A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: THAT WAS THE WEEKEND THAT WAS … Just your average, run of the mill weekend for the Florida Gators, so in case you were asleep, out on your boat or otherwise indisposed, here is a rundown of what happened: Some of you were saying Billy Napier can’t recruit?: If you fall into that category, put the dunce hat on and go sit in the corner until October. Three 4-star studs for 2023 committed to the Gators and 2024 legacy Myles Graham, son of Earnest, committed also. The 2023 commits were DT Kelby Collins (6-5, 290, Gardendale, AL), DT Will Norman (6-5, 300, Camden, NJ/Bradenton, FL IMG Academy) and DE Kamran Jones (6-5, 265, Orlando, FL Olympia). Collins picked the Gators over Alabama and Georgia. Norman chose Florida over Penn State, LSU and Texas A&M. Jones chose Florida over Georgia. Myles Graham (6-1, 215, Atlanta, GA Woodward Academy) is a 4-star recruit, the No. 4 linebacker in the 2024 class. He picked the Gators over Alabama, Tennessee and Auburn. Florida has serious momentum on the recruiting trail. The Gators have 19 commitments for the 2023 class, 17 4-stars and two 3-stars. The Gators are now ranked No. 8 in the Rivals class ratings while On3 and 247 both have the Gators at No. 10. It’s only going to get better. What we have learned in the last month is that Billy Napier does indeed know what he’s doing when it comes to recruiting. Also, the new Heavener Center is going to be a game-changer. The playing field is now beyond level. If anything it tilts strongly in Florida’s favor. It’s still a head shaker that some Gator fans were calling for Napier to be fired even before he coached a game all because he wasn’t recruiting up to their personal standard. Some folks need to stick a sock in it and have their internet privileges removed because they’re too stupid to discuss anything football or sports-related on a public forum. First scrimmage: Anthony Richardson throws darts. He’s tightened up his motion so it’s faster, smoother and the ball gets where it’s going in a hurry. Reports from the scrimmage are that he was seriously accurate and had a long run. Jack Miller III also looked good throwing the ball. This was a day for the running backs. Nay’Quan Wright, who looks quicker than he’s ever been, had two long runs for TDs. Montrell Johnson had a run of more than 40 yards and Travis Etienne broke a long one. Run of the day was by Lorenzo Lingard who was hit numerous times but still managed to break a run of more than 40 yards. Trey Dean III had a pick. Avery Helm and Devin Moore looked very good at corner. DBs didn’t allow the deep ball. Everybody tackled well. Gervon Dexter looks really good. Desmond Watson is an eclipse. Sunday was moving day: The Heavener Center still has work to do before it’s 100 percent done, but it’s fully functional and the coaches have moved in. They tore out the back wall of the indoor practice facility so you can see the weight room in the south endzone. Very, very impressive. When 100 percent completed, the Heavener Center will be equal to or superior to anything anywhere in the country. Let’s see the folks at The Ewe and Florida State try to compete with that. Better yet, let’s see how many bake sales and car washes they have to hold to raise the money for a down payment. Trask, Pierce and Malik Davis: Kyle Trask got the Tampa Bay Bucs in position to win their Saturday night game with the Miami Dolphins only to have Jose Borregales (formerly of The Ewe) boink what would have been the game-winning field goal off the right upright. Trask was 25-33 passing for 258 yards. His 19-yard TDP to Jerreth Sterns was as good a throw as you’ll ever see … Dameon Pierce carried five times for 49 yards in the Houston Texans 17-13 win over New Orleans. He has been a stud in training camp and has people wondering why he got so few carries at UF … Malik Davis had eight carries for 51 yards for Dallas in a 17-7 loss to Denver. Another Brady Singer gem: Singer got the win for the Kansas City Royals Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing just one hit in six shutout innings to raise his record to 5-4 and lower his ERA to a team-best 3.29. SEC football/basketball Alabama: Nick Saban called Alabama’s first scrimmage “sloppy” because there were “way too many penalties and a lot of undisciplined type penalties, whether they were illegal formations, offsides on defense. All things that are correctable.” Saban did point out that the first team offensive line has shown improvement. Arkansas: Basketball coach Eric Musselman has real concerns about the Razorbacks’ ability to play defense after the way they’ve been exposed on their European tour. “It’s going to be a challenge defensively,” Musselman told On3 Sports. “Is this team capable of guarding man-to-man? I don’t really know. We never played any zone defense in seven years, but right now, simple cuts, we lose our man. So great concern for us defensively, for sure.” Auburn: Although he wouldn’t elaborate, HBC Bryan Harsin said he is starting to see some separation between quarterback T.J. Finley, Zach Calzada and Oregon transfer Robby Ashford after Saturday’s scrimmage. Georgia: Georgia is breaking in several freshman wide receivers who are going to have to play. HBC Kirby Smart said, “Right now at wideout, we don’t have great depth and we have a couple of injuries. So those young guys are getting thrust in there and they got to grow up. We’ve done it before. I mean we’ve had productive freshman wide receivers.” … Connor O’Gara at Saturday Down South points out that in the last decade Georgia has not produced a single All-SEC wide receiver. Kentucky: Much is being made of John Calipari calling Kentucky a basketball school, which drew the ire of football coach Mark Stoops. Cal has apologized. “I said the wrong thing,” Cal said at a press conference. Maybe Cal said the wrong thing, but the reality is that Kentucky was, is and will always be a basketball school. LSU: Former LSU coach Ed Orgeron was seen prowling the sidelines of the indoor practice facility at Louisiana’s first scrimmage Saturday. Coach O’s son works as an analyst for the Ragin Cajuns. Mississippi State: Following Saturday’s scrimmage, HBC Mike Leach said, “I think we have to get tougher at receiver. They spend an awful amount of time willing to get shoved around. Overall, we just need improvement and develop depth in the O-line.” Missouri: Running backs Nate Peat and Tavorus Jones are recovering from minor injuries and will be returning to practice perhaps early in the week. Ole Miss: HBC Lane Kiffin said quarterbacks Jaxson Dart and Luke Altmeyer “took too many sacks” at the Ole Miss scrimmage Saturday. Kiffin praised third string QB Kinkade Dent, who “made a lot of plays.” South Carolina: After the first scrimmage Saturday, HBC Shane Beamer said QB Spencer Rattler “has to get rid of the ball quicker. He knew he wasn’t going to get hit, but there were some times out there that he would have gotten hit pretty good today.” Tennessee: Junior wide receiver Jalin Hyatt said after Saturday’s practice, “This offense is going to be the best in the country. I can tell you that right now.” Texas A&M: Freshman defensive tackle Walter Nolen has been very impressive so far and is projected to be in the D-line rotation if not a starter. Vanderbilt: After the Saturday scrimmage, HBC Clark Lea says that Ken Seals, who is in a battle for the starting QB job with Mike Wright “is stepping into his game here and I think I’ve seen that over the last couple of weeks.” Our SEC orphans in the Big 12 Oklahoma: Former Tennessee right tackle Wanya Morris, who was benched last season largely for poor conditioning, is struggling to hold onto the starting job again, this time because he’s being pushed by true freshman Jacob Sexton. Texas: Alabama transfer wide receiver Argiye Hall has been suspended after his arrest in Austin for “criminal mischief” involving a police boot on a car … Injured in the first scrimmage were RB Roschon Johnson, WR Isaiah Neyor and G Junior Angilau. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Speaking to Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey says a “fresh look” should be taken at expanding the NCAA Basketball Tournament from its current 68 teams, a move that Dana O’Neill of The Athletic says is a selfish ploy to get more SEC teams in the tournament. Had the NCAA Tournament been expanded to say, 128 teams this past year (a move that would require only one more game for all the participants), Florida and Texas A&M would have gotten in for sure. Both played in the National Invitational Tournament, which I have been calling the Nobody’s Interested Tournament for years. The NIT once rivaled the NCAA Tournament but that was years ago. The NIT made sense when there were only 32 teams in the NCAA Tournament. Once the NCAA Tournament expanded, the NIT became the tournament for teams that weren’t good enough for the big dance. Since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams and then to 68, Vanderbilt (1990) and South Carolina (2005, 2006) have won the NIT. The last two runners-up (Mississippi State in 2021, Texas A&M in 2022) have been from the SEC. Who cares? If the NIT were all that important, it wouldn’t be moving its final four out of New York to Indianapolis and Las Vegas, would it? If the NIT were all that important there wouldn’t be other tournaments that have popped up like the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) and something called The Basketball Classic. UNC-Wilmington won the CBI. Fresno State won The Basketball Classic. I’m sure you had those two right on the tip of your tongue. So here’s a great idea for you. Since the NCAA also owns the NIT, eliminate it altogether. Make the NCAA Tournament a 128-team field, which means the national champion would have to go 7-0 instead of 6-0. Yes, it might mean a couple more teams from the SEC get in but it also might mean a team like Dayton or St. Bonaventure also gets in. Perhaps you laugh and say what chance would they have? Well, did you ever think you would see St. Peter’s from the MAAC would knock off a No. 2 (Kentucky), a No. 7 (Murray State) and a No. 3 (Purdon’t) before giving North Carolina a scare before foul trouble burst the Peacocks’ balloon in the Elite Eight game? And lest we forget, Butler made it to the championship game two straight years (2010, 2011) and the Fighting Sister Jeans of Loyola made it to the Final Four back in 2018. Here is another novel idea. Give each conference’s regular season champ the automatic bid and guarantee that if the regular season champ gets ousted in the conference tournament that the tournament winner gets in, too. Or, perhaps guarantee that every conference gets two teams in, which would mean 64 automatic qualifiers and 64 at-large teams. I also would like to see a provision that no team can get in the tournament with a losing record in conference play unless it won the conference tournament. I know there are folks out there who say the NIT, CBI and any other tournament they might think of serves the purpose of giving other teams a chance to finish the season with a “championship” but I don’t see a need to be able to say “We’re No. 69!” which is what you get when you’re the NIT champ. So expand the tournament. Get rid of the NIT. Give more Cinderellas a chance.

From UF Communications Congrats Shane! Gator Great Shane Matthews Joins Gators Sports Network as Football Analyst Matthews will join the new ‘Voice of the Gators’ Sean Kelley in the booth for the upcoming season. GAINESVILLE—After providing color commentary in road games last season, Gator Great Shane Matthews joins the Florida football radio team as the full-time analyst, the University Athletic Association and Florida Gators Sports Properties announced Thursday. Matthews and newly hired ‘Voice of the Gators’ Sean Kelley, will be in their first season in the booth this fall, debuting on Sept. 3rd when Florida takes on Utah in the season opener at 7 p.m. “It is a tremendous honor,” Matthews said. “I have big shoes to fill with Lee McGriff. He and Mick Hubert had great chemistry, but I’m excited for the new opportunity that I have with Sean Kelly and new era of Gators football.” Matthews is replacing Lee McGriff, who was a staple in the Gator radio for 27 years and retired this past Spring. The former Gators quarterback threw for 74 touchdowns and over 9,000 passing yards in his career. The Cleveland, Mississippi native was the SEC Player of the Year in 1990 and 1991, finishing fifth in the Heisman during the 1991 season. After signing with the Chicago Bears in 1993, he went on to have a 13-year NFL career, playing for six different teams during that span. Matthews also hosts the “Pod Up With Matthews In The Morning” podcast Monday-Friday every week on YouTube and Facebook Live, and is on the “Inside the Huddle” radio show every Tuesday on ESPN 98.1 / 850 WRUF. Pregame, halftime, and postgame show host and former Gators baseball player Jeff Cardozo and sideline reporter Tate Casey, who won the 2006 and 2008 BCS National Championships with Florida, will both return to their roles this season.

