Dan Mullen At SEC Media Days: Five Quick Hits From the Florida Gators Head Coach

HOOVER, AL—Welcome to talking season, where the quotes are many and the opinions are greater. With the kickoff of SEC Media Days, the season feels right around the corner. And in some ways, it is, with the Gators set to start their 2021 season against Florida Atlantic in six and a half weeks.

After a year which saw some of the highest highs and lowest lows in a decade, the Gators are an interesting team this offseason. We feel we know so much about them after recent success, but also must acknowledge we know so little about this team. Head Coach Dan Mullen was the first coach up to the podium this week, and spoke often of a team that will inevitably look different than the 2020 version of the Gators.

But, as he told local reporters before starting the round of media, “I think our team has a better sense of itself.” He credits that largely to a return to a true offseason program, following a truncated COVID year.

Getting the first long-form opportunity to speak with players and coaches in over a year means there were ample topics to cover for the Gators. As the week goes on, we will spend time diving deep into things Mullen and players discussed in length, such as the defense, new Name, Image and Likeness laws, Emory Jones and the units that keep Dan Mullen up at night.

In the meantime however, here are five quick hits from things Mullen discussed on Monday at SEC Media Days.

*Video of his time with local media is at the bottom of the page

Two Defenders, But No Emory?

Typically teams are allowed to bring three players to SEC Media Days. In an effort to mitigate transmission of the new easily transmissible Delta variant, the SEC asked teams to bring only two players this year (also allowing for fewer school personnel required for each player). In the past, teams have tried to split those players amongst offense and defense, with one star offensive player in the mix.

Mullen has typically leaned towards bringing veteran leaders, who have earned a spot of respect amongst the team. It’s considered an honor to be chosen. But there is also typically a quarterback in the mix.

While at Mississippi State, Mullen drew the ire of the league office when he didn’t bring quarterback Dak Prescott to Hoover for the annual event. As such, while it would’ve been perhaps expected, it’s not wholly unsurprising that Mullen elected not to bring junior quarterback Emory Jones to the media event.

This is Mullen’s fourth media days since becoming the head coach at Florida, and he’s only ever brought a quarterback once; it was Feleipe Franks in 2019. Franks was the returning starter.

Jones—while technically returning as one of the leagues more experienced passers—is not a returning starter. This will be his first season taking the reins. So instead, Mullen brought defensive lineman Zach Carter—who asked to come—and linebacker Ventrell Miller.

“I try to bring guys that have the experience and veteran guys that have almost earned the right to be here within the team,” Mullen explained. “I know maybe everybody doesn’t always love that. I always get questions on who you bring. I went to one a couple years ago where I wouldn’t bring seniors. I would only bring underclassmen because seniors already get a lot of attention. And then they flipped out because I didn’t bring Dak Prescott. But I kind of do it for you guys. I don’t know if there’s two more guys that have really earned the right to be here more than Ventrell and Zach.”

COVID Vaccination Rates Amongst Gators

According to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, “Right now 43 percent of our football teams, that's 6 of 14, have reached the 80 percent threshold in roster vaccination. That number needs to grow and grow rapidly. We have learned how to manage through a COVID environment, but we do not yet have control of a COVID environment, and that finds us preparing to return towards normal this fall, but we see realities around us.

Sankey and the SEC have made it clear they plan on playing a full season with full stadiums. But the Commissioner implores people to realize that comes with vaccinations.

“Let me be clear to our fans, to our coaches, to our staff members, and to our student-athletes: COVID-19 vaccines are widely available. They've proven to be highly effective. And when people are fully vaccinated, we all have the ability to avoid serious health risks, reduce the virus' spread, and maximize our chances of returning to a normal college football experience and to normal life.

“With six weeks to go before kickoff, now is the time to seek that full vaccination. And we know nothing is perfect, but the availability and the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines are an important and incredible product of science. It's not a political football, and we need to do our part to support a healthy society because, as we look back, the potential absence of college sports last year caused us to think about not losing sight of the lifelong experiences, the laboratory of learning that takes place, and the educational benefits that accrue to the people who participate on our teams.”

