“Montrell is extremely bright and picks up things quickly,” said Billy Napier. “He was a very productive back for us last year.” By KYLE CURTIS GatorBaitMedia.com On a night where the Blue team dominated the Orange behind Anthony Richardson, the running back room shone just as bright. Montrell Johnson looked the part of Sun Belt Freshman of the year and some more. Johnson was bouncing off defenders all night enroute 62 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown. He was consistently able to make the first guy miss and continued to get plus yardage on early downs. His explosion through the holes and being able to make the right decisions is something that stood out all night. “Montrell is extremely bright and picks up things quickly,” said Billy Napier. “He was a very productive back for us last year.” Demarkcus Bowman had an up and down night but showed sparks of his potential within the offense. Bowman finished with 17 carries for 64 yards along with four catches for 18 yards. Bowman was the centerpiece of the orange’s offense on multiple possessions making it clear they want the ball in his hands. Rightfully so, Bowman showed elite explosion through the holes and provides a different approach versus the other backs. Additionally, Bowman proved he can be the pass-catching back out of the backfield for the Gators with his four catches. Bowman also had trouble with ball security. On the opening kickoff of the game, he fumbled and the ball was recovered by Derek Wingo. Later in the game, Bowman also fumbled inside their own 20 which resulted in an Anthony Richardson rushing touchdown the following play. Despite the fumbles, Bowman showed sparks of what he can bring to this loaded running back room. Lorenzo Lingard got the opportunity to contribute for the blue team as well. Lingard played behind Montrell Johnson and came in during certain third-down situations and in the red zone. Lingard finished with four carries for 13 yards along with one catch for seven yards. Lingard looked sharp in the few reps he was able to receive. Look for Lingard to come in and relieve duties on third-down situations for Johnson. Nay’Quan Wright did not play in the spring game, although he is guaranteed to be a major part of the game script come fall. Napier said “We’re excited to get Nay’Quan back and he’s certainly going to bring something to our team.” Freshman Gabriel Ortiz, out of Pembroke Pines also made an appearance in the spring game last night. He went for two carries for seven yards, but likely won’t be a factor when the season rolls around. Four-star running back Trevor Etienne is set to enroll in the fall and will also compete for snaps. The ability of Richardson to be a major threat running the ball will be a factor opposing defenses must consider. On Richardson’s touchdown scamper, the read-option opened up the hole. Granted, during the no-tackling spring game Richardson’s running packages were not on full display. When fall rolls around teams will have to find a way to contain both Richardson and the plethora of backs Florida can throw at them. All in all, a good showing from the running back room. This could be, as a whole, one of the most explosive running back rooms since the Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps era.

“Thursday night football … Gainesville, Florida … It was electric.” GAINESVILLE – It was just a spring football game. So what can we really take away from a beauty pageant? As Jerry Seinfeld said to NBC on the pitch for his hugely successful series, “It’s a show about nothing.” Nothing? Not so fast my Gator friends. It was NOT nothing. Even Billy Napier himself bragged on what a special night it was coaching his first game in The Swamp: “Thursday night football … Gainesville, Florida … It was electric.” Napier said the atmosphere exceeded his expectations. I wouldn’t characterize it as “electric” – wait until Coach Napier gets a taste of 90,000-plus zealots in Ben Hill Griffin Church on the Sept. 3 opener vs. Utah – but there was a bit of a buzz about the first Orange and Blue Game on Steve Spurrier-Florida Field in three years. And kudos to those who went back to the original, proper title and decided to make it more like a football game than a county fair extravaganza. Authentic. The reported-but-no-doubt bloated estimate of 45,000 in The Swamp included a good chunk of students able to attend because the game was rescheduled from Saturday in sort of a good faith gesture from Napier with his student constituency in hopes of creating a bond. It seemed to be the start of something. Because it was NOT nothing. Even Napier said Thursday night’s return of an authentic Orange and Blue Game was “like mid-term exams,” except no grades. Anthony Richardson was extremely impressive. And if you didn’t realize it by now, this young quarterback is the real deal. I don’t even care about these numbers: 18x24 passing for 207 yards. Two touchdown passes, one rushing, no turnovers. (More on him later with not such promising news.) More importantly, Richardson looked the part with an auditioning cast around him which is awaiting the authenticity stamp. I liked what I saw among the newcomers, especially tight ends Noah Keeters and Dante Zanders and running back transfer Montrell Johnson. Meanwhile, in my encyclopedia of Special Gator Quarterbacks I Have Seen And Written About, there is perhaps a page awaiting to be filled. I say “perhaps” because there are miles to go and promises to keep. He must prove he is durable, stay healthy, show good judgment and keep improving on his QB acumen. There is no pun intended about the “miles,” but it’s a fitting metaphor of a dangerous path ahead, given that Richardson is going to court soon to tell the judge why he was recently allegedly clocked at 105 mph in his sleek new NIL-gifted sports car at 4 a.m. on Newberry Road in Gainesville. On the scale of screwups by teenagers – he isn’t even 20 yet – this isn’t very exotic. Who among hasn’t felt the need for speed which prompted us to push the pedal to the metal on a lonely road in the shank of the evening? Hell, I even got my old “Rusty Roach” Plymouth up to 90 one night. With the kind of car he was driving, that was only on cruise control. And as a friend who knows him well said, “Good thing he’s not a drinker.” So let’s not panic. Chalk it off to lesson learned. Later, Richardson explained to Gators Online: “I know I’m not perfect, but it was a mistake. I was speeding. My mom always tells me to drive safe because I can not only hurt myself but I can hurt other people. I shouldn’t have done it and I can definitely say I learned my lesson.” Richardson told Nick de la Torre he and his family reached out to the coaching staff to make them aware of the ticket and began the process to handle it. His court date is scheduled for May 25. “I talked to the team today,” Richardson said Friday night. “I let them know I’m gonna handle my business. I’m going to do everything right from this point forward. Doing something like that makes the team and the organization look bad and I don’t want that.” Another hot button issue for Napier: Keeping players safe and out of trouble from now until fall practice. But Napier also passes the look test: Looks like a coach. Walks like a coach. Acts like a coach. Must be a coach. From his “Nick Saban Position” watching on field from behind, he liked what he saw in the 34-0 route by the Blues over the Oranges. Especially in the competitive department. “One thing about this group,” said Napier. “When you put the ball down, they’re going to compete.” He also lauded his young and promising quarterback: “Anthony is a production of a lot of hard work. His approach has been first-class,” Napier said. “He communicated well and the ball went where it was supposed to go. The players around him played well. The pocket was clean. Guys caught the ball. It was a good day.” So if you’re keeping score of Billy’s phases – wasn’t that the third he just finished? I can’t remember – Florida’s new coach is on schedule to deliver the goods after making almost-brilliant progress yet to be determined in the fall. I like very much what I saw, heard and felt at The Swamp in his unofficial debut. As I listened to him being interviewed by Paul Finebaum a few hours before kickoff, I was struck by his introspective comments. And so was Finebaum, who I texted and he responded how much he was impressed. “We have a long way to go and a lot to improve,” he told Finebaum. “I like what I see. The glaring issue is the depth issue.” And he once again stressed the need for leveraging of the transfer portal. “Basically, we have made the bed and we’ve got to sleep in it,” he said. At the same time, taking off the Orange and Blue lenses, we should be aware of how big the challenges are ahead for Napier in recruiting, NIL opportunities and the transfer portal. “We’re very much in an adjustment period.” There is one that goes almost unnoticed: The CEO-like qualities mandated for coaches who now must figure out how to coach and manage their respective “Army.” Communication has to go from horse and buggy days to Star Wars in a hurry. Let me give you an example. Much to his surprise, when a reporter queried Napier in the post-game interview about the so-called new “turnover chain” that had surfaced on the Gator sideline, he was caught flatfooted and unaware. “Turnover chain?!! Nobody ran that by me! That ain’t gonna happen!” Napier said in one of the first impassioned comments we’ve heard from a guy who rarely raises his voice except on the field. A tweet by Nick de la Torre set off a torrid Twitter response. My favorite was: “Scared Money Wears Chains. Gators Don’t.” I inquired with de la Torre and the UF about who the coach or person was that placed some kind of chain necklace on Keeter after his touchdown that we all saw on TV (once we were able to unlock the mystery of how to find it on ESPN). Turns out de la Torre clarified in a tweet it wasn’t a “turnover chain” but a “team thing.” Not sure of the difference, except that the assistant coach who did it won’t be shipped off to Miami. (BTW, it was Frank Ogas of the player development staff who works with tight ends. But it won’t really matter.) It might be helpful if somebody explained to us the difference between a real “turnover chain” and the “team thing.” Looks like one, acts like one – well, you know. However, this does bring up two interesting questions: 1. How are coaches going to be challenged to stringently coach their minions in this permissive Wild Wild West culture? If you don’t allow turnover chains, are you an old stick in the mud who can’t relate to young fun-loving recruits? 2. How do you communicate to the 47th person on a 50-person staff, when some coaches are still trying to resolve the basic issues of how to simply get plays sent into the game so their eleven can get lined up right on the next play? So let me stop here and give Napier a grade for his “Mid-terms.” He gets an A for planning and effort. They showed up. They looked like football team on the hoof. They played. They lined up properly and most of them hit the snap count. And they now appear on track for a measure of improvement — maybe even success. As for performance on the field, these 2022 Gators get an “I” as in “incomplete.” But I can’t wait for the finished product.