A few thoughts to jumpstart your Friday morning: SATURDAY SCRIMMAGE WILL TELL NAPIER HOW MUCH PROGESS SINCE SPRING The first scrimmage is always the leading indicator for just how far a football team has come since spring and just how far they have to go before foot hits football and the games begin for real in September. Billy Napier and his Florida staff have been pleased with the Gators’ progress through the first few practices, but Saturday, they’ll have a much better idea of where they stand. It’s one thing to be good when most of the practices are in shorts and shells. It’s something altogether different once the pads are on and it’s a scrimmage situation. “At this time of year, it’s all about the right combination of what volume of install are you carrying and the level of execution, right?” Napier said Tuesday at his weekly press conference. “So I think we’ve seen kind of the ebbs and flows of that. We’ve thrown a lot of information at them and the execution level goes down and we kind of recover and it improves so that’s kind of where we’re at. I think as a staff, we’re kind of in that mode of evaluating what’s productive for this group of players and what can we execute efficiently.” Napier probably has a pretty good idea who his best 22 players are. Other than additions such as Arizona State wide receiver transfer Ricky Pearsall, whose injured foot turns out to be a bone bruise, there probably haven’t been too many changes in the top 22 since spring. It’s the second 22 that has to be the big concern right now. In the SEC everybody has at least 22 good football players. You can win maybe four games if you have 22-30 good players. If you’ve got 33-36 good players, 4-6 wins are a real possibility. With 44, it’s possible to get to seven wins, more if you can stay injury free and catch a few breaks. Filling in the blanks to have 44 solid players ready to go has to be one of the chief goals in the 22 days before the Utah game. This is a projected two-deep prior to Saturday. Offense QB: Anthony Richardson; Jack Miller RB: Montrell Johnson; Lorenzo Lingard TE: Dante Zanders; Keon Zipperer Slot: * Ricky Pearsall; Trent Whittemore WR: Justin Shorter; Ja’Markis Weston WR: Xzavier Henderson; Ja’Quavion Fraziars LT: Richard Gouraige; Austin Barber LG: Ethan White; Richie Leonard C: Kingsley Eguakun; Richie Leonard RG: O’Cyrus Torrence; Josh Braun RT: Michael Tarquin; Kamryn Waites or Josh Braun * Injured. Won't play Saturday but he is the No. 1 slot Defense DE: Princely Umanmielen; Tyreak Sapp NT: Jalen Lee; Desmond Watson DT: Gervon Dexter; Chris McClellan OLB: Brenton Cox Jr.; Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. ILB: Ventrell Miller; Derek Wingo ILB: Scooby Williams; Amari Burney or Shemar James NB: Tre’vez Johnson; Jadarrius Perkins CB: Jason Marshall Jr.; Devin Moore CB: Avery Helm; Jalen Kimber S: Trey Dean III; Kamari Wilson S: Rashad Torrence II; Donovan McMillon SEC football/basketball Alabama: Former ESPN sideline reporter now NBC NFL studio host Maria Taylor was the speaker at Alabama’s team meeting Thursday. Arkansas: Defensive tackle Marcus Miller had his knee scoped but he could be back in time for the season opener with Cincinnati … The Razorbacks defeated Catalan Elite 99-86 in the second game of their European basketball tour. Auburn: Currently, Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada and TJ Finley are splitting the reps at quarterback. Georgia: With all the talk about Georgia possibly running a lot of three and four tight end sets, offensive coordinator Todd Monken says, “If you run it too often, you get wide receivers in the portal.” Kentucky: The back and forth between UK basketball coach John Calipari and football coach Mark Stoops is getting interesting. Speaking to Kyle Tucker of The Athletic, Cal said, “This is a basketball school. Alabama is a football school. So is Georgia. No disrespect to our football team. I hope they win 10 games and go to bowls, but this is a basketball school.” To that Stoops responded, “Basketball school? I thought we competed in the SEC.” There was a hashtag “4 straight postseason wins.” Mark Stoops is a nice guy who has done well at Kentucky, but he (a) hasn’t won the SEC, (b) hasn’t made a New Year’s Six bowl and (c) those four postseason wins are in the Citrus Bowl (twice), Belk Bowl and Gator Bowl. Cal has won a national championship, finished second once, made it to the Final Four four times and won six SEC titles. UK was, is and will always be a basketball school. LSU: Defensive back Jordan Toles, a former 4-star recruit in 2019, entered the transfer portal. Toles was in on four tackles last year … QB Garrett Nussmeier missed Thursday’s scrimmage with an ankle injury, but he’s not expected to miss much practice time … Ohio State DB transfer Sevyn Banks has been cleared for 7-on-7 drills as he continues to rehab his injury. Missouri: There are former starters running with the second team in Mizzou’s training camp. “Just ‘cause you’ve been here before doesn’t’ mean you just get to roll in there,” HBC Eli Drinkwitz said. “You gotta produce and you gotta perform and in the past maybe we didn’t have enough depth to get that done. We do now.” Ole Miss: Jalen Knox, who sat out last season after transferring from Missouri, has been one of the more productive wide receivers in Ole Miss camp. In three seasons at Mizzou, Knox caught 77 passes for 1,031 yards and four touchdowns. South Carolina: One of the stars in preseason camp has been Arkansas State transfer wide receiver Corey Rucker, who caught 59 passes for 826 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Tennessee: Sophomore wide receiver Walker Merrill is wearing a dark visor during preseason camp because he suffers from migraine headaches. The NCAA prohibits visors during games, however. Texas A&M: All three quarterbacks – LSU transfer Max Johnson, redshirt freshman Haynes King and freshman Connor Weigman – are getting equal repetitions in preseason camp. Jimbo Fisher won’t name a starter for at least another week or two. Vanderbilt: Vanderbilt’s basketball team is leaving for a 10-day European trip that will see the Commodores play four exhibition games. Our SEC orphans in the Big 12 Oklahoma: In something called the Riley Files podcast, Kegan Reneau says that concerns about facilities and resources had a lot to do with why Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma for Southern Cal. Oh really? Texas: Maalik Murphy has opened some eyes in Texas camp even though he’s listed as the No. 3 quarterback behind Quinn Ewers and Hudson Card. ESPN too early preseason basketball rankings 1. North Carolina; 2. Gonzaga; 3. Houston; 4. Kentucky; 5. Duke; 6. Kansas; 7. Creighton; 8. Baylor; 9. Arkansas; 10. UCLA; 11. Texas; 12. Tennessee; 13. Auburn; 14. Villanova; 15. Indiana; 16. Arizona; 17. TCU; 18. Virginia; 19. Oregon; 20. Alabama; 21. UConn; 22. Dayton; 23. San Diego State; 24. Texas Tech; 25. Illinois ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: With three weeks to go before the college football season kicks off, here are my all-too-early overrated and underrated lists. Overrated Southern Cal: They’re going to look a lot better than they really are because they will be playing a weak schedule. The only tough teams they play are (at) Utah, UCLA and Notre Dame. They will lose at least two of those three. Notre Dame: Fifth in the country in the coaches’ poll? Oh please. Ohio State will do a tapdance on the Irish in game one which will tell us something, then they go on cruise control until BYU sticks it to them in Vegas on October 8. Clemson will also kick them all over the ball yard. Texas: Blondie, also known as Quinn Ewers, may end up being the greatest thing since the invention of the plastic straw, but I’ll believe it when I see it. Alabama will take no prisoners in game two. Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Baylor will also put a whompin on the Horns. Everyone in the Big Ten except Ohio State: I keep wondering why some network would seriously overspend for this league. Even with UCLA and Southern Cal added to the mix it’s going to be boring and bad. Kentucky: The Mildcats will have to play at Florida, at Ole Miss and at Tennessee, plus they play Mississippi State and Georgia. Underrated Oklahoma: Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams left. Big deal. Brent Venables will bring real defense to Norman and the offense won’t miss a beat with Jeff Lebby calling the plays for Dillon Gabriel. The Sooners get Baylor and Oklahoma State at home. Nobody may have an easier path to the College Football Playoff than Oklahoma. BYU: You do NOT want to play these guys this year. The only tough road game is at Oregon. The Cougars get Baylor and Arkansas at home and they get Notre Dame in Las Vegas, which will be like a home game when you consider the number of Mormons who will pack Allegiant Stadium. North Carolina State: Remember the name Devin Leary. He’s the best QB in the ACC. There are 10 returning starters on defense. If they can find a way to beat Clemson on the road first weekend in October, they could run the table. UCLA: Chip Kelly finally has it going. Even though the Bruins return only two starters on defense, they did well in the transfer portal. Over on offense Dorian Thompson-Robinson is a stud QB and running back Zach Charbonnet is the best runner in the Pac-12. The only tough road game is at Oregon. The Bruins get Utah and Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl. Ole Miss: Lane Kiffin has 20 transfers including a stud QB, two stud running backs and some people who can play a lick of defense. The Rebels also have a schedule that’s conducive to a 7-0 start before they have to play at LSU and at Aggieland back-to-back. Remember the name Jonathan Mingo. He will be the best wide receiver in the SEC this year.

