Center Jake Slaughter is the anchor of Florida's offensive line (UAA Photo)

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning:

This is the last week of August camp for Billy Napier and the Florida Gators. Three or four practices this week and then it’s on to game prep for the season opener with Miami. There are still some battles going on at a few positions, but for the most part, Napier knows exactly what to expect as training camp winds down.

If there is one area of concern, it seems to be the offensive line. There were reports from Saturday’s second scrimmage that the quarterbacks had little time to look for deeper throws, but it has been confirmed that Rob Sale was shuffling his line constantly. Was that because he’s unsettled on his two-deep or simply a case of trying to get as many reps as possible in the final scrimmage?

With just a handful of practices and a limited amount of hitting prior to going into game prep for Miami, odds are that Sale was simply trying to get reps for everyone in his two-deep while working different combinations.

Sale prefers rotating seven or eight linemen. Based on what folks who have practice access are telling me, the guys in the rotation are Jake Slaughter, Austin Barber, Knijeah Harris, Damien George, Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, Devin Manuel and Kamrun Waites. Guys who could get into the rotation if they can get fully healthy are Bryce Lovett, Caden Jones and Fletcher Westphal. Roderick Kearney is working as a backup center and backup guard.

Montrell Johnson Jr. was dressed Saturday but didn’t participate in the scrimmage. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he is held out of any contact this week and maybe even next, but if you’re into betting on such things, then put some cash that he will play against Miami. Meanwhile, Jadan Baugh continues to impress as does Ja’Kobi Jackson. Baugh had a rather nice TD run of more than 20 yards Saturday.

As for the wide receivers, no need to worry. The top four of Tre Wilson, Chime Dike, Kahliel Jackson and Elijhah Badger are being seriously pushed by Tank Hawkins, who is a serious playmaker with speed.

Over on defense, call it the Ron Roberts effect. The defense continues to show serious improvement. Everything I’m hearing is that there will be far fewer missed tackles, far more pressure on opposing quarterbacks and tighter coverage in the secondary. Tight coverage is considered one of the reasons Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway had to throw the ball away on multiple occasions Saturday.

Pup Howard and Shemar James are going to be studs at linebacker, but Roberts has three others he can count on in Derek Wingo and freshmen Myles Graham and Aaron Chiles. Graham is really coming on. On the edge, TJ Searcy, LJ McCray, George Gumbs, Tyreak Sapp and Justus Boone have looked like guys who can get to the quarterbacks on a regular basis.

It's still early. That first game is still 12 days away and much can happen, but every indication is that this has been Napier’s best training camp and that this team is looking more and more like one that can do much more than just break even.

SEC FOOTBALL

No. 5 Alabama: Alabama is set on the O-line except for right tackle where Elijah Pritchett and Wilken Formby are battling it out for the starting job. The rest of the O-line – LT Kadyn Proctor, LG Tyler Booker, C Parker Brailsford and RG Jaden Roberts. First game: Western Kentucky, August 31

Arkansas: RG E’Marion Harris was 370 when he came to Arkansas in 2022. He checks in at 6-7, 300 now. First game: Arkansas-Pine Bluff, August 29 (Little Rock)

Auburn: This is the fourth SEC school where D.J. Durkin has been the defensive coordinator. Previously, he was the DC at Florida, Ole Miss and Texas A&M. He was also the DC at Michigan for a year and for three years was the head coach at Maryland. First game: Alabama A&M, August 31

No. 1 Georgia: It was supposed to be a very big deal when Jaden Rashada transferred from Arizona State to Georgia, but Rashada is running third string behind starting QB Carson Beck and backup Gunner Stockton. First game: vs. No. 14 Clemson, August 31 (Atlanta)

Kentucky: Running back Chip Trayanum, who transferred in from Ohio State, will miss at least 3-4 weeks and maybe the first two games of the season after breaking a bone in his hand. First game: Southern Miss, August 31

No. 13 LSU: Wide receiver Chris Hilton Jr., who has been running with the first unit,  suffered an ankle injury Saturday. Although the injury isn’t thought to be serious, LSU will be very careful with Hilton considering his lengthy history of injuries. First game: vs. Southern California, September 1 (Las Vegas)

Mississippi State: Purdue transfer Sulaiman Kpaka has become a mainstay on the D-line. This is his sixth year of college football. He had 29 tackles in 2022 and 2023 with the Boilermakers. First game: Eastern Kentucky, August 31

No. 11 Missouri: Appalachian State transfer Nate Noel has taken the lead over Georgia State transfer Marcus Carroll in the battle for the starting running back job. Carroll gained 1,350 yards last year while Noel gained 834. First game: Murray State, August 29

No. 16 Oklahoma: Casey Thompson and Mike Hawkins are the backups to starting QB Jackson Arnold. Thompson, who started his career at Texas back in 2019, spent last season at Florida Atlantic. He has thrown 52 touchdown passes in his career. First game: Temple, August 30

