Tweets of the Week 5/5-5/12

2013-05-13T17:11:00-05:00

In the newest edition of Tweets of the week, Gator Country tracked the pulse of Gator Nation on social media. As the week led up to Mother's Day, there is a certain theme to many of the tweets sent out this week. Everyone has a mother and they deserve to be thanked and appreciated every single day.

If you missed Mother's Day, be sure to give your mom a call, text, e-mail, telegram, smoke signal or a message through morse code. Just make sure you let that special woman in your life know that you appreciate everything she has done for you and that you love her.

Chris Leak to join coaching staff

2013-05-13T16:58:00-05:00

Chris Leak is already etched into Gator fan's hearts as one of the best quarterbacks to ever put on the Orange and Blue. According to Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post, Leak will now have an opportunity to extend his Gator legacy as he will join Will Muschamp's coaching staff as a quality control coach.

Leak threw one the nicest footballs in the game as he led the Gators to a National Championship during the 2006 season. Since departing from Gainesville, Leak bounced around from the NFL, CFL and was most recently the quarterback for the Orlando Predators arena football team last season.

The nutritious Florida diet

2013-05-10T00:08:00-05:00

GatorCountry.com got a chance to go back to school today as we got an inside peek into the nutrition side of the Gator athletic programs. Florida is one of only six universities in NCAA athletics to have two full time dietitians on staff.

Today, we met with sports nutrition director Sarah Snyder who provides the Gator athletes with everything they need to be in top physical condition. Sarah came to Florida after helping train some of the nation's top draft prospects and athletes for the the past couple years. Just like when we were kids, Sarah is the mom to the Gator athletes making sure they are always consuming their veggies and proteins at every meal.

Phillips makes an early impression

2013-05-09T16:21:00-05:00

After three very frustrating years as the head coach at Kentucky, Joker Phillips is enjoying being part of the supporting cast. That was evident as he spoke to Gator fans at the Palm Beach Count Gator Gathering last Tuesday.

Phillips took the stage and quickly shed his suit jacket, saying he felt like a basketball coach who had just received a technical foul. He was entertaining and energetic as he led the crowd through cadence drills (let’s hope the team is better with the cadence than the crowd was) and he even shared one of his fears with us when he was presented with the opportunity to hold a live alligator for a photo op.

“Oh, Sh--!” Phillips yelled. “You got the wrong guy. When was the last time he ate something?” I guess Will the alligator won't #ComePlayWRForTheJoker anytime soon.

In college football, winning is everything. It allows coaches to a certain leeway with a fan base and let’s them be more personable with the fans and media. But when you go 13-24 (4-20 SEC), the fans don’t really want to hear your jokes.

Muschamp speaks in Orlando

2013-05-09T02:22:00-05:00

Continuing his summer speaking tour, Will Muschamp was in Orlando tonight to speak with the Central Florida Gator Club. Florida’s head coach was engaging, funny and entertaining in front of a very large and enthusiastic crowd.

In typical Muschamp fashion, the head coach opened the night with a 29-minute speech, where it could be debated whether he even took a breath in between words. He touched on every single position on the team; singling players out for their work ethic and answered questions from the crowd of more than 500 Gator fans.

The media got a chance to meet with Muschamp before the event began. Here are the highlights from our chat with Coach Muschamp.

Pease speaks to Panhandle Club

2013-05-08T21:39:00-05:00

Will Muschamp and his assistants are not only on the road recruiting, but also speaking at several Gator Clubs around the state.

On Tuesday night, offensive coordinator Brent Pease was at the Panhandle Gator Club where he talked about several topics.

A swig of Jack Daniels

2013-05-08T15:30:00-05:00

The name Jack Daniel’s rings a familiar tone with Tennessee whiskey drinkers. Deep in the heart of Lynchburg, Tennessee lies one of my favorite distilleries. A glass of Tennessee whiskey on the rocks is a great way to end the night.

However, he isn’t the Jack Daniel’s that recently made the news. Instead, it was Dwyer High School (West Palm Beach, FL) head football coach Jack Daniels that made the news in an attack on Will Muschamp and the Florida Gators program.

In an article from local ESPN 106.3 article from local ESPN 106.3, Daniels’ told staff writer Ken LaVicka, “I didn’t think they were treated fairly,” regarding a trio of former Dwyer High School players which formerly attended the University of Florida. The trio Daniels’ is referring to are transfers; quarterback Jacoby Brissett (North Carolina State), tight end Gerald Christian (Louisville) and wide receiver Robert Clark (Louisville).

Palm Beach Gator Club Event

2013-05-08T13:15:00-05:00

Joker Phillips met with the Palm Beach County Gator Club tonight in his first official speaking tour as a member of the Florida Gators coaching staff.

Phillips was candid, engaging and a very good speaker. He certainly is a proven coach who has coached a lot of good players and is excited about the players he has this season.

The highlight of the night might have been when the handler who was at the event with two live alligators, attempted to bring a 3-foot alligator up to the stage while Phillips was speaking for a photo op. We quickly found out that while he likes the Gators who wear orange and blue, he isn't fond of actual, live alligators.

"Make sure that door is locked," Phillips said as the handler put the alligator back in the cage. "When was the last time he ate?" he asked.

Wuerffel named to HOF

2013-05-07T18:42:00-05:00

Former Gator Great and 1996 Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2013 class.

Wuerffel joins players like fellow Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne (Wisconsin) , Tommy Frazier (Nebraska), Vinny Testaverde (Miami) Ted Brown (North Carolina State), Tedy Brushci (Arizona), Jerry Gray (Texas), Steve Meilinger (Kentucky), Orlando Pace (Ohio State), Rod Shoate (Oklahoma), Percy Snow (Michigan State) and Don Trull (Baylor).

Wuerffel was passed over in 2012; his first time on the ballot, but that doesn’t take anything away from the tremendous honor.

Tweets of the Week 4/29-5/4

2013-05-06T15:32:00-05:00

Another week passed which means another edition of Gator Tweets of the week. While social media has gotten people into trouble (google Will Hill Twitter to see what I mean) it is also a great way for fans to access to their favorite athletes.

This week we have coaches, a Miami Dolphins beat reporter, Gators in the NFL, basketball players and one Gator who thinks he might have picked the wrong sport.

Let’s dive in to tweets of the week for March 25-April 4.

Putting the “student” in Student Athlete

2013-05-05T15:26:00-05:00

Now, for most of us, the four years (or five for some) that we spent in college resembled some version of the movie Animal House. While you may have never found yourself on “double-secret probation” there was beer pong, pizza, ramen noodles, more beer pong, late nights and did I mention drinking?

Homework and studying were put off until the last minute and red bull or coffee became your best friend for the night as you burned the midnight oil in the library. Despite having to work harder than you ever had in your entire life, they don’t call college the best four years of your life for nothing; did we mention the beer pong yet?

Finally, years and years of hard work culminates into one afternoon.

Graduation day.

Putting on that funny looking hat, slipping on graduation robes and getting the chance to walk across that stage to be acknowledged for the greatest achievement you have accomplished up to that point in your life is a moment every college graduate will cherish forever.

New SEC Network announced

2013-05-02T16:50:00-05:00

The Southeastern Conference and ESPN Announce new TV Network and Digital Platform

20-Year Agreement and Rights Extension through 2034; AT&T U-verse Will Distribute the Network at Launch

The Southeastern Conference and ESPN have signed a 20-year agreement through 2034 to create and operate a multiplatform network, which will launch in August 2014, it was announced today by SEC Commissioner Mike Slive and ESPN President John Skipper. The new network and its accompanying digital platform will air SEC content 24/7 including more than 1,000 events in its first year.