It’s more than just an announcer’s voice they want and expect. He’s got to replace a favorite uncle who told them at his knee about the Glory Days for the past 33 years, explaining like Walter Cronkite whether it’s good or bad news. By BUDDY MARTIN GatorBaitMediaEditor.com He’s old enough to remember listening to the voice of Jack Buck wafting through the St. Louis night from the portable radio in his home on Lennox Drive in Ballwin, MO. It was like hitting the jackpot for a 10-year-old boy. Sean Kelly was Peter Pan flying on the magic carpet ride of radio, hearing Buck narrate his beloved Cardinals’ 1982 World Series victory. He didn’t know it, but one day he would also talk sports for a living, too. The oldest of six Kelley kids grew up in Ballwin (pop 31,000), near the big-time sports town of St. Louis, which as he says, “has been blessed for decades with brilliant sports broadcasters” – from Harry Caray to Jack Buck and Joe Buck, to Bob Costas, ad infinitum – which “inspired me and led me toward this profession.” Following the footsteps of three iconic figures 40 years later, in The House That Otis, David and Mick built, he took a job that only three other men have ever held since 1940. UF had 14 coaches in football and 11 in basketball in that 82-year span. Three announcers. That means the new guy ought to be good until about 2040. Sean Kelley? I know what you’re thinking. With a name like that he should be the Voice of the Fighting Irish. At age 50, Sean Kelley is jumping squarely into the cosmic digital space as your new Voice of Gators. The technology is different, but he realizes his role is the same: To establish gravitas as the link between Gator football and basketball with the fans. Just like Otis Boggs, David Steele and Mick Hubert did. Or better. It’s more than just an announcer’s voice they want and expect. He’s got to replace a favorite uncle who told them at his knee about the Glory Days for the past 33 years, explaining like Walter Cronkite whether it’s good or bad news. Or sometimes simply needing to hold their hand during the storm, or lighten their mood. Long before he came to Gainesville, Kelley learned about “In All Kinds of Weather,” suffering as a beleaguered Cardinal fan through what was known as “The Dark Days of the Seventies.” After getting to know Jack Buck, he asked what it was like for him calling all those gloomy games after winning the World Series in the sixties with so many legendary players. “Sometimes,” Buck told him, “You’ve just got to be better than the team.” That shouldn’t be a burden for Sean Kelley to carry during the current regime. The teams may not be all that bad, although maybe Kelley will just be that good. After all, he was chosen over 200 other applicants. He realizes it won’t be easy, because replacing Mick Hubert will be a little like Ron Zook, who tried to follow a legend. He won’t be Mick Hubert nor even try to take his place. He isn’t bringing a catch phrase or signature expression, but hopes one might evolve. It’s a new era and a fresh new voice that will emerge from the booth on Sept. 3. Kelly comes walking through the front door as a final replacement piece of an athletic department overhaul which includes a relatively new athletic director, a brand-new football coach, a new basketball coach as only the fourth voice, heart and soul of the Gator Nation. For while, it could be like a stranger living in the House of Orange & Blue. Historical references and backstories won't have to be verified and vetted, but he isn’t likely going to be a walking encyclopedia of Gator sports. Nor does he need to be. No pressure Sean Kelley. And oh yeah – and all this in the confounding, confusing era of the NIL and Transfer Portal. On the other hand, I believe he’s got this. So far, we’ve learned that Kelley is a humble man with excellent sports knowledge, a healthy sense of humor and superb broadcasting skills which he displayed in calling games for the New Orleans Pelicans, New Orleans Saints, as well as becoming ESPN Radio’s lead college football radio announcer. He also has called MLB games and worked in many other college venues. He’s a Saluki from Southern Illinois but became a quick study in Missouri and Louisiana. Sean Kelley? My friends in the electronic media say Florida hit a home run. “Florida scored big with Sean. I can’t believe the Saints and Pelicans let him leave here,” said talk show host Matt Moscona, whose popular show Upon Further Review is heard daily on ESPN Baton Rouge/New Orleans. “We’ll see about that ‘home run,’” Kelley said with a light chuckle during a lengthy interview for @The Buddy Martin Show. “I’ve yet to see a pitch. I may look good in the batter’s box. But what happens when the pitch gets thrown?” He’ll get that AB behind the mic Sept. 3rd when No. 8 Utah comes to The Swamp. So who will that guy be behind that mic? “A guy who loves sports. And loves radio,” he said. “And loves being part of a team. Which is part of the reason I’m down here in Gainesville, Florida. My desire to be a part of something … part of the community… be a part of a particular team’s journey. “I love that process. I guess I’m ‘squared away’ enough to know my role. So, if it’s being a link between the fans and that team, or outlet to tell stories about their young men or coaches that come out, then I’m all in.” The job of calling Gator football and basketball games, plus side assignments from ESPN Radio when schedule permits, isn’t going to be difficult for a consummate pro like Kelley. His biggest challenge is getting The Gator Nation to buy in. It took a minute for Hubert to earn that gravitas, well into his fourth season when he delivered the line, “Doering got a touchdown!” “That process can’t be forced. It has to be organic, much like Mick did with the ‘Doering’s got a touchdown,’” Kelley acknowledged. “Those touchstones have to present themselves. I can’t go into September with a catch phrase, or anything pre-scripted, other than welcoming Gator fans back to another chapter in the storied history.” He knows it has to be authentic. He can’t walk in as Mick Hubert 2. He’s got nothing in his bag to make him an expert on Gator history. He does have a couple of worthy Gator dudes at his back. “It sure does help to have Shane Matthews in the booth from one particular era,” he said. “And on the sidelines Tate Casey from a more recent era. And then you’ve got me, kind of the new kid in school.” No doubt Sean Kelley will be over-prepared and “squared away” for the Utah debut as he pulls back the curtain on this brand spanking new age of Gator sports and will deliver his lines fluently. He might even show his sense of humor as he did on the ESPN broadcast of a Texas football game when an interloper gate-crashed onto the field wearing a Santa Claus outfit and Kelly literally cut to the chase, picking up the play-by-play without missing a beat. “Santa’s turning the corner … the 20, to the 25, and to the 30 … He’s lost his hat and being chased by Johnny in a security outfit…” I can’t wait to hear him describe Anthony Richardson in flight. Sean Kelley has one wish. “I hope the Gator Nation will see me as one of their own. Quickly. Because that goes back to the trust as having ‘their guy’ in that booth calling their team’s game.” I think we’re gonna like “their guy.” He already had me at “Johnny Big Lunch.”

“The team that makes the fewest mistakes wins.” – From The Seven Maxims of Football by General Robert Neyland The game has certainly changed since Bob Neyland coached the Tennessee Vols, but that abiding principle has remained the same. Oh, there are exceptions such as Florida beating Kentucky 24-20 in Lexington in 1993 despite throwing six interceptions, but probably 95-99 percent of the time the team that makes the fewest mistakes wins the game. Doug Dickey, a branch on the Neyland coaching tree since he played for and coached for Bob Woodruff, drove Florida fans crazy after the Gators lost to Georgia 10-7 at the Gator Bowl on a wet, miserable day. Dickey defended sending David Posey out to try for a game-tying field goal instead of going for the win, stating “To win, you must first avoid losing.” Dickey was simply paraphrasing Bob Neyland, but the way Florida fans viewed it, Dickey was avoiding winning. The reality that day was Florida made the most mistakes and not only lost the game, but lost a chance to tie Alabama for the Southeastern Conference championship. Here we are 47 years later and Billy Napier, who has yet to coach his first Florida football game, is sounding a lot like Bob Neyland and Doug Dickey. “You know, more games are lost than won and I think we … I think one of the things you’ve got to do as a staff is teach your players what winning football looks like,” Napier five practices into fall camp on Tuesday. This Florida team knows all about more games lost than won. The Gators were 6-7 last year, capable of going toe-to-toe with Alabama and yet at the same time a team that South Carolina blew out by 23 points starting a former D1AA quarterback who had thrown all of 20 Division I passes before earning his first start ever against UF in November. Eliminate the silly errors, penalties and blown assignments and the Gators might have made a fourth straight New Year’s Six bowl game. Instead, they suffered the humiliation of playing in the low-tier Gasparilla Bowl and losing to a UCF team that treated this game as its Super Bowl. Of course, if you go back a few weeks, the Gators would have been a top five team heading into the Georgia game if they had beaten Alabama, Kentucky and LSU. Those were three winnable games, all three lost because there was an abundance of silly mistakes. The Gators lost to Alabama, 31-29, because of a blown assignment by the O-line on a second-and-2 at the Bama four that resulted in a 4-yard loss and UF settling for a field goal; an interception that gave Alabama a short field to work with for a third TD of the first half; a missed extra point; and a two-point conversion that would have tied the game was missed because of an offensive lineman taking out the wrong guy. Two weeks later, the Gators lost to Kentucky, 20-13, in Lexington, a game the Gators literally gave away. Of Florida’s 15 penalties there were nine false starts and a critical holding penalty that nullified what would have been a first down run to the UK 14 by Dameon Pierce. The Gators wound up trying a field goal that was blocked and returned for a touchdown. There was a fourth quarter interception that gave UK a short field to work with for a 29-yard drive that produced the winning touchdown. Against LSU, the Gators threw four interceptions, three of which were converted into touchdowns. LSU came into the game one of the worst rushing teams in the country. Florida’s run defense was a no-show, allowing the Tigers to gain 328 yards, nearly all of them on the same play. Surely, the Gators knew what was coming, but there was either a lack of discipline or a lack of focus because UF couldn’t get stops. The Gators could have and should have won those three games. There is no guarantee they could have beaten Georgia in week eight, but if UF had come into that game 7-0, it’s a totally different dynamic and maybe Dan Mullen is still Florida’s head coach instead of Billy Napier. But Napier is the coach because things continued to unravel for Mullen after the Georgia game. Since arriving at UF, the key word in Napier’s plan to rebuild the Florida program and restore it to a championship level is discipline that permeates through the entire organization. From the single most important task to the lowest and least important, Napier believes there is a right way of doing things and a wrong way. With him there is no gray area because if there is a gray area it means short cuts and details overlooked. “The gray area is the enemy,” he says. Either do it the right way or else find a new place to work. In his four years at Louisiana where he compiled a sparkling 40-12 record, the Rajin Cajuns had only one season (2018) in which they turned the ball over more than they took it away. In year two, the Cajuns were +5 in turnover margin. It was +10 in 2020 and +15 last year when they went 13-1 while winning the Sun Belt Conference championship. In addition to eliminating turnovers, the Rajin Cajuns minimized stupid, costly penalties and there was no tolerance for blown assignments. Don’t give the game away. Make the other team beat you. “We’ve always taken tremendous pride in not giving the other team anything, and I think undisciplined penalties are things you can eliminate,” Napier said. “You start there. You start with undisciplined penalties, you start with turnovers, you start with mental errors, lack of effort plays, fundamental and technique flaws. We want to eliminate the chinks in the armor, make the other team beat you and we’ve always taken great pride in that.” When he assembled his Florida coaching staff, one of the first tasks was to go through each game to assess why the Gators lost while at the same time evaluating each player’s performance. Everything and everyone went under the microscope. One thing that stuck out like a sore thumb was the number of penalties the Gators committed in 2021. There were 104 of them and 69 percent could be categorized as silly and undisciplined. There were 29 false starts,19 holding penalties, 13 offsides, six delays of game and five unsportsmanlike conduct calls. That’s way too many. When he broke it down for the entire team, it was a sobering moment. “Coach Napier came in and [preached] discipline,” tight end Dante Zanders said. “He showed us the other day before we went out to practice all of the penalties that we had last season. He was just showing us that it wasn’t big penalties that hurt us: It was just all the undisciplined penalties – offsides, holding things like that we can learn not to do. He handed out a piece of paper and it had all the highlights of all the penalties we had and the lost yardage that we had, which ones were undisciplined and which ones were holding, offsides, stuff like that. It was shocking and embarrassing.” The Gators should have been embarrassed, not only because a lack of discipline cost football games, but it cost a lot of people their jobs when the head coach and his staff were fired. There is a new staff in town now, and the new CEO of the organization won’t tolerate giving football games away. So, how do you go about injecting discipline into a team where discipline was in short supply not all that long ago? Napier believes that it starts with building up people. “I was reading the other day, a guy was talking about, hey, businesses do not get better, people get better,” Napier said. “Teams don’t get better, people get better. So, it’s each individual.” In other words, better people make better football players so it all starts with transforming each player into a better person. The Napier philosophy is you win with players who are (1) committed to being good students who don’t take a day off from class; (2) committed to earning a college degree; (3) committed to being better teammates; and (4) committed to being better friends to each of their teammates. It all starts with the people at the top. If the coaches expect players to be better people, then they have to make the concerted effort to be better people themselves. “Players are going to model leadership,” offensive line coach and offensive coordinator Rob Sale said. “We have a great example in Coach Napier, and then he hired the right people to model that for their individual position rooms. Once players see that, you see how coaches interact with each other, then coaches to players, players to players, you want 'em to speak the right things, choose your words wisely. So they're going to model the example that we give them.” There are a lot of high character teams out there that don’t win football games, however, so there is the matter of taking these better people and turning them into better football players. Napier, who like most coaches has stolen the bulk of what he teaches from some other coach, has a development plan that has been a work in progress since he first took over the reins of the Louisiana program back in 2018. This was ground zero for a coach accustomed to the kind of athletes he worked with at Clemson when he worked for Tommy Bowden and Dabo Swinney and at Alabama where he worked for Nick Saban. At Clemson and Alabama, Napier coaches players with one eye already on the NFL. At Louisiana sometimes it was players long on potential but short on actual experience. “I’ve said this many times, at Louisiana we took all these things we learned from a lot of different people and we started that journey in year one,” Napier said. “I felt like we improved our year-round plan for development for players. At Louisiana we didn’t get the 5-star. We started from scratch with a lot of players. We projected. We took height, length and speed. We had to teach football at a much different level and I think it made us better as coaches.” The process of learning each player’s capabilities and doing a better job of teaching it is ongoing. When recruiting players to Louisiana, Napier had to find those diamonds in the rough that were overlooked by LSU and the other SEC schools that routinely swoop into the state to snap up top tier talent. One step down were the players Louisiana typically landed. So, how do you take what could be deemed as second tier talent and post three straight seasons with at least 10 wins? “This is what are we trying to do with the players: we’re No. 1 trying to improve character; No. 2 we’re trying to increase knowledge; and No. 3 we’re trying to develop skill,” Napier said. “Notice, I didn’t say talent, we said skill level. So I think we projected, we took height, length and speed – and we worked hard on improving character. We were able to do that independent of the talent level, the physical traits. But okay, what about the football intelligence? How do we implement and teach football from a year-round standpoint and then, okay, guy doesn’t have maybe his skill level, his set of fundamentals and techniques. Maybe he’s never played the position he’s playing.” In so many ways, the situation Napier has inherited at Florida is so much like year one at Louisiana. Overall, there is more talent already proven and fewer kids who can only be called projects, but the process remains the same. Improve character. Increase knowledge. Develop skill. “I think at Florida maybe you get a little bit more of a finished product relative to their football intelligence, their skill level, the things they’ve been exposed to the in past,” Napier said. “I think our roster always is going to be made up of different level in all those categories, and then you adjust accordingly. Two areas that I think really led to our success was our evaluation process in recruiting, and I think our development – the level of detail that we discovered we were going to need to have success. I’m excited about applying those things here in this setting.” This new setting requires a new level of detail. It requires discipline that has been absent for some time. Napier has a core group of some 50 players who were part of the last year’s meltdown. There are 35 new faces. This isn’t necessarily ground zero like it was in Lafayette, Louisiana four years ago, but it is a situation that has to be rebuilt if the program is to get back to the championship level it was during the Tim Tebow years. “Thirteen years, right?” Napier asks. He knows fully well, perhaps down to the exact number of days since the last time the Gators were SEC and national champions (2008). “Okay, what is it going to require to get Florida back in position to where they can be a consistent contender, to be in a position to be very competitive?” He already knows the answer to that question. A team with players committed to all the right values, players who will push and help each other. A team that knows there are no gray areas. A team that is willing to embrace the kind of discipline that eliminates the stupid penalties and reduces the turnovers substantially. The Gators were 119th nationally in penalties last year, 115th in turnover margin and dead last in interceptions thrown. General Bob Neyland would roll over in his grave at the thought of a team that made that many mistakes.

