Rob Sale comes from the highest level and hopes to develop an NFL-like line. (UAA Photo) Like Sale, Stapleton is a tough guy but that’s the kind of coach Billy Napier requires. Tough guys who know their craft yet know how to communicate it well enough that 19-22-year-olds can grasp the concepts easily and quickly. By FRANZ BEARD GatorBaitMedia.com Senior Columnist Rob Sale has a pretty simple answer to the question why do the Florida Gators have two offensive line coaches. It’s a concept that worked well for five of the six years when Urban Meyer was the head coach – the Gators won national championships in 2006 and 2008 with Steve Addazio and John Hevesy splitting the duties – but in the years before and the years since Meyer left, it’s been one O-line, one coach. “It’s the way they do it in the National Football League so that’s the way we do it here,” Sale said after one of Florida’s early spring practices. Sale played for Nick Saban on LSU’s 2003 national championship team. Last year he was the O-line coach for the New York Giants. He’s back to the college game, working with head coach Billy Napier for the fourth year. They were together a year at Arizona State when Napier was the offensive coordinator and three years at Louisiana when Napier landed his first head coaching gig. Now they’re back together and they’re joined by Darnell Stapleton, who started on the offensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers when they won the 2008 Super Bowl. Like Sale, Stapleton is a tough guy but that’s the kind of coach Billy Napier requires. Tough guys who know their craft yet know how to communicate it well enough that 19-22-year-olds can grasp the concepts easily and quickly. Sale and Stapleton have taken over a Florida offensive line that has had some tough guy moments in the past – the Alabama game last year, for example when the Gators bullied the Crimson Tide for three quarters – and some like the loss to Missouri when the Gators ran the ball 38 times and managed only 93 net yards. If there is one area on the offensive side of the ball that has to get better for there to be any measure of success in 2022, it has to be in the trenches where the two coaches have to get a unit that is viewed largely as underachieving to improve dramatically. Stapleton says improvement begins with communication. “We keep it real,” he says. “We don’t sugar coat it. We’re not going to tell you something is going to be easy because that would be a lie. College football in general is hard. Playing in the SEC is even harder. You might as well think of this as the NFL with academics. If we sit there and sugar coat it and tell young men that hey everything is going to be flowers, cupcakes and cotton candy, then we’re lying to them.” Two coaches. One offensive line. Five players trying to play as a true unit, cohesive and always in synch with each other. On one play they have to do their best impersonations of ballerinas, feet dancing as they slide left or right in pass protection, arms punching to get at the chest of the incoming rusher. On the next play they want to go beast mode as they try to impose their will physically on the guys across the line. Then there is the matter of discipline. The Gators ranked 119 in penalties last season. False starts were a problem as was holding. Those are the kind of penalties that Napier believes are controllable and must be eliminated. Eliminating discipline penalties like false starts begins with focusing on the small things. Small things, when practiced enough become routine and routine, if done the right way, becomes a big thing. “Coach Sale, Coach Stape, those guys are preaching to us keep working on the little things – work on your hands, work on your feet, work on anything that you’ve been struggling with,” says Richard Gouraige, a fixture as the starter at left tackle. “If we do that as a team and communicate and play hard, there is no doubt that we can be successful next year.” What spring practice has told the two O-line coaches and Napier is there is no shortage of willingness to do whatever it takes to get better. Everybody is happy with the attitude but beyond a handful of players who have actually started multiple games, experience is in short supply and that is a concern. “Yeah, you know I think it's a position where we've got a handful of players that can play, you know?” Napier said. “And then, I think every team, I mean every position on our team, we need more players, right? We need more depth. I think the offensive line is a reflection of the entire team. I mean, we have a pretty good first group we can put out there, and if you really evaluated the team relative to experience, this is a very inexperienced team. After the first team if you look at the experience, the number of plays that a lot of these guys have played, they haven't played any. So we have a lot of work to do to develop that second and third group.” If you go by experience, then Florida’s first unit offensive line will probably look something like this at Thursday night’s Orange and Blue Game: LT Richard Gouraige; LG Ethan White; C Kingsley Eguakun; RG O’Cyrus Torrence; RT Michael Tarquin Between those five are 86 career starts, but 64 of the starts belong to Gouraige (29) and Louisiana transfer Torrence (35). The other 22 starts belong to White (7), Eguakun (13) and Tarquin (2). Beyond those five, the most experienced offensive lineman is Josh Braun, who has seven career starts but has played in 24 games, and Richie Leonard, who has one start and eight games. Riley Simonds and Will Harrod have been around for three years, but they’ve pretty much played only on field goals and extra points. Special teams for an offensive lineman is nice since it gets you on the field, but it’s not the same kind of blocking. Field goals and extra points is about holding off whoever is in front and being quick enough to slide over to prevent someone coming through a gap. So there is reason for Napier to be concerned with the kind of experience that translates into starts or a chance to be in the regular rotation. All told there are 13 scholarship linemen including five redshirt freshmen who have gone through Camp Napier. One of the redshirt freshmen is Louisiana transfer Kamryn Waites, the largest Gator at 6-8, 358. “I never felt so small around another person,” is how Gouraige puts it. Sale says, “If you had to cut one [offensive lineman] out of a cardboard box, that’s the way you would want him to look.” Two walk-on linemen are likely to be among the five who get scholarships after spring practice finishes. There are two signed incoming freshmen. That’s 17 bodies altogether. For now. The question is how many will still be here when the May 1 deadline arrives for players to be in the transfer portal, ensuring they don’t have to go through the waiver process for immediate eligibility? Some of these linemen who have been here for two or more years and who have yet to challenge for a job will possibly think they’d rather get a fresh start somewhere else than spend another year in obscurity, so the portal will be their escape hatch. Of course the transfer portal doors swing both ways. It gives and it takes away. Napier’s buddy Mel Tucker, a friend since they were on Nick Saban’s Alabama staff together, turned Michigan State into a national power when he dipped into the portal for 21 players including a starting left tackle from the Sun Belt Conference, the place where Napier spent the last four years becoming a winning head coach. Napier has already made it clear the Gators will be open for business and active in the portal, perhaps following the Tucker blueprint. “We took over a program, we've had a number of things that have caused attrition on our team,” Napier said after Florida’s first scrimmage. “I mean, we're literally going to give five walk-ons scholarships this spring, so we have spots available. So, the University of Florida, you can anticipate us being very aggressive in the portal this spring. We need players. “Now, I think the approach is going to be, you know, acquire as many good players as we can at any position, right? So, you know, we're thin and we need help in a lot of different spots. So, I think we have, we're approaching double digits if that makes sense. So, you know, I think it's fortunate that we have that opportunity, right? It's something I'm very thankful for, you know? Can't imagine not having that opportunity at this point. So, that window of time is coming. We anticipate doing a lot of business and we're looking forward to it." With so few experienced linemen at his disposal, Napier will be looking for plug and play types that can immediately step into the rotation. To make it through a season in the Southeastern Conference, it’s essential to have 10 linemen ready to go with the rest either picking up reps on special teams or taking a redshirt while they grow their bodies into SEC ready. The Gators have six who have started multiple games and one other who has a start. What that should tell us is that of the 10 or more new faces that Napier expects to bring in through the transfer portal, we can expect at least four will be offensive linemen with actual game experience, preferably as starters. OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (17) Richard Gouraige (6-5, 310, RSR): He is a mainstay at left tackle. He has played in 38 games with 29 starts – 12 at left tackle, 12 at right tackle and five at right guard). He’s a solid run blocker and proven pass protector. O’Cyrus Torrence (6-6, 335, SR): He is a two-time All-Sun Belt Conference performer at Louisiana, an absolute road grader type on the inside but quick enough that he could slide out to right tackle. He comes to Florida with 35 games of starting experience. Ethan White (6-5, 334, SR): He started seven games at left guard last year and played in one other game. He’s played in 18 games but has to stay healthy. If he can stay healthy he can be a real beast. Kingsley Eguakun (6-4, 305, RJR): He started all 13 games at center last year and is expected to be the starter in the fall. He has 27 games of experience and is versatile enough to slide over to guard. Josh Braun (6-6, 357, JR): He will be in the rotation in the fall, perhaps as the third guard since he played in all 13 games at both left and right guard with seven starts. Because he was recruited as a right tackle out of Suwannee County, there is some speculation that he could slide over to the outside in the fall. He has 24 games of experience. Michael Tarquin (6-5, 301, RJR): He is expected to emerge as the starter at right tackle. Played in 12 games in 2021 at both left and right tackle. Got two starts. He has played in 25 games in his career. Riley Simonds (6-3, 301, RJR): This is probably a make or break spring. Simonds played in 10 games last year, mostly on special teams. He’s played in 15 games in three years since choosing the Gators over Alabama and LSU out of high school in Georgia. Will Harrod (6-5, 333, RJR): This is an important spring for Harrod, who has played in 18 games in three years, nearly all of them on special teams. He came to Florida as a tackle, but is he quick enough? Kaleb Boateng (6-4, 287, RJR): A Clemson transfer and former 3-star recruit out of St. Thomas Aquinas, Boateng was not on scholarship in 2021. He is expected to be on scholarship starting in May. Richie Leonard (6-2, 315, RSO): He played in eight games last year and got one start. He played guard and was the backup center to Kingsley Eguakun. He is the likely second team center this year. Austin Barber (6-6, 311, RFR): He will be a backup tackle. As a true freshman last year he played in three games including Florida’s Gasparilla Bowl game with UCF. Yousef Mugharbil (6-4, 311, RFR): He didn’t play in a single game last year and redshirted. He was a tackle in high school, but his size would seem to indicate that he will move inside to guard. Jake Slaughter (6-5, 302, RFR): He was recruited out of Trinity Catholic as a center. He played in one game last year and redshirted. Very bright guy who has the intelligence needed to make all the line calls. Mark Pitts (6-6, 322, RFR): He’s a walk-on who probably will get a scholarship. A local product out of Buchholz, Pitts got a redshirt last year although he did play in four games, all of them on special teams. He’s got the kind of size to play on the outside. Kamryn Waites (6-8, 358, RFR): Waites transferred in from Louisiana and has been impressive. He will figure in the rotation. He is a late bloomer, a basketball player who didn’t take up football until late in life. Signed (2): David Conner (6-5, 295); Christian Williams (6-4, 319)

The two off-season additions to the room were four-star recruit Travis Etienne, brother of current Jacksonville Jaguars running back Trevor Etienne. The other was a sophomore transfer from Louisiana that played for Napier last year, Montrell Johnson. By KYLE CURTIS GatorBaitMedia.com With the departure of Dameon Pierce and Malik Davis to the NFL draft, the Florida Gator running back room took a hit but was able to rebound and reload in a big way. Run-heavy coach Billy Napier will need it. All running backs in the room will have a chance to shine and establish themselves in this offense. The two off-season additions to the room were four-star recruit Travis Etienne, brother of current Jacksonville Jaguars running back Trevor Etienne. The other was a sophomore transfer from Louisiana that played for Napier last year, Montrell Johnson. Johnson, Sun Belt Freshman of the year and second team all-conference, has been impressive in spring scrimmages. Last year he ran for 838 yards and 12 touchdowns and added 6 catches for 53 yards. He has had an outstanding spring in the eyes of the coaches and will make an immediate impact. Returning for another year from last year’s Gator team are former five-stars Lorenzo Lingard (redshirt senior) and Demarkcus Bowman (redshirt sophomore) along with junior back Nay’Quan Wright. Wright served as a change of pace back last year and has emerged as a leader of this team. He had 76 carries for 326 yards with one rushing touchdown along with 14 catches for 178 yards and another touchdown. He is expected to have a bigger role in this year’s offense and just recently has recovered from an ankle injury. Wright, Bowman, Lingard and Johnson will all play a significant role in the offense. While Etienne is a talented back, it is likely he takes a backseat in his freshman campaign. Both Bowman and Lingard were some of the most highly recruited backs in their class. Through injuries and transfers, both players have struggled to find their homes. Their skill set has never been in doubt, however, and Bowman has been showing some of that in spring ball. Florida’s four-headed dragon backfield could give Gator opponents a nightmare preparing for each week. The running backs will be the focal point of the offense. It is hard to say that there is a feature back when each back brings something new to the table.

