Florida Gators thread

[azuquita8]

Tim Tebow a failure? Yeah right - and I suppose you're gonna tell me that bears don't shit in the woods, either.

When your QB can win a Heisman in his sophomore year, THEN come back and throw your smack around. Don't talk the talk if you can't walk the walk.

[Dolemite79]

Typical gayturd logic. Lets have a look at heisman winners since you put so much stock into winning the heisman

2003 — Jason White, Oklahoma, QB
2001 — Eric Crouch, Nebraska, QB
2000 — Chris Weinke, Florida State, QB
1999 — Ron Dayne, Wisconsin, RB
1996 — Danny Wuerffel, Florida, QB
1994 — Rashaan Salaam, Colorado, RB
1993 — Charlie Ward, Florida State, QB
1990 — Ty Detmer, Brigham Young, QB
1989 — Andre Ware, Houston, QB

Wow Teabag is in some great company there

[azuquita8]

Originally Posted by Dolemite79

Typical gayturd logic. Lets have a look at heisman winners since you put so much stock into winning the heisman

2003 — Jason White, Oklahoma, QB
2001 — Eric Crouch, Nebraska, QB
2000 — Chris Weinke, Florida State, QB
1999 — Ron Dayne, Wisconsin, RB
1996 — Danny Wuerffel, Florida, QB
1994 — Rashaan Salaam, Colorado, RB
1993 — Charlie Ward, Florida State, QB
1990 — Ty Detmer, Brigham Young, QB
1989 — Andre Ware, Houston, QB

Wow Teabag is in some great company there

"Gayturds"? That's really lame. Only kindergarten kids and little boys talk gay smack. If you want to talk trash, bring some grown-up stuff to the table.

And don't go blowing that Heisman smoke in my face, either. Florida now has three Heisman winners and really should have four; Rex Grossman deserved it way more than Eric Crouch did in 2001. And unless you don't know, Steve Spurrier won it in 1966. So what's your point?

I don't know which team you root for and I could really care less, but how many NC titles have they won? Conference titles?

Frankly I don't give a sailor's shit if you hate the Gators, but don't post stuff here just to piss people off. If you want to talk sports fine, but don't just try to get a rise out of others. I wouldn't go into another team's house blowing smack around and dissing them - including yours, whoever they are - so why not show some respect back?

[azuquita8]

