Florida Gators thread

[nerrad]

lol... defenately not a redneck. but on a serious note, florida is my pick for a national championship birth this year.

[azuquita8]

Gators cruise in NIT opener

By KEVIN BROCKWAY
Sun sports writer
At this rate, Florida may choose not to return to the practice facility.
Before a half-full O'Connell Center, the Gators summoned enough internal energy to beat San Diego State 73-49 in its opening-round National Invitation Tournament game Wednesday night.
Marreese Speights led the Gators with 18 points and Nick Calathes added 16 points and five assists. Florida (22-11) snapped a four-game losing streak, its longest since losing five in a row during the 1997-98 season.
An announced crowd of 5,188 watched Florida play with stretches of passion and energy in its first game since being kicked out of its $12 million practice facility Monday. Florida has been practicing at the auxiliary court on the second floor of the O'Dome.
"It was good enough for Mike Miller, for Udonis Haslem," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "Sometimes you have to look back to the past when you're trying to build tradition. We need to learn to respect our past. Who knows, even if I ask them, maybe they'll say they won't want to go back."
"It's not bad up there," added Florida freshman guard Jai Lucas, who had eight points and four assists. "It's still a basketball court. It's pretty tough, everyone complaining about how much laundry we have to do, but after a while it became part of the daily routine."
The Gators will next play Friday at 9:30 p.m. in the O'Connell Center against Creighton in a rematch of a 2002 NCAA Tournament game that Florida lost 83-82 in double-overtime.
Creighton advanced with a 74-73 win over Rhode Island, fighting back from a 17-point deficit to win the game on a Cavel Witter 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left.
There were a few surprise guests in the sparse crowd. New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick sat behind the Florida bench next to Florida football coach Urban Meyer. Former Florida assistant and current Marshall head coach Donnie Jones also showed up for support, bringing former Gator guard and current Marshall assistant coach Brett Nelson.
Florida started the game with the energy that was missing in last week's opening-round loss to Alabama at the SEC Tournament. The Gators made seven of their first nine shots to jump to an 18-12 lead.
UF junior guard Walter Hodge picked up two quick fouls and was forced to sit for the final 15:10 of the first half. Donovan went to his bench early, at one point playing all four of his scholarship bench players with Lucas.
Florida went on a 6-0 run, scoring three straight baskets on layups to extend the lead to 24-12. The Gators extended the lead to 34-21 when Calathes made back-to-back 3-pointers and went into the locker room up 35-23 at halftime.
Defensively, Florida showed some improvement, holding the Aztecs to 40 percent shooting in the first half while blocking three shots. Ryan Amoroso led San Diego State (20-13) with 19 points. The Gators held San Diego State leading scorer Lorrenzo Wade to 13 points on five-of-13 shooting.
"That's been our focus in practice," said Florida freshman Chandler Parsons, who scored five points off the bench. "That's what we want to do and we still have areas where we can get even better on defense."
In the second half, Florida padded its lead. After scoring just four first-half points, Speights got more involved offensively, scoring two of Florida's first three baskets on a jump hook and a layup. Lucas and Hodge followed with back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the lead to 47-32.
After a layup by San Diego State guard Kelvin Davis cut the Florida lead to 47-34, the Gators put the game away with an 8-0 run, punctuated by a breakaway Speights dunk that put Florida up 55-34.
The Gators led by as many as 25 points late in the second half before walk-on Hudson Fricke checked in to run out the clock. Florida won its first NIT game since beating Purdue in the quarterfinals of the 1992 NIT tournament.

[nerrad]

what happened with that linemen that wanted to get a transfer out of florida?