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: GOLDEN WINS ONE, LOSES ONE There is good news and bad news on the Florida basketball front. The good news is that new head coach Todd Golden landed waterbug quick point guard Trey Bonham out of VMI. The bad news is that big man Jalen Reed (6-10, 225) says he is exploring his options “while still considering the University of Florida my college home.” Bonham averaged 13.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game as a sophomore at VMI. Bonham shot 82.6 percent from the foul line and 34.8 percent from the 3-point line when he went into a late season slump, hitting only five of his last 23 long distance shots. He came off the bench as a true freshman when he averaged 8.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the 3-point line. While Bonham excels in the open court, in the halfcourt game he is a slasher who is quick enough to get into the paint off the bounce where he’s outstanding in dumping off to big guys or getting to the rim if defenders lay off. He was He’s a native of Mobile and has two seasons of eligibility remaining. Reed, a 4-star recruit whose father was the SEC Player of the Year and an All-American at Ole Miss back in 2001, announced Monday that he is opening up his recruitment, perhaps in response to Johni Broome (6-10, 240), the Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year at Morehead State, making an official visit to Florida next weekend? Reed is an outstanding outside shooter who would fit in well with Todd Golden’s offense and would have few problems playing alongside Castleton or Broome, or even both of them if Golden wanted to go with a skyscraper lineup. With Auburn signing former LSU commitment Yohan Traore, it could be a sign that Broome has passed on the Tigers. Counting Bonham, the Gators have 11 on scholarship, leaving two open the way things stand today. One of the two remaining scholarships is expected to go to Riley Kugel (6-5, 185, Orlando, FL Dr. Phillips), who decommitted from Mississippi State when Ben Howland was fired. Kugel made second team All-State after averaging 16.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Class 7A runner-up. The UF roster as of April 18 Big guys (3): Colin Castleton (6-11, 240, 5th YR); Jason Jitoboh (6-11, 285, SR); CJ Felder (6-7, 231, SR) Wings (3): Niels Lane (6-6, 206, JR); Kowacie Reeves (6-6, 182, SO); Alex Fudge (6-8, 185, SO/TR) Guards (5): Myreon Jones (6-3, 180, 5th YR); Trey Bonham (6-0, 170, JR/TR); Elijah Kennedy (6-3, 185, SO); Will Richard (6-5, 195, SO/TR); Denzel Aberdeen (6-4, 180, FR) UF TRACK AND FIELD: BOTH MEN AND WOMEN RANKED NO. 2 After a big weekend at the Tom Jones Memorial Event at the Percy Beard Track, both the Florida men’s and women’s teams moved up one spot in the weekly USTFCCA top 25 polls. The Gator men have to top times in the country in both the 4X100 and 4X400 relays. The Gators broke the NCAA record in the 4X400 relay this weekend when they ran a 2:58.53. USTFCCA Men’s Top 25: 1. Texas; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Texas A&M; 4. Texas Tech; 5. Alabama; 6. Georgia; 7. LSU; 8. BYU; 9. Arkansas; 10. Kentucky; 11. Washington; 12. Baylor; 13. Oregon; 14. Southern Cal; 15. North Carolina A&T; 16. Florida State; 17. Iowa; 18. Arizona State; 19. Stanford; 20. Princeton; 21. Oklahoma; 22. Ohio State; 23. California; 24. Houston; 25. Northern Arizona USTFCCA Women’s Top 25: 1. Texas; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Texas A&M; 4. LSU; 5. Arkansas; 6. Texas Tech; 7. Kentucky; 8. BYU; 9. New Mexico; 10. Oregon; 11. North Carolina A&T; 13. Arizona State; 14. Colorado; 15. South Carolina; 16. Southern Cal; 17. Auburn; 18. California; 19. Oklahoma; 20. Baylor; 21. Washington; 22. Ole Miss; 23. Duke; 24. North Carolina; 25. North Carolina State UF SOFTBALL: GATORS REMAIN 10TH IN D1SOFTBALL POLL The Gators (34-9, 11-7 SEC) remained in 10th in the latest D1Softball poll after their sweep of Ole Miss in Oxford over the weekend. The Gators carry a 4-game winning streak into Wednesday’s game with South Florida (35-11) at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. The Gators own a 12-0 run-rule win over the Bulls from their opening weekend of the season. The Gators have a chance to keep their SEC championship hopes alive this weekend when 6th-ranked Arkansas (32-8, 11-4 SEC) comes to Gainesville. Arkansas leads the SEC but the Hogs have played one less weekend series than Alabama (13-5 SEC), Tennessee (11-6 SEC) and the Gators. D1Softball Top 25: 1. Oklahoma 38-1; 2. Alabama 36-6; 3. Virginia Tech 32-6; 4. Florida State 39-5; 5. UCLA 32-5; 6. Arkansas 32-8; 7. Northwestern 30-6; 8. Oklahoma State 34-7; 9. Duke 34-5; 10. FLORIDA 34-9; 11. Arizona State 31-5; 12. Washington 25-11; 13. Kentucky 29-11; 14. Texas 31-12-1; 15. Georgia 35-9; 16. Tennessee 30-12; 17. Clemson 33-11; 18. UCF 37-10; 19. Auburn 32-9; 20. Oregon State 31-12; 21. Nebraska 33-9; 22. Michigan 26-13; 23. San Diego State 29-12; 24. Notre Dame 31-9; 25. Illinois 26-14 UF BASEBALL: GATORS DROP OUT OF TOP 25 A 1-3 record last week resulted in the Gators (22-14, 6-9 SEC) dropping out of the top 25 in every college baseball poll. The Gators did win their final game against Vanderbilt in Nashville Sunday and they need to pick up a win tonight at the Florida Ballpark against Stetson to add a little momentum before No. 1 Tennessee (33-3, 14-1 SEC) comes to Gainesville for the weekend. D1Baseball Top 25: 1. Tennessee 33-3; 2. Oregon State 27-7; 3. Oklahoma State 26-10; 4. Arkansas 28-7; 5. Miami 28-8; 6. Southern Miss 27-8; 7. Stanford 20-11; 8. Virginia Tech 23-9; 9. Texas Tech 27-12; 10. Texas 26-12; 11. Virginia 27-9; 12. Gonzaga 23-9; 13. UCLA 24-11; 14. Georgia 26-10; 15. UConn 28-7; 16. Louisville 24-11; 17. Texas State 28-9; 18. Notre Dame 21-8; 19. Auburn 24-12; 20. Oregon 24-11; 21. TCU 24-12; 22. LSU 23-12; 23. Dallas Baptist 23-12; 24. Maryland 29-7; 25. Georgia Southern 24-11 USA Today Coaches Top 25: 1. Tennessee 33-3; 2. Oregon State 27-7; 3. Arkansas 28-7; 4. Oklahoma State 26-10; 5. Miami 28-8; 6. Southern Miss 27-8; 7. Texas 26-12; 8. Texas Tech 27-12; 9. Virginia 27-9; 10. Georgia 26-10; 11. Gonzaga 23-9; 12. Stanford 20-11; 13. Virginia Tech 23-9; 14. UCLA 24-11; 15. Notre Dame 21-8; 16. UConn 28-7; 17. Texas State 28-9; 18. Louisville 24-11; 19. Vanderbilt 25-10; 20. TCU 24-12; 21. Maryland 29-7; 22. Auburn 24-12; 23. (Tie) Oregon 24-11 and LSU 23-12; 25. Dallas Baptist 23-12 SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL Georgia: It was a big day for Mike White, who got a commitment from Bradley transfer Terry Roberts (6-3, 180) and a commitment to return from guard Braelin Bridges, who averaged 12.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs last season. At Bradley, Roberts averaged 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game ... Offense lineman Amarius Mims, a former 5-star recruit, has withdrawn his name from the transfer portal and will return to Georgia next season … Former Georgia shooting guard Noah Baumann (6-6, 210) is transferring to Grand Canyon. LSU: Running back Corey Kiner, a former 4-star recruit who ran for 324 yards and two touchdowns as a backup last season, committed to Cincinnati within hours after putting his name in the NCAA transfer portal … 6-10 center Jerrell Colbert, a 6-10 center who averaged 0.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game as a freshman last year, is transferring to Kansas State. Mississippi State: Rocket Watts, who was a big deal when he transferred in from Michigan State, struggled with injuries and fitting in with what former coach Ben Howland was doing. Howland is gone now but so is Watts, who put his name in the portal Monday. Watts averaged just 4.4 points per game last season in 19 games … Forward Javian Davis, who played his freshman year at Alabama and the last two at Mississippi State, is transferring to UAB. He averaged 3.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game last season. South Carolina: Not everyone is holding hands and singing songs in Columbia where the euphoria of the spring game was tempered with the reality of the transfer portal Monday as four Gamecocks have entered the transfer portal. Gone are wide receiver Eric Shaw, tight end E.J. Jenkins and defensive linemen Devontae Davis and Jahkeem Green … Evansville combo guard Troy Boynton has committed to the Gamecocks. Vanderbilt: Scotty Pippen Jr., the SEC’s leading scorer last year, will sign with an agent and enter the NBA Draft. Pippen scored 20.4 points per game last year and finished his three-year career at Vandy with 1,577 points (17.5 per game) … Former UC-Davis point guard Ezra Manjon (5-11, 170) is transferring to Vandy. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: I keep getting asked what happened to Dan Mullen? How did Mullen let the Florida program slide off the rails to the point that Billy Napier is tasked with the most massive rebuild of UF football since the end of the Douglas Adair Dickey era in 1978. Dickey told me that what happened to the Gators was the quarterbacks dried up and without a triggerman, his wishbone offense crashed and burned. It was more than the quarterbacks, even though the Gators were forced to play Larry Ochab in 1978. Defenses were catching up to the wishbone for one thing, and kids who wanted to play in the NFL – particularly quarterbacks who liked to throw, wide receivers who liked to catch, and offensive linemen who needed to know how to pass protect – were looking for better offenses. So recruiting dried up. It didn’t start out that way for Doug Dickey, but it certainly ended that way. What saved the Gators was Charley Pell. He got the facilities upgraded, turned Gator Boosters into a powerful fund-raising arm, and began dominating state recruiting like no one had before or has since. Recruiting became turbocharged after Pell’s 0-10-1 in 1979. Those were NFL teams he recruited. Just check out the 1983 Auburn game or the 1984 roster. If Florida football hadn’t run afoul of the NCAA – far worse was going on in the SEC at the time but UF got nailed – there never would have been dynasties at Miami and Florida State. The sanctions were so severe – serious scholarship limitations, no television or bowl games for two years, SEC title stripped 1984, ineligible for the SEC title in 1985 even though UF had the best record – that Florida State and Miami started landing recruits that would have instead been playing for the Gators. I go back to the end of the Dickey era and see some similarities to the end of the Mullen era. Dickey had some outstanding teams only to see things dry up at the end. Mullen was 29-6 and then fell off a cliff (5-9) until he was dismissed. Emory Jones was better than Larry Ochab, but he was a serious dropoff from Kyle Trask. Recruiting, never a Mullen strong suit, began flatlining. Attendance lagged. Booster money slowed substantially. It didn’t start out badly for Mullen, but it ended badly. Enter Billy Napier. No less an authority than Ward Pell sees Napier as a hybrid of Charley Pell and Nick Saban. When she sees Napier she sees a young, focused coach who has a plan for everything down to the most minute detail. She sees a young coach who combines the best of Charley, the best of Nick and adds a flair of his own. Like Charley and Nick, Napier’s a relentless recruiter who, given time, will outrecruit everyone else. “He’s the golden child,” Ward told me on the phone Monday evening. “You guys take care of this one because he’s going to take you places you want to go. Mammas and daddies are going to want their boys to play for him. This coach is special. This coach is VERY special.”

