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.

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: Twenty-five days after surgery for a torn meniscus, Novak Djokovic played at Wimbledon. Two weeks after that, he played in the championship match. That was July 11. Twenty-four days later, he won the gold medal match at the Olympics in Paris. Contrast that with Zion Williamson, the oft-injured power forward for the New Orleans Pelicans of the NBA. He played just 24 games his rookie season in 2019 after arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus. It has been one injury after another for Williamson during his short NBA career. He missed the entire 2021-22 season after foot surgery, played in only 29 games the next season. Back in 2013, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had his knee scoped a week before the start of training camp. Two days after camp began, Roethlisberger was off the crutches. He told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “I think I could play Sunday if I had to.” What those three examples tell you is that recovery varies from athlete to athlete. When there is very little post surgery swelling, range of motion should return quickly. Then the main issue should be pain tolerance. Djokovic and Roethlisberger obviously have a high tolerance. The joke around the NBA is that a hangmail can sideline Williamson for at least a week. Florida running back Montrell Johnson Jr. is listed week-to-week after his arthroscopic surgery. In a perfect world, he’s back for the Miami game 26 days from now but we have no way to know how quickly he heals. If he’s a slow healer or if he has a low tolerance for pain, it could be mid-September before he returns to the lineup. There are two ways to look at Johnson’s injury. We could take the Chicken Little approach that the sky is falling. Or, we could take the Wilber Marshall blessing in disguise approach. In the spring of 1980, Charley Pell told Wilber Marshall he was moving him from tight end to outside linebacker. Wilber was upset and determined to transfer out, so he showed up at the Pells late at night. Charley was already in bed so he spent a couple hours with Ward, who convinced him to give linebacker a shot. When Charley woke at 5 a.m. for breakfast he told Ward he dreaded going to the office because he was afraid Wilber would be gone. Ward told him to go down the hall and look into son Carrick’s bedroom. Charley saw Wilber sleeping in the twin bed opposite Carrick and knew Wilber was going to be staying. The switch to linebacker was the best move possible for Wilber, who won the national defensive player of the year award in 1981 and 1982, then went on to have a Pro Bowl career in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins. In the case of Montrell Johnson Jr., the blessing in disguise approach could be the answer if backups Treyaun Webb, Ja’Kobi Jackson, Jadan Baugh and KD Daniels take advantage of the extra reps they’re going to get the remainder of training camp. All four of these guys are long on talent but short on actual experience. Running the ball is the easy part. That pretty much comes down to doing what they’ve always done with the ball in their hands instinctively. The tough part of playing running back in the Southeastern Conference isn’t the running part, it’s the pass blocking and route running. When it comes to pass blocking, it’s knowing how to take on an onrushing defensive lineman or reading a blitzer. There is a real skill to chipping a pass rusher, getting into a pass route and becoming a ready target if the QB needs to dump the ball off. There is a real skill to selling that you’re going to block or chip, then turning on the speed to get into a wheel route where you are a primary target. If Treyaun Webb, Ja’Kobi Jackson, Jadan Baugh and KD Daniels take advantage of the extra reps they’ll be getting in practice, the Gators could be stronger than ever at running back, especially if Montrell is able to recover by the Miami game. Having five backs capable and ready to go is insurance for a 12-game regular season schedule and the possibility that the Gators will find their way into the postseason. Georgia boots Rara Thomas off the team Wide receiver Rara Thomas, arrested for felony child cruelty and two misdemeanor counts of family violence, has been dismissed from the Georgia football team by Kirby Smart. Is this a sign that perhaps Kirby has drawn a line in the dirt and threatened his team with bad consequences should they run afoul of the law? Or is it a case of this one was just so obviously rotten that Kirby had to make it seem as if he’s cracking down on a team that has turned trouble into an art form? If you go with No. 2, odds are that you win the kewpie doll. Among the run-ins with the law, still no word on how Kirby intends to punish running back Trevor Etienne, arrested for DUI and reckless driving shortly after arriving on campus in Athens back in January. Odds are that Etienne was made to run at least a couple of laps around the practice field and suspended for the final five minutes of the spring game. Considering Georgia opens the season in Atlanta with Clemson and that Etienne’s older brother was a Clemson All-American, what are the chances Kirby will suspend Etienne for that one? Or anyone else that Kirby thinks is