[azuquita8]

Meyer wants better team chemistry

By ROBBIE ANDREU
Sun sports writer
This is a different spring than any other under Urban Meyer. For the first time since Meyer took over, the Gators have had to carry a bitter loss into the offseason, a loss that has raised questions about chemistry and attitude as UF gets back to work for the first time since the Capital One defeat against Michigan.
Developing chemistry is a priority, Meyer said Wednesday after the Gators' first spring practice.
"It's amazing what we're dealing with nowadays, and I've talked to our players about that," Meyer said. "You throw your iPod in, you come in the locker room bopping your head, you put your equipment on and go out to practice, come back in and throw on your iPod and punch in your cell phone and text people and leave.
"How are you going to develop any chemistry as a team? We're really going to attack the chemistry part. Not that we've had bad chemistry, but I don't know if we were a very close team last year. Two years ago, we were real close, a lot of good stuff going on there. We have to get back to the chemistry. That's one of our goals."
Meyer said he has talked to his players about staying off their cell phones in and around the locker room. He said he has no plans to ban iPods.
"We're living in a world where you see it every day," he said. "Just go walk on campus, the white things in people's ears. That means I don't have to talk to you. That's what we're dealing with.
"I could (ban iPods), then now I'm the policeman pulling out iPods. No, I'm going to talk to them about being grown men and let's develop a little chemistry. We don't want cell phones around. I've talked to them about it. I'll go down there and pull them out and encourage communication."
In one attempt to start building some team chemistry, Meyer said the team went paint-balling Tuesday.
"I've never been paint-balling," he said. "We're going to do some things and get some communication going."
Along with finding some chemistry this spring, Meyer said the Gators are also in search of the chip they wore on their shoulders during the 2006 national championship season and during the four-game winning streak at the end of the regular season last year, before the bottom fell out with the humbling 41-35 loss to Michigan.
"(The loss) is a hard one to swallow, but it's probably what the team needed," Meyer said. "We got beat. That wasn't a fluke. We got beat.
"I think when you have a chip on your shoulder, and Billy Donovan has said it many times, that the minute you lose that chip on your shoulder, you're not very good for some reason."
Meyer said the Gators lost that chip last season somewhere between the 45-12 rout of arch-rival Florida State and Jan. 1 in Orlando.
"You won those four games right before that last game and that chip started disappearing," Meyer said. "We had that chip for those four games. We played some excellent football against our rivals and South Carolina. I mean great football, the best of the year.
"Then I saw the same thing everyone else saw, especially on defense, in that last game."
Meyer and his players said the loss served as motivation in the tough offseason conditioning program.
"I think it was definitely one of the best offseasons we've gone through because all the guys bought in and there was not a lot of trouble, not a lot of guys doing stupid things," quarterback Tim Tebow said. "They were all real focused and had a good offseason.
"(The loss to Michigan) was definitely motivating, no doubt about it. All those losses are motivating. There was definitely a lot of motivation this offseason."
Meyer said he's noticed a difference.
"I saw it in the offseason from the head coach to the assistants to everybody," Meyer said.

[azuquita8]

Belichick In Florida Again Jon Scott
PatriotsInsider.comMar 20, 2008
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is back on the road to take a look at NFL Draft hopefuls again. Yesterday, Belichick met with University of Florida's head coach Urban Meyer in Gainesville. Belichick was on hand to get his fix of Gator football in what has become an annual pilgrimage.

In what appears to be an annual event, Bill Belichick was at in Florida to check in on some of the University of Florida's NFL Draft hopefuls. It was the Gators' spring practice yesterday, and Belichick was there taking in the sights.Belichick and Florida's head coach Urban Meyer have become good friends, at least on a professional level. Each coach has been seen at the other's team practice. Each has spoken to the other's players. It's a recruiting trip - sort of - for Belichick, who will undoubtedly consider the Gators' top prospects in April's Draft.
After watching the football team practice, Belichick and Meyer attended the Gator's hoops game where Florida's Billy Donovan coached against San Diego State in the NIT tournament.
When Belichick took a trip to Florida to scout some of Meyer's players after the 2006 season, Belichick stopped to meet with Donovan and his players. The Gators mens basketball team went on to win the National Championship in the NCAA tournament. Donovan's success came after Meyer's football team won the National Championship in football. It was the first time in NCAA history that a school had won the championship of both sports in the same academic year. Donovan's team also won the National Championship the season prior, giving them back-to-back titles.
Florida coach Urban Meyer at Gators practice
(file photo 8/7/2007 fightingators.com)Meyer took the job at Florida in 2005, after a successful career at Utah. When he arrived in Gainsville, it wasn't long before Belichick looked him up and proposed a deal to share ideas. Belichick recognized that Meyer's innovative offense could help the Patriots, while New England's continued ability to achieve a sustained level of success was something Meyer appreciated.
In the 2006 NFL Draft, Belichick selected a pair of Meyer's players, WR Chad Jackson in the second round and DE/OLB Jeremy Mincey in the sixth. Belichick also invited a number of Florida players to training camp for a shot at making an NFL roster.
DB, Vernell Brown; OL, Randy Hand and S, Jarvis Herring were some of the Florida rookies in camp that season.
Since Meyer arrived in Florida, the Patriots have been interested in Florida players. Belichick has flown down to personally meet or workout a number of prospects. Last year Reggie Nelson, Brandon Siler and Ray McDonald received attention from Belichick
This year it appears another defender, Derrick Harvey, may be in the mix. Former Patriots wide receiver Reche Caldwell was a Florida player, although he finished at Florida before Meyer arrived. Caldwell's brother Andre could be a possible draft target for New England as well.
The Florida connection continues. Not surprisingly, so do the good things happening for Belichick's offense.