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: THREE SPRING FOOTBALL OBSERVATIONS After a weekend to ponder what I saw at the Orange and Blue Game, here are three takeaways. 1. AR15 IS THE NO. 1 QB BUT DON’T SELL JACK MILLER III SHORT: Anthony Richardson threw darts and looked to have a nice grasp on the offense. On a couple occasions when he took off running, he showed that elite burst that he has. He is clearly the No. 1 guy and because of his running ability, gives the Gators the best chance to win in the fall, but don’t sell Jack Miller III short. Miller had some nice moments, but he was operating behind the No. 2 offensive line. I think he would look a lot better behind the No. 1 unit. He’s throws a very nice catchable ball. 2. THERE ARE SIX VERY GOOD OFFENSIVE LINEMEN SO HELP WANTED: These guys you can count on – Richard Gouraige, Ethan White, Kingsley Eguakun, O’Cyrus Torrence, Michael Tarquin and Josh Braun. Most of the other guys on the O-line are works in progress. I think Billy Napier needs to be looking at no less than three in the transfer portal. 3. THE BACK SEVEN ON DEFENSE WILL BE VERY GOOD; UP FRONT NEEDS HELP: I went into the game expecting to be unimpressed with the safeties. I wasn’t. Trey Dean III looked like he’s figured out that it’s okay to make plays. Rashad Torrence III is a keeper. The backups weren’t bad either. Jason Marshall III is going to be a real stud. I liked what I saw of Jalen Kimber and Jaydon Hill. Ventrell Miller is a rock in the middle. Be prepared to see Diwun Black all over the field making plays. The D-line? Help wanted for big guys who can play with Gervon Dexter. NCAA GYMNASTICS: GATORS FINISH SECOND BY .112 Despite an absolutely heroic effort by Trinity Thomas, who sealed her legacy as one of the greatest collegiate gymnasts of all time, the Gators finished second to Oklahoma by the narrowest of margins – .112 – at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth. Thomas scored another perfect 10, her sixth of the NCAA championships dating back to regionals and the 20th of her collegiate career, to give the Gators a chance but Oklahoma hit every one of its beam routines to capture the title. Thomas, who Thursday night won the NCAA all-around championship with a scintillating 39.8125, came back with a 39.8625 as she had the highest scores on vault, bars, floor and all-around. She was spectacular but there were missed opportunities by teammates to pick up tenths of a point here and there that could have provided a winning margin. Thomas has a decision to make that could send ripples through the collegiate gymnastics world. Because of the COVID season in 2020, she has a super senior season at her disposal so she could come back for the 2023 season when she is in graduate school. Megan Skaggs and Alyssa Baumann did it this year and both were rewarded with spectacular seasons. Should Thomas return, she will join a Florida lineup that will be deep and powerful with returnees Leah Clapper, Leanne Wong, Sloane Blakely, Riley McCusker and former world all-around gold medalist Morgan Hurd, who missed the 2022 season with a torn ACL. They will be joined by Kayla DiCielo (world all-around bronze) and Sophie Butler, US national team member. UF BASKETBALL: KOWACIE REEVES, MYREON JONES COMING BACK Todd Golden’s roster rebuild stands at 11 players with the announcement that Kowacie Reeves’ time in the portal was short and sweet and Myreon Jones is coming back for another year. Add those two with transfers Will Richard and Alex Fudge and the Gators are looking very good for next season, especially if Golden can hold onto signee Jalen Reed. With Tampa Catholic alum and former Morehead State defensive ace Johni Broome (6-10, 235) set to visit next weekend, Florida’s roster could go from one that struggled to keep up with the top teams in the SEC into one capable of a very big season. As it stands today, Golden has two scholarships available. Adding Broome and a pure point such would give the Gators a seriously upgraded roster. A new point who the Gators are talking to is Coastal Carolina transfer Rudi Williams (6-3, 180). UF target Terry Roberts (6-4, 180, from Bradley) visited Georgia over the weekend. Locke to Providence: Former Gator Noah Locke is leaving Louisville for Providence where he will use his COVID year of eligibility. Locke averaged 10.6 per game as a junior at UF. He averaged 9.6 at Louisville. UF BASEBALL: GATORS AVOID SWEEP AT VANDY Freshman Deric Fabian’s 10th-inning home run was the difference Sunday as the Gators (22-14, 6-9 SEC) beat Vanderbilt, 4-3, to salvage one win in the three-game series. Vanderbilt won games one and two in similar fashion, rallying from behind against the Florida bullpen to pull out a 5-4 win Friday night and an 8-6 win Saturday. When Vanderbilt rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth to send game three into extra innings, it seemed the Gators were destined to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory for a third straight game, but Fabian homered to left field on a 1-0 count to give the Gators a 4-3 lead. In the bottom of the 10th, a two-out throwing error put Vandy’s Enrique Bradfield on base and a balk put him on second with the tying run, but after running the count full, redshirt freshman Tyler Nesbitt induced a game-ending grounder to preserve the win. The Gators got out to a 2-0 lead in the first on a run-scoring single by Wyatt Langford and an RBI groundout by BT Riopelle. Jud Fabian made it 3-0 in the third with his 15th homer. Freshman Brandon Neely held the Commodores to a single run through 6-1/3 innings before he was relieved by Neely. Neely was on the verge of shutting down Vandy the rest of the way when he gave up a 2-out single and a homer in the bottom of the ninth, but he atoned for his mistake in the 10th for the first win of his UF pitching career. The Gators will be home Tuesday against Stetson and again next weekend to face No. 1 Tennessee (33-3, 14-1 SEC). The Vols will be without head coach Tony Vitello until the Sunday game. He’s serving a 4-game suspension for chest-bumping an umpire Saturday against Alabama. UF SOFTBALL: GATORS SWEEP OLE MISS DESPITE SHAKY PITCHING Tim Walton spent the entire series in Oxford with Ole Miss (29-14, 5-10 SEC) trying to patch enough pitching to salvage all three games, but despite the shaky efforts in the circle, the Gators (34-9, 11-7 SEC) got the sweep. The Gators used five pitchers who gave up 16 runs in three games, 15 of them earned, and five home runs. With the sweep, the Gators moved into sole possession of third place in the SEC. The Gators play host to South Florida Wednesday before hosting league-leader and 6th-ranked Arkansas (32-8, 11-4 SEC) this weekend. UF MEN’S TENNIS: NO. 1 GATORS FINISH UNBEATEN IN SEC PLAY The Gators (20-2, 12-0 SEC) made Senior Day at the Ring Tennis Complex special as they routed No. 21 Texas A&M (21-12, 7-5 SEC), 5-2, finishing the regular season unbeaten in SEC play. The win was the 15thstraight for the Gators, who were led by No. 1 Ben Shelton, who scored his 18th win this season over a ranked opponent. Shelton took down No. 41 Noah Schacter in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. Next up for the Gators is the winner of LSU and Mississippi State next Friday at the SEC Championships in Athens. UF WOMEN’S GOLF: GATORS FINISH SECOND IN SEC Just getting to the match play final to determine the SEC championship was an ordeal for the 10th-ranked Gators, who beat No. 4 seed Ole Miss, 3-2, Saturday morning, and No. 1 seed Auburn, 3-2, Saturday afternoon. Sunday, the Gators came up short against No. 2 seed LSU, 3-0-2, for the title. The Gators reached the match play portion of the championships by finishing in a tie for fifth place in stroke play on Friday. Next up for the Gators will be NCAA Regional play which begins May 9. UF TRACK AND FIELD: MEN’S 4X400 RELAY TEAM BREAKS NCAA RECORD At the Tom Jones Memorial meet in Gainesville, UF’s 4X400 relay team of Jacorey Patterson, Ryan Willie, Jacoby Miley and Champion Allison ran a 2:58.53 to set a new NCAA record for the event. Grace Stark ran a 12:58 100 meter hurdles, which set the UF record and is the No. 2 women’s time in the world this season. Other UF sports: Freshman Alicia Dudeney scored a 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 win over Megan Davies Saturday to give the women’s tennis team (18-5, 10-3 SEC) the winning margin (4-3) over 23rd-ranked South Carolina (13-9, 8-5 SEC) at the Ring Tennis Complex. The win secured a top four finish in the SEC regular season for UF, which gets a double bye to go with home court advantage at the SEC Championships this week. The Gators will be idle until Friday … The Gators (10-4, 3-0 AAC) won their eighth straight match and remained unbeaten in American Athletic Conference lacrosse play Saturday when they rode a 7-goal effort by Emma LoPinto for a 16-8 win over Vanderbilt (8-6, 1-2 AAC). The Gators will play host to Temple (10-4, 3-0 AAC) next Saturday in a match for the top spot in the American Athletic Conference. SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL Alabama: The first team offensive line gave up 10 (count ‘em) sacks in Alabama’s spring game … Georgia Tech transfer Jahmyr Gibbs wowed the crowd with his speed on a 75-yard touchdown run … Forwards Juwan Gary and James Rojas are transferring to Wichita State. Rojas is using his COVID year while Gary is returning to his home state to be closer to his son. Arkansas: HBC Sam Pittman has agreed to a long-term contract extension. Details to come later … QB Lucas Coley is transferring to Houston. Georgia: A lack of depth at wide receiver and an abundance of talent at tight end has speculation that Georgia will be running a lot of 14 personnel in the fall – one running back and four tight ends (Arik Gilbert, Darnell Washington, Brock Bowers and Oscar Delp) … Stetson Bennett IV is the unquestioned starter at QB with Carson Beck clearly the No. 2. Brock Vandagriff was not impressive in the spring game. Kentucky: CJ Fredrick, a 6-3 guard who was expected to be a valuable contributor at UK until he suffered a season-ending injury, announced that he will be back. Fredrick came to UK from Iowa where he was one of the top 3-point shooters in the country. Mississippi State: D.J. Jeffries, who averaged 8.9 points and 4.2 rebounds after transferring from Memphis, is on the move again …Also in the portal is Derek Fountain … The Bulldogs got a commitment from 6-10, 277-pound center Will McNair Jr., who played for new coach Chris Jans at New Mexico State. Missouri: D’Moi Hodge, who has career averages of 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists, is transferring in from Cleveland State, following his coach Dennis Gates. Ole Miss: Myles Burns, who had 17 points and 17 rebounds in the NAIA national championship game for Loyola (New Orleans) is transferring to Ole Miss. Burns averaged 4.5 steals per game for the Wolfpack. South Carolina: QB Spencer Rattler told ESPN’s Chris Low that in transferring from Oklahoma, “I was just happy to get away from a toxic situation.” Rattler won 14 games as the starting QB at Oklahoma before Lincoln Riley benched him in favor of Caleb Williams. Rattler already has an NIL deal in Columbia and has a brand new Chevy Silverado to show for it … Devin Carter, who averaged 9.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game last year is transferring to Providence. Vanderbilt: Mike Wright and Ken Seals split the reps at Vanderbilt’s spring game. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: You’ve heard that old saying, “You can’t tell the players without a program”? Well, brace yourself for what’s going to happen in the next two weeks when all hell breaks loose in the transfer portal. Billy Napier, who brought in several transfers in time for the spring semester, has warned that the Gators will be seeking “double digit” transfers. When you’re dealing with scholarships the math gets fuzzy sometimes since some guys count back against the previous year – three early enrollees by my count – and you’re allowed to replace as many as seven transferred out prior to December 15 of last year. Five left early, by my count. Napier says five walk-ons will get scholarships. Okay, here is where things get tricky trying to figure out just how many transfers there will be. By my unofficial count, adding in signees who were not on campus this spring and subtracting super seniors who are back for their COVID year, there are 82 scholarship players currently. That means for Napier to sign double digit transfers and sign the walk-ons, that means at least 12 players who were on the spring roster will be gone. Now, my numbers aren’t exact, but it’s unlikely they’re that far off. If you’re confused, don’t worry. Everybody else is, too. That’s why I keep emphasizing that all hell is breaking loose. This is not what was anticipated when the transfer rules went into effect, but they’re what we have. Get used to it.

