Billy Napier has weapons for an improved offense

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning:

Photo credit Chris Spears

Yes, it was the annual dog and pony show that ends spring practice, and yes, the defense was about as vanilla as a half gallon of Blue Bell, but it was quite obvious that Billy Napier has more than enough offensive answers if the line can play with far more consistency than they showed a season ago. Here are a few observations:

Quarterback: Graham Mertz is plenty good enough to put points on the board and lead the Gators to a bunch of wins if he has time to throw. He has command of the offense that he didn’t have until midseason a year ago and now he has more weapons. DJ Lagway will get a package of plays that will keep defensive coordinators awake at night.

Running back: Montrell Johnson Jr. has nothing to prove. Treyaun Webb is big, fast and very smart, too. They will have to share backfield carries with Jaden Baugh. Napier said he’s 238 pounds. He runs with power but he has very impressive feet and some wiggle. Keep an eye on Ja’Kobi Jackson, who took a redshirt a year ago. It’s a crowded backfield, but he’s got skills.

Receivers: Put the ball in Tre Wilson’s hands and good things will happen, particularly since he’s added the downfield element to his game. Chimere Dike has great hands and is faster than he looks. Marcus Burke made a shoetop catch that was sensational and from all accounts, he’s fully with the program now and ready to be a factor. Aidan Mizell has real speed and we didn’t get to see TJ Abrams, Tank Hawkins or Andy Jean. They, too, can fly. Tight ends will be a plus.

O-line: The first unit has real possibilities. LT Devon Manuel, LG Knijeah Harris, C Jake Slaughter, RG Damieon George Jr., RT Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson. They have a summer to bond and get into the kind of shape to brutalize whoever is across from them in the fall. Getting Austin Barber and Kam Waites back from injury healthy and ready to go is a must. The second unit has a lot of talent, but it’s very inexperienced. We shouldn’t be surprised if the Gators try to land an interior guy with experience from the portal.

UF BASEBALL: Gators hold on for 11-9 win over South Carolina

Florida (18-17, 7-8 SEC) built an 11-5 lead through six innings then held on for an 11-9 win over South Carolina (25-11, 8-7) that broke a 6-game losing streak Sunday afternoon at Condron Family Ballpark.

The Gators scored five in the second inning when Brody Donay, Ty Evans and Jac Caglianone all left the yard. Donay hit a 2-run homer, his fifth of the season; Evans hit a 2-run homer, his ninth; and Caglianone homered for the fourth straight game, a solo homer to right field that was his 20th of the season.

It was 6-5 in the bottom of the sixth when the Gators got RBI singles from Evans and Caglianone, a 2-run double by Colby Shelton and an RBI double by Tyler Shelnut. The Gamecocks rallied for two in the eighth and two more in the ninth before Fisher Jameson got a ground out and a strikeout to close the game.

The Gators will be home Tuesday to face Jacksonville in a non-conference game then travel to Nashville for a Thursday-through-Saturday SEC series with Vanderbilt.

SEC East standings: 1. Kentucky (29-5, 13-1 SEC); 2. Tennessee (30-6, 10-6 SEC); 3. (TIE) Vanderbilt (26-10, 8-7 SEC) and South Carolina (25-11, 8-7 SEC); 5. (TIE) FLORIDA (18-17, 7-8 SEC) and Georgia (27-9, 7-8 SEC); 7. Missouri (16-21, 5-10 SEC)

SEC West standings: 1. Arkansas (30-5, 11-4 SEC); 2. Texas A&M (32-4, 11-4 SEC); 3. Mississippi State (22-14, 7-8 SEC); 4. Alabama (24-12, 6-9 SEC); 5. Ole Miss (20-16, 5-10 SEC); 6. LSU (22-15, 3-12 SEC); 7. Auburn (18-16, 2-12 SEC)

UF SOFTBALL: Gators end losing streak at Mizzou

The Gators (35-9, 10-5 SEC) salvaged some of their weekend dignity Sunday afternoon by taking out Missouri (33-11, 7-8 SEC) 3-1 as Keagan Rothrock (18-6) pitched a 1-hitter backed up by a 2-run homer by Ava Brown. With the win, the Gators remained in second place in the SEC, two games behind league leader Tennessee.

The Gators got all the scoring they needed in the second inning when Reagan Walsh doubled down the left field line and Brown followed with her 10th home run of the season, a blast over the center field fence. The Gators added some insurance in the fourth on consecutive singles by Skylar Wallace, Korbe Otis and Jocelyn Erickson.

