Davis is a three-star prospect in the 247sports composite rankings but looks much better than his number 500 overall ranking.
He’s a versatile defensive back with good size, great play recognition, natural instincts, solid ball skills, and he’s a fierce hitter who doesn’t shy away from contact.
He uses his hands well in man-press and has good hips in coverage.
The Gators have led for sometime for him though he was still considering the hometown Hurricanes, his other finalist.
His commitment makes sixteen total so far for the Gators in the 2017 recruiting cycle and is the fifth in the month of August.
He joins Marco Wilson and Elijah Blades in what will ultimately be a large defensive back class for the Gators.
With three defensive tackles in the fold including high school senior Jordan Scott and JUCO Javier Edwards, the Gators are likely done at the position this cycle.
August continues to be a big month for the Florida Gators on the recruiting trail. Friday morning they picked up another huge commitment, literally, from massive New Jersey defensive tackle Fred Hansard.
With the now familiar Gator commitment bat signal head coach Jim McElwain announced it on Twitter.
Hansard made his commitment in a Bleacher Report video posted via Twitter. In the video, he hails a cab in New York City and makes the trip through the tunnel across the river where he stops the cab. He gets out, turns around with the Big Apple in the background, gives a “Go Gators” and flashes his Gator gloves.
Hansard (6-4 310) from the Hun School in Princeton, NJ chose the Gators over the over his other two finalists Rutger, the home state school, and Tennessee.
He is a composite four star recruit, the 11th ranked defensive tackle nationally and #201 overall according to the 247sports composite rankings.
The third defensive tackle in this class, Hansard brings a good combination of size and ahleticism as a three technique DT who is versatile enough to move around along the line.
A big bodied guy with a compact frame who absolutely blows up offensive lineman, he has great quickness off the ball and can run down the line.
He is strong at the point of attack and plays with good technique and pad level but that quick first step is unusual for a guy his size and should continue a long line of great Gator defensive tackles.
He is the Gators 15th commitment for this cycle and likely not the last for today as long time Gator lean CB Shawn Davis is scheduled to make his choice known this evening.
Confirming rumors that had been swirling around Florida Gators message boards, the school announced on Monday that redshirt junior linebacker Matt Rolin is no longer with the team.
Matt Rolin is no longer with our team. Coach McElwain will address it at his press conference later today.
Rolin, out of Ashburn, VA, was a late addition to the Florida Gators 2013 top five recruiting class after flipping his commitment from South Carolina.
Considered a four star recruit by most major services, Rolin was sidelined almost his entire career due to injuries and was never able to flash the talent that made him an Under Armor All American in high school.
He played in only three games in his Gators career all last season and had 11 career tackles.
Rolin came to UF rehabbing a torn ACL suffered his senior year of high school and suffered a second shortly into fall camp of his freshman year.
Despite being declared fully recovered from his injuries by head coach Jim McElwain last season, he never seemed to be the player he was expected to be and couldn’t crack the depth chart.
Some speculation was that he just had lost his desire for the game or that the injuries had made him too tentative.
Regardless, it appears his college career is over.
It’s unclear whether he plans to transfer and attempt to pick up elsewhere or if he’s just quitting football altogether but remaining at Florida to pick up his degree.
We’ll know more later this afternoon when coach Mac addresses the media for his Monday media session.
His departure leaves the Gators linebacker corps terribly thin on depth and experience with only three players that have taken a college snap: Jarrad Davis, Daniel McMillian, and Alex Anzalone.
All three were members of the same highly touted 2013 linebacker class for the Gators.
Behind them are converted safety and redshirt freshman Kylan Johnson as well as true freshmen David Reese, Jeremiah Moon, and Vosean Joseph.
The Florida Gators continued their string of recruiting commitments on Saturday as Millbrook (AL) tight end Zechariah Byrd gave his verbal pledge to head coach Jim McElwain and company.
Byrd becomes the second tight end in this Gators class along with Miami (FL) TE Kemore Gamble.
At 6-6 243, Byrd is a huge target with a long, lean frame. And he’s not done growing yet pushing 6-7 according to his high school coach. He has a solid frame to pack on muscle and more weight by the time he gets to campus.
