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…)

Meyer on the defensive end position: “[Justin] Trattou is a high-effort guy. Duke [Lemmens] is kind of an unknown. William Green is going to be very involved. At times we’re going to move [defensive tackle] Jaye Howard to the outside. And then there’s the freshman Ronald Powell that’s going to get in there.”

Redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley on starting his first game: “I’ve waited for three years for this moment to come. I’m very excited.”

Redshirt senior guard Carl Johnson on the 2010 offense’s versatility: “We have weapons. You’ve got to pretty much pick your poison. Do you want us to throw it in on you? Jump-fade it in on you? Do you want us to run it in on you? Or do you just want to lay down and take it? You’re going to get it one way or another.”

Senior tackle Marcus Gilbert on moving to the left: “I started in preseason camp. I’m pretty comfortable with it working on the left side. You know you’ve go a responsibility working on the quarterback’s blind side. Wherever coach puts me, I’m fine. I can play either side of the ball.”

OGGOA will continue updating this story throughout the day. An official team depth chart will be released before Monday is complete.

There is a ton to read…and you can check it all out by clicking the link below.

MEYER’s “GOOD” WITH POWELL AND EASLEY

The following is a transcript of the portion of Meyer’s press conference in which the head coach discussed the rumors surrounding five-star freshmen defensive end Ronald Powell and defensive tackle Dominique Easley. Special thanks to the Palm Beach Post‘s Jason Lieser for the quotes:

Q: There’s talk about your two freshmen. Can you clarify what happened?
UM: “I’m not sure what talk. It’s all good. They’re doing great. Our freshman class is doing great. I keep hearing this and I keep hearing that and everything’s in good shape.”

Q: Did Powell and Easley miss practice Tuesday?
UM: “Part of practice. They’re all good.”

Q: Why did they miss practice?
UM: “They’re all good. They’re doing real good.”

Q: Do they want to transfer?
UM: “No. No, no, no, no, no.”

Q: Did you have to sit them down for a talk?
UM: “Never. The transfer word never came out of their mouths. They’re good.”

Q: Is it a big deal that they missed practice?
UM: “They’re good.”

Q: Were the absences excused?
UM: “They’re. Good. Real good.”

POUNCEY STICKING TO CENTER; NIXON, PATCHAN OUT

Though senior center Mike Pouncey mentioned that he may be forced to move to tackle for the first few games of the season due to injuries to starting left tackles sophomore Xavier Nixon and redshirt sophomore Matt Patchan, Meyer said Thursday he is against such a decision. “I was opposed to that because the first game I want the ball to hit the quarterback in the hands and not look like Bad News Bears out there,” Meyer said. “I don’t think we’re going to move Mike.” Meyer also noted that Nixon (knee) and Patchan (wrist) would indeed miss the first game of the season against Miami (OH) on Sept. 4; Nixon has “something” in his knee, and Patchan had a pin placed in his wrist.

If Pouncey does indeed stay at center, expect redshirt senior left guard Carl Johnson to move over a slot (he’s started at LT before) or either redshirt freshmen Kyle Koehne or Nick Alajajian to see some time with the first team.

REED HURT? NOT.

Sophomore tight end Jordan Reed has been out of action recently with a knee injury that the coaching staff feared was season-ending; instead, it is simply a deep knee bruise and he will probably sit for the opener. “We thought we lost him,” Meyer said. Though the team wanted to enhance the hybrid TE position anyway, Reed’s injury is likely one of the reasons why sophomore wide receiver Omarius Hines and freshman quarterback Trey Burton have gotten extra time there. Of course, freshman TE Gerald Christian is also an option, especially as he grows.

FIVE DOWN TO…FIVE?

Asked who the team’s three starting linebackers would be for the first game, Meyer went on to name all five players who are currently fighting for the roles – redshirt senior A.J. Jones, seniors Brandon Hicks and Lorenzo Edwards, sophomore Jon Bostic and redshirt freshman Jelani Jenkins. Expect for the veterans to get the nod at the home opener with Jenkins seeing plenty of time. Hicks sprained his thumb during practice and is being extra careful, and freshman Neiron Ball may even see the field, too.

WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?

Though he did not exactly say that redshirt sophomore cornerback Jeremy Brown has won the second starting job, Meyer did specify that Brown will be seeing major action on Sept. 4. “Jeremy is doing really good. He’s healthy,” Meyer said. “He’s full speed. We watched him during two-a-days, but he’s full tilt. It makes you feel good to see that guy go like that. He’ll be the starter at nickel, or probably corner.” He also touched on the fact that both Brown and senior CB Moses Jenkins are finally going to be able to play after coming back from injuries, saying both will start. “They paid their dues, man. Imagine their families coming up here and watching them start at the University of Florida. It’s going to be really cool for them next week.”