Billy Napier’s staff also features four coaches who spent substantial time in the NFL as players, with one starting and winning a Super Bowl. By LOREN MEADOWS GatorBaitMedia.com Football Analyst The man has delivered. Billy Napier began his initial press conference by promising the Florida faithful he would bring in an “army of people” that would contribute in the areas of “personnel, recruiting, development, nutrition, strength and conditioning,” as well as a focus in areas such as on campus recruiting and name, image and likeness. The most integral part of this army will be the 11 men that will make up the on field coaching staff for the 2022 Florida Gators. As diverse group of individuals with more than 150 years of college coaching experience combined each with their own personality, standards, and impressive resume both as players and coaches. In a climate where the acronyms of NIL and NFL loom large, Billy Napier’s staff also features four coaches who spent substantial time in the NFL as players, with one starting and winning a Super Bowl. While much has been made about the multiple tight end sets on offense utilized by Offensive Coordinator Rob Sale and “Creeper” defense advocate, Co-Defensive Coordinator Patrick Toney, it will be the job of the assistants to resurrect position groups that disappointed in 2021. Florida found itself on the wrong side of the scoreboard in at least three games where glaring errors were committed by a number of position groups as a whole. Will this group be able to correct the eight false starts against Kentucky, stop the counter and turnovers that doomed the Gators in Baton Rouge, or correct the overall poor efforts in the Columbias? With any staff there first has to be belief and a common goal. Jabbar Juluke, the Gators running back coach has stated that “Coach Napier has a plan,” and it would seem that the coaching staff as a whole has bought in to this plan. The on-field coaching staff is comprised of six coaches who have spent time with Napier at other schools and share his goals and values. Defensive Coordinator Patrick Toney speaks of “complementary football, what we do offensively complements what do defensively, and our special teams will complement that as well.” This mentality speaks of a staff that has spent time together and shares and believes in the “organization” that Billy Napier speaks of when discussing his football team. With many aware of the coordinators on the staff (Napier, Sale, Toney), we take a deeper look at the remainder of the Florida Gator Coaching Staff. Sean Spencer, Co-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line-- “Coach Chaos,” as he is known by many is the high-energy catalyst of the coaching staff. Known to chase players when they don’t get to the quarterback, Spencer brings a high level of intensity to his unit. “Every rep counts, go hard in everything you do,” is the standard that Coach Spencer demands. While at Penn State, Spencer coached several NFL players, including Carl Nassib and 2021 first-rounder Odafe Oweh. He also served as the primary recruiter for current NFL stars Micah Parsons and Saquon Barkley. Jabbar Juluke, Associate Head Coach-Offense/Running Backs Coach-- A trusted advisor and friend of Napier, Juluke relies on his ability to build relationships as the foundation of his coaching. “The best thing that we are going to do as a running back room is support one another,” Juluke stated during spring practice. This belief in putting the team first is at the center of what Juluke see for the Florida running backs. Prior to his arrival at Florida, Juluke coached NFL back Elijah Mitchell (Louisiana) and Leonard Fournette (LSU). He served as the primary recruiter for Thorpe Award winner Grant Delpit and NFL first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Corey Raymond, Assistant Head Coach-Defense/Cornerbacks-- Thought to be the home run hire of Napier’s staff, Raymond is considered by many to be the standard when it comes to coaching defensive backs. Following a six-year NFL career, Raymond spent nine seasons at LSU coaching some of the best defensive backs in SEC history. During his time at LSU Raymond also earned praise as one of college football’s best recruiters. Cornerback Jason Marshall called Raymond’s arrival in Gainesville “a blessing” and admitted it was hard to turn down the chance to work with Raymond at LSU. Back together, Raymond will look to turn Jason Marshall Jr. into Florida’s next star corner similar to his success in working with names such as Greedy Williams, Derek Stingley Jr., Tre’Davious White, and Jamal Adams. Jay Bateman, Inside Linebackers-- A 24-year veteran of the college coaching profession, Bateman comes to Gainesville after two years as the defensive coordinator at North Carolina. In 2020, Bateman oversaw a defensive unit that accounted for 36 sacks, which ranked fifth nationally. Prior to UNC, Bateman spent five seasons as defensive coordinator at Army where they ranked in the Top 10 defensively in two of his final three seasons. Bateman will look to get the most out of sixth year player Ventrell Miller, and build on the versatility of Amari Burney and Diwun Black. Keary Colbert, Wide Receivers-- A 7-year NFL alumnus Keary Colbert brings both a high level of experience and recruiting prowess to the Florida Gators coaching staff. Colbert was a team captain on the 2003 USC Trojans National Championship team and he returned to his alma mater in 2016 as an assistant. In his final two seasons as the Wide Receiver Coach of the Trojans, Colbert coached NFL draft picks Michael Pittman Jr., Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Drake London. All who would be drafted in the first four rounds with London going in the first round of the 2022 draft to the Atlanta Falcons. Colbert’s west coast connections have already paid dividends for the Gators as he and Tight Ends Coach William Peagler were able to sign 3-Star athlete Arlis Boardingham from Van Nuys, California in 2022. William Peagler, Tight Ends-- Peagler comes to Gainesville after two years as running backs Coach at Michigan State. The 2021 Football Scoop Running Backs Coach of the Year, Peagler helped Kenneth Walker III win the Doak Walker Award in 2021 and a second-round NFL draft selection. Michigan State Head Coach Mel Tucker thanked Peagler by stating “day in and day out he gave everything he had to his football family.” It is that dedication that surely led Napier to look to Peagler when assembling his staff. Peagler has a diverse resume with stops at Georgia, Minnesota and Louisiana. The stops have also allowed Peagler to develop relationships that should pay dividends in recruiting. Mike Peterson, Outside Linebackers/Alumni Liaison-- A member of the 1996 Florida Gators National Championship Team, former All-American Mike Peterson has returned home. Detailed and tough-minded, Peterson brings a wealth of knowledge gained from a 14-year NFL career. While many remember Peterson as a Gator legend, he has already made an impact on his most experienced pupil. Outside Linebacker Brenton Cox says that he is “happy to have” Mike Peterson coaching him and has been “preaching hard play” to the fifth-year player. Peterson has expressed happiness with returning to Gainesville and says that “Napier has a plan and it trickles down to everybody on staff”. Darnell Stapleton, Offensive Line-- The Gators are unique in that they will utilize two offensive line coaches to maximize the development of this unit. Stapleton played four NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers after helping to lead the Rutgers Scarlet Knights back to national prominence in college. As a Steeler, Stapleton was a starter for the Steelers Super Bowl XLIII winning team. He followed his playing career with coaching stops at Rutgers, Pace, Bucknell, Sam Houston State and Louisiana. Following Napier from Louisiana, Stapleton has already developed a relationship with his fellow offensive line coach Rob Sale. “I learn a lot from him,” Sale states. “We think like-minded, were on the same page, and we embrace it together. He’s an awesome person and an awesome coach and I’m glad he’s on our side.” Like-minded individuals that believe in the vision that Napier has set forth for his team. The 2022 coaching staff appears up for the task ahead this season. The culture at Florida is in the process of a major makeover and as the Gators move into a new facility, that culture should continue to gain positive momentum. Ultimately the wins and on-the field product will be the barometer for improvement. However, at the start, the coaches seem to be unified, and dedicated to the task. The army should be ready.

“They’ve been telling me that it’s going to be here since I was a freshman. That was like six years ago,” said Miller. “I’m glad to be able to have it and be a part of it this year." By KYLE CURTIS GatorBaitMedia.com The wait is over. After construction began in June of 2020, the James W. Bill Heavener Football Training Center is finally set to open. The $85 million stand-alone facility is quite the significant upgrade for the Gator’s football team with some luxurious features that more than exceed the traditional workouts inside the weight room of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Ventrell Miller, a sixth-year senior, said he has been waiting for this day since he arrived on campus. “They’ve been telling me that it’s going to be here since I was a freshman. That was like six years ago,” said Miller. “I’m glad to be able to have it and be a part of it this year.” The facility will put Florida in the conversation of competing with some of the nicest facilities in the nation with other big-time programs. “I think it is going to be really special,” said Billy Napier at a press conference in the spring, “It’s going to be a great day when we move in there. "It screams 'commitment.'" But the Gator coach is happiest for those currently in the program. Along with the facilities and tools for the football team, the new complex will also have a dining hall and lounge that all student-athletes have access to. This can be used in recruiting not only on the football trail but across the Gator athletic department. Additionally, within the facility, there will be a coach’s office suite, state-of-the-art training and recovery stations, leading edge in strength and conditioning along with showcasing all the best gator gear and accolades both past and present. For the cherry on top, a barber shop will even be located within for all student-athletes. One of the main beneficiaries of the new facility is the head strength and condition coach Mark Hocke. Hocke was elated earlier back when asked about the facility and said that all he needed were a few weights, mud and sticks to "make do," but also notes it's impossible to not be amped up for this kind of creation. Hocke looks at the new addition to the program as another way to master your craft and get better. “I think you’re losing any and every excuse because, not just the weight room, that whole building is going to be really impressive head to toe,” Hocke said. “I think Coach Napier’s said it before, that that’s going to get us in the ballpark or conversations to where that can be the premier facility in college football.” The way the coaching staff has expressed excitement for the new facility speaks volumes about what the commitment means to them from the administration. Napier described the facility as a “game-changer” for player experience and will not only influence current players, but also potential future players in the form of recruits coming to visit one of the most modern facilities in the nation. Florida is keeping pace with schools such as Alabama, Clemson and Notre Dame -- just to name a few. With Gator Football trending in the right direction this offseason, this seems to boost spirits and hopes as an encouraging way to end this offseason chapter “If you want to be the best,” said Hocke. “That’s what your resources need to be too.”