Muschamp speaks at Gator Gathering

2013-05-02T00:32:00-05:00

Will Muschamp began his gauntlet of Gator gatherings Wednesday evening, by first talking with the Title Town Gator Club here in Gainesville.

Muschamp started off with some humor, as he talked about last year having to attend many of the summer alumni gatherings wearing a “bullet proof” vest. Here is a recap of what Muschamp said to the crowd that gathered Wednesday night.

Video Analysis: Antonio Riles

2013-05-01T15:23:00-05:00

The Florida Gators poached the state of Georgia for six commitments in the class of 2013. Of those six, only two were defensive players, linebacker Jarrad Davis and defensive end Antonio Riles. Both defensive players come in a bit under the radar, but at the same time have shown flashes of excellence and an ability to contribute at the University of Florida.

Antonio Riles committed to Florida over Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, South Carolina, and others in July on the day of Florida’s annual Friday Night Lights camp, although he was not in attendance.

The 6-foot-4, 262-pound defensive end is considered a bit of a “tweener”, as he has the size to play defensive end, but could grow into a defensive tackle. I will evaluate the tape on Riles, which has him playing defensive end, but will try to correlate his skill set to the defensive tackle position that I believe he will grow into.

GCTV: NFL Draft Recap

2013-04-30T20:30:00-05:00

The Florida Gators had the best NFL Draft since 2010 this year. Eight Gators were selected during the draft including a pair of first round picks.

Additionally, six more players were signed as undrafted free agents.

In this installment of GCTV: Nick de la Torre, Seth Puglio and Dan Thompson discuss the future prospects for the NFL-bound Florida Gators at their new homes.

The end of the BCS era

2013-04-30T18:21:00-05:00

If last season had taken place two years from now, the Gators would have been in competition for the 2015 National Title and played in one of the first ever NCAA division-I collegiate football semi-final matchups. Unfortunately, last year was 2012, and the lack luster performance in the Sugar Bowl couldn’t have inspired much hope. Regardless, I digress.

Beginning with the 2014-2015 college football season, the BCS era will come to a halt and we will direct our anger towards a newly designed bowl playoff system. While the new system is certainly an improvement, there will inevitably still be controversy and disgruntled fans of teams that are left out.

Before I go much further, let’s first take a look at some quick notes on the new system:

•The National Champion will be determined as a result of a four-team playoff.

GCTV: Tebow Discussion

2013-04-30T00:35:00-05:00

Tim Tebow was the face of the Florida Gator football program during his time in Gainesville.

Ever since winning the Heisman trophy, Tebow has been a highly discussed figure and role model.

After originally being drafted by the Denver Broncos, Tebow lead the Broncos to a playoff win before being traded to the New York Jets the following offseason.

A rough time in The Big Apple lead to Tebow's eventual release. In this video, Nick de la Torre, Seth Puglio and Dan Thompson discuss Tebow's time in New York as well as his future prospects.

Who is the Greatest Gator?

2013-04-29T13:30:01-05:00

In the 100-plus year history of University of Florida athletics, the Gators have had an incredible “who’s who” of Olympians, hall-of-famers, all-pros, and record holders.

The Gators have three Heisman trophy winners, 109 Olympic medals representing 116 different countries, and 256 National Titles (team and personal).

There oft a debate of whom the best Gator is in Florida athletic history. Between Emmitt Smith, Tim Tebow, Dara Torres, Brad Wilkerson and a host of others, the debate seems to be endless.

While I believe each one of them is important, when I look at the University of Florida athletic department and the success of the Florida Gators, I don’t think of an athlete – I think of current athletic director Jeremy Foley. I believe Foley is the greatest person in the history of Florida Gator athletics, here’s why.

Gator Tweets of the Week: Draft Special

2013-04-28T23:14:00-05:00

The Internet is an amazing place. Where else can a person go to find anything from sports scores to hilarious cat memes? Sites like YouTube have taught us how to dougie and Gangham Style while also launching the career of international superstar Justin Beiber.

Hey, Internet, seriously? You owe us one for that Beiber kid.

While nothing is without its faults, the Internet also gives us great social media sites like Twitter.

For decades the media was the only bridge between athletes and fans. A reporter would go and talk to a player or coach, clean up the interview and report what they heard to fans.

Jeff Choate joins the Gator staff

2013-04-28T19:32:00-05:00

On the surface, the hiring of Jeff Choate seemed to come out of left field. Choate didn’t have any ties to Will Muschamp and had just accepted a promotion to be the defensive coordinator at UTEP with his good friend, new head coach, Sean Kugler.

When coaches spend a long enough time doing one thing, as Choate had been coaching special teams for a long time, they can start to be stereotyped as just a coordinator. Being named a defensive coordinator was just the opportunity that Choate had been waiting for.

“I had an opportunity to number one, work with a guy that I have a tremendous amount of respect for and had a long-standing relationship with in Sean Kugler,” Choate said. “He gave me an opportunity to call the defense, which is something I wanted to do and I was excited about that and felt that we were making the strides that we needed to make to improve the program there at UTEP.”

Sturgis drafted by Miami Dolphins

2013-04-27T20:10:00-05:00

Caleb Sturgis became the seventh former Gator football player drafted today when the Miami Dolphins selected him 166th overall in the fifth round.

While it’s not unheard of for a kicker to be selected in the fifth round, it’s not typical. Most teams are content with the kicker they already have, with waiting until the seventh round or signing an undrafted free agent.

Gillislee drafted by Miami Dolphins

2013-04-27T20:08:00-05:00

Mike Gillislee became the sixth former Gator drafted in the 2013 NFL Draft when he was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the No. 164 pick overall.

Mike Gillislee developed a cult-like following among Gator fans. While the Gators struggled to run the ball against the best teams in the SEC with players like Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps, Gillislee sat patiently on the sidelines watching and waiting for an opportunity.

Important news about GC magazine

2013-04-26T02:56:00-05:00

We have just received notice that Flourish magazine was mailed to Gator Country's VIPs. As of March 2013 Flourish magazine was no longer affiliated with Gator Country.

Please know Gator Country had no knowledge of this mailing nor did we give the publisher, What's Happening Publications, Inc. (WHP, Inc.), permission to send their product to you, our loyal members.

Gator Country offers our profound apologies for any confusion. Further, we assure you Flourish magazine is absolutely not replacing our famous and long running Gator Country magazine.

We will issue a more formal statement on Monday. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out to our COO, Bernadette King.

CustomerService@GatorCountry.com and 352-416-0018

Sincerely, Gator Country

Jenkins drafted by Miami Dolphins

2013-04-25T19:00:00-05:00

Jelani Jenkins became the fifth former Gator football player selected in the 2013 NFL Draft when the Miami Dolphins selected him with the 104th pick overall.

Jenkins was a top high school prospect out of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Maryland. Jenkins was a two-time Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year and an All-American.

He spent his first season redshirting before becoming a regular starter at weakside linebacker. He was a first team Freshman All-SEC in 2010.

Reed drafted by Washington Redskins

2013-04-25T18:55:00-05:00

Jordan Reed became the fourth former Gator drafted when the Washington Redskins selected him with the No. 85 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Recruited by Urban Meyer as a high school quarterback, Reed has only played tight end on a full-time basis for two seasons. He is still learning and growing in the position but has a very high ceiling.

Bostic drafted by Chicago Bears

2013-04-25T18:40:00-05:00

Jon Bostic became the third former Gator drafted this year when the Chicago Bears took him No. 50 overall in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Bostic was a three-year starter for the Gators at middle linebacker. He started 32 games at Florida while making 51 appearances. He was a powerful run-stopper in the middle, finishing his career with 237 tackles and 19 for a loss.

Bostic was more than just a player who could put up numbers on the field. He is a high-character guy and a player who was a leader both on and off the field. Bostic was a third team All-SEC linebacker as a junior and earned second team All-SEC honors as a senior.