A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning: HUGH HATHCOCK’S BIG GIFT JUST THE LATEST COUP FOR SCOTT STRICKLIN The $12.6 million pledge by longtime Gator booster Hugh Hathcock to the University Athletic Association is the largest single donation in the history of the Florida athletic department. A portion of the gift will pay for long-needed upgrades to the basketball practice facility while the rest will go toward the UAA Facilities Master Plan. Currently, Gator Boosters has commitments of $148.8 million toward athletic director Scott Stricklin’s long range plan to upgrade facilities, which for years have lagged behind the rest of the Southeastern Conference. Stricklin has never been given enough credit for what he’s doing to not just upgrade facilities, but pay for them. Jeremy Foley had a remarkable career as Florida’s athletic director, but facilities and fund raising were never his strong suits. Facilities ranked in the lower third of the SEC when Foley retired, in large part because he never embraced fund raising, which is an every day job that never ends. Stricklin has reversed that trend and slowly but surely the entire Florida athletic plant is being upgraded without a T. Boone Pickens type who gifted $165 million to Oklahoma State athletics. Florida does not have the kind of booster money they have readily available at Texas A&M or the big name billionaires who regularly donate big bucks to Arkansas, but Stricklin keeps plugging away and the results are impressive. Compared to Okie State, the Aggies or Arkansas it’s a nickel and dime approach, but it’s getting the job done and it will lead to bigger donations in the future. Stricklin also doesn’t get enough credit for shrewdly renegotiating contracts. Dan Mullen was paid a flat $12 million when he was fired last year. When Stricklin renegotiated Mullen’s deal with a three-year extension it eliminated the provision to pay a substantial portion of his yearly salary for every remaining year on his contract. Millions were saved. The way Mike White’s contract was re-written, Georgia ended up paying UF $1.2 million when White elected to take the job in Athens. NAPIER: HOW NIL FITS INTO HIS “HOLISTIC APPROACH” TO UF FOOTBALL When it comes to NIL, Billy Napier sees it as a positive that will pay dividends for the University of Florida, but it’s only part of his approach to building and developing a roster. He sees NIL as a positive since 99 percent of all players in college football won’t play in the pros, but can indeed make some money off the game. Napier talked about how NIL fits in with his plans for Florida football after Saturday’s scrimmage: “It’s about a holistic approach. It’s about leadership, development and character education. It’s about creating experiences for the player so that their perspective changes on life, their approach changes while they’re a student. We want to have a place where we’re using football and football’s not using them, if that makes sense, and I think NIL is another part of our organization and it’s one that we need to have a very specific plan. And there’s no question that it’s part of competition now, it’s part of the package, it’s part of the decision-making process. So, I don’t think it should be the sole reason that a young man chooses a school. I think there’s gotta be something about being on the team, the passion for the game and experiences and the people you meet along the way. So we’re fortunate that we have an incredible product to sell here. And I’ll say it again, I think NIL is going to be a strength for the University of Florida to go along with all these other things that I just talked about. We play in the SEC, we play in the most competitive conference in all of football and if you can do it here you can do it anywhere. So again, I think it’s going to be a strength for the University of Florida.” UF BASEBALL: GATORS BLANKED BY FSU, 5-0 For all practical purposes, this game was over before the second out was recorded in the bottom of the first inning last night in Tallahassee. Back-to-back, one-out homers by Alex Toral and Brock Mathis off Florida starter Nick Pogue gave the Seminoles a 3-0 lead. It might as well have been 3,000-0 because the Gators couldn’t touch four Florida State pitchers, who allowed just two hits and struck out 14. Florida managed just six baserunners the entire game and mounted one scoring threat. In the top of the fourth, Sterlin Thompson led off with a double to left center. BT Riopelle reached on a one-out walk and Josh Rivera loaded the bases when he walked with two outs, but the Gators couldn’t deliver a hit when they needed it the most. The 17th-ranked Gators (21-12, 5-7 SEC) travel to Nashville this weekend to face Vanderbilt (23-9, 5-7 SEC). SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL Alabama: Offensive lineman Tyler Steen, a 3-year starter at left tackle for Vanderbilt, is transferring to Alabama. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining and is expected to start somewhere on the Bama OL this season … Running back Camar Wheaton, a former 5-star recruit in 2021, is transferring to SMU. Arkansas: Saturday’s spring game will be a scrimmage format with the No. 1 offense going against the No. 2 defense and the No. 2 offense against the No. 1 defense. Auburn: Spring practice is over and done with, but there is no clearcut starter at QB. Asked if Oregon transfer Robbie Ashford could win the starting job from TJ Finley or Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada, HBC Bryan Harsin said, “We haven’t named a starter as far as I know.” Georgia: On the Saturday Down South Podcast, Paul Finebaum said he doesn’t think Georgia will repeat as national champion. “I think they’ll be very good. The Stetson Bennett conversation will carry us for a long time, but there’s just so many missing parts ... They’re really good. They’re a top five team but they’ve lost too much” … Former Clemson assistant Antonio Reynolds Dean has been named associate head coach by Mike White. An Atlanta native, Dean played collegiately at Rhode Island. Kentucky: Jacob Toppin will enter the NBA Draft but won’t hire an agent, leaving open the possibility he could return for a final season at UK. Currently, Toppin is not listed on the first or second round of any mock draft so this is likely an exploration to discover what he needs to do to improve his draft stock next season. LSU: Former 4-star recruit Eric Gaines, who averaged 9.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game mostly coming off the bench last year, is transferring to UAB … Mwani Wilkinson has withdrawn his name from the transfer portal and will remain at LSU, the first scholarship player to elect to stay for new basketball coach Matt McMahon. Mississippi State: Former 4-star point guard Cam Carter, who averaged 2.2 points per game last year, is in the transfer portal … Explaining on the Saturday Down South Podcast why he’s not exactly enamored with 3rd-year football coach Mike Leach, Paul Finebaum said, “Mike Leach peaked on day one as the head coach at Mississippi State when he beat LSU. We all went crazy. What’s he done since?” Missouri: Former Northern Iowa forward Noah Carter, who was a top transfer target for Florida coach Todd Golden, has committed to Missouri. He averaged 15 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for UNI last year. Ole Miss: Jarkel Joiner, who led Ole Miss in scoring at 13.2 points per game despite missing 10 games with injury and illness, is in the transfer portal. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Nico Iamaleava is a 6-6 rising senior quarterback from Long Beach, California who is committed to Tennessee. He is supposed to be the next great thing, which is why he has an NIL deal reportedly worth $8 million while still in high school. He draws rave reviews when he throws a football with what is described as laser-beam accuracy. Already Tennessee fans are salivating over the possibilities that Iamaleava will lead the Vols to their first national championship since Tee Martin did it with the 1998 team that went 13-0. Why, he’s so good, they’re thinking that he could do something Peyton Manning never did, which is win the Heisman Trophy. Weren’t they thinking something similar at Ohio State last year when Quinn Ewers skipped his senior season at a Texas high school so he could sign a humongous NIL deal worth millions while leading the Buckeyes to the playoffs and future national championships? Big oops there. Ewers arrived in Columbus, bleach blonde mullet and all, and found himself buried on the depth chart. He played something like four snaps in a game that the Buckeyes had already won by 40-zillion or so points. It turns out the Buckeye locker room was less than impressed. Ewers was lonelier than a Maytag repairman so he transferred to Texas where he’s now in a steel cage death match for the starting job with Hudson Card, who was Casey Thompson’s backup last year. Ewers may or may not pan out as the next great thing, same for Iamaleava. Investing millions in high school quarterbacks before they’ve ever tried to read a college defense or complete a pass against a cleverly disguised zone doesn’t seem like the brightest thing in the world to do, but as my grandmother always told me, some people have more money than they have brains. Maybe all Ewers needs is a change of scenery to lead the Longhorns to their first national championship since Vince Young did it back in 2005. Maybe. It’s entirely possible he will be pretty good but fall short of greatness a la Brock Berlin or – perish the thought – be the biggest bust since Bobby Sablehaus. At least Ewers has a pretty good idea how much better the competition is at the collegiate level. Iamaleava doesn’t have a clue what that will be. Maybe he will indeed be the next great thing, but he’ll have to prove it in the Southeastern Conference, where, last time I checked, they still play football at LSU, Alabama and Georgia which have won the last three national championships. Let’s see. LSU won with Joe Burrow, who spent his first two years at Ohio State and didn’t really blossom until year four, long after the high school luster had worn off. Alabama won in 2020 with Mac Jones, who sat three years before he got his chance and, whose best offer prior to Alabama was Kentucky back when UK wasn’t very good. Georgia won last year with Stetson Bennett, a former walk-on who transferred to juco and then got a scholarship offer only because someone decommitted in 2020. He was supposed to sit behind Jamie Newman in 2020 and JT Daniels in 2021. None of those guys arrived at the school where they won the national championship with anything close to the expectations of Iamaleava or Ewers. Next great things have this habit of being anything but and yet now that we’re in the age of NIL, next great things can get $8 million deals when they’re still in high school. I don’t begrudge kids the opportunity to make some money off of name, image and likeness but millions for kids who haven’t made the big step from high school at the toughest position in the game seems a teensy bit much, don’t you think? If Ewers becomes a big star at Texas and Iamaleava sets the world on fire at Tennessee, it will mean more rolls of the NIL dice in the future. That’s good for kids on their way up if Ewers and Iamaleava succeed, but if they bust, it might make some people with more money than brains hesitate before a ginormous roll of the dice.

