GATORBAIT MEDIA

You don’t have to know a thing about bloodlines or fractions or Beyer figures to understand the Kentucky Derby. It explains itself in thunder.

(Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Sunday morning: You can’t blame Anthony Richardson for leaving Florida for the NFL after the 2022 season. In his one season as the Gators’ starting quarterback, Richardson oozed potential even though it was a year filled with inconsistency. NFL scouts thought that with some coaching they could bring out the best in Richardson, whose size, speed and arm strength made him the prototype of the future. Indianapolis took hi

A few thoughts to jump start your Saturday morning: It is being reported that the NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, will enact the 5-for-5 rule effective the 2026-27 season, in all probability prior to Memorial Day weekend. Furthermore, it is being reported that it will affect all sports and none of the seniors from the 2025-26 season who have already played four years, will be grandfathered in. The new rule will set a timeline – the 5-year clock starts ticking on high school gra

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Forget the schematic alphabet soup. The number you need to remember is twenty. As in 20-yard plays. Faulkner’s last Georgia Tech offense finished top-15 in the country in explosive runs of 20 yards or more. They were 12th nationally in total offense at 466.3 yards a game — and they did it with Georgia Tech’s groceries, not Florida’s.

There is no hotter recruiter in the country than Jon Sumrall (Photo by Chris Spears) “It’s not the Xs and Os, it’s the Jimmys and Joes.” – Darrell Royal As the month of April comes to a close, has anyone had a better college football recruiting month than Jon Sumrall? He has yet to coach his first game at Florida, but since he was named head coach to replace Billy Napier back in December he is proving to be the relentless recruiter that has been missing at Florida since the

Aortas Butajevas (UAA Photo) Already a master at the art of roster construction, Todd Golden added another strong piece to the 2026-27 puzzle Monday when he signed Lithuanian big man Arturas Butajevas (6-10, 220), who spent the past season playing for Unicas Malaga in Spain where he averaged 15.6 points and 7.6 rebounds for the under-22 team. Butajevas is a 19-year-old who has plenty of international experience from playing with the Lithuanian national team both on the Euro

He’ll return not as a stranger. Not as a prodigal son, exactly. More like a man who took the long way around the block and found the front porch light still on.

Placekicker Trey Smack was selected by the Green Bay Packers (Photo by Chris Spears) If you weren’t already convinced then the National Football League Draft proved conclusively the Florida Gators were under-coached the last four years. Seven Gators were taken in the 2206 draft which concluded Saturday afternoon, one in each of the seven rounds. That is tied for fourth in the SEC, more than 10 other schools in the most competitive and talented league in the country. Nationall

Jake Slaughter (66) was taken by the Chargers in the second round (Photo by Chris Spears) People keep underestimating Jake Slaughter, much to their detriment. A couple of years ago Slaughter didn’t make first, second or third team All-SEC when the coaches voted, yet that same year he was a consensus first team All-America by all the major services. He followed that up with an All-SEC and second team All-America year in 2025. Mel Kiper, who did consider Slaughter the best ce

He had come south to play for a place he called his dream school, to play for a coach named Coach Golden, and to play alongside boys who had become more than teammates — they had become his people. And oh, how Tommy could play.

(Photo by Chris Spears) With good reason, Todd Golden was relaxed and in a confident, not cocky, mood Wednesday morning. He spent more than 20 minutes answering questions that obviously began with the report that if Steve Kerr calls it a career with the Golden State Warriors, Golden will be first on the list that ownership contacts to make the leap from college basketball to the NBA. “I definitely plan on coaching the Gators,” Golden answered. And why not? In his four yea