Missouri scored in the fifth without the benefit of a hit, but Rothrock shut the Tigers down in the sixth and seventh to finish off her third 1-hitter of the season.

The Gators are idle at midweek, returning home for an SEC weekend series with South Carolina (28-15-1, 5-10 SEC) starting Friday.

SEC softball standings: 1. Tennessee (31-7, 12-3 SEC); 2. FLORIDA (35-9, 10-5 SEC); 3. Texas A&M (31-9, 10-6 SEC); 4. Arkansas (30-11, 9-6 SEC); 5. LSU (33-8, 10-8 SEC); 6. Alabama (30-8, 7-6 SEC); 7. Mississippi State (29-12, 9-9 SEC); 8. Missouri (33-11, 7-8 SEC); 9. (TIE) South Carolina (28-15-1; 5-10 SEC), Auburn (23-13-1, 5-10 SEC) and Kentucky (26-15, 5-10 SEC); 13. Ole Miss (22-19-1, 3-12 SEC)

UF MEN’S TENNIS: Gators shut out South Carolina, 4-0

Florida (12-10, 6-6 SEC) finished its regular season in style Sunday at the Ring Tennis complex, taking out South Carolina, 4-0. The Gators won the doubles point and then scored wins by Aidan Kim, Nate Bonetto and Kevin Edengrin to secure the win over the Gamecocks (13-13, 4-8 SEC).

Next up for the Gators is the Southeastern Conference Tournament starting Wednesday in Baton Rouge.

UF WOMEN’S GOLF: Gators finish 13th at SEC Championships

After a 13th place finish at the SEC Championships at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, the Gators will have to wait until April 24 to find out if they are selected to play in an NCAA regional. Florida shot a 3-day total of 877, 40 shots off the pace set by South Carolina and 16 shots beyond what was needed for an 8th-place finish which would have allowed the Gators to participate in the match play portion that will determine the SEC champ. Ines Archer had a 3-day score of 4-over par 214 to finish in a tie for 20th place, best among all the Gators.

SEC BASKETBALL: Transfer activity

Alabama

Outgoing (3): SF Kris Parker (6-8, 195, RFR); SG Rylan Griffen (6-5, 185, SO); SG Davin Cosby (6-5, 205, FR)

Incoming (2): PG Houston Mallette (6-5, 180, JR) from Pepperdine; SG Chris Youngblood (6-4, 212, SR) from South Florida

Arkansas

Outgoing (5): PG Keon Menifield (6-1, 150, SO); F Denijay Harris (6-7, 200, SR); WG Joseph Pinion (6-6, 195, SO) to Arkansas State; C Baye Fall (6-10, 200, FR); SG Tramon Mark (6-5, 180, JR) to Texas

Auburn

Outgoing (3): CG KD Johnson (6-0, 190, SR); PG Tre Donaldson (6-2, 190, SO); PG Aden Holloway (6-1, 178, FR)

INCOMING (1): PG JP Pegues (6-1, 165, JR) from Furman

FLORIDA

Outgoing (2): SG Riley Kugel (6-5, 206, SO) to Kansas; PF Aleks Szymczyk (6-10, 250, RFR)

Incoming (1): Sam Alexis (6-9, 240, SO) from Chattanooga

Georgia

Outgoing (5): SF Matthew-Alexander Moncrief (6-7, 220, SR); PG Justin Hill (6-0, 185, SR); C Jalen Deloach (6-9, 215, JR); SG Mari Jordan (6-8, 185, RFR); WF Jabri Abdur-Rahim (6-7, 214, SR)

Kentucky

Outgoing (4): SG Adou Thiero (6-6, 200, SO); SG Joey Hart (6-5, 203, FR); C Aaron Bradshaw (7-0, 220, FR); C Zvonimir Ivisic (7-2, 234, SO)

LSU

Outgoing (2): SF Mwani Wilkerson (6-5, 205, SO); SG Carlos Stewart (6-1, 185, JR)

Incoming (2): PG Cam Carter (6-3, 195, JR) from Kansas State; PG Jordan Sears (5-11, 175, JR) from UT-Martin

Mississippi State

Outgoing (5): PG Andrew Taylor (6-3, 190, SR); SG Trey Fort III (6-4, 195, JR); PF Jaquan Scott (6-8, 230, JR); SG Shakeel Moore (6-1, 180, SR); PF Keshawn Murphy (6-10, 245, SO)

Incoming: PG Kanye Clary (5-11, 192, SO) from Penn State

Missouri

Outgoing: SG Curt Lewis (6-5, 215, JR); PF Jesus Carralero (6-8, 210, SR)