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: CASTLETON RETURNS: HUGE RECRUITING COUP FOR TODD GOLDEN The fact that Colin Castleton will return for one more season is a huge recruiting coup for new basketball coach Todd Golden, but it’s also proof of what happens when the proverbial stars and planets align. Castleton labored through the 2021-22 season with a torn labrum that has to have surgery. Still he made All-SEC for the second straight year, led the Gators in scoring (16.6), rebounding (9.0) and blocked shots (62) despite missing six games because of his injury. The injury prevented Castleton from even practicing from mid-January onward. In his two seasons with the Gators, Castleton has averaged 14.4 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. The injury will require surgery and a rehab process that can last as long as five months. That probably would have torpedoed Castleton’s NBA Draft status but he could have still gone to the G-League next year or transferred out. There would have been no shortage of offers if Castleton had put his name in the portal, but Golden convinced him that he could better his game with one more year at Florida. Then Golden got a helping hand from the Gator Collective with an NIL deal that easily exceeded what Castleton could have made in the G-League. The stars and planets aligned. That the Gator Collective got involved and came up with a financial package for Castleton is a good sign for Golden, whose current roster counting signees Jalen Reed and Denzel Aberdeen plus transfer commitment Will Richard leaves three openings that can be filled either by high school, junior college or transfers. Not only does Golden have to convince kids that Florida basketball is on the upswing, but he’s got to do battle with NIL deals. Getting help from the Gator Collective will send a message to recruits that Florida does know how to play this game as well. With Castleton returning, the current Florida roster looks like this: Big guys (4): Castleton (6-11, 235, 5th-yr SR); Jason Jitoboh (6-11, 285, 4th-yr JR); CJ Felder (6-7, 230, 4th-yr JR); Reed (6-10, 232, FR/Signed) Wings (2): Niels Lane (6-6, 206, 3rd-yr SO); Kowacie Reeves (6-6, 182, SO) Guards (4): Myreon Jones (6-3, 175, 5th-yr SR); Elijah Kennedy (6-3, 185, SO); Richard (6-5, 195, SO/TR/Committed); Aberdeen (6-4, 175, FR/Signed) NAPIER: PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE For fairly obvious reasons – he’s still getting to know which players are capable and which ones might need to be moving on – Billy Napier hasn’t gone into specifics about individual players this spring. That hasn’t stopped him from discussing progress and consistency. Asked Saturday if he’s seeing consistent improvement, Napier provided this: "No doubt. I think the film this week has been much cleaner. I tell the staff all the time, I should be able to look at the script and look at the offensive play and the defensive call and tell you what’s going to happen. That’s when you’re coaching. We know, hey, we call this running play against this coverage and this front, I know where the ball is going to go and who should make the tackle. We’re getting closer. We don’t do that every play, obviously. I think you could flip a coin probably that first week. I think the tape last week was cleaner, right, in particular on defense. I thought we took some steps forward. But overall, there’s no doubt the football is cleaner. So, yes, I do think we have consistency improved.” UF BASEBALL: NO. 17 GATORS TRAVEL TO FSU Fresh off a weekend series win against then 2nd-ranked Arkansas, the Gators (21-11) travel to Tallahassee tonight for their second of three non-conference games with Florida State (18-13). The Gators, now No. 17 in the USA Today Coaches poll (23 in D1Baseball and 20 in Collegiate Baseball), own a 6-3 win over the Seminoles a couple weeks ago in Jacksonville. When the Gators met the Seminoles two weeks ago, Kevin O’Sullivan used a committee approach, which is likely tonight since he will be saving his more experienced arms for the weekend series in Nashville against Vanderbilt. Purnell SEC Co-Freshman of the Week: Closer Blake Purnell had a brilliant week in which he picked up a win and a save against Arkansas. In four appearances, Purnell had a 1.29 ERA, allowing just five hits in seven innings with zero walks. For the season, Purnell is 3-2 with three saves, a 1.19 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 26-1/3 innings. D1Baseball Top 25: 1. Tennessee 31-1; 2. Miami 26-6; 3. Oregon State 24-7; 4. Texas Tech 27-8; 5. Oklahoma State 2309; 6. Arkansas 23-7; 7. Texas 24-10; 8. Virginia 26-6; 9. Louisville 23-8; 10. Notre Dame 20-5; 11. Southern Miss 23-8; 12. UCLA 22-9; 13. Georgia 24-8; 14. Gonzaga 21-8; 15. LSU 23-9; 16. Dallas Baptist 21-10; 17. Auburn 23-10; 18. UConn 24-7; 19. Texas State 24-9; 20. Arizona 22-10; 21. Virginia Tech 20-8; 22. Stanford 17-10. 23. FLORIDA 21-11; 24. Alabama 21-12; 25. Ole Miss 19-12 USA Today Coaches Top 25: 1. Tennessee 31-1; 2. Oregon State 24-7; 3. Miami 26-6; 4. Texas Tech 27-8; 5. Arkansas 23-7; 6. Oklahoma State 23-9; 7. Texas 24-10; 8. Virginia 26-6; 9. Notre Dame 20-5; 10. Georgia 24-8; 11. Louisville 23-8; 12. LSU 23-9; 13. UCLA 22-9; 14. Southern Miss 23-8; 15. Gonzaga 21-8; 16. Arizona 22-10; 17. (Tie) FLORIDA 21-11 and Vanderbilt 22-9; 19. Dallas Baptist 21-10; 20. Texas State 24-9; 21. UConn 24-7; 22. Auburn 22-10; 23. Stanford 17-10; 24. Maryland 25-7; 25. Wake Forest 25-7 Collegiate Baseball Top 30: 1. Tennessee 31-1; 2. Miami 26-6; 3. Louisville 23-8; 4. Oklahoma State 23-9; 5. Virginia 26-6; 6. Arkansas 23-7; 7. Notre Dame 20-5; 8. Texas Tech 27-8; 9. Texas Tech 27-8; 9. UCLA 22-9; 10. Texas 24-10; 11. Vanderbilt 22-9; 12. Arizona 22-10; 13. Georgia 24-8; 14. Auburn 22-10; 15. Stanford 17-10; 16. Oregon State 24-7; 17. LSU 23-9; 18. Texas State 24-9; 19. UC-Santa Barbara 21-8; 20. FLORIDA 21-11; 21. Oregon 21-11; 22. Rutgers 25-6; 23. Wake Forest 25-7; 24. West Virginia 20-10; 25. UConn 24-7; 26. Cal Poly 20-12; 27. Southern Miss 23-8; 28. Gonzaga 21-8; 29. Grand Canyon 23-11; 30. Central Michigan 18-10 UF SOFTBALL: GATORS SALVAGE FINAL GAME AGAINST NO. 2 ALABAMA A 6-run fourth and a 3-run sixth powered the 10th-ranked Gators (31-9, 8-7 SEC) to 12-7 win over No. 2 Alabama (33-6, 10-5 SEC) Monday night at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium, salvaging one win in the weekend series against the Crimson Tide. Trailing 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth and facing Tide All-America Montana Fouts, the Gators batted around to take a 9-5 lead with three hits, only one of which left the infield. A hit batter, a walk, an error and three wild pitches turned the inning into a nightmare for Fouts and reliever Lexi Kilfoyl. In the sixth, the Gators added three insurance runs on an RBI bloop single by Charla Echols and a two-run single by Samantha Roe. Picking up the win in relief for the Gators was Lexi Delbrey (10-2). Freshman Reagan Walsh hit her sixth homer of the season to go with a 2-run single and a sacrifice fly. Roe had two singles and two RBI while Hannah Adams went 3-4. The win ended a 3-game losing streak for the Gators who hit the road Thursday for a three-game set with Ole Miss (29-11, 5-7 SEC). D1Softball Top 25: 1. Oklahoma 36-0; 2. Alabama 33-6; 3. Virginia Tech 29-5; 4. Florida State 37-4; 5. UCLA 32-5; 6. Arkansas 28-7; 7. Northwestern 27-6; 8. Oklahoma State 21-7; 9. Duke 32-5; 10. FLORIDA 31-9; 11. Arizona State 28-5; 12. Kentucky 27-9; 13. Georgia 33-8; 14. Texas 30-10-1; 15. Washington 22-11; 16. Tennessee 26-12; 17. Clemson 30-10; 18. UCF 34-10; 19. Oregon State 31-9; 20. Oregon 24-11; 21. Michigan 23-13; 22. Auburn 29-9; 23. Notre Dame 30-7; 24. San Diego State 27-11; 25. Stanford 26-10 SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL Alabama: Guard Britton Johnson has put his name in the transfer portal. Arkansas: Guard Chance Moore, a former 4-star recruit, is transferring to Missouri State. Auburn: Monday morning on WJOX, Paul Finebaum painted an on thin ice picture for Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin. Finebaum said, “Now, the question I have is if the record doesn’t improve dramatically, are the powers that be, who were ready to pull the trigger in January: Are they going to say, ‘Okay, let’s give this guy a couple more years?’ Based on what I saw in January, I don’t think that is a true statement.” Georgia: Noah Bauman, who averaged 8.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game last year, is now the 10thBulldog to go into the transfer portal. Bauman previously played at Southern Cal and San Jose State. LSU: Former 5-star point guard Brandon Murray is transferring to Georgetown. Murray averaged 10 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game … Former 4-star point guard Cam Hayes, who averaged 7.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 2021 is transferring in from North Carolina State. Missouri: Tre Gomillion, a 6-4 shooting guard who averaged 10.5 points per game last season at Cleveland State, is following Dennis Gates to Missouri. He is a graduate transfer who has one season of eligibility remaining … Javon Pickett, who averaged 11.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game last season is transferring to Saint Louis. Texas A&M: Wide receiver Caleb Chapman, who caught 28 passes for 413 yards and three touchdowns in his A&M career, is in the transfer portal. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: “What happens to college sports if Congress gets involved and starts threatening schools to do it their way or else they’ll pull the plug on all the Federal funds that pour into every single school that fields a team?” I got asked that question today by a long time friend who I’ve known since we worked for newspapers when we thought we had hit the big time when we worked where they had IBM Selectrics. It is a legitimate question, easily answered if you believe that our senators and representatives know enough about college sports to come up with a set of rules, regulations and guidelines to bring stability at a time when it seems sports are teetering on the verge of blowing up in our faces. If you don’t trust Congress – I’m on record for believing Congress has far more important things to do such as run the country and keep us safe from going to war again – then there isn’t an answer you can come up with that isn’t complicated. I don’t want to see college sports run by senators and representatives who vote down party lines and don’t want to listen to each other. I also don’t want to see college sports teams wearing jerseys that resemble the chassis of a car doing 200 miles an hour in the straightaway on a NASCAR track. Yet, I think that’s where we’re headed if the NCAA remains in charge or if Congress takes a whack at running college sports. We need common sense, but that’s in short supply. The NCAA’s sell-by date expired about 50 years ago but until the football schools of Division I elect to revolt – they have to lead the way since football money is the fuel that drives the college athletics engine – we’re stuck with an organization run by people who shouldn’t be allowed to manage a convenience store. I don’t have all the answers to solving this enormous problem although I wish I did, but I believe there are enough smart people who actually know and understand the business of college sports – and this is what it is: a business – to come up with practical solutions. If the wheels of change aren’t set in motion soon then brace yourself for the day when you’ll be wearing a football jersey that has the Chico’s Bail Bonds logo prominently displayed on one sleeve and Café Risque “We dare to bare” on the other.