necessary to win game one on national television? Kentucky gets probation, but avoids something worse Apparently, one of the two best football seasons in University of Kentucky history could be wiped out. The NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, has handed down a 2-year probation and fined Kentucky for using players who received impermissible benefits from spring 2021 until March 2022. The NCAA says 11 players had jobs at UK Health as patient transporters during that time frame, eight of which went on to play for Kentucky in the fall of 2021. Allegedly the players in question filled out inaccurate time cards for work they did not do. Kentucky went 10-3 in 2021, one of only two 10-win seasons in school history. If all 10 wins are vacated, then the Wildcats would officially have an 0-13 record for that season. Also in question is the 2022 season (UK went 7-6). How many of the players were on both the 2021 and 2022 seasons? It is possible that Kentucky could also be forced to vacate those seven wins as well. While names were redacted in the NCAA notice of allegations to which Kentucky agreed and settled, there are reports from more than one outlet that two of the players involved were star running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. and wide receiver WanDale Robinson. Rodriguez ran for 1,379 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021 while Robinson caught 104 passes for 1.348 yards and seven touchdowns. Robinson went to the NFL after the 2021 season but Rodriguez came back in 2022. He did not play the first four games, perhaps as UK self-imposing punishment for working at UK Health. In the eight games he did play, Rodriguez ran for 904 yards and six touchdowns. During the same time period the NCAA was investigating the UK football program, it investigated violations within the swimming program for excessive practice hours and not enough time off. Lars Jorgensen, the swim coach at the time, resigned in 2023 for alleged sexual assault. Kentucky avoided the dreaded lack of institutional control tag because the NCAA said that no football coaches or staffers could have reasonably known what was going on. More NCAA issues for Michigan football Jim Harbaugh is gone and Big Blue has its national championship, but the NCAA continues to investigate. It turns out that Harbaugh successor Sherone Moore deleted text messages that involved himself and Connor Stalions, the staffer who was in charge of the elaborate sign stealing scheme. Moore could be hit with a show cause and possible suspension. Harbaugh, Stalions and staffers Chris Partridge and Denard Robinson have all been accused of committing Level I violations by the NCAA. Moore could see the charges against him increased since he is deemed by the NCAA to be a repeat offender. Michigan went 15-0 last year and won the national championship. Would the NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, have the guts to slap the Wolverines with a multi-year probation that included vacating the 2023 national championship? ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Gator Bobby Finke salvaged a week of swimming for the United States men’s team at the Paris Olympics when he set the world record in the 1500 meter freestyle, his second consecutive gold medal in the event. Finke’s gold kept alive a streak that dates all the way back to 1904 in which the American men have won at least one individual gold medal. Finke was brilliant, pushing the pace from the start and wearing down opponents from Italy and Ireland who just couldn’t keep up the first 1450 meters. The final 50 was vintage Finke. He made the turn, turned on the gas and was swimming against the clock the rest of the way, finishing in 14:30.67 to beat the world record by .35 seconds. Finke’s gold also helped soothe the wound of the American men losing the gold in the 4X100 IM relay. Despite a brilliant butterfly leg by Gator Caeleb Dressel, anchor Hunter Armstrong couldn’t keep up with Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle, who swam an astounding 45.92 on the final leg. Given the Chinese history of better swimming through chemistry, there are certain to be raised eyebrows by Zhanle’s finish as well as his world record 100 free earlier in the week. Back in 2021, 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for banned substances. Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated reported that 11 of the 23 swimmers from the 2021 scandal were swimming in Paris, two of whom were on the winning 4X100 relay. Forde also reports that there were other positive tests that were kept secret and resulted in no penalties. Given the International Olympic Committee’s defense of biological males competing as females in the boxing competition, we shouldn’t be the least bit surprised if no Chinese swimmer tests positive in the aftermath of the relay of swimming competition. Nor should we be surprised if there have been positive tests covered up. I know I date myself here, but I’m old enough to remember the USSR beating the United States in basketball at the 1972 Munich Olympics. I don’t care how old I get, the cheating that went on to give the USSR the gold is something that will stick in my memory forever. I haven’t trusted the IOC since and there is nothing they will ever do to earn my trust again.