Jon Scott has covered the NFL since 1995, and is a regular contributor to Patriots Insider. A member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). Jon has been a guest analyst on Sporting News Radio, ESPN Radio and other outlets around the web, including other publications on the Scout.com network. You can reach Jon in the forums at PatriotsInsider.com or email Jon here.

[azuquita8]

Offense experimenting with no-huddle

By ROBBIE ANDREU
Sun sports writer
Spring is the time to work on fundamentals and develop young players. It also offers an opportunity to do a little tinkering, which is what the Florida Gators are doing with their offense.
What you might not see on the practice field this spring is an offensive huddle.
UF is developing a no-huddle attack designed to possibly wear down opposing defenses and increase the Gators' play count next season.
The Gators have run the no-huddle almost exclusively through the first two practices.
"We're not changing the offense, per se," offensive coordinator Dan Mullen said. "We're changing the speed in which we're executing it, and it takes a little bit of getting used to for the guys. We're getting there.
"It seems we're running a lot more plays in practice than we have in the past. It gives us the opportunity to get up there and run more plays over the course of the game. We averaged 70 plays a game last year. Some of those no-huddle teams were over 80. For us, that could equal some points."
Mullen said he expects the spring experiment to be implemented in the fall and that the no-huddle should become a staple of the offense.
"We plan on using it," Mullen said. "People look in the spring and say, ‘Wow, it's almost all no-huddle.’ I don't know that we will be all no-huddle in the fall, but I think if it's something we want to do, this is really the time to really implement it and execute it. We can always get back in the huddle and do what we've been doing. That's why we're putting such an emphasis on (the no-huddle) this spring."
UF coach Urban Meyer said the no-huddle approach could help the Gators become more effective in two-minute situations. In single-digit losses to Auburn and Michigan last season, UF's offense stalled in the final minutes.
"We failed to win a game at the end a couple of times," Meyer said. "We have some very talented athletes and doing a little more no-huddle might give us a chance to wear some people out. And you can uncover the defense. You give a fake snap count and find what blitz is coming and then adjust your offense."
Mullen said it should be a smooth transition because the Gators have experienced skill players and quarterbacks who now have a grasp of the offense and the ability to adjust at the line of scrimmage.
"It certainly helps having experienced players," Mullen said. "All our quarterbacks (Tim Tebow, Cameron Newton and John Brantley) know the offense now, so it's a lot easier for them to execute. I think they think they know more than they do at this point, but we're knocking them down a peg."
The no-huddle isn't the only change on offense this spring. The quarterbacks also are lining up under center at times instead of standing in the shotgun for every snap like they did last season. It gives the Gators more options, Mullen said.
"It lets you do some different things," Mullen said. "We had some success doing it two years ago with Chris (Leak). It's just another different look for the defense.
"The more looks you give them, hopefully we're harder to defend. You always want to stay ahead of that curve. That's one of the keys. Every year you want to make sure you're staying ahead of the curve, don't let the defense catch up to you.
"All those things (lining up under center and the no-huddle), we're tweaking as things go on. Day by day, we'll add a new little wrinkle."
It's basically the same spread offense, but it appears the Gators are going to run it a little differently in 2008.