Muschamp talks Floyd and Elam

2013-04-25T18:35:00-05:00

In 2012, the Florida Gators had just two players selected in the entire NFL Draft.

After just one round in the 2013 edition of the draft, the Gators have already equaled that total and have another seven players who are expected to hear their names called before the draft ends.

Despite being projected as high as the No. 3 overall pick by “draft experts” and rated the No. 1 defensive player in the entire draft by others, Sharrif Floyd fell all the way to the Minnesota Vikings at the 23rd pick.

Will Muschamp was in New York at Radio City Music Hall with Floyd and he spoke with the media after about what it was like waiting so long to hear Floyd’s name called.

The NCAA Money Machine

2013-04-25T17:20:00-05:00

A recent trip down to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida found me at a loss for words. It wasn’t the massive campus, the luxury dorms or the 58 million dollar football complex currently being built that surprised me though, it was the simple fact that all of it was even allowed to exist in the first place.

For those of you that aren’t aware, IMG is first and foremost a sports conglomerate with large stakes in collegiate licensing and broadcasting. IMG represent 150 universities, nine conferences and 15 bowl games. IMG is also the owner of TWI, the largest independent distributor and producer of televised sports. If it’s not clear by now, IMG and college athletics are pretty well intertwined. So where does IMG gain a reputation for educating students? I’m not completely sure.

Elam drafted by Baltimore Ravens

2013-04-25T17:15:01-05:00

Unlike his teammate, Sharrif Floyd, Matt Elam expected to have to wait a little while before hearing his name called. However, he ended up not waiting as long as most people expected.

Elam was picked with the last pick in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens lost a lot of players from their 2013 Super Bowl champion squad and Elam will be asked to step in at safety right away to fill in where pro-bowler Ed Reed used to play before being traded.

The only real knock on Elam was his height. At just 5’10” Elam lacks the prototypical size that most NFL teams look for at the safety position. Unfortunately for Elam, that is the only thing about his game that he can’t change.

Floyd drafted by Minnesota Vikings

2013-04-25T17:05:00-05:00

“And I’m free, free falling. Yeah I’m free, free falling”

Tom Petty’s lyrics could have been written about Sharrif Floyd’s night at Radio City Music Hall.

Floyd was projected to go as high as the No. 3 overall pick in the draft but fell all the way to No. 23 and the Minnesota Vikings.

GCTV: NFL Draft Preview

2013-04-25T17:00:00-05:00

Andrew Spivey, Nick De La Torre, Dan Thompson and Seth Puglio sat down to take a look at the Gator prospects in the NFL Draft.

Florida has several prospects in the draft including Shariff Floyd and Matt Elam who will most likely be drafted in the first round Thursday evening.

Tune into ESPN at 8pm Thursday night to catch the first round of the NFL Draft and be sure to check back with GatorCountry.com as we keep you up to date with the latest updates on the NFL-Bound Gators!

Wide Receivers get ultimatum

2013-04-25T14:30:01-05:00

The ultimatum has been laid out.

You have 12 practices, wide receivers. Show Will Muschamp and the coaching staff what you can do or find a good spot to watch from the sidelines while Loucheiz Purifoy does your job for you.

“The way I’ve got it planned is he [Purifoy] will go the first 12 days strictly on defense,” Muschamp said. “I want to see how these young wide outs continue to develop.”

Following a breakout sophomore season at cornerback, Purifoy began the spring on the offensive side of the ball. In what may be a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul, Muschamp chose to move one of his most talented cornerbacks to offense in an effort to inject some life and electricity into a stagnant passing attack.

Florida releases a new depth chart

2013-04-24T21:31:00-05:00

What we thought would be a press conference to simply introduce the new special team and linebackers coach, Jeff Choate, turned into much, much more on Wednesday.

First the news that Jessamen Dunker has decided to transfer to get a “fresh start”, followed by a new, updated depth chart.

Jessamen Dunker to transfer

2013-04-22T18:40:00-05:00

Will Muschamp met with the media on Wednesday afternoon and the first news on the docket was big. Jessamen Dunker has decided to transfer from the University of Florida.

A highly rated recruit, Dunker was a Parade All-American, out of Boynton Beach high school, Dunker spent his first season in Gainesville redshirting and earned scout team player of the week honors prior to Florida’s game against Tennessee.

Dunker was thought to be the replacement for James Wilson at left guard before he was indefinitely suspended from the team following an arrest for grand theft auto, a third degree felony, last January.

Spring Position Review: Tight End

2013-04-22T18:35:00-05:00

Getting to know you: Alvin Bailey

2013-04-22T18:34:00-05:00

Over the next several weeks, Gator Country will talk with the members of the 2013 recruiting class. We’re asking each recruit 20 questions in an effort to let the fans get to know a little bit more about each player both on and off the field. We went over our normal 20 questions this interview, so sue us. That’s a joke. Please don’t sue us.

Today we spoke with Alvin Bailey.

Bailey is a versatile athlete out of Armwood high school. He played a lot of quarterback, mainly out of necessity, but projects to be a slot receiver at Florida. Bailey is a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands. He’s the type of player who can score a touchdown any time he touches the ball.

Bailey has his sights set on playing early and with his skill-set, that’s a goal he is likely to achieve. Bailey is a dangerous return man and should contribute on special teams right away. He is also comfortable as a wildcat quarterback and could share time with Trey Burton in that role before taking it over all together as a sophomore. Because he played mainly quarterback his senior season, Bailey needs to continue developing as a route-runner but he should end up being a productive slot receiver for the Gators.

Getting to know you: Cam Dillard

2013-04-22T18:25:00-05:00

Over the next several weeks, Gator Country will talk with the members of the 2013 recruiting class. We’re asking each recruit 20 questions in an effort to let the fans get to know a little bit more about each player both on and off the field.

Today we spoke with Cam Dillard.

Dillard is a tenacious offensive lineman who has experience at multiple positions. He will play center at Florida and the depth issue the Gators have at center could lead to Dillard getting on the field early on in his career as the heir apparent to Jon Harrison.

Dillard excels as a run-blocker, which fits nicely into Florida’s style of offense, and shows a good ability to pull and get to the second level effectively. His highlight tape had more pancakes than IHOP, so let’s get to know him a little better.

Getting to know you: Antonio Riles

2013-04-22T15:00:00-05:00

Over the next several weeks, Gator Country will talk with the members of the 2013 recruiting class. We’re asking each recruit 20 questions in an effort to let the fans get to know a little bit more about each player both on and off the field.

Today we spoke with Antonio Riles.

Riles is a 4-star, strong side defensive end prospect who chose Florida over schools like Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and South Carolina.

At 6’4”, 261 pounds, Riles already has good size at the college level for his position but could outgrow defensive end and wind up playing tackle or a 5-technique when Florida plays a 3-4 defense.

Riles uses his hands well, something you don’t see all the time from high school defensive linemen, and that helps him create separation from offensive linemen. Riles should give the Gators good depth as a freshman and has a high ceiling. He’s is definitely a player to keep an eye on long term.