Montrell Johnson Jr. has more career yards than any SEC running back (Photo by Chris Spears) Depth, which Billy Napier discussed in his opening remarks after Saturday’s practice, is about to get its first serious test. Running back Montrell Johnson Jr., whose 2,496 career rushing yards are the most of any running back in the Southeastern Conference, has undergone an arthroscopic procedure on his knee that is described as routine. In that no one heals at the same pace with any arthroscopic procedure, Johnson could be back in a couple of weeks or he could miss the remainder of fall camp and perhaps one or more games once the season begins. After Saturday’s practice, Napier praised Florida’s depth without going into the injury to Johnson: “We've worked hard to build this roster, we have more competitive depth, and I think that's proven to be true on offense, defense and special teams,” he said. The depth at running back will be put to the task in the next three weeks with the season opener with Miami looming 27 days from today. The good news for the Gators is Johnson’s backups don’t lack for talent. From top to bottom, this is the most talented running backs room Napier has had since he’s been here. Talent is plentiful, but other than sophomore Treyaun Webb, there isn’t a back with even a single down of SEC experience on the roster. A year ago as the backup to Johnson and Trevor Etienne, who has since transferred to Georgia, Webb (5-11, 211) gained 163 yards on 26 carries. He had 14 carries for 71 yards against McNeese State and gained 70 on four carries against Vanderbilt. In the Vandy game, Webb showed the ability to access another gear when he got to the second level and sprinted for a 43-yard gain. Behind Webb are Ja’Kobi Jackson (5-11, 209, RJR), Jadan Baugh (6-1, 227, FR) and KD Daniels (6-0, 197, FR) Jackson didn’t see any action after transferring in from juco. Baugh and Daniels were still in high school. Jackson ran for more than 1,000 yards in juco prior to transferring to UF. Baugh, Florida’s biggest back, was one of the surprise stars of the spring game, showing real power while at the same time quick feet to make jump cuts. Daniels ran for 2,797 yards and 29 touchdowns as a high school senior in Mississippi. He has real breakaway speed. The four backups can all carry the football, but can they catch the ball well out of the backfield (Johnson has 48 career catches) and can they handle blitzers or EDGE rushers one-on-one in pass protection? Those might be the tougher questions that have to be answered between now and Miami. Some Napier observations from Saturday: Only one Division I quarterback in the country has more career starts than Graham Mertz (Photo by Chris Spears) Quarterback Graham Mertz: “He's just got great energy about himself, affects other people in a positive way. Extremely detailed. Great note-taker. Great in the unit meetings. Great in the position meetings, and he's a pro. I think offense usually takes a little while to get in some rhythm. We got to kind of get the install down and get the finer details all around him. Protect him, get open for him, and then be on the same page and try to stay on schedule. But yeah, Graham Mertz is doing a great job leading the team.” Freshman QB DJ Lagway: “There's two 4D Gator lesson plans each week. They get them on Monday, they got to turn them in on Friday, the padding that the quarterback is required to do all throughout the summer. You know, he just jumped into that for the first time and I think he made tremendous growth, his knowledge of defense, yeah, and I think he's improved fundamentally, too. I think the ball's coming out more consistently, his feet have been polished up. He's getting better.” Wide receiver Elijhah Badger, transfer from Arizona State: “He's a part of a receiver group that is extremely competitive. I think we have, after some of those guys that have played a lot of football – Tre (Wilson), Chim (Dike), Kahleil (Jackson) – then you kind of get into the next tier of player and all those guys are doing great. And that's one of the positions on our team where some of the roles are to be determined, but I do think that Badger has made progress and it showed up I think yesterday is where I was like, 'Okay, I can kind of see … he is explosive, he is athletic, he can run after the catch. He has a vertical threat to his game and he's got play strength and he's got length. He’s a 6-1 guy but he's got great, great length. So yeah, I like the look in his eyes.” Defensive line depth: “I think we've got a good three-deep, maybe more. Big and long, and I think the weight room work is showing up. But all those guys are doing a good job. It was pretty violent out there last night, let's put it that way. So I think that we're getting better on the edges, too. The inside players ... we got a chance to be pretty good up front. We've got some work to do there. But defensively, I thought last night they got after pretty good.” Defensive end Joey Slackman: “I'm a Joey Slackman guy. Look, I think Joey brings a maturity and an awareness. I think he's extremely bright. And he's motivated, he's driven, he's a self-starter and he's an alpha. I think he does a great job, he brings other things besides being a 6-3, 315-pound athlete to the table … he brings it. He's consistent. His motor's always running and I think he has the ability to affect other people. That's one of the reasons we brought him here.” 6-7, 290-pound recently added juco transfer Tarvorise Brown: “He played EDGE in high school, right? So he was 230, yeah, just a big athletic guy. He's got some unique traits, right? And I think he kind of fell in our lap to some degree. We were recruiting for January and then found out he was a qualifier and then it just ended up working out. So far so good. I think the reps he's taken, he's proved to have all the functional movement, the power, the length. He's a good athlete. I think it's got a chance. He has four (years) to play four, you know, and I think he'll prove to be a good evaluation.” D-lineman Caleb Banks: “He's 6-5 and three quarters, 320, and he's learning a lot. First time ever playing college football last year, goes into the offseason, has a chance to kind of prepare now, knowing what it's like out there. He's had a good offseason. Just continuing to mature, continuing to be consistent, his work ethic, his practice habits, his mental toughness, because he's certainly very talented. At this level, everybody's got talent, everybody's got work ethic, it's more about the intangibles, right? How we can get better at getting better, and then the intangible parts of the team, and that's the focus with him.” The schedule: “Maybe it causes them to do a little bit extra. Maybe it causes him to be a little more focused, a little more detailed. You're planning and preparing and working hard to prepare for a great challenge … this team has been really close, and we have some experience in that locker room. We're not just talking about all these teams that were ranked or are ranked. We've been on the grass with them before. And I think we've got an understanding on where the gap is at and what we need to do to make up that gap. Right now, we're focused on Florida, and we got to control what we can control, eliminate, minimize our errors. It's kind of like sharpening the axe to get ready to go chop down that tree. Sharpen that axe, which we can.”

