Thoughts of the Day: May 17, 2022

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday:

A WISH LIST FOR BILLY NAPIER

Now that spring has sprung, the expected avalanche of transfers has yet to happen. For Billy Napier to have a workable roster that is in compliance with the NCAA-mandated 85-scholarship limit, there has to be some movement and we’ve seen none.

Maybe some players have exited already, but if they have, they aren’t in the portal and Napier and his staff haven’t announced their departures. Someone has to go, though, for Napier to give five walk-ons scholarships, which he said he would be doing after one of his press conferences during spring football. And, someone has to go if he’s to add double-digit transfers, which he also said he was going to do.

Now the transfer portal is starting to heat up again, in all probability because a lot of players have been waiting to either graduate or make sure their academics are in order before they put their names in the portal. The guess here is that Napier’s “army” is all over it with their own list of players who could fulfill a need at UF.

I have no idea who’s on or who’s off any list that Napier’s people have put together, but here is my personal wish list for 10 transfers:

Wide receivers (2): I think UF has some guys who can catch the ball and move the chains. I want to see a couple of guys who make safeties play 15-20 yards off the line of scrimmage so they can help the corners.

Offensive linemen (2): Landing monstrous juco tackle Jordan Herman may have solved the issue at right tackle, but the Gators need two more to have the depth they’ll need in the fall.

Defensive tackles (3): I think the Gators will be all right on the edge, but other than Gervon Dexter, I don’t see a tackle who can play every down.

Inside linebackers (2): Getting Ventrell Miller back was huge and I think Diwun Black is going to have a breakout year, but I don’t see a lot of 240-250-pounders who plug holes and put people on the ground.

Safeties (1): There is a lot of young talent, but I want to see someone back there who puts the fear of God in any receiver who comes across the middle.

SAMANTHA BOHON NAMED UF SOCCER COACH

Samantha Bohon, one of Duke’s greatest during her collegiate playing days and a member of the 1999 US National Team that won the 1999 World Cup, is Florida’s new soccer coach. She’s been an assistant at Duke and for the last 15 years the head soccer coach at Embry-Riddle, where she compiled a 157-72-14 record while transitioning ERAU from NAIA to NCAA Division II.

Bohon, who has two degrees from Duke and a master’s from North Carolina, created an exceptional soccer culture at ERAU, which is one of the reasons Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin hired her. Former coach Tony Amato was dismissed after problems that caused numerous players to transfer out. During her 15 years at ERAU, Bohon never had a player transfer to another program.

Bohon was under consideration for the Florida job after Becky Burleigh retired from coaching, but the timing wasn’t right. When Stricklin called this time she was ready.

"Honestly, I was in a really good place in my career, had just finished my 21st season [as a coach], and was just really appreciative of the experiences I've had. There weren't many openings that would have taken me from my current situation," Bohon told Chris Harry of floridagators.com. "But when Florida calls, you pick up the phone."

GATORS FACE FSU TONIGHT

When the Gators (32-19) take on 20th-ranked Florida State (32-18) at the Condron Family Ballpark tonight (7 p.m., SEC Network), it’s more than a chance to win the season series with a bitter rival. Winners of nine of their last 11 games, the Gators are looking for some momentum to carry over into the weekend when they finish up the regular season at home against South Carolina.

Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan, who is looking for a fourth starter before the Gators begin postseason play in the SEC Tournament and beyond, will probably send redshirt freshman righty Tyler Nesbitt (2-3, 4.56 ERA) to the mound against the Seminoles. In his last two outings – two innings against South Florida and four against Bethune-Cookman, Nesbitt has given up no runs, five hits and struck out six while walking only two batters.

