As Florida gets ready to open spring practice for the 2008 season, it’s time to stop and evaluate Planet Gator’s time and place in the football universe.
The place looks good, as the Gators will be ranked high in pre-season polls. The “time” is now, because 2008 is shaping up as another championship run.
Urban Meyer has the program back on track and the residual impact of his organizational skills, recruiting excellence and onfield results have vaulted Florida to near the head of the class in the elite football teams.
In the minds of Football America, Florida is the “hot’ team.
The Gators are even known as “the sexiest team on the East coast” if you buy what quarterback Mitch Mustain told the Los Angeles Times last week.
The transfer from Arkansas was asked if the Trojans made it to the BCS title game this season, which team he would like to see them face. Mustain didn’t even hesitate when he replied:
“Oh man, that’s easy. Florida. I think that there’s a lot of other teams and I
think everybody’s kind of sick to death of hearing about the other teams. We play one of them this year. . . .
“Florida, at least the way I’ve seen it, has been I guess you could say our equivalent, not in the sense they’ve had our history in the last five or six years, just in the fact that they’re the big team. They’re the sexy team in the East. On the East Coast they’re it.
“You’ve got Tim Tebow; they’re loaded. They’re young like we are. I just think it would be a great matchup for the two of us. Eventually, if not this next year, two or three years down the road would be awesome.”
Now that the Gators’ eye-candy image is intact on the West Coast, perhaps Meyer can go about the football matters which will determine their course of destination.
Five of the most critical areas I see for Florida in ’08:
1. SECONDARY: The corners will be coached by Vance Bedford; Chuck Heater will switch over to safeties. This department will be better because, as Meyer said recently, it’s the first time Florida is three-deep at cornerback. We saw the growth of Joe Haden last season, but he needs help from the supporting cast, as coverage was woeful in games like Kentucky and Michigan indicated. An injury free Markihe Anderson would be an asset. Wondy Pierre-Louis still has a world of potential. Word is that Jacques Rickerson has had one of the most impressive off-seasons. Major Wright and Dorian Munroe return at safety and in incoming freshman Will Hill is expected to be in the mix.
2. TAILBACK: Emmanuel Moody is bound to have an impact, even though I question whether he’ll become Meyer’s 1,000-yard back at Florida because there are so many playmakers who want the ball. His presence will be felt as a team leader and an all-around performer who can pass block and catch the football as well as tote the rock. Just being there, Moody is enough to keep the defense honest and keep the linebackers off of Tim Tebow. I don’t buy into the theory that this spells the end of Kestahn Moore, however, but until K-Mo quits fumbling the football he won’t be carrying it much. New running backs coach Kenny Carter won the job because, among other things, he is an expert in teaching ball security. Look for him to make a difference.
3. OFFENSIVE EXECUTION: One big reason for Florida’s title run was the development of Chris Leak as a field general and his ability to close the deal late in games. It took him four years to learn it, with Leak’s performances in 2006 against Tennessee, FSU and Arkansas the most impressive. So understandably Tim Tebow wasn’t going to develop that skill in his first year as a starter. Twice in 2007 when the game was on the table — Auburn and Michigan — the offense couldn’t sustain a winning drive. This has been the off-season focus of Dan Mullen and I expect to see a big improvement in the Heisman Trophy winner’s check-downs as well as his check-offs. (Sounds weird to say “improvement” in the same sentence with “Heisman Trophy winner,” doesn’t it?)
4. DEFENSIVE LEADERSHIP: Frankly, Tony Joiner couldn’t ever really seem to muster the troops last season and it became painfully obvious without leaders like Brandon Siler and Ray McDonald around him, he wasn’t as effective as a player or leader. One big void is that there are few rising seniors on the 2008, with the exception of Javier Estopinan. So that role may fall to people like Brandon Spikes, Dustin Doe and Jermaine Cunningham.
5. COACHING CHEMISTRY: Meyer lost three pieces of his “All-Star Staff,” perhaps none bigger than co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Greg Mattison. But Dan McCarney brings experience as a head coach to the position and is expected to be very popular with the players — as well as with the media. He’ll be one of the most colorful interviews we’ve had in a while around Gator football. And he can also coach. How they all mix together will determine the kind of coaching effort Meyer gets.
Meyer is very optimistic about the off-season reports he’s getting about the work ethic of his team and extremely pleased that off-field problems have died down over what they were last season.
It’s way too early to start making projections about 2008 until spring ball is over. I’m anxious to see how the quarterback situation will resolve itself, but until Johnny Brantley’s shoulder heals, Cam Newton will have no competition at the backup spot. I expect both backups to see playing time this fall, if for no other reason than to avoid putting more mileage on the body of Tebow.
This is the start of what could be a prosperous two-year run and every effort needs to be made to see that Tebow is back for both of them.