1 » At the conclusion of his National Signing Day press conference on Wednesday, Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp told the Orlando Sentinel that sophomore cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy will move to wide receiver during spring practice. Purifoy, who played sparingly at receiver during the 2012 season, is an athletic and versatile performer who was also Florida’s standout player on special teams last year. Whether or not his move to wide receiver is permanent remains to be seen, but Purifoy told the paper’s Edgar Thompson in early January that he enjoyed the time he was spending on offense during practice and games. “I feel like I’m in high school again,” he said. “I love it.” Muschamp and the Gators coaching staff have moved a number of players back-and-forth between offense and defense over the last two offseasons in order to improve position flexibility throughout the roster.

He also noted on Wednesday that UF has tried mightily to bridge the hole in its wide receiving corps and did that in part by signing five pass catchers. “When you say fill needs, you talk in terms of depth and talent. Those are the two things you’ve got to be able to address. I think we’ve taken a step forward in both situations. We’ve improved our depth, and I think we’ve improved our talent level. We’ve got some guys that can come in and compete,” Muschamp said. It will be interesting to see whether or not Purifoy sticks on offense or goes back to defense by the time summer practice begins.

2 » As National Signing Day wrapped up, news broke of Florida having an outstanding offer in the hands of in-state a three-star offensive lineman who was originally planning to continue his career as a basketball player at Division II Eckerd College. That player is Trevon Young (Bradenton, FL), someone who the Gators see as a potential playmaker at tight end given his size size (6’6″, 260 lbs.) and soft hands. Brown is currently debating between sticking with his first love (basketball) in a situation that is unlikely to result in him being a professional athlete down the line or playing his second-favorite sport at the highest level possible in college.

Curt Bradley, Young’s football coach at Branden River High School, told InsidetheGators.com on Wednesday that the player is legitimately conflicted with his decision. “It isn’t a matter of the school, it’s the sport he chooses,” Bradley said, further implying that he would easily choose UF over an offer from South Florida if Young decides to play football. A decision may be coming as soon as Thursday.

Read two more BITS from National Signing Day…after the break!
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Purifoy, Young, closing, quarterbacks

Tags: Dante Fowler, Jalen Ramsey, James Clark, Jeff Driskel, Loucheiz Purifoy, Matt Rolin, Max Staver, National Signing Day, Raphael Andrades, Trevon Young, Tyler Murphy, Will Muschamp

Florida Gators head football coach Will Muschamp met with the media on Friday to wrap up the 2012 season, look ahead to the upcoming spring practice and discuss some of the recent changes and issues within the program.

PUNISHMENT HANDED DOWN

Muschamp announced Friday that freshman offensive lineman Jessamen Dunker has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities pending the outcome of his legal affairs. Dunker was arrested Monday on a third-degree felony charge of grand theft of a motor vehicle as well as a second-degree misdemeanor charge of driving with a suspended license. He was released on his own recognizance on Thursday and claims that he paid $600 for the scooter not knowing it had been reported stolen.

“I met with Jessamen Dunker [Friday] morning. I have suspended him from all team activities until we get more information,” he said. “I just met to him face-to-face [Friday] morning for the first time for 15 minutes. Once we get a little bit more information, then we’ll move forward, but he’s suspended from the team at this time. We’ll address that further when I know more.”

THREE MORE GATORS LEAVING PROGRAM

It was also announced Friday by Muschamp that redshirt juniors wide receiver Stephen Alli and defensive lineman Kedric Johnson will both be graduating in the spring and moving on from the Florida football program.

Muschamp said that Alli plans to go to graduate school; should he remain at UF, he will have the opportunity to join the team as a graduate assistant. Johnson “may play somewhere [else] next fall,” Muschamp said, and the two are planning to discuss it.

Furthermore, redshirt freshman offensive lineman Tommy Jordan, who never stepped on the field for the Gators due to nagging shoulder problems, has applied for a medical exception to remain on scholarship but no longer play football.

CLEANING UP SOME INJURIES

Muschamp once again noted that redshirt junior right guard Jon Halapio (knee), redshirt sophomore right tackle Chaz Green (ankle) and redshirt sophomore linebacker Neiron Ball (ankle) all had scopes on their various injuries this month.

