Yes, the guy they call AR15 is still there, locked and loaded. (Photo by Chris Spears) What most of Gator Nation dreams about is seeing Napier develop the full potential of the 6-4, 236-pound AR15 with the rifle arm and the formidable legs. Imagine all that power and skill harnessed in the presence of a Napier-trained quarterback! When we last saw Anthony Richardson at his best, he was leaping over would-be tacklers, honing his aim for the moon. The limitless potential of this strapping quarterback from Hogtown was stymied by the rigors of a stout Georgia defense and literally cut short by a surgeon’s scalpel to his knee. So his considerable talent was never fully unleashed. This is more my own conundrum. I got lost somewhere along the way between a thrown shoe, fired coach and an embarrassing bowl-game loss to a non-Power Five state team. So somebody help me break through this foggy maze of transitional paralysis. Did Richardson get lost in the shuffle? The only thing I remember him saying, when asked after the season if he planned to stay at UF, was: “I’m a Gator!” Which was sort of a non-answer/answer that would never pass muster under scrutiny of a smart prosecutor. Curious comment. Remember, though, he is wearing that No. 15 jersey, which once wielded supernatural powers. So how high can Richardson fly? Or will he? Nobody is saying much about it, but the Gators have a full six-pack of scholarshippers in their Quarterback Room, among them two that started every game last season. Emory Jones is also still in school, still on the roster, about to graduate and may or may not decide to test the transfer portal. Let me stop here and explain that in no way am I dismissing Jones or making an accusation of disingenuous behavior by Richardson, who I frankly see as a future star for the Gators with enormous talents. AR15 could very well be Napier’s ticket to ride. Emory Jones’ status? I know not what. What made me think of AR15? I suppose it was one of those mediocre tweets listing the 2022 Heisman candidates – isn’t EVERYBODY one? – which reminded me how important this quarterback wunderkind was not just to the Gators, but maybe even could become to the CFB national landscape. In the absurd practice of forecasting the odds and handicapping the Heisman front-runners this early for a gambling service, up popped AR15’s name: “According to the latest BetMGModds in Las Vegas, Richardson is among the top five in the running, with odds of +2000, tied for fifth with five other players, four quarterbacks and one running back,” it read. Suddenly it dawned on me how much Richardson’s presence matters. Then I started counting noses in the QB Room: Richardson, Jones, Ohio State transfer Jack Miller, redshirt freshmen Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and Jalen Kitna. And recent commit Max Brown. Here’s the thing, though: We’re a month out from spring practice, still picking up the confetti from a robust recruiting effort that included an impressive yield – even a last-minute pickup of 4-star California TE/ATH Arlis Boardingham -- but the school known for its legendary quarterbacks has no clear-cut heir apparent or returning starter in the saddle yet.. If statues could talk, what might the three on Lemerand Drive out front Ben Hill Griffin be saying? Well, in fairness to Napier, who is already known for his quick whip-outs of immediate solutions for pressing issues, he did address the quarterback matter with the Orlando Sentinel’s Edgar Thompson this week: “I don’t necessarily care what’s happened in the past. I’m going to evaluate what I see from this point forward and we’re going to implement our culture, we’re going to define our expectations and we’re going to plan our work and work our plan. Emory’s been impressive to me so far. He’d be the first to tell: I didn’t play well at times. And I would agree with him that he played really well at times — he just didn’t do it consistently. He’d be the first to tell you that. That’s admirable to take ownership. We’re fortunate. We have two players (Jones and Richardson) who played significant roles on the team. Both have ability. We’ve got to take some of this potential and we need to translate that into progress and production.” Emory Jones is in school, on the roster and about to graduate. (Chris Spears Photo) It sounds to me like Emory has a mulligan if he wants it, perhaps even to play another position – maybe like the slot. Let us not forget about his athletic skills which made him attractive as a recruit not just to Florida, but