Opening Spring Presser Notebook

Hear that? That’s the sound of whistles blowing as the Florida Gators started spring football practice on Wednesday afternoon in front of the media and fans.

This spring is a little different than years past because the Gators are coming off of a 4-8 season in which they fired both their offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.

One other key note from Wednesday’s practice was the return of quarterback Jeff Driskel who was shelved last year with a leg injury sustained in just the third game of the season against Tennessee.

Overall, Wednesday was a good day for the Gators and the coaching staff and after practice Will Muschamp met with the media to talk about the day’s events.

Here is a quick notebook to get you caught up with what Muschamp had to say:

Injuries

  • Safety Keanu Neal tweaked his hamstring today at practice and the injury has been an issue in the offseason.
  • Linebacker Neiron Ball banged his knee today and had to ice it but he should be fine.
  • Fullback Gideon Ajagbe has a hamstring problem but should be back on Saturday.
  • Defensive end Alex McCallister had some cramps today and Muschamp joked that he needed to eat more.

Offense

  • Florida isn’t going to get away from the running back and the running game under new offensive coordinator Kurt Roper but they will find different ways to run it.
  • Execution is the focus on offense while also trying to play fast and get as many snaps in as possible on offense.
  • Muschamp talked to the team about the advantages for the offense to play fast and the disadvantages it causes the defense.
  • Adjustments and taking things from the meeting room to the field is something that the offensive coaches will be evaluating this spring and fall.

Quarterback Play

  • Jeff Driskel is 100-percent cleared to play but won’t have any contact this spring.
  • This year’s offense will help take advantage of Driskel’s strengths as far running and throwing the ball.
  • Will Grier had a good first day and the coaching staff will evaluate his film tonight.
  • Skyler Mornhinweg was thrown into the fire last year but he’s in the same boat as the other quarterbacks, trying to adjust to and learn a new system.

More notes from the presser

  • Effort is a key for the team with the emphasis being on the defense retaining information and the offensive guys taking the stuff they have learned in the film room to the field.
  • Roper’s teaching techniques are something that have stood out to Muschamp in Roper’s first few months on the job.
  • Safety play needs to better than last year and between Jabari Gorman, Marcell Harris and Marcus Maye. Two of those guys must step up.
  • The team will work almost exclusively out of the shotgun this season.
  • Offensive lineman Chaz Green had a great offseason and so did Neiron Ball.
  • Dan Quinn will be back in town this weekend to speak at the coaching clinic.
Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.

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