More of a basketball player before high school, he’s worked hard to bulk up and refine his skills and it has paid off.
“In the ninth grade, I told him you’ve got this great length,” high school head coach Jeff Foshee was quoted in an AL.com story by Drew Champlin. “You can’t coach that. I don’t know how much he believed me. Nothing’s been given to him, but he’s stepped his game up once he figured out this was going to work for him.”
“He’s figured out that, now, No. 1, I’m a football player,” Foshee added. “He was thinking basketball, which is fine and they can play anything they want, but he’s now getting a lot of attention as a football player.”
Besides being a huge target, Byrd is athletic, has great hands, and is a devastating blocker out on the edge and in the open field.
The Gators were looking to take two tight ends in this class and they honed in on Byrd this spring after taking Gamble’s commitment.
Byrd picked the Gators over the home state Crimson Tide, Michigan, and others.
The Gators have been on a little run of late picking up their fourth commitment since their Friday Night Lights camp a couple weeks ago.
He’s also the Gators fourteenth commitment overall in the 2017 cycle.
The curious case of Florida Gator star wide receiver Antonio Callaway’s very private suspension has taken a nasty, public turn one day after he was welcomed back to practice for the first time since the end of last season.
A report by Paula Lavigne and Mark Schlabach on ESPN.com on Friday dropped a big bombshell revealing the nature of the original allegations and a nasty turn in the case that many thought was nearing a resolution.
First, lets reveal the backstory.
Callaway was quietly suspended less than a month after the Gators season-ending bowl loss.
Curiously the suspension wasn’t publicly announced until shortly before spring practice for reasons unknown.
At that time little was revealed except for a brief statement by head coach Jim McElwain that Callaway and former Gator quarterback Treon Harris were indefinitely suspended by the university from all team activities and would not participate in spring practice due to a potential student code of conduct violation. They were also suspended from attending classes on campus although they were permitted to finish up classes on line.
Harris, of course, has since transferred out.
At the time all coach McElwain would reveal was that the allegation was tied to “an incident which supposedly occurred in early December 2015.”
Throughout the spring and summer, fans and media alike had speculated what the alleged violation might be as well as the possible length of his suspension and any potential further sanctions.
One prominent Gator blogger even speculated it was a simple noise violation, a story which was later recanted.
When prominent Gainesville attorney Huntley Johnson, who has represented numerous Gator athletes over the years, was retained as Callaway’s attorney, he released a statement basically calling into question the merit of the allegations and suspension.
“At this time, the University of Florida has not presented to Mr. Callaway or [his counsel] any evidence relating to Mr. Callaway’s suspension,” the statement read. “Be that as it may, the law firm of Johnson & Osteryoung has conducted its own investigation as to the allegation that is the basis for the suspension. There is no good reason why this investigation has not been closed. This allegation has no merit.”
As a result, many thought the case would be settled in his favor and he would be reinstated in short order.
In June, Huntley announced that Callaway, while still suspended from the team, was cleared by the school to return to classes on-campus and to use team facilities.
On Wednesday on the eve of fall camp coach Mac said Callaway was still suspended but able to practice.
“There hasn’t been any change in the status [of Callaway],” McElwain said. “He’ll be practicing. Like I said, he’s back with the team from that standpoint. Nothing from a status standpoint has changed and there isn’t a time frame on that.”
It appeared, however, that a conclusion to the case was near.
Then came the bombshell.
Apparently the suspension is due to an ongoing university investigation into allegations by a university coed against Callaway and Harris accusing them of sexual assault.
And to make matters worse, the complainant’s attorney John Clune in a letter to UF deputy general counsel Amy Hass has alleged bias by the university in the selection of a hearing officer to adjudicate Callaway’s student conduct code hearing.
“This has been a difficult decision but as I previously indicated to you, the fact that UF has hired a football booster to adjudicate a sexual assault allegation against one of the team’s own football players is a fundamentally skewed process in which [the complainant] refuses to participate,” the letter read according to the ESPN report.
“To be clear, [the complainant] remains very willing to participate in a fair and unbiased disciplinary process. Mr. Calloway’s behavior has had a great impact on her life and continuing as a student at UF is of great importance to her and her future.”
