freshman linebacker Jelani Jenkins and sophomore LB Jon Bostic as four players who will soon become household names among Florida fans.

» Read the rest of what Meyer had to say…after the break!
Continue Reading » 9/1: Florida coach Meyer’s SEC teleconference

Tags: A.J. Jones, Chris Leak, Chris Rainey, Gator Nation, James Bates, Jeff Demps, Jelani Jenkins, Jeremy Brown, John Brantley, Jon Bostic, Jordan Reed, Matt Elam, Matt Flynn, Moses Jenkins, Norm Carlson, Ryan Stamper, SEC, Steve Spurrier, Terron Sanders, Tim Tebow, Trey Burton, Tyler Murphy, Urban Meyer

Game week practice for the Florida Gators‘ 2010 season opener is officially underway and, with their first game coming on Saturday at 12 p.m. against the Miami (OH) RedHawks, coaches and players were made available to the media after practice on Tuesday. OGGOA has compiled some of the key details.

SIXTH CAPTAIN ADDED

Five Florida football players – redshirt senior linebacker A.J. Jones and seniors safety Ahmad Black, center Mike Pouncey, defensive end Justin Trattou and DE Duke Lemmens – were voted as captains by their teammates Saturday, according to head coach Urban Meyer. On Tuesday, Meyer said that redshirt senior defensive tackle Lawrence Marsh has been added, giving the Gators six captains this year.

TWO REDSHIRTS HANDED OUT

Freshmen defensive end Lynden Trail and defensive tackle Leon Orr will both be redshirted for the 2010-11 season, according to assistant head coach and defensive line coach Dan McCarney. “They’re not ready to play in the SEC, not ready to play winning football,” McCarney said, according to the Palm Beach Post‘s Jason Lieser. Ouch!

Trail would have been – at best – the seventh DE to play this season, while Orr has at least five other players in front of him. Trail, along with tight end Michael McFarland, had his black helmet stripe removed during practice on Monday.

Meyer noted Tuesday that wide receiver Solomon Patton had his stripe taken off.

QUOTE

Redshirt senior running back Emmanuel Moody on redshirt junior WR Chris Rainey breaking out: “I think he’s going to have a big year this year. We’re excited to see him returning punts as well. […] He’s making plays left and right. He’s taking them to the house sometimes. He’s making people miss, making people look foolish, breaking ankles out there. One time he made a play on Jelani Jenkins and Jelani didn’t know where Rainey was. Once he gets the ball in his hands this season, it will be electric.”

Tags: A.J. Jones, Ahmad Black, Chris Rainey, Dan McCarney, Duke Lemmens, Emmanuel Moody, Jelani Jenkins, Justin Trattou, Lawrence Marsh, Leon Orr, Lynden Trail, Miami RedHawks, Michael McFarland, Mike Pouncey, Solomon Patton, Urban Meyer

Game week practice for the Florida Gators‘ 2010 season opener is officially underway and, with their first game coming on Saturday at 12 p.m. against the Miami (OH) RedHawks, coaches and players hit the stage on Monday for their first regular season media availability. OGGOA has compiled some of the key details.

OPENING GAME INJURIES

Senior defensive tackle Terron Sanders (knee), left tackles redshirt sophomore Matt Patchan (wrist) and sophomore Xavier Nixon (knee) will all be out of action for the Gators’ home opener on Saturday. Sophomore tight end Jordan Reed, who is nursing a deep knee bruise, is questionable but not likely to play.

STARTING LINEBACKERS NAMED

Head coach Urban Meyer made it a point to single out redshirt senior linebacker A.J. Jones as the team’s only confirmed starter for Saturday. He did, however, say that two of senior Brandon Hicks, sophomore Jon Bostic and redshirt freshman Jelani Jenkins will fill in the other two spots in the starting unit with those chosen being the players whom play best during the next few days of practice. Whoever is the lone non-starter will still see plenty of time on the field.