[azuquita8]

Notebook: Gators put pads on today

By EDWARD ASCHOFF
Special to The Sun
Today, the pads go on.
After two days of practice, Florida coach Urban Meyer said he's ready to see what his team is really made of. The only way to begin evaluating is to see how they perform in pads.
“We're not very good, but attitudes are good,” Meyer said after Friday's practice. “We'll find out tomorrow. Tomorrow's a big day — pads — tomorrow's a big day.”
The Gators went through the motions during the first two practices. Once the hitting begins, Meyer expects to see a little more passion.
“I hope they show up and the music's pumping and a bunch of guys (are) chirping at each other,” he said. “It's winner-loser day, offense versus defense.”
The area where Meyer wants to see the most improvement is defense. The unit gave up an average of 361.8 yards per game last season and has a lot of work to do before fall practices.
“We're just trying to get them lined up and (there are) still so many young players,” Meyer said. “We've just got a long way to go on defense. I see our safeties flying around out there. I see some guys doing some nice things, but our defensive line's just trying to figure out which hand to put down.”
Meyer knows this unit won't completely turn around after one practice, but his only request is that his players go hard and show a little bit of grit out on the field.
“Somebody asked about Lorenzo Edwards,” he said. “I would love to see him run through a gap and take a tailback and knock his helmet off. I'll feel really good if guys like that, who haven't done much out here, play. That's what we're looking for tomorrow.”
Backup QBs thriving
Sophomore quarterback and Heisman winner Tim Tebow is the starter. There is no disputing that, but finding his backup will be a chore for Meyer and offensive coordinator Dan Mullen.
Redshirt freshman John Brantley is expected to be limited during the first part of spring practice because of a shoulder injury, but participated Friday. His competition, and last year's backup, freshman Cameron Newton has shown signs of improvement during the first two days, but still has room for improvement.
Meyer said it's too early to see who is standing out and who is falling behind, but is happy with his backups' play thus far.
“It's been two practices and we've done nothing but install plays,” Meyer said. “I'm impressed with them because they're great kids and they throw the ball nice. That's about a day-14 question once we get into scrimmages and all that. We're just out here in shorts just throwing around.
“I like their energy, I like the retention. Cameron Newton's got a lot of retention because he's a backup over here, so he's probably a little ahead of (Brantley), but the other guy came out today and threw the ball real nice as well.”
Meyer said he still plans to implement a two-quarterback system, even if both have similar styles of play.
“I guess in a dream world, you'd like to have both just clones of one another,” he said. “Then you don't have to have two different plans.”
Sturgis impresses
One of the spectacles of the day was seeing freshman kicker Caleb Sturgis boom kicks from over 40 and 50 yards at the end of practice. While he missed most of them toward the end, Sturgis' power is what impressed his coach.
“He's got a bomb,” Meyer said. "He missed a couple, but it sounded like what it's supposed to sound like when it hit the foot. Those were 57-yard field goals. I don't think he made any, but he was clearing it by 10 yards.”

[azuquita8]

UF football practice report

By RAY FITZGERALD
Special to The Sun
3:30: A larger-than-normal crowd has decided to start their weekend early and catch spring football practice today. Among the crowd is Eric Shrive, a 6-foot-7 inch, 300-pound junior tackle from West Scranton (Pa.) High School. Shrive recently visited Miami and has 30 offers to add to one from UF. Wearing an orange Gator shirt, he left the practice about 20 minutes into the opening drills.

3:45: The team started out with a no-huddle drill, alternating the three quarterbacks. Kestahn Moore and Mon Williams each bobbled two shovel passes.

4:00: Freshman running back Ean McQuay struggled in short-drop pass drills. In his first attempt, he dropped a 4-yard pass. He caught the second, but quickly lost his footing, slipping to the ground.
4:38: Cameron Newton is still showing some rust. Several of his passes are sailing over receiver’s heads. On the defensive side, freshman Janoris Jenkins caught the crowd’s attention, and applause, with a one-handed interception from a leap off of his back foot with Urban Meyer standing just feet away.
Marreese Speights broke away from NIT preparation and ducked in for a few moments to check the action.
The team is getting ready to start one-on-one drills.
4:50: Running backs coach Kenny Carter got into the action for a bit, during running drills. When running back Chris Rainey jogged through a run, Carter chased him halfway down the field yelling at him to “finish the run.” Needless to say, Rainey picked up his speed.