As much as Keeter impressed Thursday evening, his counterpart at tight end was equal, if not more impressive. Dante Zanders was on the receiving end of five of Richardson’s 18 completions for a total of 56 yards. By LOREN MEADOWS GatorBaitMedia.com Football Analyst Anthony Richardson’s positive performance in the Orange and Blue game will dominate most of the news outlets. Another headline could easily be the fresh faces that are making the most of their newfound positions. The Blue Team dominated the Orange and Dante Zanders and Noah Keeter were key parts of the offensive punch. Prior to Spring practice, Gainesville native Noah Keeter was looking to find a place in the Florida program. After completion of Florida Football’s “IDENTITY” phase, the UCLA transfer wanted to “step in and fill a role” and eyed the Tight End room as his opportunity. Committed to making a transition, Keeter spent spring break studying the offense on his own. The transition became more of a necessity as Florida saw injuries limit the availability of others at the position. With his learning curve accelerated, Keeter met with Tight Ends Coach William Peagler during Spring practice daily to strengthen his understanding of the position. These efforts were rewarded Thursday evening as Keeter recorded a career changing day in his first appearance at Tight End. Keeter hauled in three passes for 53 yards and a touchdown. With family and friends in attendance, Keeter’s touchdown fulfilled a childhood dream of crossing the goal line in the Swamp for the hometown Gators. “That’s [been] my goal since I was little. On my bucket list check for sure, but I’m ready to get more.” As much as Keeter impressed Thursday evening, his counterpart at tight end was equal, if not more impressive. Dante Zanders was on the receiving end of five of Richardson’s 18 completions for a total of 56 yards. Zanders, who Billy Napier described as “the story of the Spring,” has been a significant contributor after transitioning back to tight end from the defensive line. “Dante picked it up quickly,” Napier said. “He’s loose with great ball skills -- most importantly he’s consistent.” The 6-5, 260-pound redshirt junior from Boca Raton, who has yet to make a regular season reception at Florida, could have a major role in an offense that relies on not just the ability to catch the football, but also capable blockers at the point of attack. Based on what we saw Thursday evening, Coach Napier’s offense will require the tight ends to handle a lot of information and responsibility. Zanders should continue to play a major role as the Gators evolve. “He’s a godsend,” said Napier, as he continued to talk about his Junior tight end. Given their surprising but solid performances, Noah Keeter and Dante Zanders should allow for a sounder sleep for the Florida coaches. Added insurance from an unlikely pair. Other Notes: Receivers Trent Whittemore, Justin Shorter and Ja’Quavion Fraziers had solid outings. Whittemore totaled three catches for 36 yards on three targets. Shorter had three catches for 27 yards on three targets. Fraziers, targeted 11 times, caught five balls for 53 yards with a long of 24 yards for the Orange Squad. Key Takeaways: The tight end was the most productive of the receiving positions, solid in catching the ball in short to medium yardage and blocking on the perimeter. It remains to be seen if a consistent vertical threat can emerge from this group in the future.

A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning: TRINITY TO THE RESCUE It is almost as if Trinity Thomas can will the Gators to victory. Case in point the NCAA semifinals in Fort Worth Thursday night. After the Gators had to eat three sub-9.80 scores on vault for a 49.2375 team total, which left UF in third place in the evening rotation, Thomas almost took over the entire meet. Auburn was killing it on floor and beam and Michigan got off to a 49.4875 on floor but Thomas got a rally started with a nearly flawless 9.975 on bars and this was after waiting a 10-minute delay while a faulty bars apparatus was fixed. The big score by Thomas, which earned her the national championship on bars, boosted the Gators to a 49.475, which still left them solidly behind Auburn, 99.050-98.7125. Florida picked up percentage points on the balance beam with Thomas scoring a 9.9375 aided by a 9.9125 by Megan Skaggs and 9.900s by Sloan Blakely and Leah Clapper. Auburn, meanwhile, stumbled a bit on vault – 49.350 – but still led 148.400-148.225 heading into the last event. Auburn scored well on bars – 49.4375 – but with Thomas scoring her 11th perfect 10 of the season and fifth since the NCAA Championships began with regional action, the Gators made a statement with a 49.750, the best score on any rotation in either the afternoon or evening as the Gators won the semifinal 197.9750-197.8375 over Auburn. The perfect 10 gave Thomas both the floor and NCAA all-around championships. Her 38.8125 easily outdistanced Auburn’s Sunisa Lee, who finished with a 39.675. Skaggs finished third in the all-around at 39.6625 and Leanne Wong finished fourth at 39.625. Both Florida and Auburn advanced to Saturday’s NCAA championships where they will face off with Oklahoma and Utah. This is the 18th time the Gators have advanced to the NCAA team final. Florida won the NCAA championship in 2013-14-15. ORANGE AND BLUE SUPERLATIVES Billy Napier on why the Blue team won 34-0: “The Orange team turned the ball over, right? The Orange team had more penalties, right? The Blue team took care of the ball and played with poise and discipline. We're going to look at this tape and it's going to be a microcosm of every football game we play next fall. So you've got to take care of the ball and you've got to play the situations really well. Fundamentally you've got to be sound in what you do. Blue team made some explosive plays. They were aggressive, and they finished possessions, which the Orange team didn't. We missed a field goal and then a turnover in the red area. So that game's different if the Orange team executes and scores touchdowns in the red area, doesn't turn the ball over. These are simple things, but they're hard to do consistently." Individual stats Anthony Richardson: 18-24 passing for 207 yards and two touchdowns; 6-22 rushing for one TD. Montrell Johnson: 15-62 rushing for one TD; 1-2 receiving Dante Zanders: 5-56 receiving Noah Keeter: 3-53 receiving Demarkcus Bowman: 17-61 rushing; 4-18 receiving Ja’Quavion Fraziars: 5-53 receiving Trent Whittemore: 3-36 receiving Keon Zipperer: 2-33 receiving Justin Shorter: 3-27 receiving Jack Miller III: 13-23, 121 passing, 1 interception Amari Burney: 11 tackles, 1 pass breakup Ventrell Miller: 7 tackles, 1 sack Trey Dean III: 5 tackles Mordecai McDaniel: 8 tackles Jalen Kimber: 6 tackles, 1 interception, 2 pass breakups Jordan Young: 6 tackles Diwun Black: 3 tackles, 2 pass breakups Billy Napier on Richardson: “He’s a product of his work. He’s learning a new system. Standing behind him back there, it wasn’t too big for him. He communicated well and the ball went where it was supposed to go.” Billy Napier on Zanders: “I mean he’s been the story of the spring … I mean the guy’s 6-5 ¼, he’s 260 pounds, he’s loose, he can transition, he’s got good ball skills … I mean he’s a God-send. Not only did he make the move [from D-line to tight end], that guy running out there is going to make a lot of plays for us.” Montrell Johnson on SEC speed: “Like I said, I was very under recruited guy. I feel like I can play with those guys. I’m gonna say it felt the same as the Sun Belt. It’s a difference but I felt very comfortable out there. Very confident. I’m gonna keep grinding and getting better.” Noah Keeter on the transition from linebacker to tight end: "Honestly I thought it would be a lot harder, but I was lucky. I transitioned before spring break, so over spring break I was able to study the whole break and kind of figure out the offense on my own. And I've been meeting with coach Darlington and coach Peagler pretty much every day trying to figure it out. It's definitely tight end heavy. We're pretty much run through the tight end, so you've got to know pass plays, pass combos and run combos with blocking, but I've been able to pick it up pretty fast." Billy Napier on Diwun Black: “Even when he’s wrong a little bit, he can make it right and oftentimes makes plays. He is productive on a consistent basis … During Identity Program I wrote his name down multiple days where he’s probably the gold standard when it came to effort in the program. The guy’s bought in.” UF BASEBALL: GATORS FACE VANDY IN NASHVILLE The Gators (21-12, 5-7 SEC) will try to climb back above .500 in SEC play tonight when they square off with Vanderbilt (23-9, 5-7 SEC) in Nashville. The two teams are tied not only in the SEC East standings but also for 17th nationally in the USA Today Coaches Top 25 Poll. Florida has won five of the previous six series with the Commodores. The last time the Gators lost a weekend series to Vandy was 2018 when the Commodores got a sweep. The Gators will send lefty ace Hunter Barco to the mount to face Vanderbilt right hander Chris McElvain (4-2, 3.59 ERA). UF SOFTBALL: GATORS 7, OLE MISS 4 Kendra Falby and Skylar Wallace each delivered a 2-run double in the top of the fifth inning Thursday night in Oxford, highlighting a 5-run explosion that helped the Gators (32-9, 9-7 SEC) take a 7-4 win over Ole Miss (29-12, 5-8 SEC) in the first game of the 3-game series. The Gators scored their runs in bunches. In the third inning, Charla Echols broke open a scoreless game with a two-run double that drove home Falby and Wallace, then in the fifth, the Gators pushed five runs across for a 7-0 lead. The Rebels rallied for four runs in the bottom of the sixth off Elizabeth Hightower (11-4, 2.78 ERA), but Natalie Lugo came on to pitch the seventh to pick up her second save of the season. Wallace raised her batting average to .442 with a 3-hit night. She also added her SEC-leading 35th stolen base. Falby, Echols and Katie Kistler each had two hits. The Gators will face Ole Miss at 2 p.m. today. The game was moved up to early afternoon because of inclement weather expected in Oxford later in the day. UF WOMEN’S GOLF: GATORS IN FOURTH AT SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS The 10th-ranked Gators were +11 for the day Thursday in Birmingham as they dropped two spots to fourth place through two days of the SEC Women’s Golf Championships. The Gators are 12-over for the tournament, exactly 12 shots behind 20th-ranked Auburn, 11 behind 3rd-ranked South Carolina and eight behind 14th-ranked LSU. Marina Escobar Dominga, who had an opening round 67, was 6-over Thursday but she continues to be Florida’s low scorer at 145. Maise Fuller shot even par 72 for Florida’s low score of the day. SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL Arkansas: Stanley Umude, second on the team in scoring at 11.9 and a 37.1 percent 3-point shooter, is hiring an agent and declaring for the NBA. Georgia: Tight end Brock Bowers, who made All-America last year as a true freshman, has landed a hefty NIL deal with Zaxby’s. LSU: Tight end Nick Stortz, who medically retired from football during the 2021 