INJURY UPDATES

Redshirt senior wide receiver Carl Moore (emergency root canal) missed practice Thursday. Sophomore LB Dee Finley (stinger) has recovered but will likely miss the first game for precautionary reasons.

QUOTES

Meyer on being asked about Powell and Easley: “I really wish, as a coach — you know what coaches want to do? Move away and go coach a team and go play the game. That’s changed in the last 15 years. You don’t do that. Certainly not at a place like this. You’ve got to go get asked a bunch of things. Everybody’s just doing their job. It’s more not for us because who cares? It’s these young people – some high school coach got 50 calls because some guy put a blog on this. I was like, ‘My gosh. Everything’s good.’”

Meyer on freshmen playing in the home opener: “I was going to give you names, but when I do that I leave one or two out. “There are going to be a bunch that are going to play, because they’re good, and two-thirds of our team are freshmen and sophomores.”

Meyer on the 2010 offense: “It’s going to look different. There will be some things that we have not done, including even when Chris Leak was here. So, there will be some interesting things to look at and we kind of got an idea of the playmakers on offense.”

Meyer on a second conference call with other coaches RE: agents: “What you find out is it’s not like running a team; it takes forever. But there’s a lot of good minds on there, a lot of good people that want to do it right. [...] [We want to] to stop the nonsense. It’s evaluate the rules, enforce the rules and then try to stop what’s going on. That sounds real easy, it does to a coach, until you get everybody on the phone and you’re like, ‘Wow, I never thought of that.’ You get legal issues and everything else. I was just a listener. It was unbelievable.”

Meyer on the Maurkice Pouncey situation: “We’re waiting to see what comes out of this. We wear them out around here about that stuff. Everything’s coming back positive about the investigation. I’m not sure if it’s finished or not. But I think we do everything by the book, and I’d be disappointed if I found something that we don’t because we educate them and we meet with the families and we do everything we can.”

Special thanks to the Palm Beach Post, The Gainesville Sun (video) and Miami Herald for the above quotations.

Powell, who head coach Urban Meyer said had a “great practice on Monday” and was seen working with the team on Wednesday, simply could not have missed multiple practices, as rumored elsewhere. He even dressed and participated in a portion of practice on Tuesday but did leave the field early after a growing sense of frustration overcame him, our source said.

The No. 1 overall recruit in the country coming out of high school, Powell is having some trouble coming to the realization that he is not the best player on the field each day and has a lot of work to do in order to reach his full potential. This happens often when a player is the best on his team – or perhaps the best in his state – in high school and joins a college program loaded with top talent.

As our source put it, every freshman on the team – at one time or another – has a moment where they get rattled; some deal with it internally or by talking to coaches, others act out and leave practice for a day to clear their heads. It is common and happens more often than you might believe.

Easley, on the other hand, is not dealing with that same frustration – at least not publicly; his problems are not “football-related.” In his case, a “personal issue” is causing him some trouble. He did indeed miss practice on Tuesday, but returned Wednesday and participated in full. Our source added that, due to privacy concerns, he would not get into specifics regarding Easley’s personal issue but did mention that it is something he has to “work out on his own.”

Both Powell and Easley met with coaches about their respective issues.

As far as the comments from senior center Mike Pouncey on Tuesday that the freshman class as a whole needs to “shut their mouths and come play,” that is indeed a sentiment felt throughout the program. There is a sense of entitlement being portrayed by the freshmen as a whole, but it is not something the veteran players or coaching staff have been surprised by. That issue is being dealt with on a day-to-day basis and is being slowly remedied as the youngsters continue to be integrated into the program.

When Florida closed practice to fans and the media a few weeks ago, the main reason stated was to keep out “bad guys” and ensure that the players were safe. Just as important in the decision making was Meyer’s desire to rid the team of the distractions, speculation and media pressure that it felt trying to defend its title last season. As our source put it, if you think Meyer was angry about Jeremy Fowler’s alleged misquote of now-redshirt junior wide receiver Deonte Thompson in the Orlando Sentinel last March, you have no idea how fuming mad he is about these false reports.

“He wants the person whose responsible’s head on a stick,” our source said.

Photo Credit: Heather Riggs/The Independent Florida Alligator

The latest reports – from the Miami Herald and The Gainesville Sun, respectively – have Powell’s and Easley’s high school coaches unaware that there is anything wrong. Powell’s coach, Pete Duffy, told the Sun that his former player is “happy and very excited” at Florida; he had not heard about him missing practice. Easley’s coach, Pete Gambardella, told the Herald that Easley neither seemed upset, disgruntled nor angry when speaking to his former player Wednesday morning.

UPDATE: Powell and Easley are both practicing with the team.

2 » In a press release Wednesday, ESPN announced that College GameDay will return to the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, FL, for the Gators’ game against the Kentucky Wildcats on Feb. 5. The show’s first time visiting the basketball team since 2008 will also include former Florida dazzler and network reporter Erin Andrews, who told OGGOA that she will be in attendance as well, likely for her duties of hosting the first hour of GameDay at 10 a.m. on ESPNU.

