Thoughts of the Day: April 29, 2021

A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning:

DRAFT PROJECTIONS FOR GATORS

The NFL begins its 3-day draft process tonight with a first round that should be the culmination of a lifetime of dreams for Gators Kyle Pitts and Kadarius Toney. Pitts will hear his name called early on while Toney will have to wait awhile before he hears his first round destination. The other Gators who figure to be selected will learn their new teams Friday and Saturday.

Here are my projections for the nine Gators that I believe will be selected over the next three days:

Kyle Pitts (6-6, 248): Forget the tight end label. He’s a receiver and the most dynamic playmaker in the draft because he’s a mismatch anywhere you line him up. All the talk has been Atlanta with the fourth pick, but the Falcons have spent the last two days shopping the pick. Do they think they can get a quarterback plus some extra draft picks by trading down? And, will they be able to ignore Justin Fields, who grew up in nearby Kennesaw? I think they either trade down or take Fields. Hello Miami. Best landing spot: Miami at No. 6

Kadarius Toney (5-11, 193): Every team that needs a slot receiver with the shake and bake to turn a 5-yard pass into a 30-yard gain has Toney on the radar. He’s the best make-you-miss guy in the draft. He helped himself in 2020 by proving he had the hands and could run the routes to be an effective downfield receiver. He’s projected to go in the last third of the first round to first 10 picks of the second. I think he is picked last seven picks of the first. Best landing spot: Jacksonville at No. 25

Kyle Trask (6-5, 236): He’s gone from surefire first rounder back in November to possible fourth rounder if you believe some of the mock drafts. There are some very good talent evaluators who say he is no worse than the fifth best quarterback prospect in the draft and a couple of scouts think he could go late in the first. He’s not going to start year one unless there are injuries, so ideally he needs to go to a team that will give him time to learn. I think he goes to a team with an established starter who is 30-plus years old. I’m convinced he’s going in the second round. Best landing spots: Pittsburgh at No. 55 or New Orleans at No. 60.

Stone Forsythe (6-8, 307): He is 6-8 with a near 7-foot wingspan. That alone will get him drafted. He played left tackle at UF but probably will start at right tackle in the NFL and gradually make the move to the left side. He has to improve as a run blocker but proved the last two years that he’s more than competent as a pass protector. He’s projected as a third or fourth rounder. I believe he goes in the third. Best landing spots: Minnesota at No. 78 or Pittsburgh at No. 87

Marco Wilson (6-0, 191): While Gator fans tend to remember “Shoegate” the NFL scouts focus on a 4.34 time in the 40, a 43-inch vertical, an 11-4 standing broad jump and 26 reps of 225 pounds in the bench press. Those things will trump the discipline and inconsistency issues of 2020. Further, Wilson won’t be drafted as someone who has to play right away. He’ll get to use his speed on special teams and get a few game snaps every week while he learns to play in the league. There are some who project him fifth or sixth round, largely because of “Shoegate” but remember, this is a league that will embrace a former axe murderer if he can help them get to a Super Bowl. The LSU game doesn’t rise to that level. I say fourth round. Best landing spots: San Francisco, Dallas, Washington

Trevon Grimes (6-4, 220): Grimes doesn’t have great top end speed nor did he ever develop as the go-to guy in the Florida offense, but three years at UF did prove him to be a precise route-runner who doesn’t drop the ball and a very good downfield blocker. He lined up outside at UF but in the NFL projects more as a slot guy. In the slot he could develop into a very dependable receiver with a long term future in the league. Most projections have Grimes going in the fourth or fifth rounds. I think he goes late fourth to early fifth. Best landing spots: Jacksonville, Washington, Houston

Evan McPherson (5-11, 185): Despite some misfires late season, McPherson is still the most accurate kicker in the draft and good enough that he’ll get drafted. It’s rare when a kicker goes higher than the seventh round but McPherson will have a chance to go as high as the fifth. Best landing spots: Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina

Shawn Davis (5-11, 202): If he were a better tackler, he might go as high as the third round. He’s got good enough ball hawking skills that he’ll get an opportunity and will be selected either in the fifth or sixth round. It’s unlikely he will start immediately in the league but he is good enough to get on the field and learn how to play at the next level. I like him as a mid-to-late 5th-rounder. Best landing spots: Atlanta, Detroit, Green Bay, Dallas

Brett Heggie (6-4, 310): Heggie is going to be a late round choice or a priority free agent. It’s rare for an NFL team to carry more than 8-9 offensive linemen on its active roster so the non-starters have to be able to play more than one position. Heggie will be drafted or signed as a utility lineman who can play all three interior positions. Best landing spots: Cincinnati, Denver, New York Giants, Los Angeles Chargers as a priority free agent.

SANKEY WILL ADDRESS INTRA-SEC TRANSFERS

While the ACC and other conferences have killed their rules forcing transfers within their conferences to sit out a season ahead of the NCAA’s one-time transfer rule, the SEC has lagged behind. Commissioner Greg Sankey indicated earlier in the week that the league’s presidents and athletic directors will be addressing the issue in the near future.

“We have established the expectation for a review," Sankey said. "Right now, my personal feelings don’t matter. It’s up to our membership to make a determination. My personal view is our membership needs to engage in this review and make a decision about how transfers within this conference will be managed moving forward.”