Alabama, Ohio State, Auburn, Georgia, Clemson, FSU, etc. as well. It would be a nice story if Jones stayed and contributed to the success of a strong first-year campaign by Napier, like Ray Graves did it in 1960 and Steve Spurrier 30 years later. Or, Emory could find a home in the iffy confines of the transfer portal or could become the starting quarterback at Tulsa or Ball State or SoutheastWesternMidCentralState. Gator fans would wish him well and appreciate his contribution. What most of Gator Nation dreams about is seeing Napier develop the full potential of the 6-4, 236-pound AR15 with the rifle arm and the formidable legs. Imagine all that power and skill harnessed in the presence of a Napier-trained quarterback! Why the hurry? Because this is what we do in the media/fan peanut gallery: We pick quarterbacks for the coach, who couldn’t possibly do it without us. I’m on record as saying that I’ve never been more impressed with the skill set and potential of a Gator freshman quarterback than I am by Anthony Richardson’s. And yes, that includes Tim Tebow. Some of my football-playing friends, colleagues and ex-player connections warn me that Richardson has a long way to go, that he appears to be hurt a lot, that he can’t read defenses. So that makes him a longshot? Maybe he’s no Bryce Young (Alabama), or C.J. Stroud (Ohio State), or Caleb Williams (Southern Cal), all listed ahead of him on that Vegas forecast. Spencer Rattler (see South Carolina), thankfully, he also isn’t. However he might be every bit as good, or better, than Quinn Ewers (Texas) or D.J. Uiagalelei (Clemson), who are rated even with him on that BetMGModds list. Put it like this: The last Gator to come out of a six-person scrum on the quarterback chart and achieve stardom was a guy named Shane Matthews in 1990. And he’d never even taken a snap as a quarterback prior to Steve Spurrier starting him. How’d that work out? Yeah, I think I’d be liking my bet on Anthony Richardson as a longshot.

A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning: SEC REVENUE DISTRIBUTION: EACH TEAM GETS $54.6 MILLION The Southeastern Conference announced Thursday that its revenue (from television contracts, postseason games, the SEC Championship Game in football, SEC Basketball Tournament, NCAA championship tournaments) increased by $120.1 million during the 2020-21 fiscal year to $777.8 million. The 14 schools in the league will each receive a little more than $54.6 million and this is BEFORE the new contract with ESPN kicks in after the 2023 football season and BEFORE Texas and Oklahoma leave the Big 12 to join the SEC. The new 10-year contract with ESPN will provide each SEC school with an additional $17 million and that doesn’t include bowl revenue or championship events. It is also expected that when Texas and Oklahoma join the league – could be soon but possibly not until 2025 – ESPN will tear up the old contract and the new one should result in every SEC school receiving in excess of $80 million per year for its media contract. This should set off alarm bells at every other Power Five conference including the Big Ten. While SEC revenue was up substantially, documents obtained by USA Today Network in New Jersey show the Big Ten distributed $157 million less for 2021. The Big Ten’s media rights contracts expire in 2023. The Big 12 hasn’t released new numbers but for 2020 the league distributed $37.7 million, a figure that will drop like a rock when Texas and Oklahoma leave the league. The Big 12 is hoping to broker a new deal with ESPN in exchange for allowing Texas and Oklahoma to leave soon but it won’t be anything close to what it’s making now. The ACC distributed $33.2 million and it’s locked into a media contract with ESPN that won’t expire until 2036. The Pac-12, which distributed $33.6 million, is already projecting a big cut in revenue. It’s media contract expires in 2024 and nobody is beating a door to George Kliavkoff’s door to make a new deal. With lawsuits that figure to change the entire landscape of college sports by making athletes employees, the commissioners of the Big Ten, Pac-12 and ACC ought to be taking the first flight to Birmingham to beg Greg Sankey’s forgiveness for standing in the way of College Football Playoff expansion. With or without expansion, the SEC is going to have the most money by a wide margin. Expansion won’t put the other four power conferences in the SEC’s league when it comes to money, but they’ll find it tough to survive if they don’t have the added millions each league will get from a 12-team