2 » Facing a top-15 opponent for the third time in their first five matches of the 2010 season, No. 4/6 Florida volleyball (5-0) defeated the No. 13/15 Colorado State Rams (5-1) in four sets – 25-22, 25-19, 25-27, 25-21. The victory, which won the Gators the Campus USA Credit Union Invitational emanating from the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, FL, featured another brilliant performance from junior right-side/setter Kelly Murphy. She, along with senior middle blocker Lauren Bledsoe, recorded 13 of Florida’s 10 kills. One day prior, in matches that took place earlier in the invitational, volleyball swept the both the Bowling Green Falcons (25-12, 25-11, 25-16) and Albany Great Danes (25-8, 25-21, 25-14) in three sets.

The Gators will host another tournament, the Nike Big Four Classic, beginning Friday. The other three teams participating in the event are No. 1 Penn State, Texas and Stanford, and all game information is available via OGGOA’s Upcoming Schedule table at the top right of your screen.

3 » Also running through the competition this year is No. 7 Florida soccer (5-0), which had six different players score while shutting out the Jacksonville Dolphins (2-3) 6-0 on Friday at James G. Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, FL. Junior forward Lindsay Thompson (27’), junior F/midfielder Tahnai Annis (30’), freshman F/MF Maggie Rodgers (45’), redshirt sophomore MF McKenzie Barney (50’), freshman defender Mary-Ann Krlin (80’) and sophomore F/MF Natalia Torosian (90’) all punched goals through. As a team, Florida had 30 shots on Jacksonville, 14 of which were on goal. UF is set to face Florida State next on the road Friday at 7 p.m.

4 » Though he missed most of training camp grieving two deaths and suffering from another severe bout of migraine headaches, former Gators wide receiver Percy Harvin says he is “ready to play ball” for the Minnesota Vikings beginning Thursday night in the NFL’s 2010-11 season opener against the New Orleans Saints (including former Florida defensive end Alex Brown and running back DeShawn Wynn). Harvin, who will be on of quarterback Brett Favre’s primary pass catchers along with the team’s kick returner, believes he is finally getting his migraines under control with the help of numerous doctors. “There’s no miracle solution for them,” he told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “The people I talked to had them for 40-plus years. My mom had them for 35 years and is just now growing out of them. It’s just something you got to hope to maintain. [...] I think we have a great plan.”

QUARTERBACKS: C+
Starting off with perhaps the most difficult position to grade after Saturday, we have redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley, who did some things right but also had a role in a number of miscues throughout the game in regard to the team’s snapping issues. If you look strictly at his numbers, going 17-of-25 for 113 yards and two touchdowns is a pretty solid day, but a few of his incompletions were bad misses and his second touchdown was basically a wounded duck he threw up on a fourth down that was luckily brought down by redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Rainey in the end zone. Though it is tough to tell not being on the field, Brantley did not seem to show much leadership and even mishandled some bad snaps that he certainly could have corralled in. The offensive play calling did not help him either.

RUNNING BACKS: B-
Speaking of not getting a lot of help, the offensive line seemed unable to open up a single hole for the running backs at the start of the game. Aside from his 72-yard TD run, junior Jeff Demps carried the ball seven times 26 yards. The same goes for sophomore Mike Gillislee, who only notched 14 yards on five carries if you take away his 41-yard breakaway. But the truth is, both players did have those nice long runs and the rushers showed flashes as the game went on. We will also include freshman QB Trey Burton’s Wildcat snaps here, one of which went for a TD. Overall, the unit could have played better, but you have to give them some credit for putting the game out of reach.

Read the rest of Florida’s grades from the season opener after the jump…

WIDE RECEIVERS: D+
Aside from sophomore Omarius Hines, the Gators’ receivers just played downright bad. Redshir junior Deonte Thompson, trying to prove to everyone that his propensity for dropping the ball was a myth, proved his critics right once again mishandling a perfectly thrown deep touchdown toss by Brantley to start the game. Rainey was used the most out of the bunch on screen passes but managed to fumble a ball away early on. And redshirt senior Carl Moore was held catchless. Once again, the offensive play calling did not do this unit many favors – there were rarely opportunities to move the ball down field, but we have to grade the position based on what was called…and their performance was simply not very good.

TIGHT ENDS: C+
Without a single true tight end on the field Saturday, it was decently impressive what those called on to play the position were able to accomplish. Sure, Hines is WR playing the hybrid role and sure, Burton is not much of a TE after only playing the position for a few practices, but in the stead of converted sophomore Jordan Reed, each performed fine in their particular assignments. With Reed coming back for the South Florida game, those who filled in will see less snaps there – which will ultimately be a good thing.