D1Baseball top 25: 1. Tennessee 45-7; 2. Oregon State 40-11; 3. Virginia Tech 36-11; 4. Stanford 33-14; 5. Texas Tech 35-16; 6. Texas A&M 33-16; 7. Arkansas 37-14; 8. Oklahoma State 34-17; 9. Miami 37-14; 10. Louisville 35-15-1; 11. Gonzaga 32-13; 12. Virginia 37-13; 13. Texas State 41-11; 14. Notre Dame 31-11; 15. Maryland 41-10; 16. UConn 42-10; 17. Southern Miss 38-14; 18. UC-Santa Barbara 37-11; 19. Auburn 35-16; 20. Florida State 32-18; 21. Vanderbilt 34-16; 22. Texas 35-17; 23. UCLA 33-18; TCU 32-18; 25. Grand Canyon 36-17

Collegiate Baseball top 30: 1. Tennessee 45-7; 2. Oregon State 40-11; 3. Virginia Tech 36-11; 4. Stanford 33-14; 5. UC-Santa Barbara 37-11; 6. Arkansas 37-14; 7. Texas A&M 33-16; 8. Miami 37-14; 9. Louisville 35-15-1; 10. Texas State 41-11; 11. Vanderbilt 34-16; 12. Texas Tech 35-16; 13. Arizona 35-18; 14. UCLA 33-18; 15. TCU 32-18; 16. Oklahoma State 34-17; 17. UConn 42-10; 18. Notre Dame 21-11; 19. Virginia 37-13; 20. Ole Miss 31-19; 21. East Carolina 34-18; 23. Auburn 35-16; 24. Florida State 32-18; 25. Rutgers 39-12; 26. Southern Miss 38-14; 27. Georgia 33-18; 28. FLORIDA 32-19; 29. Gonzaga 32-13; 30. Grand Canyon 36-17

UF MEN’S GOLF: GATORS TIED FOR FIFTH AT PALM BEACH REGIONAL

After one day of play at the NCAA Palm Beach Regional, the Gators (-6) are tied for fifth with College of Charleston, nine shots off the front-running pace set by Vanderbilt (-3), but only four shots behind second place South Florida (+2). Notre Dame (+4) is in third with Davidson (+5) in fourth.

Fred Biondi led Florida with an even-par 72, good for a 5-way tie for 10th place. Yuxin Lin and John Dubois both shot 1-over 73, good for a tie for 15th.

UF TRACK: WOMEN NO. 2 NATIONALLY, MEN NO. 4

Following their SEC championship over the weekend, Florida’s women moved up one spot to No. 2 in the latest USTFCCC poll. The Florida men, who finished fourth in the SEC, dropped one spot to fourth nationally.

USTFCCC Women’s Top 25: 1. Texas; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Texas Tech; 4. Texas A&M; 5. LSU; 6. Arkansas; 7. Kentucky; 8. Oregon; 9. Baylor; 10. Colorado; 11. Ohio State; 12. Florida State; 13. Washington; 14. BYU; 15. New Mexico; 16. North Carolina State; 17. Ole Miss; 18. Southern Cal; 19. Auburn; 20. Arizona State; 21. Oklahoma; 22. North Carolina A&T; 23. Duke; 24. Georgia; 25. South Carolina

USTFCCC Men’s Top 25: 1. Texas; 2. Alabama; 3. Georgia; 4. FLORIDA; 5. Oregon; 6. LSU; 7. Texas Tech; 8. Baylor; 9. BYU; 10. Texas A&M; 11. Oklahoma; 12. Florida State; 13. Stanford; 14. Washington; 15. North Carolina A&T; 16. Southern Cal; 17. Tennessee; 18. Ohio State; 19. Princeton; 20. Arizona State; 21. Arkansas; 22. Virginia; 23. Iowa; 24. Kentucky; 25. TCU

PAUL FINEBAUM ON OUR COUSINS FROM THE ALMOST COMPETITIVE CONFERENCE

On WJOX in Birmingham Monday morning, Paul Finebaum weighed in on the Atlantic Coast Conference and its commissioner, Jim Phillips. Phillips, if you recall, has stood in the way of College Football Playoff expansion even though his conference needs the revenue since it ranks dead last among the Power 5 leagues in annual distribution.