season, is apparently healthy again because he’s back on the roster. Missouri: New basketball coach Dennis Gates has hired Dickey Nutt, brother of former Arkansas and Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt, as an assistant coach. Nutt had a 279-304 record as a head coach at Arkansas State and Southeast Missouri State. South Carolina: Tim Buckley, who spent the last three years as an assistant at UNLV, has completed the staff for new South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Nobody is going to rank the Florida Gators in their all-too-early top 25s, at least not until Billy Napier does his roster makeover in the next couple of weeks. There is every good chance 15-20 players are currently listed on the Florida roster won’t be here in a couple of weeks. Some of them have already seen the light and they will be hellbent to get their names in the NCAA transfer portal even before they schedule their exit interview with Napier. Others will go into that meeting hoping and praying they don’t hear these words: “You are never going to see the field here at Florida. Perhaps you should think about putting your name in the portal.” No kid wants to hear those words, but this is the college football world in which we are living and it’s not going to change. Now that players have their free agency, they aren’t going to give it up. There should be some tweaks made to the process for sure. I’ve advocated several times that for a kid should not be granted immediate eligibility when he transfers unless he has a 2.5 GPA. That’s not that difficult to achieve. Secondly, a kid should not be allowed immediate eligibility if he is under suspension when he enters the portal. Finally, a true freshman should have to spend one year on campus before he is allowed to transfer. That prevents an impetuous, spur of the moment decision based more on anger or upset than common sense. Those changes won’t prevent anyone from transferring out, but they might slow down the flow even by a slight trickle and that’s something we need. We also need some way to reel in NIL. I’m not advocating eliminating it completely because that just isn’t going to happen, but we need some rules, regulations, guidelines and structure to it because kids are using the portal to shop for NIL deals. That in itself isn’t a terrible idea, but people who have far more insight into this than I say kids are creating NIL inflation by not being truthful about NIL deals. Do we need some sort of registry so there can be a record of NIL deals? That’s a bit drastic but how else are we going to stop kids from gaming the system by lying about NIL deals they may or may not have received?

Camp Napier concluded Thursday night at The Swamp before an announced crowd of 45,000 that came from all parts of Florida for the Orange and Blue Game. How close that was to the actual number of warm bodies in the stadium is anybody’s guess. There is no guesswork when it comes to Florida’s No. 1 quarterback, however. If there were any doubts that Anthony Richardson is THE man then they were erased in the first half of the Blue Team’s 34-0 win over the Orange when Richardson completed 13-15 of his passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns. AR15 finished the game completing an efficient 18-24 of his passes for 207 yards while running for 22 more and another touchdown. It made for a pleasant night for first year head coach Billy Napier, who said the atmosphere was “even better than I expected to be honest with you.” This was the 15th and final time Napier will see the Gators on the field until August, so he had reason to be happy with what he saw, but there was no time to wait for the euphoria of a first night in The Swamp to wear off. There were recruits waiting and that was a far greater priority than answering questions from the media, so he cut the question and answer session in the South End Zone meeting room short to get in a few last words before the recruits headed off into the night. The high school kids will get plenty of follow up communication from Napier’s assistants and the “army” of analysts and support people whose sole purpose in life is to spread the Florida gospel. When Napier presides over the staff meeting at 7:45 in the morning, no doubt he’ll be asking a lot of questions about the high school kids, but bet the farm and everything else you hold sacred that talk will shift to roster management. Specifically, Napier is going to have to make some very hard decisions. The spring football game was fun for everyone, head coach included. Having to deal with who may or may not be a Gator past May 1 is probably the most difficult aspect of Napier’s job. Napier admitted he has some talented players, just not enough of them, and not every one of the players who saw the field Thursday night is talented enough to ever sniff the playing field moving forward. He is going to have to be brutally honest and tell some kids they just don’t fit into the long range scheme of things. It can’t be fun to conduct an exit interview when you have to tell a kid whose lifetime dream might have been to play for the Florida Gators that he’s just not good enough, especially if you know the kid you’re talking to has tried his very best to do everything the right way. How do you suggest to that kid that if he has a future in football at Florida other than as a member of the meat squad that he ought to put his name in the NCAA transfer portal, knowing fully well there will be at least a thousand kids who transfer out who won’t have a scholarship next year? But that’s one of the things Napier is going to have to do in the next couple of weeks. Something else he’s going to have to do is re-recruit players he would like to keep who might be leaning toward a transfer. That is an unintended consequence of the transfer portal. It’s not just about acquiring new talent that elected to change scenery from St. Somewhere Else, but also about re-recruiting players on your own roster who have talent but may not be feeling the love. “A guy goes in or the rumor mill starts swirling this guy is going in,” Napier said. “That's why we have an entire group of people in the back that's what they do every day. Bird Sherrill, Chase Clark and that crew, we're working on college personnel every day.” It is the job of Sherrill, Clark and the Crew to know who’s leaving, who’s thinking about leaving and who needs to be coaxed to stay. It’s all part of roster management. It is more than simply dealing with attrition. It has everything to do with having enough good players to compete at the highest levels. One you know who is with you and who you need to be without, then you can set about the task of finding some players. Florida needs a bunch of them. Five walk-ons, Napier told us a couple of weeks ago are going to get scholarships. Tackles Kaleb Boateng and Mark Pitts are probably two of them. Another might be Noah Keeter, who was conscripted from linebacker when three scholarship tight ends went down with spring-ending injuries. All Keeter did Thursday night was catch three passes for 53 yards and a touchdown. He’s played defense all his life but he looked like a natural pass catcher in the Orange and Blue Game. Heading into the spring, the thought was the Gators were close to being over the 85-scholarship limit, but when five walk-ons are about to get scholarships and the head coach says not only will UF be very active in the transfer portal, but will be looking to sign 10 or more, then that says there will be quite a bit of attrition. It is expected that by May 1, the transfer portal ranks will swell by at least 1,000 players nationwide who are convinced they need to find that green pasture of their football dreams. The majority of players in the portal have no business dotting an SEC roster, so finding replacements has to be a very selective process. Napier isn’t into hit or miss when it comes to adding plug and play types from the portal. “From a personnel standpoint and everything that we do, we want to make every decision in the best interest of the team,” Napier said. “There will be an opportunity. I don't necessarily think we’d turn down any good player, a player that can get it in our two deep and make our team better, that’s what we're looking for.” Without coming right out and saying so, Napier essentially declared what we all know, that in the Southeastern Conference you better have a minimum of a two-deep that is game ready. That’s just to compete. If you’re going to win, you better go well beyond the two-deep with players close enough in the developmental process that they can go to whatever level is next when a second teamer answers the next man up bell. Injuries are just a reality in the SEC. No league sends more players to the NFL. This is a league where the players are bigger, stronger, faster and they hit harder, which means there will be injuries so you better have a roster full of good players to deal with them. So it will be off to the portal for Napier and the Florida Gators. Key in, for a moment if you will, on that statement about not during down a player who can fit into the two-deep. That very well may have been a hint that Napier doesn’t think Florida has 44 SEC-caliber players ready to go this fall. If that’s the case, then where does he go to find them? "I mean typically I would say there's some sort of relationship with most of these kids, a pre-existing relationship,” Napier said. “You have knowledge of the player, maybe someone in the building recruited the player, someone in the building's connected to the area.” Running back Montrell Johnson, right guard O’Cyrus Torrence and backup right tackle Kamryn Waites were with Napier at Louisiana. Napier knew Ohio State transfer quarterback Jack Miller III from when he was the offensive coordinator at Arizona State back in 2017. Corner Jalen Kimber, who transferred in from Georgia, was from Mansfield, Texas, a place where Napier and the Rajin Cajuns recruited regularly. “So far of the young, the players that we've added to our team, we had a connection with them before they got here,” Napier said. “I think that's what you're going to see for the most part going forward.” Because the players Napier will be recruiting from the portal will be expected to play right away, those pre-existing relationships will help to minimize the risk. Nothing is perfect in evaluating players, but every precaution has to be made to bring in the right players. The advantage Napier and his staff will have these next two weeks when they hit the portal hot and heavy is that they have that “army” or support people and analysts who have been making their lists and checking them twice since they arrived on campus. They’ve been looking over players already in the portal as well as scouring rosters to find players likely to transfer. If you were at The Swamp Thursday night and you have a roster, you might want to hold onto it for comparison sake because in the fall there might be a whole lot of players who played in the Orange and Blue Game who are plying their trade somewhere else. Is it necessarily fair that college football has reached this point? Not necessarily so, but it’s the way the rules are written now. Get used to it.