Sankey went on to say the league has not built in contingency dates for this season, as they did in 2020, and teams will be expected to field a healthy team. If they can’t, the game won’t be rescheduled.

“Our teams are going to have to be fully prepared to play their season as scheduled, which is why embedded in my remarks is the vaccination motivation.”

During the 2020 season, COVID derailed and even cancelled some games. The Gators were forced to reschedule two games after contact tracing decimated the roster. To avoid that this year, teams look to reach an 85% vaccination rate, universally accepted as the “herd-immunity” rate.

Mullen was asked how many of his players had been vaccinated and leaned on privacy, while also explaining the mindset of his program.

“I'm not going to get into the specific numbers right now, but I think we're doing very well with that, with those numbers. I think, when you look at COVID and what we dealt with last year, I think our medical staff, Paul Silvestri, our training staff, has done a phenomenal job of educating our players. Obviously, in the state of Florida, our governor has done an amazing job with the accessibility of the vaccine for quite a while now.

“And we have the UF Shands Hospital system, throughout the entire pandemic has done an amazing job of what we've done. So we're at a pretty high number of vaccinated players right now, but I think that the medical staff and really looking at Governor DeSantis, what he's been able to do, and the leadership of UF Shands Hospital system on campus has really been beneficial for our program and the university as a whole.

“We're getting close to the threshold numbers that you need to be at.”

GatorBait also learned that the majority of remaining players who to this point had not been vaccinated, are in the process of completing those steps now.

Copeland Is No. 1…Literally

Mullen’s first year in Gainesville, he didn’t allow any player to don the No. 1 jersey. In 2019, it was sported by receiver Kadarius Toney (who also wore it in 2020) and corner CJ Henderson. Both went on to become first round draft picks. Last season, it was also worn by defensive end Brenton Cox.

This coming season, Cox will return in the No. 1 jersey, and on offense, it will be boasted by receiver Jacob Copeland.

Copeland is heading into his fourth year in Gainesville, and the redshirt junior has accumulated 724 yards and five touchdowns on 45 receptions.

When asked what he saw in Copeland to award the No. 1 jersey though, Mullen played coy.

“He texted me and asked if he could have No. 1. Brenton Cox has it on defense. So I didn’t have a special teams where it would cross over. He’s an older player that’s had a very positive attitude since he’s been in the program.

“We’ll find out [if he’s a baller]. He put more pressure on [himself] then I would do for him. I think a lot of it to me is more: are you deserving as a whole in what you’ve done in your time on campus.”

Give Us More Of Alabama In the Swamp

The reigning National Champion Alabama Crimson Tide will travel to Gainesville this year for a Week three showdown. Florida travelled to Tuscaloosa in 2014 and while the two teams have also met in the SEC Championship several times in recent years, this will be the first time since 2011 that Bama has visited the Swamp.

It’s part of the league rotation for all 14 teams, which includes annual divisional matchups and one permanent cross-over opponent (LSU for the Gators) and one rotating cross-divisional matchup.

While Mullen spoke on the upcoming game, Commission Sankey watched from the side of the stage, and the Florida coach took the opportunity to offer solution to make games like this one more common.

“I think it's really exciting. I don't want to get the commissioner in trouble here, but I'd love us to maybe do away with the permanent crossover team so you get these type of games more often. I think for the players, for the fan bases, I really think it's exciting to see some more of maybe mixing up the teams from the west and playing two different teams each year instead of a permanent crossover. I think that would be really exciting so you get this matchup.

“I think that's going to be an exciting day. It's going to be a great atmosphere. It's going to be a fun game to be a part of, and as you said, for ten years we haven't seen it. We'd love to see that more. There's ten teams that will visit -- there's non-conference teams that will visit The Swamp a lot more than conference teams. I think you'd love to see maybe a better rotation of those teams.”