Gators slide past USC for 20th win

By KEVIN BROCKWAY
Sun sports writer
With South Carolina forward Evaldas Baniulis bombing 3-pointer after 3-pointer, Florida's postseason hopes hung perilously in the balance Wednesday night at the O'Connell Center.
That's when Florida coach Billy Donovan went against the book to prevent a devastating second-half collapse.
Florida fouled South Carolina guard Devan Downey with 2.2 seconds left to protect a three-point lead. Downey missed the front end of two free throws, and junior Dan Werner grabbed the rebound to preserve an 85-82 win and keep Florida's fading NCAA Tournament hopes alive.
"Relief," Werner said, when asked how he felt after the rebound. "We've had a couple of tough games so to come back home and get the win, that was big for us."
Florida (20-7, 7-5 SEC) snapped a two-game losing streak to reach 20 wins for the 10th consecutive season.
"I don't want to say I'm surprised that we got to 20 wins, but I think our kids have done a remarkable job," Donovan said. "We still haven't gotten to the level that I want them to play at yet, but they've shown a willingness to work and try to get better."
Florida picked the right time to break out of its recent shooting slump. The Gators shot 58.2 percent from the floor and went 11-for-23 from 3-point range. But South Carolina, behind Baniulis, shot its way back from a 17-point second-half deficit by going 12-of-23 from 3-point range.
Donovan said shooting was emphasized in practice after a 1-for-15 afternoon from 3-point range Saturday against Vanderbilt.
"I kind of had noticed in the Vanderbilt game a looseness with our guys, leaning and not getting set," Donovan said. "So it was basically going back to being fundamentally sound, hands, feet, being set."
Nick Calathes led five Florida players in double-figures with 17 points and seven assists. Werner added 15 points and went 3-for-5 from 3-point range, including a big 3-pointer that put Florida up 78-72 with 2:15 left.
But Baniulis, a sophomore from Lithuania, made two 3-pointers in the final 28.6 seconds to cut the Florida lead to 82-80. After Calathes made one of two free throws, Devan Downey drove for a layup with 7.5 seconds left, cutting Florida's 17-point second half lead to 83-82.
Jai Lucas then made two free throws and Werner fouled Downey with 2.2 left.
"We wanted to at first apply pressure on the in-bounds, hope to get a five-second violation or get a steal in the backcourt," Werner said.
Baniulis and Downey each led the Gamecocks (12-13, 4-7 SEC) with 18 points, with freshman Mike Holmes adding 16 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
Florida made 11 of its first 15 shots to jump to a 26-15 lead. But the Gamecocks responded with a 10-0 run. Holmes came off the bench to hit consecutive shots. Baniulis and Day followed with consecutive 3-pointers to cut the Florida lead to 26-25.
Holmes later hit a jumper to tie the score at 29, but Florida closed the half with a 19-7 run. Adam Allen provided a huge spark off the bench, making all three of his 3-point field goal attempts. The third put Florida back ahead 42-31.
"I just felt confident after making my first one," Allen said. "I've been shooting the ball better in practice."
"I thought Adam provided a big lift for us off the bench tonight," Donovan said.
After a Downey jumper, Marreese Speights scored two baskets on a hook in transition and a dunk off a steal from Calathes to give Florida a 46-33 lead. Day hit a 3-pointer to cut the Florida lead to 46-36, but Lucas answered with a driving layup with 3.6 seconds left to put Florida up 48-36 at halftime.
The Gators shot 66.7 percent from the floor in the first half and made seven of their 11 first-half attempts. But South Carolina hung around by making six of its nine attempted 3s.
The Gators extended its lead to 63-46 with 14:34 in the second half before South Carolina began its charge, scoring 36 points the rest of the way.
Free throws
Florida recognized South Carolina coach Dave Odom on its public-address system before the game. Odom is retiring at the end of the season.

[azuquita8]

COLLEGE BASKETBALL Florida 85, South Carolina 82

Gators gear up for stretch run

Dave Curtis
Sentinel Staff Writer
February 21, 2008
GAINESVILLE

Now comes the hard part, the homestretch, the time when these Florida Gators prove their NCAA Tournament-worthiness. Four games remain on their regular-season schedule, and their results will determine whether 2007-08 goes down as subpar or solid.

The Final Four of sorts -- at Georgia, home to division leaders Mississippi State and Tennessee, and at Kentucky -- stayed meaningful for UF after Wednesday's 85-82 victory over South Carolina. The Gators (20-7, 7-5 Southeastern Conference), who almost blew a 17-point second-half lead, still can gain a 10th consecutivet NCAA Tournament bid without playing perfect basketball.

"We know what we're up against as far as that goes," freshman Adam Allen said. "We're in jeopardy of not making it. Now, we have our destiny in our hands."

UF did extend one streak Wednesday, winning a 20th game for a 10th consecutive year. Only Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, Gonzaga and Syracuse join the Gators as active members of the 20-10 club.

But the past nine years don't matter much as March creeps closer. And despite the win, Florida looks little like a championship contender. South Carolina (12-13, 4-7) sank 12-of-23 3-pointers, grabbed more rebounds than their hosts and committed fewer turnovers. Only 58 percent shooting from the field, and 67 percent in the first half, gave the Gators enough of a cushion to withstand a late Gamecocks charge.

Yes, the warts are still there, as large and ugly as at any time this season. And Coach Billy Donovan said he'd love to spend the team's six-day break before the Georgia game fixing everything.

"I'd love to practice for six hours per day," he said. "But I can't do that. There's so much stuff we've got to work on."

The offense showed it doesn't need much work. UF scored 48 first-half points, matching its season high in SEC play, and led 63-46 with 14 minutes, 34 seconds remainingt.

