Muschamp Recruiting Analysis: Relentless, But Is He Pursuing the Right People? Part One

by | Dec 17, 2013 | Gator Football, Gators Recruiting

Muschamp's reputation as a relentless recruiter might obscure a more systemic problem with his ability to evaluate talent.

Muschamp’s reputation as a relentless recruiter might obscure a more systemic problem with his ability to evaluate talent.

A stomach flu that shouldn’t be discussed delayed my IAKOW debut, and as such, I didn’t get to dissect the 21-0 run that allowed Florida to beat Kansas at the O’Connell Center last Tuesday night, but I’m happy to join IAKOW and look forward to being a part of the writing staff and, more importantly, the community on this website.

Neil Shulman introduced me in a previous piece, and I’m grateful he’s brought me aboard. I’ll look forward to contributing consistently and should provide “day after” analysis to the Jimmy V Classic Wednesday as well- a game the Gators better be prepared for lest they ruin the goodwill of the Kansas victory in one fell swoop. Much more on Florida-Memphis in the day to come, as well, I’d expect.

For my debut—I thought I’d take a long look at Florida’s football program, which itself is just coming out of a season-long stomach flu that probably shouldn’t de discussed. Neil Shulman recently wondered if Florida had an attrition problem under Will Muschamp. Whatever your thoughts are on that, he did mention one thing that I’m particularly curious about- lots of players that Muschamp signs are leaving for various reasons. So now I’m going to take that a step further, and ask: is Muschamp even recruiting the right type of players to begin with?

First, though, let’s quickly review how we got to this point in the first place.

There are a host of reasons why Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley made the decision to bring Muschamp back as Florida’s head football coach in 2014, and on various websites, these reasons have been well-documented. Several pieces could have been linked- but I chose the Team Speed Kills piece for two reasons: 1st– I think it best demonstrates that many of the problems with the Florida football program are indeed systemic, meaning in this context they aren’t, or weren’t, directly caused by Will Muschamp and his staff; and 2nd—it reiterates a common-thread that has existed since Will Muschamp was hired away from Mack Brown’s Texas staff—Muschamp is a relentless recruiter who can bring in players to fix the problem. It is this second claim, which the Team Speed Kills piece makes with limited and careful language, but other author’s have made more aggressively, which merits more examination, and that is the goal of this piece.

Before examining the “Muschamp as relentless recruiter” who can and will “bring in the guys to fix it” claim in what I think you’ll find is tedious detail, I’d like to offer a couple of additional caveats, for purposes of “framing” this piece. First, I do not think “Muschamp as relentless recruiter” is the primary reason Foley brought Muschamp back. I think it was one factor that was of import and weighed alongside:

a)       Muschamp’s impressive 11-2 2012 campaign, where Florida reached the Sugar Bowl for only the ninth time in the 107 year history of the program;

b)      the “investment” factor–outlined by Team Speed Kills and several times, quite well, by Andy Hutchins at Alligator Army—which is the argument that “Florida invested in a young, talented coach who knows x’s and o’s and football and if you release him now, down the road he’ll be a dominant force who essentially got OJT at a premier program prior; and

c)       “Optics”- which is a combination of the eye-test argument that Florida surely wouldn’t have gone 4-8 if it hadn’t lost 11 starters to injury over the course of the regular season and the broader “optics” argument that if Florida fired a head coach suffering that type of injury-riddled season a year removed from the Sugar Bowl after affording him only three years to fix a program the second-best coach in college football said he “broke”, well—who the hell is going to want that job?

It should also be noted that “c”, especially the broader “optics” portion, is maybe the best argument, though of course Foley shouldn’t and can’t and would never say so out loud. It’s the “c” argument that forces Florida’s hand (along with Louisville’s rather large pockets) replacement hunting, and it is naïve to suggest otherwise, given that what Florida essentially did when it hired Will Muschamp to be its football coach was hire the guy that Texas had selected to be its football coach whenever Mack Brown rode off in the sunset or was forced out by boosters who are tired of Alabama and Texas A & M and yes, Baylor.

One thing I haven’t done, during this whole ordeal, is really get a sense or feel one way or the other whether Muschamp is the right guy for the program long-term—I don’t think anyone knows that yet—but as someone who has seen my fair share of Florida football teams, I think Foley made the right decision precisely because we don’t know if Will Muschamp is the right guy long-term, but we do know the “optics” are devastatingly bad if he wasn’t the head coach in 2014.

That established, it is error to “think” Muschamp is the right guy for 2014 (and perhaps beyond) without at least considering the various indictments of his football program, as is. And make no mistake—it is Will Muschamp’s football program. Next season will mark year four of his tenure, which is commonly accepted in the sport as plenty long enough for a coach to leave his mark on a program and remove himself from both the achievement and harm of a predecessor. This means the pressure not only will be, but should be, on Will Muschamp to produce results next autumn.

Urban Meyer famously said the program was a "little broke" when he left it. But that probably wasn't about talent.

Urban Meyer famously said the program was a “little broke” when he left it. But that probably wasn’t entirely about talent.

Much has been written about the problems plaguing the program, notably the putrid offense that Will Muschamp conceded has “infected” the program. There is no question Florida’s offensive struggles have placed immense pressure on Muschamp’s defense to get stops and produce turnovers, and when they haven’t, Florida has lost more than it has won. You can’t argue that from a results standpoint.

A new offensive coordinator, and perhaps a new offensive system, may help matters, and surely can do no harm, but Muschamp’s issues do not start, nor end, with inept offense. And it has surprised this author that so many have fixated on the offensive woes and to a large extent stopped the interrogatories regarding Muschamp’s program there.

Florida’s problems, and a “Big, Dumb Will Muschamp FOO-BAW” (2013, not 2012 Spencer Hall connotation) offense that makes a 79 Gremlin look like a sweet whip, might be a symptom of a larger condition, which is largely about Will Muschamp, “talent evaluator” and recruiter, more than anything else.

And before you go all “But Muschamp is a relentless recruiter who has assembled two top-five recruiting classes, Neil, and it isn’t as if Urban Meyer exactly let the cupboard full, what are you talking about?”—let me explore this a bit. And let’s explore it with Meyer’s last class, the 2010 group, under the microscope too, because that’s fair given the five year personnel turnover schedule required in the sport of college football and because examining the final Meyer class directly helps address the longstanding argument of the “Meyer said the program is broken” crowd, who typically collapse most arguments about the state of Florida football to a simple “Meyer broke this, Go Michigan State, Ashtabula Jesus is the worst” lines of argumentation.

Basic premise: Will Muschamp may be a relentless recruiter, but by and large he has been relentlessly pursuing personnel he and his staff either did not evaluate properly, or should not have evaluated because they did not fit a specific need/vision for his program. This, coupled with the problems Muschamp and his staff (the offensive staff being the worst offenders) have had developing the players they did bring in, have created a situation where the fruits of Muschamp’s relentless labor have been a lousy harvest. Stopping the metaphor: Will Muschamp has failed to replenish Florida’s roster with the type of players he needs to win championships.

As noted above, Meyer’s final class is as good a starting point as any. It is (near) where the well-written Team Speed Kills piece linked above begins its analysis of the systemic problems that “have been around a long time”, although there is a discussion about the 2009 team that went 13-1 as well, but even if the Addazio arguments/skill position arguments there are true- they’re not particularly persuasive because zero skill players from 2009 could, by rule, impact Florida football in 2014, and Will Muschamp has had three, and by next summer will have four, recruiting classes to identify, evaluate and bring in talent to fix whatever issues existed on that team—which by the way, won 13 games and was part of a program that still has won more consecutive games than any SEC football team this century. So we’ll start at 2010, the last class signed, though not the last class largely recruited by, Urban Meyer.