Johnson Led Gators With 817 Yards Rushing In 2023 And 6 Total TDs By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com, Football Analyst Running Back Montrell Johnson (Chris Spears photo) Florida Gator running back Montrell Johnson underwent a minor arthroscopic knee surgery this weekend for an injury, according to multiple sources. Johnson was expected by to take on the heaviest workload due to the departure of Trevor Etienne in the offseason. Johnson, the SEC’s leading returning rusher, ran for a team high 817 yards and caught 30 passes for a total of six touchdowns. For the past two seasons Johnson has steadied a backfield that has been rich with talent due to his familiarity with many of the coaches and the offense. He is expected to miss several weeks but could be back for the home opener with Miami (FL) and maybe full speed for Samford and Texas A&M,m. Florida would look to have Johnson back for its first road test of the season at Mississippi State. With Johnson temporarily on the shelf, the Gators will look to an inexperienced but talented group of backs that includes sophomore Treyaun Webb, redshirt senior Cam Carroll, former juco transfer Ja’Kobi Jackson, and freshman Jaden Baugh who stood out in the Orange and Blue game. Carroll is still not fully recovered from an injury and his future may be in question. Baugh dew attention in the sprinf game and has peaked interest lately with a 500-plus pound squat earlier this year. So while the Gators will miss Johnson there are certainly horses in the stable. Jackson came to the Gators from Coahoma Community College a year ago and was poised to contribute on special teams this season. The injury to Johnson now will offer opportunities for meaningful carries for Jackson early in the season. Jackson led Coahoma in rushing with 661 yards, seven touchdowns, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. Coach Jabar Juluke found success at Louisiana with a backfield by committee approach with NFL backs Elijah Mitchell, Raymond Calais and Trey Ragas and will most likely employ that approach early with Webb, Jackson, Baugh and Carroll and ride the hot hand. In other football news Head Coach Billy Napier echoed the sentiment of many practice observers in regards to the improvement of quarterback DJ Lagway. “He made tremendous growth, knowledge of defense,” said Napier. “ I think he’s improved fundamentally too, I think the ball is coming out more consistently, his feet are polished up.” It is yet to be determined what Lagaway’s role will be this season but Napier went on to express that that may be dictated on how the offense evolves as a whole. Napier also stated that he was impressed with Arizona State transfer receiver Elijah Badger who may have had his best day of the young preseason on Friday night. "He's explosive, he is athletic, he can run after the catch, he has a verticle threat to his game. I like the look in his eye."

The Gators continue to build on the second day of camp. By Loren Meadows, GatorBaitMedia.com, Football Analyst Senior Edge Rusher Tyreak Sapp (GatorBait photo) Reports of a sluggish Day 1 were moving about the on Day 2 of the Gators Fall Camp. While the total effort may need to improve the Florida defensive line and edge rushers were ramped up on Day 2. The two units combined for just five sacks among their returning personnel and the lack of a pass rush was thought to be a direct reflection of the team meager total of only three interceptions for the entire 2023 season. On Thursday a commitment to more fundamental, aggressive play was the message of the day among edge coach Mike Peterson and new defensive line coach Gerald Chatman. Chatman comes to the Gators after spending the 2023 season at Tulane where his unit contributed to 28 of the Green Wave’s 38 sacks. Peterson, a former Gator great and 13 year NFL veteran is tasked with taking a promising but young group of pass rushers to the next level at what has become the defensive money position at both the college and NFL level. Florida Edge Coach Mike Peterson (GatorBait photo) Both coaches were intentional about working the fundamentals to get their units in the opponents backfield this season. Peterson stressed getting offvthe ball and hand placement, paying particular attention to newcomer LJ MacRay and second year player TJ Searcy. McCray one of the darlings of the 2024 defensive recruiting class looks every bit of the part at 6-6, 264 with good quickness and a willingness to learn. Veterans Tyreak Sapp and Justus Boone were seen comparing pass rush notes between reps as an indication that getting to the passer is a primary focus and paramount for this unit. On the interior Chatman challenged his unit to consistently maintain effort as part of the defensive big picture. Cam Jackson, Desmond Watson, Caleb Banks, and Kelby Collins return to the unit with the addition of Penn transfer and Joey Slackman. Slackman has wrestlers build and boxer’s motor and should be a welcome addition the run stopping depth. As cornerback Jason Marshall Jr. remarked, “he’s a guy” when talking about Slackman and describes Slackman intensely using smelling salt prior to a team run earlier this summer. The positive is both units now have personnel that looks the part and look to be in tune to the message that both Peterson and Chatman are presenting if not demanding. Defensive Line Coach Gerald Chatman (GatorBait Media) With the addition of “the Creeper” sage Ron Roberts to the defensive staff Florida’s defensive staff has made what many consider to be a considerable upgrade. The defense will have to improve on its historical lack of production for the Gators to navigate what is widely thought to be the nation’s toughest schedule. With Day 2 in the books it appears to be to steps forward and no reason to look back.

