Archive for the ‘FOOTBALL’ Category

5 Freshmen Poised to Make an Immediate Impact

Posted by Drew Pritchard on March 2nd, 2011   No Comment

The 2011 recruiting class has generated plenty of discussion, some good and some bad. Based on the low number of signees, many talking heads in the recruiting world have criticized this year’s class. There is no doubt the Gators struck out on some of the big-name recruits. However, there were also plenty of players to get excited about and a few of them will make an immediate impact this fall.

Jeff Driskel highlights the 2011 class. However, do not look for Driskel to splash on the scene and immediately steal the quarterback position away from Johnny Brantley. If you are a Jeff Driskel fan, do not be discouraged, Driskel will certainly play a role in the 2011 Gator offense. As Weis has shown in the past with Jimmy Clausen, he is not afraid to hand the keys over to the kid, if he needs to. Weis realizes Brantley gives the Gators the best chance at immediate success, but Driskel is the key to winning for the next three or four years (which is probably the length of Weis’ tenure in Gainesville).

With the new offense, look for Weis to make good use of Hunter Joyer, the freshman from Wesley Chapel, Florida. Joyer has great size and speed for a fullback. If he can excel in blocking and providing the quarterbacks blitz protection, he will see the field often this fall. Urban Meyer was successful in bringing in some very fast and athletic running backs, but they have struggled with pass blocking. If Joyer shows promise in this category, he may be one of the keys to whether or not the 2011 offense is successful.

On the other side of the ball, for the second year in a row, the Gators are loaded in the secondary. Marcus Roberson and Jabari Gorman highlight the secondary with their size and athleticism. The defensive backs should be a team strength in 2011, and Roberson and Gorman will compete immediately for the weakside cornerback position opposite Janoris Jenkins.

With the lack of depth at linebacker, look for Clay Burton to step in and make an immediate impact. The Gators have two very solid linebackers in Jelani Jenkins and Jon Bostic, unfortunately, there is a dropoff in talent behind them. If Clay can showcase the work ethic his older brother Trey demonstrated last year, a weakside linebacker position may be in his future.

Of course, there are other true freshmen who have the potential to make an immediate impact in 2011. Mike Blakely and A.C. Leonard both come to mind. However, due to the current depth at both the tight end and running back positions, Blakely and Leonard may have an uphill battle in 2011. Creating a spot on a crowded depth chart may be their biggest challenge.

The Gators had an unbelievable class in 2010 and there is enough talent in the 2011 class to really add depth to a superb roster.

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Gators Building Dominant Backfield!

Posted by Drew Pritchard on February 22nd, 2011   2 Comments

Will Muschamp is quickly building a powerful backfield in Gainesville. Much like Nick Saban has had the last few years with Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson, the Gators are poised to have a very talented backfield for the next few years.

In 2010, the Gators were able to land highly-touted Mack Brown, who ended up redshirting last fall. This year’s class adds Mike Blakely, ranked the sixth-best running back in the country by Rivals. Muschamp was still not content, adding verbal commitments last week from Matt Jones and Mike Davis for the 2012 class.

Both Jones and Davis have a lot of upside and plenty of offers thus far, so these are big wins for the Gators.

A lot can happen between now and next year, but getting in early is key. We all know that some of the players create the drama of committing and decommitting. However, getting to them early plays a lot towards getting them enrolled in January, which is very beneficial.

Muschamp has suggested that he wants a strong running game in his new pro-style offense, and the current list of running backs enrolled or verbally committed will certainly help. Brown, Blakely, Davis and Jones are all just under the 200-pound mark. However, they should all exceed 200 pounds once they land in Gainesville and start working out with Mickey Marotti.

In 2011, the Gators will have the privilege of also having Jeff Demps in the backfield. Demps will most likely be the starter and share time with Mack Brown, and will provide the speed on the corner that no one can match. If Brown shows strength between the tackles, the running game in 2011 should be promising—probably not flashy or pretty, but promising.

If you add Hunter Joyer to the list, the backfield adds a solid fullback who will help the young runners develop. I also would not be surprised to see one of the current tight ends on the roster transition into a fullback role.

The tight end position is currently loaded with talent. The position just does not demand a three- or four-man rotation. Transitioning one or more over to fullback would add some more depth. Both positions require a lot of the same skill sets.