“We expect all three of those [players] to participate at some point in spring. I don’t know when that will happen, how much contact there will be. I’ll know more as we move forward,” he said.

Junior WR Solomon Patton (broken arm) is “doing really well,” according to Muschamp. He has already been cleared for non-contact work during the spring.

Additionally, sophomore punter Kyle Christy had minor shoulder surgery and will be fine for spring football. “He played pretty well with it. I don’t know why we did surgery, but they felt like he needed it,” Muschamp said.

Read the rest of what Muschamp had to say…after the break!
Continue Reading » 1/18: Dunker suspended, more Gators leave, injury updates, Sugar Bowl review, 2013 preview

Tags: Andre Debose, Bernie Machen, Chaz Green, Cody Riggs, D.J. Durkin, Damien Jacobs, Darious Cummings, Dominique Easley, Draft, Jabari Gorman, Jacoby Brissett, Jaylen Watkins, Jelani Jenkins, Jessamen Dunker, Jon Halapio, Jordan Reed, Kedric Johnson, Kyle Christy, Leon Orr, Louisville Cardinals, Marcus Maye, Matt Elam, Neiron Ball, NFL, Omar Hunter, Quinteze Williams, Rhaheim Ledbetter, Sharrif Floyd, Skyler Mornhinweg, Solomon Patton, Stephen Alli, Sugar Bowl, Tommy Jordan, Tyler Murphy, Valdez Showers, Will Muschamp

Florida Gators sophomore quarterback Jacoby Brissett, embroiled in transfer rumors after losing the starting job to classmate Jeff Driskel in September, decided to leave the program immediately and transfer to another school.

Florida officially announced Brissett’s transfer on Sunday, confirming an initial report released Saturday evening by GatorCountry.com.

Brissett originally committed to the Gators late in the 2011 recruiting cycle after the team had already secured a pledge from Driskel. Then-offensive coordinator Charlie Weis went after Brissett personally and convinced him to commit to Florida over Miami, a move that went against his mother’s wishes.

Third on the team’s depth chart at the start of his freshman season as he enrolled in the summer and not early in the spring, Brissett was thrust into a starting role in 2011 after starter John Brantley and second-stringer Driskel both got injured against Alabama in the fifth week of the season. The following week, he became the first Gators freshman to start at quarterback since Chris Leak and went 18-of-39 for 206 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions in two consecutive starts.

Brissett and Driskel battled for the starting job over the spring and summer with both players earning the start (Driskel at wide receiver) in the 2012 season-opener against Bowling Green. Driskel took the majority of the snaps in the game and was named full-time starter after the contest, leaving Brissett in a back-up role. Coaches pointed to Driskel’s mobility as the tipping point in their decision-making process.

When Driskel injured his ankle against Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 10, Brissett came on to finish the game. He returned as starter the following week against Jacksonville State, combining to go 20-of-30 for 218 yards with one touchdown in the two contests.

It now appears that he will not see the field again until 2014 as he will likely transfer to another Division I program and use 2013 as an NCAA-mandated redshirt year.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Arkansas, Duke, Louisville, N.C. State and West Virginia are the five leading candidates for Brissett’s services. He has long considered WVU an option and had the school as part of his final four with UF, Miami and Wisconsin during his recruitment. Then-UW head coach Bret Bielema accepted the Arkansas job on Dec. 15, 2012.

With Brissett no longer in the fold, Florida is set to have four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster in 2013. Backing up Driskel will be redshirt sophomore Tyler Murphy, freshman Skyler Mornhinweg and incoming three-star Max Staver (Brentwood, TN). Murphy played sparingly in 2011 but has not thrown a pass in his collegiate career. Mornhinweg did not play in 2012 and will take a redshirt to preserve his full eligibility.

Likely fueled by Brissett’s decision, the Gators appear to have recently made an inquiry about four-star 2013 QB recruit Asiantii Woulard (Winter Park, FL). UF already has four-star QB Will Grier (Davidson, NC) committed for 2014.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

Tags: Asiantii Woulard, Charlie Weis, Jacoby Brissett, Jeff Driskel, Max Staver, Skyler Mornhinweg, Tyler Murphy, Will Grier

With the team beginning preparations for the 2013 Sugar Bowl against the Louisville Cardinals in New Orleans, LA on Jan. 2, No. 3 Florida Gators defensive coordinator Brent Pease and redshirt senior defensive tackle Omar Hunter sat down with the media to discuss the team’s defense and how it is shaping up for the bowl game.