OFFENSIVE LINE: D-
Senior center Mike Pouncey delivered poor snaps 13 times, redshirt senior left guard Carl Johnson was held out of the game due to a team suspension, both starting left tackles were out with injuries and redshirt junior right guard James Wilson (who started on the left side) went down with an injury of his own. Nevertheless, with guys playing out of position and the unit being as much of a patchwork as has been seen in years at Florida, they played terrible as a group. There is a reason that senior right tackle Marcus Gilbert (who played LT Saturday), was the only one in the unit who graded out as a Champion. Aside from the two nice holes opened up at the end of the game and the decent pass blocking that Brantley received when the Gators actually decided to throw it a bit down field, no unit on the team played worse as a whole than this one. Period.

DEFENSIVE LINE: A-
The exact opposite could be said for the Gators’ defensive line, which performed admirably and at times even dominated Miami (OH). The RedHawks’ leading rusher carried the ball five times for 19 yards and the team, as a whole, was only credited with four rush yards on the game. Redshirt junior defensive tackle Jaye Howard, the Southeastern Conference Defensive Lineman of the Week, notched two sacks and five tackles. However, it was surprising to see Miami QB Zac Dysert with a good amount of time in the pocket on occasion.

LINEBACKERS: B+
No linebacker stood out more to us Saturday than sophomore Jon Bostic, who earned the starting role, was tackling all over the field and even nabbed an athletic interception at the start of the game. Redshirt freshman Jelani Jenkins, redshirt senior A.J. Jones and senior Lorenzo Edwards also played well, but none did anything that spectacular to warrant a higher grade for the unit overall.

SECONDARY: A
Junior cornerback Janoris Jenkins was beastly all game – even if you forget about his big-time 67-yard interception return for a TD. Jenkins was a tackling machine and swatted balls in a Joe Haden-like manner. Senior CB Moses Jenkins had been playing admirably until he hyperextended his elbow, an injury that brought redshirt sophomore CB Jeremy Brown (who otherwise may have sat with a sprained ankle) into the game. What did Brown do for you? He corralled an impressive interception (making sure to get his feet down in the process) to close the game. Of course there was also freshman Matt Elam, who played nickel corner rather than his natural safety position; all he did was break-up a pass in the end zone and notch four tackles.

And then there are the safeties. Senior Ahmad Black – with a team-high 12 tackles and a 40-yard interception return – was truly the leader of the unit like he had hoped to be all summer and fall. Redshirt freshman Josh Evans, filling in for suspended junior Will Hill, was not that impactful and is one of the reasons why RedHawks’ receiver Armand Robinson notched 111 yards on the Gators’ defense Saturday. Nevertheless, the unit as a whole was impressive and collected three interceptions.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B-
Return-wise, Demps and Gillislee played fine, totaling 121 yards on four Miami kickoffs. Senior Chas Henry’s one punt – a 27-yarder – was OK as well, but junior Caleb Sturgis missing his lone 44-yard field goal (badly) and shanking one of five extra points (in what was a closer game than it should have been) was simply unacceptable. A easily-forgotten punt pressure early on could have been a momentum-changer, but the Gators failed to capitalize. We decided to grade the returners out at an A, which along with the pressure on the first miffed punt, is the only thing that helped the grade here appear respectable.

COACHING: C-
Defensively, it did not look like Florida missed a beat, even after losing their defensive coordinator, secondary coach and four of their best players to the NFL. New DC Teryl Austin seemed to have the Gators primed and ready to attack, calling some nice blitzes and knowing when to throw a few extra guys in the secondary. Offensively, no one can be questioned as much as offensive coordinator Steve Addazio. Also the offensive line coach, Addazio’s position players simply did not play well – even as a patchwork unit. If Pouncey did not exhibit snapping problems in practice, then you cannot blame Addazio for that, but the rest of the group should have been better prepared at their respective positions. Play calling, while done with the input of QB coach Scot Loeffler and WR coach Zach Azzanni, is left up to Addazio in the end and it was, for lack of a better word, bland. Florida hoped to get the ball in the hands of its playmakers – that much was obvious – but seemingly refused to spread the field and give Thompson and Moore additional opportunities to catch the ball for serious chunks of yardage. Then again, perhaps some of Pouncey’s fumbles negated plays that otherwise would have gone down the field – we just don’t know. And then you have head coach Urban Meyer saying that Azzanni simply forgot to play redshirt freshman WR Andre Debose? Meyer’s depressed and enraged looks on the sideline were certainly understandable, but even after he took Brantley aside for a one-on-one talk, nothing seemed to be fixed. The Gators were lucky to get out of there alive.