Former Auburn DC Ron Roberts brings his creeper defensive scheme to Florida this year He is the godfather of the Creeper defense, variations of which have helped transform defensive philosophy all the way up to the NFL and all the way down to the high school level. No matter how you scheme an opponent, however, Ron Roberts knows that defense begins and ends with one basic concept – how do you affect the opposing quarterback? For the last two years, the Florida Gators haven’t done a very good job of it. The Gators have only 45 sacks in the last two years. A year ago, when they had only 22 sacks which was 12th in the then 14-team Southeastern Conference, the Gators managed only three interceptions. That was 14th in the SEC, next to last in the entire country. The lack of turnovers had everything to do with Florida’s inability to get to the passer, which is one of the chief reasons why Roberts was imported from Auburn. As Florida’s no co-defensive coordinator, job number one is to find ways to make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. “In our conference, you're going to see three or four of the top quarterbacks in the country, and they're NFL caliber quarterbacks,” Roberts said Tuesday morning. On Florida’s schedule, the Gators will face Cam Ward (Miami), K.J. Jefferson (UCF), Carson Beck (Georgia), Quinn Ewers (Texas) and Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss), all of whom should be collecting an NFL paycheck next season. Those guys and the other talented quarterbacks on the schedule will have to figure out what’s up Roberts’ sleeve on every single play. His masterpiece is the Creeper, which is designed to daze and confuse quarterbacks charged with figuring out where the blitz is coming from. Back in 2021 when Roberts was the defensive coordinator at Baylor, his guys got to two Ole Miss quarterbacks 10 times for 69 yards in losses in the Sugar Bowl. That led to three interceptions as the Bears took a 21-7 win by turning a high-powered Ole Miss offense very pedestrian. Roberts went Romper Room Tuesday to explain the creeper concepts in the most basic of terms. “It was the ability to bring an off-the-ball guy, again with stemming somebody who's not one of the designated four down or three down, whichever one you're in,” Roberts said. “It's to bring a guy in the rush. It started out fire zone concept. You bring in five, and you're down a guy in coverage. So it's a way to get the same type of pattern, maybe not the add-on backer, and play traditional coverage behind it. “So you can still force the ball, you can still create the issues on some of the run blocking schemes, but play traditional coverage behind it.” Understand it? Basically, it’s about bringing a blitzer from some place the quarterback doesn’t expect while making him think it’s coming from somewhere else. Former first round NFL draft pick Sam Darnold once described it as “seeing ghosts.”  When Ron Roberts has the opposing quarterback seeing ghosts he has no clue what’s coming or where it’s coming from. Sacks are one way to measure the effectiveness of the Creeper. Another way is to bring so much pressure the QB throws early or makes the wrong read. Pressure makes opponents reduce the number of receivers in the route and it also makes them cut routes short. When the Gators beat Ohio State for the national championship in 2006, there was so much pressure that the Buckeyes were reduced to running two-man routes and going max protect on every pass play after the first quarter. This is what the creeper is designed to do. “So your ability to affect a quarterback, where it's not just sacking him, but it's hitting him, it's getting close to him, it's making him rush throws, it's making him throw before he's ready to throw, it's making him throw the ball in tight windows,” Roberts said. “So it’s all together … Sometimes it's got to be the coverage being tight enough where they make him hold the ball until they can get there. So it's a combination of a lot of things. Some of it is schematics, some of it is execution of fundamentals and techniques about how to rush a quarterback.” A year ago at Auburn, the Creeper resulted in the Tigers giving up four fewer first downs and seven fewer points per game. The Gators gave up 382.3 yards and 27.6 points per game in 2023. There was a five-game stretch in which the Gators gave up at least 465 yards and 33 points. Translate the kind of improvement Auburn made to the Gators just in that short stretch and UF would have finished no worse than 7-5 instead of 5-7. One reason why the Gators had their defensive struggles in 2023 had everything to do with youth and inexperience. The Gators were one of the youngest teams in the country, particularly on defense where so many times inexperience reared a very ugly head. Too often young guys weren’t sure where to go and when they got there weren’t good enough tacklers to put people on the ground. “There was a lot of youth,” Roberts said. “There was a lot of inexperienced guys hitting the field their first time in SEC football. Then you go back to the fundamentals …  Tackling wasn't done at a high level.” Because missed tackles were a plague last season, Roberts made tackling a spring priority and that will carry over to the next 30 days as the Gators prepare for a Miami team that will come into The Swamp ranked and with extremely high expectations. A year ago the Hurricanes averaged 31.2 points, 258 passing yards and 173 rushing yards per game. They expect to be better this year due to key acquisitions from the porta, most prominently former Washington State QB Cam Ward and former Oregon State running back Damien Martinez. Ward threw for 3,776 yards and 25 touchdowns last year while Martinez ran for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns. Miami is just the beginning of a tough schedule in which the Gators will face highly talented quarterbacks every single week. There are no off weeks. Every single week the Gators will be required to bring their A-Game if they're going to post a winning record. Roberts thinks he has a defense capable and talented enough to get the job done. “I think our players are good enough,” he said. “I think we've got great players. I think, as long as they know where they're supposed to be and what their assignments are, they can go out and execute at a high level. To supplement young guys who were thrown into the fire last year, the Gators added players at all three levels of the defense that should make a difference. Of course, all eyes will be on the guys who rush the passer. It is the Creeper defense, after all, and its effectiveness is predicated on making good quarterbacks do things they wouldn’t normally do because they have no clue where the pressure will be coming from when they break the huddle. “I think we've got really good edge rushers,” Roberts said. “I think we've got talent in that room. I think we should be able to affect him [opposing quarterback] with four, but if we can't affect him with four, we've got to bring in somebody else.” And if the opposing QB can’t figure out who that somebody is, then Ron Roberts will have him right where he wants him.