A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: PEARSALL INJURED, OUT FOR AWHILE One of the positions the Gators can least afford an injury has taken a hit with Arizona State transfer Ricky Pearsall sidelined with a foot injury suffered at Tuesday’s practice. Pearsall was seen in a walking boot later on Tuesday evening. The extent of his injury is unknown at this point, but until there is clarification from head coach Billy Napier the safe assumption is that Pearsall is out indefinitely. Pearsall, who caught 48 passes for 580 yards and four touchdowns last season at Arizona State, was expected to be the starter in the slot in the fall. Blessed with great speed, Pearsall was known at ASU for his ability to get yards after the catch. Just a week ago, Florida safety Rashad Torrence said, “I’m excited to see what Ricky Pearsall can do … Yeah, he’s a nice piece to have.” Even with Pearsall healthy, Florida’s receiving corps is neither deep nor blessed with great experience. Justin Shorter, who has caught 66 passes in two seasons including 41 last year for 550 yards and three TDs, is Florida’s most experienced receiver. Xzavier Henderson has 35 catches in two seasons, 26 for 277 yards and two touchdowns last year. The third most experienced receiver is Trent Whittemore, who has 29 career catches, 19 for 210 yards and a TD last year. What is eye catching about those three is that none of them have shown the ability to stretch the field in games although all three have posted very good 40 times in the past. There are other experienced wide receivers, but Ja’Markis Weston, Ja’Quavion Fraziars, Marcus Burke, Daejon Reynolds and Jordan Pouncey have combined for 15 career catches. Caleb Douglas is the only scholarship freshman wide receiver. Pearsall’s absence could also mean the Gators make more use of the running backs in the passing game. This will be a run-first offense, but Nay’Quan Wright, who ran for 326 yards last season while catching 14 passes for 178 yards and a TD, says all the backs can catch the football. “We’re all versatile, not only me,” Wright said. “You can go down the list — (Lorenzo) Lingard, Montrell (Johnson) and (Trevor) Etienne. I think we’re all versatile. We all can go out there and catch the ball, and we show it in 7-on-7 every day in practice and even on team (periods).” SEC football, basketball, baseball Alabama: Wide receiver JoJo Earle has a foot fracture that will keep him sidelined approximately 6-8 weeks. Nick Saban set an October 1 possibility for Earle’s return. Arkansas: The four standouts at wide receiver so far in fall camp are Toledo transfer Matt Landers, Oklahoma transfer Jordan Haselwood, Ketron Jackson Jr. and Warren Thompson. Auburn: Discussing what has to change with his unit to play up to an SEC standard, wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard said, “We have to get open. We have to catch the ball … we have to play better.” Georgia: The Board of Regents approved $68.5 million to make improvements to Sanford Stadium including a new press box. Kentucky: With a win in Kentucky’s season opener with Miami (OH), HBC Mark Stoops will tie Bear Bryant’s school record 60 wins, a mark that has stood since 1953. ESPN analyst Greg McElroy thinks the Wildcats have a good chance to get back to 10 wins for the second straight year and for the third time in four years. “The likelihood of getting back to 10, I think, is increasingly high,” McElroy said. “When I say 60 percent they get back to 10, that’s where I’d be.” LSU: LSU’s roster has 16 transfers who are on scholarship, nine defensive players, six offensive players and one long snapper. Mississippi State: Defensive end Randy Charlton was carted off the field on a stretcher and taken to the hospital in an ambulance after a helmet-to-helmet collision in Monday’s practice. Charlton is said to be doing well a couple of days later. Missouri: One of the reasons Brady Cook won the starting job at Mizzou is his willingness to run the ball. HBC Eli Drinkwitz said that Cook has one of the 20 best times in the 40 on the team. Ole Miss: HBC Lane Kiffin has 20 transfers on his roster which prompted him to say, “A play today, that guy was just playing for Auburn who was covering a guy who was playing for Mississippi State. Just the world we’re in” … Fresh off the NCAA championship, baseball coach Mike Bianco has gotten a contract extension and a raise to $1.625 million per season. Additionally, there is an incentive of $150,000 if Bianco gets the Rebels to the College World Series, $400,000 if he wins the national championship. South Carolina: Coastal Carolina transfer guard Ebrima Dibba will miss the entire 2022-23 basketball season after tearing his Achilles. At Coastal, Dibba averaged 8.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. He led the Sun Belt Conference in assists. Tennessee: Longtime Knoxville News-Sentinel columnist John Adams calls the Vols’ game two encounter on the road at Pittsburgh critical and could be the difference in a 9-3 season or something closer to last year’s 7-6. Texas A&M: Do-everything senior Ainias Smith, who plays the slot, out wide and sometimes running back, has emerged as a real leader for the Aggies. “If he’s not getting in or getting ready for another rep, he’s in other people’s reps,” says wide receivers coach James Coley. He’s huge for the young guys because he’s always talking to them.” Vanderbilt: The Commodores seem to be heading in the direction of a three-man rotation at running back between Re’Mahn Davis, Rocko Griffin and Patrick Smith. Our SEC orphans in the Big 12 Oklahoma: Where would we be without our anonymous message board cowboys? Already one on the Oklahoma message boards is calling for HBC Brent Venables to be fired in the aftermath of the resignation of wide receivers coach Cale Gundy. Texas: Three true freshmen are making a case for major playing opportunities in the fall – wide receiver Savion Red, running back Jaydon Blue and offensive tackle Kelvin Banks. Matt Hayes ranks the top 25 defensive coordinators in college football The top 25: 1. Jim Leonhard, Wisconsin; 2. Will Muschamp/Glenn Schumann, Georgia; 3. Derek Mason, Oklahoma State; 4. Phil Parker, Iowa; 5. Jim Knowles, Ohio State; 6. Mike Tressell, Cincinnati; 7. Alex Grinch, Southern Cal; 8. Zach Arnett, Mississippi State; 9. Kevin Steele, Miami; 10. Pete Golding, Alabama; 11. Ron Roberts, Baylor; 12. Barry Odom, Arkansas; 13. Brad White, Kentucky; 14. DJ Durkin, Texas A&M; 15. Joe Rossi, Minnesota; 16. Morgan Scalley, Utah; 17. Jon Heacock, Iowa State; 18. Matt House, LSU; 19. Patrick Toney/Sean Spencer, Florida; 20. Pete Kwiatkowski, Texas; 21. Tim DeRuyter, Texas Tech; 22. Kurt Mattix, San Diego State; 23. Doug Belk, Houston; 24. Jesse Minter, Michigan; 25. Tony Gibson, North Carolina State Matt Hayes ranks the top 25 offensive coordinators in college football The top 25: 1. Lincoln Riley, Southern Cal; 2. Ryan Day, Ohio State; 3. Bill O’Brien, Alabama; 4. Josh Heupel, Tennessee; 5. Mike Leach, Mississippi State; 6. Steve Sarkisian, Texas; 7. Jeff Lebby, Oklahoma; 8. Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia; 9. Warren Ruggerio, Wake Forest; 10. Phil Longo, North Carolina; 11. Josh Gattis, Miami; 12. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M; 13. Chip Kelly, UCLA; 14. Jeff Brohm, Purdue; 15. Hugh Freeze, Liberty; 16. Todd Monken, Georgia; 17. Paul Chryst, Wisconsin; 18. Billy Napier, Florida; 19. Tommy Rees, Notre Dame; 20. Mark Whipple, Nebraska; 21. Garrett Riley, TCU; 22. Willy Korn, Coastal Carolina; 23. Andy Ludwig, Utah; 24. Andrew Sowder, Kent State; 25. Jason Candle, Toledo ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: The Big Ten will be announcing its mega deal with Fox, CBS and NBC any day now. Most economists say the deal will eclipse $1 billion a year. The new agreement, which supposedly will begin in 2024 – supposedly because there could be some major manipulating – will have Fox broadcasting the noon football game, CBS at 3:30 and NBC at 7:30. ESPN will not have any part of the media deal and that is precisely why we can expect a flurry of deals, one of which could result in a conference merger. Here are some details and some juicy speculation about what is next. CBS, which was paying the SEC a paltry $53 million a year and is under contract with the SEC until the end of the 2023 season, is going to be paying somewhere in the range of $350 million per year for 13 Saturday afternoon Big Ten games. That’s rather interesting since CBS dropped out of the bidding for the SEC media deal which begins in 2024 because it was too pricey. NBC will get the 7:30 game and stream evening games on its Peacock brand. There are some who speculate that NBC’s participation in this deal will lead to Notre Dame joining the Big Ten, but that’s highly unlikely. Notre Dame is probably going to exact a $100 million per year agreement out of NBC to remain independent in football with all its other sports in the Atlantic Coast Conference. NBC will gladly pay Notre Dame since it will be guaranteed seven or eight Notre Dame home games a year, and in most seasons 1-2 ND road games against Big Ten opponents. Like it or not, the Irish are money in the bank when it comes to football. ESPN’s deal with the SEC will pay $300 million for football, but the entire deal with the other sports is said to be worth something like $700 million. And this is BEFORE Texas and Oklahoma join the league. When that happens, the SEC deal will be in the billion dollar range as well with fewer logistical problems and better ratings for its broadcasts. With CBS and NBC devoting the resources they will need to be in the Big Ten, ESPN could broker some serious deals that could benefit the ACC, Big 12 and the Pac-12. Start with the ACC. The ACC has an agreement that Notre Dame will play five games with ACC opponents every year so those games played in ACC stadiums could be worth more money to the cash-starved league. Also, since ESPN will no longer be carrying Big Ten basketball, it can add money to the ACC for basketball. This won’t get the ACC anywhere close to the amount of money the Big Ten and SEC can pay per school, but it might push the league past the $50 million per year threshold. The Big 12 will add UCF, Houston, BYU and Cincinnati next year, which will make for an awkward two-years of 14 teams, two of which (Texas and Oklahoma) are lame ducks. The Big 12’s media deal expires after the 2024 season, so perhaps ESPN will do some manipulating that will bring Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC for when the new contract kicks in while guaranteeing a decent media deal for the Big 12? That seems more and more possible. Then there are the 10 remaining schools of the Pac-12 which could give ESPN Friday night and late night Saturday football games. Could a deal with ESPN save the Pac-12 from extinction? Could ESPN also broker a merger between the Pac-12 and Big 12? As unlikely as the merger may seem, Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury-News says it has possibilities. Wilner, by the way, broke the story that Southern Cal and UCLA were leaving for the Big Ten. So here are three predictions: (1) Notre Dame remains independent with a $100 million deal from NBC; (2) ESPN will scoop up deals with the Big 12 and whatever is left of the Pac-12 plus prop up the ACC a bit; and (3) ESPN will control a larger swath of the football watching country plus give far more variety in its product.