NOTE: For formatting purposes, we’ll just note what happened with the player, how they contributed to the Florida program, whether they were a starter, All-SEC player, etc. Each recruit will be given a grade. Anyone who has ever had fun with a 24/7 sports or ESPN Top 50 Players List four or five years later will appreciate this method. Also noted at the top (in parentheses) will be the national ranking, on an aggregate basis (ESPN, 24/7, Scout), of the class. List goes from most-highly touted to least. A synopsis of the class will follow the list.

Matt Elam was among the All-SEC performers in the 2010 class- coached up by Muschamp, brought in by Urban.

Matt Elam was among the All-SEC performers in the 2010 class- coached up by Muschamp, brought in by Urban.

Meyer’s Last Class- 2010 (# 1)

Ronald Powell, DE/LB – # 1 recruit in country according to two services. Injuries have hurt, as have questions about his work ethic. BUT- he’s been a starter, and if he returns to school (very much in the air but the guess here is the NFL paperwork won’t be pretty), he could be a dominant player as a redshirt senior. Grade: B-.

 Dominique Easley, DT– # 1 DT by all services. Two knee injuries but started a game every year he was healthy. All-SEC performer, and appeared poised for massive senior year before he was injured after the Tennessee game (which he dominated). Likely a productive pro even with the injury history, just like Ray McDonald has been. Grade: A.

 Matt Elam, S/ATH – # 2 at “Athlete” out of high school on aggregate, and one of a wave of players Meyer reeled in from powerhouse William T. Dwyer in Palm Beach County. Elam was a two-year starter and three year contributor who had a massive junior year that landed him on the All-SEC team and some All-American lists. A quiet leader, he was the heartbeat of Florida’s vaunted 2012 Sugar Bowl and SEC East co-champion defense. First round draft pick and rookie starter in the NFL. Grade: A +.

Jonathan Dowling, S – Ranked # 1 or # 2 by most services at his position, Dowling was supposed to anchor the secondary with Elam for three years. Instead, Meyer kicked him off the team (yes, Meyer did kick people other than Avery Atkins and Cam Newton off the team) for rules violations shortly before stepping down (again). Muschamp tried to persuade him to come back; Dowling refused. The Bradenton Southeast product surfaced at Western Kentucky, where this year he was First Team All-Sun Belt for the second consecutive year. In 2012, he had three interceptions in one game to help the Hilltoppers defeat the University of Kentucky, a game that more or less sealed current Florida WR coach Joker Phillips’ fate in Lexington. He declared for the NFL draft this week Grade: F.

Shariff Floyd, DT – # 2 at his position, behind Easley, out of high school. Part of what Tom Luginbill called “the greatest defensive recruiting class ever assembled” on signing day. Floyd was a two-year starter, a three-year contributor, and an All-American and awards banquet invitee as a junior. A fan favorite and a wonderful person, Floyd was a first round draft pick and is, like Elam, now a starter in the NFL as a rookie. Grade: A +

Joshua Shaw, CB – # 3 or # 4 at his position by most services- one of two California signees from this class that showed Meyer’s ability to sell Florida in 50 states to elite talent. Started one game as a freshmen for Urban Meyer in 2010, and played in ten other games. Transferred to Southern California because of family issues. Started for USC at corner and nickel this fall. Grade: D (purely at Florida- though he left through no fault of his own)

Mack Brown, RB – Consensus top-five tailback who had threatened Herschel Walker’s state rushing records in high school out of Lithonia, GA. Struggled to grasp multiple different offenses until this season, where he was a reliable contributor on a bad football team. Will play a role in proceedings in 2014,though how much depends less on him and more on Matt Jones and Kelvin Taylor, and perhaps, Dalvin Cook. Safe to say he’s been a bit of a disappointment, given considerable hype. Grade: C

Gerald Christian, TE- # 2 TE and second of the William T. Dwyer commits, Christian redshirted as a freshmen after repeated statements by Meyer that he was “close” to ready to play. Christian stayed after Meyer departed and played in eight games for Muschamp, mostly in goalline packages. Transferred to Louisville after the Gator Bowl win over Ohio State. Had a catch in every game in which he played (11) for Louisville this year and started several games for the Cardinals. Caught four touchdown passes. Grade: D-

Chris Dunkley, WR – Highly-regarded burner from football factory Pahokee. Struggled with injuries immediately when he arrived at Florida and then with grades, leading to a suspension by Muschamp for academic reasons. Transferred to South Florida, where he has caught only 11 passes in two years and been suspended for domestic violence charges once. Grade: F

When Meyer did miss in the 2010 class, it was on offense, of course. All-Americans like Ian Silberman failed to warrant the hype.

When Meyer did miss in the 2010 class, it was on offense, of course. All-Americans like Ian Silberman failed to warrant the hype.

Ian Silberman, OT- # 3 or # 4 OT out of Fleming Island High in greater Jacksonville, Silberman was one of only two OL signed by Meyer in recruiting class some called the “Greatest Ever.” Silberman played sparingly for Florida after redshirting in 2010, and started this year only after Florida had lost Chaz Green, DJ Humphries and Tyler Moore to injuries. Silberman graduated in four years and will transfer next year, a sign he understands it is unlikely he’ll start once the line is fit. Grade: D

Jaylen Watkins, CB – Another kid who was top-five nationally at his position. Watkins played special teams extensively for Urban Meyer as a freshmen, and started 29 football games the following three years for Will Muschamp. Watkins will be largely remembered for slipping and allowing Georgia’s Tavares King to catch a critical touchdown in the 2011 Georgia game, capping a UGA comeback, but should be remembered as a very good, flexible football player who never complained, graduated, and was an outstanding tackler and three-year starter. That’s what you hope for on signing day. Grade: B

Chaz Green, OT—Tampa Catholic product who was rated below Silberman at his position by all services. Redshirted as a freshmen but started nine games for Will Muschamp as a redshirt freshmen and was named a Freshmen All-American by the AP. As a sophomore, Green graded out at 80 percent or higher the final four games of the season, and was the only lineman to do so in the Sugar Bowl loss. Started eleven games, missing two with injury. Injured in the preseason, Green began the domino-effect of UF injuries, and there’s an argument that his injury was, outside of Easley’s, the most costly to the Gators in 2012. Will return, as either a senior or medically-redshirted junior, in 2014. Grade: B

Cody Riggs, S – Less highly regarded secondary member of this class, but came from Fort Lauderdale’s St. Thomas Aquinas, a place Urban Meyer once said “gives you players who are already ready to play for the Gators.” Put on nearly thirty pounds after enrolling at Florida and played immediately for Meyer, appearing in 13 games and starting alongside Ahmad Black by season’s end. 2012 was a washout, as Riggs broke his foot, earning a medical redshirt. Otherwise, 26 starts since he’s been enrolled and has played in every game when healthy enough to do so. Good student, sometimes team captain. Football player is best way to describe him. Grade: B +

Leon Orr, DT – Again, less highly thought of than contemporaries Floyd and Easley, but still a four-star player by all services. Redshirted in 2010 as Meyer tried to move him to offensive line. Muschamp arrived and immediately moved him back to defensive tackle. Appeared in ten games in 2011, and every game in 2012 before becoming a starter (eleven starts) in 2013. Was particularly good in second half of 2012, including big games against Georgia and South Carolina. Grade: B –

Solomon Patton, WR – Late addition to class from Mobile. Chose Florida over Auburn and Alabama, who both recruited him heavily (Bama for the role filled by Kevin Norwood!!) Patton was a quiet special teams player for two years before becoming part of the offense in 2012, running jet sweeps that were very effective for the Gators throughout the first half of the season. Injured against Georgia and missed the remainder of the season. Started 13 games as a senior and had an enormous season as one of only playmakers on dreadful football team. Fast enough for next level, but durability and size questions will matter. Should be drafted though. Grade: B

