Florida Gators took another one the chin Saturday with the apparent loss of big defensive lineman Jamari Lyons

Todd Golden’s goal of turning the Florida basketball roster into one capable of sustaining greatness at the highest levels got a shot in the arm Monday when CJ Ingram (6-6, 195, Hawthorne, FL) committed to the Gators. The son of former Gator football star Cornelius Ingram, CJ took only one official visit and that was to UF although he had more than 20 offers including Kansas, Michigan, Texas A&M and Georgia.   A consensus 4-star prospect, Ingram is the No. 26 prospect in the nation per On3, which makes him borderline 5-star. Ingram joins another 4-star, Alexander Lloyd (6-4, 170, Miami, FL Westminster Academy) in the 2025 recruiting class. Lloyd is currently the No. 58 player in the On3 rankings.   Per Joe Tipton of On3, Ingram chose the Gators because “It always felt like home,” he said. “The atmosphere is just different with the fans. My visit just felt almost perfect and I’m doing at home in front of friends and family. Coach Todd (Golden), Coach Taurean Green, Coach (Carlin) Hartmann and Coach (Jordan) Talley, they tell me every day what I can be in the future, how I can develop, and how I fit in the system.”   Jamie Shaw, the On3 basketball talent evaluator, wrote this about CJ after watching him at the prestigious Pangos All-American camp: “Throughout the camp, Ingram showed a high-flying arsenal of dunks. His ability to make a move and get downhill toward the rim was as impressive as his vicious and purposeful play above the rim, in traffic. He finished the camp with multiple dunks that were among the top five for the week. “However, for me, moreso than the high-flying athleticism, Ingram consistently made some impressive passing reads. Not only processing the play on the ball, but delivering passes with pin-point accuracy to open teammates for easy baskets. There is a real scenario where Ingram could play on ball as a primary initiator in the future. At the very least, a team should be able to run some fun actions with him as a secondary guy in the half-court.” CJ Ingram has the same traits as his dad, who was a two-sport All-American at Hawthorne who actually played basketball at Florida his freshman year in 2004-05. Cornelius was a 6-5, 225-pound all-purpose player who could dominate inside or outside. He had a lethal step back three and was a power dunker off the bounce. CJ’s game is virtually a clone of his dad. At Hawthorne last season he averaged 24 points, 3.7 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 3.7 steals per game.   CJ quarterbacked Hawthorne to back-to-back state championships in football. In 2023 he threw for 38 touchdown passes with only seven interceptions while running for six touchdowns. He also led the Hornets to back-to-back final fours in basketball, and played for the Florida Rebels on the Nike EYBL circuit where his recruiting blew up this summer.   The Gators were recruiting CJ as a wide receiver in football, but he chose to give up football to concentrate on basketball.     “I know it was always a dream of his to play basketball, and I wanted to give him that,” Cornelius Ingram told Mike Ridaught of the Mainstreet Daily News recently. “So, this past spring, he really locked in with his trainer and just focused on basketball. I can’t even imagine what he’ll become in the near future, because he’s still only 16.”     With Ingram and Lloyd committed and the scholarship limits for all NCAA teams to rise to 15 in 2025, Todd Golden still has two scholarships to give based on every eligible player returning. Currently the Gators are considered the leaders for twins Cameron Boozer (6-9, 205, Miami, FL Christopher Columbus) and Cayden Boozer (6-3, 190, Miami, FL Christopher Columbus). Cameron is a power forward ranked as the nation’s No. 2 recruit while Cayden is a point guard, ranked No. 17. The two of them led Christopher Columbus to the Florida class 7A championship last year.   POTENTIAL 2025-26 ROSTER Big guys (7): Sam Alexis 6-9, 240, JR); Micah Handlogten (7-1, 235, RJR); Alex Condon (6-11, 240, JR); Thomas Haugh (6-9, 220, JR); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 250, JR); Olivier Rioux (7-9, 290, SO); Viktor Mikic (6-11, 240, SO)   Perimeter guys (6): Denzel Aberdeen (6-5, 190, SR); Kajus Kublickas (6-2, 171, JR); Isaiah Brown (6-4, 190, SO); Urban Klavzar (6-1, 190, SO); Alexander Lloyd (6-4, 170, FR); CJ Ingram (6-6, 195, FR)