No. 6 Ole Miss: Transfers Trey Amos (Alabama) and Isaiah Hamilton (Houston) seem to have locked down the starting cornerback jobs. Also in the mix are Chris Graves Jr. and Tennessee transfer Brandon Turnage, who started his career at Alabama. First game: Furman, August 31

South Carolina: Apparently, LaNorris Sellers doesn’t have the starting QB job locked down. Auburn transfer Robbie Ashford continues to push for the top job, so HBC Shane Beamer has not named a starter. First game: Old Dominion, August 31

No. 15 Tennessee: Following the Vols’ second scrimmage, HBC Josh Heupel said, “We’ve got the best, the deepest roster that we’ve had … we’re at the best point that we’ve been and it’s not even close.” First game: Chattanooga, August 31

No. 4 Texas: Silas Bolden wasn’t in Austin during the spring, but the Oregon State transfer will factor in the Longhorns wide receiver rotation. At Oregon State last year, Bolden caught 54 passes for 746 yards and five touchdowns. In his OSU career he caught 81 passes for 1,081 yards and nine touchdowns. First game: Colorado State

No. 20 Texas A&M: They’re still debating what to do with 5-star freshman Terry Bussey, who has practiced on both sides of the ball, both in the defensive backfield and at wide receiver. First game: No. 7 Notre Dame, August 31

Vanderbilt: Through two scrimmages, the Vanderbilt offense has struggled to make big plays no matter who is the quarterback. So far, the Commodores have used four, New Mexico State transfer Diego Pavia, Utah transfer Nate Johnson, Drew Dickey and Blaze Berlowitz. First game: Virginia Tech, August 31

THE RASHADA LAWSUIT

Jaden Rashada’s lawsuit against Marcus Castro-Walker, booster Hugh Hathcock and  Florida head coach Billy Napier has been amended. Rashada is suing for $10 million, claiming he was induced to decommit from a $9.5 million deal with Miami to come to Florida for $13.85 million.

In the 46-page amendment, Rashada’s attorney claims “Napier’s promised financial inducement violated Florida’s NIL statute, NCAA regulations, and, on information and belief, the terms of Napier’s employment contract.” The lawsuit alleges that Napier promised $1 million if Rashada signed with the Gators in December of 2022.

Rashada balked at signing with the Gators on National Signing Day but finally signed his LOI. A couple of weeks later, shortly after the new year, Rashada was given his release. He played last season at Arizona State then transferred to Georgia in May.

You can bet the farm that this lawsuit is never going to see the light of a court room. Napier, Hathcock and Castro-Walker have all filed petitions for dismissal, but even if the dismissal petitions are rejected, it will be far more prudent to settle out of court than go to trial.  

It should also be noted that Miami mega-booster John Ruiz, who allegedly put together the $9.5 million deal, is no longer listed on the Forbes billionaire’s list. He had an alleged net worth of $15 billion in April 2023. Ruiz’s Life Wallet company, which projected revenues of $963 million, lost $221 million last year and is about to go belly up. The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating.

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Florida State and Clemson won’t be leaving the Atlantic Coast Conference at least this year. They missed the August 15 departure deadline so they are stuck in the ACC at least through the end of the 2024-25 athletic year.

Meanwhile the lawsuits go on and ACC commissioner Little Jimmy Phillips says the league will fight as long as it takes to keep the two schools in the league. A North Carolina court has ruled that both Clemson and FSU will have to fight it out in North Carolina and not in South Carolina and Florida courts. A Florida court, meanwhile, has ruled that FSU’s case can be tried in the state of Florida, while a South Carolina court has ruled that Clemson’s case can be tried in the state of South Carolina. The ACC, obviously, has appealed both cases.

There is no incentive for the ACC to settle out of court. It has a grant of rights contract that neither FSU nor Clemson were forced to sign not once, but twice. Twice FSU and Clemson agreed with a contract with the ACC and ESPN that runs through 2027 with an option for ESPN to run through 2036, but now that the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten have new media deals that dwarf the ACC deal, both Clemson and FSU want out pronto. FSU attorneys claim the school will lose $572 million if it leaves the ACC without a victory in court.

Florida State and Clemson are under the illusion that they are hot properties, both of them wanted by the SEC and Big Ten. At SEC Media Days, it was made abundantly clear by some of the league’s presidents that there is no desire to add either school. The Big Ten has expanded to 18 schools of which 17 are members of the prestigious American Association of Universities. The 18th school, Nebraska, is a former member that has petitioned to be accepted again, which is likely.

FSU and Clemson aren’t members of the AAU nor are they on a pathway to be asked to join. The Big Ten isn’t going to add newbies who aren’t AAU members.

But, FSU and Clemson will continue their fight. Not that it is going to lead either of them anywhere.