The booster is Jacksonville attorney Jake Schickel a UF grad and a former trustee of the UF College of Law.
He is a financial contributor to both football and basketball booster programs associated with the university.
“UF should never have asked him [Scheckel] to serve as an objective reviewer and decision-maker on this matter when the claim has been brought against a star member of the very team for which both he and his law partners have provided considerable financial support,” the letter said.
“Quite frankly, short of finding a relative of Mr. Calloway, I’m not sure how UF could have found someone with more conflicts [than] Mr. Schickel.”
As a result, the complainant has chosen not to participate in the student code of conduct proceedings which are scheduled for Friday according to the report.
This leaves UF in a precarious position and its unsure if they’ll be able proceed with the hearing without the complainant’s direct testimony.
But most assuredly it paints the university in a bad light at a time when the NCAA is reeling from multiple allegations of schools mishandling or downright covering up sexual assault allegations against prominent athletes.
Callaway’s attorney Huntley Johnson released a statement on Friday which accuses the complainant’s attorney of intimidation.
“We have read what the complainant’ s attorney has released to the press,” the statement reads. “We consider his actions inappropriate and an attempt at intimidation. Since the complainant’s attorney has chosen to go to the press in this matter, we assume that he will be releasing the hundreds of pages that made up the University of Florida’s investigation. We assume that he will be releasing the sworn affidavits in this case. We assume that he will be releasing the complainant’s text messages in the investigation. We assume that he will be releasing the complainant’s multitude of varying and conflicting stories.”
The university offered a brief response to the allegations by Clune according to Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times.
“The University of Florida is prohibited to comment on the existence or substance of student disciplinary matters under state and federal law.”
“However, I can tell you that our student conduct process may be handled by a hearing officer, who could be a university employee or an outside professional, or by a committee of faculty and students.”
“Any hearing officer and all committee members are trained and vetted for their impartiality. A hearing officer or committee member would not be disqualified or lack objectivity simply because he or she had been a student athlete decades earlier or purchases athletic tickets as more than 90,000 people do each year.”
Where does this leave Callaway and his suspension?
In the late 70’s, Leonard Nimoy, Spock from the original Star Trek tv series, hosted a quasi-sci-fi tv series called In Search Of.
Today, as fall camp has already begun for the Florida Gators in preparation for the 2016 football season, head coach Jim McElwain and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier could host an episode of their own as they go in search of a solution to last season’s offensive troubles.
By now everyone is fully aware of how the Gators offense tanked after Will Grier’s suspension.
To anyone that watched last season’s offensive debacle there was certainly a stark contrast between the play of Grier and that of his successor Treon Harris.
However, both players have since transferred out leaving Luke Del Rio, who transferred in before last season, to compete with grad transfer Austin Appleby for the starting quarterback job this season.
What will it take to improve on last season’s putrid 111th (out of 127 teams) ranking in total offense?
With that in mind coach Mac was asked in his media session on Wednesday what a successful offense looks like to him.
“I look at it as efficiency in staying on the field,” he replied. “Obviously being successful keeping your defense off the field by not only prolonging series, but you know, the three-and-outs thing just kills you, all right.”
“And ultimately, the production of points, when you’re down inside that score area, is something that to me kind of defines it.”
With that being said let’s look at a couple areas on offense that must improve if the Gators have any shot of defending their SEC East title this season and why they should be improved.
Third Down
Last season, the Gators finished 95th nationally in third down conversion percentage. They converted a mere 36.4 percent (75 of 206) of their third down opportunities.
This means that they failed to convert on almost two-thirds of their third down chances.
That’s not just bad, it’s putrid.
Tough to have any kind of consistency when you can’t keep your offense on the field.
Not to mention the pressure it puts on your defense.
If third down is money down then offensively the Gators went belly up.
Broke.
Insufficient funds.
Bankrupt.
Destitute.
You get the point.
They have got to be better on third down.
Period.
What will it take for them to be more successful on third down?
Better offensive line play…
The Gators started three true freshman last season and only had one returning player who had ever played a down at Florida when the season began. Behind them were more freshman and ineligible transfers.
