Position coaches rarely make Gator Gathering appearances for the Florida Gators, especially in the spring, but the football program obviously did not want to spread head coach Will Muschamp too thin this offseason. That is why it was new wide receivers coach Joker Phillips who was chosen to speak in front of the West Palm Beach Gator Club on Tuesday at Roxy’s Rooftop in front of approximately 150 paying attendees.

OGGOA was on-site for the event and though Phillips did not speak with the media, a few newsworthy notes and quotes came out of the event.

» On a conversation he had before going on stage: “I was back in the back. There’s a guy named Frank who spells his name F-r-a-n-c-k, OK? That’s an unusual spelling, but Franck said, ‘Hey, we love you. Go Gators!’ I said, ‘They loved me at the last place until I played a game. Hope Franck loves me after this season.”

» On why he chose to continue his career at Florida: “I’m excited about being a part of Coach Muschamp’s vision. They paid me a lot of money at other places not to coach, so I had to make a decision. There were three things I decided that I wanted. I wanted to stay in the South where I can get sweet tea. I wanted to be able to recruit some of the elite athletes across the country. Third, I want to win a national championship. Coach Muschamp gave me the opportunity to do all the things I wanted by coming to Florida.”

» On how he perceives his position on the coaching staff: “My job as a receiver coach is to get you to where you’re supposed to be at on-time. Period. Get you to where you’re supposed to be at on-time, whether it’s the weight room, meetings, classroom, or curl route, slant route. [I must] get you to where the quarterback knows exactly where you’ll be at on-time. If the quarterback is taking three steps, and you’re supposed to be at five yards, you have got to be at five yards. You can’t be at eight. So many of our problems… I went around and listened to a lot of people talk about, ‘[Jeff] Driskel this…”No, no, it’s a combination. It’s a combination of blocking, a combination of Jeff, a combination of receivers not being where they’re supposed to be on time. And that’s my job as the receivers coach.”

Continue Reading » Joker Phillips gathers Gators in West Palm Beach

Tags: Andre Debose, Jeff Driskel, Joker Phillips, Loucheiz Purifoy, Solomon Patton, Will Muschamp

Below is the 2013 post-spring practice version of the Florida Gators depth chart. Though some fans will be excited to see where the team stacks up below, head coach Will Muschamp cautions each year that feeling that way is not worth the energy.

Muschamp makes it quite clear that he does not put a lot of stock into depth charts, even those that are published after spring practice is over. In fact, back in 2011 and again on Wednesday, he stated it is “not worth the paper it is printed on.” In other words, the depth chart seen here is just a starting-off point for 2013 and plenty can change between now and the start of the season.

Nevertheless, below is the depth chart as it was presented on April 24. Notations marked with (») denote changes from the pre-spring depth chart released March 12. Players marked with (*) were out for all or most of spring practice.

OGGOA will update this post with more from Muschamp shortly.

OFFENSE

QB: 6 Jeff Driskel, 10 Tyler Murphy
» Murphy inches ahead of 17 Skyler Mornhinweg for the No. 2 job.
RB: 24 Matt Jones, 33 Mack Brown
» Brown understandably inches ahead of freshman 21 Kelvin Taylor.~
FB: 43 Hunter Joyer, 25 Gideon Ajagbe
» Ajagbe wins the second-string job over 29 Rhaheim Ledbetter.
WR (X): 1 Quinton Dunbar, 11 Demarcus Robinson
WR (Z): 13 Latroy Pittman, 4 Andre Debose, 83 Solomon Patton
» Debose switches from second X to second Z receiver though the players switch in those positions. Pittman takes over the top spot at Z from 15 Loucheiz Purifoy.
F Position: 8 Trey Burton, 13 Latroy Pittman
TE: 88 Clay Burton, 87 Tevin Westbrook OR 18 Kent Taylor OR 84 Colin Thompson

~ Muschamp on Brown edging past Taylor: “You’re not going to get through the SEC with one back. That’s not going to happen. Certainly Mack has distanced himself as a second-team back at this time, a guy that we’ve got a lot of confidence in, that we expect big things form in the fall to continue to progress. I think he’s done a nice job of running the football, and protections, catching the ball, finishing plays. Kelvin certainly has done some nice things and he needs to continue to progress – more than anything- mentally with the offense. Physically, he’s got some ability.”