“All of our processes are in place”-Florida Coach Billy Napier

. In 2024 we will see coach-to-player communications through the helmet of one player on the field this season, designated with a green dot on the midline of the helmet. Communication will be turned off with 15 seconds remaining on the play clock or the snap of the ball, whichever comes first. The technology has been used in the NFL for years but slow to get to the college game due to cost, liability and the helmets themselves. Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tighf Ends Coach Russ Callaway spoke about the new helmets at Tuesday's press conference: “It will be interesting to see how it works. We're kind of still working through the kinks of it with camp because this is the first time that we've done it. I do think there will be some benefit with different ways that people get in the play calls. “However, there are certain backup plans you have to have in place if something were to go wrong with the headset on game day. Sometimes it will go out for a drive, maybe get you cut off. You've got to have different ways to get the play in. “That's one thing we've obviously very closely studied and monitored and called upon guys in the NFL and have developed a system of our own. We're going to kind of give that a trial run in camp and scrimmages and kind of see how that plays out.” Recently Callaway clarified his role. After one season as the Gators’ tight ends coach, he took on more responsibility within the offensive scheme. One of those expected responsibilities is having more input in the play-calling and design. Callaway has denied he would be taking full control of the Gators’ play-calling. “I think really it's overall a team effort,” he said on Tuesday. “When I got here a few years ago, I worked with Coach Napier in the past, Coach (Rob) Sale in the past, and I believe, and we believe it's about getting your players in the best situation possible. When asked how he liked the new helmet communication, Callaway responded: “I do like it. I think it's a good deal. There are some things that are going to be a little different working through whether you're signaling or how are you going to get the play in? What are you going to say? “I think there's a couple different ways you can go with it, and we've got to see what fits really our quarterbacks the best because at the end of the day, you've got to give them what they want to hear. Sometimes it may be too much information. Sometimes it may be not enough. I think per quarterback per team it could be a little bit different.” Perhaps this will help in signal stealing. The big Michigan scandal comes to mind before coach Jim Harbaugh ran off to the NFL. It definitely can't hurt when it comes to communication as the college game and the pro game inch closer and closer to being the same.

“It’s the way we want to play ball, we play together, we play smart, we play with great technique and the big thing there is we play with great effort”.-Florida center Jake Slaughter In 2023 the Florida offensive line was under fire for most of the season. Working in a new signal-caller as well as beginning without its most seasoned member, the struggles that followed the Gators to Salt Lake City were the beginning of a season the unit would like to forget. In that game Jake Slaughter, now a redshirt junior, made his first career start in last year’s game at Utah and the offensive line with Slaughter as it’s anchor did not play particularly well. However, Slaughter would go on to make seven more starts in 2023 and continue to gain more trust and understanding with quarterback Graham Mertz that should pay dividends this fall. Austin Barber began the 2023 campaign as the starting left tackle and after being named a Freshman All-American in 2022 and looked poised to make the jump to one of the premier tackles in the SEC. Barber, a Jacksonville native who is known for his mild, good nature off-the-field, nasty streak on it, was a bright spot early in the season as the offensive line found its footing. Unfortunately while Barber was able to make eight starts in 2023, a shoulder injury would hamper his play and ultimately sideline him for games on the back end of the season including the final game against rival Florida State. Slaughter and Barber entered the Florida program together and the level of respect they have for one another is evident.  “Austin is a really tough guy,” Slaughter stated. “But last year he was really hurt and it got to the point he just couldn’t do it anymore.” After taking a full offseason to recover Barber is now healthy and penciled in as a probable starter at either tackle position. Florida center Jake Slaughter (Chris Spears photo) Now healthy both mentally and physically, Jake Slaughter and Austin Barber are ready to not only play well but lead a retooled offensive line that will depend on a couple new faces to solidify a unit that is one year older and a lot stronger. The offensive line has adopted the moniker 5=1 to signify the togetherness this unit feels and looks to live by going forward. “It’s the way we want to play ball, we play together, we play smart, we play with great technique and the big thing there is we play with great effort.” For this group there were also hats and shirts with 5=1 stamped loud and proud to remind the unit of just what that means. Barber, a constant fixture at Gator spring sports, was adamant about not only how close the unit was but how he would forgo other brims to remind him of how pivotal this offseason was for him and the rest of his linemates. 5=1 was also key in the acclamation of two newcomers who bring a combined 25 starts to the offensive line room.  Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson and Devon Manuel bring added depth and experience to an offensive line that will also feature an improved Damien George Jr., Knijeah Harris and a healthy Kamryn Waites. According to Barber, the added depth allows for more defined roles and for each man to assume their more natural positions along the line. As most offensive linemen ultimately, the focus is how the five will protect the most precious one and Slaughter is quick to point out that 5=1 is really 8=1 when you include the tight ends and the man at the controls, Graham Mertz. Austin Barber (58) and Tight End Hayden Hansen (Chris Spears photo) A program insider stated that in three years this was the best group of people Billy Napier and staff had within their organization. Upfront it begins with Jake Slaughter and Austin Barber who enter the season healthy and ready to lead a unit that could round out to be one of the SEC’s best if they can stay healthy. If Slaughter and Barber have their way it will be done with the effort of many and the glory of one.