Extra BIT » Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow (ribs) and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin (migraines) each returned to practice with their respective team on Wednesday after missing a number of days due to injury. Tebow had missed two practice and the Broncos’ last preseason game; Harvin had been sidelined after collapsing during practice on Aug. 19.

REPLACING BRANDON JAMES…

During his media availability Monday, head coach Urban Meyer announced that junior running back Jeff Demps would be handling kickoff returns, while redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Rainey would get the vast majority of work as the team’s punt returner for the upcoming season. Meyer added that junior cornerback Janoris Jenkins will see time bringing back punts on occasion. OGGOA continues to believe that – considering Demps, Rainey and Jenkins are all very important starters at other positions – fans may see another player (freshman WR Robert Clark?) take over some of these duties as the season progresses (especially if any are nursing injuries).

THE ‘STACHE IS TRASH

Redshirt junior starting quarterback John Brantley had a mustache. Now he doesn’t.

Moving on.

MOVEMENT AT LEFT TACKLE

Whether it is due to a knee injury sustained by sophomore Xavier Nixon, the talent and progression of redshirt sophomore Matt Patchan or both, it appears that the latter has the inside track on the Gators’ starting left tackle job. Patchan, who is returning from a wrist injury and not yet participating fully in practice, could very well supplant Nixon, who started the final five games of the 2009 season.

Starting middle linebacker – being contested by sophomore Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins – and starting cornerback – a battle between redshirt sophomore Jeremy Brown and senior Moses Jenkins – both remain open position battles.

PROVING HIS WORTH

When punishing sophomore WR Frankie Hammond, Jr., Meyer chose to take him off of scholarship rather than immediately suspend him from games or kick him off the team, giving the player a chance to earn his way back in his coaches’ and teammates’ good graces. Hammond has been doing just that over the last few weeks, proving that he has his head on straight, will not duplicate his mistake and is an integral part of the team. Though Meyer will not reinstate Hammond’s scholarship before the season, a successful year off the field could get him back on track before spring or summer

IF YOU GON’ DO IT – DO IT JUST LIKE THIS

After the scrimmage on Saturday – the team’s final one of the fall – Meyer graded out a number of players as Champions of the team. Offense: QB Brantley, senior center Mike Pouncey, redshirt senior T Marcus Gilbert, redshirt sophomore fullback T.J. Pridemore – Defense: senior safety Ahmad Black, defensive ends senior Duke Lemmens and junior defensive end William Green, linebackers sophomore Jon Bostic and senior Lorzenzo Edwards.

INJURY UPDATES

Meyer said that redshirt senior defensive tackle Brandon Antwine has been out of action the last few days after suffering a concussion; he may return on Tuesday if cleared by doctors. Redshirt senior WR Justin Williams hurt his shoulder during practice and has been using a sling. Junior WR Deonte Thompson’s hamstring acted up on him, causing him to sit out Saturday’s scrimmage, but he will be fine; likewise, freshman WR Chris Dunkley’s hamstring injury is believed to be behind him.

QUOTES

Meyer on Saturday’s final scrimmage and where the team is at right now: “We weren’t very good. … It really was not a very good scrimmage. Defense played well – about what you’d think for where we’re at right now. I’m hitting the panic button a little bit right now. We’ve got to get better faster than what we are at right now. It’s not that we’re not good, it’s just consistency of the offensive and defensive line[s]. We have to get them all in there. Once Patchan comes back and Xavier Nixon gets back, we’ll look a little better on the offensive line. When DT and Carl [Moore] and Omarius Hines [are] all together, we’ll look a little better, but right now, it’s not Florida football yet.”

Meyer comparing Brantley and Tim Tebow: “Somebody asked me today about the difference between John Brantley and Tim Tebow. Outward appearances, there’s a big difference. Inward … his competitiveness and leadership are fantastic right now, much better than I thought. I was really worried about that. When you have a guy like that [Tebow] in front of you, [Brantley] didn’t show much. Today we did the two-minute drill and he did fantastic. He ran the whole show and acted like a veteran quarterback – like he is. I’m really encouraged by John. Everybody knows he can throw the ball. The other part is fantastic right now as far as management of the team and leadership.”

Meyer on how the freshmen are performing: “Just OK. Actually, [I'm] a little disappointed in some of them. I thought they’d go take a spot. A few guys are doing decent – [safety] Matt Elam, [DT] Dominique Easley and [WR] Quinton Dunbar – who has been very good for us and might play this year. [DE] Ronald Powell had a great practice today, but didn’t have a great camp. He’s coming on strong now. Some of those big-game guys, I thought we’d have some of them cracking the lineup right now … but not yet.”

Special thanks to The Gainesville Sun and Palm Beach Post for the above quotations.