LT: 70 D.J. Humphries, 74 Trenton Brown
LG: 76 Max Garcia, 77 Ian Silberman*
C: 72 Jonotthan Harrison, 64 Kyle Koehne
RG: 67 Jon Halapio, 63 Trip Thurman*
RT: 73 Tyler Moore OR 75 Chaz Green*
» Brown (an incoming JUCO transfer) replaces Thurman, who moves from back-up LT to back-up RG. Silberman replaces Koehne at back-up LG.

Continue Reading » Florida Gators 2013 post-spring depth chart

Tags: Andre Debose, Antonio Morrison, Austin Hardin, Brad Phillips, Brian Poole, Bryan Cox, Chaz Green, Clay Burton, Cody Riggs, Colin Thompson, D.J. Humphries, Damien Jacobs, Dante Fowler, Darious Cummings, Darrin Kitchens, Demarcus Robinson, Dominique Easley, Drew Ferris, Gideon Ajagbe, Hunter Joyer, Ian Silberman, Jabari Gorman, Jaylen Watkins, Jeff Driskel, Jon Halapio, Jonathan Bullard, Jonotthan Harrison, Justin Vogel, Kelvin Taylor, Kent Taylor, Kyle Christy, Kyle Crofoot, Kyle Koehne, Latroy Pittman, Leon Orr, Loucheiz Purifoy, Mack Brown, Marcus Maye, Marcus Roberson, Matt Jones, Max Garcia, Michael Taylor, Neiron Ball, Quinton Dunbar, Rhaheim Ledbetter, Ronald Powell, Skyler Mornhinweg, Solomon Patton, Tevin Westbrook, Trenton Brown, Trey Burton, Trip Thurman, Tyler Moore, Tyler Murphy, Valdez Showers

The Southeastern Conference on Wednesday held a post-spring practice teleconference so the league’s coaches could wrap things up heading into the summer. Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp participated in the call as usual and provided an update on his team as the spring semester comes to an end.

TWO-WAY PLAYER STARTING OUT ON DEFENSE

Though junior Loucheiz Purifoy spent the first seven days of Florida’s spring practice playing wide receiver for the offense – which Muschamp said was an opportunity for him to get acclimated with the system, schemes and plays – he will begin fall practice at his more natural position of cornerback while the Gators coaching staff evaluates how its pass catchers have developed over the summer.

“The way I’ve got it planned, for the first 12 days, he is strictly on defense,” Muschamp explained Wednesday. “I want to see how these young wideouts continue to develop, how the guys continue to develop through the summer, where they are. Through those first 12 practices, you’re not going to find that out if we play him on offense, so I want to play him strictly on defense the first 12 days.”

After evaluating Florida’s other receivers through two weeks of practice, Muschamp will then make a decision about how much offense Purifoy will play in 2013.

“He’s going to play offense for us. How much will depend on those first 12-14 practices of where we develop at the position and how much he’s going to need to help us,” Muschamp said. “He’s an electric guy. He’s got no fear on the field. He’s got really good ball skills. He’s got vertical speed down the field. He can do some things for us, and I’m really pleased with his first seven days at the receiver position. Now he’s got a base learning, concepts-wise, of where we are offensively. So that helps.”

NOWHERE TO GO BUT UP FOR OFFENSE

The Gators may have finished 11-2 last season, but Florida’s offense still had a ways to go in its development. With junior quarterback Jeff Driskel entering his second season both as a starter and in offensive coordinator Brent Pease’s system, Muschamp believes the Gators are trending upward in that phase of the game.

“We won 11 games with a guy that didn’t have a whole lot of experience last year. I think you can kind of throw those things out the window at times. No question his experience will help with his development at the position. It’s year two of the scheme and the system, terminology. And I think we’re going to play better around him – that’s the bottom line,” he said.