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: CAMP NAPIER: WINDING DOWN THE SPRING The Gators held their second spring scrimmage in gusting winds at The Swamp Saturday morning. In many ways it was a two steps forward, one step backward day because Billy Napier liked the energy, the effort and the physicality but there was a plague of penalties, which obviously irked the head coach, particularly since the Gators had a nearly penalty-free scrimmage a week earlier. “I think the first way you win is you don’t beat yourself,” Napier said, later pointing out that the Gators finished among the nation’s worst (119th) in penalties. “You completely control the things that have nothing to do with the opponent. We’re talking about undisciplined penalties, we’re talking about taking care of the ball, we’re talking about mental errors. From a coaching perspective, we’re talking about positioning the players to have success, having a really sound concept, making sure that when we watch the tape we have the answers to the test. That’s where you start when you’re building a football team. We’ve always taken great pride in not giving the other team anything. They’ve got to earn every single thing that they get. When you talk about penalties, typically, you’re going to have some technical fouls in a game but the undisciplined ones, you want to eliminate completely. We had too many today. Our goal is to play and be under one penalty in every 30 plays. I can probably say that typically in the past we’ve done that.” RICHARD TRANSFERS IN, FUDGE MAY COMMIT Todd Golden’s roster re-make has begun with the commitment of former Belmont combo guard Will Richard (6-5, 190), who averaged 12 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game last year. Richard has three years of eligibility remaining. The Gators may be in line for a commitment from Alex Fudge (6-8, 190), who spent his freshman year at LSU but prepped at Robert E. Lee in Jacksonville. Fudge could be committing as early as today. The Gators are also in very good shape with Terry Roberts (6-3, 200, from Bradley), Johni Broome (6-10, 240, from Morehead State and from Tampa Catholic) and Noah Carter (6-6, 230, from Northern Iowa). UF BASEBALL: GATORS TAKE SERIES WITH NO. 2 ARKANSAS Kevin O’Sullivan still has to figure out middle relief and find a third starter, but the Gators (21-11, 5-7 SEC) put enough pitching together over the weekend to take two out of three from 2nd-ranked Arkansas (23-7, 8-4 SEC) to prove better times might be ahead. The Gators have two solid starters in Hunter Barco (5-2, 2.23 ERA) and Brandon Sproat (4-3, 4.23 ERA) plus an emerging closer in Blake Purnell (3-2, 1.19 ERA, 3 saves). When O’Sullivan finds a third weekend starter and middle relief that can combine to give 3-4 innings per game, he will have the pitching it’s going to take to move up in the SEC standings. Currently, Florida is three full games behind second place Georgia (8-4 SEC), seven behind first place Tennessee (12-0). After struggling Thursday night against Arkansas ace Connor Noland, the Gators lit up the next two starters they saw. Florida is going to hit and hit with power. The Gators currently rank second in the SEC and fifth nationally in home runs (61). Jud Fabian (13) is tied for the SEC lead and tied for second nationally in home runs and Wyatt Langford (12) is tied for fifth. The Gators will face Florida State Tuesday night in Tallahassee and will be off to Nashville to face Vanderbilt (22-9, 5-7 SEC) for an SEC series starting Friday. UF MEN’S TENNIS WINS SEC CHAMPIONSHIP With their 6-1 win over 27th-ranked Auburn (17-7, 5-5 SEC) Sunday afternoon, the No. 1-ranked Gators (19-2, 11-0 SEC) won their third consecutive Southeastern Conference championship and the third team championship (gymnastics, men’s swimming are the others) this year. Florida has won at least one SEC title for 44 consecutive years, the longest streak in the conference. Florida’s 254 SEC championships are by far the most in league history. On Friday, the Gators took out Alabama (7-18, 0-10 SEC) in Tuscaloosa, 6-1. The Gators have won 14 consecutive matches. They close out the regular season next Sunday when they host Texas A&M (20-10, 7-3 SEC). UF SOFTBALL: GATORS DROP TWO TO ALABAMA Bailey Dowling hit a 9th-inning home run off Natalie Lugo to lead 5th-ranked Alabama (33-5, 10-4 SEC) to a 2-1 win over the 8th-ranked Gators (30-9, 7-7 SEC), wasting a brilliant effort by freshman Lexie Delbrey, who gave up only two hits and one run in six innings. The win assured Alabama of winning the weekend series. The two teams face off this evening (7 p.m., SEC Network) at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium. Delbrey held Alabama hitless for five innings before yielding a pair of hits and a single run in the top of the sixth. In the bottom half of the inning, Skylar Wallace hit her fifth homer of the season to center field to tie the game. Cheyenne Lindsey singled to lead off the bottom of the seventh, advancing to third on a pair of groundouts but the Gators couldn’t get her home with the game-winner. Lugo (7-4, 1.80 ERA) pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings in relief of Delbrey but Dowling led off the ninth with the home run. Other spring sports: The 15th-ranked Gators (17-5, 9-3 SEC) saw their 9-match winning streak ended by 13th-ranked Auburn (18-4, 9-2 SEC) Sunday afternoon, 6-1. The loss drops the Gators into fourth place in the SEC women’s tennis standings. On Friday, the Gators blanked Alabama (14-9, 4-7 SEC), 4-0. The Gators will end the regular season next Saturday at home against South Carolina (13-8, 8-4 SEC) … The 10th-ranked Gators (9-4, 2-0 AAC) blasted Old Dominion, 22-6, Saturday to improve to 2-0 in American Athletic Conference lacrosse play. Freshman Emily LoPinto had four goals as 14 different Gators scored. The Gators go on the road to face Vanderbilt in an AAC game next Saturday. SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL Alabama: Keon Ellis, who led Alabama in rebounding and made the All-SEC Defensive team, is headed to the NBA Draft … Nick Saban was upset with too many penalties and turnovers in Saturday’s second scrimmage of the spring. Arkansas: Chris Lykes, who is generously listed at 5-7, has declared for the NBA Draft, which raises one question and one question only: why? Auburn: The Tigers’ defensive front looked to be the weak link in Saturday’s A-Day spring game. Georgia: The Bulldogs are losing a pair of former 5-star recruits to the transfer portal. Moving on out are 2019 center Clay Webb and 2021 tackle Amarius Mims. Webb was the No. 26 player overall in the country in 2019 while Mims was the No. 8 … With the transfer of forward Jonathan Ned, nine players have departed Georgia since Mike White was named the new basketball coach. Kentucky: Virginia Tech transfer Tavion Robinson and early entry freshman Dane Key were the stars among the wide receivers at Kentucky’s spring game Saturday. LSU: Safety Pit Cage is transferring to Texas-San Antonio … Corner Jarrick Bernard-Converse will miss the rest of the spring with a foot fracture. Mississippi State: Former UMass punter George Georgopoulos, who averaged 44.7 per punt last year, has transferred to Mississippi State … Point guard Dashawn Davis, who averaged 10.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists last year, has transferred from Oregon State to Mississippi State. Ole Miss: Placekicker Jonathan Cruz, who hit 5-6 of his field goals from beyond 50 yards in 2021, is transferring from Charlotte to Ole Miss. Cruz is 41-57 in his career kicking field goals, 16-25 from beyond 40 yards. Tennessee: Freshman Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, a former 5-star forward recruit, is transferring out. He averaged 3.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game last season. Texas A&M: The Aggies concluded spring practice with no clearcut winner of the No. 1 quarterback job between returnee Haynes King, LSU transfer Max Johnson and freshman Connor Weigman … Offensive MVP of the spring game was wide receiver Evan Stewart. Vanderbilt: Linebacker/safety De’Rickey Wright is withdrawing his name from the transfer portal. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Speaking to ESPN’s Chris Low, Dabo Swinney foresees a day in the not too distant future when college football will have “a complete blowup … especially in football, and there needs to be.” What Dabo sees happening is for the power schools to break away, form their own division and leave everybody else in the tall grass on the side of the road. The reason for Dabo’s gloom and doom forecast has everything to do with the NCAA and its decades-long attempt to create an athletic utopia where everyone is equal. Dabo points out that “Alabama has different problems than Middle Tennessee, but we’re trying to make them all the same and it’s just not.” Translation: The haves have, the have nots have not and nothing you can do will change that. Alabama plays in the Southeastern Conference, sells out its 100,000-seat stadium and rakes in zillions while Middle Tennessee, which didn’t draw more than 15,805 for a home game last year, toils in Conference USA, which looks like it was run over by the train that wiped out David Allen Coe’s mama the day she got out of prison. And yet, Alabama and everybody else in the SEC has the same number of scholarships, abides by the same rules, and can only recruit the same number of players as Middle Tennessee. There are pointy-headed geeks who once scored a TD in a two-hand touch game against a sorority that would tell you it’s not fair for Bama to have such advantages. Those guys run the NCAA. They think it’s wonderful preposition that a biological male who hasn’t been snipped and clipped can run around a women’s locker room with his participles dangling then go out and swim for an NCAA championship against biological women. They can’t tell you why it isn’t fair for Alabama, the rest of the SEC and the power conference schools to be forced to play by the same rules that govern Middle Tennessee State, Rice and everyone else that claims to be Division I but can’t put 25,000 people in the stands on a regular basis. Dabo predicts 40 or 50 teams will make up a brand new division with its own set of rules for recruiting and scholarship limits. I’m not sure anyone is ready to see 19-29 teams from the power leagues lopped off (in 2025 69 teams: SEC 16, Big Ten 14, ACC 14, Big 12 12, Pac-12 12 plus Notre Dame) to form something that looks way too much like the NFL. Even if they end up adding a sixth power conference to accommodate the likes of Boise State, Fresno State, Navy, Army and Air Force, I think there will be a serious reduction from the current 130 teams in a Division I that expands to 133 next year with the additions of Sam Houston State, Jacksonville State and James Madison. If we talk about too drastic a reduction and limiting the power schools from only playing the power schools – which is indeed being discussed – then you can bet the farm that there will be lawsuits galore against what will be perceived rightly as a monopoly. Lawsuits aren’t the answer, so perhaps the best way to deal with it is to hold two national championship events – a Power Five playoff and a Group of Five playoff – with the power conferences agreeing to allow crossover games between the two divisions and to agree to give up a chunk of TV revenue so that the Group of Five playoff can distribute a couple million bucks to each of its members. That way the haves can have their national champ and the have nots can have a national champ that doesn’t have to put a phony sign on its stadium like the one at UCF claiming the 2017 national title.