FRESHMAN HAS SURGERY

Freshman offensive tackle Chaz Green had hernia surgery on Friday, according to a University of Florida spokesperson. He will be out of action for 2-4 weeks – likely the latter as a safety precaution considering he is not expected to be needed much in the rotation this season.

“HAVE THAT REMOVED”
Get the movie reference?

Freshmen defensive end Ronald Powell and cornerback Joshua Shaw are the latest players to have their black helmet stripes removed. That’s 13 down with 12 to go.

IS BRANTLEY’S ‘STACHE TRASH?

Shout out to the Palm Beach Post’s Jason Lieser for his intrepid reporting regarding the longevity of Florida redshirt junior starting quarterback John Brantley’s mustache. Though QB coach Scot Loeffler contends that Brantley “needs to shave it” and promises that “he will, don’t worry,” the Gators’ signal caller has other plans. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Brantley, who is willing to fight to keep his facial hair, said. “If that’s what it has to come down to, I guess so.”

GOAL LINE QUARTERBACKS

Early in camp, it was converted sophomore tight end Jordan Reed who was getting the majority of the work as the team’s goal line QB. Now that fall practices are coming to an end, freshman QB Trey Burton has been getting many of the short yardage opportunities. OGGOA touched on this subject two days ago during a podcast interview. There will likely be a number of different looks on goal line and short yardage situations this season with Brantley, Reed and Burton all getting opportunities behind center.

FINAL SCRIMMAGE

The Gators will hold their final scrimmage of the 2010 offseason on Saturday as coaches look to make some decisions on the team’s outstanding position battles – starting middle linebacker, starting cornerback, kick and punt returners, etc.

STARTING OFFENSIVE LINE SET?

Stringing together an announcement from offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Steve Addazio that senior center Mike Pouncey, redshirt senior tackle Marcus Gilbert, and redshirt senior guards Carl Johnson and Maurice Hurt have all earned starting jobs on the OL with one from Pouncey stating that sophomore Xavier Nixon has won the starting left tackle job, the Gators front five may finally be set in stone. Nixon was competing with redshirt sophomore Matt Patchan for the role, even though the former started five games for Florida last season. It is important to note that there are sentiments that Nixon has yet to officially win his gig and redshirt junior G James Wilson may have the opportunity to beat out Hurt.

BROWN LOSES BLACK

Freshman running back Mack Brown became the 11th frosh to lose his black helmet stripe, getting it removed on Wednesday with the help of Pouncey. There are 15 more – notably defensive end Ronald Powell – still awaiting this ritual.

A few of you have asked me via Twitter (@onlygators) what exactly the “black stripe” is and what it means when it is removed. Here is a quick synopsis: As freshmen (or transfers), players have black stripes of tape placed on their helmets (front-to-back) indicating that they are new to the program; these are removed once each individual player proves that they deserve to be a Gator. This can occur by recommendation of a coach or fellow player. Head coach Urban Meyer spoke about it Tuesday: “It’s basically to de-recruit, to get rid of the nonsense, to make them understand that they’re not an outstanding freshman. They’re just another guy on the team trying to make their way. […] They walk up in front of the team, either in a team meeting or on the field and the young man stands up and sometimes gets very emotional because now he’s a Gator. His helmet’s like everybody else. It’s kind of cool.”

BACK TO THE FUTURE

After being monitored the last few practices while recovering from a hamstring injury, freshman wide receiver Chris Dunkley is back running at full speed, according to WR coach Zach Azzanni. However, perhaps contrary to what many expected coming out of National Signing Day, all indications are that freshman WR Quinton Dunbar is the more impressive and making the best case for playing time.

In other WR news… redshirt senior Carl Moore clarified to the media on Wednesday that, when he left practice for a few days in the spring, he was not considering leaving the team but was simply dealing with some personal issues. Since returning, Moore has solidified his spot as a starter and – like redshirt junior Deonte Thompson – is making strides every day during practice.

OTHER NOTES

» Redshirt freshman linebacker Jelani Jenkins is inching closer and closer each day to winning the starting role in the middle.

» Redshirt sophomore DE Earl Okine has been working at tight end the last few practices, according to Addazio. In fact, his position appears to have officially switched if you look at hiss GatorZone.com profile. Okine took limited snaps at TE in high school, catching 15 passes his senior year to go along with his 84 tackles and 11 sacks as a DE.

QUOTES [After the break...]

Moore on his disappearance during spring: “I was dealing with some personal issues of my own. It was just a couple of days. After that it was out [with] the wash. I met with the coaches, talked to the coaches every day, and really I just got through it. You’ve got to play ball, so I just went.”

Moore on if he was going to leave the team: “No, nothing like that. No.”

Moore on returning from another injury: “It’s frustrating, but at the same time, I understand the sport I’m playing, and I understand that we train hard here, so if you don’t treat your body, eventually it’s going to wear down. It was frustrating to know that I was out because I was preparing myself for a season, but at the same time, what can you do? Injuries come up.”