A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning: NAPIER DISCUSSES THE UF QUARTERBACK ROOM At his Tuesday morning press conference, Billy Napier was asked about what he’s seen after five practices from his four scholarship quarterbacks starting with Anthony Richardson. Richardson is the unchallenged starter followed by Ohio State transfer Jack Miller III, redshirt freshman Jalen Kitna and true freshman Max Brown. It was obvious from Napier’s remarks that Richardson has made plenty of progress since the spring. “With Anthony, there's no question that his confidence and comfort level where the verbiage where the communication, I think he's more concise, and we’ve seen him be much more accurate,” Napier said. “You know, the old adage we're on the same page? I think we're making progress to being on the same sentence, if that makes sense.” Napier then went into how Richardson has improved fundamentally and in the mental aspects of playing QB. “I think his feet are in the right place because he's processing quicker,” Napier said. “He's able to anticipate the ball’s going to the right place. So, very pleased with Anthony and where he's at. I think he's getting more comfortable in that leadership role and the things that come with being the quarterback of the University of Florida.” Miller found himself in a crowded QB room at Ohio State where C.J. Stroud had a breakout season last year, so he made the decision to transfer to UF, in part because of a relationship that had been established with Napier years ago when Napier was the offensive coordinator for Todd Graham at Arizona State. The only chance fans got a chance to see Miller was in the Orange and Blue Game where he made some good throws but also threw a couple of interceptions. Napier’s comments about Miller: “Jack Miller also has done extremely well. Very pleased with Jack. Yesterday in particular, we gave him a few reps with the first group just as a healthy experience for him. I thought he did some really good things, so you know, in this setting, at quarterback, you're dependent on the players around you: the offensive line, the tight ends and running backs, receivers. Jack's very capable, you know, and I would say this going all the way back to spring. He's moved our team, you know, understanding the spring game, he threw a couple interceptions and all that, but he's consistently made the right decision. He's very capable, he's got arm talent, he’s accurate, and he's a good athlete. So, I think we made a really good decision there. Realize that he is a freshman, right? And he has four years to play.” Napier comments about Jalen Kitna: “I would say Kitna is the player that I probably saw the most growth in, you know from spring practice to see him take another step fundamentally. I think he's throwing the ball much more consistently, much more accurately, better grasp. He had a little bit of a setback injury wise. We anticipate getting him back. He had a small procedure just yesterday.” Napier comments about Max Brown: “And then Max is a rookie player. He's going through those growing pains that most quarterbacks go through, right? Everybody's a little bigger and a little faster, while information, a lot to process there. And he's a reflection of most of the rookies on our team.” SEC football Alabama: Cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, who practiced with the Bama basketball team but never dressed out last season, is dropping basketball altogether to focus on football in 2022. Arkansas: Oklahoma transfer wide receiver Jadon Haselwood likes the change of scenery in Fayette Nam. “I’m here where I belong,” he said Tuesday. “I feel like I’m more appreciated here.” Haselwood caught 39 passes for 399 yards and six touchdowns last year at Oklahoma. Auburn: Placekicker Anders Carlson, who is coming off ACL surgery, is kicking once again although he’s wearing a knee brace. “I don’t think he’s put everything into his swing yet, but he put it in the end zone,” HBC Bryan Harsin said. “That’s the thing. He’s got the leg.” Georgia: Former Florida and South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp says he appreciates the chance to work for Kirby Smart and likes his role as the co-defensive coordinator at Georgia. “I think I’ve got the best job in America,” Muschamp said. Kentucky: The starting O-line on Kentucky’s depth chart is LT Deondre Buford, LG Kenneth Horsey, C Eli Cox, RG Tashawn Manning, RT Jeremy Flax … Wide receiver Rashaan Lewis, son of Pro Football Hall of Fame LB Ray Lewis, has pleaded guilty to a DUI charge stemming from an arrest back in March. Lewis had two catches for four yards last year. LSU: Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock says the Tigers are nowhere close to naming a starting QB among Myles Brennan, Jayden Daniels and Garrett Nussmeier. Mississippi State: Senior wide receiver Austin Williams, who caught 52 passes for 617 yards and four touchdowns in 2021, had the lowest drop rate of any SEC receiver. Missouri: HBC Eli Drinkwitz wasted no time naming his starting QB for the fall. Brady Cook has won the job over Tyler Macon and Mississippi State transfer Jack Abraham. In limited action last season, Cook 345 yards and two touchdowns. Ole Miss: If Ole Miss seems a bit behind through the first few practices, it could be because the Rebels have 20 Division I transfers on the roster. South Carolina: South Carolina will pay Jacksonville State $1.3 million to come play at Williams-Brice Stadium next season. That’s the highest paycheck game in Jax State history. The previous high was $550,000. A year ago Jax State was paid $400,000 to play Florida State in Tallahassee. Tennessee: Clemson transfer running back Lyn-J Dixon is immediately eligible, but the Vols still wait word from the NCAA on the eligibility of Southern Cal wide receiver transfer Bru McCoy. Texas A&M: Offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey says, "We've got the weapons, we've got the skill and we've got the ability to be an outstanding offense. To be explosive or to be able to grind it out, to be able to do all the things coach Fisher wants to do from an offensive standpoint." Vanderbilt: The Commodores first scrimmage was held at a high school due to ongoing renovations to Vanderbilt Stadium. Our SEC orphans in the Big 12: Oklahoma: Former Oklahoma HBC Bob Stoops, says the situation involving assistant coach Cale Gundy is “unfortunate, it’s sad, it kills me.” Gundy, the younger brother of Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, is a former Oklahoma QB and was an assistant coach for Stoops for several years. Texas: Running back Bijan Robinson has been named to the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose watch list. The award is given to the top offensive player in Division I. Matt Hayes ranks the top 25 college football coaches Writing in Saturday Down South, national college football writer Matt Hayes offered the following rating of the top 25 college football coaches in the country. Surprisingly, Hayes picked Georgia’s Kirby Smart, winner of one national championship, over Alabama’s Nick Saban, winner of six national titles and runner-up three times. Hayes’ top 25: 1. Kirby Smart, Georgia; 2. Nick Saban, Alabama; 3. Dabo Swinney, Clemson; 4. Ryan Day, Ohio State; 5. Brian Kelly, LSU; 6. Lincoln Riley, Southern Cal; 7. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M; 8. Luke Fickell, Cincinnati; 9. Mario Cristobal, Miami; 10. Kyle Whittingham, Utah; 11. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan; 12. James Franklin, Penn State; 13. Mark Stoops, Kentucky; 14. Mack Brown, North Carolina; 15. Dave Aranda, Baylor; 16. Paul Chryst, Wisconsin; 17. Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern; 18. David Shaw, Stanford; 19. Matt Campbell, Iowa State; 20. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss; 21. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State; 22. Mike Leach, Mississippi State; 23. David Clawson, Wake Forest; 24. Kalani Sitake, BYU; 25. Jeff Monken, Army Barrett Sallee (CBS Sports): Who’s overrated, who’s underrated With the release of the USA Today Coaches top 25 poll, Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports weighed in, offering two teams he considers overrated and two he thinks are underrated. Here are the teams with comments: Overrated No. 5 Notre Dame: “The absence of running back Kyren Williams, safety Kyle Hamilton and quarterback Jack Coan are all issues that need to be resolved before anointing the Fighting Irish as legit playoff contenders.” No. 7 Texas A&M: “The Aggies are the darling of the SEC and a trendy pick to contend with Alabama for the West Division title, but a No. 7 ranking is too much too soon … What’s more, championship-caliber teams run nine- or 10-deep along the defensive line. The Aggies are lacking experience in that area and will have to rely on three or four true freshmen out of the stellar 2022 recruiting class to serve in that rotation.” Underrated No. 8 Utah: “They boast a big-time one-two punch with dual threat quarterback Cameron Rising and running back Tavion Thomas. Plus, they’re almost always stout up front, and the presence of coach Kyle Whittingham makes them the best-coached team in the conference (yes, USC with Lincoln Riley included).” No. 24 Ole Miss: “Too much emphasis has been put on the absence of star quarterback Matt Corral and not enough has been put on the offensive skill players brought in by coach Lane Kiffin. Kiffin upgraded at running back with TCU transfer Zach Evans and SMU transfer Ulysses Bentley IV … The quarterback battle between Jaxson Dart and Luke Altmeyer will dominate fall camp, but Kiffin will be fine either way.” ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Matt Zemek, a longtime college football writer and analyst, has come to the conclusion the Pac-12 is going to survive despite the loss of Southern Cal and UCLA to the Big Ten. Zemek is basing his conclusion on the possibility ESPN would work out some sort of deal with the Pac-12 for late night games on Saturday plus work out a scheduling alliance with the ACC. Writing for Trojan Wire, Zemek states: “Tuesday morning it became clear that the league will indeed live on. There won’t be a splintering into extinction. There won’t be a raid to the Big 12. The Pac will be back in some form or fashion. Yes, the Pac-12 won’t be as strong as it was with USC in the fold. The conference won’t make as many dollars or win as many Heisman Trophies with the Trojans in the Big Ten. We can all acknowledge that. However, the Pac-12 is going to survive. That’s something.” I have a lot of respect for Matt Zemek, but I am of the opinion he’s dead wrong about this. The new Big Ten media deal which will include CBS and NBC to push it over the $1 billion a year mark, is precisely why Uncle Phil is going to push Oregon to the Big Ten and why the Big Ten will not only listen but add Oregon as well as Washington, California and Stanford. Why? Because what Uncle Phil (Knight) can do with Nike advertising and sponsorships will be way too enticing. And, those four schools aren’t going to sign a grant of rights contract to remain in the Pac-12 as long as there is a chance the Big Ten will gobble them up. From a purely logistics standpoint, the Big Ten needs those four schools to join for a West Coast presence that eases some of the travel burdens for Southern Cal and UCLA. I am of the opinion that the Pac-12 may indeed survive … for one more year. After that, Oregon, Washington, Stanford and Cal will say sayonara.