I’ve been following Gator football since 1977, and I can’t remember a more inexperienced offensive line than what they started the season with last year.
Not exactly a prescription for offensive success for a first year head coach.
Manufacturing ten wins and a division title was pure wizardry. And, of course, a little luck.
Surprisingly, the young line actually played fairly well overall last season. There were some clean pockets and running lanes but the line play was simply too inconsistent. A lot of that can be attributed to poor communication.
Particularly on third down.
Blitzes, stunts, and other tricks can be difficult for young, inexperienced players to recognize and execute properly against.
They saw a lot of that on third down last season.
The good news?
They gained a ton of valuable experience after having everything thrown at them including the kitchen sink.
While it might be foolish to expect this line to improve by leaps and bounds, we can surely expect improvement.
And after watching the two end of season losses to Bama and FSU repeatedly over the summer, I can assure you, minor improvements in technique and recognition should pay off big dividends this season.
“I would challenge us to be dramatically better [offensively],” McElwain said. “Now, are we going to get to where we are eventually going to be in the program? No.”
“But with that being said, I think the experience we developed up front is going to be very helpful. And I’m going to challenge those guys to help us get a little better.”
“But you know, I see it drastically much better in operations… or at least winning half a battle up front, right.”
After one practice, it was already obvious to the staff that the line is farther ahead this year than last.
“In a practice like this the one thing I could tell was they [offensive line] were set into the right place in pass protection and they weren’t just sitting there, they were actually talking to each other,” McElwain said. “Which tells me they were communicating at least based off the Mike point, where their combination blocks were going. So I’d say in that case, those guys are ahead of, obviously, where they were a year ago.”
Better quarterback play…
As important as improved line play is, perhaps even more important might be improved play from the quarterback position.
While Grier had his ups and downs, Harris was outright terrible on third down.
Where do we begin?
Batted down passes, poor throws, missed reads, happy feet, etc…
Good news for Gator fans is that all of the Gator quarterbacks this season are 6-1 or taller meaning there will likely be less batted down screen passes, a staple of this offensive system.
I believe both Del Rio and Appleby are a huge step up from Treon and Grier.
Del Rio has experience in the system, is a coaches son which provides a level of intuition others may not have, and he is smart and poised in the pocket.
“I think the big thing there has more to do with growing up around the game,” McElwain said about Luke being a coach’s son. “And you know what, probably seeing it from a little bit different perspective; I think understanding how you can help your team win, sometimes by throwing the ball away and allowing your defense to be successful.”
“You know, there’s certain things in playing the position, I think that help. I think the fact that he grew up around it, is something that obviously helps him.”
Appleby is an experienced game day college quarterback. While his career stats are nothing to write home about, it’s hard to discount the effect of having significant game experience in the pocket particularly considering he’s surrounded by far better skill talent than he had at Purdue.
Together the two combined to go 19-23 for 256 yards and a couple td’s in the spring game.
While it was only a spring scrimmage, it is important to note that the quarterbacks were finding and hitting the open receivers, something the Gators qb’s struggled to do consistently last season.
“He (Del Rio) did a good job letting the game come to him,” Florida’s second-year coach Jim McElwain said after the spring game adding “it’s amazing what happens when you throw it to the open guy. You get a pretty good stat line.”
Red Zone
As bad as the Gators offense was on third down, they were even worse in the red zone where they finished 124th out of 127 FBS teams.
They scored on only 34 of 51 red zone trips (66.7%) which means they failed to score on a third of their trips inside the red zone.
That’s unacceptable.
The issues for Florida in the red zone were very similar to their issues on third down. Poor quarterback play and inconsistency along the offensive line.
All too often when they got down into scoring position breakdowns at those two spots doomed them.
Kicking woes…
However, an even bigger issue reared its head down in the red zone: poor place kicking.
When I say poor place kicking, I really mean horrid place kicking.
Have I already used the word putrid?
Out of those 51 red zone opportunities the Gators came away with 5 field goals.
Count em.
1…2…3…4…5 field goals.
Over the course of an entire season.
There are kickers that kick 5 in a game.