playoff. NO. 19 UF WOMEN IMPROVE TO 18-6, 8-3 IN THE SEC Florida’s dynamic guard duo of Zippy Broughton and Kiki Smith proved too much for Mississippi State Thursday night as they led the Gators to an 73-64 win over the Bulldogs in Starkville. Broughton led the Gators with 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists while Smith chipped in with 12 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and a steal. The Gators trailed 36-33 at the half, but outscored Mississippi State (14-8, 5-5 SEC) 40-28 in the final two quarters to register their first win in Starkville since 2013. The win also marked the first time since the 2015-16 season that the Gators have won eight SEC games. The win was the third straight for the Gators, their eighth in the last nine games and kept Florida tied with LSU for third in the SEC. Coach Kelly Rae Finley and the Gators will travel to Auburn for a Monday night encounter (7 p.m., SEC Network). Thursday’s games: No. 19 FLORIDA (18-6, 8-3 SEC) 73, Mississippi State (14-8, 5-5 SEC) 64; No. 1 South Carolina (22-1, 10-1 SEC) 59, Kentucky (9-11, 2-8 SEC) 50; No. 13 Tennessee (20-4, 9-2 SEC) 76, Missouri (16-8, 5-6 SEC) 62; Texas A&M (14-9, 4-7 SEC) 76, Vanderbilt (12-13, 3-8 SEC) 58; Arkansas (15-8, 5-5 SEC) 68, Auburn (9-12, 1-9 SEC) 66; No. 14 LSU (20-4, 8-3 SEC) 73, No. 17 Georgia (17-6, 6-5 SEC) 67 SEC Basketball Sunday’s games: No. 1 South Carolina (22-1, 10-1 SEC) at No. 17 Georgia (17-6, 6-5 SEC); Vanderbilt (12-13, 3-8 SEC) at No. 13 Tennessee (20-4, 9-2 SEC); Kentucky (9-11, 2-8 SEC) at Alabama (12-10, 3-8 SEC); No. 14 LSU (20-4, 8-3 SEC) at Texas A&M (14-9, 4-7 SEC); Arkansas (15-8, 5-5 SEC) at Missouri (16-8, 5-6 SEC); Ole Miss (18-5, 6-4 SEC) at Mississippi State (14-8, 5-5 SEC) Monday’s game: No. 19 FLORIDA (18-6, 8-3 SEC) at Auburn (9-12, 1-9 SEC) CAN THE GATORS KNOCK OFF KENTUCKY AT RUPP? To beat the 5th-ranked Wildcats (20-4, 9-2 SEC) at Rupp Arena is a tall order, particularly since Florida lacks depth on the inside with backup center Jason Jitoboh out for the rest of the season after eye surgery. For Florida (16-8, 6-5 SEC) to do what seems to be next to impossible Saturday afternoon (4 p.m., ESPN), they’ll have to keep Colin Castleton (15.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.8 blocked shots) out of foul trouble in his head-to-head battle with 6-9, 260-pound Oscar Tshiebwe (15.9 points, 15.1 rebounds), the nation’s leading rebounder and a prime candidate for national player of the year. Castleton has had two very good games since coming back from an injury-induced 6-game absence. He had 13 points, nine rebounds, four blocked shots and a steal in the Gators’ win over Ole Miss Wednesday night. When he’s in the game, the Gators have a rim protector. When he’s out of the game, Florida doesn’t have a physical presence capable of handling Tshiebwe. The Gators got a 7-11 shooting night from the 3-point line by Myreon Jones in the win over Ole Miss. Jones and freshman Kowacie Reeves were 9-15 on 3-balls while the rest of the team was a miserable 3-20. The Gators can expect the Wildcats to focus their defense on Castleton in the middle and making sure Jones doesn’t get it going from the perimeter. They’ll take their chances that nobody else can heat it up from the outside like Jones. SEC Basketball Saturday’s games: FLORIDA (16-8, 6-5 SEC) at No. 5 Kentucky (20-4, 9-2 SEC); Texas A&M (15-9, 4-7 SEC) at No. 1 Auburn (22-2, 10-1 SEC); Arkansas (19-5, 8-3 SEC) at Alabama (15-9, 5-6 SEC); South Carolina (13-10, 4-7 SEC) at Georgia (6-18, 1-10); Vanderbilt (13-10, 5-6 SEC) at No. 19 Tennessee (17-6, 8-3 SEC); Mississippi State (14-9, 5-5 SEC) at LSU (17-7, 5-6 SEC); Ole Miss (12-12, 3-8 SEC) at Missouri (9-14, 3-7 SEC) NO. 4 GATOR GYMNASTS HOST NO. 5 LSU This is the biggest meet in the country this weekend when the 4th-ranked Gators (7-0) host 5th-ranked LSU at the O-Dome (5:45 p.m., SEC Network). The Gators have posted the second highest score in the nation so far (198.250) and average 197.535. LSU’s highest score is 197.975 with an average of 197.258. Florida has five perfect 10s in its rotation: three by Trinity Thomas (floor, beam and vault) and one each by Leanne Wong (uneven bars) and Nya Reed (floor). Thomas leads the nation in average beam score (9.975) and is second in floor (9.975) and ninth in vault (9.910). Reed ranks third in average floor score (9.962). SOFTBALL GATORS OPEN THE SEASON IN TAMPA Tim Walton gets a first look at his 2022 Gators today when they face Illinois State at 5:30 in the USF-Rawlings Tournament