Thought by some to be the least talented group of Gator receivers in almost a decade, they will need to continue to grow for a successful 2022 season. By LOREN MEADOWS GatorBaitMedia.com Football Analyst WIDE RECEIVERS The Florida Wide Receiver Room has come under much scrutiny since the end of the 2021 season. Once the strength of the Florida program, graduation and transfers have left the group with a number of physically impressive but relatively unproven players with a lack of depth. Thought by some to be the least talented group of Gator receivers in almost a decade, they will need to continue to grow for a successful 2022 season. Departed wide receiver coach/passing Game Coordinator Billy Gonzalez had a track record for getting his wideouts to the next level. Throughout spring practice, Wide Receiver Coach Kerry Colbert has preached “consistency,” and “simplicity,” with a focus on efficiency at the top of their pass routes which is sometimes the difference between completions and the ball falling aimlessly to the ground. During the Orange and Blue Game, many will be looking at what kind of improvement, explosiveness and big play ability this group could bring to the offense in Billy Napier’s first season. Players to Watch: #4 Justin Shorter (R-Sr.), #14 Trent Whittemore (R-Jr.), #3 Xzavier Henderson (R-So.), #0 Jaquavion Fraziers (Jr.), #82 Ja’Markis Weston (R-Jr.), #81 Daejon Reynolds (R-Fr.) Justin Shorter — The elder statesmen and most accomplished of the group, Justin Shorter brings a relentless work ethic and excitement for the game. At 6-5, 228, Shorter has the measurables to possibly emerge as the No. 1 outside option in the Florida passing game. With 66 career catches, Shorter will need to continue to develop as a route runner as well as look to win the 50/50 balls that can separate many receivers from good to great. A very good blocker on the perimeter, the ability to separate with speed and bringing home the deep ball will be key as he looks to improve his 12.4 yard per catch average. Trent Whittemore — When healthy Trent Whittemore has been a consistent performer for the Florida Gators. Recruited as an athlete, Whittemore has shown the ability to make catches in traffic and help the Gator offense move the chains the past two seasons. Whittemore’s consistency could be a steadying factor in a highly scrutinized group searching for an identity and respect. That consistency will only improve if Whittemore can maintain his health and handle a possible increase in volume and responsibility after spending half of Spring practice in limited capacity. Xzavier Henderson —Tall and lean, Henderson possesses a high level of top end speed, and the ability to perform in the return game. Henderson is a former 400m state champion with a long stride who could emerge as a deep threat for the new Gator offense. Henderson has shown improved lateral quickness on routes and an improved catch radius. This should allow him to improve on his 12.1 yards per catch average and become the bonafied deep threat that you see with receivers of similar size and speed. Ja’Quavion Fraziers — Dunnellon’s Ja’Quavion Fraziars is poised to make an impact and push for significant playing time this season. Playing mainly on special teams, Fraziars has appeared in 20 games over the course of his career. This game experience has equated to a player who practices hard with a positive attitude. Fraziars will look to improve on his career stats of 6 catches for 39 yards. Consistency will be key as Fraziars looks to show the ability to get open often and cement a place in the rotation week to week. Ja’Markis Weston — Gator fans have been waiting for Weston to reach the high ceiling that was set for him when he was introduced in the Class of 2019. An under-the-radar recruit, Weston was praised by the former staff as a hard worker with immense potential. In 2021 he served as one of the primary kick returners at the beginning of the season while playing sparingly out wide. Florida will need Weston to show continued improvement in his route running and catch radius to gains snaps and bolster the depth of the group. Daejon Reynolds — Throughout the Spring, keen observers have been impressed with Reynolds. Extremely strong, with the ability to run after the catch, Reynolds will have many eyes on him during the Orange and Blue Game. Reynolds, who suffered a knee injury in 2020, is said to be fully recovered and playing faster than he actually looks. This ability could allow him to be a factor in the slot for the Gators, due to a lack of a proven receiver with elite lateral quickness inside. Others to Watch: #86 Jordan Pouncey (6th), #39 Fenley Graham (R-So.), #88 Marcus Burke (R-Fr., inj) After the final scrimmage of the spring, Coach Billy Napier spoke of the receivers saying: “I think we have a group of players that I think can play winning football. “The receiver position is like every position on our football team. “We have a good group of ones we can run out there, a couple two’s, then after that we need improvement.” The passing game will be center stage in the Orange and Blue Game. It has been since 1989. Thursday night’s game should be no exception. TIGHT ENDS This Spring, no room has dealt with more injuries than Florida’s tight ends. This has caused Napier and his staff to convert two former defensive linemen, a linebacker and a long snapper to tight end in order to have the bodies necessary for practice. This has also led to many questions as in the past, Napier’s offenses have relied on multiple tight end sets, and the signing of three tight ends in the 2022 recruiting cycle indicates that trend should continue. Despite the injuries, the group is said to be “working hard” according to Tight Ends Coach William Peagler and The Orange and Blue game should give us some insight to those efforts. While we don’t look to learn much from the game about this group there are a couple in the group that could stand out. Players to Watch: #9 Keon Zipperer (Sr.), #18 Dante Zanders (R-Sr.) Keon Zipperer — With 25 catches and for 309 yards and 3 touchdowns, Zipperer is by far the most experienced and most talented tight end. While used as an off-the-line blocker, Zipper has improved his in-line blocking and just a week ago had what Coach Peagler called “his best practice of the spring.” Slightly undersized, Zipperer will need to improve as a route runner and someone who the offense can count on to be a mismatch when teams load the box to stop the run. After sharing snaps for the past two seasons it will be interesting to see how he handles an increased work load in both the passing and running game. Dante Zanders — Zanders began his career at Florida as tight end, moved to defensive line, and now is back at tight end. Zanders, who appeared in 12 games on defense and special teams last year, has impressed many this spring including Coach Peagler who said that he is “very fired up” about Zanders’ ability to help the team in the fall. It will be interesting to see how far Zanders can go in his reeducation at the tight end position. Working as a blocker first and then possibly becoming a serviceable option as a pass catcher. Others to Watch: #97 Griffin McDowell (R-Sr.) #48 Noah Keeter (R-Jr.), #42 Rocco Underwood (R-Fr.), #84 Nik Elksnis (R-Fr.), #87 Jonathan Odom (R-So.) The three tight ends in the 2022 recruiting cycle are all more of the hybrid (pass-catching) variety of the position. However, the run game will be a major component of the Florida offense going forward. The blocking ability of Zipperer and Zanders will be on display for evaluation Thursday. However, when the injured players like Elksnis and incoming freshmen arrive in the summer and fall, we look for the group to have a different tone altogether. Don’t be surprised if Coach Napier’s aggressive transfer portal utilization expands the Tight End Room.

They’ll Be Called “The Game Changers.” Because That’s What Billy Napier Expects Them To Do. By KYLE CURTIS GatorBaitMedia.com Over the last decade, Florida Gator special teams have been a roller coaster. From having All-SEC kickers in Evan McPherson and Eddy Pineiro to starting walk-ons, it has been eventful. For 2022, the Gators will return senior kicker Chris Howard, who went 7x9 on field goals in 2021 with a long of 42 yards. There were times last year when Dan Mullen decided to test Howard’s limits because he lacked of confidence in the kicking game. There has been a promising buzz around spring practice about Howard’s improvement this year. Along with Howard, freshman Trey Smack is expected to enroll in the program later this summer. Smack is expected to give Howard competition, although Howard still probably has the edge with his experience. Long snapping for Howard will either be Marco Ortiz or freshman Rocco Underwood, who has been taking snaps at tight end due to injuries. The position of punter remains solid. Australian Jeremy Crenshaw was one of the few bright spots in 2021, ranking as one of the top punters in the league. He will once again have punting responsibilities this upcoming season. In the case of kicking and punt returns it will be by committee. For punt returning responsibilities Xzavier Henderson and Fenley Graham will take the reins. Graham appeared in just six games last year without much of an impact. He only fielded punts in just one game last year. Expect Graham to get some opportunities as the season progresses. Henderson fielded punts last year and will probably start the season doing the same. Henderson had 23 punt returns in his redshirt freshman campaign for 162 yards with a long of 33 yards. The kick returners will consist of the speedy backs and Graham. Both Lorenzo Lingard and Demarkcus Bowman will take kickoffs and Graham will be sprinkled in. There is also a chance that other wide receivers or backs will take kickoffs. Both Lingard and Bowman have big-play potential and breakaway speed. Napier has made it a point to say games could be won in all three phases, even to the point of giving special teams the name “Game Changers.” That should tell you how special he feels the special teams are and going to be.