Moore on his motivation and attitude: “I’m definitely motivated. I’m more motivated for team success, though. I’m more concerned with us winning a national championship, especially with this being my last year. I want to go out there and try to win on top. […] I want us to win. I’m just down for us winning and whatever I’ve got to contribute to that, that’s what I’m down to do.”

Addazio on Moore: “Carl has had a great preseason. He’s really locked in right now. I’m really happy with Carl, and for Carl. I really think he’s got the right mindset. I think he’s going to have a really good year this year. […] You know how it is. You appreciate what these guys go through: high expectations, buildup, injuries, disappointment. They’re still kids. They’re young, and sometimes they don’t handle those things always exactly textbook. But they bounce back and they learn and grow from it, and Carl’s come back. To me he’s come back with a great attitude, a great outlook, and I like where he’s headed right now a lot.”

Azzanni on Moore: “I’m really pleased with him. He’s a veteran guy. He’s become a player and he’s talking coaching and he has a good attitude and he’s hungry. He knows this is a limited window for him. It’s time to go.”

Addazio on sophomore offensive lineman Nick Alajajian: “I’m really impressed with his toughness. He’s a tough guy. He just works hard and just keeps coming back. I throw him in at center, where he was developing, and all of a sudden I kicked him over to tackle. You kick him here, you kick him in there, you’re grinding on him. I’m impressed with his toughness and work ethic. He’s grown as a player for sure.”

Senior cornerback Moses Jenkins on the possibility of winning a starting job: “I feel very good.”

Jenkins on preparing for the job: “[Joe Haden and I] broke down a lot of stuff before he left and he taught me stuff – so I learned a lot from him.”

Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin on Jenkins and redshirt sophomore CB Jeremy Brown: “They both have a lot of good things they do. A little different skill set but they can both get the job done.”

Austin on freshman linebacker Michael Taylor: “Mike Taylor is a guy that hits people, he knocks people around. The one thing he’s done is he just runs around and hits people. He’ll learn what’s going on at a later date. He brings the thump.”

Redshirt senior defensive tackle Terron Sanders on the team’s motivation: “Anytime you lose a game [2009 SEC Championship] that big, you always focus on the things that caused you to lose the game. It’s definitely been a factor as to how hard we’ve been training this offseason. We’ve got a lot of veterans on the defensive line this year, and we felt terrible about losing to Alabama.”

Sanders on how the team felt in the locker room: “You would have thought somebody died. It was very quiet and very grim – not what you want to experience from a big-time game like that. […] Alabama had an answer for everything we threw at them, and I would say that we let a lot of complacency set in on the team. They had a bigger chip on their shoulder than we did. It’s true. We got comfortable, and I’d say we felt unbeatable. As a whole, I’d say we probably didn’t prepare as well as we should have. […]We don’t want to feel that heartbreak again. We know that as long as we stay together and play for each other, then there’s no one else who can beat us other than ourselves.”

Thanks to The Gainesville Sun, Palm Beach Post and The Florida Times-Union for some of the above information.

INJURIES PILING UP

Redshirt junior fullback Steven Wilks will miss about a month after having surgery on his back last week. He is expected to make a full recovery. Sophomore left tackle Xavier Nixon (ankle) is sitting out while his main competition, redshirt sophomore Matt Patchan (wrist), is back working out. Like Nixon, redshirt senior defensive tackle Lawrence Marsh (hamstring) is currently recovering and listed as day-to-day. Redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Rainey (accelerated heartbeat) is at full speed, and though junior running back Jeff Demps has missed a few practices with a concussion, he is back, too.

MORE STRIPES COME OFF

Freshmen offensive tackle Ian Silberman and tight end Gerald Christian both had their black helmet stripes removed on Tuesday. That now makes 10 frosh who are stripe-less with 16 more to go.

POWELL TAKING A WHILE

With freshmen DTs Sharrif Floyd and Dominique Easley and safety Matt Elam impressing early, defensive end Ronald Powell is bringing up the rear in terms of development for arguably the team’s top four 2010 recruits. “Powell’s a little bit behind [Floyd and Easley], but he’s coming on,” head coach Urban Meyer said. “He gained a little weight, because he wants to be bigger. We’re trying to knock a few pounds off him.”

QUOTES

Meyer on sophomore S Will Hill’s improvement: “Night and day. There were a lot of issues. We’ve got 105 guys and he was a guy that drank the poison, or whatever you want to call it. Now he’s going as hard as we’ve ever had a safety go around here, and he’s doing really well. He and [co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach] Chuck Heater have a good little deal going on back there. His position coach is real strong. Everyone knows Heater. He handles things a certain way and expects great effort and great performance on- and off-the-field. We’re starting to see that now with him.”