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: So here we are two weeks from the end of camp, three weeks from the season opener with Miami. For the most part, the same people who thought the Gators were going to crash and burn back in the spring still think Billy Napier is on a fast track to the paid well to not coach line. A few of the spring naysayers have changed their minds, but not many.   A columnist for Saturday Down South predicts the Gators will start the season 5-0 but finish 6-6 with UF athletic director Scott Stricklin and Napier canned. That’s an interesting theory that doesn’t get much traction among the people who write the big checks. The SDS columnist and a bunch of others from national, regional and state media don’t seem to understand that barring a total collapse – say 2-10 or worse – Napier will be the head coach next year and Scott Stricklin will still be the AD.   Now if things aren’t peachy keen by the end of 2025 both of their lawyers will be negotiating buyout money but that's a long way off.   Things do have to change at UF. That much is a necessity, but folks who write the checks do understand that if Napier goes, you can kiss DJ Lagway good bye. Florida isn’t stupid enough to take a chance on losing a quarterback who’s considered a generational talent. Florida fans have been begging for the next Tim Tebow since he graduated after the 2009 season. In Lagway they may have him.   Those same well heeled folks with money to spare also understand that Napier is the sixth coach at UF since Steve Spurrier walked away in 2001. Of Napier’s five predecessors, only Urban Meyer walked away. The others were pink slipped and every one of them got a fat going away check. Yes, somehow, someway, Old Yeller even got a see ya’ later check. How and why that happened is one of life’s unexplained mysteries.   If Napier is feeling the heat from the administration or from fan expectations, he’s not showing it, at least now when it’s August and camp is in full swing. When he speaks, he sounds more confident than he has at any point in the previous two years. That has something to do with having the deepest and most talented roster he’s had. The Gators look like grown men for a change and you don’t win without grown men in the Southeastern Conference.     It probably has something to do with a revamped defensive staff. The Gators are 11-14 in Napier’s two seasons, a defensive play or two in a handful of games away from 19-6. There wouldn’t be any conversation about a hot seat if the Gators were sitting 19-6 heading into year three. The talk would be all about the College Football Playoff. Napier likes his defensive staff, but especially he’s comfortable having Ron Roberts back in the saddle with him. Roberts is a guru whose creeper scheme has been copied and tinkered with to fit the personnel on hand at every level of football from high school to the pros. He is a born difference maker, which is why skeptical Florida fans might want to bite their critical tongues and give him a chance to implement a new and improved way of getting opponents off the field before they score another TD while taking six minutes off the clock.   People who have actually played the game at the highest levels and who have seen the Gators practice tell me they see a team that is going to win seven or at football games at a bare minimum, more if they get a break or two along the way. I asked why and here is a sampling of answers:   Graham Mertz: Looks better than he did last year when he completed 72.9 percent of his passes. In complete command of the offense.   Running backs: The deepest the Gators have been in years ... When Montrell Johnson is healthy five backs who can impact a game ... Beware of Ja’Kobi Jackson.   Wide receivers: The Gators are capable of going vertical every single play with at least four receivers ... Someone is going to overlook Kahliel Jackson this year and they’ll pay a serious price for their stupidity ... Tre Wilson has to get the ball 10 times a game.   O-line: Jake Slaughter and Austin Barber have been consistent and playing lights out. Knijeah Harris has played well … They’re still shuffling two of the other three positions to find the best combinations although they played better overall as a unit in the scrimmage … Right now it looks like Kam Waites and Damien George Jr. will be at right guard … Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson is at right tackle but he hasn’t been as consistent in August as he was in the spring.   D-line: Desmond Watson has lost 68 pounds of fat and added more than 50 pounds of muscle. He could be a real factor at the nose … Joey Slackman is a real player, while (Caleb) Banks and (Cam) Jackson are looking much better … Gerald Chatman will bring out the best in this group … Kelby Collins will be on the field somewhere … Losing Jamari Lyons (serious leg injury in the scrimmage) will hurt.   