Gators playing clean in a dirty world

2013-04-19T16:41:00-05:00

As mentioned in the first segment of my two-part look at the compliance kerfuffle that is major college football, it has been a couple of years since Urban Meyer told the college football world how disgusted he was that the sport has been overrun with “garbage.” Or as the rest of us call it: “cheating.” Considering all that has transpired in the Gator program since then, it seems like longer than a couple of years. For some of you, the last two days have seemed like a couple of years, eagerly waiting for me to expound on this phenomenon of foul. For many of you, it seems like it takes a couple of years just to find the end of one of my loquacious columns. But I digress…

Well we know what Meyer was dealing with close to home. As noted in this space before, between the tenures of the past two great Gator coaches Meyer and Spurrier, every single other SEC team - as well as FSU and Miami - have gone on probation for cheating, with the lone exceptions of UGA and Vanderbilt. Some of them multiple times. Many of them will be going on probation again in the next four to five years. And perhaps even more irksome to Gator fans than this giant den of iniquity is the NCAA Committee on Infractions: a giant den of inequity. Just compare the infractions and resulting penalties levied against the Florida programs in the 1980s to any of the major infractions and associated sanctions lodged against the major programs since then. But again I digress…

Since Meyer released his remarks public consumption, it seems like every week a new major program across the country is being outed or busted for cheating. Oregon has been famously called on the carpet this week by the NCAA, citing major violations, and they will have to work hard to convince anyone that they didn’t pay at least one man in excess of a quarter million dollars to scout and steer star players to Eugene. The other team in the 2010 national title game, Auburn, has to hope their little $200k “Newtonian issue” - as well as the many accusations levied against the Tigers’ program in this month’s Selena Roberts article - are never verified or they will land themselves on major probation; again. Then of course there is the recent saga on a far larger media scale of Jim Tressell, who committed a violation and then lied about it to the NCAA, and then lied a little more about it to spin the first lie, then lied a little more.

Getting to know you: Max Staver

2013-04-19T14:37:00-05:00

Over the next several weeks, Gator Country will talk with the members of the 2013 recruiting class. We’re asking each recruit 20 questions in an effort to let the fans get to know a little bit more about each player both on and off the field.

Today we spoke with Max Staver, a quarterback out of Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Staver is a 6’6”, 235-pound pocket passer who can really throw the football. He has great wrist action in his quick throwing motion that causes the ball to jump out of his hand.

Staver will enroll this summer and should jump right in to the backup quarterback position battle.

Q1: What was the craziest recruiting pitch you heard during your whole recruiting process?

Max Staver: I never really heard anything crazy. All the coaches I talked with really told me straight up how it was going to be. It was all pretty straight forward.

GCTV: Depth Chart Discussion

2013-04-18T16:19:00-05:00

The GatorCountry.com staff sat down to discuss the two-deep depth chart for the Florida Gator football team heading into summer.

The staff differed on starters at a couple different positions as we will not get an official depth chart from the football team until much closer to the home opener against Toledo on August 31st.

Stay tuned to GatorCountry.com as we will have complete coverage of the 7 on 7 IMG championships this weekend from Bradenton, Fla. Additionally, we will be back next week with another installment of GCTV previewing the Florida's NFL Draft prospects.

Spring Position Review: Wide Receiver

2013-04-18T15:52:00-05:00

Getting to know you: Marqui Hawkins

2013-04-18T14:00:00-05:00

Over the next several weeks, Gator Country will talk with the members of the 2013 recruiting class. We’re asking each recruit 20 questions in an effort to let the fans get to know a little bit more about each player both on and off the field.

The next player we spoke with was Marqui Hawkins.

Hawkins was one of five wide receivers to commit to Will Muschamp and the Florida Gators in 2013. Hawkins committed in May and stuck by that commitment throughout the recruiting process.

Hawkins is a big, physical receiver and with the Gators need for playmakers at wide receiver, he should have a real opportunity to earn playing time right away as a freshman.

Cheating doesn’t pay…right?

2013-04-17T17:33:00-05:00

There has been a lot of cheating lately. A lot of cheating in action, a lot of talk about cheating, a lot of speculation about what will be done about it and who will suffer. We still wait for the other shoe to drop on Miami while the first shoe has just dropped on Oregon, and there is no telling whether the shoe will ever be tried on at Auburn. And thanks to the nonsensical ramblings of a jailbird, some tried to wedge the shoe onto Will Muschamp’s foot, but glass house’s slipper would not fit on Cinder-fellah.

When the 2010-11 BCS title game between the Ducks and Tigers concluded, I suggested that this will soon be known as the championship game that never happened, as both will be forced to vacate their seasons when the NCAA gets around to it. They are still taking their time, but the wheels on the NCAA paddy wagon are finally moving. And the flouting of the rules is certainly not restricted to college football. Tiger Woods - famous for shattering the PGA record for infidelity - has upped his game from cheating on his wife to cheating at the Masters. But just as when he cheated on his wife, he claimed not to really know what he was doing - and was soon forgiven by the fans and media. He gets more distance from that excuse than he gets from his Titleist.

While there are many examples of how crime does pay - from the trophy rooms of Lance Armstrong to the most recent national title banner hanging in Rupp Arena - it is not the question of whether cheating pays off that concerns Gator Nation. It is whether a major sports program can succeed at the highest level without cheating, while seated in the deepest prisoner’s dilemma this side of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” It has been a few years now since Urban Meyer made his famous statements about all the “garbage” in college football that was a contributing factor to his resignation. Though he no longer remains the Gator coach, one thing in this heap of garbage that does remain very relevant to the Gator program is widespread cheating across the SEC and among the nation’s other elite programs (though it is a stretch at this point to believe that any non-SEC programs can be considered national elite).

Getting to know you: Trenton Brown

2013-04-17T14:30:00-05:00

Over the next several weeks, Gator Country will talk with the members of the 2013 recruiting class. We’re asking each recruit 20 questions in an effort to let the fans get to know a little bit more about each player both on and off the field.

Today we talked with Trenton Brown.

Brown is a 6’9”, 350-pound offensive tackle from Georgia Military Academy. Brown chose Florida over schools like Georgia, Florida State, LSU and Ole Miss.

Brown just missed out on being able to enroll early this past spring but he was a regular at Florida’s spring practices. Brown was able to go through the mental reps while watching practice and has his sights set on coming in and contributing right away. He can play both tackle positions and that versatility is one of the reasons he could reach his goal of playing early this season.

Q1: What was the craziest recruiting pitch you heard during the entire recruiting process?

Trenton Brown: I have to say that it was people saying “if you come in, then the spot is yours right away.” That drew a red flag for me right away.

Florida hires UTEP DC Jeff Choate

2013-04-17T12:23:00-05:00

Bryant Young’s decision to step down from his coaching position at the University of Florida last week left a vacancy in the Florida coaching staff. However, according to the El Paso Times, that vacancy might already be filled.

UTEP Miners first year defensive coordinator Jeff Choate has agreed to join the coaching staff at Florida.

Choate was the linebacker’s coach at Washington State last season before accepting the position of defensive coordinator at UTEP on January 8. He spent just over three months with the Miners before deciding to continue his coaching career in Gainesville.

Defensive Draft Classes: 10’ vs. 13’

2013-04-16T21:36:00-05:00

Think back for a moment on the 2010 NFL Draft. It was a memorable one for the Florida football program as nine Gators were selected, including six in the first two rounds.

That dominant defensive team boasted a ferocious group that decimated opponents in every facet of the game. The Gator defense ranked fourth in total and scoring defense and were the second best in the country that year against the pass.

It came to no surprise then, that six players off that defense were drafted in the first three rounds of the 2010 NFL Draft. What are those six players doing now? Well they are all currently starters for the respective NFL teams that drafted them.

Jacobs looks to lead defensive line

2013-04-16T19:29:00-05:00

Once the news of Bryant Young’s abrupt resignation became public, senior defensive tackle Damien Jacobs elected to use Twitter for the airing of his feelings.

With Young’s departure from Gainesville, Jacobs was losing not only his position coach, but also the man who convinced him to suit up for Florida.

“Im not gonna say a hall of famer is irreplaceable, but great ppl are even harder to replace,” Jacobs wrote on the popular social media site after the announcement.

With Young gone, Florida’s group of defensive tackles are — for the moment — leaderless. While current defensive ends coach Brad Lawing has experience coaching tackles, head coach Will Muschamp is yet to formally name a replacement for the departed Young (who, although not being inducted, was a finalist for the NFL Hall of Fame this past year).

