Notebook: Mullen previews bowl, draft decisions and more

Dan Mullen spoke to the media on Friday with the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl just a couple weeks away. He previewed the bowl matchup with Michigan, the early signing period and upcoming draft decisions.

Here’s what he said:

• Six players will graduate this weekend and 12 total on the team have graduated. “I don’t know if we’ll have 12 guys drafted this year, but we’ll have 12 guys that graduated playing in the bowl game.”

• There are no new injuries, but Kyle Trask is the only currently injured player who is expected to be ready to go for the bowl game.

• Emory Jones has been getting a lot of extra reps in practices to get him ready for spring.

• Mullen said Michigan is one of the best defensive teams, if not the best defensive team, in the country.

• Mullen revealed that he knows at least one more draft eligible player is going to come out this year. When asked if that player is Jachai Polite, he said it is not him and that he is still doing research to make his decision.

• Mullen said over the next few years as he has more time with the players and his influence grows greater over the program, he thinks Florida players will make better and better draft decisions.

• Florida’s staff does not change its recruiting strategy for players committed to schools that are currently undergoing coaching or coordinator changes. “I want guys to come to Florida because they want to come to Florida.”

Bailiegh Carlton
A lifelong sports fan, Bailiegh Carlton knew from a young age that she wanted to work in sports in some capacity. Before transferring to the University of Florida to study journalism, she played softball at Gulf Coast State College. She then interned for Gator Country for three years as she worked toward her degree. After graduation, Bailiegh decided to explore other opportunities in the world of sports, but all roads led her right back here. In her time away, she and her husband welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world. When she isn't working, she can almost always be found snuggled up with sweet baby Ridley, Cody and her four fur babies.