Emmanuel Moody caught the corner quick on his first carry. He ran through the whistle untouched.

Percy Harvin woke the crowd up, grabbing a John Brantley pass that was at least two yards behind him. Harvin juggled the ball, but was able to pull it in past Joe Haden.
5:13: The crowd keeps growing despite some less-than-exciting punt block drills. Freshman linebacker Brandon Hicks drew kudos from Meyer and Haden got a Tiger Woods-like hand pump from him for each getting two hands on a punt.

Hicks proceeded to line up in the wrong spot on an ensuing drill, drawing a few woods from coach Vance Bedford.

Meyer is staying close to Newton, standing just yards behind him during the drill. When Brantley is inserted, he seems more focused on the receivers.
5:20: Newton is settling in nicely as practice proceeds, with his passes starting to hit their mark. His mechanics are improved from last year and he looks more comfortable in the pocket. You can definitely see a difference when Newton gives way to John Brantley.

Carl Moore has been hot and cold throughout the day. He’ll drop a few passes and then turn around and haul in a one-handed grab in traffic.
5:35: No report is complete without a Tim Tebow post. No rust here. Tebow’s passes have been crisp and on-target all day. During the most recent one-on-one drill, Tebow completed nine of his ten passes. Most of the time, his receivers are so open it looks like he’s dropping a quarter in one of those plastic tubs at a toll booth.

The best came to David Nelson, who nabbed a one-handed grab 30 yards down the field.
5:45: The Sun’s beat writer Robbie Andreu has commented that Newton is looking good as the day progresses. His passes are much crisper since the opening drills. Several other writers in attendance agree than he looks improved from last year.

Several fans are juggling binoculars and cell phones as word of the NCAA Basketball Tournament upsets begin to spread.
6:04: On the opening play of the final drills, first-team offense against first-team defense, Tebow caught a wide-open Louis Murphy down the left sideline for an easy score. Percy Harvin grabbed the next pass over the middle, turned the right corner and went untouched the rest of the way.

Aaron Hernandez was next up, catching a deep pass over the middle.

Tebow’s first mistake of the day came on the ensuing play when Haden jumped in front of a pass intended for Deonte Thompson.

Thompson dropped the next ball along the sideline with Dorian Munroe in his face.

Enter Cam Newton, who scrambled out of traffic, but put a pass too low to freshman Paul Wilson. Nelson bobbled the second pass all the way to the ground.

Despite the lack of pads and contact, and his red jersey, Newton is reacting well to pressure. He’s able to escape multiple defenders and break free.

The defense is having a hard time covering anything that moves.
6:20: Tebow and Newton are continuously drawing the defense offside with hard counts. That could be a good or bad thing depending on which side of the ball you're rooting for.
That's all for practice today. Be sure to check The Sun for more practice coverage.

[azuquita8]