OVERALL: D+
As much as you want to give Florida the benefit of the doubt about their performance Saturday, you have to look at what was actually accomplished on the field and compare that to what the team is capable of doing. There is no question that the defense played well and, without such a strong performance, there is a legitimate shot that Florida could have been upset. However, the offense’s ineptitude – Meyer called it incompetent – was the glaring problem. The Gators can and will play better this season, but it is up to them how much improvement is made before next Saturday against South Florida.

POUNCEY STRUGGLES AT CENTER

Senior center Mike Pouncey stayed in school rather than declare for the 2010 NFL Draft for the sole purpose of improving his stock while taking over for his brother in a position more highly coveted by scouts. In his first action at his new position, Pouncey had more than a dozen miscues, snapping the ball too low – or too wobbly – or just plain poorly. One mistake early in the game led directly to a turnover, but a number of others killed offensive momentum or put Florida in a hole early in their series.

“I take full credit for messing up the whole offense,” Pouncey admitted after the game. “It was all on me. I’m the leader of the offense and I let the guys down. I’m going to work my ass off and it won’t happen again. The ball just kept slipping out of my hand. I don’t know how the hell, but it just kept slipping out. We’ll have it fixed by next week. We’ve got USF so we’ll be looking forward to it. […] When we did get stuff going, I f—ed up the snap. And then when we did get stuff going again, s–t, we just kept fumbling. It won’t happen again. [...] It was my fault. I’m going to get in here in the morning to fix it. The ball kept slipping out. [...] I’m glad it happened in this kind of game – a game that we could have just went out there and won – but if we do it next week we won’t win the game. We weren’t worrying about [Miami] beating us.”

STARTERS SIT FOR DISCIPLINARY REASONS

Prior to the game, it was known that at least four starters and two others players would be out of action Saturday. However, it came as a surprise to some to see neither junior safety Will Hill nor redshirt junior left guard Carl Johnson on the field to start the game. As first noted by OGGOA on Twitter, both players were held out of action for disciplinary reasons. “We expect certain things in the classroom. We expect their behavior off the field. You expect a lot of things and if you don’t fulfill that you don’t play,” head coach Urban Meyer said. “Those two guys didn’t fulfill expectations.”

Sophomore S Josh Evans started in Hill’s place, and the Gators were forced to re-shuffle an already misaligned offensive line, putting redshirt junior right guard James Wilson in Johnson’s place at LG and starting redshirt freshman Jon Halapio at his RG spot. Sophomore linebacker Dee Finely (groin) was a late scratch as well.

PAGING ANDRE DEBOSE…COME IN ANDRE DEBOSE

Conspicuous by his absence was redshirt freshman wide receiver Andre Debose. After missing his true freshman season recovering from a hamstring injury, Debose had been performing well in practice and was deemed ready to go for the season opener. But even with Florida’s offensive struggles, Debose was nowhere to be found. Meyer mentioned that there was no intent to keep Debose off of the field, but he would certainly speak with WR coach Zach Azzanni about the situation.

NEW INJURIES OCCUR WHILE OTHERS HEAL

Senior cornerback Moses Jenkins, who earned the starting nod Saturday, appeared to injure his left elbow and forearm after landing on it awkwardly, was put in a sling on the sidelines and iced the area while walking to the locker room during the game. Wilson seemed to injure himself during the fourth quarter, but walked off of the field mostly under his own power. Though no updates were available on those two, Meyer said after the game that sophomore left tackle Xavier Nixon, senior defensive tackle Terron Sanders and sophomore TE Jordan Reed (all of whom have knee injuries) should be active next Saturday against South Florida.

MOORE BLANKED WHILE HINES AND BURTON STEP UP

Meyer was not blowing smoke this fall when he said that sophomore WR Omarius Hines would be an important piece of the puzzle this season. With redshirt senior WR Carl Moore held catchless, Hines played his new hybrid tight end role and reeled in three catches for 49 yards and the team’s first offensive touchdown on the season on a 10-yard slant from redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley.

Also contributing the entire game was freshman QB Trey Burton, who played five offensive positions (QB, WR, TE, fullback, H-back) and got some work on special teams. He even notched a touchdown on a two-yard run from the wildcat formation. “I imagine he graded out a winner because he seems to do everything right,” Meyer commented. “Trey Burton is going to be a major impact [player] on this team.”

QUOTES (after the break…)

Meyer summing up the offense’s struggles: “I didn’t imagine the offensive incompetence we displayed today.”

Meyer on the bright spot in Saturday’s game: “We won. There’s a bright spot for you.”