Weis would love to see his fullback be able to get into the flats and make some catches, so look for this position to start being a conversation piece as the Muschamp era continues. For the past six years, the fullback position has been an afterthought. Not any longer.

Remember, John Brantley will need a strong running game to help him in the early going. Brantley’s confidence level is going to be low when he steps into The Swamp the next time, and he will need an instant running attack to let him gain his composure and confidence.

Muschamp’s priorities are showing already in Gainesville as his team takes shape, and the backfield looks very promising.

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Janoris Jenkins enters written plea

Posted by admin on February 14th, 2011   1 Comment

Janoris Jenkins’ attorney Huntley Johnson has entered a written plea of not guilty of a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge.

Johnson filed the not guilty plea with the Alachua County Court House late January. He also put in a request for a jury trial. The pre trial for Jenkins is already scheduled on February 28 at 9 in the morning.

Florida’s senior corner back was arrested back on January 23 at a club. Jenkins was caught rolling up Marijuana in the bathroom where the police found him. Not a very smart move to do that in a public restroom at a night club. Its not a smart move to even smoke Marijuana as a college athlete anyways. So why even do it…..

Courtesy of the Orlando Sentinel

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A Defense That Will Hold!

Posted by Drew Pritchard on February 14th, 2011   No Comment

If the Florida Gators offense is suspect heading into the 2011 season, one would have to believe the defense is anything but. With the talent that was harvests in last year’s recruiting class and the experience which was gained by some top playmakers this past season, the defense has a chance to very successful. Add in the fact that they will be lead by one the best defensive minds in the college football and the expectations should be very high in 2011.

So high, in fact, the defense will probably be asked to carry the offense in the beginning, to allow an inexperienced offense the time to grasp Charlie Weis’ system and philosophy.

Granted the defense lost some special players in 2010 (Ahmad Black comes to mind), but there is plenty of enough talent to overcome any loss they will experience.

There has been numerous speculation and even evidence that plenty of players will be moving positions in the fall, so instead of offering up a potential starting lineup, this discussion relating to defense is going to pertain to the potential playmakers and upside of the defense as a whole.

First let’s begin on the defensive line, which in the SEC, is where everything begins and ends. Upperclassmen Omar Hunter, Jaye Howard, Earl Okine and William Green are solid forces that have progressed nicely over the past year or two. None of them have developed into dominating linemen, but all have shown the talent to be very successful, once consistency is established.

Some younger players that have shown great upside and look to be major contributors along the front in 2011 are Sharif Floyd (who has proven he is as good as advertised), Dominique Easley and Lynden Trail.

If Ronald Powell and Chris Martin remain at the defensive end positions, the potential for a speedy pass rush off the edge is bright. However, this will all rely heavily on what kind of play the Gators get out of the linebacker positions in 2011. It is no secret the linebackers in 2011 were a major letdown. Jelani Jenkins and Jon Bostic showed great potential, but the returning seniors on the outside never quite met the expectations that were placed on them in the spring.

As mentioned, Bostic and Jenkins will be the strength of the linebackers in 2011, with Lerentee McCray joining the group. McCray picked up some valuable experience in 2010 and should be a contributor either at linebacker or end in 2011. As a junior his time to excel has arrived and the coaching staff will expect great things from him.

There is not really a lot of linebacker talent in the 2011 class after the staff whiffed on Curtis Grant and Stephone Anthony during the 2011 recruiting process. However, if Clay Burton adds the “it” factor to his resume, which his brother Trey brought in 2010, Clay could also be an immediate contributor. Both Burton’s were 3 star athletes coming in to Gainesville, however, both could be much more valuable than their star rating when all is said and done.

Speaking of Trey Burton, rumors have circled about him joining the defensive side of the ball in 2011. If this stays true, Trey will mostly likely be a hybrid and play a safety/linebacker position. At 6’3” 220, Trey would be huge safety. He’s shown he has an uncanny ability to play nearly any position on the field and if he does indeed find his way on the defensive side, he could play a large role in the development of his brother.

The list of returning starters in the defensive backfield starts with Janoris Jenkins, which has shown the ability to lock down star receivers such as Julio Jones, A.J. Green, just to name a few. Jenkins will likely be the most talked about cornerback in college football in 2011. How he responds to his recent run-in with law enforcement, will speak volumes to how successful he will be in 2011.