Meyer on defensive coordinator/cornerbacks coach Teryl Austin’s effect on junior CB Janoris Jenkins: “The same thing you see from our safeties. We have a big saying around here: ‘power of the unity.’ That’s a unit that’s really going well and [Jenkins] is the leader. Night and day. You’re going to see a really good player this season. He’s no nonsense. He’s just 100 percent all the time. It’s a credit to his position coach. Change is good. The transition is good. Janoris is the man there and he knows it.”

Meyer on S Jordan Haden transferring: “Jordan’s a great young man. […] When you have that name on the back of your jersey, that’s darn near Tebow-ish. That’s Pouncey-ish. When you start talking about the name, there’s an expectation level that is sometimes not fair. […] I was worried about that when we first started recruiting him because those are tough shoes to fill right there. But he’ll be fine, and we’ll help him do all we can.”

Meyer on the WRs as a whole: “Deonte [Thompson] is there, Carl Moore’s there. I’m hoping Omarius Hines gets there real soon. Quinton Dunbar is darn close – that kid’s good. Andre Debose is struggling – just dead legs right now, but he’s coming back.”

Meyer clarifying Hines’ role on the team: “He’s not a tight end, he’s a movement guy. [...] We’re kind of created a position in the last few years, the ‘Percy [Harvin] position’ and the ‘Aaron Hernandez position,’ and if you have that, you can be dynamic. I think he’s got that kind of ability. He’s doing well.”

Special thanks to the Palm Beach Post and The Gainesville Sun for the above quotes.

With the media clamoring for injury updates, the team’s assistant coaches and Sports Information Department all directed them toward Meyer, who hopes to control the release of this information throughout the season. When questioned, Meyer announced that there were three primary injury concerns facing the Gators right now.

Redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Matt Patchan – Suffered a hairline fracture in his wrist during practice Monday and will be out for 10-14 days while it heals in a cast. Will be able to do some work with the team.

Redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Rainey – Missed practices with an “accelerated” and “racing” heart rate. The Miami Herald‘s Joe Goodman reports that Rainey had a “non-[invasive] cardiac procedure” to correct the problem. “He had an accelerated heartbeat, but everything is fine,” Meyer said. “Our [medical staff] do a very thorough job here and took care of him. Everything is fine. We have great people here who checked him out. He’ll be cleared to practice in a day or two.”

Redshirt freshman wide receiver Andre Debose – Told reporters that he is 100 percent healthy after being forced to miss his freshman season due to lingering injuries.

Freshman wide receiver Chris Dunkley – Injuring his hamstring during the 2009 Muck Bowl, Dunkley hoped to be 100 percent healthy by now. Apparently the injury has tightened up on him and he will be sitting for approximately 10 days in an attempt to heal.

TEAM LEADERSHIP

Meyer pointed toward seniors center Mike Pouncey and defensive end Justin Trattou as the team’s most important leaders, indicating that Pouncey especially put Florida on his back over the summer and into the fall. “You can’t be a better leader than Mike Pouncey is now for a team,” Meyer said. “Leadership shows up when its tough, not when it’s easy. Right now Justin Trattou and Mike Pouncey are our big leaders.” He also gave shout-outs to seniors safety Ahmad Black and DE Duke Lemmens.

STARTING DEFENSIVE LINE

Defensive line coach Dan McCarney announced that his first-team defensive line currently consists of defensive ends Trattou and Lemmens and defensive tackles redshirt junior Jaye Howard and redshirt sophomore Omar Hunter. As far as the defensive formations are concerned, Austin put it bluntly: “At the end of the day, they have to make a play,” he said.

RECRUITING CLASS

Quite excited about his new group of freshmen, Meyer said, “I love them as people, and I like their work ethic. They’re good players, too. We’ll find out how good they are.”

He added that five-star defensive end Ronald Powell is one of the best high school players he has ever seen and is also a high-character guy. Meyer said five-star safety Matt Elam “has earned his spot. He’s going to play for us.” When questioned about Elam’s ego growing too large, Meyer quipped, “Am I worried about his ego? … [There are] not a whole lot of egos out there [right now].” He also joked that Elam was “dumpy,” “portly” and “chubby” before he shaped his body over the summer. Elam responded: “I had to lose weight because I couldn’t run with guys like I wanted to. During the spring, I didn’t feel good. I was always tired. My back was hurting. I couldn’t handle the weight.”

AND THE REST…

NOTES

- Florida will be wearing full pads for the first time Wednesday with an initial scrimmage coming up Saturday.

- Meyer is looking for the best six-to-eight playmakers, saying three spots are already taken by sophomore running back Jeff Demps, redshirt senior RB Emmanuel Moody and redshirt junior WR Deonte Thompson. Everyone else is competing for playing time. “I’d say it’s completely wide open. There are 10 people trying to get the top six spots.”

- Rainey and Demps will return kickoffs; Rainey and junior cornerback Janoris Jenkins will return punts. The Gators are also planning to try out other players in these roles.