Meyer on the team’s performance: “I was not that shocked that we didn’t play well. I was shocked that the ball was on the ground. I thought our defense would come out and play well. I’m extremely disappointed in our kicking game. Very disappointed. We’ve got a long way to go, man. [...] Very disappointed with our performance. That’s probably obvious. But the good thing is, and I told our team this after the game, I don’t mind coaching guys who want to work. We’ll come back [Sunday] and work hard. That’s what we do around here.”

Meyer on redshirt junior DT Jaye Howard stepping up: “I saw a guy that’s starting to grow up around here. He has not played to his potential and he’s starting to play to it.”

Brantley on if he was embarrassed by the offense: “Not so much embarrassed, because I know the potential of our offense. We’ve got a great offense. Mike’s a great center. I’m not worried about him. I know he’s going to get better. He always is [good]. But not really, I’m not embarrassed at all. [It was] one of those days, I guess you could say. We’re going to work on it this coming week and be ready for USF. [...] I think this is going to bring the offense closer together and make us work harder. The only thing we can do is get better from here and learn from it. We’re going to get better each week. That’s all we’re looking for.”

Brantley on putting pressure on the defense: “We put our defense in a couple bad spots, but I think we have one of the best defenses in the country and they’re going to get the job done. I apologized to them a few times, but it’s a good thing we know we can count on them.”

Offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Steve Addazio on the miscues: “You can’t turn the ball over. You start turning the ball over and you’re never going to get any continuity and you can’t get anything going. We’re going to fix that snapping stuff, and we’re going to be fine. We just have to get back to work and get it corrected. Football is momentum and rhythm. It’s hard to have that when you turn the ball over.”

Addazio on the offense’s struggles: “My job is to make sure we put this behind us. There’s one guy who is in charge of this thing and that’s me, not Mike Pouncey. Today was not a very good day.”

Junior running back Jeff Demps on his long touchdown and overall performance: “It was a giant hole there and I hit it 100 miles per hour. The line did a good job opening that. [...] There were a couple of runs where I probably could have run a little more harder, a couple of shoe-string tackles. But you know, that’s why there is practice, for improvement.”

Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin on Howard’s day: “Jaye did some good things. He did well today and made a lot of plays. He is kind of lazy and if you ask him, he’ll tell you that. He’s starting to work hard and guess what? Good things are happening to him.”

Austin on Jenkins’ injury: “He is a young man who had been waiting a long time to have an opportunity to play at the University of Florida, and then he goes out and gets hurt right away. That kind of dampens his spirit and my spirit.”

Senior safety Ahmad Black on the defense: “We’re pretty good over here. When the offense struggles, we’ve got to step up. We knew we had to cause turnovers.”

Junior cornerback Janoris Jenkins on his interception return for a touchdown: “I made a game-changing play. We’ve got to keep everybody’s head up and continue to play great defense.”

Sophomore LB Jon Bostic on his interception “I saw the running back trying to run behind me a little bit, so I started floating that way. I really didn’t think the quarterback was going to throw it since I was still right there, but he tried to take a chance.”

Special thanks to the University of Florida, Gainesville Sun, Orlando Sentinel, Palm Beach Post and Miami Herald for many of the above quotations.

2010-11 SEASON CAPTAINS NAMED

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

OPENING DAY STARTING LINES SET

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

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

QUOTES

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

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

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

Special thanks to The Gainesville Sun for the above quotations.

Florida Gators football opened itself up Wednesday, allowing University of Florida students an opportunity to ask coaches, players and support staff a wide variety of both intriguing and silly questions at the inaugural Student Town Hall Meeting held at the Touchdown Terrace at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

With over 600 students in attendance, every seat in the house was filled and it was standing room (students were in front of the stadium as early as 4:30 p.m. waiting to get in when the gates opened at 7 p.m.).

On hand were head coach Urban Meyer, offensive coordinator Steve Addazio, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti, director of player and community relations Terry Jackson, redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley, senior safety Ahmad Black and junior running back Jeff Demps.

Each student who attended received a 2008 National Championship DVD, Student Town Hall t-shirt and the opportunity to enjoy pizza and drinks as the event came to a close. Throughout the meeting, the team aired a number of highlight videos for the crowd including the recruiting video shown to some of the top high school players in the country when trying to get them to attend UF.

Read about everything that was said at the meeting…after the break!

NOTES

- Microphones were set around Touchdown Terrace to let students get up and ask the questions for which they really were looking for answers.

- Some obviously seemed a little star struck and their questions did not necessarily make sense by the time they were done. Others rambled without even getting a question out.

- A lot of questions elicited the response of “Miami of Ohio,” which became a running joke during the meeting.

