1 » When Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James came together over the summer and decided to play for the Miami Heat, each made concessions in their maximum contracts in order to sign two others players – former Florida Gators power forward Udonis Haslem and guard/forward Mike Miller. Haslem, who injured his foot early in the season, has yet to play since and is a much-needed piece for Miami in the middle. Miller, who recovered from an offseason injury and has been seeing plenty of minutes with the Heat, is simply not playing up to snuff. His 5.6 points per game, 39.9 field goal percentage and 69.7 free throw percentage are career lows, and he is also hitting only 36.4 percent of his three-point attempts (second-worst of his career). What Miller has done is stepped up his rebounding and defense, but Miami will need his shooting stroke to improve if they hope to make a title run.

2 » There is no doubting Florida defensive line coach Bryant Young’s 14-year NFL career. He’s played in the Super Bowl, been named to multiple Pro Bowls and has garnered numerous other honors throughout his career. But as a football coach? Young is just getting started and told University of Florida senior writer Scott Carter that he specifically wanted to coach in college rather than the pros. “Being on this level, you really have a chance to help shape and mold a young man,’’ Young said. “That was really intriguing to me. The game is a little different but still competitive. We are all trying to win, but the message could be a little different in terms of steering a young man in the right direction and helping them realize they have a bright future ahead of them. They are able to go to school and their athletic ability has afforded them a free education. I think the message that needs to be clear is that it’s important that they understand that they need to secure their future by getting their degree.’’

Click to expand and read the remainder of this post.

A four-star recruit out of Lakeland, FL, Lawrence did not see action until 2009 when he mostly participated in special teams plays. He never caught a pass at Florida and is the third member of his recruiting class to transfer this season.

“He tried to move on last year and we talked him into [staying] because he’s a good kid and all that,” Meyer said. “I think he just wants to move on to get some playing time.”

Fellow redshirt sophomores cornerback Adrian Bushell and linebacker Brendan Beal each left the team in the middle of May.

Lawrence cited playing time as his primary concern and has yet to pick a destination.

2 » Though the Gators were only one of his 17 scholarship offers, Florida (along with Penn State) was in the final three for four-star defensive tackle Joel Hale (Greenwood, IN). Unfortunately for head coach Urban Meyer, Hale publicly committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes Monday evening, becoming the school’s second commit in under a week. At 6’4” and 290 lbs., Hale’s commitment is No. 14 for the Buckeyes, one that will help them immediately get more athletic on the front line.

On Wednesday, OGGOA exclusively reported that redshirt sophomore linebacker Brendan Beal would be transferring out of the Florida Gators program after two injury plagued seasons. Beal himself confirmed this story during a conversation with Scout.com late Sunday evening.

“I was told tonight by [offensive coordinator] Steve Addazio that I will be given my official release from the University of Florida sometime tomorrow,” Beal told the website. “I spent two years at Florida under several different coaches in which I had the opportunity to learn a lot about football and had some good experiences there. I appreciate the time the coaches gave me during my tenure with the Gators and wish them the best of luck with their program.”

A source close to the team told OGGOA last week that Beal, a Parade All-American and former four-star recruit who sat out the last two seasons with a torn ACL, was “not 100 percent but more like 99 percent” out the door.

His decision ultimately came after he lost out on the opportunity to earn a starting job during spring practice and realized he would likely be the fifth linebacker on the Gators’ depth chart behind senior Brandon Hicks, redshirt senior A.J. Jones, sophomore Jon Bostic and redshirt freshman Jelani Jenkins.

Beal becomes the third former top-rated recruit to leave Florida this offseason, following redshirt sophomore cornerback Adrian Bushell (transfer) and defensive tackle Gary Brown (dismissal). The Gators have decided not to restrict any of the schools that Beal can transfer to and are already allowing universities to contact him.

Beal, a Parade All-American and former four-star recruit who sat out the last two seasons with a torn ACL, is “not 100 percent but more like 99 percent” out the door, the source said.

He was hoping to win a starting job in the spring but probably would have been the team’s fifth linebacker behind a dynamic and impressive foursome of senior Brandon Hicks, redshirt senior A.J. Jones, sophomore Jon Bostic and redshirt freshman Jelani Jenkins.