FOWLER IS “SPECIAL,” POOLE IS IMPRESSING

Head coach Will Muschamp has propped up sophomore cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy all season for making great strides in his game during practices leading up to the 2012 Gator Bowl. Asked Wednesday who has made similar strides so far in these bowl practices, Quinn pointed to two players in particular.

“In the front seven, one that is really coming on that you can see is [Buck linebacker] Dante Fowler. He’s played all year. He’s playing really at a high level right now and to me you can see the momentum, the confidence and the understanding at a faster rate. That part has been exciting,” Quinn said. “On the back end, one guy that has caught my attention that is doing a good job right now is [CB] Brian Poole. I’d say those two players are really ones to me that have caught my eye, and I thought they’ve had a good camp in terms of the work and stuff they’ve put in.”

For players like Purifoy last year and Poole this year, Quinn said it is all about growth and development. Freshmen may not pick up terminology or technique in the few practices before the season begins, so the coaching staff may not have the necessary confidence in them to play them early. As the season goes on, the players are able to pick up a lot more and are then able to display the improvements they have made in bowl practices when younger players get more time on the field.

Asked to point out players that have impressed him in bowl practice, Hunter named Purifoy, Fowler, junior DT Damien Jacobs, freshman defensive end Jonathan Bullard and sophomore CB Marcus Roberson. He had plenty of praise for Fowler in particular.

“That kid’s special. He’s special. He’s what I wanted to be my freshman year. He is very special. He’s going to be a great player here. Quick, powerful guy,” Hunter said. “I think he can play inside at three-technique; I think he can play outside at the end. He can cover tight ends. He’s just a special athlete, special football player. He’s learning the system more than anything. He’s getting smarter. He’s a smarter football player than he was when he first came in. These practices [are] where the coaches can help the younger guys more because the seniors know everything.”

Read the rest of this post…after the break!
Continue Reading » 12/19: Quinn and Hunter talk practice, juniors

Tags: Brian Poole, Bryant Young, Damien Jacobs, Dan Quinn, Dante Fowler, Dominique Easley, Draft, Jelani Jenkins, Jonathan Bullard, Loucheiz Purifoy, Louisville Cardinals, Marcus Roberson, Matt Elam, NFL, Omar Hunter, Ronald Powell, Sharrif Floyd, Sugar Bowl, Tyler Murphy

With the team preparing for its eighth game of the season, a 3:30 p.m. neutral site game against the No. 10 Georgia Bulldogs in Jacksonville, FL, No. 2 Florida Gators offensive coordinator Brent Pease met with the media Tuesday to discuss his unit’s recent production and significant improvement on the field.

BOISE STATE OFFENSE, SEC-STYLE

Discussing Florida’s offense on Tuesday, Pease cautioned that the team’s low yardage numbers (especially in the passing game over the last three weeks) are not indicative of how productive the team has been on that side of the ball. To his point, the Gators have scored 75 combined points in the last two games including 44 against a South Carolina defense that ranks as one of the best in the country.

“I’m not worried about yards. We’re not going to win any statistical wars this year, and I don’t think we’re trying to,” he said. “I don’t think we’re set up that way yet, especially [as a] coordinator in his first year with a new quarterback. We’re definitely not going to be like West Virginia and those teams where we’re throwing for all these yards.”

Pease insists that his top priority has been calling running an offense that plays to the strengths of Florida’s playmakers. That includes giving senior running back Mike Gillislee plenty of touches and allowing sophomore quarterback Jeff Driskel to use his legs in addition to his arm. So while the Gators may not be putting up the same numbers that his Boise State offenses have in the past, the system is not much different.

“We are running the Boise State offense,” he said, “other than probably Kellen Moore couldn’t do some of the runs that Jeff can do. If you go back and look, we had a kid named Grant Hedrick that ran those runs rather than Kellen Moore, just doing the same thing that Jeff does.