Spring Position Review: Linebacker

2013-04-16T19:12:00-05:00

Getting to know you: Johnny Townsend

2013-04-16T15:00:00-05:00

Over the next several weeks, Gator Country will talk with the members of the 2013 recruiting class. We’re asking each recruit 20 questions in an effort to let the fans get to know a little bit more about each player both on and off the field.

The first player we spoke with was Johnny Townsend, a punter from Boone high school in Orlando, Florida.

Townsend was a late addition to the recruiting class, choosing Florida over Ohio State and Alabama. Florida already has a Ray Guy Award finalist in Kyle Christy, but Townsend isn’t afraid of competition and he will bring his field-flipping 43.6-yard-per-kick average from high school to Gainesville.

Townsend has a long family history with the University of Florida. Both his mother, Susan, and Father, Clay Sr., attended the University and his older brother; Clay Jr. is currently a sophomore at Florida.

Gators in the NFL Draft

2013-04-15T20:44:00-05:00

With the NFL Draft approaching next week, GatorCountry.com takes a look at Florida’s history in the NFL Draft. Florida has several top prospects this year with a chance to hear their names called early and often.

Before we take a look at this year’s prospects, let us take a look at some Florida draft history.

The Gators have 16 draft eligible players this year and most have a potential to be picked at some point. The most players drafted in a single year from the University of Florida came in 1978, when ten Gators heard their names called during the NFL Draft; led by legendary Florida wide receiver Wes Chandler who was taken third overall by the New Orleans Saints. On that note, the highest any Gator prospect has ever been drafted was third overall, which has happened on three separate occasions (67’ Steve Spurrier, 79’ Wes Chandler and 01’ Gerard Warren).

Florida is in a unique position this year; there is a good chance they will have at least one player taken in every round of the draft. Florida’s Shariff Floyd is perceived to be a top five lock and will mark the Gator’s return to the first round since Mike Pouncey was taken by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2011 draft. The most players the Gators have ever had drafted in the first round was three, which happened twice in program history (89’, 10’).

So who is likely to snag a Gator come draft weekend? Well If history is to be taken into consideration, the Pittsburgh Steelers lead the way all time with 24 Gators drafted, followed by the Chicago Bears at 18 and the New York Giants at 17. In fact, Pittsburgh has drafted a Gator in each of the past three seasons (12’ Chris Rainey, 11’ Marcus Gilbert, 10’ Maurkice Pouncey).

Spring Position Review: Quarterback

2013-04-15T19:45:00-05:00

Video Analysis: Chris Wilkes

2013-04-15T14:30:00-05:00

The Florida Gators got a surprise commitment at the Orange and Blue Debut last week, when Chris Wilkes announced that he would be a walk-on member of the University of Florida football team next season.

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Wilkes originally signed with the Ole Miss Rebels in 2008. The Dr. Phillips (Orlando, FL) High School product spurred college football, instead deciding to go try his luck in Major League Baseball after being drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 22nd round of the 2008 MLB June Amateur Draft.

The right-handed pitcher had mixed success in the minor leagues, starting his career 7-1, but then going 9-12, finishing his career 16-13 with a 3.57 ERA between the rookie, A-, A+, A and AA league ranks.

Frustrated and ready to move on, Wilkes asked for his release from the Padres organization to focus on football and subsequently, decided on Florida.

Spring Position Review: RB

2013-04-14T01:30:00-05:00

Before spring practice began, Gator Country took a look at the top eight position battles to keep an eye on during spring practice. Now that spring is over, we’ll take a look at how those position battles played out over the past couple weeks.

In part four of our series, we take a look at the engine that makes the Gators offense go – running back.

There wasn’t a single position that was more important and relied upon more in 2012 than running back. And from what we’ve seen this spring, 2013 won’t be much different.

To say the passing game struggled in 2012 would be putting it nicely but Mike Gillislee was able to pick up the slack and Florida finished the season with the third best rushing attack in the SEC (187.69 ypg).

The running game will again be the focal point of the offense as the Gators wait for Jeff Driskel to take the next step in his maturation as a quarterback and for a reliable playmaker to emerge at wide receiver.

Despite losing Mike Gillislee’s 1,152 yards of rushing and his 10 touchdowns, Florida has a talented stable of backs that should pick up right where Gillislee left off.

Spring Position Review: Buck LB

2013-04-12T14:52:00-05:00

Before spring practice began, Gator Country took a look at the top eight position battles to keep an eye on during spring practice. Now that spring is over, we’ll take a look at how those position battles played out over the past couple weeks.

In part three of the eight part series, we take a look at the battle at Buck LB.

While some may think that this story begins in 2012 when Ronald Powell tore his ACL in the Orange and Blue Debut, it actually began a long, long time ago.

Indulge me for a moment, as I take you back to 1925 and tell you about an infamous Yankee first baseman named Wally Pipp.

Pipp was a good major leaguer; he led the American League in home runs in both 1916 and 1917 and was a World Series champion in 1923. One day Pipp showed up to the ballpark with a splitting headache. He asked the team trainer for two aspirin. Upon seeing this, his manager told Pipp to take the day off and inserted Lou Gehrig into the lineup. Gehrig went on to a have a hall of fame career and played in 2,130 consecutive games. Pipp was traded to the Cincinnati Reds the following season where he played two more seasons.

He may not have been the first player to lose his starting job because of an injury, but Wally Pipp’s name has become synonymous with a player who lost his starting spot because of an injury.

Unfortunately, Ronald Powell may have found himself in the same position as Pipp.

GCTV: Spring Football Recap

2013-04-12T01:29:00-05:00

The Gator Country staff talk about some key topics revolving around the football team and some impressions made from spring practice.

Andrew Spivey, Nick De La Torre, Dan Thompson and Seth Puglio also discuss next season and make some bold predictions for the Gator football team in 2013.

Be sure to check the message boards weekly as we ask you guys what questions you'd like us to discuss. We will also have an NFL Draft preview to let you know what to expect for the Florida football pro prospects.

Spring Position Review: Safety

2013-04-11T19:16:00-05:00

Before spring practice began, Gator Country took a look at the top eight position battles to keep an eye on during spring practice. Now that spring is over, we’ll take a look at how those position battles played out over the past couple weeks.

In part two of the eight part series, we take a look at the safety position.

Even the most casual fan can tell you that the Gators lost a lot at this position last season. Replacing both Matt Elam and Josh Evans is more than just replacing numbers on a stat sheet. The Gators also need to replace two veteran leaders and an emotional spark plug in Elam.

While the Gators have a wealth of talent in the secondary, there wasn’t one player that took advantage of their opportunity this spring and seized a starting spot.

In his last press conference of the spring, Will Muschamp expressed just that.

“We’ve got to sure up some things at the safety position,” Muschamp said. “We’ve got to become more productive. We’ve got to be better communicators in getting us aligned and getting us in the right looks.”

Muschamp asks a lot of out his safeties when it comes to communicating.

Recruits react to Young leaving

2013-04-10T21:30:00-05:00

Defensive tackle coach Bryant Young was a coach that a number of recruits would mention when they were offered by Florida.

While Young was mentioned by a lot of prospects, he wasn’t a major factor in most of the 2014 prospects recruitment.

GatorCountry.com has reactions from several of Florida’s top recruits and signees on the defensive line and his area of recruitment.

DL Coach Replacement List

2013-04-10T21:15:00-05:00

With the sudden resignation of Florida defensive tackle coach Bryant Young on Wednesday, Florida will be scrambling to find a replacement before the high school spring evaluation period kicks off in a few weeks.

At this point, Florida is yet to release any intended targets, making any lists of possible candidates nearly impossible to compile.