On the ACC as a diminished conference: “It’s been marginalized for a lot of reasons, but the biggest is that their television contract, which has a long way to go, I think another ten years before it opens back up again, is about to become significantly behind everyone else that matters which is the Big Ten and the SEC. And I say that because the SEC’s deal is done, everybody knows that. The Big Ten is about to sign a mega, multi-billion dollar deal. There was a time where everybody was reasonably close, but the ACC is going to be so far behind that it’s going to affect them.”

On ACC commish Jim Phillips: “I also question the leadership of the ACC and Jim Phillips. I’m surprised by this because he was really a great athletic director at Northwestern, but he has led the ACC down a very dark and dangerous road by getting in bed with the Big Ten and the Pac-12 on this alliance. Now I know the question had to do with them talking about divisions and other things, but that’s the state of college athletics. Really, whatever the ACC says is great but it’s more their position in the sphere of college athletics that concerns me the most.”

SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL

Alabama: Safety Kaine Williams, whose only time on the field in 2021 was on special teams, has transferred to Nebraska. He has four seasons of eligibility remaining.

Auburn: Morehead State transfer Johni Broome has officially withdrawn his name from the NBA Draft.

Missouri: Josh Landry, a 6-1, 285-pound defensive tackle, is transferring in from Baylor … Jack Abraham, who was a starting QB at Southern Miss before transferring to Mississippi State, is joining the Mizzou program as a walk-on with a chance to earn a scholarship. Because of the COVID year and an injury hardship, this will be Abraham’s seventh collegiate season.

Ole Miss: The Rebels added wide receiver Jaylon Robinson (5-10, 170) from UCF. Last season Robinson caught 18 passes for 322 yards (17.89 per catch) and two touchdowns. In 2020, Robinson caught 55 passes for 979 yards (17.8 per catch) and six touchdowns.

South Carolina: Devontae Davis (6-5, 250), who had four tackles in eight games on the South Carolina D-line last fall, is transferring to Virginia.

ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Take a moment and contemplate the words of Matt Hayes, who pretty much sums up the panic that is resonating throughout the world of college athletics in his Monday column for Saturday Down South:

“We’re deep into the most transformational time in college Sports, an era of change moving so quickly and freely, it has handcuffed those comfortable with the typically glacial movement of the past. The panic and desperation is real.

“And – I know this will shock you – it all revolves around money.

“For more than a century, universities had complete control of an unimaginably unfair system that in no certain order:

“ – Generated billions and billions of dollars, turning collegiate conferences into private Fortune 500 companies under the umbrella (and government financial protection) of higher education.

“—Traded higher education for those billions, allowing students who excel at sports access to the university ahead of those who didn’t – and used that access as the flagpole of an argument they called ‘the amateur model.’

“—Proclaimed education and professional sport-specific development was a fair tradeoff for the billions and billions of dollars generated.

“—Restricted movement of student-athletes from one university to another by forcing a season of ineligibility for those who tried to move, while university presidents, athletic directors and coaches – those with the most power in the process – moved at will from one university to another.

“This scam didn’t care about race of gender; it was an equal opportunity offender. Don’t get caught up in hot-button narratives or inflammatory verbiage used to enrage those ignorant within the process.

“This is all about money. The battle for it, and the desire to keep it.”

He goes on to talk about how NIL is re-directing money that used to go directly to university athletic departments to the athletes themselves. Whether you agree or disagree with some or all of the points Hayes makes, there is no mistaking the fact that money is indeed what is turning the college sports world on its ear.

We can point fingers of blame in any direction and find something or someone guilty of something that has created turbulence that isn’t likely to go away anytime soon. What dismays me the most is to see the NCAA and others in the college sports establishment asking Congress to intervene. As if Congress can fix anything.

Instead of going to Congress to find solutions, I have a great idea: Why don’t college administrators, athletic directors and coaches sit down with the athletes and begin a dialogue that could lead to practical answers to these complex issues?

Or does that make too much sense?