With four veterans playing so well that Urban Meyer called them all “starters,” depth at safety wasn’t a concern at least until Monday. Senior Dorian Munroe, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL, underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee (same one he hurt last year) Monday morning, which means he’s out for five to six weeks.
“Dorian Munroe had scoped knee so he’s out five or six weeks and that hurts us and hurts him,” Coach Urban Meyer said after Monday afternoon practice. “We were hoping it was not going to need a scope but it did. I believe it was Friday or Saturday when he dinged it. We were hoping they didn’t have to do it but they told us over the weekend that he had to so he had it done this morning.”
With Munroe out, the Gators have three veteran safeties in Major Wright, Ahmad Black and Will Hill. Wright figures to start at free safety with Black at strong safety and Hill will be on the field plenty since most of the teams the Gators will play spread the field, which means putting a fifth player in the secondary. Hill was the nickel for the majority of last season.
Meyer said Munroe’s injury means freshman Dee Finley has to step it up and get ready to see the field. Also, freshman Josh Evans, who has been working out at corner, will probably see some practice time at safety.
Elsewhere on the injury front, freshman offensive tackle Xavier Nixon has a sprained ankle but Meyer said he “hasn’t missed any practices and is just gimping around.”
Senior wide receiver Carl Moore still hasn’t returned to practice after a back procedure but freshman corner Jeremy Brown, who had the same procedure, is almost ready to return.
“Jeremy feels better,” Meyer said. “Carl Moore is going to be a little bit longer. Your heart goes out to them because they’re great kids and they’re trying their brains out. I mean they’re trying hard.”
MONDAY’S PRACTICE: Meyer was looking for a sense of urgency starting to develop as the countdown is now less than two weeks until the September 5 season opener with Charleston Southern. While he didn’t exactly get what he was looking for Monday, he did see his first teamers going at it hard.
“I didn’t see that today,” Meyer said. “I was hoping to see a little bit more of that. They practiced hard. Our ones, they treat it like professionals and they went about their business.”
As for his second unit, Meyer said he “expected a little more energy but it was hot. It was not a great day today. Our ones went out and battled today.”
Tim Tebow went through a full practice Monday after being held out of contact the last week because of a sore back. Meyer said that Tebow’s back was fine.
Tebow, who played all last season with a bad shoulder (injured against Hawaii) that required surgery in the offseason, is a tough guy who plays through pain and doesn’t always tell Meyer when he’s hurting.
Asked about Tebow’s toughness when it comes to handling pain and injuries, Meyer said, “I don’t ask him anymore because he’s not going to tell me. Mickey (Marotti, strength and conditioning coach) is the guy he talks to. Don’t ask me because I don’t know.”
STILL LOOKING FOR THAT FIFTH STARTER ON THE O-LINE: Last week Meyer thought the Gators were closing in on an offensive line that would start Matt Patchan at left tackle, Carl Johnson at left guard, Maurkice Pouncey at center, Mike Pouncey at right guard and Marcus Gilbert at right tackle. Monday, Meyer said the starting offensive line is still up in the air.
“The guys that are for sure starters right now according to (offensive line) Coach (Steve) Addazio are Pouncey, Pouncey and Gilbert. Carl (Johnson) should be in there but he has to stay grinding. The next four practices, five practices are going to be key for those guys. James Wilson is pushing him (Johnson). You have (Sam) Robey (center) in there. The X-factor in there might be Mo Hurt (right guard) so you’ve got a little bit of depth there.”
Maurkice Pouncey has practiced every day in August but he hasn’t done any full-scale contact work and won’t get any game-like reps until next week. Pouncey had offseason shoulder surgery so holding him out is precautionary. Hurt, who has a history of shoulder stingers, hasn’t done any significant contact work either but that will change soon.
“We’ve been real limited on the contact,” Meyer said. “We’re going to wait until next week and let him (Hurt) go play a little bit. Him and Maurkice … we’ve been very cautious with because it’s that position (offensive line) and they’re both veteran guys.”
A couple of freshmen are starting to make a move to get into the offensive line rotation, too.
“(Jon) Halapio has taken a stride,” Meyer said. “We’re trying to get two freshmen ready to play and we thought it was Jon Harrison and he’s fine … Nick Alajajian, too. Right now Halapio and X (Nixon) are starting to make a move.”
The difference for Halapio and Nixon, Meyer said is, “Maturity and they just learn the offense a little easier. Offensive line takes awhile to learn how to play.”
PERCY POSITION: Meyer has seen enough of Brandon James at the Percy Position (inside slot) to know that his All-American kick returner can also be a dynamic performer if he gets the reps with the offense.
“H’s a dynamic runner,” Meyer said. “I think we always felt that way but with Percy back there and we needed a return guy we didn’t use him that much. He’s had an excellent camp, goes every day and has a lot of talent. We are now starting to do all that stuff that we did. The first week and a half was just getting a base offense in and then we started doing all the stuff we did towards the end of last year.”
Freshman Andre Debose has the talent to be an impact player at the position but he’s been slowed a bit by a hamstring injury and Meyer is being careful to bring him along slowly.
“He’s a little bit behind because of his injury but he’s learning,” Meyer said. “He practiced today and he’s trying.”
Meyer also is giving third-year sophomore Chris Rainey a look at the Percy Position. Rainey has taken almost all his reps at tailback this fall, but he’s so good at making people miss when he has the ball in open space that Meyer wants to see what he can do at that position.
“Percy was so dynamic with the ball in his hands and the speed that you want to make sure whoever you’re giving the ball to has that,” Meyer said. “Rainey is one of the fastest guys on the team. He’s got as good as make you miss, maybe not as good as Percy but darn close as far as making a guy miss in open space.”
Meyer is also getting a good look at Jeff Demps in the slot but whenever James, Rainey or Debose are in the slot, Demps and Emmanuel Moody will probably be at tailback.
“In that series you’re talking about with all the motions, the lead back — remember who it was last year, Kestahn Moore — has to be a very good blocker and right now that’s going to be Moody and Demps and they have to carry the ball as well,” Meyer said.
WIDE RECEIVER: Third-year sophomore Deonte Thompson has had an excellent August and he could be that breakout guy the Gators need, capable of making tough catches while using his speed (10.3 100 meters) to stretch the field vertically.
“He’s starting to show it,” Meyer said, while complimenting senior Riley Cooper on putting in an excellent Monday of practice.
Meyer is comfortable with his first four receivers but he’s still looking for some young guys to step it up to add depth to the position.
“When you line up the first four receivers, you’ve got Deonte, Coop, David (Nelson) and Brandon James,” Meyer said. “Those are all quality players. It’s the backups that have to get going.”
SCHOLARSHIP FOR CHRISTOPHER COLEMAN: Walk-on senior tight end Christopher Coleman got good news Monday. The 6-3, 250-pounder who came to UF via Columbia County High School (Lake City) and Santa Fe Community College) was awarded a scholarship.
“We put Chris Coleman on scholarship today,” Meyer said. “I love him and he’s a great young person who has been with us awhile so we put him on scholarship today.”