Here are a few names of coaches associated with the current Gators staff:

Bo Davis- Assistant head coach/defensive tackles at Texas. Davis has coached for Will Muschamp at both LSU and with the Miami Dolphins. Davis joined Texas last season after coaching at Alabama under Nick Saban.

Bryant Young Steps Down

2013-04-10T20:31:01-05:00

The Muschamp Master Plan

2013-04-10T14:00:00-05:00

As spring football comes to a close, you’ve heard every opinion of standout players from Gator Country staff to your next-door neighbor. All along one integral player’s name has yet to make an appearance, quarterback Jeff Driskel. I, myself, am cautiously optimistic about the progress the junior quarterback has made, as I’m sure much of Gator Nation is as well. The question I ask though is, what do the Gators need from Jeff Driskel to be successful? How good does he need to be to make the Gators a national title contender?

When Will Muschamp first stepped onto the Florida campus and looked to change the spread offense to a traditional pro style approach, many fans were hesitant to believe in the new head coach’s tactics. The Urban Meyer spread offense decimated defenses across the SEC during a majority of his tenure and was the Gators moneymaker en route to two national championship seasons. A look around the country saw schools like Oregon and Oklahoma lighting up the scoreboards with prolific offenses, all the while racking up W’s on the schedule year in and year out.

But after a surprising 11-2 season and a deeper look into the realm of college football, the spread offense may not be all it’s hyped to be. Sure the spread can be effective in the right hands; players like Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, Cam Newton and Reggie Bush all thrived in college as they were cut to the ideal mold of a spread offense. Those talented players captured the ultimate goal of national championships, but how often do players of their caliber come around a university.

Spring Position Review: Kicker

2013-04-10T13:00:00-05:00

Before spring practice began, Gator Country took a look at the top eight position battles to keep an eye on during spring practice. Now that spring is over, we’ll take a look at how those position battles played out over the past couple weeks.

One of, if not the most important position battle this spring, was at kicker.

Will Muschamp joked after last season that the team was going to try and find an extra year of eligibility for Caleb Sturgis. After watching what his kickers did this spring, Muschamp might actually start making some phone calls to the NCAA to inquire about Sturgis’ eligibility.

Replacing Sturgis is no easy feat. Sturgis was so good while at Florida that he completely changed the way offensive coordinator Brent Pease called plays. When the Gators got around the opponent’s 35-yard line, they were already in field goal range. Rather than taking shots down the field, Florida had the luxury of calling conservative play calls, knowing they could almost guarantee at least three points with Sturgis kicking.

The two kickers trying to replace Sturgis, senior Brad Phillips and redshirt freshman Austin Hardin, struggled with consistency throughout the spring and this position battle is far from over.

Tyler Moore: Life in the SEC

2013-04-09T20:52:00-05:00

In 2011, Tyler Moore quickly set a record becoming the first true freshman offensive lineman to start a season opener for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Coinciding with such an honor, Moore had the most starts by a true freshman offensive lineman in Nebraska school history. Moore’s performance on the offensive line during his first season earned him All-Big Ten Freshman team honors by ESPN.

Moore was poised for a big 2012 campaign as the starting tackle but plans changed, and Moore decided he needed to transfer and play closer to home.

The four-time Nebraska legacy decided on Florida over Florida State and many penciled in Moore as a starter for the 2013 Florida Gators after sitting out the 2012 season at St. Petersburg Community College.

This spring gave Florida Gator fans have had there first opportunity to see Tyler Moore. The spring was also Moore’s first taste of life in the SEC.

Florida tied at the top for FSU commit

2013-04-09T13:00:00-05:00

Will Muschamp is starting to garner the nickname “flipper” for his ability to flip recruits from one school to Florida.

One of his top targets to flip this year is Immokalee (Fla.) High cornerback J.C. Jackson, who is currently committed to Florida State but visited Florida on Saturday.

“I had a great time,” Jackson said. “I got to see a lot more things this time than times before. The scrimmage was nice to see and the defensive schemes that Florida has was good to see as well. They have a lot of different schemes.”

One of the schemes that intrigues Jackson is the nickel package Florida has, as well as the dime package they run.

Florida Players Network

2013-04-08T23:47:00-05:00

Orange and Blue Review

2013-04-08T20:55:00-05:00

By: Nicole Boyett

After weeks of unpredictable weather in Gainesville, it’s as if someone was notified that there was football to be played on Saturday. Maybe it wasn’t the traditional Orange and Blue Debut we’ve all come to know and love, but come 1 o’clock on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon in Gainesville, the sun was beaming down on fans in The Swamp, football was back. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was full of families happy to be in orange and blue again and nobody seemed to care that the traditional scrimmage had turned into a glorified practice.

The alumni flag football game was a great way to get fans excited and into the stands early. We learned that Keiwan Ratliff still has moves, Brandon Siler and Earl Everett are still some of Florida’s best linebackers, and struggling to run north and south seems to have always been a tradition in Gainesville; one that has already started to come to an end with Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor in the backfield.

Top 10 Performers from Spring

2013-04-08T15:01:00-05:00

It’s human nature to want to rank things. Whether it is cars, restaurants or movies, people are constantly rankings things consciously or subconsciously.

And we here at GatorCountry are no different. With the Orange and Blue Debut signaling the end of spring practice, let’s take a look back at the top-10 performers from the past 15 practices.

Honorable Mentions

Rhaheim Ledbetter and Gideon Ajagbe

As the fullback position is slowing being fazed out of football both on the college and professional levels, the Gators are a throwback offense that relies on a bruising fullback in both the run and passing game.

Ledbetter and Ajagbe were both moved from the defensive side of the football to fullback this spring and by all accounts, adjusted nicely into their new roles.

“We were really concerned going into spring. Could we be a two-back team? Having only Hunter, when you take one hit, and then you're out of a personnel grouping,” Will Muschamp said. “We certainly feel like with Gideon and Rhaheim are two guys that can come in and do some things for us.”

GCTV: Keanu Neal Interview

2013-04-08T14:00:01-05:00

GatorCountry.com interviewed South Sumter High School safety Keanu Neal after he finished his weekend race at the Florida Pepsi Relays.

The future Gator was excited about getting to Gainesville and is preparing to hopefully play right away.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for another interview with 2014 wide receiver prospect Kenric Young.

Running Backs lead the way

2013-04-07T14:48:00-05:00

In 2012 Will Muschamp tipped his hand in the very first game. Florida was going to rely on stout defensive play and a power running attack to be successful.

The Gators stubbornly ran the ball against eight and nine man fronts against Bowling Green and it was just a sign of things to come.

The new offensive style led to Florida having their first 1,000-yard rusher since 2004 in Mike Gillislee and if we learned anything from the 2013 spring game, it was that 1,000-yard rushers might become more common as long as Muschamp is leading this team.

The running backs, Kelvin Taylor and walk-on Mark Herndon in particular, stole the show on Saturday afternoon.

Taylor, the son of former Gator great Fred Taylor, showed the kind of explosiveness and vision that led to him rush for over 10,000 yards in high school.

Will the passing game improve?

2013-04-07T14:31:01-05:00

For the 100 or so fans in attendance during Florida’s “Orange and Blue Debut” on Saturday – as well as the legion of disappointed home viewers – the fervent thirst for a vertical display out of UF’s offense again went unquenched.

A plethora of injuries along the offensive line, as well as an undermanned receiver unit, contributed to yet another ho-hum affair for Florida’s air attack on Saturday.

For many fans, the Gators’ offensive act has grown tired, and at some point, it becomes harder to convince them that the passing game will be improved by the time the calendar flips to August.

But Will Muschamp delivered some good news for the swelling cluster of skeptics on Saturday … Florida’s passing game will indeed be improved this season.