Linebackers/EDGE: Shemar James and Pup Howard are the real deal in the middle. Derek Wingo is going to be on the field a lot … A lot more pressure from the outside. Tyreak Sapp and Justus Boone are players … Love the kid (LJ McCray). He’s going to be a stud, maybe even this year.   Secondary: Tighten your jock if you’re going across the middle. Asa Turner loves to hit people … Turner and Jordan Castell are locked in at safety. Jason Marshall Jr. and Devin Moore at corner. Looks like Aaron Gates or Sharif Denson at STAR … DJ Douglas will play somewhere. Too good to sit.   SEC FOOTBALL Alabama: Alabama’s first team O-line appears to be LT Kadyn Proctor, LG Geno VanDemark, C Parker Brailsford, RG Roq Montgomery, RT Wilkin Formby.   Arkansas: HBC Sam Pittman says offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino “brings that swag to our program.”   Auburn: The standouts at the Auburn scrimmage were wide receivers Malcolm Simmons and Bryce Cain. Simmons caught three passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns including a 71-yarder. Cain caught four for 80 including a 52-yarder.   Georgia: Earnest Greene III started all 14 games last year at LT but he’s now in a battle with Monroe Freeling for the starting job with some observers predicting Freeling will win the job.   Kentucky: Former Gator Jalen Farmer seems a lock to start at right guard for the Wildcats. Another former Gator, Gerald Mincey, who is at UK after a detour to Tennessee, should be the starter at right tackle.   LSU: The starting O-line looks to be LT Will Campbell, LG Grant Dellinger, C DJ Chester, RG Miles Frazier and RT Emery Jones.   Mississippi State: The Bulldogs lost all five starters on the O-line. Four transfers are in the mix to start: Ethan Miner, Makylan Pounders, Jacoby Jackson and Marlon Martinez.   Missouri: Wide receiver Joshua Manning had six catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns in Mizzou’s scrimmage Saturday … Appalachian State transfer Nate Noel and Georgia State transfer Marcus Carroll seem to be running neck and neck for the starting running back job.   Oklahoma: Baylor transfer Jake Roberts, who began his career at North Texas, seems to be a lock for the starting tight end job. He caught 23 passes for 231 yards and a TD last year at Baylor.    Ole Miss: Former Gator Princely Umanmielen is recovering from a bum shoulder that has kept him in a non-contact jersey. He doesn’t expect to miss any game time starting with the season opener against Furman.   South Carolina: Running 1-2 at quarterback are redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers and Auburn transfer Robby Ashford.   Tennessee: The Vols were the most penalized team in the SEC a year ago. HBC Josh Heupel was pleased that the zebras threw very few flags at the Vols’ first scrimmage Friday night.   Texas: The defense dominated when Texas held its first scrimmage Saturday afternoon. Clemson transfer Andrew Mukuba picked off Quinn Ewers and Jelani McDonald had a pick off Arch Manning.   Texas A&M: Running back Rueben Owens was injured in Saturday’s scrimmage and will miss the entire 2024 season. Amari Daniels and Le’Veon Moss are the replacements. Vanderbilt: Corners Mark Davis (Achilles) and Marlon Jones Jr. (illness) will miss the entire 2024 season.   ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Last week the National Collegiate Athletic Association put a 4-year show cause on former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. As if that’s likely to cause Harbaugh sleepless nights. He’s moved on to the NFL Los Angeles Chargers and has made it plenty clear that he has no intention of ever coaching college football again.   I’m reminded of the three formative years when my family was exiled to Mississippi. Buddy Prestridge, a local banker, lived across the street from us on Westview Circle. He had a toothless dog who had fallen out of a moving vehicle when he was just a puppy. That didn’t stop him from trying to bite people whenever he got loose from the Prestridge’s back yard. The dog did his best to cause irreparable harm to me whenever he saw me, but the best he ever did was make me change my socks or pants because of all the dog slobber.     The NCAA is toothless, slobbering dog when it comes to Harbaugh. They probably had a legitimate case against him for the signal stealing that went on for years before the Wolverines won the national championship last year. According to a lengthy report in The Athletic, it turns out the NCAA had the goods on Harbaugh for recruiting violations and not telling the truth when confronted by investigators.   