WIDE RECEIVER ROTATION REVEALED

Junior wide receiver Denote Thompson and redshirt senior Carl Moore, as expected, are the team’s two primary starters with redshirt junior Chris Rainey taking over the slot receiver role. Meyer announced Monday that redshirt freshman Andre Debose would play the X position and back-up Thompson, while freshman standout Robert Clark – who really impressed during camp – will be the main reserve for Rainey.

FIRST DEPTH CHART RELEASED

OFFENSE
QB: John Brantley – Tyler Murphy / Trey Burton
RB: Jeff Demps / Emmanuel Moody – Mike Gillislee / Mack Brown
FB: T.J. Pridemore – Gerald Christian
WR1: Deonte Thompson – Andre Debose – Quinton Dunbar
WR2: Carl Moore – Justin Williams
WR-S: Chris Rainey – Robert Clark
TE: Omarius Hines – Trey Burton / Jordan Reed
LT: Marcus Gilbert – Kyle Koehne
LG: Carl Johnson – Jonotthan Harrison
C: Mike Pouncey – Sam Robey – Nick Alajajian
RG: James Wilson – Jon Halapio – David Young
RT: Maurice Hurt – Nick Alajajian

DEFENSE
DE: Justin Trattou – Lerentee McCray / Dominique Easley
DT: Omar Hunter – Lawrence Marsh / Brandon Antwine
DT: Jaye Howard – Sharrif Floyd
DE: Duke Lemmens – William Green / Ronald Powell
SLB: A.J. Jones – Neiron Ball
MLB: Jon Bostic / Jelani Jenkins – Michael Taylor
WLB: Brandon Hicks – Lorenzo Edwards
CB1: Janoris Jenkins – Josh Shaw / Jaylen Watkins
CB2: Moses Jenkins / Jeremy Brown – Cody Riggs
FS: Will Hill – Josh Evans
SS: Ahmad Black – Matt Elam

SPECIAL TEAMS
K: Caleb Sturgis – Chas Henry
P: Chas Henry – David Lerner – Caleb Sturgis
LS: John Fairbanks (FG), Christopher Guido (P)
H: Chas Henry
KR: Jeff Demps – Chris Rainey / Mike Gillislee
PR: Chris Rainey – Janoris Jenkins

QUOTES and VIDEOS (after the break…)
Continue Reading » Week 1: Florida Gators Monday media availability

Tags: A.J. Jones, Andre Debose, Brandon Hicks, Carl Johnson, Carl Moore, Chris Rainey, Denote Thompson, Duke Lemmens, Jaye Howard, Jelani Jenkins, John Brantley, Jon Bostic, Jordan Reed, Justin Trattou, Marcus Gilbert, Matt Patchan, Miami RedHawks, Robert Clark, Ronald Powell, Terron Sanders, Urban Meyer, William Green, Xavier Nixon

The 2010 version of the Florida Gators concluded fall practice on Saturday with a scrimmage, and while the activities were once again closed to both the media and public, some notable things did occur. OGGOA has compiled some of the key details.

2010-11 SEASON CAPTAINS NAMED

Five Florida football players were voted as captains by their teammates Saturday, according to head coach Urban Meyer. Redshirt senior linebacker A.J. Jones and seniors safety Ahmad Black, center Mike Pouncey, defensive end Justin Trattou and DE Duke Lemmens were all announced as captains.

OPENING DAY STARTING LINES SET

In addition to naming captains, offensive coordinator Steve Addazio and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin announced their starting lines for the Gators’ home opener against the Miami (OH) RedHawks. On offense, from left to right, are senior Marcus Gilbert (LT), redshirt senior Carl Johnson (LG), Pouncey (C), junior James Wilson (RG), senior Maurice Hurt (RT). Gilbert is moving from RT to LT, Hurt is moving from RG to RT and Wilson is taking over at RG. This became necessary after both first-team LTs, sophomore Xavier Nixon (knee) and redshirt sophomore Matt Patchan (wrist), were ruled out for next Saturday due to their respective injuries.

Defensively, Trattou and Lemmens will start at the ends while redshirt sophomore Omar Hunter and redshirt junior Jaye Howard occupy the tackle positions. Austin did not name a starting middle linebacker or second cornerback.

