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 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 has been participating fall practice for just about a week and, while the activities were closed to both the media and public, some notable things did occur during Saturday’s scrimmage. OGGOA has compiled some of the key details learned throughout the day.

INJURY UPDATES

Redshirt junior running back Chris Rainey (accelerated heartbeat) may have returned to practice Friday, but he was held out of contact drills once again Saturday. With Sunday off, he will probably resume those exercises on Monday. Senior linebacker Brandon Hicks (dehydration) did not return to practice and is still recovering. He will also likely be back Monday.

Other players held out of Saturday’s scrimmage include left tackles sophomore Xavier Nixon (minor injuries) and redshirt sophomore Matt Patchan (wrist). The duo, who are competing for the starting job, were replaced by redshirt senior right tackle Marcus Gilbert, though redshirt senior left guard Carl Johnson saw some action there also.

POSITION BATTLES

Nothing new on starting middle linebacker (still a competition between sophomore Jon Bostic and redshirt freshman Jelani Jenkins), but defensive coordinator Teryl Austin told reporters Saturday that (as expected) redshirt sophomore Jeremy Brown and senior Moses Jenkins separated themselves from the freshmen in the race for starting cornerback. Freshmen Trey Burton and Tyler Murphy continue to compete for back-up quarterback behind redshirt junior starter John Brantley.

“I THOUGHT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT HYBRID ANIMALS”

Always searching for roster flexibility, the Gators have been experimenting with using redshirt sophomore wide receiver Omarius Hines at tight end. Hines has bulked up a bit (up to 222 lbs.) and has good size for the position but is still primarily a receiver. Similarly, redshirt freshman TE Jordan Reed is still playing Wildcat quarterback – especially on goal line formations. And though Murphy will likely convert to receiver once five-star QB recruit Jeff Driskel (Oviedo, FL) joins the program in 2011, he has not been working out at that position as of yet.

WIDE RECEIVERS STAND OUT

WR coach Zach Azzanni raved about freshman Quinton Dunbar’s performance Saturday, noting that “He jumped over the top of our corner and made a heck of a touchdown catch. He has a lot of natural talent,” according to the Palm Beach Post’s Jason Lieser. Dunbar apparently took advantage of freshman cornerback Josh Shaw on this play, but junior CB Janoris Jenkins admitted that the secondary as a whole did not grab a single interception all day mostly because of Brantley’s accuracy.

There was also a lot of talk about redshirt senior WR Carl Moore being perhaps the most consistent pass catcher of fall practice thus far…and no one should be surprised (in our opinion) that redshirt sophomore Frankie Hammond, Jr. is reportedly working his tail off to make the team and earn the respect of both his peers and coaches.

QUOTES

Brantley on his pass catchers: “Our receivers have come a long way. They’ve been catching the ball really well. [They are] running fast, running great routes. It’s been hot out there and they just keep going. That’s what I like to see. They just keep going.”

QB coach Scot Loeffler on Brantley: “He’s doing a much better job of leadership and taking command of the offense. It’s his time to step up and be the leader and he’s taking that challenge on and doing a much better job with it. I thought Johnny did a fairly good job today of going to the right place with the ball. We’ve just got to make plays when plays present themselves and when the play is not there obviously protect the football. That’s our plan to win around here. We need to protect the football and make sure we do a great job helping our team continue to win.”

Austin on Jenkins’ corner play: “He did some good things out there. Sometimes as a corner you don’t get a lot of looks, but when the play does come your way, are you in position to make the play and you make the play, and he did that [Saturday].”

Brown on finally being healthy: “This is as excited as I’ve ever been here. I’m just taking it all in. I’ve been away from the game so long, you just want to help out. I spent two years not playing at all, not even practicing, so the opportunity just to go out there and contribute just brightens my day.”

Thanks to the News-Press, Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post for the above quotations.

Tags: Brandon Hicks, Carl Johnson, Carl Moore, Chris Rainey, Frankie Hammond, Janoris Jenkins, Jeff Driskel, Jelani Jenkins, Jeremy Brown, John Brantley, Jon Bostic, Jordan Reed, Josh Shaw, Marcus Gilbert, Matt Patchan, Moses Jenkins, Omarius Hines, Quinton Dunbar, Scot Loeffler, Teryl Austin, Trey Burton, Tyler Murphy, Xavier Nixon, Zach Azzanni

The 2010 version of the Florida Gators has been participating fall practice for just about a week 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 day.

DEHYDRATION CONCERNS

The University of Florida announced Friday afternoon that senior linebacker Brandon Hicks left morning practice and was rushed to a hospital to be treated for dehydration. A team spokesperson said Hicks is “doing fine” and is expected to fully recover.

SPEEDSTER RETURNS

Redshirt junior running back Chris Rainey is fast, but an accelerated heart rate had kept him out of practice for a few days. After undergoing a non-invasive procedure and resting, Rainey returned to practice Friday but was held out of contract drills. He will get contact either Saturday during the Gators’ first scrimmage of the fall or when practice resumes on Monday.

CAST OFF

Seemingly always injured, redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Matt Patchan suffered a hairline fracture in his wrist a few practices ago and was scheduled to miss action for 10-14 days. Head coach Urban Meyer told reporters Friday that Patchan’s cast is coming off and he will begin working out again on Saturday.

Check out the rest of Friday’s morning practice notes…after the break!
Continue Reading » 8/13: Florida Gators 2010 fall practice updates

Tags: Brandon Hicks, Chris Rainey, Matt Patchan, Michael Taylor, NFL, Nick Saban, Robert Clark, Roger Goodell, Ryan Stamper, University of Florida, Urban Meyer

Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer, offensive coordinator Steve Addazio, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and a number of players represented the team at the 2010 Florida Media Day on Tuesday in Gainesville, FL. After the break…are some of the biggest stories and most interesting quotes coming out of the event.

Continue Reading » 2010 Florida Media Day: Injuries, leadership, starters, freshmen, fall practice updates

Tags: Ahmad Black, Brandon Hicks, Carl Johnson, Chris Dunkley, Chris Rainey, Chuck Heater, D.J. Durkin, Dan McCarney, Deonte Thompson, Duke Lemmens, Emmanuel Moody, Florida Media Day, Janoris Jenkins, Jaye Howard, Jeff Demps, John Brantley, Justin Trattou, Lorenzo Edwards, Matt Elam, Matt Patchan, Mike Pouncey, Omar Hunter, Ronald Powell, Sharrif Floyd, Steve Addazio, Teryl Austin, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Zach Azzanni

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