Chris Martin, DE – Top-five or ten at his position, depending on the service–Meyer flipped him from California with much fanfare after signing day, and then moved him to linebacker. Muschamp moved him back to DE, but Martin had off-the-field issues and transferred after spring football, citing “homesickness.” Was a bit of a nomad for a while, eventually turning up at Kansas for Charlie Weis. After a spring that had various preseason magazines touting his potential, Martin was arrested for aggravated robbery and dismissed from the Jayhawks program. He will stand trial for those charges this March, and if convicted, could serve up to fifteen years in state prison. Grade: F

Michael Taylor, LB – Atlanta product who chose Florida over Georgia and LSU. Redshirted for Meyer’s last team, but has since played in 36 games for the Gators, mostly at middle linebacker, starting 14. Registered ten tackles against LSU this past season, and had six, including a crucial second-half sack, against Texas A & M last year as the team’s fourth linebacker. If healthy, should start as a senior. Grade: B

Trey Burton, ATH- Not overwhelmingly highly-touted because of questions about what position he’d play, Meyer moved him to H back in summer camp, and Burton became a legend three games into his freshmen year when he scored FIVE touchdowns against Kentucky. In hindsight, that may have been a disaster—Alabama scouted him and stuffed him on the opening drive in Tuscaloosa the next week and the season suffered from there… Burton started 29 games and appeared in fifty for Florida, finishing his career with 20 touchdowns rushing or receiving, 700 yards plus rushing, 900 plus receiving, and one game-changing (season-changing?) touchdown run at Tennessee in 2012. Probably not a pro, but will be a fine coach. Grade: B+

Gideon Ajagbe, LB – Brought in to play linebacker but tore rotator cuff in summer practice and redshirted for Meyer. In 2011, played sparingly on special teams. Injured again in 2012- this time with a knee- but moved to FB and won a starting job (when Florida started a FB) in 2013. Caught four passes this year, including a touchdown in the opener against Toledo, where he made his first start. Grade: Incomplete

Quinton Dunbar, WR – Three-star (aggregate) but well-regarded because he played at Booker T. Washington, a Miami powerhouse. Dunbar redshirted as a freshmen, but started five games for Charlie Weis’ offense in 2011, catching 14 passes and two touchdowns. Started eight more times as a sophomore in 2012, and caught at least one pass in every game- a streak that now stands at a school record 28 games—including a huge touchdown against South Carolina in 2012. His 90 career receptions are tops on the active roster, but he hasn’t scored a touchdown since the FSU game in 2012. Bizarre. As expected, he’ll return for his senior season, where he figures to remain a reliable, if not spectacular, college wide receiver. Grade: B

Neiron Ball, OLB – Another Georgia linebacker, Ball picked Meyer’s program over Alabama and Auburn, and he played extensively as a freshmen in pass-coverage situations and on special teams. Missed 2011 with a horrific medical condition that nearly caused him to lose his life, much less play football. Returned in 2012 and played in eleven games, starting against Bowling Green and LSU. Started seven more games in 2013, including four of the final five games of the year, but has struggled as a run-stopper in particular. Should factor into the rotation as a redshirt senior. Grade: C+

Tyler Murphy, QB – Late addition to class as lightly-recruited dual-threat quarterback, Meyer recruited him as a QB but more or less immediately moved him to WR. Murphy redshirted, then remained a WR (and emergency quarterback) for Charlie Weis in 2011 before becoming a full-time quarterback in 2012, behind Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel. As is well-known, Murphy took over for the injured Jeff Driskel in 2013 against Tennessee, and performed admirably as a starter over the next six games before a shoulder injury suffered against LSU finally became too painful to play by the South Carolina game. Threw for 1,200 yards and six touchdowns against five picks as the starter, and was thought to be in the mix for next year’s starting role, but announced he would transfer this week. Grade: C + (Given what was expected, he did okay, and he’s probably the difference between 2-10 and 4-8, for whatever that’s worth)

Lynden Trail, DE/LB – Another guy from a powerhouse program (Booker T Washington) that embodies what Meyer values in recruits – speed, size (6’7!!!) and HS pedigree— Trail was one of the earliest commits in the # 1 class and a guy Meyer said was “instrumental” in helping keep the class together off-the-field. Trail redshirted, didn’t play for Muschamp in 2011, and transferred after failing to even dress for the FSU game. Trail transferred to Norfolk State, where he was an All-MEAC player at linebacker for the Spartans this season, registering 94 tackles and 8.5 sacks, both good for second on the team. Has started fifteen games at Norfolk State and should be team captain as a senior. Grade: F

Jordan Haden, CB – Joe’s brother, he enrolled in the spring shortly after his brother turned pro. Left Florida before dressing for a game, turning up at Toledo, where he started two games in 2012 and had a pick six. Was injured throughout 2013, playing only sparingly, but should be a potential starter for the Rockets as a redshirt senior. Grade: F

Robert Clark, WR- Third of the William T. Dwyer state champions to commit to Meyer, and the last one to commit after a lengthy recruiting battle with Louisville. Played in the slot in several games as a true freshmen, demonstrating speed and elusiveness. Caught a TD on opening drive against FSU as well in 2010. Played sparingly for Will Muschamp to start the 2011 season, mainly due to injury and Charlie Weis not knowing how to deploy him. Quit team prior to Georgia game and transferred to Louisville along with high-school teammate Gerald Christian. Played in 11 games for Louisville this season after redshirting, catching 23 passes and a touchdown. Should factor into offense as primary slot receiver in 2014 for Charlie Strong’s bunch. Grade: D

Michael McFarland, TE – A big target at 6’5, 230 who chose Florida over Duke and South Carolina. Redshirted in 2010 and transferred after spring ball in 2011. Has played in every season at USF (he did not have to sit out a year after redshirting)—catching 28 passes in three years and two touchdowns. Should start as a senior. Grade: F

Darrin Kitchens, LB – Least recruited player in the class who ended up being first freshmen to lose the legendary  Meyer “helmet stripe” in summer camp. Played on special teams as a true freshmen, recording two tackles. Played as reserve linebacker and spot starter (6 career starts) every season thereafter, finishing his career with 59 tackles, and a critical forced fumble against FSU in 2012. Won “Fergie Ferguson” Award for leadership as a senior, was an All-Academic SEC guy three years of four, and sang the alma mater, even when no one else did. Florida football could use more guys like Darrin Kitchens, who I’d bet the house will live a fantastic life. Grade: B +

Synopsis:  Meyer’s last class demonstrates that “broke” or not, the argument that the cupboard was bare when Muschamp arrived is tenuous at best. Yes, the class didn’t win a single championship (yet), so the “greatest class ever assembled” hype is far off—but at the same time, it is probably one of the ten best classes in the history of Florida football, which is something. The class featured three All-Americans, four All-SEC performers, several multi-year starters, and the attrition was “average,” with only Chris Martin really being a high-profile “bust”– and keep in mind, he was probably the fourth or at best third most highly-touted lineman in the class. In fairness to Muschamp, Meyer did miss in this class and of course where he missed was offense: of the 2 lineman, only one has been productive, and it’s the least highly touted one (Green), and of the receivers, the most-highly sought after, Chris Dunkley, never caught a ball for Florida. Throw in a dash of Mack Brown wasn’t the second-coming of Herschel Walker, and you get what we mean. But..

Here’s another thing to think about when you whitewash Muschamp failure with Meyer blame: how many of these guys started for Muschamp? You don’t need to do the counting—the answer is SEVENTEEN. And Muschamp’s vaunted 2012 defense? Well, Here’s Florida’s starting defense in 2012:

DL: Floyd, Easley, Hunter (All Meyer recruits)
LB: Powell, McCray, Bostic, Jenkins (All Meyer recruits)
DB: Roberson, Riggs, Elam, Saunders (All Meyer recruits with the exception of Roberson and Saunders, sort of)

So what does this suggest? That Will Muschamp can’t develop players?