QUOTES

Meyer on the 2010-11 offense: “It’s going to look different. [...] If you’d asked me in the middle of the summer, I couldn’t tell you. It’s going to look a little different. There are going to be some things we’ve not done, including even when Chris Leak was here. So, there will be some interesting things to look at. We’ve kind of got an idea who the playmakers are on offense. We have a good feel for what we are right now. Steve Addazio has done a really good job.”

Addazio on the 2010-11 offense: “Basically, who we are isn’t going to change. You’ll see these tweaks coming out. You’re going to see more stuff, without a doubt. But our goal here is to always take advantage of the guys we have. Different guys have different talents. That’s where you’ll see the little tweaks. You’ll see change. It’s about getting the ball in the hands of the playmakers, about doing what our players can do great. That’s what we’ve always been about. Fundamentally, that is so locked in. It could come in a two-back under center formation. It could come in a lot of shapes and forms. We’re going to really get that thing spread around.”

Addazio on his excitement about the offensive playmakers: “I just really like what [Chris] Rainey has done right now. He’s electric. We’re got Trey Burton popping around in a lot of different places right now. Omarius Hines, I think he’s really going to have a breakout year. Andre Debose is ready to make an impact. He’s ready to get out there and start to go. He’s a young guy, but he’s electric. He can make plays now. Robert Clark has made a bunch of plays in camp. He’s a tough guy, an athletic, tough guy. You just like him in there.”

Special thanks to The Gainesville Sun for the above quotations.

Tags: A.J. Jones, Ahmad Black, Andre Debose, Carl Johnson, Chris Rainey, Duke Lemmens, James Wilson, Jaye Howard, Justin Trattou, Marcus Gilbert, Matt Patchan, Maurice Hurt, Miami RedHawks, Mike Pouncey, Omar Hunter, Omarius Hines, Robert Clark, Steve Addazio, Teryl Austin, Trey Burton, Urban Meyer, Xavier Nixon

The 2010 version of the Florida Gators is in the midst of their third week fall practice and, while the activities were once again closed to both the media and public, some notable things did occur at Thursday’s press conference courtesy of head coach Urban Meyer. OGGOA has compiled some of the key details.

There is a ton to read…and you can check it all out by clicking the link below.
Continue Reading » 08/26: Florida Gators 2010 fall practice notes

Tags: A.J. Jones, Brandon Hicks, Carl Johnson, Carl Moore, Dee Finley, Dominique Easley, Gerald Christian, Jelani Jenkins, Jeremy Brown, Jon Bostic, Jordan Reed, Kyle Koehne, Lorenzo Edwards, Matt Patchan, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, Moses Jenkins, Neiron Ball, Nick Alajajian, Omarius Hines, Ronald Powell, Urban Meyer, Xavier Nixon

The 2010 version of the Florida Gators is going into their second week of fall practice and, while the activities were closed to both the media and public, some notable things did occur during the morning session. OGGOA has compiled some of the key details learned throughout the early portion of the day…more later…

PLAYERS RETURN

Both senior linebacker Brandon Hicks (dehydration) and redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Rainey (accelerated heartbeat) returned to practice in full on Monday.

JENKINS PULLS AHEAD

LB coach D.J. Durkin told reporters that redshirt freshman Jelani Jenkins is currently ahead of sophomore Jon Bostic, but they are not necessarily playing the same position right now and may both start. It is expected that only one of the two will be able to start alongside Hicks and redshirt senior A.J. Jones.

MORE STRIPES REMOVED

Three more freshmen – quarterback Trey Burton and defensive tackles Sharrif Floyd and Dominique Easley – had their black helmet stripes removed by the coaching staff. That is now a total of six frosh who no longer have their stripes on.

Some are reporting that safety Matt Elam and WR Quinton Dunbar lost theirs over the weekend. This is likely considering how the staff raved about them after the scrimmage.