When it comes to Jim Harbaugh, there isn’t a damn thing the NCAA can do. But, there is something the NCAA can do to Michigan. Just because they can’t kick Jim Harbaugh around anymore doesn’t mean they can’t stick it to Michigan. They’ve already got the goods on new head coach Sherrone Moore for deleting emails that pertained to the signal stealing. Former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions, who was the alleged brains behind the signal stealing, has a Netflix documentary coming out on August 27 that could damage the Michigan brand even further.   Four days after the Stalions documentary, Michigan will open its season in the Big House with Fresno State. Michigan has already announced that Jim Harbaugh will be the honorary captain for the game. Most folks would take that as Michigan’s ultimate up yours to the NCAA.   Michigan is the winningest program in college football history, a true blueblood. Until the signal stealing and recruiting cases that involved Harbaugh came up, the only time in school history football had run afoul of the NCAA was in 2010 when it got hit with three years probation but no loss of scholarships or show cause for then head coach Rich Rodriguez.   Perhaps Michigan thinks of the NCAA the way I thought about the Prestridge’s dog, slobber on the leg that caused me to change pants and socks but no damage. The NCAA has the power to stick it to Michigan with sanctions, scholarship reductions and other penalties. Perhaps the question that has to be asked is does the NCAA have the guts to go after a blueblood?   I am of the opinion the NCAA’s sell-by date expired years ago and that it’s time for a brand new organization complete with a set of rules that it’s willing to enforce equally whether the offender is a blueblood or a wannabe. If the NCAA doesn’t go ahead and drop the hammer on Michigan, then any chance it has to survive just got flushed down the toilet.

In an Olympic event the United States had a good chance to finish 1, 2 and 3, the women's 100-meter hurdles did not disappoint. Similar to the men's 100m, it was a virtual tie to the naked eye of the top three, with two more just behind.

Anna Hall finished first in the 800 meter for the heptathlon but fell short of getting to the podium -- largely from a disqualification on her best javelin throw, costing her much needed points. A fifth place finish was only 92 points away from capturing a bronze metal.

Florida raises its medal count to 4 gold, 4 silver and four bronze after a dominating gold medal performance by Grant Holloway winning the 110 meter hurdles final with a time of 12.99. Jasmine Moore won bronze in the long jump m, adding to her bronze win in the triple jump on Saturday. With the 2024 Paris Olympics coming to a close on Sunday here are the results from Gators competing Thursday:   Thursday, August 8th   Anna Hall- women's track & field heptathlon/ 100 hurdles-. 7th, 13.36- 1071 points   Alida Van Daalen- women’s track & field, shot put (qualifiers)- 26th, 16.53m- does not advance   Lloydricia Cameron- women's track & field, shot put (qualifiers)- 14th, 18.02m- does not advance   Sarah Schober- women's golf, individual stroke play (Round two)- 73, T36th at 148 (+4)   Anna Hall- women's track & field, heptathlon / high jump- 3rd, 1.89, 1093 points   Hakim Sani Brown- men’s track & field, 4x100m relay (Round one)- 4th H1, 38.06 (SB), advance to final   Joseph Fahnbulleh- men's track & field, 4x 100m relay (Round one)- 7th H2, 38.97, does not advance   Anna Hall- women's track & field heptathlon/ shotput- 8th, 14.11m, 801 points   Jasmine Moore- women's track & field, long jump (Final)- Bronze , 6.96m   Joseph Fahnbulleh- men's track & field, 200m (Final)- 7th, 20.15   Anna Hall-  women's track & field, heptathlon/ 200 meter- 8th, 23.89, 991 points, 3rd after Day 1   Grant Holloway- men's track & field, 110m hurdles (Final)- Gold, 12.99

41 Gators representing 21 nations earn 9 medals (3 gold, 4 silver, two bronze) so far in the Paris 2024 Olympics. That's more medals than 66 other countries competing, if Florida was its own country. Competition wraps up on Sunday August 11th. So we hit the homestretch, heavy on a star-studded Track & Field Gator lineup. Thanks to Florida Coach Mike Holloway’s 14 NCAA championships over the years. It will be an exciting weekend. Here is the upcoming Gator athletes Olympic schedule, all times Eastern Standard Time:   Thursday, August 8th   4:05 AM Anna Hall- women's track & field heptathlon/ 100 hurdles   4:25 AM Lloydricia Cameron- women's track & field, shot put (qualifiers)   4:25 AM Alida van Daalen- women's track & field shot put (qualifiers)   4:44 AM Sarah Schober- women's golf, individual stroke play (Round two)   5:05 AM Anna Hall- women's