on the University of South Florida campus in Tampa. The Gators will play Kansas City Saturday morning (10:30) and 16th-ranked Michigan Saturday at 1 p.m., concluding the tournament Sunday with a noon game against host USF. The Gators return All-Americans Charla Echols, Hannah Adams and Elizabeth Hightower from a team that went 45-11 last season. They’ll be joined in the lineup by some fresh new faces who are expected to provide a serious jolt to an offense that was stagnant at times last year. Newbies expected in the lineup are outfielder Kendra Falbey, shortstop Reagan Walsh, first baseman and Alabama transfer Skylar Wallace and catcher Samantha Roe. The infield should be as good as there is in the country with Echols at third, Adams at second, Walsh at shortstop and Wallace at first base. Hightower (17-6, 1.61 ERA) and Natalie Lugo (17-3, 1.74 ERA) are a strong 1-2 pitching punch but they’ll be joined in the rotation by freshman Lexie Delbrey, one of the hardest throwing pitchers that Walton has brought to Florida. The Gators will face Jacksonville on the road Tuesday before opening the home portion of their schedule with the same JU Dolphins Wednesday. SEC FOOTBALL Alabama: Former Georgia and LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger has joined the Alabama staff as an analyst. Mettenberger spent the last two years coaching high school football in Tennessee. He threw for 5,783 yards and 35 TDs at LSU … Eleven Alabama players, led by expected first round OT Evan Neal, have been invited to the NFL Combine. Arkansas: Five Razorbacks were invited to the NFL Combine. Auburn: The Bryan Harsin watch continues without resolution although it is being reported that Harsin met with Auburn officials investigating the problems within the football program Thursday in a meeting held at Southeastern Conference headquarters in Birmingham ... Three Auburn players were invited to the NFL Combine. FLORIDA: Four Gators were invited to the NFL Combine – corner Kaiir Elam, defensive tackle Zachary Carter, running back Dameon Pierce and linebacker Jeremiah Moon. Georgia: Fourteen Bulldogs were invited to the NFL Combine, most in the country. Among those invited were expected first round DT Jordan Davis and first round LB Nakobe Dean. Kentucky: Seven Kentucky players were invited to the NFL Combine, second most in school history, led by offensive lineman Darrian Kinnard and wide receiver WanDale Robinson. LSU: Nine LSU players, headed by corner Daryl Stingley Jr., were invited to the NFL Combine. Mississippi State: Three Bulldogs were invited to the NFL Combine. Missouri: Two Mizzou players including running back Tyler Badie were invited to the NFL Combine. Ole Miss: Less than a month after leaving the Cleveland Browns to become the defensive line coach and co-defensive coordinator for brother Lane at Ole Miss, Chris Kiffin has returned to the NFL, citing having more family time in the pro game than in college. Expectations are that Lane Kiffin will turn to old buddy and former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron to take over as the D-line coach ... Eight Ole Miss players, led by quarterback Matt Corral, were invited to the NFL Combine. South Carolina: Three Gamecocks were invited to the NFL Combine. Tennessee: Four Vols were invited to the NFL Combine. Texas A&M: Nine Aggies, led by All-American defensive tackle DeMarvin Leal, were invited to the NFL Combine. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Revenue distribution is only one indicator that the Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey has insight while the other four power conference commissioners are wearing bifocals. The other big indicator is invitations to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, clear evidence that the most talented football players in the country play in the SEC. The NFL invited 324 players to the Combine, 82 or 25.3 percent from the SEC. The Big Ten had 54 while the Pac-12 had 36, the Big 12 35 and the ACC 34. Take a moment and absorb those numbers – the SEC had only eight fewer players invited than the Big Ten and Pac-12 COMBINED. The SEC had more players invited than any combination of two of the Pac-12, Big 12 and ACC. There is not going to be a fundamental shift in either revenue or recruiting for years to come. If anything, the gap between the SEC and all the other leagues is going to grow wider. The kids are going to go where the three Cs are most prevalent – Coaching, Competition and Cash. That is the Southeastern Conference, by a wide margin.