- Video games were brought up on a few occasions with students asking the players about playing as themselves and how “real” the game play was by comparison.

- Marotti said redshirt senior offensive lineman Maurice Hurt can squat over 600 lbs.

- Jackson was egged on by the crowd to do his stuck in the mud dance, which he called “excitement” and not a dance. He eventually agreed and did it to the song “Stanky Leg.

- Meyer said wide receiver Percy Harvin and tight end Aaron Hernandez were examples of the two perfect spread offense players for the Gators.

- Addazio closed the meeting with an example of one of his pre-game speeches, similar to what he does at every Gator Gathering he attends.

QUOTES

Meyer’s opening statement: “We wanted to do something special this year. Because we never want to take for granted our best resource we have … and that’s our students. So this is nothing more than saying welcome back to school. I want you to meet some of our new players, I want you to meet some of our coaches – old and new.”

Meyer on what questions can be asked: “You can ask any question you want – any question you want. I mean that – we’re all family here – so let it ride.”

Addazio asked if the Gators will still run the triple option: “Absolutely. That is a staple here. We are going to have that play – it will always be a staple here at Florida. We got a great athlete at quarterback running it.”

Meyer on coaching the Gators for the first time: “I found out the people in the South take this stuff real serious down here – like bizarre.”

Black on 2005 Lakeland Dreadnaughts vs. 2009 Florida Gators: “It’s about a tie. I think the game would be 0-0.”

Black on Will Hill and Matt Elam: “Major [Wright]’s a great player, and I’m glad he’s doing the things he’s doing. But Will’s a great player as well, and so is Matt. Matt’s coming along every day, and we’re trying to get him game ready.”

Black on his personal goals: “Nothing personal. I became a team player. I just want to do whatever it takes to help my team get to a National [Championship].”

Black on the 2009 defense vs. 2010 defense : “We got a younger defense compared to last year, I think we’re a little bit faster this year. … I’m excited to see the young guys get out there and play.”

Demps on the second fastest guy on the team: “I was just about to say Brantley, but…I’d probably have to say Chris Rainey – he was awesome on the track team and he got a lot faster this year, so I have to say him.”

Meyer on the Gators wearing orange pants and blue jerseys this year: “[Laughing] That’s up to Mickey Marotti, our strength coach.”

Marotti on wearing orange pants and blue jerseys: “Sure.”

Demps on who he would want to hurdle in the SEC: “I’m not too familiar with the players in the SEC, actually. But I’ll try to hurdle any defender that tackle[s] me. [Laughing]”

Demps on the who he is looking forward to playing: “Miami of Ohio. A lot of you probably think I’m joking, but I’m dead [serious].”

Addazio on his expectations for Brantley: “Our expectations will be for John like they are for every other player: come in here, play real hard, be a great teammate, compete real hard – every week, week in and week out, prepare real hard. And he’s going to do that.”

Brantley on his expectations: “I’m just going to do anything to help this team get back to Atlanta. We’ve had a great few years in the past and, now with Tebow gone, I’m just going to try to keep that ball rolling and get back to Atlanta.”

Meyer on replacing coaches vs. losing players: “With all due respect to our coaches, this is a player’s game. Ya’ll notice in our home games, the players are the first ones to run on the field. This is not some silly nonsense like I see some of these other schools do. We’re all about our players. We’re all about making sure our players put on a good show for the student body. That’s what we’re here for. And so it’s easier to replace a coach than to replace a good player. However, at Florida, you’re expected to replace great players with great players, and I think we have.”

Black on if he can get more pick-offs than Hill: “Well, in my video game, I’m winning.”

Meyer on if the team will win the National Championship: “Repeat after me: Miami of Ohio. [Smiling] Go ahead and sit down. [Laughing]”

Meyer on if the jump pass will remain in the playbook: “The jump pass is in. In all seriousness, it is in. We’re going to keep that jump pass. It’s never going away.

Austin on the opening game: “It’ll be my first time in The Swamp in nine days…and I’m damn excited.”

Addazio on hype about Andre Debose: “He’s really athletic, he really is. He’s really shown some exciting moments at practice in the spring, now at training camp. Without question he’s got that dynamic ability. He’s a guy that can take the top off the coverage, come back into the backfield, take a hand-off – he can do all of those things. It’s really exciting, and I think you’ll see him in all of those roles.”

Addazio on running trick plays: “Wow, this is a big deal, these video games are pretty serious. I think we should consult EA Sports.”