track & field, heptathlon / high jump   5:35 AM Joseph Fahnbulleh- men's track & field, 4x 100m relay (Round one)   1:35 PM Anna Hall- women's track & field heptathlon/ shotput   2:00 PM Jasmine Moore- women's track & field, long jump (Final)   2:30 PM Joseph Fahnbulleh- men's track & field, 200m (Final)   2:55 PM Anna Hall-  women's track & field, heptathlon/ 200 meter   3:45 PM Grant Holloway- men's track & field, 110m hurdles (Final)   Friday, August 9th   4:05 AM Anna Hall- women's track & field, heptathlon/ long jump   5:25 AM Anna Hall- women's track & field, heptathlon/ javelin   6:05 AM Grace Stark- women's track & field, 100m hurdles (Semifinals)   TBA Sarah Schubert- women's golf individual stroke play (Round three)   2:25 PM Anna Hall- women's track & field heptathlon/ 800 meter   2:57 PM Parker Valby- women's track & field 10,000 meter (Final)   Saturday, August 10th   2:00 AM Eddie Garcia- men's marathon   TBA Sarah Schober- women's golf individual stroke play (Round four)   Sunday, August 11th   2:00 AM Genevieve LaCaze Gregson- Women’s Marathon

“Literally there are some positions on our team where it is daily adjusted who is in the front of the line”-Coach Billy Napier By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com , Football Analyst Week 2 of training camp began with a visit from one of Florida’s greatest coaches, former basketball coach Billy Donovan. Donovan is one of only eight coaches to repeat as NCAA champion and he left championship pearls of wisdom with Coach Napier and his organization. One of the things that he really emphasized is adversity is our greatest gift”, Napier stated. Donovan also noted the “illusion of choice”, which means that teams, in particular good teams have no choice but to do the things necessary to be a good football team.    Florida Head Coach Billy Napier (Chris Spears photo) As camp progresses the lack of selective performance that Donovan spoke of will be more important as the Gators continue to deal with the adversity that training camp can bring and the challenges that can come from it. At the running back position the absence of Montrell Johnson Jr. in the short term has brought early adversity but has allowed for others at the running back position to get meaningful practice snaps and enhance the depth at an important position in the Gator offense. On Wednesday Napier further noted that there are several positions on both sides of the ball that the depth chart is not close to fluid. The offensive line which is a major point of emphasis for the Gators continues to have a several possible combinations that the Gators may go with depending on the remainder of practice. “There is competitive depth there”, Napier stated. Napier also detailed that after early struggles in camp the offensive line had been “lights out” and the competition for playing time remained very competitive in the early stages of camp.    With what should be an upgraded roster Napier expressed that with improved depth there are only a “handful of spots” where the depth chart is clearly defined. “Literally there are some positions on our team where it is daily adjusted who is in the front of the line”, Napier stated. One particular group of note is the edge rusher position where the Gators have a number of serviceable options competing for snaps. Elder statesmen Justus Boone and Tyreak Sapp, both known for their leadership ability, are being pushed daily by a young, talented group led by LJ McCray, TJ Searcy, Kelby Collins, and Kamran James. In speaking of this group Napier expressed that this units practice habits have been "fun to watch". On the back end of the defense the STAR (Nickel) position is highly contested with Aaron Gates and Sharif Denson in the thick of the competition. A crucial piece of what Florida does defensively, the STAR position is key to defending the run game while allowing for flexibility to defend the diverse type of passing offenses in the game today. Both Gates and Denson will continue to battle it out as camp continues and Napier sees both as important pieces of the defense.  Edge Rusher TJ Searcy (GatorBait photo)   The depth chart will most certainly begin to define itself as the Gators will hold their first scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday. At this point most teams have a lot to work on and Napier noted that there are still some situations that need to be addressed and a live scrimmage will certainly give the staff a good look at how the players react in a live session. The scrimmage should set the tone for the remainder of the practices before the showdown with Miami in one of the most interesting matchups of the season’s first week.