UAA Photo by Hannah White As the two teams exchanged positions for the final rotation of the night at the O-Dome, LSU over to the balance beam, the Florida Gators to floor, a chainsaw would have been necessary to cut through the tension. Tied at 148.350, this was essentially what you might expect of two Southeastern Conference gymnastics powerhouses ranked in the top five nationally and with a history of white knuckles finishes in head-to-head matchups. Fifth-ranked LSU has a strong beam rotation and the Tigers had the momentum of a very good 49.450 on the floor, an excellent road score and higher than their average of 49.283. The 4th-ranked Gators, on the other hand, couldn’t be happy with their balance beam score of 49.350. Trinity Thomas, who came into the meet leading the nation with an average score of 9.975, had an uncharacteristic 9.7. Anything close to normal and the Gators would have had a commanding lead. As it was, it took a 9.95 from Leah Clapper, a 9.90 from Alyssa Bauman and a 9.925 from Leanne Wong to keep the Gators even with the Tigers. A tight situation for sure, but not something that was living rent free in Thomas’ head. She wasn’t the least bit worried. “I’m good at brushing it [low score] off and keep moving forward because I have to be there for my team,” Thomas said after she helped the Gators to a 198.150-197.825 win over LSU. The past is the past, so they say. Besides, Trinity Thomas knew what was next. It’s called Showtime at the O-Dome and it’s not like the Gators haven’t been there and done that with a meet against a highly-ranked SEC opponent on the line. A little less than a month ago, when the Gators trailed Alabama as the meet entered the final rotation, Nya Reed and Thomas made sure the sellout O-Dome crowd got a Showtime to remember with back-to-back 10s that gave the Gators a 197.00-196.925 win. So as the Gators went through warmups for the floor rotation, Thomas and Reed were feeling rather confident. They looked at each other and took the liberty of a “we were made for this moment” kind of grin. This is what they live for. “We definitely know it’s Showtime when we get to floor,” Thomas said. “That’s our favorite event because we get to show off our favorite routines and kind of just be us and have fun. Definitely Showtime.” While Thomas was calmly erasing the 9.7 from her mind and rebooting her brain to focus on floor, Reed was busy going through her normal routine off to the side. Idle since posting a 9.90 on the vault, the meet’s very first rotation, Reed needed to be sure she had her abundance of nervous energy in check. So, she isolated herself off to the side for a few moments and with a towel over her head, she had prayer time with God and a very personal chat with herself just to remind her that this situation is nothing new and that With a towel over her head, she prayed and had a very personal chat with herself to remind her that this situation is nothing new and that her job is to give the crowd a show. “They’re coming to see you, so why not have fun?” Reed said. So, fun she had and she got a boost from the O-Dome crowd, which watched Wong flirt with perfection. One judge saw Wong’s routine as a perfect 10 but the other saw a flaw somewhere and gave it a 9.95 for a final score of 9.975. The crowd wanted a 10 and didn’t get it, so they turned their energy to Reed and she didn’t disappoint. After two tumbling runs in which she seemed to explode off the floor, Reed lined up for that last run and focused on keeping her adrenaline intact. “I do have a lot of adrenaline,” Reed admitted. “I’ve learned if you use it too much things can go completely opposite of the way you want them to go, so I just take a deep breath and I remind myself ‘this is easy … I do this every day.’ This is basic skills.” Those basic skills turned into a magnificent final run that saw her come down from dizzying heights to a stuck landing that brought the O-Dome crowd off its feet, roaring approval and demanding that both judges offer up a 10. When the judges complied, it was time for Thomas who has already delivered three perfect 10s this season and 11 in her Florida career. “The crowd was so loud the building was shaking,” Thomas said. “I couldn’t hear my music.” Not that it really mattered. When she is laser focused as she was for that final routine, the music is in her head anyway, just as every twist, turn, leap and landing is ingrained into her because of the endless hours spent perfecting a show that not only excites the crowd but rates a high score with the judges. One judge saw a 10. The other judge saw a 9.95 so it wasn’t a perfect 10 but the next best thing. And, when freshman Sloane Blakely, who had struggled on vault, bars and balance beam, anchored the rotation with a 9.95, Florida had another heart-stopping finish to improve to 8-0 overall this season and 5-0 in the SEC. In beating another highly ranked opponent, the Gators validated what head coach Jenny Rowland preaches incessantly to her team. It’s called winning the day. Past is past and tomorrow isn’t here yet, so focus on what has to be done to win today. “Something we’ve been talking a lot about in the gym on a daily basis is winning the day,” Rowland said. “It doesn’t matter if your competitor is anybody else in the SEC, anybody else in the SEC. Every Friday, you win the day and you make the most of that day, whatever the day brings. Not looking too far ahead, this week they they focused daily on what they needed to do to control their controllables and they really did a good job. But I will say their energy and their excitement was just elevated a little bit.” The energy level and excitement was there the entire evening, but especially when the Gators got to the final rotation. That meant Showtime at the O-Dome and once again the Gators delivered at crunch time. Meet notes: Wong won the all-around with a 39.650 while Thomas finished second at 39.600. Thomas won the vault with a 9.975 and tied along with Florida's Savannah Schoenherr and LSU's Haleigh Bryant for the bars title at 9.95. Clapper and LSU's Kiya Johnson won the beam title.

