Thoughts of the Day: July 9, 2021

A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning:

COULD EIGHT GATORS HEAR THEIR NAMES CALLED IN THE MLB DRAFT? It’s a much different Major League Baseball Draft that will start Sunday night and run through Tuesday. The draft has been shortened to 20 rounds with a hard cap on draft bonus money. Undrafted kids can sign for a maximum $20,000 bonus.

At first glance it would seem that the reduced draft and the reduction in minor league teams would favor the high school prospects, but fewer teams means fewer players and that probably means more teams will go after kids who have proven themselves at the collegiate level. If that holds true, then the Gators, who could lose as many as eight players in the draft, could re-stock with high school signees. Florida does have eight high school signees listed among ESPN’s top 200 prospects including two (Andrew Painter, Jay Allen) listed in the top 25. Both will probably never play college baseball. As for the other six, their fates could be determined by how much of the money each team spends on first and second rounders.

Here are the eight Florida players who are considered draft eligible by D1baseball.com, Baseball America, MLB.com and ESPN.

Jud Fabian, CF: Fabian was listed as the No. 3 non-pitching prospect when the 2021 season began but his draft stock dipped a bit due to a sluggish start and concerning strikeout numbers. Fabian was a third team All-America choice (Collegiate Baseball) after a season in which he hit only .249 but launched 20 home runs. What will keep him in the first round is Major League level power and his ability to track down fly balls in center field. He’s ranked the No. 13 college prospect by D1baseball.com, the No. 27 overall prospect by Baseball America and No. 28 by ESPN. Most draft projections have him going either to the Chicago White Sox or Chicago Cubs.

Tommy Mace, RHP: Mace’s 4.37 ERA wasn’t impressive, but scouts see 90-1/3 innings pitched with only 21 walks and 113 strikeouts. He’s also 6-6 and 230 pounds and that always gets the scouts’ attention. He had a career record of 22-7 at Florida. Mace throws a mid-90s fastball with a very nice slider that is a great out pitch when he’s on his game. Among college players, D1baseball.com ranks him the No. 17 prospect. MLB.com has Mace No. 45 overall while ESPN has him at No. 64 and Baseball America has him at No. 65. Mace could sneak into the first round, but he’s likely to be gone by the middle of the second.

Nathan Hickey, C/IF: Nobody is going to draft Hickey for his catching skills. His bat is his calling card. He hit .317 with nine homers and 50 RBI in 2021. Among college players, D1baseball.com rates Hickey as the No. 53 prospect. He’s the No. 83 overall prospect for ESPN, No. 132 for Baseball America and the No. 141 for MLB.com. He should go somewhere between rounds 4-7.

Jack Leftwich, RHP: Leftwich (6-4, 220) saw his draft stock rise when he became Florida’s closer. He throws consistently mid-90s and can heat it up to 97-98 on occasions. He finished 2021 with a 7-4 record, 3.36 ERA and five saves. He has a career 20-14 record at UF. He’s the No. 98 college prospect at D1baseball.com, No. 156 overall by MLB.com and No. 209 by Baseball America. He figures to go rounds 6-10 although he could sneak into the top five.

Christian Scott, RHP: Scott throws low to mid-90s and rarely walks anyone (9 walks, 54 innings in 2020). He finished the season with a 4-2 record, 3.00 ERA and 51 strikeouts. He is projected either as a potential long reliever or starter at the next level. He’s the No. 124 college prospect for D1baseball.com, the No. 168 overall prospect for ESPN, No. 217 for Baseball America and the No. 228 for MLB.com.

Franco Aleman, RHP: Aleman’s numbers aren’t that impressive – 2-4, 5.74 ERA – but he has a fast ball that wows the scouts (high 90s) and he has the kind of size they like (6-6, 235). He needs another year of development but he’s a third-year guy who will have limited options if he comes back for his senior season. He’s ranked No. 243 by MLB.com and No. 305 by Baseball America. If he’s drafted it will be in the late rounds.