For the next eight weeks, I will be releasing my power rankings of the new-look SEC football and what you need to know about each team in the conference, starting from the bottom to the top. Each week, on Wednesday and Friday, a new team will be released in the ranking along with what to expect and what you need to know for the upcoming season. With some newcomers to the SEC this offseason, it will be a good way to learn a little more in depth about some schools that you may have not been keeping up with over the years.

Pup Howard, Myles Graham and Aaron Chiles are welcome addition’s to Coach Ron Robert’s group. By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com, Football Analyst Inside Linebackers Coach Ron Roberts (GatorBait photo) The Florida defense spent the spring revamping its defensive scheme and messaging with the addition of three new coaches. Gerald Chatman and Will Harris joined the Florida staff and bring well needed energy to a unit that was one of the poorest in Florida history. The third addition may be the most important in linebackers coach Ron Roberts, who replaces Jay Bateman after two seasons. Roberts, the de facto father of the Creeper defense, brings a steady a hand that lacked previously continuity in 2023. His challenge is to maximize the talent in a group of linebackers looking to make their mark. The Gators return just four linebackers that played meaningful snaps on defense a year ago. Junior linebacker Shemar James was second on the team with 55 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. Teammate Derek Wingo recorded just 17 tackles on the season while being used in a limited role -- mainly on third downs. Finally, Mannie Nunnery recorded 28 tackles but again was a situational player mainly on passing downs. With the lack of returning production, the Gators were in desperate need of additional depth at that position. Enter three athletes that will look to make immediate impact as Roberts works to help the defense become relevant again. Grayson “Pup” Howard comes to Gainesville after spending a year at South Carolina where he finished with 19 tackles, one for loss, and a forced fumble. At 6-4, 238 pounds Howard brings needed athletic ability and size to the defense and looks to be in line to start next to James at inside linebacker. Myles Graham, is the son of former Florida great Earnest Graham but is poised to make his own way at Florida. A five-star recruit in 2024, Graham is close to 230 pounds and has the athleticism to play the run as well as be effective in pass coverage. Coachable and extremely humble, Graham’s attitude has endeared him to teammates and coaches alike and that should afford him ample minutes behind Howard and James. Lastly Aaron Chiles, the MaxPreps Maryland Player of the Year from Good Counsel High School, one of the state's most dominant programs. Chiles, a summer enrollee, has wowed teammates and coaches alike with his weight room numbers and diligent work ethic. Chiles has a college-ready frame and looks to have the instincts to match. Edge rusher Justus Boone was quick to single out Chiles as someone who had been impressive in the offseason prior to fall camp. Roberts is big on fundamentals. He expects every player to be what Coach Billy Napier calls a "4D" player. Which means not just knowing your job, but the job of the man beside you as well. “Our players are good enough,” Roberts has stated. Which means that he is confident he has what he needs in that linebacker room to get it done. The Gators were not great when tackling in space last season. Roberts will look to improve that with a unit that has added the necessary tools to be better. When you combine the experience of James and Wingo with the potential of Howard, Graham, and Wingo there is a lot to be excited about.

RB at practice as his recovery is underway, but "it all depends on whether they repair the damage or remove a small piece."