Appropriate that AR-15 is being hoisted by O-Lineman Rich Gouraige (Chris Spears Photo) "Richardson is the most athletic QB I’ve seen since Cam Newton passed this way, but, of course, he lacks the intangibles of a Tebow, such as fiery leadership and a Braveheart commitment." You could call it QB Statue U. Which is what it looks like outside Steve Spurrier Florida Field /Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The Gators are proud of their quarterback heritage. Except, Tim Tebow doesn’t live here anymore. Some people do speculate that Florida’s quarterback in waiting has Tebow-like talent. These next few days and months are going to tell us a little about that. If the quarterback is coming to the rescue this year -- meaning Anthony Richardson -- it’s going to take a much larger supporting cast than he has at present. That’s exactly what Billy Napier is working on at the moment. And we may be getting a glimpse of that in the Orange and Blue Game. We love to see him run and jump and throw. Even Tebow referred to Richardson as a “freak” in some of his early projections of the 6-4, 235-pound phenom from Gainesville Eastside. The truth is, however, that Napier’s going to need more than flash and dash. The smartest people I know with insight into the quarterback position would like to see him maybe with more clash and bash. For sure less dashing. Keep in mind, however, that AR-15 is no battering ram and has been given to injury. And so while pulling down the ball and eschewing the pass in favor of scrambling will no doubt be in AR-15’s repertoire, it just can’t be his main weapon. Oddly enough, this version of #15 is even more athletic than was the #15 with a Heisman Trophy, but what Billy Napier lacks is the comparable offensive unit around Tebow and the thundering hoofbeats of the quarterback with a tailback‘s tough mentality . Richardson is the most athletic QB I’ve seen since Cam Newton passed this way, but, of course, he lacks the intangibles of a Tebow, such as fiery leadership and a Braveheart commitment. With a player as talented as AR-15, it’s easy to fall in love with his skill set. If he were a baseball player, he’d be a five-tool athlete. When we last saw Richardson before his injury at the end of 2021, the whole team was in a tailspin and there was nothing much to judge. The good news was that he did not test the transfer portal and that he recovered from surgery in time to begin taking snaps from Day 1 in spring ball. So what's ahead for him? First off let’s lose the unfair #15 to #15 comparison right now. Richardson must learn to play the position. That means having the patience to stand tall in the pocket, withstand the oncoming heat and work through his progressions. Even when he thinks he could probably step to the side to avoid the rush and make two yards, he must keep reading or throw the ball away. Which he what he is learning, but it may take a minute for him to play like that at a high level. This is where Napier, himself a college quarterback, will be constantly grooming, mentoring and coaching up this promising young talent. The good news is that Richardson’s new quarterback acumen has apparently kicked in, causing his coach to comment optimistically on the newfound capacity for learning and retaining the playbook. We’ll have a better idea how he performs under fire following Thursday night’s Orange and Blue Game, but without full-go blitz packages. That, however, is not the only Work In Progress. The entire offensive unit must begin to take shape quickly, since ranked Utah is coming to The Swamp in under 4 1/2 months. (Note to self: So far every Way Too Early CFB Poll for 2022 has the Utes ranked No. 7 or higher.) Some of that will be determined by how successful Napier’s mining of the transfer portal turns out. He announced that he’s definitely going on a talent search to fill out his three-deep roster, which is currently only a two-deep. As my GatorBait colleagues have written in this current issue on pre-season analysis, this team has depth at secondary and running back. With the arrival of Jack Miller, plus holdovers Jalen Kitna and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, quarterback is adequate. Although reports are that the O-Line is shaping up under Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton, there will no doubt be a need for help on both lines of scrimmage, a tight end and a speedy wide receiver or two. Once the roster is set, then it’s time for Napier to build his team and all that comes with nurturing, molding, motivating, blending nutrition/conditioning and mental discipline. Then it’s time for execution of the vision. If it were possible to grade Napier on matters of comportment, restructuring of staff and navigation of a new system, I’d give him an A. As far as we know, Napier has kept his players out of trouble and has been successful getting them to class. Now comes the tough part: How does that all translate to success on the field? What he calls “playing Winning Football.” Much of that will fall at the feet of his quarterback, or quarterbacks. Coaching Richardson into good habits could be worth a win or two by itself. Clearly that means he must take a step forward in good decision-making and consistent play. This could be enhanced greatly by having a strong running game to take the burden off AR-15. So the integration of units is critical for not just Richardson. Mixing all this into one pot, there is the challenge of coordinating a new staff of nearly 50 people. The simple task of just a roll call of coaches and communication with them cannot be taking lightly. The good news: It’s an impressive bunch. Out with the old — excessive penalties for illegal motion, interceptions, improve the turnover ratio. Others have discussed this already in this current GatorBait issue, but there’s a whole new chapter to be written on defense and Napier has the coaches to do it, from Co-Defensive Coordinators Patrick Toney and Sean Spencer to Assistant Head Coach/Cornerbacks Corey Raymond. Frankly, if they could just keep a team like LSU from running the same play for what seemed 100 times, improve tackling and making an occasional third down stop, that would be a massive improvement. Still, most fans will want to put the blame on the quarterback if it goes wrong. When it comes down to success, Anthony Richardson may not quite be capable of leading the Florida Gators to a championship yet. However he can start by leading them out of the wilderness. And sooner than we think. That’s what the coaches, fans and media have to remember. It’s gotta start somewhere. Why not here? Now.

A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: IT’S FOOTBALL TONIGHT … SORT OF The Gator Nation will get its first glimpse of Billy Ball, football style, tonight when the Orange and Blue Game is played at The Swamp (7:30 p.m., SEC Network+/ESPN+). Anthony Richardson will quarterback the Blue team while Jack Miller III will quarterback the Orange team. The way the rosters are broken down, it would seem that the Orange team will have the No. 1 defense and the No. 2 offense, while the Blue team will have the No. 1 offense and No. 2 defense. If we go by the rosters this is what appears to be the No. 1 offense and defense: No. 1 Offense: QB Anthony Richardson; RB Lorenzo Lingard; TE Dante Zanders; LT Richard Gouraige; LG Ethan White; C Kingsley Eguakun; RG O’Cyrus Torrence; RT Michael Tarquin; WR Justin Shorter; WR Marcus Burke; WR Xzavier Henderson No. 1 Defense: DE Princely Umanmielen; DT Gervon Dexter; DT Desmond Watson; OLB Brenton Cox Jr., ILB Ventrell Miller; ILB Amari Burney; OLB Chief Borders or Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr.; CB Jason Marshall Jr.; CB Jaydon Hill; S Trey Dean III; S Rashad Torrence II The game will be played in four 15 minute quarters with a running clock. If it’s typical of spring games. Richardson and Miller will play half the game, turning it over to Carlos Del-Rio Wilson and Jalen Kitna for the second half. The offense will be pure vanilla with some long passes thrown in to excite the fans and the defense will be a base 3-4 with no blitzing allowed. The idea for the game is to give the fans a show and get out without anyone getting hurt. And, the moment the game ends and the post-game press conference concludes in the South End Zone meeting room, you can expect every coach and staffer to be working high school recruits attending or working the transfer portal. UF GYMNASTICS: GATORS START QUEST FOR NCAA TITLE There isn’t a hotter gymnastics team in the country than the second-seeded Florida Gators, riding high into the NCAA Gymnastics Championship semifinals tonight in Fort Worth (6 p.m., ESPN2) on the heels of a 198.775 score – top score in the nation this year and the third highest score all time in an NCAA gymnastics meet – to win the Auburn Regional. The Gators will be the top seed in the evening session with No. 3 Michigan, No. 7 Auburn and No. 11 Missouri. The top two teams will advance to the championship on Saturday against the top two teams from the afternoon session – No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4 Utah, No. 5 Alabama and No. 8 Minnesota. The Gators feature the nation’s top gymnast in Trinity Thomas, who scored four perfect 10s – two in the semifinals, two more in the finals – at the Auburn Regional. Thomas had a 39.900 all-around score in the championship round, the highest score in the nation so far and the fifth highest score in NCAA history. Thomas has 18 perfect 10s in her career, 10 this season. She is only the seventh gymnast in the 40-year history of the NCAA sponsoring the sport, to record ten perfect 10s in a single season. Freshman Leanne Wong had a 39.875 all-around at the Auburn Regional, which ties Thomas for the second highest all-around score this year. Six times this year an all-around score of 39.850 or higher was scored. Five of those scores were turned in by Thomas and Wong. The Gators come into the event with seven scores of 198 or better this season (best in the country) and five of the 20 highest team scores in the country. UF BASKETBALL: TWO IN, ONE OUT This is that time of the year when you can’t tell the players without a program. That’s true of both football and basketball, and it will only get worse in the next two weeks as the NCAA May 1 deadline approaches. Athletes from sports such as football and basketball have to be in the portal by May 1 for immediate eligibility. It’s precarious after May 1 because then athletes have to go through the waiver process which is dicey. Wednesday, new head basketball coach Todd Golden and the Gators successfully welcomed transfers Will Richard (6-5, 195, from Belmont) and Alex Fudge (6-8, 190, from LSU). That was the good news. The bad news was Kowacie Reeves put his name in the portal per Travis Banham of 247Sports. More on that later. Richard visited Florida last weekend and committed on Sunday but it was only announced as official Wednesday. He averaged 12 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last season at Belmont. He is a combo guard who rebounds and defends well enough to play the small forward. Richard has three seasons of eligibility remaining. Fudge, a Jacksonville native who prepped at Robert E. Lee, is a former 4-star recruit who played in 29 games for LSU, averaging 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. He is a lights out scorer who is particularly dangerous when he puts the ball on the deck and heads for the rack. Fudge also has three seasons of eligibility remaining. Reeves (6-6, 180) is somewhat of a surprise. The former 5-star recruit had a sensational game against Texas A&M at the SEC Tournament and played well against Xavier in the NIT. When he didn’t immediately enter the transfer portal when Mike White left for Georgia it was thought he would be staying with UF. He still could since Banham reports that Florida will remain an option when he makes his decision about next season. There is plenty of speculation that Reeves wants to stay at Florida, but is going to dabble in the portal to see what kind of NIL deal he can get. Colin Castleon, after all, elected to stay at Florida after the Gator Collective offered him an NIL deal that made staying at UF financially worthwhile. There are all sorts of reports that Castleton is getting somewhere between $100,000 and $300,000 to stay. And speaking of Castleton, he is having his torn labrum surgically repaired. This is a 4-5 month rehab process so he should be in very good shape by the time the Gators open their season in November. UF SOFTBALL: GATORS OPEN 3-GAME SERIES WITH OLE MISS TONIGHT Coming off a 12-7 win over No. 2 Alabama Monday evening, the 10th-ranked Gators (31-9, 8-7 SEC) hit the road for a critical SEC series with Ole Miss (29-11, 5-7 SEC) in Oxford. Tonight’s game (7 p.m.) will be broadcast on SEC Network+. The Gators will face Ole Miss Friday at 6 p.m. and finish the series at 1 p.m. Saturday. This is the third SEC road series for the Gators, who own series wins over Texas A&M and Auburn. The Gators come into the game second in the SEC in pitching (2.22 ERA), first in fielding (.982) and fourth in hitting (.328). Shortstop Skylar Wallace is making a serious bid for SEC Player of the Year. She’s hitting .411 with 49 runs scored, four triples, five homers, 33 RBI and 33-35 in stolen bases. SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL Alabama: Freshman guard JD Davison is off to the NBA. He averaged 8.5 points and a team-high 4.3 assists per game last season. Auburn: Former Auburn quarterback Jeff Klein has passed away. Georgia: Mike White pulled off one of his better recruiting jobs Wednesday because Kario Oquendo, Georgia’s leading scorer last season at 15.2 points per game, has withdrawn his name from the transfer portal … White is working the portal to try to lure Dayton transfer Elijah Weaver (6.6 points per game last season) and UConn transfer Corey Floyd Jr. (didn’t play as a true freshman). Kentucky: Small forward Dontaie Allen announced that he will be transferring to Western Kentucky. He averaged 2.2 points in 19 games last season. LSU: Freshman guard Justice Williams is the second LSU basketball player to withdraw from the portal to play for new coach Matt McMahon. A former 4-star recruit, he averaged 1.7 points per game last year. Missouri: Head football coach Eli Drinkwitz says that landing recruits Luther Burden, Dominic Lovett and Mookie Cooper give the Tigers “a chance to be really explosive.” South Carolina: In discussing last season’s surprising 7-win season, football coach Shane Beamer told Paul Finebaum, “It’s such a thin line between winning and losing. Yes, we won seven and that could have easily been nine and that easily could have been five in some ways.” Texas A&M: Former 4-star offensive lineman Derick Hunter, who has played in 18 games since signing in 2019, has entered the transfer portal.” ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Maybe the powers that be didn’t listen last week when Dabo Swinney went on a rant about the direction in which college football is headed. Maybe they will now because Nick Saban has weighed in and he told the Associated Press, “I don’t think what we’re doing right now is a sustainable model.” Saban says he is happy NIL allows players to make some money, but that’s not the problem as he sees it. Recruiting? That’s another story altogether. “[NIL] creates a situation where you can basically buy players,” Saban said. “You can do it in recruiting. I mean, if that’s what we want college football to be, I don’t know. And you can also get players to get in the transfer portal to see if they can get more someplace else than they can get at your place.” When Texas A&M signed what some are calling the greatest recruiting class of all time, there were all sorts of rumors out there that Aggie boosters, using NIL as their cover, spent as much as $30 million to lure the players to College Station. Jimbo Fisher went on a post-signing day rant claiming the Aggies were pure as the driven snow. Maybe he liked the sound of what he had to say, but not a lot of people were actually buying it. Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss certainly wasn’t. “We don’t have the funding resources as some schools with the NIL deals,” Kiffin said in February when responding to the Aggies outrecruiting everyone in the nation. “It’s like dealing with salary caps. I joked I didn’t’ know if Texas A&M incurred a luxury tax with how much they paid for their signing class.” Saban is right. Dabo is right. So is Lane Kiffin. College football is about to be altered in ways that were unthinkable not all that long ago. We have current players making millions and we have a kid like Long Beach Poly quarterback Nico Iamaleava who has an $8 million NIL deal before he plays his senior season in high school and even before taking a single snap at the University of Tennessee, where he is committed. And indeed, we do have players testing the NIL waters in the portal, selling themselves to the highest bidder. There are no rules because the NCAA chose to okay NIL even before some common sense guidelines were in place. Instead of something that could have prevented the utter chaos that we now have, we have a wild west show going on. “We now have an NFL model with no contracts but everybody has free agency,” Saban said. “It’s fine for players to get money. I’m all for that. I’m not against that, but there also has to be some responsibility on both ends, which you could call a contract so that you have an opportunity to develop people in a way that’s going to help them be successful.” Some might say that Saban complaining about money changing hands to lure recruits or from one school to another is like the proverbial pot calling the kettle black, but whether or not you think Alabama has been known to spend a few dollars here and there to – shall we say – enhance recruiting isn’t the point. The point is, Nick is right. This is unsustainable.