Beal and Bushell (a four-star recruit) would join former five-star defensive tackle Gary Brown (dismissed) as top-rated commitments who have left the Gators this offseason.

Beal and Florida are expected to come to a final decision within a week to 10 days.

OGGOA – 05/17: LB Brendan Beal confirms transfer out of Florida

Check out OGGOA’s full coverage of the 2010 Orange & Blue Debut…

Scrimmage happenings:
» OGGOA’s Live Coverage and Play-by-Play
» Orange & Blue Debut Box Score

» Redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley went 15/19 for 201 yards and two touchdowns. With the defense unable to blitz, Brantley had some extra time in the pocket and used it to pick apart the first-team secondary, which was without starting safeties senior Ahmad Black and junior Will Hill and junior cornerback Janoris Jenkins. He ran plays from both the shotgun and I-formations.

» Freshman Trey Burton and redshirt freshman tight end Jordan Reed also saw plenty of time behind center. Burton was exciting and dynamic, going 12/18 for 120 yards, a touchdown and one interception. Burton’s turnover came on his first play of the day and was nabbed by freshman cornerback Joshua Shaw. He also rushed 10 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns including an Orange & Blue Debut-record 76-yard run.

» Reed, taking over for Brantley, went 3/5 for 80 yards and a touchdown; he also ran the ball three times for 19 yards. He worked in the Wildcat a bit in the first half but worked mostly from the shotgun in the second half; Reed appears to be the team’s third quarterback and looked good overall, especially for someone who has been spending most of his time working to become the starting TE.

» Redshirt senior wide receiver Carl Moore was the offensive star of the day, nabbing eight balls for 130 yards and a touchdown. Moore used the game as a form of redemption after leaving practice for unforeseen issues two weeks ago and slowly making his way back into the fold. He will likely start across from redshirt junior WR Deonte Thompson if his performance Saturday was any indication of what he can do when given the ball. Moore, who sat out last season with a back injury, appeared to hurt it again late in the scrimmage after taking a helmet hit in his backside. It is unknown whether the injury is serious or not.

» Thompson used the first play of the game to make his mark, catching a beautiful 47-yard pass from Brantley. He sat out the rest of the way.

» Redshirt freshman WR Andre Debose, returning from hamstring surgery that kept him out all of 2009, saw some action early on Saturday. We expected him to sit out as a precaution, but the coaching staff was obviously not worried about aggravating the injury and let him see some action. Debose caught two passes for 30 yards and looked good when cutting and changing direction.

» With running backs junior Jeff Demps (outdoor track & field), redshirt senior Emmanuel Moody (ankle, quad injuries) sitting out the game, sophomore Mike Gillislee got plenty of time on the field. Behind a mostly second-string offensive line, he rushed 10 times for 50 yards with a long of 24.

» Though the defense is tough to judge during scrimmage because its hands are tied in the pressure it can apply, redshirt junior defensive tackle Jaye Howard fought his way inside for two sacks on Brantley.

» Junior kicker Caleb Sturgis went 5/5 on extra points and hit 3/4 field goals.
Makes: 42, 52, 37 | Miss: 52

Other notes:
» Head coach Urban Meyer and his wife Shelley Meyer were named honorary alumni by the University of Florida at halftime. Also at halftime, two 2010 National Championship teams were honored: women’s swimming & diving and men’s indoor track & field.

» Attendance: 51,500 – though it did not look like more than 30,000 were there.

» In the house: Tim Tebow (before the game), Maurkice Pouncey, Riley Cooper, Carlos Dunlap, Brandon Spikes, Major Wright, Ryan Stamper, Louis Murphy, Scott Brantley, some 2010 commitments including Ronald Powell, Sharrif Floyd and Cody Riggs and a bunch of 2011 recruits.

» Montreal Alouettes QB Chris Leak was in attendance and spent almost the entire time next to Meyer on the field. He spoke with Brantley a few times and appeared to be coaching him up, working with him on his drops and throwing motion. Leak, though still a backup in the CFL, could have a future as a QB coach, maybe even with Florida if/when Scot Loeffler takes a head coaching job.