Meyer on running trick plays: “Here’s an offensive coach’s thought about trick plays: When you don’t have great players and you have to create plays… If you remember, we had a bunch of injuries back in ’05, I don’t know if you remember or not but we ran three fake punts and doing this and doing this. All of a sudden you got guys like Demps and Brantley and some of the ball player’s we’ve had here… Instead of trick plays, let’s just give him the ball one more time. I’m being sincere. When you’ve been stuck without playmakers, that’s when you have to start doing crazy stuff. We’d rather not. We’d rather recruit well and give guys like this the ball. When you see teams doing a lot of that stuff, which we’ve done it before, you do it when you have to create a play. We have enough playmakers. But I’d rather see John Brantley drop back and let it go to one of our guys.”

Meyer’s closing statement: “We want this to be the one place that everybody wants to be. We don’t want to be like some of the schools in the state where half the stadium is empty – I could get into a lot of stories – we’re not going to do that. We’re going to have the greatest student body. I’m going to ask you to get there early – get loud, get nuts. One of the greatest things we do – we started this tradition five years ago – we come over and we raise our helmets and we salute you guys, the student body, because we can’t do this without you. So, out of respect, we did this for you tonight. Out of respect to us, I’m going to ask you to show up. Let’s have a lot of fun together [and] put on the greatest show on Earth.”

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.

Hounshell, who did not pick up a Florida offer until the beginning of August, had long been rumored to be heading to Boston College due to a budding relationship with the school’s coaching staff.

A standout who can play both sides of the ball, he committed to offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Steve Addazio on Wednesday.

At 6’6″ and over 260 lbs., Hounshell is the Gators’ 13th commitment for 2011 but only the team’s third offensive lineman. Florida is expected to lose four starters to graduation this season.

OGGOA will update this story as more information is made available.

Photo Credit: Michigan Live

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.”

1 » With most of the players and head coach Urban Meyer making time for the media Thursday, it was offensive coordinator Steve Addazio’s turn to represent the Florida Gators early Friday. He provided a little insight into what is in store this season. “Will you see QB runs? Unequivocally yes from a Wildcat offense,” Addazio said. “Will you see five wides on the field? You know you will. Will you see tight ends and fullback sets? Yes. You’re going to see a lot. We’re not going away from that. It’s just judiciously choosing what styles and plays you’re going to use within those sets.” Addazio also noted that wide receivers redshirt junior Chris Rainey and redshirt freshman Andre Debose can add a lot to the offense. “Rainey brings that whole other dimension in here, as does Debose,” Addazio said. “We have those hybrid guys and we have an interesting dynamic in there to cause some stress.”

2 » Tight ends coach Brian White also leaked some brain droppings about his position players. “What’s evident in the first two days is Jordan Reed and Gerald Christian really improved themselves this summer,” White said. “They did a great job of becoming a better football player. All the work they did with [strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti] and his staff has paid tremendous dividends. They’re very confident. They’re much improved. [...] Jordan has had tremendous recall from spring ball. It’s very evident he worked his ass off this summer. He’s a tremendously improved football player and he’s going to be really fun to watch this year. He’s going to do some special things.”

Four more BITS on Nelson, Moss, Wilbur and swimmer Beisel…after the jump!

3 » The injuries keep piling up for former Gators in the pros as yet another rookie was taken out of practice this week. According to the team’s website, Buffalo Bills wide receiver David Nelson pulled a muscle while running a route during seven-on-seven drills Wednesday. “David is going to be out a while,” head coach Chan Gailey said. “He had a pull and he’s going to be out a while.” Nelson disagreed with that assessment Friday. “I do not have a pulled muscle, just a little tweak and [I] should be ready to go by Monday,” he said via Twitter.

4 » As we said…the injuries keep coming. Former Florida defensive end Jarvis Moss, who will likely start for the Denver Broncos this season now that Pro Bowler Elvis Dumervil is out for the season, fractured a bone in his hand during practice Friday. The Denver Post estimates that he will “likely miss two weeks, though he should eventually be able to practice and play with a club cast.”

5 » OGGOA reported on Twitter Thursday that former Gators punter Eric Wilbur has been signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL. He will be starting for the team this weekend and will handle kickoffs in addition to his punting responsibilities. After leaving Florida, Wilbur has been a member of the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets, though he did not spend a lot of time with any of those teams.

6 » Soon-to-be freshman Elizabeth Beisel broke a 26-year-old school record in the 400-meter individual medley Thursday while competing in the third day of action at the 2010 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships. Finishing with a 4:39.08 time, Beisel is proving to be a powerhouse in the water. She also broke the University of Florida’s record in the 200-meter IM on Tuesday.

