The Florida Gators finished their eighth practice of fall camp on Tuesday and Dan Mullen met with the media to talk about where his team is as they prepare for the 2020 season.
Florida will take a mandated off day on Wednesday before getting back on the field Thursday for an instillation practice before Friday’s first scrimmage.
No new cases
The University of Florida and the University Athletic Association have done a very sound job when it comes to educating their student-athletes and mitigating the risk of COVID-19. Florida has not had a football player test positive for the virus since early July but Florida begins its fall semester on August 31 and Mullen knows the challenges that will come with an influx of students back on campus.
“We gotta be smart in our decision making, we gotta be smart in what we do. We kinda – to me – control our own future. We’ve shown that playing football’s safe, that’s what we’ve shown. So, that part of it. Now, we gotta make smart decisions on what we’re doing – not doing – when we’re doing more than football. So, that’s gonna be a big thing as we move forward. To sit there and say that ‘hey when students come back to campus there’s gonna be zero positives on our campus’, I mean that’s kinda ridiculous to even think that way.”
Four players back with the team
When the Gators hit the field to start fall camp over a week ago they were missing Zach Carter, Kadarius Toney, Trevon Grimes, and Jacob Copeland. After missing a few days of practice all four players have returned to the field and are not planning on opting out of the season. To date, Florida hasn’t had any player decide to opt-out of the season due to concerns over COVID-19.
Toney returning punts
Dan Mullen hasn’t released a depth chart, Florida hasn’t even updated the roster yet, but he did say that Kadarius Toney is returning punts. The shifty senior athlete returned one punt in 2019 for 12 yards and one punt in 2018, losing four yards. Florida had a sure-handed returner in Freddie Swain the last two seasons but will need to replace him this year.
Two young receivers stepping up
Mullen was very high on both Trent Whittemore and Ja’Markis Weston when asked on Tuesday.
On Whittemore: “One of the things he does well – got fabulous hands, very smart, we can play him, he knows all three different receiver positions, gives you a lot of flexibility out there on the field and you can be able to move him around.”
On Weston: Ja’markis (Weston), I’ve seen just an unbelievable improvement from him from this time last year. Last year, he was coming and he was this really this big, athletic guy. Now you watch him, you watch him route running – top end -, you watch his ability catching the ball – he’s catching the ball so much better.