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: GATORS UNRANKED BUT THAT’S NOT A BAD THING AT ALL The USA Today Coaches preseason top 25 poll came out Monday with the usual suspects in the first four positions. The Florida Gators were nowhere to be found in the top 25. You shouldn’t be the least bit surprised. Coming off a 6-7 record, the third losing season since 2013 and on their fourth football coach since 2011, the Gators aren’t exactly the picture of consistency. This program that was once the beast of the Southeastern Conference hasn’t won a Southeastern Conference or national championship since 2008. In the years since those last glory days, Alabama and Georgia are the top two programs in the SEC and they, along with Auburn and LSU, have won national championships. Think about that for a second. Since Florida’s last national championship, the SEC has claimed nine national championships, six by Alabama, one each by Georgia, LSU and Auburn. At best, Florida is the fifth best program in the SEC. That’s sobering. So no one should be the slightest bit upset that the first poll is out and the Gators aren’t in the top 25. If you add the votes, the Gators are 37th. Maybe you’re embarrassed by that. You shouldn’t be. If anything, be thankful that Billy Napier won’t start his first season as Florida’s coach burdened by unrealistic expectations. Napier has taken over a team that lost games it should have won last year, one whose coach essentially mailed it in sometime before November. Napier hasn’t fired the players who are still around from last year’s debacle, but he has fired all the assistants and totally gutted the program to start all over again. In January, the Gators were at ground zero. Now it’s August and there are signs of life that lend speculation that UF could be the surprise program of the SEC in the fall. Phil Steele thinks so. Steele says the Gators will be his second most improved football team this fall. Does that mean going from six wins to eight? Does he think nine wins are possible? Maybe, but to improve a lot of things will have to go right. On the schedule are three preseason top ten teams – 3. Georgia; 7. Texas A&M; 8. Utah – and one other ranked team (Kentucky, No. 21), plus two other teams on the schedule (Tennessee and LSU) received more votes than the Gators. If you go just by scheduling, then the coaches think there are six teams on the schedule that the Gators could lose to. That also means Napier has a minimum of six bulletin board opportunities to use the disrespect card. Don’t think for a nanosecond he won’t use them. For now, however, don’t be the slightest bit upset at what you see as disrespect for the Florida football program. This isn’t a bad place to start and know this: winning cures disrespect. The Gators play six of their first seven games at home and that includes the first two against Utah and Kentucky. Win those two and there is no doubt the Gators will be ranked in the top 25. Win six of those first seven or even go 7-0 and they might be teetering on the verge of the top 10. Of course, you have to win and that’s key to everything. If Billy Napier wins football games, the rankings will take care of themselves. Until then, he’ll make sure there is a gigantic chip on the Gators’ shoulders. USA Today top 25 preseason poll: 1. Alabama; 2. Ohio State; 3. Georgia; 4. Clemson; 5. Notre Dame; 6. Michigan; 7. Texas A&M; 8. Utah; 9. Oklahoma. 10. Baylor; 11. Oklahoma State; 12. Oregon; 13. North Carolina State; 14. Michigan State; 15. Southern Cal; 16. Pittsburgh; 17. Miami; 18. Texas; 19. Wake Forest; 20. Wisconsin; 21. Kentucky; 22. Cincinnati; 23. Arkansas; 24. Ole Miss; 25. Houston Amari Burney on the emphasis on tackling Linebacker Amari Burney, who is taking advantage of his COVID year to play one last season for the Gators talks about the emphasis on tackling and putting players on the ground. Missed tackles was the bane of the defensive existence the last two years under former coordinator Todd Grantham: “We don’t want to get anybody hurt in practice but we’ve made a big emphasis on tackling. We do it every day in the middle of practice. We do Gator roll tackling. We do profile tackling, stripping the ball out, just trying to create turnovers. I would say we have put a very big emphasis on tackling … Gator roll tackling is when someone is running away from you and have have to gator roll them to the ground.” Also this: “You have to put your head on the ball and you have to drive through, wrap them up and bring your hips. It’s a very different tackle than being part of the backfield.” SEC football/basketball Alabama: Alabama received 54 of the 66 possible first place votes in the USA Today Coaches top 25 poll. Arkansas: Wide receiver Matt Landers, who will be a sixth year super senior and at his third program this fall, is tearing it up in fall camp for the Razorbacks. Previously, Landers played at Georgia and Toledo. He caught 20 passes for 514 yards and five TDs last year at Toledo. Auburn: Auburn lost to the Israeli National Team, 95-86, despite 19 points from Wendell Green and 18 points and 11 rebounds from Johni Broome. Georgia: It’s a three-man battle between Kamari Lassiter, Nyland Green and Daylen Everette for the starting corner job opposite Kelee Ringo. Kentucky: Defensive back Joel Williams, a 4-star recruit in 2020, has entered the transfer portal. Williams played in seven games in 2020, nine in 2021. LSU: LSU’s streak of appearing in the top 25 of every preseason poll since 2000 has come to an end. Based on the points awarded in the USA Today Coaches poll, LSU is the 30th best team to start the year. Ole Miss: Mississippi State transfer wide receiver Malik Heath on one of the main reasons he left Starkville: “I ain’t have to hear the cowbells. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I came. I don’t like the cowbells. The cowbells are too loud.” There you go. Cowbells. They were probably holding Health back from real stardom. South Carolina: Explaining why he thinks South Carolina has been recruiting so well, HBC Shane Beamer said Monday, “Prospects and their families are smart. They can figure out who’s telling them a bunch of stuff they want to hear and who’s just being honest with them and truthful.” Tennessee: D-line coach Rodney Garner calls Dominic Bailey the most improved guy in the position room. Bailey had one assisted tackle in 2021. Our SEC orphans in the Big 12: Oklahoma: Longtime Oklahoma assistant and former OU quarterback Cale Gundy resigned for reading out loud a racially objectionable word multiple times that was on a player’s iPad. Gundy picked up the iPad during a film session, then read what the player was looking at rather than paying attention to the film. HBC Brent Venables said, “Coach Gundy resigned from the program because he knows what he did was wrong. He chose to read aloud to his players not once, but multiple times, a racially charged word that is objectionable to everyone.” Texas: Defensive lineman Keondre Coburn, whose production dipped considerably from 2020 to 2021, is one of the early standouts in the Texas camp. Finebaum on the situation at Auburn While on the “McElroy and Cubelic In the Morning” radio show on WJOX in Birmingham Monday morning, Paul Finebaum unloaded on the unprecedented campaign to oust Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin last season. Harsin was a surprise choice when Auburn AD Allen Greene hired him from Boise State, but that was met with plenty of anger by the fan base and even one well-known writer in Birmingham. Here are excerpts of what Finebaum had to say: “I think Bryan Harsin has been a true profile in courage of what you should be as a football coach. Yes, ultimately he has to win, we know that but we know you’re right, and Greg, I’m going to take it a step further. You mentioned Al.com. I’m going to mention the writer’s name. His name is Joseph Goodman, and he carried on a vicious, unsubstantiated campaign against Bryan Harsin over the COVID shot. I am not here to make medical decisions or political decisions. That’s not what I do, but that was his choice and you could choose to respect it or not but it doesn’t cause for a one-man campaign to try to get the guy fired. “… But in terms of winning people over that were on the fence with Bryan Harsin, I think he has done that and I think he deserves tremendous praise for taking a road less traveled in taking on those who tried to fire him, and taking on those who creeped in the middle of the night like cockroaches trying to get a man fired with no justification and not one scintilla of evidence.” ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Maybe you’ve been around college football for decades and if you have, you probably remember when SMU got the death penalty back in 1987. SMU had been in trouble multiple times with the NCAA prior to the discovery of a “slush fund” that had been in existence for years to pay players and their families under the table to get them to either sign with SMU or to keep them happy while at the school. Among the players who benefitted from the fund was stud running back Eric Dickerson, who says he got $1,000 in cash monthly from one booster and a Corvette to go with more cash from another booster. Sounds rather tame when you compare with some of the NIL deals that are out there. Nick Saban says Heisman Trophy QB Bryce Young got somewhere in the neighborhood of $2 million in NIL money last year at Alabama. Quinn Ewers skilled his senior year in high school and enrolled at Ohio State in August 2021 to cash in on a couple million in NIL money. Ewers was the proverbial fart in an elevator at Ohio State, which has plenty to do with why he transferred to Texas where he is expected to be the starting QB in 2022. No telling how much NIL money the Texas boosters are giving him. There is an old saying in Texas that only God has more money than the Longhorns. SMU, which was a national power before the death penalty, has never been relevant since but the boosters, once the pariahs of all of college football, are back in the game again. Only now it’s legal. Isn’t that what NIL stands for anyway? SMU boosters have put together something called the Boulevard Collective which plans to pay every football and men’s basketball player $36,000 a year. What is eye-catching about this collective is that it plans to pay EVERY football and men’s basketball player, not just the stars. Presumably the stars of the team will have opportunities to make even more with their own deals but the fact that everybody gets something should resonate well in the locker room. SMU probably isn’t the first school to come up with an NIL plan like this nor will it be the last. What I have to wonder is how long before some school makes every athlete an employee? I cringe when I think about it, because once players become employees what’s to stop the school from firing them or even trading them to another school? Something to think about. We’ve entered a very dicey era for all of college sports and I’m not hearing anyone come up with any common sense ideas to take us into the future.

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: WITH SO LITTLE ROOM FOR ERROR, DISCIPLINE IS A MUST Although he hasn’t complained publicly about the overall level of talent he has inherited at the University of Florida, Billy Napier knows it will take one or two more recruiting classes to get the talent level anywhere close to what they have at Alabama and Georgia. He has maybe 44 players who are at or close to SEC ready. You can win with 44 but the margin for error is very, very small. Napier can’t and won’t cut corners by taking chances on the recruiting trail so until he can build the roster up to the 55-60 SEC-ready players it is going to take to compete with Alabama and Georgia, his priority will have to be good coaching, emphasis on strength and conditioning and the last piece of the puzzle – discipline. Running back Nay’Quan Wright appreciates the emphasis Napier and staff have put on discipline. He knows that discipline and accountability were in short supply last year when a perfectly good season went south. Instead of a fourth straight New Year’s Six bowl season, the Gators cratered to 6-7 in large part because the team found ways to shoot itself in the foot. The Gators committed far too many offsides and false starts. Late hits. Personal fouls. Holding penalties. “One thing that I’ll highlight is we focus more on the little things, you know what I mean?” Wright said Friday. “That’s where we let things slip away last year. Little things kind of got away from us and in the end it turned to big things. So, this year, coach is focused on the little things. One of them is discipline. We all have to wear the same gear to practice. Everybody has to have white cleats, white socks. It’s kind of like who cares about cleats? But that’s just the little things you focus on that’s building up to this and having everybody on the same page.” The color of the cleats and socks won’t help anyone play better but having a team disciplined enough to care about the little things should translate into a team that can eliminate stupid, silly mistakes that cost ball games. So, white socks and white cleats may have nothing to do with winning, but yet they have everything to do with winning. And that is why Napier makes it a point to emphasize the details. “It all matters,” Napier said last Tuesday. “I think the key is that you provide structure and routine, that you define expectations for the players. And there are some detailed things we ask them to do, and they do matter, but the most important part of those little detailed things that we ask them to do is they have to make a decision to do it, if that makes sense.” A year ago the Gators committed 104 penalties of which 69.2 percent would fall under the category of undisciplined. When Nick de la Torre of On3 Sports went through every penalty the Gators committed last season he found there were 29 false starts, 19 holding penalties, 6 delays of game, 13 offsides and five unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. The poster child for last year’s lack of discipline is the Kentucky game. The Gators were flagged 15 times for 115 yards. Among the penalties were eight false starts, an offsides and two holding calls. The Gators lost the game 20-13 despite holding the Wildcats to one offensive touchdown. That was a winnable game. There were others. Discipline was in short supply, which has everything to do with why Billy Napier is now Florida’s football coach. “Coach Napier came in and [preached] discipline,” tight end Dante Zanders said Saturday. “He showed us the other day before we went out to practice all of the penalties that we had last season. He was just showing us that it wasn’t big penalties that hurt us: It was just all the undisciplined penalties – offsides, holding things like that we can learn not to do. He handed out a piece of paper and it had all the highlights of all the penalties we had and the lost yardage that we had, which ones were undisciplined and which ones were holding, offsides, stuff like that. It was shocking and embarrassing.” There is no question that a talent gap exists between the Gators and the teams at the top of the SEC, but there is enough talent to win games this season if the Gators can avoid injuries and have the discipline to avoid the stupid penalties. The Gators may or may not avoid debilitating injuries. That’s totally out of their control. Penalties, particularly the stupid kind that have their root in a lack of discipline, can be avoided. The Gators can control that aspect of the game and if they are successful, win some games and buy some time until Napier can recruit a roster with the kind of depth capable of challenging the top teams in the SEC on a yearly basis. SEC football/basketball Alabama: Freshman wide receiver Aaron Anderson is sidelined with a knee injury. Louisville transfer wide receiver Tyrell Harrell is not quite 100 percent but practicing … Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien said Sunday that he’s had opportunities to return to the NFL but he’s committed to coaching for Nick Saban. Arkansas: The defense is stressing turnovers this fall. The Razorbacks forced three fumbles and 13 interceptions last year. Auburn: The attorney for quarterback TJ Finley says his arrest was all a misunderstanding. Finley was charged with trying to elude police for what would have been a moped citation. Kentucky: The entire football team took a day off from practice to help unload boxes of donations for relief efforts in Kentucky’s flood-ravaged southeast corridor. LSU: Edge rusher BJ Oljulari was awarded LSU’s iconic No. 18 jersey. Missouri: New Mizzou basketball coach Dennis Gates threw out the first pitch at a St. Louis Cardinals game. Ole Miss: TCU transfer running back Zach Evans, a former 5-star recruit, believes he and SMU transfer Ulysses Bentley will make the Ole Miss running game “the best in the country.” South Carolina: You can avoid the rush for season tickets to South Carolina games. They’re available at your neighborhood Costco. Seriously. Tennessee: One of the early standouts at Tennessee’s fall camp is freshman linebacker Kalib Perry. In Perry’s spare time, he builds computers for friends and teammates. Texas A&M: There has been an internal staff shakeup. James Coley has been moved from tight ends to wide receivers, Dameyune Craig from wide receivers to quarterbacks and Darrell Dickey from quarterbacks to tight ends. Vanderbilt: HBC Clark Lea says his second edition of the Commodores is “way more comfortable with what the expectations are and the manner of which we practice” than last year’s team. And our orphans in the Big 12: Texas: HBC Steve Sarkisian says Alabama transfer wide receiver Argiye Hall “has a lot of potential … he’s making progress.” Oklahoma: Oklahoma expects to be bigger, faster and stronger this year now that Jerry Schmidt has been brought in to head strength and conditioning. Schmidt, who worked at Florida under Steve Spurrier, was the longtime Sooners strength coach under Bob Stoops. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: In Nashville over the weekend, there was a Personnel and Recruiting Symposium that drew staff members from college football programs all over the country to discuss things like cheating, official and unofficial visits, home visits, scholarship offers, national letters of intent and the transfer portal. It was all designed to address a mounting number of issues that are faced by college football, none of which the NCAA, in its infinite wisdom, seems likely or capable of handling anytime before the next turn of the century. The NCAA’s solution to problems is to create a larger mountain of rules and regulations, which, of course, creates more bureaucracy in Indianapolis and more compliance people at the individual school level. I’m of the opinion that the NCAA is way too much like the federal government in that it never really solves anything, it just adds to the problems. As one good friend told me over the weekend, “Overall, the NCAA is clueless, especially when it comes to football. When it comes to football, the NCAA is about as useful as boobs on a boar hog. All they do is create a never-ending cycle of problems that could be solved by some common sense.” Common sense. That’s a real concept. It’s something in short supply in Indianapolis. With that in mind, here are seven common sense suggestions for the NCAA. These suggestions won’t solve all of the problems facing college football or even all the questions that were discussed in Nashville, but they might be a fairly decent place to start. 1. Eliminate the NCAA completely when it comes to college football. The NCAA does a dandy job of running tournaments and events, not such a good job when it comes to regulations and enforcement. So, for all the schools for which football is the cash cow, secede, start a new football-only organization with a simplified rule book, a commissioner and strict enforcement of the rules and harsh penalties for cheaters. Eventually, move the other sports out of NCAA jurisdiction, but let it be football only in the beginning. 2. To bring some common sense back to recruiting, no scholarship offers prior to September 1 of a player’s junior year. Other than camp, no unofficial visits until the junior year and no official visits until the spring of a player’s junior year. No scholarship offers to any kid who doesn’t have at least a 2.5 GPA in high school in core courses (English, history, mathematics, sciences). Put a cap on the number of scholarship offers. That would go a long way to preventing schools making dummy offers to kids they know they aren’t going to sign for the purpose of trying to prevent a kid from committing to a rival school. That happens. A lot. 3. Early signing in December ONLY for kids who are academically qualified to enroll early. Everyone else has to wait until the first Wednesday in December. No limit on the number of signed NLI each February but the number of scholarships cannot ever exceed the legal limit set by the new college football organization. 4. For a transfer to be eligible immediately, he has two windows of opportunity: December 1-15 and April 15-May 15. A kid can transfer any time he wants, but to avoid sitting out one year, he can only transfer during those two times. 5. A kid who declares for the NFL Draft (limited to those who are three years removed from high school) and isn’t drafted can return to school if he (a) has a 2.5 or better GPA and (b) is within two semesters of graduation. 6. Football is a dangerous and brutal sport. The injuries linger for years and in some cases for a lifetime. Once a kid has used up his eligibility, he gets health care for a minimum of 10 years, longer if the injuries involve concussions or spinal cords. 7. For any kid who has used up his eligibility but still hasn’t graduated, tuition guaranteed until he completes his college degree. 8. For any kid who has graduated with a 3.0 or better, graduate school tuition for a master’s degree.