“I'm a firm believer that better people are better football players. I think we'll prove that this fall.” – Billy Napier Call it an inside out approach if you will, this Billy Napier philosophy of building a football team that he can count on to do the right thing both on and off the field. This is the third August for Napier and the Florida Gators. The first year luster wore off in a hurry. Last year, the Gators were way too young to know and understand everything in front of them. This year, as the Gators embark on year three, there is a completely different atmosphere. Confidence? Yes, it’s there, but it’s the quiet type, the type that comes from guys who really believe in themselves and the other guys who sweat it out with them. Accountability? That’s another thing that is obvious. Napier talked about it a couple of weeks ago at SEC Media Days. He talked about it again Tuesday when he spoke to the media ahead of fall practice beginning in earnest. Even before Napier took to the podium, center Jake Slaughter and strength and conditioning coordinator Tyler Miles were talking about how things have evolved, about how this team has come together with a one for all, all for one attitude. “I feel like this team has definitely shifted,” Slaughter said. He was more or less thrown to the wolves last year, but as the season progressed he became a rock in the middle of the offensive line. He’s a cerebral type who sounds like he could be standing in front of a lecture hall with 400 freshman psychology students hanging on his every word. On the playing field he gets to butt heads on nearly every play with nose tackles who would look huge even without helmets and pads. Last year made Slaughter hungry for success but he's not alone. Going 5-7 in 2023 has created a mindset that has brought about a collective determination to treat the previous season like a necessary speed bump. “We want to start fast and finish strong," Slaughter said. "That was a big thing this summer that we pushed. I feel like a lot of guys are ready to go out and compete. There’s going to be a ton of competition across the board.” Competition tends to bring out the best in athletes who are focused and determined to go over and above what is asked. That has a lot to do with 60, 70 or more players on the field or in the weight room on any given Saturday. They could be doing something else, but the losing has left a sour enough taste in their mouths that they are determined to do something about it. As the strength and conditioning coordinator, Miles spends more time with the players in the offseason than any other coach on the staff. He is a champion of hard work, a characteristic ingrained in him from his childhood in rural America. At 11 years old Miles would wake at 4 a.m. to feed the animals on the family farm. That experience has shaped a mindset that responsibility and accountability should be almost instinctive. “It’s just every day, you have responsibilities and you do that,” Miles said. “On the days you don’t feel like doing it, you have responsibilities that you need to accomplish and get done and you don’t just go through the motions, you do it the best way you can, so that’s kind of how I think about it, if that makes sense, but my mind just works in that simple, you’ve got a job to do, and you get it done every day.” On the farm, there are no shortcuts. Take shortcuts and the animals suffer. It’s similar to what happens with a football team. Bad teams find excuses to cut offseason workouts short or miss them altogether. Great teams understand that there are no shortcuts on the pathway to greatness. Winning attitudes are shaped by hard work, dedication and sacrifice. Great teams do the right thing not because they have to do it, but because it is the right thing to do. Doing the little things becomes second nature, things like keeping their living space in the locker room clean. That may not sound like a big deal, but it involves discipline, accountability, responsibility, pride and care for your teammates. “They keep their locker room spotless, they keep the indoor spotless, they don't miss anything,” Miles said. “If they get called out on not doing something right, they fix it immediately and say yes sir. They know we want the best for them. Everything they do, the little things. There's that famous video of Ed Reed talking about picking up trash in the locker room. They keep their locker room spotless and I know that doesn't sound like a big thing but to us, that is a big thing. All the little things stack up and matter and they do all the little things correct.” The little things do add up. The Gators are 11-14 in Napier’s two seasons on the job at Florida. The record could just as easily be 19-6 but not for a blown assignment here, a missed tackle there, disorganization on the sidelines at critical moments. It wasn't always the big mistake that the guys in the TV booth kept replaying over and over again. Far too often it was some minor little detail that was overlooked. Minor little details forgotten or overlooked too often resulted in close call losses. Too many of them. The recurring theme of almost good enough but not quite has been a driving force in this offseason. Some of the previous disappointments can be attributed to kids being thrown into the fire well before they were ready. That is no longer an excuse. The young guys who were at times lost balls in the tall grass a year ago are a year older and more experienced. In the