Calathes gets triple-double in win

By KEVIN BROCKWAY
Sun sports writer
Florida freshman guard Nick Calathes didn't know he was a point shy of a triple-double until a time out with a little more than eight minutes remaining.
Teammate Walter Hodge told Calathes in the huddle.
"He said, 'Nick, we need to get you one more point,'" Calathes said.
Calathes got the points on a layup with 6:05 remaining, continuing a Friday night of celebration at the O'Connell Center. Behind an 11-point, 13-rebound, 11-assist effort from Calathes, the Gators overwhelmed visiting Creighton 82-54 in a second-round National Invitation Tournament game Friday night.
Calathes posted the second triple-double in school history, matching the feat first achieved by ormer Gator forward Corey Brewer. Brewer had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a Dec. 18, 2005 game against Jacksonvlle.
"It's a great honor, but I would take a 30-point win anyday," Calathes said. "My teammates really did a good job around me. I tried to focus on rebounding. I'd say that I did about five percent of it and my teammates did about 95 perccent of it."
Florida (23-11) moved on to play Tuesday at Arizona State at 9 p.m. (ESPN) in the NIT quarterfinals. The top-seeded Sun Devils advanced with wins over Alabama State and Southern Illinois.
The game will pit Florida coach Billy Donovan against one of his mentors, Arizona State coach Herb Sendek. Sendek was a graduate assistant at Providence when Donovan played there and the two later worked together as assistants under Rick Pitino on Kentucky's coaching staff.
"Being the good friend he is, I'll be very disappointed if he didn't personally give me the scouting report," Donovan deadpanned.
Florida put the game away with 14-0 first-half run and led by as many as 33 points in the second half before a lively crowd of 7,595.
Hodge led four Florida players in double-figures with 15 points. Marreese Speights added 14 points and Jai Lucas had 10 points and two assists.
Cavel Witter led Creighton (22-11) with 13 points off the bench. Dane Watts added 10 points.
Florida built on the defensive intensity it showed Wednesday night against San Diego State, holding Creighton scoreless for the first 4:28 of the game. Behind 3-pointers from Hodge and Calathes, Florida jumped to a quick 8-0 lead.
Witter finally got Creighton on the scoreboard with a driving layup with 15:32 remaining in the half, but Florida answered with a Chandler Parsons' 3-pointer and Speights' baseline jumper to extend its lead 13-4.
Creighton put together a modest 6-0 run, cutting the Florida lead to 15-12 on a Watts' 3-pointer. But Florida responded by scoring 14 unanswered points. Werner and Lucas hit consecutive 3-pointers to put Florida ahead 25-12. Lucas then followed with a driving layup to put Florida ahead 29-12.
Florida maintained its defensive focus for the rest of the half, holding Creighton to 34.8 percent shooting from the floor. Witter cut the Florida lead to 31-19 with a jumper, but the Gators closed the half with an 8-0 run. During the run, Speights scored on a fast-break dunk on a pretty feed from Calathes, and Jonathan Mitchell hit a layup on the break with 4.8 seconds left to put Florida ahead 39-19 at halftime.
Calathes dished seven first-half assists. His 11 assists were two shy of an Florida NIT record of 13 assists held by Vernon Delancy on March 14, 1984 against South Alabama.
"I'm personally happy for Nick because I had a chance to be here for him and for Corey Brewer," Donovan said. "He really had a great game and he only took seven shots. I thought he affected the game in a lot of different ways."
Calathes increased his school-record and SEC leading assist total to 209.
"Nick is obviously a great player, but he's been doing that all year," said Florida sophomore forward Dan Werner, who finished with seven points, two rebounds and a blocked shot. "He's been very close to a triple-double in a lot of games. Every game, he's had around seven or eight assists, seven or eight rebounds. He's an all-around player and he does the little things."

[azuquita8]

Backup QB to play big role this year


UF quarterback Tim Tebow, center, runs drills during the first football practice of the year on Wednesday. Aaron Daye/The Gainesville Sun
By ROBBIE ANDREU
Sun sports writer

Florida's two-headed quarterback in 2006 featured two players with distinctly different styles.

There was Chris Leak, the senior starter and accomplished passer.

There was Tim Tebow, the true freshman and runner who specialized in bulling his way to first downs and touchdowns.

The quarterbacks were so different that they basically ran different offenses, with the coaches coming up with a special package of plays for Tebow to run each week.

With Urban Meyer vowing to go back to a two-quarterback system in 2008, this new two-headed quarterback probably will not look like the old one. The No. 2 guy (whoever it turns out to be) will be running the same offense that Tebow runs, so there will not just be a designated runner (or passer) coming off the bench like two years ago.

"Playing two quarterbacks doesn't mean you need two systems," offensive coordinator Dan Mullen said. "Each quarterback has their own thing that they do really well. You can highlight different parts.

"But they're all big, they all throw the ball very well and they're all very athletic. It's a pretty good combination."

It's a combination that should allow the Gators to run their spread offense regardless of who comes off the bench — sophomore Cameron Newton or redshirt freshman John Brantley.

Like Tebow, Newton and Brantley are capable runners and passers, Mullen said, and capable of running the offense.

"Whoever the backup is, he's going to come in and run the offense," Mullen said. "One of the big benefits is if you have to make an adjustment during a series, I can get a quarterback off the field and make the adjustment with him without taking a time-out or waiting until the next series.