"I think we're going to have some natural improvements offensively because we're a year older, a year in the system,” Muschamp said. “I think we're going to be better up front offensively. It starts there … I think we'll be improved at the receiver position, and I think Jeff's going to be better."

GCTV: Orange and Blue Debut Recap

2013-04-07T01:35:00-05:00

Florida Gator football took to the field Saturday for the annual Orange and Blue Debut.

Nick De La Torre and Daniel "DK" Thompson got together after the game to discuss all the game action including which players stood out on the field Saturday.

O&B Debut scouting report

2013-04-06T23:56:00-05:00

As I watched, nestled in the chilly press box between Nick de la Torre and Alex Gray, the Florida Gators put in a glorified football practice that fixed both 11-on-11, 1-on-1, punt protection skeleton, and a host of other drills that both captivated and lulled fans at various points of the day, I left with a clearer picture of what the Gators football team may look like in 2013.

While it was tough to watch every player, on every play, on both sides of Florida Field, I came away with areas of praise, a few areas of concern, and a lot of “well, let’s re-address in August”.

Areas of Praise

• The Florida Gators defense will again be a top-flight unit. Between Dante Fowler and Dominique Easley on the line; Antonio Morrison and Neiron Ball as linebackers; and Louichez Purifoy, Marcus Roberson and Jaylen Watkins in the defensive backfield, Florida should return another top-10 defense. All phases of the Gator defense shined today. The Gators even got a few surprises from redshirt freshmen Bryan Cox, Jr. and Alex McCalister; and newcomer Daniel McMillian – who all showed that they have great skills and an ability to contribute this season.

Orange and Blue Notebook

2013-04-06T22:52:00-05:00

Orange and Blue Preview: Defense

2013-04-05T20:55:00-05:00

In the second part of Gator Country’s Orange and Blue Debut preview, we take a look at the defense.

While Mike Gillislee and the running game carried the offense, it was the defense that really stepped up last season to help the Gators go from a 7-6 team in 2011 to a team that finished the 2012 season 11-2.

Florida’s defense finished the season ranked No. 5 in total defense (286.7 ypg) and in scoring defense (14.5 ppg). Additionally, the Gators finished No. 4 and No. 16 in run defense and pass defense respectively.

When he came to Florida, Will Muschamp preached that he would have a fast, tough, physical defense, delivering just that in 2012.

However, heading into the offseason, the Gators were tasked with finding players to replace Matt Elam, Sharrif Floyd, Omar Hunter, Jon Bostic, Jelani Jenkins, Josh Evans and Lerentee McCray among others.

The defense is losing five of their top six tacklers from 2012 and three of their top four sack leaders.

Despite losing so much leadership and production from a season ago, the defense looks poised to re-load rather than rebuild and should pick up right where they left off from last season.

GCTV: Chris Thompson Interview

2013-04-05T16:35:00-05:00

Nick De La Torre and Alex Gray caught up with Gainesville native Chris Thompson at the Pepsi Florida Relays.

The Florida Gators wide receiver signee ran a 10.85 in the 100 meter dash.

Thompson spoke about what he has done in preparation of coming to Florida and what he likes about the Gator offense.

Orange and Blue Debut: Offense

2013-04-05T14:31:00-05:00

With the Orange and Blue Debut just a day away, GatorCountry.com takes a look at how the Gators have progressed through spring practice on both sides of the ball.

In the first edition of this two part series, we give you a preview of the offense.

The Gators finished the 2012 season with the No. 104 ranked offense in the country. While that’s a slight improvement from 2011 when they finished with the No. 105 ranked offense, there is still a lot of room for improvement.

Tasked with replacing Xavier Nixon, James Wilson, Mike Gillislee, Frankie Hammond Jr. and Jordan Reed on offense, Brent Pease has his hands full this offseason.

Let’s take a look at how each position has progressed this spring, who has stepped up and what to expect moving forward.

Quarterback

Jeff Driskel is the unquestioned starter this season. While he had to constantly look over his shoulder last year with Jacoby Brissett behind him, Driskel is the man this year and this is truly his team.

The problem is if Driskel goes down with an injury, he has missed time in both of his first two seasons, the Gators have nothing behind them. Florida’s backup quarterbacks have thrown as many collegiate passes as the entire Gator Country staff combined.

Zero.

GC Podcast: Spring game roundtable

2013-04-04T22:54:00-05:00

Andrew Spivey, Alex Gray, Nick De La Torre, Seth Puglio and new comer Nicole Boyett sit down to talk about what they look forward to seeing in this years spring football game.

Be sure to come by GatorCountry.com the rest of the week as we will have complete coverage leading up to the Spring game and a complete video recap following the game.

Video Analysis: Marcell Harris

2013-04-04T15:32:01-05:00

During the 1996-1997 season, free safety Mike Harris won a National Championship playing free safety for the Florida Gators. Starting in 2013, his son Marcell Harris hopes to reach the Promised Land too.

The hard-hitting 4-star safety from Dr. Phillips (Orlando, FL) High School is expected to play a major role in the Gators secondary over the next three to five years.

Harris is ranked as one of the top-10 safeties in the class of 2013 nationally and comes in with tremendous expectations. Gator fans expect to see a dynamic duo with fellow 2013 safety commit Keanu Neal.

Although Harris is coming off of microscopic MCL surgery, he is expected to come in ready to play in June.

Fowler looks to lead defense

2013-04-03T23:00:00-05:00

There was once a point in time when Florida wasn’t sure if it would have Dante Fowler Jr. or Jonathan Bullard on campus.

After months of promising-sounding comments usurped by vague quotes usurped by again positive statements, Fowler Jr. officially jumped into the Florida fold on Signing Day of 2012, after months of being committed to rival Florida State.

The five-star defensive lineman was a major coup for Will Muschamp and his staff, the perfect compliment to fellow five-star end Bullard, who had committed to Florida a month prior.

Four months after the letter-of-intents had been faxed in, the Gators were faced with yet another speed bump when Bullard was blocked from enrolling in summertime classes by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

After a month of rumor and speculation, Bullard was finally given the green light to enroll at Florida, just in time for the start of fall camp in August.

Florida’s defensive line was a known team strength heading into the 2012 campaign, with spots in the rotation already on short supply. However, it didn’t take long for both Fowler Jr. and Bullard to earn serious playing time despite their green status as freshmen.

Christy eyes summer return

2013-04-03T16:02:00-05:00

While Florida is still in search of suitable replacements for three departed all-Americans (Caleb Sturgis, Matt Elam and Shariff Floyd), one such player the Gators still have in the fold is junior punter Kyle Christy.

Unfortunately for UF however, the Ray Guy Award finalist hasn’t participated in any of Florida’s spring practice sessions due to a torn labrum he sustained before his all-American season.

Although Christy is fully able to punt the football — something he did at a 45.8-yard clip last season — he is still unable to perform one basic function.

“I'm not allowed to catch snaps yet,” Christy said.

Christy says he still has another month before he’ll be fully cleared to go, but he’ll still enjoy plenty of time during the summer to get ready for the season. It was last summer when Christy endured his injury away from the football field, an incident he simply described as “embarrassing.”

McMillian quickly improving

2013-04-03T15:34:00-05:00

While Florida sports an abundance of depth at the defensive line and defensive back positions, the linebacker spot has fallen on hard times numbers-wise.

With Jon Bostic and Jelani Jenkins having played their final games as Gators last season, the already thin position became even thinner during the offseason.

Although a lack of experienced bodies may pose a problem for the Florida coaching staff, a group of players happy to see potential open spots are Florida’s incoming freshmen.

The Gators signed four linebackers to February’s recruiting class, three of which — Daniel McMillian, Alex Anzalone and Matt Rolin — who signed inside of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, as they had already enrolled at UF in January.