The Gators could only manage 5 the whole season.
When a team gets into the red zone which is inside the opponents 20 yard line, a field goal should be almost automatic.
Starting kicker Austin Hardin was 5-14 from all distances overall an unheard of 35.7%. That has to be some kind of modern era Gator record for kicking futility.
It led to coach McElwain taking chances by electing to go for it on 4th down in the red zone which mostly led to turnovers on downs.
Driving deep into an opponent’s territory without coming away with points is demoralizing for your offense but even more so for your defense.
The good news?
Hardin is gone (transferred out) and in his place is JUCO transfer Eddie Piniero who became an Internet sensation with viral videos of him kicking 77 yard field goals.
Despite being already committed to Bama, Piniero flipped his commitment to and eventually signed with the Gators after a whirlwind courtship by coach Mac.
He brought Piniero in on an official visit and stressed both the Gators need for a top flight kicker and the location being close to home so his family could see him play.
The power play by McElwain worked as Piniero flipped his commitment shortly after his visit to UF.
Will he be kicking 70+ yard field goals for the Gators?
Not likely.
However, he should be automatic inside of 40 yards and high percentage inside of 55.
That’s all they want, that’s all they need.
Consistency is the key to changing their red zone fortunes this season and Piniero along with returning backup Jorge Powell (2-3 last season) should provide that.
Which should be a huge boost towards moving the Gators up from #100 in scoring last season.
The long college football off-season for the Florida Gators is finally over as fall camp is finally upon us.
For long-suffering Gator fans, fall camp presents a catharsis of sorts. The bitter three-game losing streak to end the season is but a distant memory and hope is renewed once again.
The off-season brought a lot of changes for the Gator football team. Some good, some bad.
Gone is defensive backs coach Kirk Callahan with former Virginia Tech DB coach Torrian Gray hired to replace him.
Gray is well respected not only on the recruiting trail where his presence has already begun to pay dividends but also on the field where he has coached numerous All Anericans and NFL draft picks.
He inherits perhaps the best starting corner combo in the country in Jalen Tabor and Quincy Wilson, and along with starting free safety Marcus Maye, the Gators secondary could once again be among the nation’s best.
Juniors Duke Dawson, who followed up a great camp with an outstanding spring game, and Nick Washington round out the first team rotation while sophomore Chris Williamson and true freshman Chauncey Gardner provide depth.
Gardner is a speedy, big hitting free spirit who can lineup in multiple spots and was a fan favorite in the last recruiting class. He enrolled early and had a solid spring. He’ll be a fun player for fans to watch.
Gone also from last year’s team are both starting quarterbacks.
Will Grier, of course, got suspended mid-season for a positive test for PED’s and subsequently left the team when head coach Jim McElwain refused to guarantee him a starting spot upon his return. He has since transferred to West Virginia.
Treon Harris, who became the starter after Grier was suspended, sat out all offseason due to a university investigation and recently decided to transfer out.
After being ineffective as Grier’s replacement it was obvious he would not return as a quarterback and the decision to transfer was probably in his and the team’s best interest.
The announced move to wide receiver would likely have left him on the bench for his career and as such would only take up a precious scholarship.
To replace them, coach Mac brought in two true freshman and a graduate transfer to compete with Luke Del Rio, who sat out last season after transferring from Oregon.
Of all the position battles in fall camp, this one will capture the most attention from fans and media alike.
Of course, everyone including new Gator Ambassador Steve Spurrier, believe that Del Rio has already been annointed as the starter after going 11-12 for 176 yards with two td’s and looking all-world in the spring game.
“He (Del Rio) did a good job letting the game come to him,” Florida’s second-year coach Jim McElwain said after the spring game adding “it’s amazing what happens when you throw it to the open guy. You get a pretty good stat line.”
His spring game performance should certainly give him a leg up on the starting job but don’t discount Austin Appleby, the grad transfer from Purdue. He played well in the spring game as well going 8-11 for 80 yards, but just didn’t seem as poised in the pocket as Del Rio.
That’s not surprising with Del Rio having a full year to digest the playbook and Appleby only a few weeks.