"Another guy goes in and keeps running the show. And you can communicate real well if you want specific things done with the quarterbacks."

Mullen and Meyer know how they want to use their quarterbacks in the fall. Now, they have to find out who the No. 2 guy is going to be.

Only a few days into spring practice, that decision probably will not be coming anytime soon, Mullen said.

"Our thought on that is I'm planning on getting three quarterbacks ready to play," Mullen said. "That's where we are right now."

Newton saw limited playing time last season and was used mostly as a runner. He's been running with the second-team offense this spring, partly because Brantley has been limited by an injury to his non-throwing left shoulder.

Brantley is expected to be close to a full go this week, and the competition will commence.

Newton, who is 6-6, 240 pounds, is considered a stronger runner than passer, while Brantley is considered the best pure passer among the quarterbacks. Brantley, however, is up to 213 pounds and also is capable of doing everything in the offense, Mullen said.

"Brantley is progressing along," Mullen said.

Newton also is advancing, Mullen said, especially with his confidence throwing the ball.

Newton's mechanics and throwing motion appear much-improved from a year ago, and he's showing better touch and accuracy, especially on the deep throws.

"He's had some time this offseason to really learn to throw the ball and get that down," Mullen said. "Couple that with the fact he's more comfortable in the offense, and you're seeing a different result.

"He's a much more consistent passer. He has a really strong arm. What he's done is clean it up a little bit."

Newton said he is much more relaxed now that he has a better grasp of the offense.

"I was kind of tense last year. Now, I'm getting in control of what I'm doing," he said. "I got the jitterbugs out and I'm ready to roll now.

"Last year, I was tensed up and didn't know what to expect from practice to practice. I was like a deer in the headlights. Now, I'm getting kind of comfortable and composed in the system."

Newton said he has been striving for consistency in his passing motion.

"Coach Mullen pointed out that I had a different motion for different throws last year," Newton said. "Now when I go back to pass, I'm thinking about the same motion every time. It's helped me become a more consistent passer."

Newton said he feels he's getting close to being ready to run the offense — the same one Tebow runs.

"I want to be able to come into the game and not lose a beat," Newton said. "We want to keep that tempo going."

That's the plan for UF's new version of the two-headed quarterback.

[azuquita8]