How many of them can contribute significantly? I’ve got my list. OK, it’s only at about 65 percent, but at least it’s a start. As we are about to be introduced to Billy Napier’s 2022 Florida Gators in the upcoming Orange & Blue Game next week, one common question reigns supreme: Like Butch asked Sundance in their shootout, “Who are these guys?” The stage is set for the unveiling at “The Swamp.” Coming out of their “Identity” phase and into simulated game-like conditions, Napier is counting noses, making a list, and checking it four or five times in what now becomes the task of Roster Building. This is the tough part: Where are the players going to come from? Three places: The current 98-man squad, minus those who will dive into the transfer portal, as Emory Jones has already done. Arrival of the next group of 2022 commits. And, most of all, the players who Napier will add from the transfer portal. As always, I like to read from football scripture, “The Transfer Portal Taketh Away; The Transfer Portal giveth.” Billy made it a point to say recently he’s going shopping. And don’t kid yourself, Napier and his coaches already have their Portal Wish list. I’m just guessing here, but they’re no doubt scouring the list for offensive and defensive linemen, tight ends and maybe a wide receiver. At this point the strength of their team appears to be quarterback, running back, linebacker and secondary. Until that final roster is set for the fall and they’re counting it down for the opener with Utah on Sept. 3, we won’t have a feel of what to expect. Even then, the Utes will likely be favored by touchdown or more. A positive is the vibe people seem to feel from the new fortified coaching staff. It’s beginning to look and sound like football may be fun again. Of course, only if they can win. And it’s way too early to start making predictions. But come along with me and let’s build a roster. First, the players on the current squad. How many of them can contribute significantly? I’ve got my list. OK, it’s only at about 65 percent, but at least it’s a start. Billy has more, but he also has a slight advantage over me. He’s actually seen his players compete. And he knows what he’s looking at -- and looking for. I’m just trying to help a little here. My little joke is that I might even have a clue of what I’m talking about. Undeterred by lack of knowledge, however, I did a deep dive into my shallow pond. Confident that even a blind sheep can find an acorn – or something like that. After seeing the players on the hoof for all of about 15 minutes, listening to (or interviewing) about a dozen of them, talking to coaches, reading 25-30 stories about practice and talking to fellow journalists almost nightly, I have now done Part 1 of my evaluation. I now understand what Napier meant when he sort of sounded the alarm last week: “We need players!” So I’m dropping knowledge with the releasing these early results of my “Circles And Checks” List. I’ve gone through the roster of current players and feel I can identify about a dozen of them who can become major contributors and be difference-makers, based on past experience and future projections. This is my “Circle List,” in no particular order except their number: Safety Trey Dean, Outside Linebacker Brenton Cox, Inside Linebacker Amari Burney, Cornerback Jason Marshall, Wide Receiver Justin Shorter, Running Back Nay’ Quann Wright, Defensive Lineman Gervon Dexter, Wide Receiver Trent Whittemore, Quarterback Anthony Richardson, Linebacker Ventrell Miller, Offensive Lineman Richard Gouraige. That’s 12. I may be able to ID another six or seven soon from the following list or “Checks” below – players expected to perform well, but still a work in progress. Here they are: Wide Receiver Ja Quan Fraziars, Running Back Montrell Johnson, Wide Receiver Xzavier Henderson, Outside Linebacker David Reese, Safety Kamari Wilson, Defensive Lineman Chris McClellan, Tight End Keon Zipperer, Quarterback Jack Miller, Linebacker Derek Wingo, Safety Tre ‘Vez Johnson, Running Back Lorenzo Lingard, Defensive Lineman Desmond Watson, Safety Rashad Torrence II, Running Back Demarkcus Bowman, Cornerback Avery Helm, Punter Jeremy Crawshaw, Safety Kamari Wilcoxson, Safety Jadarrius Perkins, Cornerback Devin Moore, Inside Linebacker Diwun Black, Defensive Lineman Princely Umanmielen, Outside Linebacker Chief Borders, Returner Fenley Graham, Outside Linebacker Antwaun Powell, Offensive Lineman Kamryn Waites, Offensive Lineman O’Cyrus Torrence, Offensive Lineman Kingsley Eguakun, Offensive Lineman Ethan White, Offensive Lineman Michael Tarquin and Offensive Lineman Josh Braun. This is not including several players who are injured and whose status is uncertain. There are 30 “Checks” and a couple in the green room waiting for news on injuries. That would make a total of about 42. Napier said earlier that he thought he could identify two deep on offense and defense. I could have squeezed out several more, but let’s see if they show up in the Orange and Blue evaluation. Clearly, some work left to be done. But also room to grow, discover and improve. The good news is that Napier’s message about his large staff, their goals, his diligence about improving the environment for student-athletes and future plans for championship contention have resonated with the prospects on visits to the UF Campus. Clearly the veracity of his words is making an impression with them. Veracity of words is nice, but eventually it must translate to success on the field. That comes with adding excellent players, coaches coaching them up and those players executing on the vision. Overall, I like the long-term possibilities. But I should also implore you: Patience, Grasshopper.

“I’m looking forward to nine, seven and one being on the field at the same time. Gervon Dexter, he’s a first round draft pick. He’s a big guy, just freak of nature, quick, athletic.” – Chris McClellan By KYLE CURTIS GatorBaitMedia.com Intern Chris McClellan is a freshman defensive lineman from Owasso, Okla. McClellan attended Owasso High School where he was able to gain a 4-star national ranking and the #2 player in Oklahoma as a recruit before choosing the Gators. McClellan had offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and USC among others. He committed to Florida when there was no head coach, making it clear that he envisioned a strong future by attending Florida regardless of his head coach. McClellan, 6-foot-3, 295 pounds, had 46 tackles, five sacks, a tackle for loss, a forced fumble, and two batted passes during his senior campaign at Owasso. Question: Why Florida? Answer: “I fell in love with the people. It was a different atmosphere and the people of Gainesville showed me so much love. I really believed in the staff, even after Coach Mullen got fired, it made me even more emphatic when I found out that Coach Napier got the job. I really believed in the plans they have to bring us to one of the top programs in the nation.” Question: What do you like about Coach Napier? Answer: “He is just such a good guy. Everything he says he means, and he does it. Coach Napier promised I was going get #7 and now I got it! He’s a great coach but an even better man outside of football.” Question: How is being coached by Coach Chaos (Sean Spencer)? Answer: “Coach Spence is a different dude man; he brings the energy every single day. That’s one thing he never lacks. He’s a real in your face type of coach, he’s always bringing the juice. He always gets me hype; he gets the d-line hype. He’s one of those guys on the coaching staff that not only gets the d-line hype but the whole team.” Question: What’s it like going to play with Gervon Dexter and Brenton Cox? Answer: “I’m looking forward to nine, seven and one being on the field at the same time. Gervon Dexter, he’s a first round draft pick. He’s a big guy, just freak of nature, quick, athletic. Me, I’m same thing just big, fast and athletic. I’m a good pass rusher. And then Brenton Cox is just an athlete man. He’s a true ball hawk. See ball, get ball. All three of us is going to be scary for opposing offenses.” Question: What made you stick with Florida even through the coaching change? Answer: “In history Florida has always been one of the top schools in the nation. It’s up there with ‘Bama and Auburn and LSU. All those schools that consistently produce those top-tier guys. It was an off year last year, it happens. But, coming back Florida is Florida we are going to get right. Especially after talking to Coach Napier and Coach Tony, Coach Napier has a plan, everything is thought up. When he came on my home visit, everything he said was going to happen has happened. Every day I’m reminded of how blessed I am to be at a school like this.”