Coming into the spring game, however, Del Rio had done little to differentiate himself from the others making his spring game performance somewhat of a surprise. Gametime, however, he seemed to put it together and ran the system as it’s designed.
“[the coaches] do a great job of installing plays, and putting guys open for us,” Del Rio said in the post-game. “So I just kind of let the o-line do what they do. Let the wide receivers do what they do and I just went through the progressions. It’s easier that way. The coaches are right, ‘Run the offense. It works.’ “
For fans and media who have dissected play after play from last season’s Gator offense, that’s very promising. Last season’s offensive failings weren’t a function of guys not getting open, it was a quarterback who was unable to stay in the pocket, go through his progressions, or hit open, sometimes wide-open, receivers.
Hopefully between Del Rio and Appleby, the Gator offense can return to what it looked like against Ole Miss rather than the way it finished the season.
Behind them are true freshmen Kyle Trask and Feleipe Franks both of whom enrolled early and were able to take part in spring practice.
Frank’s came in with the pedigree after being an Elite 11 finalist, but it was Trask, the career high school backup, who appeared more polished in the spring.
Not that it matters much. Barring unforeseen injury to either Del Rio or Appleby, both will likely redshirt this season.
Also gone from last season’s Gator offense is starting running back and 1,000 yard rusher Kelvin Taylor who graduated on to the NFL.
Taylor was a bell cow for the Gators last season getting the tough yards, playing big in big games, and keeping defenses honest without much push from a young offensive line.
The good news for Gator fans is the running back corps this season should be better top to bottom and might be the deepest in the conference.
Returning at running back are Jordan Cronkrite and Jordan Scarlett who combined for 338 yards as true freshman.
While they played like true freshman for the most part, they’ve now got a year of learning behind Taylor under their belt. And with another offseason to dive into the playbook they should play much faster this season which should allow their natural abilities to come out.
Newcomers are junior college transfer Mark Thompson and true freshman Lamical Perine.
Barring backfield injuries, Perine will likely redshirt, but Thompson could very well be a star.
He’s the big back that Gator fans have been craving for some time. Listed at 6-2 242, Thompson has the size to run over people but surprisingly has the moves to leave defenders face down in the dirt.
The Gators backfield is stacked and the biggest problem for them might be finding enough touches for everyone.
While the Gators appear to be improved at quarterback and running back, the question remains how improved they will be along the offensive line and can they find some depth in camp.
Gone are Trip Thurman, who played every position on the line at one point in his career, and graduate transfer Mason Halter who was serviceable at best for the Gators.
The good news is the Gators played three true freshman extensively last season and some other backups got valuable experience.
Fourth year junior Cam Dillard returns at center hoping to nail down the starting spot something he has been unable to do in the past.
Antonio Riles, Tyler Jordan, former five star recruit Martez Ivey, David Sharpe, and Fred Johnson round out the main rotation.
Behind them is a bunch of inexperience.
One of the bigger camp battles will be to see who can step up and secure a spot in the rotation.
The main group is solid, perhaps still a year away from being dominant, but can they play more consistent than last season? If injuries arise can they find a some capable backups who can step in without a significant drop off?
Inquiring minds want to know.
The coaches need to know.
While not being sexy, the battle for playing time on the offensive line could possibly be the most important of fall camp for the Gators.
At linebacker, the Gators lost three year starter Antonio Morrison, the heart and soul of the corps the last few seasons. He graduated and has moved on to the NFL.
The Gators return Jarrad Davis, who considered leaving early after his junior season but the end-of-season tanking by the Gators left a foul taste in his mouth and pushed him to return for one more go at it.
Davis very well could be the best linebacker in the conference and will likely push for national post-season honors.
Alongside Davis, junior Alex Anzalone returns from a shoulder injury and replaces the departed Morrison.
Anzalone is a former five star recruit out of high school and was playing at a high level before the season-ending injury last year. He’s agile, plays fast and physical, has great natural instincts, and is a sure tackler.
Junior Matt Rolin also returns hoping to salvage a promising career that, like Anzalone, has been hampered by injuries which started before he ever arrived in Gainesville.