While some may question if Driskel is able to take the next step in his development, Muschamp cautioned (as he usually does) that too much criticism is often directed at the signal caller when most problems usually stem from the offense as a whole.

Continue Reading » 4/24: Muschamp on Purifoy, Driskel, SEC, playoffs

Tags: Brent Pease, Jeff Driskel, Loucheiz Purifoy, Will Muschamp

1 » Only one of the two Florida Gators golfers competing in the 2013 Masters moved on to weekend play. After hitting an even 72 in the opening round on Thursday, Brian Gay shot a +2 (74) on Friday and is currently tied for 37th, three strokes above the cut line. Senior T.J. Vogel, who earned a spot in the major as an amateur event winner, was not as fortunate. He shot a +5 (77) on Thursday but was able to bring his score down with a +3 (75) on Friday. Vogel missed the cut by four strokes, ending his special weekend earlier than he would hoped. “I just had a good time,” he said Thursday after his first round. “This experience, I can’t even explain even in words. I’m just having such a great time playing in front of so many people and it’s just a really cool feeling when you know you hita great shot and you got people cheering for you. And I’m not used to that yet. It’s just really cool.”

2 » Former Florida QB Jacoby Brissett sounds more than slightly perturbed that he lost the starting job to Jeff Driskel last season. In a feature penned by Jeremy Fowler of CBSSports.com, Brissett indicates that he did not receive a fair shot to start for the Gators before throwing a barb at Driskel for his performance in the last game of the season. “It wasn’t right,” he said of the competition. “In the saying that God don’t like ugly, it came up to us in the Sugar Bowl when we couldn’t throw to save our life.” He then took a second shot at Driskel, basically questioning his former teammate’s work ethic while explaining why it was Brissett who should have started at Florida. “Just my competitiveness, I don’t think it was matched with that other guy,” he said. “The willingness to put in that extra work to win.”

Read four more Florida Gators news BITS…after the break!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Masters, Brissett, Booth, Tebow, PIT

Tags: All-American, Brian Gay, golf, Great Floridian Award, Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacoby Brissett, Jeff Driskel, Kenny Boynton, Laura Booth, Masters, Mike Mularkey, Mike Rosario, NCAA, NCAA Championship, New York Jets, NFL, PGA, Portsmouth Invitational, swimming, T.J. Vogel, Tim Tebow

If Saturday’s 2013 Orange & Blue Debut was any indication, the Florida Gators still have a long way to go to get their passing game on track for the start of the season.

Florida head coach Will Muschamp had plenty on his plate this spring as began to fill in holes created by the departure of 13 starters, but he and offensive coordinator Brent Pease have also been focused on ensuring that the Gators improve a passing offense that was ranked 114th in the nation a year ago.

During the 2012 campaign, Pease’s first year at Florida, the team averaged just 146.31 yards per game through the air. UF was only one of two programs in the country to average fewer than 150 passing yards and boast a winning record (Navy).

How poor was the Gators’ passing attack? Florida ranked 111th in total passing yards (1,902) and 110th in yards per reception (10.39). The Gators were also just one of two teams in the nation to rank in the bottom seven for passing offense and not boast a top-six rushing offense (Temple) to off-set the lack of yardage.

In other words, there is plenty of room for improvement.

Continue Reading » Room for improvement in Florida’s passing game

Tags: Andre Debose, Brent Pease, Demarcus Robinson, Jeff Driskel, Latroy Pittman, Loucheiz Purifoy, Matt Jones, Quinton Dunbar, Raphael Andrades, Will Muschamp

The competition at back-up quarterback for the Florida Gators will get even more interesting this summer as the program now has not one but two new players set to enroll to compete for the job behind junior starter Jeff Driskel.

According to a report from the Orlando Sentinel’s Chris Hays, 23-year-old signal caller Chris Wilkes (Orlando, FL) gave a pledge to head coach Will Muschamp on Saturday after the 2013 Orange & Blue Debut.

Wilkes (6’4”, 225 lbs.), originally a member of the 2008 recruiting class, was rated by Rivals at the time as a two-star quarterback. He had committed to play for Ole Miss but instead chose to try his hand at professional baseball. Wilkes was selected by the San Diego Padres with the No. 675 overall pick in the 22nd round of the 2008 MLB Draft.