Keon Zipperer is the only true tight end left on the depth chart after Gage Wilcox suffered a career ending injury. By KYLE CURTIS GatorBaitMedia.com Intern In an offseason where 2021 starting tight end, Kemore Gamble transferred to UCF, the tight end position has received more blows during the spring. Redshirt sophomore tight end Jonathan Odom (torn labrum) and redshirt freshman tight end Nick Elksnis (broken scapula) both will be sidelined for the remainder of spring camp due to injuries suffered in practices. Both injuries were first reported by Jacob Rudner of 247Sports. Odom took to Twitter after his surgery to repair his torn labrum. “All went good,” Odom said. “Thanks to Dr. Farmer and UF health team!” There is hope that both players will be ready for the start of the season. Elksnis' injury was confirmed through a source within the program. Both players are expected to make an immediate impact for the Gators at the tight end position, especially with the departure of Gamble. With the injuries in the Tight End/Receiver room, Napier and his army have had to have the next-man-up mentality. Keon Zipperer is the only true tight end left on the depth chart after Gage Wilcox suffered a career ending injury. Dante Zanders, a redshirt senior defensive lineman, and Noah Keeter, a walk-on redshirt junior linebacker, have been taking snaps at the tight end position in the absence of Odom and Elksnis. Zanders is not a stranger to the tight end position though. A 3-star tight-end recruit, Zanders spent his first two seasons at Florida at the tight end position playing behind NFL star Kyle Pitts. Out of Boca Raton, Zanders is 6-5, 220 pounds with the physical capabilities to hold his own in spring camp. Zipperer is the leader in the Tight End/Receiverroom and is poised for a big year with AR-15 running the show. Zipperer is coming off a season of 11 catches for 133 yards. He is one of the Gators that will have a big improvement along with impact. Napier also favors the tight end position. Historically his offense has highlighted the tight end position. At Louisiana, he ran a set that consisted of one running back along with two tight ends. Having this kind of offense requires deeper personnel at tight end. In the past, Napier has leaned toward the run game, expecting a lot of downhill run blocking from the two tight ends. A lot of similarities to the two tight end sets that Bill Belichick ran in the earlier years of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Additionally, to add to the depth of the Tight End/Receiver Room, Napier was able to grab three key additions at the end of the recruiting cycle. Arlis Boardingham, Tony Livingston and Hayden Hansen will all be coming to campus over the summer.

“It’s not about X’s and O’s. It’s about Jimmies and Joes. It’s not about assignments or schemes. It’s about Terrences and Rakims” – Ron Zook It was too easy to make fun of The Zooker who said that during his three years as Florida’s head football coach. Zooker took over a Florida football program that won a national championship, six SEC championships and never failed to win at least nine games during the 12-year reign of Steve Spurrier, one of the greatest X and O guys in the history of the college game. Zooker never sniffed a championship of any kind and never won nine games in a season, but oh, could the man ever recruit. Just ask Urban Meyer. When he won his first national championship at UF in 2006, 20 of the 22 starters were Zook recruits. If you’re going to win in today’s college game, you better know how to X and O, but that will only take you so far. At some point, you better have the players. In the Southeastern Conference, nearly everybody has 22 very good football players. The problem isn’t the 11 starters on each side of the ball although it could be argued that there are light years difference between the top 22 guys at Alabama and the top 22 at Vanderbilt. The problem is the second 22 and the third 22. Nearly all of the second and third teamers at Alabama and Georgia were 4- or 5-star recruits coming out of high school. They would be stud muffins at Vandy. Dan Mullen was an X and O guy. Too much of one, in fact. The same guy who could light up eventual national champ Alabama for 46 points – and lose – in the 2020 SEC Championship Game is the same guy who got fired a year later and left behind a roster that so filled with holes that you’d think it’s doing a rather nifty impersonation of a block of Swiss cheese. You can only win so much as an X and O guy in today’s college game. Schemes are important, for sure, but your Jimmies and Joes still have to be better than the other guy’s Terrences and Rakims. To use a pizza analogy, better players make better teams. Keep that in mind as Florida’s first spring practice under Billy Napier winds down, culminating with the annual Orange and Blue Game next Thursday night. From the moment the scoreboard clock strikes zero next Thursday until May 1, all hell is going to break loose because come May 1, everyone who intends to transfer and play football in the fall without going through the waiver process will have to declare his intentions and make a commitment. The roster you see next Thursday night isn’t going to be the roster you see on May 1 and even that probably won’t be the roster you see when preparations begin in August for the season opener against Utah. In addition to new rules that allow an athlete to transfer without having to sit a year, we now have a transfer portal that makes it easy for coaches in need of new players and athletes needing a fresh start at St. Somewhere Else to connect. But it is a two-way street. You can go from pretender to contender which is what Mel Tucker did last year at Michigan State when he added 21 players to his roster or you can go from contender to pretender, which partially explains what happened to Clemson. It is a minefield out there and it cannot be navigated without someone with a detailed plan, which is why Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin targeted Billy Napier as his guy to restore the football program to a consistent championship level. What impressed Stricklin was Napier’s plan to succeed by bringing in an “army” of support staff and analysts whose sole purpose in their working life is to anticipate things before they happen. Things like who’s likely to leave the Florida program and to scour rosters nationwide to bring in plug and play types who can step in to strengthen a position of need. Now that he’s gone through two-thirds of his allotted spring practices, Napier already has a pretty good idea who on the current roster is going to be here in the fall and who isn’t. For some, practice under Napier and his new set of coaches has been a harsh reality. This new sheriff in town doesn’t tolerate slackers. That alone tells you there are those who have probably already figured out they need to go someplace where the head coach isn’t obsessed with this notion that if everybody works their fingers to the bone they’ll get championships and not just boney fingers. Others may require a come to Jesus conversation with a position coach who suggests that if you’re not happy getting your brains beaten to a pulp on the scout team a starting job could be had at Tennessee Tech. The Gators, Napier will tell you, are “a work in progress” which is to say what he’s seeing now isn’t anything close to what he knows he needs to be seeing in the fall. Not that any of this has caught him by surprise. He knew what he was getting into when he took the UF job. Mullen never embraced recruiting the way it takes to sustain a program at a championship level. From 1990-2009 the Florida football program won more games (202) than any school in the country. In the 12 years since, the Gators have won only 95 games, which is the 33rd best record in the country. The Gators are 6-10 in their last 16 games, 6-7 in 2021, which resulted in Mullen’s dismissal. A few players have already departed the program. More are expected to go. “We took over a program, we've had a number of things that have caused attrition on our team,” Napier said last week. “I mean, we're literally going to give five walk-ons scholarships this spring. So, we have spots available.” A few spots? Walk-ons? When spring football began it seemed the Gators were right at the NCAA-mandated 85 scholarship limit but obviously that’s not the case. If Napier can (a) give scholarships to five walk-ons and (b) still have roster spots available it’s a sure sign that either there has been far more attrition than we’ve been told about or else more is anticipated. Two high school signing days have come and gone for Napier and it’s rare for a freshman to come in ready to play from day one. So, there is only one place to solve the problem of open spots on the roster and that is the portal. “So, the University of Florida, you can anticipate us being very aggressive in the portal this spring,” Napier said. “We need players. Now, I think the approach is going to be, you know, acquire as many good players as we can at any position, right? So, you know, we're thin and we need help in a lot of different spots.” It is indeed all about acquiring talent. Whether it’s through the time-tested method of recruiting as many as 25 high school or juco kids every year or taking the newfangled approach of plugging holes in the dike with transfers, it’s still all about acquiring talent. The Florida roster isn’t devoid of talent. It’s just that there aren’t enough good players to go around. When you’re in the Southeastern Conference, which has won the last three national championships and 12 since Florida won in 2006, you better have an abundance of talent brought in by a staff that is committed to relentless effort on the recruiting trail. Even with its tradition of national championships – three since 1996 – the University of Florida has been passed on the recruiting trail by Alabama, Georgia and others. Napier arrived confident that Florida can win enough recruiting battles to restore championship tradition. The response so far has surpassed all expectations but now it’s time to make a wholesale move on the portal trail. Napier got a head start back in December when he brought in O’Cyrus Torrence, Kamryn Waites, Montrell Johnson, Jack Miller III and Jalen Kimber, all of whom transferred to Florida in time to participate in spring practice. Now that he’s had a chance to evaluate his roster in both mat drills and spring practice, Napier has a very good idea just how many transfers he will need to transform the Florida roster. “So, I think we have, we're approaching double digits if that makes sense,” Napier said. “So, you know, I think it's fortunate that we have that opportunity, right? It's something I'm very thankful for, you know? Can't imagine not having that opportunity at this point. So, that window of time is coming. We anticipate doing a lot of business and we're looking forward to it." This is an opportunity. This is a chance to rebuild the Florida roster, but at the same time when the possibility looms that 20 percent or more of the fall roster could be made up of players who began their collegiate careers somewhere else, it tells you just how big a rebuilding job this is. At a place like Florida a massive roster overhaul should never have to happen, but that is where the program is today. And why? If you add in the number of outstanding high school kids playing in this state and within four or five hours of Gainesville, there is simply no excuse for a roster that isn’t oozing with 4- and 5-star recruits, the kind of place that only requires a transfer or two when kids leave early for the NFL or suffer devastating, career-ending injuries. As a former collegiate quarterback at Furman and as a play caller who has put together some productive, explosive offenses, Napier knows just how important it is to have the right scheme, the right X’s and O’s in place. But, he also understands fully that even the best scheme and better X’s and O’s can only take you so far. At some point, you better have the right Jimmies, Joes, Terrences and Rakims and the only way you’re going to have them is to recruit relentlessly. For now, that means working the transfer portal to bring in players who have SEC talent and who are ready to play. “I think we need to continue to acquire more talent,” Napier said. “I think that's the name of the game.”