Longtime recruiting analyst Corey Long, of ESPN and of late, 24-7 sports, who knows the Florida recruiting scene better than anyone other than Larry Blustein, suggested that’s the “lazy argument” when I asked him. “Will can coach, x’s and o’s. It’s not about development—Will had to develop and scheme that defense. He just didn’t recruit it, save Roberson and Pop Saunders, who was a commitment he held.”  It doesn’t stop there, Long noted.

“Look at the top backups in 2012: Dante Fowler is a Muschamp guy (flipped on NSD 2011) and Antonio Morrison is an absolute Muschamp guy. Otherwise, Purifoy, Earl Okine, Josh Evans, Jaylen Watkins, Darrin Kitchens…none of these guys Muschamp had anything to do with getting on campus.”  So, you’re saying the cupboard wasn’t bare…?

Long certainly is saying that.“They had players from Meyer. Now fast forward to 2013. The guys that returned from 2012 made the impact plays. Hargreaves (arguably the best corner prospect since Patrick Peterson) and Brian Poole are doing their part too so I’m not going to deny the impact of some freshmen.

But now in his third season wouldn’t you expect to have more contributions from freshmen and sophomores?”

That’s a fair question. And it is one about talent evaluation, which you have to be good at as a program CEO, because no matter how relentless you are selling your product, you need to be selling to the right buyers.

Maybe parts of the program were “broke”, but here is a more fascinating question: isn’t it the job of the head coach to replenish the program with players who can fix it? And has Muschamp done that? Long has his doubts: “Florida in 2014 and 2015 is going to be a big indictment on whether Muschamp was the right guy or not. When Zook got fired it wasn’t a question about his ability to bring in talent, it was about his ability to coach. Muschamp, I believe is a good coach, but I think he comes from the Mack Brown school of evaluation talent.”

Part II of this piece will explore the Muschamp classes. I do not recommend nor do I admonish anyone for enjoying part two of the piece with a holiday libation close at hand. You may or may not need it.

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Gameday: Florida Gators at Kentucky Wildcats

Gameday: Florida Gators at Kentucky Wildcats

Tonight, the Florida Gators face the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington. This will be Florida’s first true road test of the season in what should be an incredibly hostile environment.  The Gators look to continue to roll through the SEC East as they take on division foe,...

Emory Jones deserves respect. Period.

Emory Jones deserves respect. Period.

  We are now just a few days from Emory Jones’ first true road test as a starting quarterback. And though the concept is fairly obvious to some, it's not to others, so it's worth diving into in more depth: he deserves respect for how far he’s come from the...

Game day: Florida Gators vs. Tennessee Volunteers

Game day: Florida Gators vs. Tennessee Volunteers

Tonight, the Florida Gators face the Tennessee Volunteers in a primetime showdown in the Swamp. This time, the Gators look to bounce back from a narrow defeat by the #1 Alabama Crimson Tide. Though Tennessee is not the Tennessee of Old, we still expect this to be an...

Game day: Florida Gators vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

Game day: Florida Gators vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

Finally, the day has come! Today the #11 Florida Gators will battle the #1 Alabama Crimson tide in a matchup of epic proportions. Florida fans circled this game in anticipation since the announcement came that Alabama would once again return to the Swamp. This is a...

Florida LB Ventrell Miller out for the season

Florida LB Ventrell Miller out for the season

Florida's defense took a hit last Saturday when linebacker Ventrell Miller suffered an unknown injury in the Gators' 42-20 win over South Florida. That injury was subsequently deemed to be an elbow injury, but the exact nature- and the exact severity- of the injury...

Game day: Florida Gators at South Florida Bulls Preview

Game day: Florida Gators at South Florida Bulls Preview

Gameday is once again upon us! This time, the Florida Gators will face the South Florida Bulls in a quasi-road game where the stands promise to feature as much orange and blue as green and gold- if not more. Amidst what some people deem to be a quarterback controversy...

Five takeaways from Florida Gators’ 35-14 win over FAU

Five takeaways from Florida Gators’ 35-14 win over FAU

The Florida Gators knocked off FAU 35-14 to begin the 2021 season, but left much to be desired. So: what stuck out along the way? (Aside: I'll be keeping these "five takeaways" pieces short and sweet throughout the season in order to get more stuff written each week.)...

It’s Emory Jones’ turn. His time. And his team.

It’s Emory Jones’ turn. His time. And his team.

Photo credit: USA Today Flash back to almost four years ago, December 20, 2017. It's the day that Emory Jones signed with the Florida Gators, which planted a seed for a career that has, for the most part, remained dormant- until now. Not too long before a letter of...

Florida’s Andrew Chatfield enters transfer portal

Florida’s Andrew Chatfield enters transfer portal

Photo credit: Evan Lepak, UAA Communications Florida linebacker/defensive end Andrew Chatfield has decided to enter the transfer portal. In doing so, he becomes the third Gators defender who has logged reps at linebacker to do so this offseason after James Houston IV...

Snapshot: 2021 Florida-FSU chart

Snapshot: 2021 Florida-FSU chart

Happy Chart Day! Yep, it's that time of year again. The annual In All Kinds Of Weather tradition of "The Florida FSU chart" is back in 2021. For those who are not familiar with "The Chart," every year since 2014, I have been laying out all the dizzying array of ways...

OT David Conner commits to Florida

OT David Conner commits to Florida

Photo via David Conner Florida’s offensive line play has been suspect at best these past few years, and the Gators’ 2022 recruiting class has been somewhat stuck in reverse so far. Both of those things got a nice boost today with the commitment of offensive tackle...

LB EJ Lightsey commits to Florida

LB EJ Lightsey commits to Florida

Photo credit: Keith Niebuhr, 247Sports Linebacker EJ Lightsey (Fitzgerald, GA/Fitzgerald) has just become the newest member of the Gators' 2022 recruiting class. He announced the decision on twitter this morning. Though Florida's fan base does have a propensity to...

Florida CB Jaydon Hill tears ACL, will miss 2021 season

Florida CB Jaydon Hill tears ACL, will miss 2021 season

Photo credit: John Raoux, AP A big part of the small amount of depth the Florida Gators had in its secondary is now gone for the season, as cornerback Jaydon Hill has torn his ACL. Hill suffered the injury in practice on Sunday. Rumblings that Hill would miss the...

Four star RB Terrance Gibbs commits to Florida

Four star RB Terrance Gibbs commits to Florida

Photo via Terrance Gibbs The Gators have finally landed a top running back out of high school as opposed to the portal, as Terrance Gibbs (Winter Park, FL/Winter Park HS) has committed to Florida. Though Gibbs is only rated as a four star by both Rivals and 247Sports,...

2023 TE Mac Markway commits to Florida

2023 TE Mac Markway commits to Florida

Photo via Mac Markway Tim Brewster has landed another one for the Florida Gators, raiding the Show Me State for a Mac Markway, tight end that schools across the country wanted. Markway, a consensus four star target from St. Louis, chose Florida over Ohio State and...

ATH Jamarrien Burt commits to Florida

ATH Jamarrien Burt commits to Florida

After laying dormant for quite some time, the Gators' 2022 recruiting class is picking up some steam at last. A mere four days after Florida added a pair of commitments from linebacker Shemar James and wide receiver Chandler Smith, athlete Jamarrien Burt has joined...

Athletic four star LB Shemar James commits to Florida

Athletic four star LB Shemar James commits to Florida

Photo credit: Scott Donaldson, preps@al.com Florida's 2022 recruiting class just gained perhaps its most highly touted piece yet, as consensus four star linebacker Shemar James announced his commitment this afternoon. James- out of Mobile, AL/Faith Academy- was...

Four star DB Julian Humphrey commits to Florida

Four star DB Julian Humphrey commits to Florida

Photo via TexAgs Not even three months after poaching QB Nick Evers from the Lone Star State, Dan Mullen and the Florida Gators rode west to Texas once again and pulled out another stud in Julian Humphrey, a consensus four star prospect from the Houston metropolitan...