MEYER STILL SPECIAL

Senior punter Chas Henry noted that head coach Urban Meyer, not special teams coach Durkin, remains in charge of the punt return and coverage units. Perhaps Durkin is handling the kickoff and field goal teams at this point.

QUOTES

Defensive line coach Dan McCarney on Floyd and Easley: “They really scrimmaged well. They’re showing each day that they belong on the field this year, and they’re going to help our defense as true freshmen. I’m proud of them. They’re physical guys. We felt they were two of the better players in the country last year. They were two of the guys we targeted from the beginning. We’ve still got a ways to go, but in the scrimmage and all the practices, they don’t look one bit out of place. They look like they belong. The look like they belong on the field this year.”

Running backs coach Stan Drayton on sophomore RB Mike Gillislee: “He had a phenomenal scrimmage. He toughed it out, played through some injuries. He made plays. He had some explosive plays down the sideline in the run game. He protected in the pass game. I’m really excited about where GIlly is at this point. [The light] is definitely coming on for him. He’s feeling it. He knows he’s being counted on to play for us. He’s ready to go. He’s getting himself ready to play a game.”

Drayton on freshman RB Mack Brown: “His potential is phenomenal. But he’s still playing slow because he’s thinking a lot. We threw a whole big playbook at him in a week. He’s sitting there trying to assess all that, then execute the play. He’s playing slow, but the ability is there. When we are able to just give him something he knows, you see the flash of a great talent. That will all come in time.”

Special thanks to The Gainesville Sun here and here for the above quotations.

Tags: A.J. Jones, Brandon Hicks, Chas Henry, Chris Rainey, D.J. Durkin, Dan McCarney, Dominique Easley, Jelani Jenkins, Jon Bostic, Mack Brown, Matt Elam, Mike Gillislee, Quinton Dunbar, Sharrif Floyd, Stan Drayton, Trey Burton, Urban Meyer

The 2010 version of the Florida Gators began fall practice Thursday and, while the activities were closed to both the media and public, a bunch of players spoke with the former group in a press conference setting following the morning session. As the rookies/freshmen hit the field for the second practice of the day (the veterans competed earlier), OGGOA has compiled some of the key details learned throughout the day.

PRACTICE NOTES

» Redshirt sophomore Matt Patchan and sophomore Xavier Nixon shared first-team duties at left tackle. This may be a position of contention for quite some time.
» In similar fashion, sophomore Jon Bostic and redshirt freshman Jelani Jenkins are splitting first-team middle linebacker duties; however…
» Redshirt senior A.J. Jones and senior Brandon Hicks admitted that the coaches are making the linebackers learn all three positions. They also noted that the team may indeed run four linebackers at times but nothing is set in stone one way or another.
» Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Frankie Hammond, Jr. practiced today. He is no longer on scholarship and is attempting to earn his way back onto the team.
» Redshirt senior running back Emmanuel Moody is practicing even after having two surgeries this year to clean out bone spurs from his injured ankle. He will workout in full most days but may take some time off for precautionary measures.
» Though redshirt sophomore Jeremy Brown, senior Moses Jenkins and freshmen Josh Shaw and Jaylen Watkins were the early favorites to start opposite junior cornerback Janoris Jenkins, freshman Cody Riggs got some major endorsements from the team’s veterans, many of whom were impressed with his fluid footwork.

Check out what the players had to say about Thursday’s practice, last year’s team and the upcoming season…after the break!
Continue Reading » 8/5: Florida Gators 2010 fall practice updates

Tags: A.J. Jones, Ahmad Black, Brandon Hicks, Carl Johnson, Chris Rainey, Cody Riggs, Deonte Thompson, Draft, Emmanuel Moody, Frankie Hammond, Janoris Jenkins, Jaylen Watkins, Jeff Demps, Jelani Jenkins, Jeremy Brown, John Brantley, Jon Bostic, Josh Shaw, Matt Patchan, Maurice Hurt, Maurkice Pouncey, Mike Pouncey, Moses Jenkins, NFL, SEC, SEC Championship, Terron Sanders, Tim Tebow, University of Florida, Xavier Nixon