By LOREN MEADOWS GatorBaitMedia.com Football Analyst Brenton Cox Jr. would like to average “a sack a half” which would more than give him the sack total to eclipse the record of 13 set back in 2001 by Alex Brown during an All-American season with the Gators. One would think that 14 sacks -- let alone a sack each half -- would be lofty goals for a player who viewed himself at times as someone “who doesn’t play hard,” However, the 2022 season year comes with a different set of circumstances and expectations. Cox finished an injury-plagued season with 41 tackles (12.5 for loss) and 8.5 sacks, is now under the tutelage of former Gator and NFL veteran Mike Peterson, who brings an aggressive detail-oriented philosophy to the outside linebacker room. Peterson is the former Gator All-American who spent 14 years in the NFL with the Colts, Jaguars and Falcons. Cox says Peterson preaches “consistency” and “hard play” to shed the image of a player that doesn’t give maximum effort. Fortunately, football is a team sport and great defenses usually are good at every level of the formation. Luckily for Cox there are 16 combined years of experience on the defense that has returned this season to Florida to help the cause. The group of Ventrell Miller, Amari Burney, and Trey Dean III is set for one final year, each with their own role in the pursuit of a strong defense for the Gators. Patrick Toney’s “CREEPER” defense is designed to -- as Toney puts it -- “make different things look the same and same things look different.” While Cox is rushing the passer, it will be the responsibility of Miller and Amari Burney to hold the quarterback with stunts and games. If that doesn’t do the trick, then Trey Dean III will be tasked with painting a picture that causes the quarterback to doubt himself, hold the ball and create an opportunity for Cox to do his thing. Miller, now in his sixth season with the Gators, has amassed 164 tackles (15 for loss), 7.5 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 TD. Miller offers a blend of leadership and experience that is sorely needed as the Gators operate in the “CREEPER.” In 2021, Miller was poised to be one of the SEC’s best defenders before a torn biceps injury ended his season in Week 2. Miller mulled over leaving Florida after last year but stated “It didn't feel right leaving without a good year to finish out.” Burney returns to provide versatility and a level head to the defense. The self-proclaimed “true student-athlete” who already earned his degree, has been glowing about the new regime and his place in the defense. “The coaching staff is very impressive,” Burney said, with everything done in a “strategic” manner. Burney says that in the “CREEPER” “the linebackers will be very aggressive.” It is that aggressiveness that should allow the 5th year senior, who has also spent time at nickelback and safety, to add to his career totals of 145 tackles (7 for loss), 3 sacks, and 2 interceptions. Many were surprised when Dean returned to Gainesville for a 5th year. The Hampton, Ga. native has spent his Gator career as a starter at cornerback, nickelback, and safety. With a total of 174 tackles (9 for loss) 4 sacks and 4 interceptions, Dean returned to Florida even though he had an invite to the NFL combine. Dean has been impressed with the defense that he calls “breathtaking,” and the “super structured” head coach that he personally wanted when he looked at possible replacements for Dan Mullen. Dean has also been a fan of the strength and conditioning program that has been put in place as the program focuses on “fitting things to [what we do] on the field.” Cox set his goals high. Most of which is the pursuit of a mark that has stood for over two decades. This is no small feat, but he will be able to absorb a wealth of knowledge from another one of the Florida’s all-time best defenders. Cox says he “definitely did [my] research” on Coach Peterson so he “knew what he was getting when he came in and he was happy to have him.” Peterson challenges Cox daily “to be in the TV screen at the end of every play” something he learned from his time in the NFL. In speaking of the defense Cox says “I’m not the only one out there so I shouldn’t be the only one not running to the ball.” Instructions from one Gator to another, in pursuit of another. Players sometime post goals and aspirations on their locker as a constant reminder of what they are working for. In this case the three “super seniors” should get a copy as well.

A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: IT’S WHAT’S UP FRONT THAT COUNTS What Billy Napier did during four seasons as the head coach at Louisiana (40-12 record) has a familiar ring to those who loved the way the Gators lined up and knocked people off the ball during the 1980s when Charley Pell had four first round running backs – James Jones, Neal Anderson, John L Williams and Lorenzo Hampton – running behind a dominating offensive line. When opponents committed one too many in the box to stop the run, leaving one-on-one coverage on the outside, the ball went over the top for a very effective passing game. At Louisiana, a big offensive line opened gaping holes that produced 132 rushing touchdowns in four years. Load the box and the Cajuns went over the top, throwing for 96 touchdowns. That’s almost a reversal of Florida’s production the last four years – 134 passing touchdowns and 82 on the ground. Napier will follow a similar pattern with the Gators this year. He’s got the stable of backs in Nay’Quan Wright, Louisiana transfer Montrell Williams, former 5-star recruits Demarkcus Bowman and Lorenzo Lingard, and electric quarterback Anthony Richardson. The secret to making it work will be the development of the offensive line where four starters (left tackle Richard Gouraige, left guard Ethan White, center Kingsley Eguakun and right guard Josh Braun) and part-time starter (right tackle) Michael Tarquin are joined by Louisiana transfers O’Cyrus Torrence and Kamryn Waites. Expectations are that when spring practice ends next Thursday, the starting O-line will look like this: LT Gouraige, RT White, C Eguakun, RG Torrence and RT either Braun, Tarquin or Waites. That’s seven who are proving dependable under the tutelage of the new two-headed O-line coaching duo of Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton, but Napier knows seven is not enough to get through the grind of an 8-game SEC schedule plus Utah and Florida State. "Yeah, you know I think it's a position where we've got a handful of players that can play, you know?” Napier said after Florida’s first scrimmage last week. “And then, I think every team, I mean every position on our team, we need more players, right? We need more depth. I think the offensive line is a reflection of the entire team. I mean, we have a pretty good first group we can put out there, and if you really evaluated the team relative to experience, this is a very inexperienced team. After the first team if you look at the experience, the number of plays that a lot of these guys have played, they haven't played any. So we have a lot of work to do to develop that second and third group." It's a line of scrimmage league and if you don’t have enough big, strong and talented bodies, you lose more than you win. UF BASEBALL: CAN THE GATORS FIND THE PITCHING TO UPEND ARKANSAS? The big question heading into Florida’s 3-game SEC series with 2nd-ranked Arkansas (22-5, 7-2 SEC) that begins tonight (6 p.m., SEC Network) is can Kevin O’Sullivan find two effective starters to follow ace Hunter Barco (5-1, 1.87 ERA; 58 strikeouts in 43-1/3 innings)? When Barco takes the mound, there is every good chance the Gators (19-10, 3-6 SEC) are going to win the game, but the bullpen is very shaky and O’Sullivan has yet to find two more starters who can get the job done. Ryan Slater (2-1, 3.60 ERA) has given up seven earned runs in his last seven innings and Brandon Sproat (3-3, 4.68 ERA) has given up eight earned runs in his last 8-1/3. The Gators can hit the baseball. They’re third in the country in home runs (57), led by Jud Fabian, who leaders the SEC with 13 (third nationally) and Wyatt Langford (10; .349 batting average). They’ll be going tonight against Connor Noland (4-1, 3.05 ERA; 53 strikeouts in 41-1/3 innings) with Hagen Smith (5-1, 3.62 ERA; 44 strikeouts in 37-1/3 innings) and Jaxon Wiggins (4-0, 3.69 ERA; 42 strikeouts in 39 innings) the likely starters in the other two games. The Razorbacks have a team ERA of 3.57 compared to Florida’s 4.27. The Gators have plenty of live arms, but the problem is beyond Barco there is very little in the way of experience. Pitching is going to be an adventure until some of the kids can figure out pitching in the SEC, which is not that far removed from Class AA in the minors. UF SOFTBALL: GATORS FALL TO FSU, 4-2, IN 10 The 8th-ranked Gators gave up two runs in the top of the 10th inning Wednesday night, dropping a 4-2 decision to 2nd-ranked Florida State (36-2). The Gators blew two golden opportunities to win the game. Four hits could only produce one run in the bottom of the fifth and then in the bottom of the ninth, Skylar Wallace was on second with one out but the Gators couldn’t come up with a clutch hit. Elizabeth Hightower went the first seven innings for UF, giving up two runs and seven hits while striking out seven. Natalie Lugo (7-3, gave the Gators a scoreless eighth and ninth before the Seminoles got to her for two runs in the 10th with only one out. The Gators (30-7, 7-5 SEC) get a day off before 4th-ranked Alabama (31-5, 8-4 SEC) comes to town for a critical SEC series. Softball recruiting note: Keagan Rothrock (3-0), the No. 1 high school pitcher in the country and a rock solid Gator commit for the 2023 class, threw a 3-hit shutout Wednesday to lead Roncalli (Indianapolis area) to a 4-0 win over Cedar Grove. Rothrock struck out 15 and didn’t walk a batter. It was the third shutout of the year for Rothrock, who has struck out 45 in 18-1/3 innings and has yet to walk a batter. Rothrock went 24-2 last year with an 0.13 ERA in leading Roncalli to the Indiana state championship. She struck out 264 batters, allowed only 40 hits, walked just six batters and pitched five no-hitters and two perfect games. She also hit .421. BASKETBALL PORTAL RECRUITING NOTES: 7 TO CONSIDER Johnni Broome (6-10, 240): The Tampa Catholic product was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Ohio Valley Conference at Morehead State where he averaged 16.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.9 blocked shots per game. Broome has three years of eligibility remaining. He is the 10th-ranked transfer prospect by David Cobb of CBS Sports. Gonzaga and Arkansas are also in the mix. Noah Carter (6-6, 230): A second team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection at Northern Iowa, Carter averaged 15 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Carter shot 48.2 percent overall but only 29.9 percent from the 3-point line. He is set to visit this weekend. Carter has two years of eligibility remaining. Will Richard (6-5, 195): Richard is a combo guard who averaged 12.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game at Belmont where he shot 46.8 percent overall and 32.6 percent from the 3-point line. He’s originally from metro Atlanta where he played high school ball at Woodward Academy. He’s set to visit this weekend. Terri Roberts (6-3, 180): Roberts is a point guard who averaged 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game at Bradley. A former juco who played at Florida Southwestern in Fort Myers, Roberts has two years of eligibility remaining. Visiting this weekend. Alex Fudge (6-8, 185): He didn’t have the Gators on his to do list coming out of Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville largely because UF was all in on Kowacie Reeves, but now that he’s a goner from LSU, will he be thinking about staying close to home? His buddy is Deebo Coleman from Nassau County who is at Georgia Tech. Huge upside. Averaged 3.3 points and 3.2 reboundds at LSU. Efton Reid (7-0, 250): The Gators recruited him very hard when he was at IMG Academy in Bradenton. He averaged 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 19.6 minutes per game at LSU as a freshman. A bit lazy but you can’t teach the kind of size he has. Maj Dusanic (6-7, 220): He was a redshirt freshman at San Francisco where he played for Todd Golden, but was a well-regarded international from Slovenia who played at Dream City Prep in Glendale, Arizona before signing with the Dons. He led Slovenia to a third place finish in the Under-18 European Championships in 2019. Rebounder with 3-point range. SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL Alabama: Nick Saban says wide receiver Argiye Hall is suspended from the team for violating team rules. Asked if Hall can get back in his good graces, Saban said, “He’s already had that opportunity once, so I don’t know what his plans are for the future.” … Forward Juwan Gary, who averaged 6.