- He also pointed out that the entire staff is doing a better job tweaking the offensive and defensive units than it did a year ago. He noted that linebackers/special teams coach D.J. Durkin is doing a bang-up job in his new role.

- Asked about his thoughts regarding Utah joining the Pac-10, Meyer said that his old school is “one of the greatest unknown secrets in America” college football-wise and that it already had BCS-caliber facilities when he left. Meyer also admitted that he took the Utah interview with “no intention of leaving Bowling Green,” but the program and what it had to offer turned him.

- The head coach plans to once again take time off after the season and recruiting are completed to spend more time with his family. This will be an annual occurrence.

QUOTES

Addazio on redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley‘s abilities: “John is a great athlete. He can run it, pass it, he can do all the above. But we have to utilize the other players’ skills, use the other playmakers he has around him. [...] John is a seasoned guy. I’m not worried about him stepping up. He’s running the team, guiding it. His most important development has been leadership.”

Meyer on replacing Tim Tebow: “I want to make it clear that we do miss him. We are not relieved he is gone, we are excited. I would not be as excited if the guy behind him taking snaps was not any good, but he is really good, so the excitement is about personnel, not that a player moved on. I am more excited because the guy who is going to take the snaps this year is a really good player.”

Meyer on the team’s motivation: “It’s the year of development and accountability. We are coaching as hard as we ever have. Other than ’07, this has been one of the newest [teams], but I will tell you what, there is a lot of talent running around on that field. I think you will be excited to see what that Florida team looks like. Not now, they are awful right now, but in a couple of weeks, they will be pretty good. [...] You have 29 practices to play one game – 22 the rest of the season.”

Meyer on developing the team: “We have spent a lot of time on that. We have had so much transition in the last few years that we have taken a different approach. I always take the coaches on a getaway for a few days and this year we did nothing but evaluate drills. Last year we did not have to evaluate drills because it was the same group of guys that came back. If you hire a guy from a different system and he is used to drilling his players a certain way and it has nothing to do with what we do, then it slows down the development of the player. So it has been ridiculous, the amount of time and detail we have spent on each drill. I will watch every drill, I will stay up late tonight watching every drill – not so much the plays, but the development of those guys, because there are a bunch of players that need to be developed and it is going really well.”

Meyer on the importance of fall practice: “There is not a wasted second in our practices right now. … Couldn’t tell you what our starting lineup is right now.”

Meyer on recruiting nationally: “I’d sign the whole state of Florida if we could.”

Meyer on the Gators’ national stature: “I was a Gator fan growing up in Ohio. Television – you see them. The Gators – you see those orange helmets, those uniforms, you see success.”

Meyer on Boise State banning Twitter: “Do [the players] miss a game if they’re on Twitter or something?”

Brantley on his star quality: “I don’t know. I’m just a regular dude from Ocala.”

The following quotes are courtesy of the University of Florida:

Addazio on the upcoming season: “It’s always exciting. Every year, it’s what fires you up. You come in here, you have to shape it, mold it and you have new people to incorporate and work with, new faces and a lot of returning faces as well. It’s a real exciting time of year. We’re excited to be started.”

Austin on fall practice: “Every guy is competing for starting cornerback, it doesn’t matter where you line up or what order. We’re trying to find out who the best guys are right now so we have spirited competition. What’s really important is how they’re doing now and what they’re doing now. We’ve got to have our best guys on the field in a month.”
Austin on college football: “It’s still football. At the end of the day, our guys have to run with the ball, work very hard and always have to be physical and good tacklers. Those are things, no matter what level of football you’re at, you have to do. I don’t think it’s a big adjustment.”

Co-defensive coordinator Chuck Heater on the safeties: “I’m pleased with the depth of our safety position. Obviously Ahmad (Black) and Will (Hill) have played a lot and Matt Elam was here in the spring, which was helpful to him. We have Josh Evans, who has done a nice job in early fall camp but he got hurt the third day of spring practice, unfortunately. It would be huge for us for those two young guys to come along.”

Black on being a leader: “I am trying to step up. I have to. I am one of the few seniors that we have on defense and one of the guys that has been there for a while. It is my job to help these young guys and help them do what they are supposed to do.”

Brantley on his pass catchers: “We have a great receiving crew. We spent a lot of time together this summer, just trying to get the timing down between us. They all came out there everyday and worked on conditioning with great attitudes, wanting to get better. That has definitely carried over into camp right now. They have been having a really good last few days. Everyone’s been looking fast and everyone is excited every practice and just getting better. I know I am excited to see what they can do this season.”

Demps on Brantley taking over: “It really has not changed. We have always been the Florida Gators that are going to come out each and every day and give you 100 percent effort and go hard four to six seconds.”