Incoming: PF Jacob Crews (6-8, 210, JR) from UT-Martin

Oklahoma

Outgoing: CG Otega Oweh (6-5, 210, SO); PF John Hugley (6-9, 240, JR); PG Javian McCollum (6-1, 170, JR) to Georgia Tech; PG Milos Uzan (6-4, 183, SO) to Houston

Ole Miss

Outgoing: PF Rashaud Marshall (6-9, 220, FR) to Arkansas State; C Malique Ewin (6-10, 240); Jacob Gazzo (6-8, 215, FR); PF Cameron Barnes (6-9, 195, FR)

Incoming: PF Mikeal Brown-Jones (6-8, 210, SR) from UNC-Greensboro

South Carolina

Outgoing: PG Meechie Johnson (6-2, 184, JR) to Ohio State; CG Ebrima Dibba (6-5, 214, SR)

Tennessee

Outgoing: SG Freddie Dilione (6-5, 185, FR); SG D.J. Jefferson (6-5, 2-7, FR); PF Tobe Awaka (6-8, 250, SO); C Jonas Aidoo (6-11, 230, JR)

Texas

Outgoing: SF Alex Anamekwe (6-6, 200, SO); PG Chris Johnson (6-5, 180, FR)

Incoming: SG Tramon Mark (6-5, 180, JR) from Arkansas; PF Jayson Kent (6-8, 205, SR) from Indiana State; PG Julian Larry (6-3, 185, SR) from Indiana State

Vanderbilt

Outgoing: PG Paul Lewis (6-2, 170, SO); C Lee Dort (6-10, 245, SO) to California; SG Tyrin Lawrence (6-4, 200, SR); PF Colin Smith (6-8, 220); SG Jason Rivera-Torres (6-6, 180, FR); PF Carter Lang (6-9, 235, FR)

Incoming: PF Jaylen Carey (6-8, 245, FR) from James Madison; SF Tyler Nickel (6-7, 200, SO) from Virginia Tech

SEC FOOTBALL: Getting an early jump on the portal

The football transfer portal doesn’t open up officially until Tuesday, but already there is a flurry of activity involving SEC teams.

Arkansas: TE Francis Sherman (6-3, 237, SR); RB Isaiah Augustave (6-2, 208, RFR)

Kentucky: RB LaVell Wright (5-11, 202, JR)

LSU: EDGE Jaxon Howard (6-4, 240, FR)

Mississippi State: RB Rashad Amos (6-2, 224, SR) from South Carolina;

Ole Miss: DL Joshua Harris (6-4, 325, SR)

South Carolina: OL Jaxon Hughes (6-6, 297, SR)

Texas: LB S’maje Burrell (6-0, 219, FR)

Texas A&M: EDGE Josh Celiscar (6-4, 265, SR) from UCF

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: If you thought all hell had broken loose when the transfer portal opened up for basketball then just wait until Tuesday. The football portal will be open for 15 days and it promises to be even more chaotic than it was back in December because now there are no restrictions whatsoever on players transferring.

Do you want to know what’s weirder than players who will be at their third or even fourth school? It’s players who transferred to a new school in December, who decide the new school sucks like the old one, so they transfer again. Two transfers in a single offseason and then signing with a new school, suiting up and playing in the fall. Break it down this way. Billy Bob plays left guard for School A which plays in the Minnie Pearl’s Biscuits Bowl. Bowl game over, Billy Bob transfers to School B where he gets $50,000 up front NIL money. At School B, Billy Bob’s new O-line coach is a certifiable meanie. Billy Bob’s feelings are hurt. He goes in the portal and because there are no NIL contracts with School B, he takes the money and runs. School C needs a left guard. Their O-line coach tells his NIL people give Billy Bob a deal and make sure he gets some up front whipout to cover the inconvenience of leaving School B. Billy Bob makes all-conference in the fall but because he has a year of eligibility remaining, enters the portal again in December after playing in the Hank Kimble County Agents of America Bowl.

Absurd? Perhaps, but something like this could happen. The portal with no rules is so bad that Lane Kiffin, who has benefitted from the portal as much or more than anyone, said Saturday, "It's a really, really poor system. Here we go again – guys already announcing. They just got somewhere in January and they're leaving again already so they just got paid, you know, took up spots. And it's not their fault. It's not the players' fault at all. It's the system that's created that they're utilizing. In the NFL if you put two free agent windows a year and you could opt in every year, twice a year, guys would do it.”