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, is transferring out. Arkansas: Huge pickups for Arkansas basketball to negate the transfer of Connor Vanover (7-3, 250). Arkansas has landed Rhode Island twins Makhi and Makhel Mitchell. Makhel (6-10) averaged 10.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while Makhi (6-9) averaged 9.9 points and 7.3 rebounds … Defensive end Mataio Soli, a former 4-star recruit, is in the transfer portal along with redshirt freshman quarterback Lucas Coley. Georgia: The latest transfer to leave the Georgia program since Mike White took over is the hardest hit. Kario Oquendo (6-4, 190), who averaged a team-high 15.3 points per game, is a goner. He has three years of eligibility remaining. Also leaving is sophomore Josh Taylor (6-9, 215), a former 4-star recruit who has three years of eligibility remaining. Kentucky: Freshman point guard TyTy Washington has declared for the NBA Draft and will hire an agent. Mississippi State: Mike Leach will teach a class on insurgent warfare and football strategy Friday. Assisting will be former Washington state senator Michael Baumgartner. Ole Miss: Point guard Austin Crowley (6-5, 195), a former 4-star recruit, is transferring to Southern Miss. South Carolina: Former Arkansas State wide receiver Corey Rucker, who caught 59 passes for 826 yards and nine touchdowns last year, has committed to the Gamecocks … Forward Taquan Woodley (6-8, 230) is transferring to UMass. Tennessee: Freshman center Handje Tamba (7-0, 220) is transferring out. Texas A&M: Offensive lineman Luke Matthews is retiring from football for medical reasons … Reserve point guard Marcus Williams (6-2, 197) is transferring out with three years of eligibility remaining. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: The toothpaste can’t be put back in the tube. In college sports terms, that means NIL and the transfer portal are here to stay. NIL, as we all know, is pretty much out of hand. Jimbo Fisher’s feigned outrage over rumors that Aggie boosters lured the nation’s top recruiting class with a $30 million NIL war chest hasn’t convinced you that the rumors aren’t true, have they? It’s more fact than rumor that Kentucky’s national basketball player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe is probably coming back for another year because UK NIL money is so good he’ll take a paycut to go to the NBA. And this isn’t NIL, but Florida is among 22 schools with a plan in place to pay academic achievers in all sports $5900. Not every school can afford it. Florida can. The haves have and the have nots have not. Nothing, absolutely nothing is going to be done about the money that is taking over collegiate sports. The portal? There are things that can be done to slow down that process and here are a couple of suggestions. These artificial deadlines such as May 1 are window dressing. There is a waiver process so the deadlines for immediate eligibility won’t work. What will work is to gain immediate eligibility an athlete has to have a 2.5 GPA and be in good academic standing at the school he/she intends to depart. No waivers allowed for an athlete who has less than a 2.5. Secondly, barring a coaching change, any freshman has to be on campus for a full academic year before transferring. If there is a coaching change, then transferring with immediate eligibility is allowed, but only if the 2.5 GPA is achieved. Third, any athlete who is under disciplinary suspension has to sit a full year at the new school. Those are common sense suggestions. Of course, the NCAA is a place where common sense goes to die.

It’s becoming more and more evident that the leakage began long before Napier’s arrival, a certain amount of rust had deteriorated the core. It feels like lame-ducking popped up with Mullen’s losses that followed the Alabama game last year. – Buddy Martin At first Mullen was the "bright shiny thing," but in the end it was costly. (Chris Spears photo) Sorry to bore you with over-analysis on this fine spring day (or night) but given the current changing of the guard at Florida, it bears updating. For one thing, it’s tough to talk about Billy Napier’s challenges ahead without explaining some of the deficiencies Dan Mullen left behind. By the same token, I’m not greenlighting The Blame Game. This won’t go particularly well with some of my friends, readers and listeners, flying in the face somewhat with the principles I may have espoused a time or two while perched from my well-worn soapbox from which have occasionally sermonized in the past. So let me start out by understanding and acknowledging my self-proclaimed title of semi-hypocrite. Because what I am about to say could certainly by characterized as contrary to my convictions. I’m on record as saying I’m sick of the buck-passers who are afraid to own their own stuff. And it seems Americans have perfected the art of Blaming The Last Guy. You know those cable TV dudes, plumbers, financial advisors or even doctors, etc. who come riding in on their white steeds to save the day while beating their chest to proclaim: “Boy, lucky I got here in time, because the last guy really screwed this up!” Excuse-making is for losers. Those who participate in the dodgeball game of blame are sinister masters of CYA. That may work in Washington, but today I am pointing the finger at those who accuse others of being derelict and taking delight in scapegoating others through statistics or the analytics or just pure falsehood. The more I learn, however, the more I suspect Dan Mullen lost his grip on the program – if, indeed, he ever had it. So I am starting to subscribe to the "Last Man Out" theory almost as a hypothesis with the same credence as “Next Man Up.” It’s becoming more and more evident that the leakage began long before Napier’s arrival, a certain amount of rust had deteriorated the core. It feels like lame-ducking popped up with Mullen’s losses that followed the Alabama game last year. And when he was forced to fire defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and offensive line coach/running game coordinator John Hevesy on Nov. 8 after three straight defeats, clearly the wheels had come off. It still astounds me just how loose the lug bolts were and how quickly they were stripped. So what DID happen? We’re hearing about lack of discipline, neglect in following up on recruits, the independent contractors on defense (as Mullen called them), poor connectivity with athletes about the mission at hand and plain old malfeasance, misfeasance and even apathy. And while we're at it, some coaching misconduct and bad decisions. We already know about the benign neglect of Dameon Pierce. We've also been over Mullen's Macho Man Matchup with Eli Drinkwitz, the mysterious absence of Kyle Pitts in the LS-Shoe Meltdown and the curious Show Cause slapped on Mullen after a recruiting faux pas. And I won't bring up the Darth Vader costume because it was unrelated. Although Mullen looked like a genius for inserting quarterback Kyle Trask at just the right time, the truth is he had no choice. And how come Trask didn’t get a chance before the injury to Feleipe Franks? Now we’re even hearing confessions from players that sometimes they didn’t give maximum effort. It's a new day with Billy Napier, but the Tortoise needs a mulligan. (Chris Spears Photo) Just this week, edge rusher Brenton Cox said he was told by an NFL evaluator that he was down-graded for not hustling to the ball. Cox said his position coach, Mike Peterson, told him that even if he couldn’t make the tackle or the sack, he must continue the pursuit until he wound up in “the TV box.” Apparently “relentless pursuit” was preached but sometimes not practiced. In all these matters, as we’re hearing bit by bit from holdover players, Mullen has to wear that hat. Yet you’ll never hear Napier complain about the hand he was dealt. Because he has been doing a masterful job of reshuffling the deck while injecting fresh new enthusiasm. I shall always appreciate the honesty and candor of Steve Spurrier, a master at accepting his part of the blame for losses and a refusal to claim a moral victory justified by stats. He called out everybody, including those “who got outcoached,” meaning himself and his staff. It’s called taking the blame. When I reached out to coach Spurrier and asked him about his arrival at Florida, he pointed out the cupboard was full and "we had players." The HBC says "everybody has players" these days and programs can compete right away. When pressed about whether Napier could compete with the Georgia and Alabama right away, Spurrier backed off a little. "Tough to say how many good players he has yet. We'll see." In his Thursday post-scrimmage presser, Napier was quick to say his ranks were thin. "We're one or two players away from not even being able to practice," Napier said after his first scrimmage. He said he would award a number of scholarships to walk-on players at the end of spring ball. He said he has a pretty good idea of his first 22 on both sides of the ball, but after that couldn't identify the next 11 yet. Despite all that, Napier remains confident. "This is the University of Florida," he said resolutely. "There are no excuses." Which is not to say there aren’t sometimes unfortunate forces beyond control. Not getting adequate facilities or enough funding used to be the case, but not so much in these days of embarrassing prosperity, And yet, there is an element in truth about culpability for football coaches, God love ‘em, who don’t always have the right tools. I remember Charlie Pell telling me when he arrived in Gainesville from Clemson, he took one look at the crap facilities, literally got sick at his stomach and considered going back from whence he came. He talked about beds that were too short for players, a sorry weight room and a decrepit stadium for which he sought capital procurement from Ben Hill Griffin -- plus many other issues that would require him to become a fund-raiser and football coach. Because he got caught cheating, or at least allowing members of his staff to break rules, Pell will never get full credit for building new infrastructure and expansion of the fan base to include non-Florida alumni or even college affiliation. Each coach has had his challenge, including Jim McElwain, who cranked up his squawk machine the minute he hit campus and realized the new practice facility was only 75 yards long. It gave Jeremy Foley a migraine, but because of McElwain’s complaining they expanded to 100 yards, even though the cost overrun was substantial. Moneyball comes in all sizes and sports. Even before all that, coaches like Urban Meyer and Steve Spurrier were less provocative, but were successful in fund-raising because they won big. As the late Beano Cook always taught me, there is a direct correlation between the amount of games and championships won with the amount of money that comes in over the transom for the program from alums and fans. The guy in the middle set the standard for taking the blame. (UAA Photo) Which brings me around to Mullen. There were some big holes in his program which many of us didn’t see at first. One reason was that McElwain’s sudden collapse was so ugly that many fans worried it might damn the program forever. When Scott Stricklin struggled out of the box with his first two candidates, Mullen began look better to everybody, including the check-writers, and got a hero’s welcome. Turns out he was more of a band-aid. And the check writers had to sign off on Mullen's fat buyout instead. There is temptation among hopeful, prideful and disgruntled fans to lunge for the bright, shiny new thing from the green grass on the other side of the fence. I, myself, bought into Mullen right away because of his offensive acumen and his Gator heritage as a Meyer assistant. He kept telling us progress comes a day at a time and that eventually his way would prevail in the marathon. We believed. He sounded like the tortoise gaining on the hare, until he wasn’t. So on my part, I take the blame for the mis-read. What does that mean for the future? I think Napier’s measure twice/cut once philosophy would be a good motto for fans to adopt this fall, along with “Scared Money Don’t Make Money.” And along with the old Harry Truman sign: “The Buck Stops Here.” Perhaps The Tortise gets a mulligan re-start under Napier.