Linebackers are possibly the most experienced unit on the team. Many are looking to see what this group will bring to the defense. By LOREN MEADOWS GatorBait Media.com Football Analyst DEFENSIVE BACKS Excitement surrounds the Florida defensive backs due to an influx of young talent along with the return of a solid veteran presence. Cornerbacks Coach Corey Raymond, thought by many to be the foremost authority on cornerback play at the college level, has infused confidence and swagger in the group. The top cornerbacks are a group of four underclassmen who look to establish themselves in the SEC. The safeties, coached by Co-Defensive Coordinator Patrick Toney, will be the key to the veil that disguises the “CREEPER” defense. There has been positive feedback from the top players in this group, with Trey Dean calling the defense “breathtaking.” The defense is built on chaotic simplicity cohesively creates problems for the opponents passing game. Corners Players to watch: #3 Jason Marshall Jr. (So.), #23 Jaydon Hill (R-Jr.), #24 Avery Helm (R-So.), #8 Jalen Kimber (R-So.) Jason Marshall Jr. -- Marshall could be on his way to becoming another dynamic cornerback at Florida. Marshall possesses excellent ball skills and is very physical at the line of scrimmage. The challenge for him will be his ability to handle the top receiver of Florida’s opponents on a week-to-week basis. Jaydon Hill -- Hill was poised to have a solid 2021 campaign before an ACL injury ended his season in 2021 fall camp. He amassed 25 tackles and 10 passes defended in 22 career games. If he can remain healthy and focused both on and off the field, he will be a solid addition to the cornerback rotation as a starter or key contributor. Avery Helm -- Helm started at defensive back in 9 of 11 games for the Gators. His experience against some of the nation’s elite pass catchers should allow for continued growth under Coach Corey Raymond. Standing 6-1, Helm has a long frame which should allow him to hold up against some of the taller receivers the Gators will face in the coming season. Jalen Kimber -- Georgia transfer Jalen Kimber brings loads of potential to the cornerback room. The former four-star prospect from Mansfield, Texas was a prospective starter at cornerback before a shoulder injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Kimber has been limited during spring practice but has worked with the top half of the rotation when practicing. Look for him to push both Hill and Helm for snaps when healthy. Safeties Players to Watch: #0 Trey Dean III (5th), #22 Rashad Torrence (Jr.), #16 Tre’Vez Johnson (Jr.), #5 Kamari Wilson (Fr.) Trey Dean III -- Dean returns for his 5th year in the Florida secondary. Dean has played corner, STAR (nickel), and safety during his time in Gainesville. This versatility and ability to adjust makes Dean as the unquestioned leader of the unit. Dean will look to improve on his open field tackling and ball hawking skills while leading a group of safeties looking to take the next step. Rashad Torrence -- Starting at safety in all 13 games of 2021, Rashad Torrence should be the perfect running mate for Dean in the Florida secondary. Torrence has recorded 111 total tackles along with 3 interceptions. He will look to improve on those numbers as safeties Coach Patrick Toney simplifies the schemes, allowing Torrence and others to play faster. Torrence is a big hitter who will need to become a surer tackler on every down. Tre’Vez Johnson -- Mainly playing STAR, Tre’Vez Johnson will be asked to be the jack of all trades of the Florida defense. Johnson will be asked to become a more consistent tackler while covering the slot receiver and tight ends. Johnson struggled at times with some of the faster receivers Florida faced. However, with a simplified system the junior, who has appeared in 22 total games and should be much improved in 2022. Kamari Wilson -- A 5-star recruit, Kamari Wilson arrived at Florida as a top 3 safety and consensus top 5 recruit. While limited in the spring, Wilson showed flashes in the last couple practices that warranted mention as a possible contributor. It wasn’t known how much Wilson would play in the Orange and Blue Game so it will be interesting to monitor his development through the summer and fall. Others To Watch: #13 Donovan McMillon (So.), #26 Kamar Wilcoxson (R-So.), #32 Mordecai McDaniel (Jr.), #20 Corey Collier Jr. (R-Fr.) Turnovers, turnovers, and more turnovers. The Florida defensive backs will be tasked with taking the ball away on a consistent basis as the look to restore “DBU” in Gainesville. LINEBACKERS Possibly the most experienced unit on the team. Many are looking to see what this group will bring to the defense. The return of stalwart Ventrell Miller gives Toney’s defense a leader who is a tackling machine. Outside linebacker Brenton Cox Jr. wants to break the Florida single season sack record (13). Linebacker Coaches Jay Bateman (inside) and former Florida great Mike Peterson (outside) have been positive about the way this group has played. Their ability to handle coaching and adjust to a new system has been has been lauded. The challenge will be to get them to consistently play hard, line up correctly and be a better tackling unit in 2022. Inside Linebackers Players to Watch: #51 Ventrell Miller (6th), #2 Amari Burney(5th), #15 Derek Wingo (Jr.), #30 Diwun Black (Sr.) Ventrell Miller -- The most experienced player in the group, Miller has appeared in 38 games over the course of his Florida career. His 2021 campaign was cut short due to injury and Miller said “I didn’t feel right leaving without having a good year to finish out.” A two-time SEC Defensive Player Of The Week, Miller could become an All-SEC performer if he can maintain his health and improve his playmaking -- particularly against the pass. Amari Burney -- Burney is a versatile 5th year player who has also spent time at STAR and safety while at Florida. Burney will look to improve in getting off blocks and becoming a more consistent every down linebacker. Burney expects his fellow linebackers to be “aggressive,” which should allow the versatile Burney to showcase his ability. Derek Wingo -- Many will look to Wingo to reach the potential that made him one of the top recruits of the 2020 recruiting class. Wingo has been thought by many to have been underused by the last coaching staff. It will be interesting to see how Bateman and Toney utilize the charismatic linebacker. Wingo brings a championship pedigree to the linebacker room which should only bolster this experienced unit. Diwun Black -- No player has excited fans of on the defensive side of the ball than Diwun Black. Reports of phenomenal athleticism and speed have been a daily occurrence regarding the JUCO transfer. While Black spent time at STAR last season, he did appear in 10 games. Black will certainly be called upon to provide energy to the defense, possibly in a situational role as a third down linebacker. However, if the rumors are true he could also be in the mix even more frequently. Others To Watch: #17 Scooby Williams (R-Fr.) Outside Linebackers Players to Watch: #1 Brenton Cox Jr. (R-Sr.), #52 Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. (R-So.), #4 David Reese (R-Sr.), #36 Chief Borders (R-Fr.) Brenton Cox Jr. -- Cox took the time to look up the stats at bio of his position coach, Mike Peterson. What he found was a football player who played extremely hard on every snap. Peterson has challenged Cox to do the same. No one questions the ability of the former 5 -star recruit, will he be motivated every time he takes the field? Brenton Cox has his sights set on the sack record of former Gator Alex Brown. Motivation enough. Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. -- A quick first step is what Powell-Ryland Jr. initially brings to the table. Next is the ability to accept his role and the coaching that goes along with it. Powell-Ryland should provide depth at the outside linebacker position, particularly on passing downs. David Reese -- In four years at Florida we have yet to see the best of David Reese. The oft-injured 5th year-senior could be called upon to provide depth at the outside linebacker position. Reese came to Florida as another versatile player with the ability to line up at many positions of the defense. The Orange and Blue Game could provide insight to what his role could be going forward. Chief Borders -- The former 4-star recruit is on his way to getting the most out of his time. The initial Danny Wuerffel Man of the Month, Borders has not only potential as a football player but is clearly a leader on and off the field. Borders brings a long 6-4, 230-pound to the table. This should allow him to be effective holding the edge and as a pass rusher. Others To Watch: #99 Lloyd Summerall (R-Jr.) The Gator front seven was much maligned during the 2021 season. This group more than any needs to show that they are capable of playing winning SEC football on a week to week basis. Playing hard, lining up correctly, and tackling must be the norm. It was once said, “you don’t practice defense, you play defense.” Well there it is.