Photo Credit: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Thursday begins fall practice for the Florida Gators, and the team will be going into the 2010-11 season with more questions than answers for the first time in recent memory. From reserves taking over as starters to freshmen trying to make an impact right away, head coach Urban Meyer and his revamped coaching staff will be taking a close look at each and every player stepping on the field over the next few weeks

OGGOA is here to provide you with a preview of exactly what you should watch for and pay attention to, even though practice is closed to both the media and public.

Check out players who are stepping up, fighting for their jobs and trying to break out, as well as notable freshman who hope to make an impact…after the break!

THE NEXT EPISODE

While some positions are sure to be contested until the final whistle blows, others have already been solidified whether because of experience or pure talent. These Gators are being counted on to take over where their highly-touted predecessors left off.

Redshirt junior quarterback John Brantley
Most of the concerns surrounding Brantley are not about his talent or ability to handle the offense but rather whether or not he can cope with taking over for a legend in Tim Tebow. Forget for a moment the fact that Brantley was one of the top three quarterback recruits in the country in 2007; instead, realize that he has been honing his craft for the last few years. Think of him as the Aaron Rodgers to Tebow’s Brett Favre. In limited action in 2009, Brantley posted a 194.88 passer rating and completed 36 of 48 passes (75 percent) for 410 yards and seven touchdowns. Sure, the opponents and time of entry need to be taken into consideration, but the ability is there and the offense is being tailored to fit his talents, meaning concerns about Brantley are sure to vanish in no time.

Redshirt junior wide receiver Chris Rainey
His official position may have changed, but that does not mean Rainey will get the ball in his hands any less. In fact, now that it will be arriving in a different manner, expect to see him with a significantly increased role. Moving from running back to slot receiver, Rainey will take on a Percy Harvin-like role in 2010 without fully playing the “Percy Position.” The goal is for him to get the ball in space so he can utilize his speed, quick first step and small frame to find cracks in the defense and explode towards the endzone.

Junior cornerback Janoris Jenkins
With Joe Haden gone to the NFL, Jenkins rolls nicely into the top cornerback position – one which he will likely take on without a hiccup. The responsibilities are different and his charge is now to cover the opposition’s top pass catcher while simultaneously ensuring that his replacement is capable of filling in for him on the other side.

Redshirt junior defensive tackle Jaye Howard
The defense’s most consistent performer in the 2009 Southeastern Conference Championship, Howard proved what he is capable of last year. After an impressive offseason on the field and in the weight room, Howard is out to prove that his career-high 10 tackles against Alabama were not a fluke. Unlike others in this category, Howard is still fighting redshirt senior Terron Sanders for his job; however, one can certainly expect him to be the cog in the middle when all is said and done.

POSITION BATTLES

Meyer made it his goal a few years ago to build depth throughout the roster and, with such a high turnover due to graduating seniors and players leaving early for the NFL Draft, there are plenty of positions up for the taking this offseason. Here are a few:

Middle linebacker: sophomore Jon Bostic vs. redshirt freshman Jelani Jenkins
If this was purely about upside, Je. Jenkins would have already run this battle – especially after impressing coaches with his speed and agility during spring practice. However, Bostic has the talent, experience and maturity to be effective in the middle no matter what formation the Gators play. The truth is that, like the team did last year with its three outstanding safeties, Florida will likely ensure that the duo are often in the game at the same time by utilizing four linebackers. Nevertheless, one will have to win the position outright, and the growing sentiment is that Je. Jenkins may be able to do just that.

Starting cornerback: redshirt sophomore Jeremy Brown vs. senior Moses Jenkins vs. freshman Joshua Shaw vs. freshman Jaylen Watkins
The fatal four-way for the right to start opposite Ja. Jenkins is underway, and while the job is truly anyone’s to win, Brown is holding the belt going into practice due to straight-up beating out M. Jenkins in the spring. A back injury has kept Brown out for two years; now that he is finally healthy, expect him to claim the position early on…unless Shaw or Watkins shine bright right out of the gates.

No. 4 wide receiver: redshirt freshman Andre Debose vs. redshirt sophomore Omarius Hines vs. redshirt sophomore Frankie Hammond, Jr.
Hammond is the long shot here – for obvious reasons – but completely discounting him from showing the gumption, dedication and pure talent necessary to win the job is simply ridiculous. The fact is that he will have a long way to go and some formidable hurdles to jump in order to earn the trust of the coaching staff and his teammates, but it is important to remember that this was going to be his role before the arrest. Hines certainly showed what he is made of in limited action last season, but there is no doubting what Debose brings to the table. Quite possibly the team’s most dynamic and dangerous playmaker since Harvin, Debose is recovered from a hamstring injury that earned him a redshirt in 2009. Now fully healed, he impressed everyone in the spring and is ready to go at full speed. In all likelihood, Debose will be the No. 4 receiver in title alone – his impact on a game-to-game basis offensively could end up being second to only that of Brantley.