It would take a majority vote by the league’s 14 presidents and chancellors to change the rule. It is anticipated that a final vote will be held at the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin in May.

UF SPRING SPORTS

Track and field: The Florida men are ranked 4th in this week’s USTFCCA poll while the Florida women hold down the 10th spot in the women’s poll.

Lacrosse: The Gators (14-2) finished up their regular season on a winning note, trouncing Liberty (9-8), 17-2, for their 11th straight win. The Gators, who won the American Athletic Conference championship, are idle until May 6 when they face 4th-seeded Cincinnati in the AAC semifinals at Donald Dizney Stadium.

Women’s golf: The Gators are the No. 7 seed in the Stanford Regional of the NCAA Championships May 10-12.

OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC

Alabama: Speaking of Mac Jones, David Pollak of ESPN said Tuesday, “His tape is better than Justin Fields. His tape is better than Zach Wilson. His tape is better than Trey Lance. His tape is better than Trevor Lawrence.”

Arkansas: Wide receiver Mike Woods is transferring to Oklahoma. Woods caught … Athletic director Hunter Yuracek has been named to the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Board.

Auburn: A few days after saying he decommitted from Auburn was because basketball coach Bruce Pearl and staff didn’t keep their promises, 4-star guard Trey Alexander (6-4, 180, Oklahoma City, OK Heritage Hall) took to Twitter to say he has “nothing but love, respect and admiration for the legendary Coach Bruce Pearl, his staff and for Auburn University.”

Georgia: Former Georgia quarterback D’Wan Mathis has been named the starting QB at Temple following the spring game. At Georgia last season, Mathis was 12-30 for 89 yards with a TD and three picks.

Kentucky: John Justus is leaving Kentucky to join Bobby Hurley’s basketball staff at Arizona State. Kentucky awaits news from Illinois assistant Orlando Antigua if he is going to hook up with John Calipari again. Antigua is on vacation in Dominican Republic at the moment ... The Wildcats are working hard to land former Georgia point guard Sahvir Wheeler (5-10, 170, JR) and former Iowa shooting guard CJ Fredrick (6-3, 195, SO).

LSU: LSU has dropped its mask mandate and will go to full capacity for all outdoor sports ... The contract for new women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey is worth $22.5 million prior to incentives. LSU is also buying out her contract at Baylor.

Mississippi State: Basketball coach Ben Howland is pumped about a roster enhanced by transfers Garrison Brooks (from North Carolina) and DJ Jeffries (from Memphis). At a Tuesday press conference, Howland said, “I will tell you this: Buy your season tickets now. Get on board now. We are going to be good and this is going to be fun. The Hump is going to rock … I think we have a great chance to be a tournament team this year.”

Ole Miss: Offensive line coach Randy Clements has been fired, which is a surprise considering Ole Miss led the SEC in rushing in 2020 ... Jakwaize Walker, who was the leading rusher in the Grove Bowl back on Saturday, is no longer listed on the Ole Miss roster.

South Carolina: Former South Carolina corner Jaycee Horn is a high first rounder in nearly everyone’s mock drafts, but former Texas quarterback Chris Simms of Pro Football Focus raised eyebrows Tuesday when he wrote “…But he’s a walking PI (pass interference) call and lacks top end speed. I know what his 40 time was, but film doesn’t match it.”

Tennessee: Linebacker Quavaris Crouch has transferred to Michigan State. Crouch, a former 4-star prospect, ranked third on the team with 57 tackles in 2020 … Basketball coach Rick Barnes noted in a Wednesday press conference that the Vols have two open scholarships that they intend to fill.

Texas A&M: Defensive coordinator Mike Elko withdrew his name from consideration for the Kansas HBC job. (Translation: He knew he wasn’t going to get the job so he pulled out to avoid having his name mentioned as one of the guys who tried but failed to convince the KU people he was worthy) … It’s been a busy week in the Aggieland transfer portal. From football – veteran wide receiver Camron Buckey and safety Derrick Turner are transferring out as is early enrollee wide receiver Shadrach Burns. In basketball – Jonathan Aku (6-10, 263, SO) is transferring to Stephen F. Austin and LaDamien Bradford (6-4, 223, FR) is transferring to Louisiana Tech. Henry Coleman III (6-7, 220, FR) is transferring in from Duke.

Vanderbilt: When Vandy comes to Gainesville for its critical baseball series with UF this weekend, its Friday and Saturday starters will be Kumar Rocker (9-1, 1.55 ERA, 89 strikeouts in 64 innings) and Jack Leiter (7-1, 1.49 ERA, 102 strikeouts in 60-1/3 innings). They rank 1-2 in the SEC in ERA and strikeouts.

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: I shake my head and wonder when athletes and coaches are going to figure out that what they post on social media has a really good chance of coming back to bite them on the butt if it’s the slightest bit controversial. Former Chattanooga football assistant Chris Malone is suing the school for violating his first amendment rights after he was fired following a tweet he posted about Georgia’s Senate runoff elections back in January. There is every good chance Malone will win the lawsuit, but he can kiss his coaching career good-bye. We live in a society where every post on Twitter and Facebook is going to be scrutinized, even for folks who aren’t athletes, celebrities or politicians. Rule No. 1 that every athlete and coach needs to follow: If it’s not something positive then stick a sock in it unless you want thousands of people you don’t even know getting in your virtual face.