Tennyson wrote, “In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” Obviously, Tennyson was not a college football coach. This is that time of year in the weeks that precede spring football practice that coaches grab their players by the nose and then lead them – some of them kicking and screaming – through a rather tortuous time that has become known as “mat drills.” Billy Napier has another name for it. He calls it his “identity program” which is the second of his eight-phase plan for University of Florida football. It is 25 days total that will prepare the players he inherited plus the three early enrolled high school kids and five transfers for the 15 practices allowed by the NCAA that will begin on March 15. Specifically, the identity program is implemented to not only toughen up the roster but to figure out who leads, who follows and perhaps who either needs a change of attitude or a change of location. Napier explained this part of his “process” at a Friday press conference in which he outlined what he is looking to gain prior to the time when his main concern is football practice. “We’re moving into phase two, the identity program,” Napier explained. “It’s 25 days total. It’s 23 days prior to spring break and then two days once we get back, and I think we’re trying to, really want the players to have 100 percent focus and attack the work, right? We kind of define this for the players. Identity is the qualities and beliefs that make a group different than other people. I think every team around the country does an offseason program. We would like to think that ours is an advantage, that we do it better and that we have a very specific plan in this area. So the key here is that the players make a commitment to the prescribed work the right way, really believe in the power of routine, structure, discipline. And certainly this workload will challenge self-discipline for the players.” This is a herd mentality approach, but it has a specific purpose because while individual talents can certainly lift a team to victories, the game requires cohesion. The team is the sum of all its parts and if all parts are incapable of working together, then the team struggles and probably loses. The best teams work best together. The teams that lack discipline typically break down. If you wish to point fingers at the staff that ran the program the four years prior to Napier arriving on the scene in Gainesville, then look back on all the games that were lost because of breakdowns in discipline, mental toughness and focus. Napier’s identity program at Florida is about getting minds and bodies in synch to create the kind of change that will eliminate the breakdowns in the fall. “We need to control the controllables and we need to work hard to create the identity of our team and that starts inside out,” Napier said. “It starts with the players as people. We all know that significant change is always made from the inside out. So, we’ll start this process today. This is No. 1. We’ll do 15 of these, so we look forward to it.” Old school coaches would call this separating the wheat from the chaff. In so many ways, Napier is an old-school coach who learned his values from his high school football coach dad whose core belief was if you win the hearts and minds of the kids you coach, the bodies will follow and do the right thing. Of course, what Napier does and how he does it is his own adaptation of the foundation that his dad put in place. Along the way, he’s added the influence of coaches he’s worked under like Dabo Swinney and Nick Saban to create a process that is uniquely his. At his core, Billy Napier is old school, but he’s adapted his approach to today’s game. Napier grew up in North Georgia, the product of a two-parent home. Most of his teammates were from similar backgrounds, but as he’s moved up the football chain the circumstances of the kids has changed. So many of these kids are from one-parent or broken homes. Coaches become surrogate fathers and there is importance to pass along fatherly values. Some might call the identity program tough love because it involves pain and there is a punishment-rewards system in place. Kids who are being pushed to their limits don’t always think that this has anything to do with love but every successful dad knows that it takes a strong measure of discipline and a set of proven, well-grounded values to get a kid to follow a straight and narrow path. “We're trying to teach a set of values here,” Napier said. “Integrity is important, right? This program will challenge your integrity because you have to tell yourself the truth, right? You're always having to answer that question: Am I doing the very best that I can do? Am I cutting a corner that nobody knows about or not right about living a lie or whatever the case may be? “I think honesty is a big component here. I think that we want to have a team that's together, a group that selfless, want to have guys that are known as being great teammates. I think this game gives you that opportunity, discipline, effort, toughness, and then a certain level of belief, right? I think that's what we're trying to establish here is our identity as an organization, as a football team. We want to compete with those things in mind. When people talk about