Kick returner: wide open
Rainey and junior running back Jeff Demps could both take over return duties in 2010, but with the number of touches each will get on offense, it may be wise to find someone else to hold down the job. The fastest an most elusive wide receivers and defensive backs will all be considered for the position, but we have a sneaking suspicion that WR Robert Clark – a 5’8”, 175 lbs. freshman – could be a breakthrough candidate here.

STEP YOUR GAME UP

In many ways, the 2009 season was a disappointment. Not only because Florida failed to bring home a SEC or National Championship, but also due to the fact that a number of players did not live up to their lofty expectations. For this, we channel our inner Floyd “Money” Mayweather and hope some players step their respective games up.

Wide receivers: rs junior Deonte Thompson and rs senior Carl Moore
Thompson and Tebow never got on the same page last year, and it all started at the very beginning when Thompson simply could not haul in some elementary passes in the first few games. As the season went on, Tebow failed to look his way – even when wide open – and preferred to hit receivers he trusted like Riley Cooper and David Nelson. The same cannot be said for Thompson this year as he has made it a point to develop a rapport with Brantley in the spring – both in practice and out. Moore was counted on to be a big target for Tebow in 2009, but due to a back injury flaring up, he was forced to redshirt and is now expected to start opposite Thompson in 2010. There were also murmurs that Moore was not stepping up the way he should have been in practice, something else that will have to be corrected from the outset.

Offensive line: redshirt sophomore Matt Patchan
Spurning Miami (where his father starred) for Florida, Patchan came in as a highly-touted freshman with a question mark after randomly being shot while out with some friends. He moved to the defensive line in 2008 to assist a depleted unit but missed the final three games of the season with a leg injury. Last year, he came up big in the Gators’ first four games but tore up his knee and sat the remainder of the season (receiving a medial redshirt for his troubles). While it may seem a bit unfair to get on someone with such bad luck, the fact is that a lot is expected of Patchan and it is time for him to deliver.

Coordinators: Steve Addazio (offensive), Teryl Austin (defensive)
Addazio received plenty of flack for his play calling last year, and Austin is stepping into the first coordinator job of his career. The former is being charged with molding and refining the offense to accommodate his talent, while the latter must ensure that he spruces up the defensive unit without ruining the chemistry and passion established by former coordinator Charlie Strong. This may mean a hybrid 4-3 / 3-4 defense or simply finding what front seven combination works best for the team long-term.

FRESHMEN OF NOTE

Five-star defensive end Ronald Powell
Look, this is simple: Powell, DT Dominique Easley and DT Sharrif Floyd are arguably the Gators’ top three incoming recruits, and all three are expected to contribute early and often. However, with Powell, the expectations have reached another level. There are rumors that he may start at defensive end from day one, but seniors captain Justin Trattou and Duke Lemmens will probably be holding down the jobs – at least in the beginning. Easley and Floyd will have more work to do in order to win early playing time, but Powell has the best chance out of the three to land a starting role.

Five-star safety Matt Elam
The only other recruit who can be mentioned in the same class as Powell, Easley and Floyd, Elam has already won over Meyer and is a shoe-in to be playing from the get-go. “Matt Elam is going to play. It’s done,” Meyer said emphatically in June. “He had a heck of a spring, he’s a heck of a kid, comes from a great family, we’ve known about him forever.” Expect him to begin the season as the team’s third safety.

Four-star tight end Gerald Christian
Christian is in a unique position to make some noise right out of the gate as Florida has yet to solidify its tight end position. While former QB and redshirt freshman Jordan Reed is making Cornelius Ingram-like strides in his transition, Christian brings the body type, hands and skills to the table that may overwhelm coaches in their decision making. This will be a fight all camp and should probably be listed as one of our position battles two categories above. An impressive spring and summer have boosted Christian.

Four-star wide receiver Chris Dunkley
Florida is searching for playmakers, and Dunkley is the incoming recruit with the ability to be one right away. He has a lot of guys to pass in order to earn some early playing time, but the talent and explosive capability are certainly there.

Four-star cornerback Joshua Shaw
Though Brown has the edge and M. Jenkins has the experience, Shaw will almost certainly be in the mix to start opposite Ja. Jenkins as the team’s second cover man. As an early enrollee, he got a head start on his fellow freshmen and has the opportunity to make a Haden-like impact right away if given the opportunity.

Photo Credit: University of Florida