Underrated three star WR Isaiah Bond commits to Florida

Underrated three star WR Isaiah Bond commits to Florida

Photo via Isaiah Bond After a lull the past couple months, the Gators are making moves with their 2022 recruiting class again, this time adding wide receiver Isaiah Bond. https://twitter.com/isaiahbond_/status/1391513186566819845?s=20 247Sports credits Billy Gonzales...

Florida Gators 2021 NFL Draft primer

Florida Gators 2021 NFL Draft primer

Photo credit: Kim Klement, USA Today Happy NFL Draft Day, Florida Gators fans! Today is the day where 32 former college football stars take the first step towards making their lifelong dreams of playing in the NFL a reality. That, of course, will include former Gators...

(Unofficial) results from Florida’s NFL Pro Day

(Unofficial) results from Florida’s NFL Pro Day

Photo credit: Florida Gators Due to the cancellation of the Gators' spring football game, the Florida Gators Pro Day was the closest thing to live football we're going to get this offseason. Luckily for the fans- and much more importantly, themselves- several...

Who should replace Mike White at Florida? (2021 version)

Who should replace Mike White at Florida? (2021 version)

Photo credit: John E. Moore, Getty Images A year ago, after Mike White's coaching malpractice pushed me over the edge for good, I wrote about all the laundry list of candidates I would love to see Florida replace Mike White with. After his horrifying late game...

TE CJ Hawkins commits to Florida

TE CJ Hawkins commits to Florida

Image via 247Sports The Gators got off to a slow start with their 2022 recruiting class. But with the addition of CJ Hawkins, it's officially picking up steam. Hawkins, a tight end out of Tampa, FL/Berkeley Prep, committed to Florida over South Carolina. The Gators...

Athletic OT Tony Livingston commits to Florida

Athletic OT Tony Livingston commits to Florida

Image via BuckeyePlanet.com Florida picked up a major boost for its 2022 recruiting class with the addition of Tony Livingston. Livingston, a consensus four star offensive tackle from Tampa, FL/Carrolwood Day announced his decision on twitter this evening. He also had...

2022 QB Nick Evers commits to Florida

2022 QB Nick Evers commits to Florida

Image via TexAgs.com Coaches will tell you that in every recruiting class, signing a quarterback is a need. For the Gators' 2022 class, Dan Mullen just filled that need in the name of Nick Evers, who just committed with an announcement on twitter. Evers is a consensus...

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 3/2 practice

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 3/2 practice

Photo credit: Florida Gators/@GatorsFB The Gators held Day 6 of spring practice today, and as has been the case for several of the prior practices, the program decided to open it up (virtually) to the public, and streamed most of the reps live on the team's Instagram...

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 2/26 practice

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 2/26 practice

Day five of full pads. (Image via Florida Gators.) For the third time this week, the Florida Gators football team held a virtual open practice, streaming most of the day's work on Instagram live for all to see. Here are all the videos I managed to capture from Friday...

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 2/24 practice

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 2/24 practice

Jason Marshall vs. Xzavier Henderson: something we'll be seeing a lot of in practice for a very, very long time. (Photo credit: Florida Gators) For the second time this week, the Gator football program virtually opened its practice to the public on its Instagram page,...

Videos: highlights from Gator football’s 2/22 practice

Screenshot from Florida's practice today (via Florida Gators) Dan Mullen and the Florida Gator football team hit the field for practice today as usual. One thing that made today's practice different from a lot of the Gators' other practices, though, was that today's...

Kicker Adam Mihalek commits to Florida

Kicker Adam Mihalek commits to Florida

Image via Adam Mihalek The Florida Gators snuck in one last addition to their 2021 recruiting class at the last second: kicker Adam Mihalek. Mihalek, a local from Tampa, has announced his intentions to stay close to home and attend the University of Florida as a...

Four star 2022 DE Francois Nolton commits to Florida

Four star 2022 DE Francois Nolton commits to Florida

With the Gators' 2021 recruiting class all wrapped up, Dan Mullen and his staff have gone to work setting up their 2022 class. https://twitter.com/99_nolton/status/1357739221822418945?s=20 Francois Nolton, a 6'4, 225 lb. four star defensive end from Miami, has...

Gators land former LSU five star TE Arik Gilbert

Gators land former LSU five star TE Arik Gilbert

Dan Mullen remains undefeated in the NCAA transfer portal with the addition of Arik Gilbert. And now, a year after Florida lost unanimous All-American tight end Kyle Pitts to the NFL, the Gators may not miss a beat at that position. Gilbert, a former five star tight...

Florida Gators’ 2021 football schedule revealed

Florida Gators’ 2021 football schedule revealed

When the SEC first pieced together a twelve year football schedule rotation in 2014 that dictated which teams would play who from the other division, the Florida Gators knew that they'd be hosting Alabama as their cross-division opponent in 2021. But now, following...

Gators complete coaching staff with Jules Montinar

Gators complete coaching staff with Jules Montinar

UPDATE: Florida has officially announced Jules Montinar as the newest member of the Gator football staff. https://twitter.com/GatorsFB/status/1353802427313618945?s=20 (Initial story begins below.) With linebackers coach Christian Robinson presumably staying at...

Auburn DL Daquan Newkirk transfers to Florida

Auburn DL Daquan Newkirk transfers to Florida

DaQuan Newkirk is coming home. Daquan Newkirk has decided to return home (or close to it) for his final year of eligibility. And thus, Florida's shaky offseason took a step in the right direction. https://twitter.com/holdthat_2/status/1349757297782829056?s=20 Once a...

Florida LB James Houston to enter transfer portal

Florida LB James Houston to enter transfer portal

Best of luck to James Houston as he searches for a new home. James Houston IV, a junior linebacker from Fort Lauderdale, has told me that he will be entering the transfer portal. Houston was known for making a few of the bigger defensive plays of the last couple of...

Keyontae Johnson placed into medically induced coma

Keyontae Johnson placed into medically induced coma

Keyontae Johnson has been placed into a medically induced coma, according to the USA Today, who spoke with Johnson's grandfather. His grandfather, Larry DeJarnett said in a phone interview that his grandson was transported to Gainesville earlier today after receiving...

Florida vs Tennessee: Film Review – Defense

Florida’s 2020 season has overall been a successful one by most measures. The Gators are 8-1, ranked in the top ten in every major poll and are four wins away from securing the program’s fourth national title. But in order to obtain that national title, there’s a lot...

Several Gators listed as national award semifinalists

Florida's efforts on the field have been rewarded in the sense that the Gators now control their own destiny to SEC and national championships. But for several players, their efforts are being rewarded in more individual manners, too. Four Gators have been listed as...

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 31-19 win over Tennessee

Florida didn't play especially well, but did more than enough to beat Tennessee and wrap up the SEC East for the first time since 2016. What were the major takeaways from the game? Florida simply does not have a running game Tennessee came into the game with a five...

Photo Gallery from Florida’s 34-10 win over Kentucky

As we anticipate tomorrow's road matchup with Tennessee,  let’s take one more look back at last week’s game against Kentucky. Our podcast host, Dustin Smith, happens to also be a fantastic photographer. He was at the game last Saturday, and got some great photos of...

Florida RB Iverson Clement will transfer

Florida's deep stable of running backs has just gotten a little thinner. Iverson Clement, a junior tailback from Mount Holly, NJ, has decided to transfer. He departs from Florida having carried the ball twelve times for 94 yards. He nearly scored a touchdown against...

Gators make belated Thanksgiving feast out of Wildcats

Florida was missing key pieces on both sides of the ball a week ago in a sluggish 38-17 win over Vanderbilt. The Gators got them both back today, and the result was fairly similar: Florida struggled for a half against a historically inferior divisional opponent,...

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 34-10 win over Kentucky

It took awhile for Florida to get itself going, but they eventually did do exactly that and rolled away from Kentucky. What stood out in the victory? A tale of two halves Florida's offense was stuck in reverse for most of the first half, mustering a grand total of...