In five seasons in the minor leagues, Wilkes, a right-handed pitcher, compiled a 16-13 record with a 3.57 ERA, 2.43 K/BB ratio and five saves. He went 7-1 as a rookie in 2008 but posted a 9-12 record over the duration of his career.

Wilkes is not the first quarterback to sign with a major program later in life after trying his hand at baseball. Two well-known players who have taken a similar path include Florida State’s Chris Weinke and Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden. He will walk on.

Also enrolling this summer at Florida is three-star freshman Max Staver (Brentwood, TN). Both players will complete with redshirt junior Tyler Murphy and redshirt freshman Skyler Mornhinweg for the second- and third-string quarterback jobs.

A portion of ESPN’s scouting report on Wilkes from 2008:

This young man is a ways away from being what he could be, but he has the measurables and a monster of an arm for coaches to work with and develop. Wilkes has a cannon for an arm and can make all the throws anywhere on the field. [...] He is a big, strong pocket passer with adequate athleticism, but needs to be protected to be at his best. He shows great velocity on all throws and can fit the ball into tight spots. [...] Flashes the ability to throw on time and read progressions. At this stage, he is all arm and Wilkes must learn to be a quarterback. He lacks great feet and quickness in his drop and set up. Can be heavy footed a bit. Is not a guy that will create much on his own and when he gets rushed, he will hold onto the ball too long. As much as you like his arm, he will spray the ball around and can be erratic. Must improve footwork to improve accuracy. Isn’t consistent yet in his production.

Tags: Chris Wilkes, Draft, Jeff Driskel, Max Staver, MLB, Orange & Blue Debut, San Diego Padres, Skyler Mornhinweg, Tyler Murphy, Will Muschamp

Over the last week-and-a-half of Florida Gators spring football practice, a number of players met with the media to discuss their individual play and the team as a whole. Below are some of the stories, notes and quotes that have fallen through the cracks.

BIG EXPECTATIONS FOR HIGH-WORK ETHIC DEFENDERS

With so many starters now off the team due to graduation and the draft and redshirt junior Buck linebacker Ronald Powell still recovering from his ACL injuries, Florida head coach Will Muschamp is looking to a trio of young players to be impact players for the Gators defense in 2013.

Sophomores Buck Dante Fowler, Jr. and defensive end Jonathan Bullard both impressed as freshman in 2012, combining for 13 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. Each player appeared in all 13 games and earned a start or two but now must take the next step and potentially become full-time starters for Florida. As far as Muschamp is concerned, both have what it takes to do just that for the Gators.

“Football is really important to both of those guys, I mean extremely important. There are guys that come in and meet extra, they watch extra film, they come up after practice if they don’t feel like they played well and they’re going to go in a meeting room with a coach or myself and say show me what I’m doing,” Muschamp explained.

“Dante walks up to me every single day and says, ‘What can I do to get better?’ It starts, to me from a maturity standpoint, of off the field understanding what it takes to be successful. A lot of guys, when they are a dominant player in high school, come to college and they’ve never had to work hard, never had to watch extra film, never had to do the extra things to be successful.

“That’s what those two guys do. They work extremely hard at being good football players. God has blessed them; they got ability. But you can walk in the weight room and see how they work; you walk on our practice field and see how they work. They’ve got tremendous work ethic away from just having good talent. That’s the difference in those guys. They’re both mature guys from that standpoint because they want to be really good players.”

Fowler, who said Tuesday that he knows there are “a lot of high expectations” and he is “looking forward to living up to them,” is excited for the season to begin. He has heard all about players making their biggest leap heading into their second year and believes he is posied to continue that trend.

“I feel really good getting my freshman year under my belt, getting to play a lot of reps and experience. I feel really good about that. I feel a lot stronger being able to play against the offensive lineman,” he said. “Getting that experience, just knowing the game and stuff like that, being more mature about the game. I feel really good.”