Obviously, whoever it was that came up with the old adage “there is honor among thieves” was not a football coach. A thief may not steal from another thief, but coaches will certainly steal from other coaches. “Everything I’ve learned I’ve stolen from someone else,” Billy Napier said at a Friday morning press conference. “You have to remain humble enough to admit that and continue to adapt.” Most coaches, if pressed, will admit that much or even all of what they do has its origins elsewhere. Oh sure, we have some original ideas out there, but even the original ideas have their roots somewhere else. For example, Urban Meyer arrived at Florida in 2005 with a “genius” reputation due to his newfangled spread option offense. It was new and it was funky, but when asked to break it down, Meyer explained that it was nothing more than the single wing with wide receivers and far more passing than you ever saw in the Bob Neyland era when the single wing was the predominant offense in college football. We may not see something that looks new and original when Napier and the Florida Gators take the field this fall, but make no mistake about it nearly everything the Gators do is a hybrid of something he learned from other coaches before he landed his first head coaching gig at Louisiana. The first lessons came from his north Georgia high school football coach father – “I grew up in the hip pocket of my Dad,” Billy Napier says. Napier’s dad taught him the importance of personal relationships with kids and since high school coaches, for the most part, can’t recruit, they live and die with the kids in their school district. If they win, they have to adapt. The influence of his dad was so great that Billy’s two brothers are high school coaches and his sister “would probably would coach high school football if you’d let her.” Napier played quarterback at Furman for Bobby Lamb, then embarked on a coaching career that has seen him work his way up the ranks, providing ample opportunity to steal philosophy, schemes and whatever else to forge into a personal coaching identity. “If you look my career,” Napier says, “I worked for some exceptional head coaches – Tommy Bowden (Clemson), Buddy Pough (South Carolina State), Dabo Swinney (Clemson), Jim McElwain (Colorado State), Todd Graham (Arizona State).” And, of course, Nick Saban at Alabama – twice in fact – under whom he learned how to adapt to changing times. During Napier’s first Alabama stint, the offense was based on pounding between the tackles then throwing over the top when defenses stacked the box. The second time on Saban’s staff, the offensive coordinator was Lane Kiffin. Saban brought him to Tuscaloosa to transform and modernize the offense. The times changed. The game evolved. Nick Saban adapted. “One of the things about Coach Saban that I really respect is he continues to evolve,” Napier said. “He continues to adapt … his ability to adjust to the current climate.” A 40-12 record in four years as Louisiana’s head coach is a rather compelling piece of evidence that Napier was a sponge, absorbing lessons from how to run a football program as a head coach/CEO to how to surround yourself with good assistant coaches and analysts to how to adapt on the fly due to the personnel that’s on hand. How much of each of his former bosses Napier has incorporated into his own personal coaching bible we’ll see in the fall. Certainly there are bits stolen from one coach and pieces taken from another. If necessary, Napier will take a chunk of some other coach’s way of doing things and incorporate it into what the Gators need to win a game. Coaching football is a fluid situation that requires the ability to anticipate and make necessary changes. As he learned at Louisiana, creating a winner is sometimes a trial and error procedure while figuring out what works and what doesn’t. “Everything didn’t fit there,” he admitted. “This journey will be no different. I think we learn something every day, what works here, what doesn’t.” In those first two seasons at Louisiana, the Ragin Cajuns went 18-10 as Napier took holdovers from the previous staff and turned them into winners. O-line coach Rob Sale says while they were figuring out what would and wouldn’t work, the Cajuns probably won a few games they shouldn’t have. As Napier replaced holdovers from the previous coach with his own recruits, Louisiana morphed into a team that went 23-2 the last two years with one Sun Belt Conference championship. Probably the best thing about working for so many successful coaches before landing the Louisiana gig is that Napier had a chance to categorize answers for every problem he would encounter. In turning Louisiana into a Sun Belt Conference and Group of Five powerhouse, Napier became one of the hottest coaching properties in the country. He turned down Auburn, Mississippi State and Tennessee among others before accepting the Florida job. As his star has risen, there have been the inevitable comparisons to former boss Nick Saban. A Saban clone they call Napier. More than a few who follow the Alabama program closely suggest that if and when Saban ever decides to hang up the whistle that Napier will get the first call when the powers that be in Tuscaloosa begin their search for a successor. If Napier wins big, as he is being paid to do, at Florida there will certainly be a lot of chatter that he is the obvious choice to take up where Nick left off when he decides to retire. Napier won’t hear of anyone projecting him as Saban’s successor. For one thing, he has a monumental task ahead of him to return the Florida Gators back to the level of consistency enjoyed in the Spurrier and Meyer years. Spurrier went 122-27-1 with six SEC titles and a national championship in 12 years. Meyer went 65-15 with two SEC championships and two national championships in six years. In the 11 years since Meyer coached his last game at Florida, the Gators have had pockets of success but no SEC or national championships to show for it. The Gators were a combined 187-42-1 in the Spurrier and Meyer years. That’s winning at an 81.6 percent level. In the last 11 years, the Gators have gone 87-52, winning at a 62.5 percent clip. What the Spurrier and Meyer years tell us is that Florida is very capable of winning championships and staying relevant in the national championship hunt. What the last 11 years have told us is for a return to Gator glory it will take a coach who has a meticulous plan in place, an excellent staff of assistants, and infrastructure in the form of analysts, recruiting specialists and facilities to play catch up to the likes of Alabama, Georgia, LSU and even Auburn, all of whom have won at least one national championship since the last time the Gators won one (2008). Napier has the plan, the assistants, what he calls an “army” of analysts and recruiting specialists, and now he’s about to move into the brand spanking new standalone football facility that he says is a game-changer. Those are very nice pieces to the puzzle of what Napier intends the Florida football program to become, but success will be determined by winning on the field. The best plan, the best assistants, the right people to analyze and pinpoint recruits, and the best facilities only put pressure on Napier to win. This is where the thief in Napier will be put to the task. He has one of the more inexperienced rosters top to bottom that you will find in the Southeastern Conference. There are perhaps 35 players with SEC experience. There is a handful of transfers who gained experience somewhere else and then there is everybody else – talented enough, perhaps, but certainly not experienced enough. This might very well make Napier feel it’s déjà vu, that he’s back in Lafayette, Louisiana for a second tour of duty. Somehow, in the three weeks that remain in fall camp and the game-week preps that will take place before the Gators take the field against Utah on September 3, Napier and his staff will have to figure out who fits where as well as what will or won’t work from the previous gig. This is where all the things learned and stolen from other coaches will come in handy. “How to take all these things and make it your own – that’s what we’ve tried to do, our identity, our personality,” Napier said. “Take the things that you think fit you, that you think will be effective for your team.” The personality of the team has taken shape thanks to buy-in by veteran players and carryover from the spring. From the time spring practice ended in mid-April until camp opened last week, Napier and his staff have had limited contact with the players per NCAA rules. So, it has been up to the strength and conditioning staff along with veteran leadership to get the team ready to go. What pleased Napier during the summer months was older players taking it upon themselves to teach the younger players the right way of doing things. “I think we’ve made a lot of steps forward during the summer,” Napier said. “A lot of that is player-led. I think the ownership at the player level – often times, I think the best way to learn and get comfortable with material is if you can teach someone else the material, right. So what you’re describing there is a veteran player be able to teach a rookie player. I think there’s a ton of value in that. We did that throughout the summer. “My dad used to say, ‘You can talk to them all you want but if you’ve got a guy who can do it right, who you can say do it like he did it,’ there’s a lot of value in that. I do think that we’re seeing that take place. Veterans being good examples not only in terms of how they play the game but also their self-discipline in how they’re approaching training camp. I think that’s a very important part.” Veteran-led summer workouts have been replaced by structured practices that emphasize discipline and fundamentals, things that were in short supply last year when the Gators went 6-7. It is still way too early to predict just how well the Gators will play or how many games they will win in the fall, but one thing is certain – the head coach has at his disposal resources gathered over the years from some of the best college football coaches in the country to build a foundation for long term success. The years have taught Billy Napier that when it comes to coaching football there is no honor among thieves. Coaches regularly steal ideas and schemes from other coaches and then plug them into their own situations. Napier has certain principles and core values that will never change, but when it comes to doing what it takes to win football games, he knows there is nothing wrong with stolen ideas that work.