No. 6 Gators overcome sluggish start to run past Vandy

Florida arrived at Vanderbilt’s small stadium a mere hour and two minutes before kickoff, determined to avoid the cramped quarters in the visitors’ locker room at all costs and intent on spending as little time on the premises as they had to. Then the Gators took the...

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 38-17 win over Vanderbilt

It wasn’t pretty, but Florida fought off a tough challenge from Vanderbilt and got out of Nashville with a 38-17 win. What stuck out in the victory? The defense is still a problem. Yes, Florida played better on defense after a miserable first quarter, and sure,...

Photo Gallery from Florida’s 63-35 win over Arkansas

Before we look ahead to Vanderbilt tomorrow, let's take one more look back at last week's game against Arkansas. Our podcast host, Dustin Smith, happens to also be a fantastic photographer. He was at the game last Saturday night, and got some great photos of various...

Trask, Gators run Hogwild in blowout of Arkansas

Trask, Gators run Hogwild in blowout of Arkansas

Feleipe Franks’ dramatic return to the Swamp was the story of the day when his Arkansas Razorbacks faced off against #6 Florida in the Swamp. But it was his long-time understudy, Kyle Trask, who dominated the night. Trask continued his push for a Heisman Trophy by...

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 63-35 win over Arkansas

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 63-35 win over Arkansas

Florida earned its most lopsided win of the season over Arkansas, and former quarterback Feleipe Franks, 63-35. What stood out most along the way? Kyle Trask is now the Heisman frontrunner After several years of hyping up various quarterbacks as Heisman Trophy...

A Tribute to Feleipe Franks: I Will Remember You

A Tribute to Feleipe Franks: I Will Remember You

Hello again, Feleipe Franks. It's been about fourteen months since your Gator career ended in a particularly gruesome fashion. Tomorrow, we meet again. Only this time, your job will be to ruin Florida's season, not enhance it, and our job will be to make you...

Gators kick Georgia out of Cocktail Party

Gators kick Georgia out of Cocktail Party

Throughout Dan Mullen’s short tenure at Florida, Kirby Smart has had Mullen’s number.  And three minutes into their third meeting in Jacksonville, it looked like that would continue. But then Florida flipped the script and turned the game— and the rivalry— on its...

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 44-28 win over Georgia

Five Takeaways from Florida’s 44-28 win over Georgia

WE DID IT!!! Yes, at long last, Florida has gotten the Georgia monkey off its back and toppled the Bulldogs to take control of the SEC East. What did we learn along the way? Kyle Trask is officially a Heisman Trophy frontrunner He may not win the award, but he has to...

2021 OL Yousef Mugharbil commits to Florida

2021 OL Yousef Mugharbil commits to Florida

A day before the Gators take on Georgia in the Cocktail Party, Yousef Mugharbil kicked off their weekend the right way. Mugharbil, a consensus four star offensive lineman from Murphy, NC/Murphy HS, has committed to Florida. He also had offers from Penn State, Virginia...

Five takeaways from Florida’s 41-17 win over Missouri

Five takeaways from Florida’s 41-17 win over Missouri

Florida bounced back from a rough loss to Texas A&M three weeks ago with a statement win against Missouri. What stood out in the process? The defense isn't great, but it's getting better. Even without three starters in the secondary (and without Zachary Carter in...

For Gators, a new season begins against Missouri

For Gators, a new season begins against Missouri

Three weeks ago, Florida completed its preseason portion of the 2020 schedule with a good deal of promise, but well aware of what it had to work on. One ugly COVID outbreak and three weeks later, and the Gators begin the meat of their schedule- a seven game stretch...

2022 Safety Sam McCall commits to Florida

2022 Safety Sam McCall commits to Florida

Just as things are getting back into full swing for the Gator football team, things are heating up on the recruiting trail, too. Florida has nabbed a commitment from 2022 athlete Sam McCall, a consensus five star recruit from Lakeland, FL/Lake Gibson HS. He chose...

2021 Edge rusher Jeremiah Williams commits to Florida

2021 Edge rusher Jeremiah Williams commits to Florida

Defensive end Jeremiah Williams, a consensus four star prospect out of Birmingham, AL/Ramsay HS, has committed to Florida, giving the Gators yet another dynamic piece for their 2021 recruiting class. Signs were pointing towards Gainesville for the highly touted edge...

Florida-Missouri game postponed to October 31

Florida-Missouri game postponed to October 31

According to multiple sources close to the team, the Florida-Missouri game scheduled to take place on October 24th will now be pushed back one week, to Halloween on October 31st. In All Kinds of Weather first reported yesterday that the game was extremely likely to be...

Florida-LSU game postponed due to COVID-19 outbreak

Florida-LSU game postponed due to COVID-19 outbreak

Multiple sources have confirmed that the Florida-LSU game scheduled for this Saturday is going to be postponed. An announcement could come as early as Wednesday afternoon. The news comes less than 24 hours after an outbreak of COVID-19 within the Gators' football...

COVID-19 outbreak places Florida-LSU game in jeopardy

After just three games, the novel coronavirus that has wreaked havoc on pretty much everything in 2020 appears to have found its way into the Gator football program. And predictably, the COVID-19 outbreak has thrown up a blockade in front of the season. A few days...

Texas A&M forces Florida to address defensive issues

Texas A&M forces Florida to address defensive issues

Throughout the game on Saturday in College Station, Florida seemed to be one step ahead of Texas A&M. Until they weren't. And then it was too late to do anything about it as the Florida program trudged off the field following a familiar fate- a loss to Jimbo...

Five takeaways from Florida’s 41-38 loss to Texas A&M

Five takeaways from Florida’s 41-38 loss to Texas A&M

Florida suffered its first loss of the season against Texas A&M today, an ugly 41-38 setback that’s far more irritating than damaging— but one that exposed a great deal of Gator shortcomings. What stood out in particular? (Spoiler alert: a lot of them are...

Imperfect Gators outlast South Carolina to start 2-0

Imperfect Gators outlast South Carolina to start 2-0

The various struggles the Florida Gators have endured on defense didn’t matter too much in their first two games against Mississippi and South Carolina. They might in their next game. And they almost certainly will later in the season. Kyle Trask tossed four touchdown...

Clemson RB Demarkcus Bowman to transfer to Florida

Clemson RB Demarkcus Bowman to transfer to Florida

The Lakeland-to-Gainesville pipeline has continued, albeit via a detour. Demarkcus Bowman has chosen to transfer to Florida. Mere days after announcing his decision to enter the transfer portal, Bowman told Gators Territory of his decision. Bowman, a former five star...

Trask’s career day propels Florida past Mississippi

Trask’s career day propels Florida past Mississippi

Dan Mullen returned to the place he once called “The School Up North” in his new set of colors for the first time. And he provided that school up north with a first class education in just how lethal his new offense is. Kyle Trask went wild, completing 30 of his 42...

Five takeaways from Florida’s 51-35 win at Ole Miss

Five takeaways from Florida’s 51-35 win at Ole Miss

The Gators opened their 2020 season with a somewhat convincing 51-35 victory over Ole Miss in Oxford. In doing so, Florida knotted the all time series score against the Rebels at twelve wins apiece. Here are my five initial takeaways from the game: Kyle Trask is...

2020 Gator football position preview: secondary

2020 Gator football position preview: secondary

Our position previews of the 2020 Gator football team conclude today with a look at the defensive backfield. Can the unit colloquially known as "DBU" move forward without CJ Henderson? Previously previewing: quarterbacks | running backs | wide receivers | tight ends |...

2020 Gator football position previews: linebackers

2020 Gator football position previews: linebackers

The penultimate piece of our position preview segment takes us to the Florida linebackers- a unit that was very good in 2019, but will look a bit different in 2020. Let's get right into it. Previously previewing: quarterbacks | running backs | wide receivers | tight...