But SC rallied, creeping within 83-82 with 7.5 seconds left. Jai Lucas' two free throws pushed the lead to three, and the Gators fouled Devan Downey before he could attempt a tying 3-pointer. He missed the first free throw of a 1-and-1, UF rebounded, and time expired.

And so arrives the homestretch. Now the world learns whether these Gators deserve the NCAA Tournament.

"We just have to win," UF's Dan Werner said. "If we take care of business, we're going to get where we want to be."

Dave Curtis can be reached at dcurtis@orlandosentinel.com.

[azuquita8]

UF receiver Cooper to join baseball team

By BRANDON ZIMMERMAN
Sun sports writer
Riley Cooper is going to give baseball another shot.
Cooper, the Gators' speedy wide receiver, has joined the Florida baseball team and will be on the team's active roster for this weekend's season-opening series against Siena at McKethan Stadium, the school announced Thursday.
It is not known if Cooper will remain with the team all season, leave for spring football practice, or pull double duty.
Cooper attempted to join the Gator baseball team last year, but was plagued by injuries and never saw action.
On Tuesday, Cooper took batting practice prior to Florida's practice, blasting several towering home runs into the left-field bleachers.
Cooper was a 15th-round draft pick by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2006 Major League Draft, but might have gone higher had he not made it known his intentions to come to college to play football.

[azuquita8]

Brantley injury could impact spring

John Brantley's quest to become Florida's No. 2 quarterback could be on hold for the early part of spring practice.
Brantley, a redshirt freshman from Ocala, dislocated his left, non-throwing shoulder during mat drills earlier this week and his status for the start of spring practice (March 19) is uncertain, said his father, John Brantley III.
"Hopefully, he won't miss too much," the senior Brantley said. "They just don't know. They say he could miss the entire spring or a week or two or maybe even no time at all. We'll just have to wait and see."
Brantley said his son's shoulder popped out of place and then popped back in, creating a bone chip in the socket.
"The good news is it's not his right shoulder," he said. "Hopefully, this is just a little bump in the road."
Brantley is expected to compete with sophomore Cameron Newton for the backup role behind Heisman winner Tim Tebow. UF coach Urban Meyer has said the plan is to play two quarterbacks this season, much like the Gators did in 2006 when Tebow had a package of plays playing in relief of Chris Leak.
Brantley has matured physically since he's been at UF, his father said.
"He's gotten bigger and stronger," John Brantley III said. "He's almost 6-4 now and he's at about 210 pounds. He's really been coming on."

[azuquita8]

Will bye benefit Gator men's hoops?

A few weeks ago, Florida followed its first bye in conference play with a tailspin that lasted into mid-February.
The Gators can't afford a similar stretch when they take a break this weekend to prepare for a treacherous final two weeks of the regular season.
Florida will play next Wednesday at Georgia before facing division leaders Mississippi State and Tennessee at home in back-to-back games. The regular season closes March 9 at Kentucky, where a raucous, revenge-driven crowd at Rupp Arena awaits.
"Our destiny is in our hands," Florida freshman guard Adam Allen said.
Florida coach Billy Donovan said "if it were up to him, he'd be practicing for six hours a day" following his team's narrow 85-82 win Wednesday night against South Carolina. It was hard to tell if he was joking, though NCAA rules only permit two hours a day.
"Hopefully, we can find ways to get rested while improving as a basketball team," Donovan said.
Florida's perimeter defense took a step back after the Gators allowed South Carolina to shoot 12-of-23 from 3-point range.
"We've got to take the 3-point line away," Allen said. "That has to become our main priority on defense."
Florida also has problems protecting the defensive glass, allowing an undersized South Carolina frontline to score 19 second-chance points off 13 offensive rebounds. That allowed the Gamecocks to nearly rally back from a 17-point second-half deficit.
The break may come at a good time for a Florida team of five new starters not accustomed to the grind of a full season. But after a six-day break following a 22-point win against Vanderbilt, Florida came out cold shooting the ball (4-for-25 from 3-point range) in an 80-61 loss at Arkansas.
That began a stretch of four losses in five games.
"It could be good for us or it could be bad for us," Florida sophomore forward Dan Werner said. "We have a little bit of momentum but maybe it will help us get some rest."
Said freshman guard Nick Calathes: "It will only help us if we use the time wisely. We still have to work on a lot of areas in order to become the best team we can become."