UF has plenty of tailback candidates

By ROBBIE ANDREU
Sun sports writer
Florida's tailbacks are in only the early hours of a competition that figures to stretch through the spring and summer and into the early fall.
But two things about the competition already appear evident.
One, the Gators have more speed, skill and depth at the position than a year ago.
Two, senior Kestahn Moore is going to be a hard guy to beat out.
"You have guys within our program that you say, 'That guy epitomizes what you feel like your program is,' " new running backs coach Kenny Carter said Monday. "If you could hang a picture of a player in front of our stadium and say, 'This guy represents our program,' Kestahn would be one of those guys.
"Absolutely, he's a great worker. He's all about team, he's unselfish. He does everything you ask him to do."
Even though he is the incumbent starter, Moore probably was not considered the favorite to win the starting role this spring because of two problems he encountered last season: the inability to make defenders miss and taking care of the football.
Moore had huge fumbles in the LSU and Georgia games that contributed to those losses.
But the qualities that earned him the starting job in the first place are back in play this spring.
"He would have been a 1,000-yard rusher if he'd taken care of the football, last year," UF coach Urban Meyer said. "He's tough, he's a great kid and he's worked hard to be where he's at.
"He's a leader. He's a captain type of kid. He never misses a class, he does everything right, and he runs hard. His weaknesses are explosiveness after he gets through the first level and taking care of the ball. If he fixes that, he'll be fine."
Through the first week of spring, Moore has been running with the first-team offense. But the competition is on his heels, ready to pounce if he makes the slightest stumble.
For a position that has not produced up to Meyer's standards since he's been at Florida, the Gators appear to have the talent at tailback to possibly turn it around in 2008.
"These tailbacks are really talented," said Southern Cal transfer Emmanuel Moody, who is expected to make a strong run at the starting job. "We have a lot of speed out here. The race is tight. We have a lot of great backs. You really can't have an off day. When you come to Florida, that's what you expect."
Carter also is new to Florida, and also impressed with the talent he's been given to work with.
"We're as good as anybody else in our league (the SEC) at that position," Carter said. "We've just got to produce.
"That's the coach's decision (who starts), but to me, you can't survive in this league with just one guy. You have to have multiple guys that you feel are going to be interchanged and not have to adjust what you're doing in any phase of the game. We're trying to use more than one guy."
Moore, Moody, junior Brandon James, sophomore Mon Williams and redshirt freshman Chris Rainey are all in the mix, all battling for playing time and the starting role.
Carter said it's too early in the competition to name a leader, but he did say Moore and James hold somewhat of an edge based on their past playing experience.
"We're evaluating everybody and giving them a chance to really kind of get comfortable with me and hone in what we're trying to do scheme-wise," Carter said. "Obviously, Kestahn and Brandon, because of experience, are a little bit ahead mentally. I should say a lot ahead because they've played and they understand what we're doing."
Despite a lack of size, James could be the dark horse contender to win the job.
"I think he can (be an every-down back)," Carter said. "He's done everything we've asked him to do. He's got all the ability in the world.
"He's so fast and he's one of the best kick returners in the country. Why can't he do that as a back? He's shown that. He can pass protect, he can play receiver, he can do it all."
Of course, the tailback drawing the most attention this spring is Moody, who started four games as a true freshman at talent-laden Southern Cal two years ago. Moody scored a touchdown on a 12-yard run in Saturday's scrimmage and appears to have a good combination of speed, moves and size.
"He's got a lot of talent," Carter said. "Scheme-wise, there are things that are different, and the temperament is a lot different than what he's used to. He's buying in, and that's the best thing.
"As far as his physical attributes, they're exactly what you thought they would be."
Carter said Williams and Rainey also are excellent and capable prospects.
Williams made a tough 4-yard TD run at the end of Monday's practice that caught Carter's attention.
"He showed me a lot today," Carter said. "His knee swelled up at the beginning of practice and he pushed through it. That run toward the end, he showed a burst. That's a big step, a big step."
Rainey also has broken off some impressive runs so far.
"Rainey has everything you want an athlete to have," Carter said. "He's fast, he's quick, he's got great speed. As he continues to gain weight, he's going to be very dangerous."
It's early in the competition, but the Gators appear to have speed and talent at tailback. And one tough senior who is going to be hard to knock out of the top spot.

[azuquita8]

UF's early enrollees get a leg up

By EDWARD ASCHOFF
Special to The Sun
It’s simple: The faster a player gets into school and onto the practice field, the quicker he adapts to taking the next step.
Florida coach Urban Meyer and his staff pride themselves on getting a significant number of early entrees each year. Last season, UF had nine players enroll early. This year there are eight (six freshman and two junior college transfers).
It’s definitely an advantage for players to see the playbook and the practice
atmosphere as soon as possible, but naturally, it takes time to adjust.
“The mental stress put on you and the speed just rocks people’s worlds when they
first get into college football,” Meyer said after a practice last week. “That’s been that way for a while.”
Of the early enrollees, former Pahokee standout cornerback Janoris Jenkins figures to be examined the most. With the uncertainty at corner, he arrived in Gainesville just in time.
“It is kind of exciting (to compete early) because when I looked at that team on TV and how they would cover in the secondary I thought, ‘Well, maybe I can go in and compete very hard and come out hopefully with a starting position,’ " the 5-foot-10, 177-pound freshman said.
Jenkins made his presence known during offseason conditioning drills and has been one of Meyer’s favorites because of his effort in the weight room and also his commitment to his school work.
However, the first day was “frustrating” for Jenkins as he was picked apart by the Gator receivers during 1-on-1 drills and looked lost in most of the defensive formations run against the offense.
“I really didn’t know the plays,” he said. “No one never went over the plays with me so that’s why I feel I’ve got to take matters into my own hands and go in the film room and study. But when I get my plays down to where I know them, I’ll be better.”
Jenkins isn’t alone.
Former Gainesville High defensive end Earl Okine said it has been challenging to come to grips with the fact that he is no longer part of the elites on the field.
“Coming here, you’re a freshman, so no body’s really looking at you like that anymore,” Okine said, who stands at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds. “You just got to prove yourself.”
Okine’s transformation has