In a comedic moment, redshirt junior WR Chris Rainey squirted a bottle of water down Meyer’s back and then ran away. Meyer squirmed and then laughed it off.

Interesting quotes:

» Meyer on Brantley: “Boy, he was good. He was good. John’s next step is just the whole leadership thing. Instead of, ‘Aw, shucks,’ to ‘Let’s get it done.’ I’ve seen tremendous growth from January 2 until now.”

» Meyer on Debose’s injury: “Eighteen or 19 years old and your dreams are shattered, that’s tough. Here’s the next coming, the No. 1 receiver in America, then boom. He doesn’t live up to expectations and everybody’s asking what about him? What about him? [...] That kid’s going to be a good player.”

» Meyer on Burton: “He’s still not a great thrower. But they said that about Tebow when he came out of high school, too, and he did OK.”

» Meyer on a Tebow-less Gators: “I don’t want to say I’m over it, ‘cause I’ll never get over it. But to not have Tim in there, I’m kind of used to it now. Not saying I like it, but I’m used to it.”

» Meyer on the most improved unit: “I’d say linebackers. Coach [D.J.] Durkin is doing a tremendous job. [The linebackers] are very talented. [Redshirt freshman] Jelani Jenkins, [sophomore Jon] Bostic, [redshirt sophomore Brendan] Beal […] [that's a] very talented group. [Senior] A.J. Jones, who didn’t practice much because he had a bad knee, is going to be a fine player for us, and [senior Brandon] Hicks. Those guys all did fantastic. Are they good enough? We don’t know, yet. But their attitudes are right, they’re mentally [good] and they’re in great shape. The correlation between them finishing spring like that and them showing up ready to play, that’s why I’m kind of excited right now.”

» Meyer on the team’s mentality: “You’ve got a team that’s got a chip on their shoulder in the locker room. It’s kind of cool to have that again.”

» Meyer’s overall evaluation: “I grade the spring game an ‘A’ and I haven’t had many. We stink as a team, but that’s not the intent. The intent is to have a good attitude and a good work ethic and go as hard as you can and try and identify players and playmakers. I’d give [the spring] an ‘A.’ I think today was an ‘A.’ Certainly, there were bad snaps, there was this and this, but once again this was a no winner-loser day today. We identified some players today.”

» Meyer on the crowd: “I thought post-Tebow we’d have 11,000 out there. And I told Johnny Brantley, ‘No one’s here to see you, big boy.’ Then all of a sudden a big crowd shows up. I’m very grateful.”

» Meyer on Leak: “It was great to have Chris Leak come back […] he was working. He was out there talking [and] was just around giving the insight to the team. I just love Chris Leak.”

» Brantley on the experience: “It felt a lot different, going out there, knowing that I’m the guy now. But I’m surrounded by great players who are making it a lot easier for me. […] I feel like it’s my huddle now. I definitely do. That’s what I’ve been working on — leadership, being more vocal in the huddle. […] I just want to keep [UF's success] going. People talk about our receivers or defense not being as good as last year. I think that’s what we want to improve on. We’re not going to miss anything, we’re not going to take a step back at all.”

» Brantley on being the starter: “I feel like it’s my huddle now. I definitely do. That’s what I’ve been working on — leadership, being more vocal in the huddle.”

» Brantley on Moore: “Carl Moore did a great job. He’s coming off a back injury [and] had to sit out last season. Coming back for a fifth year., he’s working really hard and I’m happy it’s paying off for him.”

» Brantley on Leak: “He was just giving little pointers to me. [He was telling me] little things you just need to do. He’s just trying to help me out. He’s always been a mentor to me. I’ve always watched him play, through his college years while I was growing up, and I’m just happy he’s helping me out now.”

» Debose on returning from injury: “It feels good to be back. It was real stressful being away from the game. It was amazing, just being a part of something. At times, I felt like I wasn’t even part of the team – always on the shelf or in the pit…not participating. [...] The low point probably was me having surgery, but as the season went on, it gradually got worse and worse and worse. It was the first time in my life I was in the background. Just not being part of the team and being kind of pushed away and being on the shelf, it kind of crushed me. […] Now I finally feel like part of the team.”