2020 Gator football position preview: defensive line

2020 Gator football position preview: defensive line

Having completed our offensive position previews, today we move to the defensive side of the ball. And as is the case everywhere in the SEC, it starts up front. Previously previewing: quarterbacks | running backs | wide receivers | tight ends | offensive line The...

2020 Gator football position preview: offensive line

2020 Gator football position preview: offensive line

Fresh off our preview of Florida's tight ends, our 2020 Gator football position preview rolls on with a look at perhaps the key to the entire team: the offensive line. Last year, was so-so a year ago in pass protection, but really let the team down in the ground game....

2020 Gator football position preview: tight ends

2020 Gator football position preview: tight ends

With kickoff just around the corner, our position by position previews of the 2020 Gator football team are about to start hitting the presses rapid-fire. Having already published our previews on Florida's quarterback, running back and wide receiver rooms, the first of...

2020 Gator football position preview: wide receivers

2020 Gator football position preview: wide receivers

Having previously broken down Florida's quarterbacks and running backs, our position preview segment moves along today with a look at Florida's receivers. It's a unit that lost four of its top playmakers from 2019 (Van Jefferson, Freddie Swain, Josh Hammond and Tyrie...

2020 Gator football position preview: running backs

2020 Gator football position preview: running backs

After a bit longer of a gap between position breakdowns than I intended, the series rolls on today with a look at Florida's running backs. What do the Gators have in stock in their RB room this year? The leader: Dameon Pierce The leading returning rusher from 2019 has...

Snapshot: the 2020 Florida-FSU chart

Snapshot: the 2020 Florida-FSU chart

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct honor and privilege to present to you, the 2020 Florida-FSU chart. Many of you already know what I'm referring too. For those who don't, "The Chart" is an annual In All Kinds Of Weather tradition that compares the Florida Gators...

2020 Gator football position preview: quarterbacks

2020 Gator football position preview: quarterbacks

With kickoff at long last in sight, it's time to break down the 2020 Gator football roster, position by position. Who's back, who's going to start, how good are they, and so on. Man, it's great to finally be talking about that again. So with that said, let's start...

Gators learn four of ten kickoff times for 2020 season

Gators learn four of ten kickoff times for 2020 season

Three of Florida's first four games of the 2020 season carry the potential to be broilers. The Gators' season opener against Mississippi in Oxford on September 26th will kick off at noon, and air on ESPN. The following week, Florida will return home and again play in...

#GreatestGatorEver Sweet 16 bracket breakdown

#GreatestGatorEver Sweet 16 bracket breakdown

Having announced the tentative plans for the schedule of the remainder of the #GreatestGatorEver fan voting tournament (update; the tournament resumes tomorrow on twitter and Instagram stories), it's time to refresh our memories regarding the final sixteen contestants...

#GreatestGatorEver tournament schedule update

#GreatestGatorEver tournament schedule update

For those who have been keeping track of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament, the excitement level has reached yet another all time high, as it does with the completion of each round. For those who haven't, it's not too late to be introduced to the event. Here's (a very...

Gators’ 2020 football schedule unveiled

Gators’ 2020 football schedule unveiled

At long last, the Florida Gators 2020 football schedule has been released. Here it is, in full. Florida Gators 2020 football schedule Week Date Opponent 1 9/26 @ Mississippi 2 10/3 S CAROLINA 3 10/10 @ Texas A&M 4 10/17 LSU 5 10/24 MISSOURI 6 --- BYE 7 11/7...

Four key Gators sit out first fall practice

Four key Gators sit out first fall practice

For the time being, it looks as though the SEC is going to give its college football season a go in 2020. But at least for today's inaugural practice, the Florida Gators football team launched its fall season down four critical pieces. As first reported by Sports...

DT Desmond Watson commits to Florida

DT Desmond Watson commits to Florida

Florida had been suffering through a bit of a lull on the recruiting trail earlier this month, a period that was low lighted by Clinton Burton flipping his commitment from Florida to Boston College. But if the past couple of weeks didn't vault Florida out of that rut,...

Gators flip OL recruit Jake Slaughter from FSU

After a bit of a lull on the recruiting trail, Florida has suddenly picked it up over the course of the last week. Last Saturday, safety Donovan McMillon committed; less than 48 hours later, receiver Marcus Burke followed suit to rev the engine a little bit on a 2021...

Top Jacksonville WR Marcus Burke commits to Florida

Top Jacksonville WR Marcus Burke commits to Florida

The Gators' 2021 recruiting class got a boost Saturday with the addition of Donovan McMillon. Today, Dan Mullen & Co. built on that momentum with the addition of receiver Marcus Burke. https://twitter.com/CERTIFIED_MB4/status/1285296008747003904?s=20 Burke, a...

Safety Donovan McMillon commits to Florida

Safety Donovan McMillon commits to Florida

Clinton Burton out, Donovan McMillon in. McMillon, a borderline three/four star safety from McMurray, PA/Peters Township High School, has committed to the Gators. The move provides Florida fans with a bit of relief following the decommitment of fellow defensive back...

#GreatestGatorEver tournament set to heat up

#GreatestGatorEver tournament set to heat up

Welcome to the part of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament where things really start to get interesting. For those who are just catching wind of the tournament, a quick explanation of how it works. Created with the goal of deciding the greatest Florida Gator athlete of...

Gators announce six new positive COVID tests within football program

UF confirms 11 positive COVID-19 cases since April

The University of Florida has acknowledged that eleven different positive tests for COVID-19 have taken place since April. The news comes a week and a half after the announcement that no returning Gator football player had tested positive. From Florida senior...

2021 CB Jordan Young commits to Florida

2021 CB Jordan Young commits to Florida

It may be one of the slowest times for sports in recent memory, but the inverse has been the case in the world of Gator football recruiting. 2021 cornerback Jordan Young (Tampa, FL/Gaither) has committed to Florida. A consensus three star prospect with offers from...

Kamar Wilcoxson re-commits to Florida for a third time

Kamar Wilcoxson re-commits to Florida for a third time

Kamar Wilcoxson is back on the Gators' commitment list- and he says this time, it's for good. https://twitter.com/KamarWilcoxson4/status/1274100941369806850?s=20 I think at this point, most Gator fans are familiar with who he is, and if you're not, I'll explain why I...

Safety Dakota Mitchell commits to Florida

Safety Dakota Mitchell commits to Florida

It probably got lost in the news of yesterday’s news that the Florida band will stop cueing up the “Gator bait” chant due to the term’s racist history, but while Florida football lost a ritual, it gained a commit. Safety Dakota Mitchell (Winter Park, FL/Winter Park)...

Gator baseball pitcher Tommy Mace to return in 2021

Gator baseball pitcher Tommy Mace to return in 2021

Tommy Mace has just pulled perhaps the biggest offseason surprise in the world of Florida Gator athletics. Mace, the ace of the Gator baseball pitching staff, has decided to return to Gainesville for another season after going undrafted in the MLB Draft. Per...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 15 Regional

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 15 Regional

The sixteenth and final Regional of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament gets underway later tonight. Thus, our Regional previews conclude with a look at the 15 Regional: The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.) (1)...

Lorenzo Lingard granted immediate eligibility for Florida

Lorenzo Lingard granted immediate eligibility for Florida

Happy birthday, Lorenzo Lingard. Florida's newest running back addition has announced on twitter that his waiver to be able to play in 2020 has been granted: https://twitter.com/d1champ99/status/1266464118950723584?s=20 Florida's running back room wasn't bad to begin...

#GreatestGatorEver tournament set to heat up

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 2

The penultimate Regional of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament is just about set to get underway. As is customary by now, let's acquaint ourselves with the sixteen player field a little more first. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 10 Regional

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 10 Regional

Round one of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament is drawing to a close. Today, we take a look at the third-to-last of the sixteen Regional brackets to be played: the 10 Regional. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.)...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 7 Regional

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: 7 Regional

We are officially three quarters of the way through of the first round of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament. Tomorrow morning, we begin the first round of the fourth quarter of the bracket- the 7 Regional. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order...