[azuquita8]

UF hoops teams on the bubble

By KEVIN BROCKWAY and BRANDON ZIMMERMAN
Sun sports writers
Reaching the big dance, the NCAA Tournament, is the goal every season for the Florida men and Florida women. The last two years, the men came home with the NCAA title. Reaching this year's tourney is not a given. Florida's women also have plenty of work left in order to make the prestigious tournament.
FLORIDA MEN
OVERALL RECORD: 20-7
RPI: 57
Key Wins: Vanderbilt, Kentucky
Remaining Games (RPI in parentheses):
Feb. 27, at Georgia (130);
March 1, Mississippi State (46);
March 5, Tennessee (1);
March 9, at Kentucky (73)
What Florida needs to do: Winning three of its last four regular season games would likely clinch Florida's 10th straight NCAA Tournament appearance. If Florida splits the final four games, it will likely need to win a game or two in the SEC Tournament to keep its tournament string intact.
FLORIDA WOMEN
OVERALL RECORD: 16-10
RPI: No. 38
Key Wins: No. 44 Xavier, No. 48 TCU, No. 54 Auburn
Remaining Games (RPI in parentheses): Today vs. (86) South Carolina, Thursday at (1) Tennessee, March 2 at (120) Ole Miss
What Florida needs to do: Florida must win today against South Carolina and next week at Ole Miss to guarantee a .500 record in the SEC. The Gators would then need a win or two at the SEC Tournament to bolster its case. Florida is currently seventh in the SEC. If only six SEC teams get in, Florida could be the last one out.

[azuquita8]

Bears re-sign former Gator Grossman

The Associated Press
CHICAGO — Quarterback Rex Grossman signed a one-year contract Saturday with the Chicago Bears and will compete for the starting job.
Grossman, a 2003 first-round draft pick, started the Super Bowl for the Bears after an up-and-down season in 2006. He struggled again last year and was benched following the third game. He returned for five more games before injuring his left knee in early December.
Grossman passed for 913 yards with three touchdowns and one interception for an 80.2 passer rating when he returned. In the first three games, his 45.2 rating with one TD and six interceptions contributed to the Bears’ 1-2 start.
‘‘Rex has won a lot of football games for us around here,’’ coach Lovie Smith said. ‘‘You look at how he played at the end of the football season until he came up with that injury, he is playing good football.’’
Grossman has started 30 games with 489 completions in 900 attempts (54.3 percent) for 5,907 yards with 31 touchdowns and 33 interceptions. His career passer rating is 70.9.
Grossman will have to compete for the starting job with Kyle Orton, possibly Brian Griese and another quarterback drafted or signed in free agency.
‘‘This is a little bit different,’’ Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said. ‘‘I don’t want to say it’s tricky, but you’re going to have to have a real plan in place to be fair with everybody and to make sure that you’re making the right decision because once we make that decision, we’re going to go forward with it and we’re going to stay with it.’’
Also Saturday, agent Drew Rosenhaus said he expected clients Bernard Berrian and Lance Briggs to enter free agency rather than sign a contract with the Bears.
‘‘I would say at this time I would project that those guys would at least get to free agency, or at least the beginning of it’’ Rosenhaus said at the NFL scouting combine. ‘‘But the Bears are going to be in the mix as we continue to talk with other teams.
‘‘We’re going to have a good, healthy dialogue with them.’’

[azuquita8]

To enemies and rivals, Urban Meyer has become Darth Meyer

Dave Curtis
Sentinel Staff Writer
February 24, 2008
GAINESVILLE



Ronald Johnson flew home happy after his official visit to Florida. Great campus, impressive football program, defending national champions -- maybe the top-rated receiver in the Class of 2007 would end up a Gator.