Could this finally be the year that senior Daniel McMillian finally puts it all together? Let’s hope so. He was a big time high school recruit who just hasn’t lived up to his billing since he arrived in Gainesville.
One newcomer that fans should pay close attention to is converted safety Kylan Johnson. The redshirt freshman has bulked up nicely (6-2 228) to make the transition from safety to linebacker. He’s a big hitter, with good speed and solid cover skills. He looked good in spring practices and followed it up with 8 tackles and a pick in the spring game.
Another newcomer to watch is true freshman David Reese. At 6-0 239 pounds, he comes in with an SEC-ready physique and should push for playing time this season. How much playing time will likely be determined by how well he picks up the playbook.
If Anzalone and Rolin stay healthy, McMillian steps up, and these newcomers provide effective depth this unit could turn out to be among the SEC’s best.
Two of the biggest losses for the Gators in the offseason were defensive tackle Jon Bullard and defensive end Alex McCalister.
They will surely miss Bullard’s presence in the middle. He was stout against the run and gave the Gators a great push up the middle in passing situations.
McCalister’s outside pass rush will be sorely missed as well. The Gators had difficulty getting to the quarterback after McCalister’s late season issues forced him out of the lineup.
The good news is that this unit, despite lacking some star power of past years, might be the deepest on the team.
CeCe Jefferson, Bryan Cox Jr., and Jordan Sherit return on the outside while Caleb Brantley, Joey Ivie, Taven Bryan, and Khairi Clark return to man the tackle spots. Youngsters Jabari Zuniga, Keivonnis Davis, and Luke Ancrum should provide depth.
They’ll move CeCe inside/out this season trying to take advantage of his strength and quickness to get into the backfield and put pressure on the quarterback from different angles.
One of the more fascinating newcomers to watch in fall camp is true freshman defensive end Antonneus Clayton. The talented pass rusher went under the radar for most of his recruitment but really blew up after a dominating performance during Under Armor All American practices.
“It makes me feel that… I was right all along,” Clayton was quoted by Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel after a standout performance in the UA All American game.”All these guys came in doubting me like I didn’t play against any competition in high school. They thought I was going to get [exposed] here.”
“You look at me now and I’m beating like these five-star O-linemen, showing out for Florida … I beat a lot of those five-star O-linemen, yeah.”
He’s bulked up to around 240 which is still a little light to be an every down player in the SEC but his speed, strength, and athleticism should get him in on passing downs as the Gators look for an effective pass rush.
“I feel myself coming in a taking over for Alex McCalister’s spot,” Clayton said. “Kind of a rush end, dropping back in coverage, coming off the edge. That’s how I see myself, coming in and spot filling in.”
Where the pass rush will come from will certainly be one of the bigger questions for the Gators as they begin fall camp.
If they can find a way to get to the quarterback the line has the talent and depth to once again be one of the top units in the conference.
Back to the offense, the Gators lost their top two pass catchers from last season in receiver Demarcus Robinson and tight end Jake McGee who combined for 88 catches for 901 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Nonetheless, the Gators may very well be improved in this department this season.
Back at receiver are Antonio Callaway, Brandon Powell, Ahmad Fulwood, Chris Thompson, and C.J. Worton. Alvin Bailey transferred out in the offseason.
Of this group, Callaway and Powell are proven, Fulwood and Thompson are serviceable while Worton remains the wild card.
An immensely talented receiver with great hands and athletic ability, Worton could be poised for a breakout season if he can get it together between the ears and practice more consistently.
While the Gators return some talent at receiver, the big talk in the offseason was the newcomers.
JUCO transfer Dre Massey was likely the top JUCO receiver in the country. He’s a speed demon who makes acrobatic catches and can make people miss in the open field something the Gators are sorely in need of.
As good as he is, however, true freshman Tyrie Cleveland might be better.
A five star recruit, he has all the tools with size, speed, great hands and athleticism. He’s physical off the line, aggressive when the balls in the air, and he’s the deep threat the Gators offense has been missing for years. And despite not having the advantage of spring practice he could still make his way into the rotation if he can pick up the playbook.
All eyes will be on him as camp begins.
Two other true freshman who could possibly work their way into the rotation are Freddie Swain and Joshua “Hot Sauce” Hammond.