“Did you see them as much? No, because Jeff’s in there every play. Grant wasn’t in there every play. We still have the system in place. Now, are you seeing as many throws? No, because Kellen Moore probably isn’t back there until [Driskel] grows into Kellen Moore or a good-throwing quarterback.”

While Florida may not be airing it out in 2012, that is certainly not off the table.

“I’m not saying we can’t down the road but you got to be built a little differently and that’s just not our deal,” Pease said. “It’s all a flow. It’s a game flow of special teams, where you to get the ball and playing off your defense sometimes.”

NOTES AND QUOTES

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Tags: Brent Pease, Georgia Bulldogs, Jarvis Jones, Jeff Driskel, Mike Gillislee, Omarius Hines, Tyler Murphy

No. 2 Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp met with the media on Monday to review the team’s big 44-11 win over the then-No. 7 South Carolina Gamecocks and preview Saturday’s game against the No. 10 Georgia Bulldogs.

INJURY UPDATES

Muschamp said that junior cornerback Cody Riggs (foot) and redshirt junior tackle Matt Patchan (pectoral) are once again out for Saturday’s game. Freshman wide receiver Latroy Pittman (ankle) will return to practice Monday before being evaluated again, and junior defensive tackle Damien Jacobs (hamstring) will sit on Monday but return to practice on Tuesday (probable for Saturday).

PLAYER AWARDS

Offensive Player of the Game: junior running back Trey Burton
“Trey does a lot of things for our football team offensively, special teams, really a lot of things go through him. We have a package for him in every game, and we certainly were able to use it Saturday and it was very efficient.”

Big Plays: redshirt junior tight end Jordan Reed, redshirt sophomore WR Quinton Dunbar, junior WR Solomon Patton

Scrap Iron: redshirt sophomore right tackle Chaz Green

Defensive Player of the Game: junior defensive end Dominique Easley

Ball Hawks: Burton (two), Patton, sophomore CB Loucheiz Purifoy (two), redshirt senior Buck linebacker Lerentee McCray, junior DT Sharrif Floyd, sophomore CB Jabari Gorman, sophomore RB Chris Johnson

Special Teams Player of the Game: Purifoy and sophomore punter Kyle Christy
* Christy was also named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Big Plays: Burton, Patton and Johnson

Scout Team Players of the Week: Special Teams – freshman LB Jeremi Powell, Defense – freshmen DL Alex McCalister and Quinteze Williams, Offense – freshman walk-on RB Mark Herndon

Read the rest of what Muschamp had to say…after the break!
Continue Reading » 10/22: Muschamp on injuries, awards, turnovers

Tags: Alex McCalister, Chaz Green, Chris Johnson, Cody Riggs, D.J. Durkin, Damien Jacobs, Dominique Easley, Georgia Bulldogs, Jabari Gorman, Jeff Driskel, Jeremi Powell, Jon Bostic, Jordan Reed, Kyle Christy, Latroy Pittman, Lerentee McCray, Loucheiz Purifoy, Mark Herndon, Matt Patchan, Quinteze Williams, Quinton Dunbar, SEC, Sharrif Floyd, Solomon Patton, South Carolina Gamecocks, Trey Burton, Tyler Murphy, Will Muschamp

With the 2011-12 athletic season now in the books and the 2012-13 season about to begin, the focus has shifted to the return of Florida Gators football. For the second-straight year, OGGOA will take a look at every player of substance on the roster, counting down by jersey number, in this series: The Countdown.

19 – Caleb Sturgis (St. Augustine, FL)
Redshirt senior kicker
5’11” 184 lbs.

Quick Bio: An Under Armour High School All-American entering his fifth and final year at Florida, Sturgis was a kickoff specialist as a freshman but became the team’s primary place kicker in 2009, when he hit 73.3 percent of his field goals (long: 56) and 44-of-47 extra points. He suffered through back pain early in the 2010 season and was forced to undergo surgery after just four games, being awarded a medical redshirt by the NCAA.