UF's coaches, meanwhile, were thinking the same thing. So less than two hours after Johnson left on the last Sunday of January, Coach Urban Meyer and a cadre of assistants boarded a plane and tailed Johnson's jet back to Muskegon, Mich. That night, Meyer sat in the Johnson home, making a final pitch to the best high school football player in Michigan.

"That was pretty amazing," said Tony Annese, Johnson's high school coach at Muskegon High. "Those are the kind of things that can make a coach really stand out from all the other coaches."

Meyer lost Johnson to Southern Cal on National Signing Day, a rare loss for Florida's staff over the last three years. In that stretch, the Gators have corralled three straight recruiting classes ranked among the nation's Top 5. And those players form the foundation of a squad that figures to rank in another Top 5 -- the 2008 preseason national polls.

The recruiting success has brought Meyer plenty of positive attention, led by a sportsillustrated.com story in 2006 that provided a behind-the-scenes look at how he built that year's No. 1-ranked class. But of late, some negative attention has come as well, including a university-led check into whether he made improper phone calls while recruiting junior college receiver Carl Moore.

"I'm not saying we're perfect, but we're trying to do it the right way," Meyer said on Feb. 6, National Signing Day. "To see that come across the ticker, I'm trying to think if I've ever been angrier, and I don't think I have."

Other barbs have come from around the country, almost all from recruits who didn't end up with the Gators. One LSU-bound player claimed Meyer asked the NCAA Clearinghouse to investigate his standardized test scores; a Michigan-bound receiver said Meyer told him even the Wolverines coaches thought he would fit better in Florida's offense.

None of the claims has been substantiated, and Meyer has so far steered clear of violating NCAA rules (the review of Moore's recruitment exonerated him of wrongdoing). But the talk continues, the perception remains: Maybe Meyer breaks no rules, but what kind of ethics does he bring to recruiting?

"Any time anybody has success, there are going to be questions," said Mike Farrell, a national recruiting analyst for rivals.com. "That's usually jealousy coming through. [Meyer] is a guy not highly regarded among other coaches for his tactics."

The tactic most in question seems to be Meyer's penchant for swaying top players already committed to one school to change their minds and attend Florida. The practice, "flipping" in recruiting vernacular, has helped the Gators harvest some of the nation's top players.

There was defensive tackle Omar Hunter, the gem of Florida's 2008 recruiting class. A Notre Dame commit for six months, he switched to the Gators in January, surely irking Fighting Irish Coach Charlie Weis.

An almost identical occurrence happened the year before with defensive end Justin Trattou, who flipped from ND to UF just before Signing Day. Trattou led a cast of at least eight Gators signees in a class of 27 who committed to one school and then opted for Florida.

Most of the eight were lured by a late official visit to campus, which ranks among the Gators' top assets. And the thought that Meyer or his assistants might have coaxed them to make an official visit after committing is seen as bad form among college coaches.

"The biggest question is does he solicit them," Farrell said. "A lot of people say he does, and that's seen as unethical. But you'll never know the truth."

Here's what the recruiting world does know -- Meyer and his staff have served as recruiting pioneers in the past few years, utilizing technological advances and creative scheduling to beat their competition.

Farrell said Meyer was one of the first coaches to visit high schools in May, mining them, especially in-state, for top junior players. He and former assistant coach Doc Holliday, who moved to West Virginia in January, spent as much time text-messaging prospects as any collection of coaches in the nation. Both practices have been outlawed by the NCAA in the past 12 months.

Florida spends as much time working on future players as current players. On occasion, one former assistant said, that can put coaches in tough spots.

"There are times when you're on vacation, and a kid calls and says he wants to come by and see you," said Greg Mattison, now a linebackers coach with the Baltimore Ravens. "You have to make a choice. And if you're going to be the best, a lot of times you have to see the kid."

Meyer also has specialized in targeting recruits earlier than most coaches. He has scheduled Junior Days, or organized opportunities for 11th-graders to make unofficial visits with other members of their class, earlier in the year than any other schools. And his Friday Night Lights camp held each summer has become one of the nation's premier on-campus recruiting events.

Once the players see the campus and meet the coaches, Meyer doesn't appear to let them, or their families, forget the experience.