» Debose on advice his grandmother gave him: “Right when I was about to have surgery, she said that you didn’t like to be compared to Percy. You sat out a year, that kind of died down. I can kind of make my own. It’s Andre Debose.”

» Burton on doing a lot of running: “I’ll do whatever I have to do to play. I’ll long snap it if I have to.”

» Freshman safety Matt Elam on the experience: “Just looking around and seeing all of the people, my heart was pumping, I was ready to go. It was the best feeling I’ve ever had.”

» Offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Steve Addazio on utilizing a power QB: “It’s an aspect we don’t want to lose. We’re really fired up about what you’re seeing.”

» Addazio on Brantley: “We know he can throw the ball. Can he lead, can he win, can he motivate, can he grab the team? Johnny did those things this spring. It was really cool.”

» Addazio on all the QBs: “I thought they all played well. They’re competitive guys, they’re athletic guys. You can see they’re wired the right way. Coach [Meyer] and I were standing back there and it was really pretty cool. They all did a great job.”

» Addazio on the team’s performance: “We’ve got a group of guys who love ball. They want to do things the right way. They’re hungry. They’re coachable. They’ve bought in totally to accountability and holding each other accountable. That’s what we needed to get done this spring and that’s what we got done. That’s why we graded it an ‘A.’ ”

» Addazio on the crowd: “Heck, there were more people there than some teams that play in this state have at a home game. So that’s a pretty good judge of how a guy’s going to do in the bright lights.”

» Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin on his squad: “I like what I see. I like the tenacity. I like the effort. This is going to be a great collective [defensive] unit.”

Thanks to the University of Florida, ESPN and The Gainesville Sun for the above quotes.

Absences/Injuries:
» Redshirt senior running back Emmanuel Moody was injured for the second time this spring. Having just returned after missing two practices due to an ankle injury, Moody hurt his right quad, left the field in pain and did not return to action. Initial thoughts are that the injury is not serious.

Scrimmage happenings:
» In the team’s second scrimmage of the spring, the defense one again outshined the offense with a 41-35 “victory.”

» Freshman quarterback Trey Burton dominated the scrimmage with two touchdown passes to redshirt senior wide receiver Carl Moore including a 64-yarder at the end. As OGGOA wrote Friday, it appears as if QB coach Scot Loeffler has really fine-tuned Burton’s throwing motion in a very short period of time. Backing up redshirt junior John Brantley is less and less of a concern with each passing practice.

» Speaking of Brantley, he threw an interception to senior safety Ahmad Black. He was rushed in the pocket all day due to a weak offensive line that is missing a few starters who are sitting out for mostly precautionary reasons.

» Redshirt sophomore defensive linemen Omar Hunter and Earl Okine and junior William Green all sacked Brantley.

» “The defense is playing disruptive football under new defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. Linebackers [redshirt sophomore] Brendan Beal and [sophomore] Jon Bostic each recorded rather loud hits on a running back. Black’s interception was reminiscent of his play against Oklahoma when ripping the ball from a receiver’s hands.” (Fowler/OS)

Other notes:
» Former center Maurkice Pouncey attended practice.

Special thanks to the Orlando Sentinel for the information above.

Jenkins has been getting work at all three linebacker positions but has spent the last few practices primarily working as the starter on the inside. He has been drawing rave reviews from defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and linebackers coach D.J. Durkin, among others.

“He’s a guy who is going to be on the field as much as possible,” Durkin told The Gaineville Sun. “He has dynamic speed and is an explosive-type player that we need to get out there. He’s making a lot of plays and seeing things really well right now. He’s a guy we’re going to try and have on the field as much as possible.”

Seeing as Durkin believes the linebacker corps as a whole is “definitely a strength” for the team, it should come as no surprise that the coaches are doing whatever it takes to get the best players on the field regardless of position. Like Jenkins, senior Lorenzo Edwards (a fellow five-star recruit) is flashing this spring, showing great improvement.

“Lorenzo has had a great spring. He’s really impressed us,” Durkin said. “He’s making a lot of plays and playing all three spots for us. He provides a lot for our team right now. I haven’t been here for every spring, but the coaches who have, they say it’s the best spring he’s had.”