Passing offense looking to improve

2013-04-03T13:00:00-05:00

114, that is where Florida ranked last year in passing offense by averaging 146.31 passing yards per game in 2012.

Will Muschamp and Brent Pease have both emphasized how important it is for that number to increase this year and so far this spring, it seems the passing game is improved.

““I think we’re much more efficient,” Muschamp said. “I think we've made some vertical plays down the field against some corners that can cover. So that’s been pleasing to see. Jeff’s been very accurate with the football. But I've been pleased with the progress.”

While some of the blame has to be put on quarterback Jeff Driskel and the offensive line last year, you have to also put some blame on the receivers for not getting open.

Matt Jones leads the way

2013-04-02T21:20:00-05:00

There are positions that keep Will Muschamp up at night. Positions like wide receiver, tight end and safety have yet to shake out and competition will continue into the summer for playing time.

One position that doesn’t keep Muschamp up at night is running back. In fact, knowing what he has at running back might help Muschamp get to sleep every night.

Two seasons ago the big question was; “how will the Gators replace Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps.”

Mike Gillislee was the answer. After setting the bar high for himself during SEC Media Days, Gillislee became the first Gator running back to surpass 1,000-yards rushing in a season since Ciatrick Fason in 2004.

Change to Spring game format

2013-04-02T18:02:00-05:00

Injuries have taken their toll on the Gators football team this spring.

Just days away from the Orange and Blue Debut, Florida has just six healthy offensive linemen, Jonathan Bullard is out for the game with a lingering hamstring injury, Demarcus Robinson is still hobbled by an ankle injury suffered during spring and Solomon Patton is still in an orange non-contact jersey just to name a few.

It’s these injuries and more that will have the Orange and Blue Debut looking a lot more like a practice than the annual scrimmage fans have grown accustomed to.

Will Muschamp spoke with the media on Tuesday and announced that the spring game will be more of an open practice and the event will now be free to the public.

Muschamp presser notebook

2013-04-02T17:32:00-05:00

Sophomore receivers out to prove themselves

2013-04-01T20:27:00-05:00

It was exactly a year ago when Florida fans began to hear that Latroy Pittman — a fresh-faced newcomer to college who should have still been roaming the halls of North Marion High School — was perhaps the standout receiver of the spring.

Listed at 6 feet and 208 pounds, the thickly built Pittman was quickly garnering a solid reputation within the Florida program, impressing early at a position which had become a sharp thorn lodged into the collective side of Gator nation.

After a few weeks of organized practice, Pittman was labeled as a physical receiver who was adept at blocking on the perimeter, while simultaneously making those imperative catches which keep the chains moving.

To top it all off, Pittman turned in arguably the best performance of the spring-ending Orange and Blue Debut, hauling in two catches for 51 yards — 43 of which came on a bomb from quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

The spring game performance had done little to quell Pittman’s reputation as a possible diamond in the rough at the receiver position. And upon the birth of the 2012 season, many eyes would be focused on the young freshman, hoping that a solid spring was a mere prelude to a spectacular fall ...

It was just over a year ago when Florida recruitniks had even heard Raphael Andrades’ name. Despite playing under the tutelage of a former star Gators receiver at an in-state powerhouse, Andrades’ had flown well under the radar during his recruitment.

Video Analysis: Octavius Jackson

2013-04-01T13:00:00-05:00

The Florida Gators coaching staff knew they needed to add bodies to the offensive line to both increase performance and add depth. Coach Will Muschamp has said in the past he would like the team to have at least 16 offensive linemen on the team to allow for ample competition.

The added depth also allows the Gators to groom younger players into starters without having to thrust them into action under-prepared underclassman in the always competitive SEC.

Will Muschamp knows that the Southeastern Conference is a line of scrimmage league and the 2013 recruiting class was a perfect example of how seriously he believes in that fact.

Ajagbe finds his place

2013-03-29T15:06:00-05:00

Florida’s newest fullback walked into the visitor’s locker room of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and immediately darted for the most cramped corner in sight.

The inconspicuous move may have been unintentional, but with two receivers and a running back also striding into the room for interviews, perhaps he didn’t expect for many reporters to take up their time with him.

After all, here he is, a relative unknown to casual Florida fans, playing a position which is being all but phased out of the game of football.

However, mere nanoseconds had passed by before Gideon Ajagbe — it’s pronounced “Ah-JAH-bee” he says — was followed into the tight space by virtually everyone in the room, in turn becoming overwhelmed with recorders and cameras.

Powell’s road to recovery

2013-03-28T21:34:00-05:00

This time last year Ronald Powell was playing the best football of his career. He was coming off of a Gator Bowl performance that saw him do all the little things that the coaching staff had been looking for all season long and he carried that momentum into the offseason.

By all accounts, Powell was having the best spring practice of any player on the team and was heading for a breakout season.

Then the unimaginable happened, Powell tore his ACL during the Orange and Blue game. He was given a favorable timetable to return but re-injured the knee during rehab and his season was lost.

New defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin said Powell has been attacking his rehab and looks to be targeting a return to the field in the fall.

Durkin press conference notes

2013-03-28T18:59:00-05:00

With spring practice now over half way done new defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin met with the media on Thursday.

Durkin talked about several things including the secondary and things they need to improve on at that position as well one player who should be back this fall from injury.

Muschamp evaluates offense

2013-03-28T18:26:00-05:00

During his Tuesday Press conference, Will Muschamp singled out some players that he has been pleased with this spring.

In part two of this series, we take a look at the offensive players that Muschamp singled out and look at each position.

Video Analysis: Brian Cox Jr.

2013-03-27T19:08:00-05:00

The son of former NFL great and current NFL Coach Bryan Cox, Bryan Cox, Jr. flew a bit under the radar during his high school recruitment. Cox, a 3-star DE/BUCK, out of high school came to the Florida Gators as a raw, yet extremely talented player that battled a few injuries that kept him from major offers.

The St. Thomas Aquinas High School prospect landed in Ft. Lauderdale via Avon High School in Avon, OH due to his father’s move to South Florida to be the Miami Dolphin’s pass rush coach. During his senior year at St. Thomas, Cox battled a wrist/hand injury.

Before committing to Florida, Cox had offers from Miami, Illinois, North Carolina, and Louisville amongst others.

Garcia gets adjusted

2013-03-27T16:00:00-05:00

For a division one — er, FBS — player making a move to a new school (and in the case of Max Garcia, from a conference afterthought to a national powerhouse) the initial feeling of excitement can be fleeting.

Soon after the decision is made official, the joy of knowing a new and potentially prosperous move is on the horizon gives way to reality — you’re going to have to sit this season out.

However, for the 6-foot 4 offensive line transfer from Maryland, playing the Saturday role of spectator wasn’t as bad as some might think.

“Honestly, when we’re winning, it wasn’t really hard,” Garcia said on Tuesday. “With a great season, you’re just happy to be part of the team, happy to contribute … I was really excited; it wasn’t really a burden on me, I was just really happy to be part of the team.”

Hardin looks to blaze his own path

2013-03-27T14:33:00-05:00

In my often-futile attempts to drive a golf ball off the tee, usually, the ball sprays right — way right.

After a series of unmentionable whispers by yours truly, as if on cue, one of my golfing cohorts will ask “did you keep your head down?”

Although golf and football are vastly different in many respects, according to Florida kicker Austin Hardin, the two sports do share a commonality as it relates to kicking — it’s always best to keep your head down.

This facet, along with other “tiny mechanical things” is what Hardin has been working on as of late with recently departed all-American kicker Caleb Sturgis. And from the sound of it, his experience has been more pleasant than the golf outings I’ve endured with my smug group of “friends.”

“I’m having fun working with him and I’m learning a lot — as much as I can,” Hardin said of his recent sessions with Sturgis.

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