"He recruited my parents and my grandmother just as much as he recruited me," said Bo Williams, a Gators running back in 2007 and on scholarship at Iowa State. "No other coach checked in on my family as much as he did."

All the strategies and effort, of course, are geared toward scoring the best players possible. Several recruiting Web sites rank each school's class, and Meyer has admitted to peeking at the rankings to see where his team sits.

The coach doesn't figure to change, and neither does his program's place in those rivals.com, scout.com, and espn.com rankings. And that elite status will just bring more questions about ethics, and rules, and Meyer's methods in building these fantastic classes.

"Recruiting is priority No. 1," Meyer said in an interview last April. "You have to continue to bring in good players and good people. And that's always going to be our goal."

[azuquita8]

Gators' talent pool pleases Meyer

By ROBBIE ANDREU
Sun sports writer
The Florida Gators will have only a handful of seniors again this season, which, again, does not please the head football coach.
But what does please Urban Meyer is the fact the Gators have accumulated a talent pool (in terms of skill and numbers) that has UF close to where Meyer envisioned the program being when he took over three years ago.
For the first time under Meyer, the Gators are close to having 85 scholarship players (UF will be at 84 when the true freshmen arrive this summer) and the shortage of players at certain positions has been eliminated through three successive recruiting classes ranked in the top five nationally.
"Just look at pure numbers, position by position, it's as close as I've been and I've been a head coach seven years now," Meyer said. "It's as close as I've been as being right on as far as numbers."
When Meyer breaks down his roster, he has specific numbers in mind. He said those numbers at each position are now very close to where he wants them to be.
"I have a personal board that I work off of," he said. "For example, you want 16 offensive linemen. We currently have 15. Defensive tackle, you want seven. I believe we have seven.
"Defensive ends, you want eight. We have eight. Safeties, you want six. We have nine, so we're a little heavy there. We have 12 scholarship receivers now and to run our style of (offense) that's what we need. And for the first time I can remember, you have three returning quarterbacks that you're going to war with.
"We've gone from just recruiting, take whatever you can get, to now we're trying to fit those pieces together."
With so few seniors, the Gators will still be relatively young again this season. Instead of a freshman/sophomore dominated team, this one will be more of a sophomore/junior team.
Now that Meyer has adequate numbers at almost every position, he faces a different potential problem now. Finding playing time for all these young players.
"Whenever you have players stockpiled at a position, you're going to have some unhappy athletes," he said. "I've already met with the staff about that. You're going to deal with some five-star, four-star guys that played in all-star games and everybody is saying how great everybody is and all of a sudden you wake up and you're third string on the depth chart and you're a sophomore."
With 22 new players coming on board, here's a position-by-position breakdown of Florida's scholarship roster heading into the 2008 football season:
QUARTERBACK
Tim Tebow, Jr.
Cameron Newton, So.
John Brantley, RFr.
Analysis: For the first time under Meyer, the Gators have three scholarship quarterbacks who are ready to play. And there is a nice separation between them. Tebow is a junior, Newton a sophomore and Brantley a redshirt freshman. This position is in the best shape it's been in for several years.
TAILBACK
Kestahn Moore, Sr.
Brandon James, Jr.
Emmanuel Moody, So.
Mon Williams, So.
Chris Rainey, RFr.
Jeff Demps, Fr.
Analysis: UF's ongoing search for a feature back will be one of the popular storylines in the spring. Moore has lots of experience, but not a lot of productive performances on his resume. Moody, the transfer from Southern Cal, and Williams, returning from knee surgery, are expected to bring more playmaking ability to the position.
FULLBACK
Steven Wilks, RFr.
T.J. Pridemore, Fr.
Analysis: Meyer never really utilized a fullback in his offense at Utah, but it's become an important position in Florida's spread offense. For the second year in a row, the Gators are looking for a new designated blocker at the position. Wilks is a former safety who loves to hit. Pridemore is expected to challenge Wilks when he arrives this summer. With two scholarship fullbacks, the Gators are right where they want to be at the position.
WIDE RECEIVER
Percy Harvin, Jr.
Carl Moore, Jr.
Deonte Thompson, RFr.
Justin Williams, So.
Frankie Hammond, Fr.
WIDE RECEIVER
Louis Murphy, Sr.
Riley Cooper, Jr.
David Nelson, Jr.
Paul Wilson, RFr.
Omarius Hines, Fr.