Edwards has mostly been a special teams player for the Gators throughout his career but could be in line for increased playing time as a second-team linebacker. Should Jenkins continue to dominate, he would join senior Brandon Hicks and redshirt senior A.J. Jones as the starters. Sophomore Jon Bostic and redshirt sophomore Brendan Beal would likely be the top reserves with Edwards seeing action as well.

Photo Credit: Rick Dole/Getty Images, Unknown

» Be sure to read over 1,000 words on the return of head coach Urban Meyer and the start of spring practice in OGGOA‘s first post on the subject.

More notes from the first weekend of spring practice:
» As we mentioned Friday, redshirt sophomore cornerback Adrian Bushell – who was expected to supplant Joe Haden next to junior Janoris Jenkins – is still being held out of spring practice as punishment. Senior [we are looking into why his redshirt has not registered] Moses Jenkins is filling in next to J. Jenkins in the interim.

» Backing up J. Jenkins and already turning heads is impressive four-star frosh CB Jaylen Watkins. Redshirt sophomore Jeremy Brown is second behind M. Jenkins.

» Redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley is continuing to turn heads with his impressive arm and ability to hit receivers in stride. His pass catchers, notably redshirt freshman Stephen Alli, redshirt sophomore Frankie Hammond, Jr. and frosh Solomon Patton are all really impressing.

» Frosh QB Trey Burton, dazzling coaches with his legs and toughness, has plenty of work to do as a passer. He was also lit-up by coaches for trotting into the end zone on a naked bootleg, something he made up for with good effort the rest of practice.

» Injury: sophomore safety Josh Evans injured his left knee during a one-on-one drill and had to be helped off the field.

» Sophomore linebacker Jon Bostic is getting every opportunity to start alongside senior Brandon Hicks and redshirt senior A.J. Jones. Also competing with him is redshirt sophomore Brendan Beal. Though redshirt freshman Jelani Jenkins and sophomore converted S Dee Finley will also be competing for playing time.

» OGGOA previously reported that S Dorian Munroe was denied a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA but is in the process of appealing that ruling. Munroe believes his career is now over after numerous knee injuries and will try his hand at coaching when the hammer comes down. Meyer offered Munroe a chance to work with the coaching staff this season, one he will certainly accept.

» JuCo defensive tackle Edwin Herbert has been released from his scholarship due to his lack of ability, according to the Palm Beach Post.

Thanks to The Gainesville Sun and Miami Herald for some of the details in this post.

Blink your eyes and check out over 1,000 words and two videos on Florida Gators football after the jump!

Quotes on head coach Urban Meyer returning to the team:
» Offensive coordinator, offensive line coach and former interim head coach Steve Addazio: “Heck, I’ve always been the ex-head coach. I’m a soldier here doing my job, whatever I can do to help. I’m the offensive coordinator and offense line coach and I’m here to help coach anywhere I can help him, so it’s been great. […] I see a guy fired up ready to coach and energized, that’s what I see. He looks great, he’s fired up and energized and excited and it’s great.”

» Redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley: “He’s fine. He’s his same old self. I’m just happy he’s back out here and he’s doing fine.”

» Senior safety Ahmad Black: “It’s great. He came out here today doing fine. He’s doing good. It’s great to see him. I love him being out here. He’s a fun guy. [He appears] normal, real, real, normal.”

» Redshirt senior offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert: “I’m glad he’s out here coaching us again. He’s a terrific coach. He looks fine, he looks great. He’s going to keep this thing going.”

Notes on the first day of spring practice and the 2010 team:
» Meyer spent most of his time observing his staff and players during the first day of practice. He plans to get more hands-on as time progresses, but he claims he is in evaluation mode for at least the short-term.

» Redshirt freshman wide receiver Andre Debose is practicing in individual drills and working out with the team. He is still recovering from the torn hamstring that kept him out in 2009 and claims that he will not need an additional procedure.

» Redshirt senior WR Carl Moore is back and looking better than ever. A nagging back injury kept Moore, who was slated to start, out of action in 2009. He was able to receive a redshirt and should be back at full strength this year.