Jacob Young, LF: Young came to Florida as an infielder but transitioned to the outfield in 2020. He’s a career .330 hitter with gap power and very good speed. He’s a solid defensive outfielder who made only two errors in 2020-21. He is the No. 356 overall prospect by Baseball America. ESPN, however, ranks Young as the No. 152 overall prospect. He figures to go somewhere between rounds 8-15.

Ben Specht, RHP: Specht is a longshot to be drafted although he’s the No. 482 prospect by Baseball America. He had a brilliant 2020 as UF’s closer when he was 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA and three saves, but he couldn’t get anyone out in 2021 and appeared in only eight games. If someone drafts him, he probably needs to sign. He has his name in the NCAA transfer portal.

UF high school signees ranked in ESPN top 200 prospects: 18. Andrew Painter, RHP (Fort Lauderdale, FL Calvary Christian); 25. Jay Allen, CF (Fort Pierce, FL John Carroll Catholic); 65. Chase Petty, RHP (Somerset, NJ Mainland Regional); 91. Michael Robertson, CF (Venice, FL); 116. Phillip Abner, LHP (Port Charlotte, FL Charlotte Christian); 117. Pierce Coppola, LHP (Verona, NJ); 130. Jac Caglionone, LHP (Tampa, FL Plant); 176. Jake Fox, 2B (Lakeland, FL Lakeland Christian)

GATORS WILL PLAY IN THE JUMPMAN INVITATIONAL DEC. 21-22

Both the Florida men’s and women’s basketball teams have been invited to participate in the first Jumpman Invitational Tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina December 21-22. Sponsored by the Charlotte Sports Foundation and Jordan Brand, the Gators will be joined by North Carolina, Michigan and Oklahoma. These were the first four schools to sign shoes and apparel deals with Jordan Brand, which is under the Nike umbrella.

The games (two each night) will be played at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center with all games aired on ESPN. Matchups have yet to be determined.

Over the three years of the initial contract of the tournament, the Gators will face the other three Jumpman teams. The Tournament could expand after the initial three-year run if more top programs sign on with Jordan Brand.

THE BEST PLAYER ON OFFENSE/DEFENSE AT EACH SEC SCHOOL

Alabama: The offensive player that everyone seems to be stuck on is quarterback Bryce Young, and while he may turn out to be a great one, the player that will keep every defense honest is wide receiver John Metchie III, who caught 55 passes for 916 yards (16.65 yards per catch) and six touchdowns as a sophomore last year. Christian Harris was Alabama’s second leading tackler last year (79 stops, 4.5 sacks, 1 interception), but the best defensive player is cornerback Josh Jobe, who had 55 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles and 11 pass breakups.

Arkansas: The best offensive player is wide receiver Treylon Burks, who caught 51 passes for 820 yards (16.08 per catch) and seven touchdowns in 2020. The best defensive player is linebacker Grant Morgan, who finished third in the country with 111 tackles. He had 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and five pass breakups.

Auburn: Quarterback Bo Nix is the guy who has to have a brilliant year for Auburn to be anything but a break even team in 2021, but the best offensive player is sophomore running back Tank Bigsby, who had 834 rushing yards (6.0 per carry) and five touchdowns past year while catching 11 passes for 84 yards. The best defensive player is linebacker Zakoby McClain, who could be playing for pay this fall except he wanted to come back to school to get a degree and improve his draft stock. Last season, McClain led the country in tackles with 113. He also had three sacks, a forced fumble and a pass breakup.

FLORIDA: By the end of the season, quarterback Emory Jones will be hearing plenty of praise but as the 2021 season begins, Florida’s best offensive player is running back Dameon Pierce, who ran for 503 yards (4.75 per carry) and four touchdowns on a very pass-oriented team. Pierce also caught 17 passes for 156 yards (9.8 per catch) and a touchdown. Kaiir Elam and Brenton Cox Jr. are getting the most preseason hype on the UF defense but the best player is defensive end Zachary Carter, who would have been drafted if he had bolted for the NFL. Last season he was in on 36 tackles with 9.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, two pass breakups, 12 quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery that he ran back 35 yards for a touchdown.