Career Stats (45 games): 46/60 (76.7 percent) on field goals with a long of 56 yards, 96/101 (95.0 percent) on extra points – 234 career points; 274 kickoffs for 17,726 yards (average: 64.7 yards), 36 touchbacks

2011 Season: One of three kickers in the nation to convert on three or more field goals of at least 50 yards, Sturgis was a finalist for the Lou Groza Award and arguably the most consistent player on the Gators. He was 22/26 on field goals and perfect with 31 extra points over the course of the season.

2012 Outlook: Sturgis returns as the starter for the fourth-straight season and is already second on Florida’s all-time list for made field goals (22 away from passing Jeff Chandler with 67). He has already kicked three of the four longest field goals in school history and is the only player on the roster to receive unanimous preseason recognition nationally.

18 – Kent Taylor (Land O’Lakes, FL)
Freshman tight end
6’5” 223 lbs.

Quick Bio/2012 Outlook:A four-star prospect, Taylor was widely considered the top tight end in the country last year and committed to the Gators despite having offers from every major school. He has impressed coaches this offseason with his hands and should play as a freshman mostly as a pass catcher because he still needs to add some size to be an effective blocker. “Kent catches the ball extremely well. He’s very athletic. I mean, very athletic. That’s another guy that you have to decide what he can do at this point,” head coach Will Muschamp said recently. “Obviously he’s a guy that needs to gain some girth and some strength as far as the blocking is concerned. Let’s don’t ask him to do something he can’t do. I know one thing – he can go get the football down the field. He can catch the ball. He can do some of those things. So let’s identify what he can do and what he can handle in those situations.”

Check out 10 more players in this edition of The Countdown…after the break!
Continue Reading » The Countdown: Florida Gators roster (19-10)

Tags: Antonio Morrison, Austin Hardin, Brad Phillips, Brent Pease, Caleb Sturgis, Dan Quinn, Darrin Kitchens, Jacoby Brissett, Jaylen Watkins, Jeff Driskel, Jordan Reed, Kent Taylor, Latroy Pittman, Loucheiz Purifoy, Neiron Ball, Skyler Mornhinweg, Tyler Murphy, Valdez Showers, Will Muschamp

Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp has already received some criticism for his decision to play one of his two sophomore quarterbacks in the first quarter and rotate in the other in the second quarter before reevaluating the situation at halftime of the season opener on Saturday against Bowling Green.

But the way his offensive coordinator Brent Pease and signal callers all tell it, the decision is at least fair to all parties involved even if it is a not typical.

“I think it is a little bit [unusual]. I think in this circumstance, because of how they both progressed and how they’ve shown their leadership skills, I’m not really worried about it right now,” Pease said on Monday. “In some situations I’ve been in before, I’d say, ‘Yeah.’ I don’t think it is [a problem for] this team because of their maturity and how they’ve kind of come along.

“I think when the lights come on it’s going to be different for each kid. Hopefully they’re both prepared and they accept the challenge.”

Pease said Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel both deserve the opportunity to play in the first game because of how hard they have practiced throughout the offseason and the level of improvement that each has shown over the last few months.

“They have both really done a good job in how they’ve handled the situation and how they progressed,” he said. “I think it would be hard to name a starter right now because what would you be telling the other kid? If they had separated from each other, yeah, but they both have really made major progress and they both have really done good things. We got a situation in a game where we can play them. There’s been situations in college football and even in the NFL where both guys have played.”

Driskel, who of course wants the starting job all to himself just like Brissett does, explained that there is not much more he or his teammate can ask for then a fair shot to compete for the full-time job.

“I thought they were going to name a starter,” he said, “but I knew it was going to be difficult for them, and I wouldn’t want to be the guy to have to pick between us two because, like I said, we’ve both been performing so well.

“Obviously I’d like to play the first but that doesn’t matter. We’re both going to play and we’re both going to try to do the same thing. We’re on the same team, so I’ll be cheering for him and he’ll be cheering for me.”

Driskel added, “Ever since the spring, [a fair shot is] what we’ve both wanted and that’s what we’ve both got. We both took advantage of our opportunity and this Saturday is just one more chance.”

Read the rest of this story…after the break!
Continue Reading » Split unusual but quarterbacks will get fair shot

Tags: Brent Pease, Jacoby Brissett, Jeff Driskel, Jessamen Dunker, Mack Brown, Skyler Mornhinweg, Tyler Murphy, Will Muschamp