» Speaking of wide receivers, Brantley has recently praised redshirt sophomores Frankie Hammond, Jr. and Omarius Hines (as well as redshirt junior Deonte Thompson). Four-star WR recruit Chris Dunkley will fight for early playing time, but he does have some solid competition even though the position was one of the weakest on the team last season.

» Senior linebackers Brandon Hicks and A.J. Jones can be penciled in as starters for 2010, but an open position next to them is going to be a point of contention all offseason. Redshirt freshman Jelani Jenkins and sophomore Jon Bostic, both high-profile recruits, will be going head-to-head for the job with some competition also coming from redshirt sophomore Brendan Beal and converted sophomore safety Dee Finley.

» Junior running back Jeff Demps will sit out of practice while he competes for the Gators’ track and field teams in outdoor competitions in the spring. Demps won a National Championship during the indoor track and field season and will remain the team’s starter going into 2010.

» It took spring practice to begin for it to be made a certainty, but senior Mike Pouncey will step in for his brother Maurkice as the team’s starting center. The main reason Pouncey stayed in Gainesville, FL, was to improve his draft position by learning to be the anchor of the offensive line.

» Another position up for grabs is starting cornerback. Though junior Janoris Jenkins has one spot all to himself, the other will need to be filled with the departure of Joe Haden. Redshirt sophomore Adrian Bushell was thought to have an early in at the position, but he is currently in Meyer’s dog house, likely because of his grades or violating team rules. Bushell must get “some stuff in order” (according to his head coach) before he is allowed to practice with the team. Four-star incoming recruit Joshua Shaw and senior Moses Jenkins will also fight for the vacant job.

» Redshirt sophomore CB Jeremy Brown is in the middle of his recovery from a back injury but is not yet participating in contact drills. He is coming along slowly but has high hopes of being in good shape by the time the season rolls around.

» The departure of tight end Aaron Hernandez leaves a gaping hole of needed production at that position. Though Florida could get away with not using the tight end much in 2010, four-star recruit Gerald Christian believes he can come in and replace Hernandez right away. Redshirt freshmen Desmond Parks and converted QB Jordan Reed will also get a solid look – both could turn some heads.

» The Gators’ incoming No. 1-ranked recruiting class has a chance to see plenty of playing time early on. Five-stars defensive end Ronald Powell and defensive tackle Dominique Easley, five-star defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd and five-star safety Matt Elam are all likely to see the field. Three-star QB Trey Burton may immediately step in as Brantley’s back-up, and three-star Robert Clark could get early time as a returner like Brandon James.

» Don’t forget about the coaching staff. Five new coaches are starting for Florida this spring, including defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Stan Drayton, wide receiver coach Zach Azzanni and linebackers and special teams coach D.J. Durkin.

Coaches on the make up of the 2010 Gators:
» Meyer on Brantley: “It’s hard to be a leader when the other guy is around. The other guy [Tim Tebow] is so overwhelming. It’s [Brantley's] huddle now.”

» Meyer on Thompson: “He’s got to be ‘The Man.’ He’s got to develop into being the X receiver or the Z, him and Carl Moore. We’ve got some numbers but it’s time Deonte becomes like he was the No. 1 receiver.”

» Meyer on the team: “It is a kind of rebuilding I guess or reloading or something like that. But there’s a lot of good players still here, a lot. A lot of good ones coming in, too.”

» Meyer on the incoming class: “How do you evaluate recruiting? You go out at Pro Day in four years and see how you did.”

» Co-defensive coordinator Chuck Heater: “We lost a lot of playmakers, a lot of good players. But really good teams have some guys that come out of nowhere.”

» Meyer on the new hires: “I really like our coaches. Our special teams coordinator [D.J. Durkin] – the eye of the tiger is on him and he did a good job. He did a great job today.”

» Meyer on new WR Solomon Patton: “The guy that looks really good to me is Patton, that little guy who runs really fast.”

Meyer and Brantley speak after practice:

Meyer at the first day of spring practice (Orlando Sentinel):

Special thanks to The Gainesville Sun, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN and the Palm Beach Post for some of the quotes above. h/t to Andrea Adelson for the final video.