Georgia: The guy getting all the hype right now is quarterback JT Daniels but the guy who will make this offense go is running back Zamir White, who ran for 779 yards (5.4 per carry) and 11 touchdowns in 2020. The defensive player that gets the draftniks all excited is nose tackle Jordan Davis, but the best player on that side of the ball is linebacker Nakobe Dean, who led Georgia with 71 tackles last season.

Kentucky: The best player on offense is left tackle Darian Kinnard (6-5, 338) who projected as a second round NFL Draft pick after last season but came back for his senior year. The best defensive player is safety Yusuf Corker, who was in on 77 tackles, an astounding number for a safety. He also picked off two passes, had a sack, forced a fumble and broke up two other passes.

LSU: The best player on offense is sophomore wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, who had a brilliant freshman season with 45 catches for 773 yards (16.3 per catch) and five touchdowns. The best defensive player is corner Derek Stingley Jr., who basically takes one side of the field away. Last season Stingley was in on 27 tackles with a forced fumble and five pass breakups. The numbers would be far better if opponents tried to throw to his side of the field more often.

Mississippi State: The best offensive player is sophomore wide receiver Jaden Walley, who had 52 catches for 718 yards (13.8 per catch) and two touchdowns as a true freshman last year. The best defensive player is corner Emmanuel Forbes, who finished tied for second in the nation with five interceptions as a freshman in 2020. Forbes also had six pass breakups and was in on 44 tackles.

Missouri: The best player on offense is quarterback Connor Bazelak (67.3% completions, 7.3 per attempt), who threw for 2,366 yards and seven touchdowns once he became the starter in the third game. The best defensive player is edge rusher Trajan Jeffcoat, who had 23 tackles, six sacks and seven quarterback hurries last year.

Ole Miss: The best offensive player, not only at Ole Miss but in the SEC, is quarterback Matt Corral, who threw for 3,337 yards (70.9% completions, 10.2 per attempt) and 29 touchdowns while running for 506 yards (4.52 per carry) and four more TDs. The best defensive player is free safety A.J. Finley, who picked off three passes and broke up seven others. He also had 62 tackles and two quarterback hurries.

South Carolina: The best player on offense is Kevin Harris, who is also the best running back in the SEC. Last season Harris ran for an SEC best 1,138 yards (6.15 per carry) and 15 touchdowns on the ground, also best in the SEC. Harris had three games of 100-plus yards and two of 200-plus. He also caught 21 passes for 159 yards and a TD. The best defensive player is linebacker Kingsley Egbare, who had 30 tackles in 2020 with six sacks, two quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles.

Tennessee: The best offensive player on the team didn’t play at Tennessee last year. In eight games at Virginia Tech, Hendon Hooker passed for 1,339 yards (65.9% completions, 8.9 per attempt) and nine touchdowns. He also ran for 620 yards (5.17 per carry) and nine touchdowns. The best defensive player is safety Trevon Flowers, who had 63 tackles, three pass breakups and a forced fumble last year.

Texas A&M: Running back Isaiah Spiller and tight end Jalen Wydermyer are getting all the preseason hype, but the best offensive player is left tackle Kenyon Green (6-4, 325), who was an All-American guard last year when the Aggies allowed only seven sacks in 11 games and opened the holes for more than 200 rushing yards per game. The best defensive player is defensive tackle DeMarvin Leal, who had 37 tackles, one interception that he ran back 43 yards, a fumble return, a forced fumble, 2.5 sacks, three pass breakups and eight quarterback hurries.

Vanderbilt: The best offensive player is quarterback Ken Seals, who threw for 1,928 yards (64.6% completions, 6.7 per attempt) and 12 touchdowns as a true freshman last year. The best defensive player is linebacker Anfernee Orji, who had 66 tackles, one sack, two pass breakups and a forced fumble.

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Bruce Feldman, the fine college football writer at The Athletic recently posed these questions: (1) What happens if an athlete signs an NIL deal with an apparel company and his school wears a different brand? and (2) what happens if an athlete signs an NIL deal with a pornography site? These questions haven’t been answered by the NCAA, of course, and while they may sound extreme, get used to it. You can bet the farm something like this is going to happen. The NCAA hasn’t a clue and Congress isn’t going to bail them out.