T.J. Lawrence, Fr.
TIGHT END
Cornelius Ingram, Sr.
Aaron Hernandez, So.
Tate Casey, Sr.
Analyzing the receivers: Meyer said the goal all along has been to have 12 scholarship receivers and that's where the Gators are at for the first time under Meyer. The Gators have 11 true scholarship wide receivers and two tight ends (Ingram and Hernandez) who play like wide receivers. So, the numbers are the best they've been here and the talent level supposedly is receiving an immediate boost from the addition of junior college All-America Moore.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
Phil Trautwein, Sr.
Jason Watkins, Sr.
Marcus Gilbert, So.
Carl Johnson, So.
James Wilson, RFr.
Matt Patchan, Fr.
David Young, Fr.
OFFENSIVE GUARD
Jim Tartt, Sr.
Maurkice Pouncey, So.
Maurice Hurt, So.
Jim Barrie, So.
Corey Hobbs, So.
Simon Codrington, Jr.
Byran Jones, Fr.
CENTER
Michael Pouncey, So.
Eddie Haupt, Jr.
Sam Robey, Fr.
Analyzing the offensive line: Meyer's ideal target number for scholarship offensive linemen is 15, and the Gators will be two beyond that with the addition of the four true freshmen. With the return of Trautwein, the Gators return starters at every position except center. This will be the deepest, most experienced line the Gators have had under Meyer — and it's not even close.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Javier Estopinan, Sr.
Brandon Antwine, Jr.
Terron Sanders, So
Torrey Davis, So.
Lawrence Marsh, So.
Justin Trattou, So.
John Brown, RFr.
Troy Epps, Jr.
Omar Hunter, Fr.
Analysis: A potential problem area in 2007, the tackle positions could turn out to be a strength this season. The Gators have the numbers at the position now and there will be an infusion of new talent competing for playing time this spring (Epps and Brown) and in the fall (Hunter).
DEFENSIVE END
Jermaine Cunningham, Jr.
Carlos Dunlap, So.
Duke Lemmens, So.
Jay Howard, RFr.
Earl Okine, Fr.
William Green, Fr.
Analysis: The Gators are still pretty thin here and still very, very young, with Cunningham being the only regular starter on the depth chart. Lemmens and Dunlap gained some experience as true freshmen last season and will be competing with Howard this spring for the other starting role. Okine, an early enrollee, and Green are considered big-time prospects.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
Ryan Stamper, Jr.
Dustin Doe, Jr.
A.J. Jones, So.
Brandon Hicks, So.
Lorenzo Edwards, So.
Lerentee McCray, So.
Analysis: Eight might be a more ideal number for these two positions. But UF should be OK with six as long as injuries don't hit. Stamper, Doe and Jones have started games, but there is almost zero playing experience behind those three. McCray could end up playing as a true freshman.
MIDDLE LINEBACKER
Brandon Spikes, Jr.
John Jones, So.
Brendan Beal, Fr.
Analysis: Signing Beal (and having him enroll early) was huge at this position, where Spikes did not have a true middle linebacker type backing him up last season, when Stamper was the first guy off the bench. This position will be a recruiting priority again next season.
CORNERBACK
Joe Haden, So.
Wondy Pierre-Louis, Jr.
Jacques Rickerson, So.
Markihe Anderson, So.
Moses Jenkins, So.
Jeremy Brown, Fr.
Adrian Bushell, Fr.
Janoris Jenkins, Fr.
Analysis: The Gators were down in numbers and experience last season. Now, there's some returning starting experience and plenty of players to battle at the two positions. But this year's back-ups will be even younger and less experienced than last year's starters. The true freshmen (Brown, Bushell and Jenkins) likely will have to contribute. A plus is that Brown and Jenkins are already enrolled.
STRONG SAFETY
Dorian Munroe, Jr.
Jerimy Finch, RFr.
Dee Finley, Fr.
Analysis: Munroe played a lot of football last season and now is ready to take over for Tony Joiner as the starter. Finch showed promise after he was moved to outside linebacker early last season (before he broke his lower leg in the third game). Now, Finch is going back to his more natural position, where he will challenge Munroe for the starting role. Finley is similar to Finch is size and playing style.
FREE SAFETY
Major Wright, So.
Jamar Hornsby, So.
Bryan Thomas, So.
Ahmad Black, RFr.
Will Hill, Fr.
Analysis: When Hill arrives this summer, the Gators will have five scholarship players who were all highly rated prospects coming out of high school. Wright was the nation's No. 2 safety a year ago and Hill is the consensus No. 1 safety this year. Hornsby and Thomas have been around long enough now to expect them to start providing valuable minutes behind Wright, the starter last season as a true freshman.
KICKER
Jonathan Phillips, Sr.
Caleb Sturgis, Fr.
PUNTER
Chas Henry, So.
Analyzing the kickers: The Gators have three scholarship kickers and that's probably the maximum most schools would want to have. Henry performed well as a true freshman in 2007 and the coaches may be counting on Sturgis to do the same this season.