Senior linebacker Brandon Hicks on fall practice: “It’s not that much different than any other camp. But between both of our players and coaches, you can’t have a teammate come in lagging. This is when we get down and dirty and work our hardest to be the best man and player you can be. We really get to see how far we can push our limits. Once the camp is over, you see where you stand as a player and a coach. It’s all out since it’s my last camp. We are diving in head first. The people that are there with you can only make you better. You have to be a team player to play this game, but also find a way to improve and stand out individually.”

Hunter on his improvement: “I am in better shape. I thought I was in good shape but last year I was coming back from an injury, so I think this year I’m in better shape. I feel that I am quicker, stronger, and definitely faster. The training has helped me all around.”

Senior guard Carl Johnson on the toughest position to play as a freshman: “Definitely offensive line is hard to play as a freshman. At Florida, it is hard because our offense is very complex, it’s hard, it’s tough. Coming from high school, especially at a talent level where most of the recruits here are, you are so much better than your opponents that you don’t really have to go full speed every single play. But in college, your opponents are just as big, they are just as fast, they are just as strong, so you kind of have to tweak the way you play. Plus, you have to tweak the way you play mentally because I am pretty sure in high school you didn’t have to know every single position your offense ran, but in college as an offensive lineman, I have to know center, guard, and tackle in case someone goes down. You have to know them like the back of your hand.”

Trattou on his senior season: “Camp’s going really well so far. The guys are all coming together and everything is coming along well. I look forward to camp every day. It’s my senior year, so I just try to go out there and have fun. I definitely have put more effort into everything this year than I ever have. This is my last shot as a Gator, so I definitely want to put all that I have into it. My personal goal really is to just do anything I can to help this team, especially provide leadership. I know if I can do that, then everything else will take care of itself.”

Sanders on the upcoming year: “I feel anxious because I missed spring (with a knee injury) and to see my boys out there practicing made me just want to be out there with them. I now have that opportunity and I just have to get football ready.”

The following quotes are courtesy of The Gainesville Sun:

Debose on missing his freshman season: “I feel like it was a blessing in disguise because me coming in as a freshman having a lot of hype, it kind of calmed everything down. I’m really enjoying how things are, without all the hype. [...] There were a lot of times I hit rock bottom where I had to talk to my parents. They just talked me up and reassured me, just let me know to stay humble and stay positive about everything. Everything happens for a reason.”

Debose on the upcoming year: “I feel like I need to get better in [running] my routes. I’ve got to get in football shape and just learn the offense, the ins and outs and everything about the offense. It’s pretty much just the mental part of the game. Catching is kind of a natural for me, but just learning, just learning the playbook that’s all I’m focused on right now.”

Thompson on Brantley: “He’s just an unbelievable passer. You can run a bad route and he’ll make you look good.”

Wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni on his job: “Complete passes. I don’t know. I just go out and coach my rear end off with the receivers. We all work on the game plan together. I guess as far as practice me and Coach Loeffler organize things in the passing game.”

Azzanni on Debose: “He made some catches [Tuesday] where there are no drills for that. It’s called being born with it. He makes catches other guys could not make, guys like you couldn’t make. He has a knack for body position, which is so important for a receiver. He’s a natural.”

Freshman defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd on playing early: “My goal is to dominate whatever coach puts in front of me, go as hard as I can, sprint to the ball, and possibly get my way on the field some way, some how.”

Senior linebacker Lorenzo Edwards on playing in his last year: “I’ve been busting my butt for this. This is my last chance and I’m going to make the most of it.”

The Florida Gators have experienced some memorable moments in recruiting recently.

During a one-week span from Dec. 13-19, 2005, when five-star quarterback Tim Tebow and five-star wide receiver Percy Harvin verbally committed, to Jan. 9, 2010, when five-star defensive end Ronald Powell, five-star safety Matt Elam and five-star defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd all picked the Gators at the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, pulling in top recruits always seems to come in bunches for Florida.

The same thing may happen a week from Wednesday on Aug. 18, as five-star athlete James Wilder, Jr. (Tampa, FL) and four-star cornerback Nick Waisome (Groveland, FL) have each agreed to announce their commitments on the same day.

It was previously reported that Wilder and Waisome, each of whom are have the Gators as a finalist (Waisome as his leader), will announce their college choice on an ESPN network live from a Tampa television station at 5 p.m. Instead, Wilder will be announcing in Tampa while Waisome will make his choice on his own in Orlando, FL.

Both players have been Florida leans for quite some time and while all indications are that Waisome is as solid as ever, there have been murmurs recently that Wilder was impressed by a recent visit to Florida State (which he took instead of attending the Gators’ Friday Night Lights camp). Wilder had planned to take a number of other visits but has already canceled a trip to Georgia. There is an increasing sentiment that he is FSU’s to lose at this point even though he had been interested in attending Florida for a while, has often visited Gainesville, FL, on his own dime and has a strong relationship with head coach Urban Meyer.

Photo Credit: St. Petersburg Times