Class of 2021 RB/WR Charles Montgomery commits to Florida

Class of 2021 RB/WR Charles Montgomery commits to Florida

Charles Montgomery will be suiting up in orange and blue on Saturdays. On an instagram live feed, Montgomery announced that he was choosing Florida over Maryland. A consensus four star prospect out of Seffner, FL/Armwood, Montgomery also had offers from Alabama,...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 14

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 14

Time to complete the upper right hand corner of the #GreatestGatorEver bracket with the 14 Regional. Y'all know the drill by now; let's get to it. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.) (1) Kelly Barnhill (softball,...

Florida unveils plan to bring athletes back to campus

Florida unveils plan to bring athletes back to campus

Photo credit: University of Florida COVID-19 has pretty much shut down college athletics since it made its way over to the United States a couple of months ago. Now, the first steps are being taken to see their resumption. Earlier today, SEC school presidents have...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 3

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 3

Up next in our #GreatestGatorEver tournament is the 3 Regional. Before voting gets underway, let's take a closer look at the field. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.) (1) Al Horford (basketball, C/F-...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 11

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 11

Eight Regionals down, one underway, and seven more to go in Round One of our #GreatestGatorEver tournament. Next up is the 11 Regional. The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.) (1) Jack Youngblood (football, DE/DT/K-...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 6

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 6

We're halfway through the opening round of our summer long #GreatestGatorEver tournament. Now, we shift to the right side of the bracket, and start at the top with the 6 Regional, which gets underway tomorrow morning. The bracket Regional participants (Players are...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 12

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 12

The eighth and final Regional on the left half of the 256 player #GreatestGatorEver tournament is set to get started tonight. Another way of putting that: after tonight's 12 Regional voting, we will officially be halfway done with the opening round of this summer long...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 5

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 5

Our #GreatestGatorEver tournament rolls on today with Round one of the 5 Regional. As was the case for the previous Regionals and will be for all ensuing Regionals, let's take this opportunity to refresh our memories regarding what, exactly, the sixteen players in...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 13

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 13

With the 4 Regional of the #GreatestGatorEver tournament currently winding down, it's time to preview the Regional it's paired with in the Sweet 16: Regional #13. The 13 Regional bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.)...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 4

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 4

Our #GreatestGatorEver bracket is set to continue tomorrow with the opening round of the 4 Regional. Let's get to know that 4 Regional: The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they appear on the bracket.) (1) Emmitt Smith (football, RB-...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 9

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 9

Our #GreatestGatorEver bracket is set to continue later today with the opening round of the 9 Regional. With voting in the 8 Regional closing soon, let's familiarize ourselves with said 9 Regional: The bracket Regional participants (Players are listed in order they...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 8

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 8

Our #GreatestGatorEver tournament is off and running. Voting for the opening round of the 1 Regional has been completed; the 16 Regional is underway and will wrap up this afternoon. Shortly after its conclusion, the 8 Regional will get underway. So, let's get to know...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 16

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 16

Yesterday, voting began in our #GreatestGatorEver bracket in the 1 Regional. Today, voting will continue with the 16 Regional, but before the polls open, let's preview the field and refresh our memories on the players' accomplishments. The bracket Regional...

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 1

#GreatestGatorEver bracket breakdown: Regional 1

Voting for the #GreatestGatorEver bracket begins this afternoon. In the name of eliminating potential recentism in the voting, I thought I'd set the stage by previewing each Regional before the voting gets underway. Today, we'll take a look at Regional 1, which of...

2021 guard Kowacie Reeves commits to Florida

2021 guard Kowacie Reeves commits to Florida

Mike White's 2021 recruiting class is off to a great start. Kowacie Reeves (Macon, GA) has committed to Florida. Reeves, a highly sought after four star, also earned offers from North Carolina, Texas, Auburn, Georgia and Seton Hall, among others. This commitment might...

Introducing the Greatest Gator Ever bracket

Introducing the Greatest Gator Ever bracket

Part of what has helped fans make it through a long, frustrating quarantine is the abundance of fan polls on social media. In particular, 64-team, March Madness themed brackets that allow fans to vote on the winner of each matchup in each round have captured a lot of...

Michigan F Colin Castleton transferring to Florida

Michigan F Colin Castleton transferring to Florida

Colin Castleton is coming home, and Florida is adding some more frontcourt depth for the future- potentially even next season. Castleton, who spent the last two seasons at Michigan, will be transferring closer to home and joining Mike White's Gator basketball squad....

Recapping the Gators’ weekend in the 2020 NFL Draft

Recapping the Gators’ weekend in the 2020 NFL Draft

The 2020 NFL Draft has just concluded, and once again, the Florida Gators were very well represented. Below is a list of all the selections from Florida. Click on the player names for further analysis on what they bring to their new teams. Florida Gators in the 2020...

How Dan Mullen fixed a broken Gator football program

How Dan Mullen fixed a broken Gator football program

What was a fractured program less than 30 months ago needed a hero to put it back together. In Dan Mullen, Florida found that hero. This is the story of the toxic culture he walked into, how he went to work taking it apart, and how he's replaced that toxic culture...

Tebow, Spikes, James inducted into UF Hall of Fame

Tebow, Spikes, James inducted into UF Hall of Fame

Three members of the Florida Gators' 2008 football team- universally regarded as one of the best in college football history- are finally getting the ultimate recognition they deserve- spots in the UF Hall of Fame. Explosive kick/return man Brandon James posted a...

Scottie Lewis to return for sophomore year

Scottie Lewis to return for sophomore year

Florida’s basketball team got a sort-of-but-not-really-surprising boost today, as shooting guard Scottie Lewis announced that he will be coming back for his sophomore season. Lewis, a ridiculously athletic kid from southern New Jersey, arrived in Gainesville last fall...

The “Kyle Trask Emory Jones” debate: why not both?

The “Kyle Trask Emory Jones” debate: why not both?

The "Kyle Trask Emory Jones" debate is in full swing. Yes, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic that has, among other things, lengthened college sports fans' offseason, the fanbase-wide argument regarding who should be the starter at the most important position of...

Coronavirus abruptly ends 2019-20 NCAA athletic season

Coronavirus abruptly ends 2019-20 NCAA athletic season

Photo credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images UPDATE 5:10pm: although it feels wholly logical to assume that college baseball and softball are over for 2020, the language in the two released statements- from the SEC and NCAA, and which you can read below- left one pair of...

TE Nick Elksnis commits to Florida

TE Nick Elksnis commits to Florida

Tight end Nick Elksnis (Jacksonville, FL/Episcopal) has announced his decision to be a Gator, thus netting Florida its first commitment of its Junior Day weekend. In doing so, Elksnis effectively flips from Penn State, from which he decommitted last week....

2020 Florida Gators’ Junior Day visitors list

2020 Florida Gators’ Junior Day visitors list

The Gators' second Junior Day event in Gainesville is upon us, and it's important to keep an eye on because more often than not, Florida uses it to add members to its list of commits. This time around, the chances of the Gators doing so are increased appreciably-...

Four star TE Gage Wilcox commits to Florida

Four star TE Gage Wilcox commits to Florida

Congratulations to Gage Wilcox. You, sir, have just become the first commit for Tim Brewster. Wilcox, a four star tight end from Tampa's Jefferson High School in the Class of 2021, committed on an Instagram Live video, as captured by twitter user @CurtisK421....

Florida takes step forward by throttling LSU

Florida takes step forward by throttling LSU

Photo credit: Florida Gators Maybe this is another mirage, the latest peak in a dizzying array of sine waves for Mike White’s Gator basketball team. Or maybe, after we all erroneously thought this team had turned the corner several times before, this is the game that...