Alabama Vs. the World In Recruiting

Speaking of Alabama, it’s hard not to acknowledge they take what they want and sometimes even what you want just for the heck of it when it comes to recruiting. Head Coach Nick Saban is ruthless on the trail, collecting five-stars like candy then turning them into gourmet dishes.

His run of six championships with the Tide and numerous guys in the NFL make it easy to sell Alabama. Mullen knows that, and acknowledges it’s one of the hardest things to compete against when Saban comes scouting talent in the state of Florida.

“They've built the program,” Mullen says of Saban at Alabama. “Nick’s been there a long time and has done a good job of building a consistent program and consistency within his program.”

But as Saban takes more five-stars out of the rich Florida soil than the schools in the Sunshine State themselves, it’s hard to simply say, well it’s because of the program.

It was assumed that Florida being one of the first states to adapt NIL laws would be a recruiting advantage. But other states, including Alabama, very quickly followed. Mullen and his staff have never been considered top, top tier recruiters, by a grading standpoint, but Mullen maintains they chase after guys based on their evaluation, not a ranking list.

“I guess the short answer of that is -- I mean, there's -- nobody asked my opinion on ratings. So maybe I'd rate everybody differently on who we go after and who we want, that way.”

Still on some level, the University of Florida recruits itself…at least one would assume.

Instead, in an age when the average high school recruit would have been five years old the last time Florida won a National Championship, there must be something else to draw them. And Florida, after years of conservative spending, has been severely lacking in the arms race; and the arms race, like it or not, is a massive factor in recruiting. Athletic Director Scott Stricklin is working to change that for the Gators, spearheading a state of the art football facility that will be done early next year.

Mullen sees that helping the Gators make a huge step forward in recruiting.

“I think the facilities that we're getting caught up with, when you look at the University of Florida now and you look at the only school in America that is a top ten public university academically and really considered a top ten football program consistently over the last three years, you're looking at that change. You look at the facilities we have academically, the opportunity to play in The Swamp, the opportunity now with name, image, and likeness and what that means to kids in Florida and how they'll be able to brand themselves within their hometowns in Florida.

“Then you look at the Heavener Football Complex coming up, now to catch us up facility-wise with other teams in America, that's really, I think, how it's going to change where, if you look at it, that's a school of saying, hey, I don't know if there's a better place you can go in America than Florida. If you want the complete package, if you want every aspect of it with alumni connections, with the education, with the opportunity to play for championships and the facilities, I don't know if there's a better place than Florida.

Bonus: A Shot At Georgia!

Mullen, like Steve Spurrier, has become infamous for his shots at the rival Georgia Bulldogs, some perceived, some explicit. It didn't take long for Mullen to pony up this year, after being asked how he takes Georgia picked the favorite to win the SEC East this year amongst preseason magazines. We'll just put the full quote below:

“Didn’t they say that last year? I don’t, we didn’t have any of them at our practice and I haven’t talked to any of them so I don’t know how they do that. I think it’s great, I don’t get into that stuff all that much and pay attention to it. Cause all of that, I mean it’s fun—I love it cause it’s speculation, it gets everybody excited about football, gets everybody fired up. Even being here today, it’s exciting, creates this energy. Can’t wait to get people back. You’re looking at Game 1, I mean, the Swamp on a Saturday night, to get back to that energy. You watch these other sporting events, you’re starting to feel that energy, it’s something that’s dearly been missed. So I think that does a great job to create that energy and excitement but I don’t even know what type of team we’re gonna have this year and I’m there every day.”

Technically, the media picked Florida to win the SEC East last year. However Mullen was speaking more to the overall perception. And in such a crazy year, many media members admit to not voting in last year's poll.

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Stick with GatorBait Magazine for continuing coverage from SEC Media Days and more analysis from all Dan Mullen, Zach Carter and Ventrell Miller had to say in Hoover.