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Tyus in middle of action for Gators

By KEVIN BROCKWAY
Sun sports writer
In time, Florida freshman Alex Tyus may look back on his role as backup center this season as a blessing.
Tyus was looking for playing time anywhere when he arrived on the Florida campus at 6-foot-8 and 203 pounds. He added 15 pounds of muscle through a summer strength and conditioning program, but still didn't come into the season with the ideal body type to bang in the post in the physical Southeastern Conference.
But after grabbing just 16 rebounds in his first 10 SEC games, Tyus has won the battles on the boards more often of late. With 14 rebounds in his last two games, Tyus will take his newfound ability on the glass into an important Florida showdown Wednesday at Georgia.
"Even though I'm tall and athletic, I was never really that great a rebounder," Tyus said. "I just relied on jumping over people."
Tyus acknowledged he's learned more about rebounding through positioning and technique, and realized early in practices he needed to become more aggressive in order to reach his full potential.
"I had to figure out a way to separate myself, getting in that demeanor and playing hard," Tyus said.
Because of his build and his speed up and down the floor in transition, Tyus projected in many circles as a power forward or even a small forward coming out of high school. But Florida coach Billy Donovan said he was honest with Tyus during the recruiting process, saying he would play him at the position he felt would benefit the team best this season.
That role turned out to be center, because of Florida's limited size.
"Any time you talk to any of these guys in recruiting they all want to be downsized a position," Donovan said. "Centers are power forwards, small forwards are now point guards, power forwards are now 3-point shooters. There's so much change that goes into it.
"For Alex, that's the one thing I've always admired and respected about him is he's never really got caught up in that. He's at times playing the center spot for us and he knows for our team this year that's kind of the way he has to plug in and help us and I respect that he puts the team first."
Tyus said he's simply thankful for the opportunity. He's averaging 13.1 minutes per game off the bench this season.
"Just playing and getting experience is what I'm most happy about, playing in the first year," Tyus said. "I'm facing guys all of the time that are bigger than me, so, I guess you can say playing out of position isn't that bad for me right now. It will only make me a better player."
Freshman teammate Nick Calathes said Tyus has improved in many areas since practice began last October.
"In the beginning of the year, I don't think he could catch the pick-and-roll bounce pass and finish," Calathes said. "I think he's getting a lot stronger. He's running the floor well for us. He's getting tougher inside and rebounding for us, so that's a big help."
Tyus' improved inside play also has allowed Donovan to experiment more with him and starting center Marreese Speights on the floor at the same time. Tyus and Speights played together extensively against Vanderbilt to match up with frontcourt players A.J. Ogilvy, Ross Neltner and Alan Metcalfe.
"It can be challenging for a young guy, playing multiple positions, and some young guys are better at it than others," Donovan said. "We're looking at it not just for this year's team but also I think for Alex and our team's play in the future."