Continue Reading » Florida defense: Quick hitters on Fowler, Bullard, McMillian, Gorman, Maye and Christy

Tags: Cody Riggs, Colin Thompson, Daniel McMillian, Dante Fowler, Dominique Easley, Jabari Gorman, Jaylen Watkins, Jeff Driskel, Jonathan Bullard, Kyle Christy, Marcus Maye, Will Muschamp

Now in the third week of 2013 spring football practice, Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp met with the media on Tuesday to discuss some of the latest developments surrounding the team and provide updates on specific players.

ORANGE & BLUE DEBUT SPRING GAME PRACTICE FORMAT

Instead of a full scrimmage like the Gators normally run for the Orange & Blue Debut, this year’s event will be more like an open practice that also includes limited scrimmage snaps. Florida will mix approximately 40 scrimmage snaps between individual and team position drills. The format change is being made because the Gators currently only have six healthy offensive linemen and Muschamp feels it would be unfair to ask them to participate in 60-100 snaps over the course of a single afternoon.

“It’s not fair to go into a spring game situation and ask these guys to take 60-70 snaps in a row,” he explained. “That’s not healthy. That’s not good, it’s not good for our team.”

Muschamp also detailed what the team will be doing during the practice/scrimmage (in order): (1) Field goal/point after touchdown drills, (2) punting and individual drills, (3) one-on-one work with the secondary and receivers going head-to-head while the quarterbacks throw the ball, (4) one-on-one work with block reaction for the offensive line, (5) linebackers and running backs picking up blitz protection and coverage responsibilities, (6) two series of scrimmage with the ball on the 35-yard line, a total of 8-12 plays, (7) red zone one-on-one, (8) offensive and defensive line two-on-ones, (9) two series of scrimmage with the ball at the 35 yard line, a total of 8-12 plays, (10) two full cover punts and a punt/punt block drill, (11), two series of scrimmage from midfield, (12) two full cover kickoffs and a kickoff/kickoff return drill, (13) two series of scrimmage from midfield, (14) red zone 7-on-7s with the ball at the 18-yard line, (15) additional drills including pass rushing, (16) backed up punt drill, (17) one-minute scrimmage drill.

“It’s about getting good-on-good work. It’s about getting your best players going against your best players. … You get better when you’re going good-on-good,” Muschamp said. “This is good work. It’s good special teams work. This is a normal scrimmage-type situation for us as far as our football team is concerned. It’s good-on-good and that’s all I’m concerned with.”

Additionally, Muschamp announced that the coaching staff will be wearing microphones so fans in attendance can get a better idea of what is going on throughout the event. Coaches will be explaining each session before it begins and Brady Ackerman will be on the field to ask the coaches questions.

Due to the new format, Florida and the sponsors of the Orange & Blue Debut have made it completely free to the public. Anyone who pre-purchased a ticket for the event will have it refunded in full (special passes are still needed for the premium areas).

Schedule of Events:
9:00 a.m. – Gator Locker Room Yard Sale (outside Gate 9)
10:00 a.m. – Verizon Fan Fest in North End Zone Lawn
10:30 a.m. – Gator Walk
11:30 a.m. – Gates Open to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
11:30 a.m. – Warm-ups begin on the field
12:30 p.m. – Alumni Flag Football Game
1:00 p.m. – Orange & Blue Debut

Continue Reading » 4/2: Muschamp on spring game, injuries, updates

Tags: Andre Debose, Austin Hardin, Brad Phillips, Brent Pease, Clay Burton, Cody Riggs, Damien Jacobs, Darious Cummings, Darrin Kitchens, Demarcus Robinson, Dominique Easley, Francisco Velez, Gideon Ajagbe, Hunter Joyer, Jabari Gorman, Jaylen Watkins, Jeff Driskel, Jeremy Brown, Joker Phillips, Jonathan Bullard, Kelvin Taylor, Kent Taylor, Latroy Pittman, Leon Orr, Loucheiz Purifoy, Mack Brown, Marcus Maye, Mark Herndon, Matt Jones, Orange & Blue Debut, Quinton Dunbar, Rhaheim Ledbetter, Trip Thurman, Will Muschamp