Both are long receivers with good ball skills and are smooth route runners. While they both were enrolled for spring ball they played like freshman for the most part as expected.
It will be interesting to see how they perform in camp and if they can step into the rotation or take a redshirt.
At tight end, C’Yontai Lewis and DeAndre Goolsby return and could very well have breakout seasons also.
Both players are athletic mismatches with solid hands and they could put up great numbers in a system that seeks to utilize the tight ends extensively in the passing game.
Finally, of all the changes the Gators have undergone in the offseason, the biggest by far was the signing of junior college kicking sensation Eddie Piniero.
After the worst kicking performance I’ve seen in Gainesville in the 39 years I’ve been following Gator football, coach Mac made finding a kicker a top priority and went out and flipped the nation’s top recruit from Alabama.
Before committing to the Gators, Piniero was already an Internet sensation with Vines showing him kicking 70+ yard field goals.
When he flipped to the Gators, it almost broke the Internet. He’s likely the most celebrated signee since Emmitt Smith.
Predictably, former starting kicker Austin Hardin transferred out in the offseason.
It’s been a long but certainly very interesting offseason for the Gators with changes throughout the roster. Improvements abound and fans are hoping they can build on an SEC East title and championship game appearance in coach Mac’s first season.
On the eve of fall camp excitement abounds for fans, players, coaches, and media alike.
The Florida Gators pick up another big commitment on Monday evening when four star cornerback Marco Wilson made his pledge on his father’s radio show Gridiron Studs.
Wilson, the younger brother of Gator starting cornerback Quincy Wilson, picked the Gators over Georgia, FSU, Ohio State, and Miami.
He is a 247sports composite four star ranked #214 overall and he becomes the Gators 13th commitment in the 2017 cycle.
A natural corner with length, Wilson is an elite defensive back recruit with good hips, great speed, and excellent ball skills. He’s an aggressive cover corner who excels in man coverage and is a solid tackler.
His 4.42 40 yard dash time at The Opening was one of the fastest times at the event.
His Sparq rating of 122.28 was good for 28th overall and in drills he more than held his own using his speed and natural athleticism to prove that he is indeed one of the top football players in the nation.
His pledge moves the Gators up to #15 overall in the 247sports team recruiting rankings.
As an interesting side note, shortly after his commitment, he became the first recruit to be retweeted by head coach Jim McElwain under new NCAA rules which allow coaches to do so.
Well, if you don’t recognize the hashtag you’re probably not an active member of Gator Twitter.
No worries however.
So what is #MarcoMonday?
Well in simple terms, it’s Monday and it’s the day that Ft. Lauderdale (FL) American Heritage cornerback Marco Wilson will announce his college commitment.
I will be committing live on the GridironStuds show at 8pm Monday night 8/1/16 🐶,🐊,🙌🏾,⭕️,🗡 pic.twitter.com/0UhDZQLCoD
Wilson is a considered a four star recruit on the 247sports composite ranking system and is the 214th ranked recruit overall.
He’s also the younger brother of Gator cornerback Quincy Wilson who along with Jalen Tabor may very well be the best cornerback tandem in the SEC and in the country.
He is, however, a fantastic defensive back in his own right.
An invitee to the prestigious Nike sponsored camp The Opening, Wilson ran a 4.42 40 yard dash and proved he was among the best high school recruits in the nation.
He’s also quite acrobatic as this viral video of him making a one-handed catch while doing a backflip attests.
He’s a naturally gifted athlete with solid cover skills and good hands and projects well in college at multiple positions in the defensive backfield.
His father Chad Wilson played at Miami and they are one of his five finalists along with Florida, Southern Cal, Ohio State, and Georgia.
Many recruiting analysts believe it’s a Florida-Miami battle in the end with the Gators holding the edge.
The Gators are confident that they land this big time defensive back tonight but you can checkout Gridiron Studs yourself to find out where he commits tonight at 8 pm eastern time.
With Tabor most likely leaving after this season for the NFL and brother Quincy possibly leaving early as well, the Gators are expected to sign a large DB class this cycle and expect Marco to climb aboard the Gator train tonight.
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