Matt Elam and Jeremy Brown gained valuable experience in 2010 and will be asked to step up in 2011. Especially Brown, who was inconsistent for most of the year. Granted he was very young, however, he will be pushed with lots of talent behind him and will need step his play up, starting in the spring.

Cody Riggs, Joshua Shaw, Jaylen Watkins and Moses Jenkins all saw action last fall, with Riggs showing the most potential. All will be fighting for positions this spring and could provide instant depth at the position if the position battles are competitive.

The gem of the 2011 class is most likely the defensive backs that were snatched up. Marcus Roberson, Jabari Gorman, Pop Saunders and Valdez Showers were all highly touted defensive backs. Roberson and Gorman could provide instant impact to the secondary, which could take a lot of pressure off linebackers, if they remain inconsistent early on.

Yes, the defensive has a lot of potential. If I told you the list of players above and on the defensive roster included eight – 5 star recruits and 19 – 4 star recruits, maybe you would be more impressed. Not that you need to be. Four stars, five stars, their all just rankings, I know, I’m not going to get into that discussion; however the list of talent on this defense is evident.

Have faith in your defense in 2011, they will most likely keep you in a lot of football games, while your offense finds its way.

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Seven Gators to participate in NFL combine

Posted by admin on February 6th, 2011   No Comment

A total of seven former Florida Gator players will be participating in the NFL combine later this month in Indianapolis and those players are punter Chas Henry, safeties Ahmad Black and Will Hill, offensive linemen Marcus Gilbert, Maurice Hurt, Carl Johnson and Mike Pouncey.

Out of the seven, Mike Pouncey is the only one who is expected to be drafted early and possibly in the first round. His brother Maurkice was drafted last season as the 18th overall draft pick.

Mike Pouncey chose to play in the Senior Bowl last month but right before it took place he changed his mind and decided to sit out. Ahmad Black and Marcus Gilbert were also in the Senior Bowl but sustained injuries that week of practice that held them out.

The NFL Combine starts Feb. 23 and will be running until March 1.

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DB Chris Johnson signs LOI with Florida

Posted by admin on February 2nd, 2011   No Comment

Ocala Trinity Catholic DB Chris Johnson will be joining John Brantley yet again after signing his letter of intent early Wednesday. Johnson played with Brantley at Trinity where they won a state title together.

Quick Facts- Very tough, fast safety. Helped Trinity to a 14-0 record this past year along with a 2B state championship title. His decision came down to Florida and South Carolina. As soon as the Gators has the chance to offer, Johnson had accepted without any hesitation. The Gators hope that Johnson could step up and replace the spots of Ahmad Black and Will Hill.

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Urban Meyer Joins ESPN as Analyst

Posted by Gene Elliott on January 31st, 2011   No Comment

Just when you think Urban Meyer has ridden off in the sunset to watch endless volleyball games and relax, ESPN comes calling.  It was announced today that Meyer will join ESPN as an Analyst, with his next on-air broadcast to be National Signing Day on February 2nd.  During the college  football season, he will work weekly regular-season games as well as provide studio analysis on ESPN’s “College Football Live” and “College GameDay.”

Meyer was an guest Analyst along side Nick Saban for the BCS National Championship Game.

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Maurkice Pouncey will not play in Super Bowl

Posted by admin on January 30th, 2011   No Comment

Former Florida Gator and current Pittsburgh Steeler rookie center Maurkice Pouncey will not be playing in Super Bowl XLV due to a fracture in his ankle and a high ankle sprain, according to sources.

Pouncey and his teammates are aware that he is not able to play and that second year un-drafted free agent Doug Legursky will be starting against the Green Bay Packers.

Legursky took over for Pouncey during the first quarter against the Jets last Sunday during the AFC Championship. Even without Pouncey, the Steelers showed no signs of struggle throughout the entire game. Pouncey, who was on crutches for a few days said after the game that he will give it a few days to get better and that he will be ready to play in the Super Bowl.

Even though Pouncey will not play, he will still be on the sideline rooting his team on. I know how bad Maurkice wants a Super Bowl ring his first NFL career. Gator Nation wishes Maurkice luck and lets hope he can grab a ring.

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