GATORBAIT MEDIA

Bell comes to Gainesville from Alabama, where he saw firsthand what a fully aligned athletic and academic powerhouse looks like. And he didn’t waste time making his priorities clear.

Vernell Brown III stretches for a deep throw against South Florida in 2025 (Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: It may not matter who offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner starts at quarterback this fall. Whether it’s Aaron Philo, Trammel Jones Jr. or even freshman Will Griffin the task will be get the ball out quickly to what might very well prove to be the best wide receiver room in the Southeastern Conference. Athlon’s preseason magaz

A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning: As a third-year sophomore at Valdosta State, Buster Faulkner learned a football version of Charles Darwin’s adapt or die theory of evolution. As a freshman and sophomore, Faulkner was the backup to strong-armed Dusty Bonner, who threw for 107 touchdowns while winning the Harlon Hill Trophy, the Division II version of the Heisman. Bonner was blessed with a pro-style arm capable of making all the throws. While Faulkner had th

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: The philosophy of William James, considered the father of American psychology, could be paraphrased like this: The decisions you make will form the foundation of your lasting legacy. When it comes to Florida football, the legacy of the last 15 years is inconsistency that can be traced to bad decisions that probably seemed like a good idea at the moment. Whether it was bad decisions when it came to hiring head coaches or the

“Sure, luck means a lot in football. Not having a good quarterback is bad luck.” – Don Shula Someone once said quarterbacks get too much credit when teams do well, too much criticism when teams don’t produce. It is the single most important position no matter the sport. The right quarterback can take a team with outstanding talent to championships (see Tim Tebow, Cam Newton, Joe Burrow). The right quarterback can even lead typically below average teams to unprecedented height

A few thoughts to jump start your Saturday morning: Thirty seems to be a very good number for Florida football. For example, in 1996 Steve Spurrier won the Heisman Trophy, the Gators went 9-2 and beat Georgia Tech 27-10 in the Orange Bowl, putting an unceremonious end to the legendary career of Bobby Dodd. Thirty years later, Spurrier coached the Gators to a 12-1 record that included Florida’s fourth straight SEC championship, a 52-20 humiliation of Florida State and Bobby Bo

Brad White is very much a sleeper — the kind of quiet star who looks more and more like head‑coaching material the longer you stare at the résumé.

Florida AD Scott Stricklin oversaw an athletic program that finished sixth nationally (Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: For the 42nd consecutive year, the University of Florida finished among the top ten in the Learfield Director’s Cup standings that signify overall excellence from top to bottom of the entire athletic program. A strong second place finish by the Florida women’s track and field team at the NCAA outdoor championships p

What happened Monday should be a wakeup call to the conference commissioners, school presidents, administrators and athletic directors in all of college sports, but particularly in Division I. Less than 90 days after winning the NCAA basketball championship at Michigan, Dusty May walked out on college sports, preferring instead the NBA where very few college coaches succeed. Dusty May is only 49 years old. Just eight years ago he left Mike White’s staff at Florida to become

(Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: Early in the season when Jac Caglianone was struggling at the plate there was plenty of talk that the Kansas City Royals had brought him along too fast, that he needed to go back down to Triple A for some more seasoning. That was before June. In the 18 games he’s played in since June 1, the former Gator All-American is hitting .378 with seven home runs and 17 RBI. He has homered in three straight game

(Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Saturday morning: Perhaps Texas A&M basketball coach Bucky McMillan should heed the advice of my grandmother, the late, great Ivey Van Sickle, who warned about criticizing others: “Remember, when you point a finger at someone you’ve got three pointing back at you.” On the podcast “Next Round Live,” Bucky took a shot at Florida for retaining Tommy Haugh. Florida spent a rather hefty chunk of NIL money to convince Haug

There’s a name that might have made the rounds outside the Swamp but hasn't been tumpeted nearly enough. It will become louder this season and resonate in the echo chamber with the kind of buzz that normally sells jerseys in June or fuels talk radio in July.