Southeastern Conference there is no substitute for experience. Go back through the years and while you will find teams that had substantial contributions from young guys, typically the teams at the top have the most experience. “We have 17 starters coming back,” Napier said Tuesday. “We’re fourth in the league in returning production. We’ve got 41,000 snaps of experience coming back. “And I think the character makeup of our team is different. I think we have credible leadership. So culturally -- you know, I heard a guy just this past week. I was listening to a guy talk about culture, and it's really how do the players behave and go about their business when maybe the authority figure is away? I think we found out a lot about our team this summer, by far the best summer we've had.” Character does count. The late great John Wooden offered the simplified definition that character is what you do when nobody is watching. During the summer months, when coaches have limited access to players due to antiquated rules and regulations set forth by the NCAA, the Gators were busy getting themselves in the best shape of their lives in the weight room. They were on the practice fields with their units working out. Napier recalled the story he told at SEC Media Days about coming in to the office with his two sons on a Saturday. “I don't know if it's January or February, I bring the boys over here, I'm trying to do some work, they're running around. We've got – I look around, and I think there's 70 guys in the building – recovery, skill development, some hypertrophy work, and ultimately time together. I think there's a brotherhood element to that. That's the player going to his position group, his unit, his class and saying, ‘Hey, let's get in here on Saturday. There's an opportunity to get better.’” There is that old adage that you have to walk before you run. That is also the journey from 5-7 to winning and from simply winning to winning at a championship level. There was a time and not all that long ago (1990-2010) that Florida was the gold standard for winning in college football. No more. To get back to being the gold standard – running – first the Gators have to walk to regain respectability. Playing opponents close isn’t good enough and it certainly only serves to aggravate a fan base that remembers the good old days when you could pencil Florida in for a close encounter with a championship. Between 1991 and 2008 there were three national championships (1996, 2006, 2008) and all eight of the SEC championships (1991, 1993-96, 2000, 2006, 2008) that counted. Since 2010, there are three SEC East championships and an 0-3 record in the conference championship game in Atlanta. The fall from grace hasn’t gone unnoticed. “Football is a game played by humans that make mistakes, right? We just try to limit them as a coach,” Joe Houston said. He worked special teams for Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots the last four years. For most of the 21st century, the Patriots were the gold standard of the NFL.  He’s at Florida now intent on helping bring back a championship mentality that permeates through the entire football program. “The standard here is the standard,” Houston said. “When I was going to college in 2006, 2007 2008, Florida was the standard and we look forward to having high standards here. That’s why you come to University of Florida. That's why you come compete in the Southeastern Conference. You want expectations. That's why we're all here.” With Napier, the ability to meet the high expectations that come with the Florida territory have their roots in the cultural foundation. The previous two seasons weren’t without disappointments but 25 games into this gig he believes the foundation for long term success is in place. “You know, you have a motivated group coming back. They came back with purpose. I think we've added some really good pieces, not only talent, but I think leadership and character … The best compliment I can give this team is that all parts of our organization that work with them independent of football just say it's a different group – the academic staff, the equipment staff, the training room, the GatorMade crew, Florida Victorious, the cleaning staff, the people that take care of the building. I'm walking out of the building just the other night, and a guy walks up to me and says, ‘Hey, Coach, I don't know what's going on around here, but this group, I've never seen that locker room look like it looks right now, and I've never seen guys engage our staff, the food service staff. “So it's healthy. Now it's time to go execute, right? We've got to get football specific.” Getting football specific goes beyond the season opener with Miami in The Swamp August 31. Nearly every expert agrees that Florida’s schedule is a 12-week navigation through a minefield of ranked teams. To call the Florida schedule one that is fraught with danger would be an understatement, but Napier believes the struggles of the past two seasons have tempered this team and gotten them ready to face what’s ahead. “I think every good movie, every good story has challenges,” Napier said. “We're right in the middle of this one. I'm hopeful that the things we've done to make change will help us perform better, but I'm going to tell you, I'm a firm believer that sometimes you need to go through struggles, and we've done that, and I'm hopeful that it will be rewarding when we do accomplish some things of significance.”