our team, we like to think they would talk about those traits.” At his initial press conference at the University of Florida back in December, Napier talked about turning the Gators into the team that nobody wants to play. This is where that begins. It is also the place where coaches discover who their leaders are. Some guys talk the good game. In Texas they call this “all hat and no cattle.” For a talkative type to be a real leader, he has to back up his words with actions. Quiet guys can be leaders, too, but they have to be maximum effort types who never take the easy way out. When the coach says “give me five” they give ten in response. When Tim Tebow was an early enrolled freshman back in January of 2006, he embarrassed some of the veterans when he slid head first on concrete to finish first in a drill. This wasn't a show, but the norm. He was willing to set the right example in everything he did. For those who weren't so competitive? Well, Tebow wasn’t afraid to get in the face of an upperclass teammate but everything he said, he backed up with his own actions. Even though he was just a freshman, a leader was born who would help Florida win a national championship in 2006, win a Heisman trophy in 2007 and lead the Gators to a national championship in 2008. Billy Napier is searching for alpha male types who quite naturally carry the Tebow traits of leadership. He knows that for the Gators to have success in this first year transition from one head coach to another, he will have to have leaders who understand that their example sets the tone for the rest of the team to follow. When nobody leads or leadership is weak, teams are doomed to failure. When asked if he’s found his alpha males, Napier responded, “We spent a lot of time talking to the team about the way you put yourself in position to be a leader is you do that with your example. It’s the most powerful tool that we have for them to be consistent, for them to establish some credibility so down the road here when they do speak up and we do give the opportunity that they can be impactful. We’re in the process of figuring all that out. I don’t know that I’m ready to say that specifically. I think we’re going to learn that during the next 25 days.” That’s why it’s called the identity program. Over the next 25 days Billy Napier will identify who he has who will be a capable leader, which ones are gung-ho followers and some who might not be a good fit in the Florida football program. The more Billy Napier talks, the easier it is to understand what his expectations are and how he plans to change the mindset of his entire team. He has championship aspirations but he understands that championship teams are built the same way you build a house. With a house, the foundation and walls go up before the roof goes on. Shoddy workmanship will build a house that will collapse when storms arise. A football team built with shoddy coaching and without a strong foundation will never win a championship. The team that has the foundation, the values and the attention to detail can hoist championship trophies. The last time Gators hoisted a championship trophy was in Miami in 2008. Since then the foundation of Florida football has eroded. Billy Napier’s plan is to rebuild that foundation, this time so strong that it won’t crumble.

Mike White will tell you it’s one game at a time, and he’s right. You can’t look ahead, not in the Southeastern Conference, which ranks surprisingly behind the Big 12 as the best basketball league in the country this year. But, with seven regular season games remaining and the SEC Tournament in Tampa looming, White knows it’s a numbers game and right now the numbers barely favor the Gators making it to the NCAA Tournament. Winners of their last four games, the Gators are 16-8, 6-5 in the SEC, which is actually quite remarkable considering UF began the SEC portion of the schedule 0-3 and had a six-game stretch without the services of Colin Castleton, who leads the team in scoring (15.4 points per game), rebounding (8.9) and blocked shots (2.8 per game). Florida’s fragile existence is made more difficult by the absence of backup center Jason Jitoboh, who was starting to play very well in Castleton’s absence before an unintentional shot to the eye at Tennessee ended his season. What the Gators have proven in their first 24 games is that they can win some games they shouldn’t and lose some games they have no business losing. That shows up in the NCAA Net Rankings, where the Gators are No. 48, which places them squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble. The Gators are 1-5 against Quad 1 (Top 30) opponents, 3-2 against Quad 2 (31-75), 5-0 against Quad 3 (76-160) and 7-1 against Quad 4. It is that one loss in Quad Four that could prove to be the most troublesome for the Gators moving forward. That was Florida’s 69-54 loss at the hands of Texas Southern, which came into the game 0-7. To Texas Southern’s credit, the Tigers have evened their record at 10-10 but that has done is elevate them to No. 177 in the Net Rankings. The way the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee looks at things, a loss to a Quad 1 or even a Quad 2 team is forgivable. Quad 3 losses are on shaky ground and a Quad 4 loss is a huge negative capable of torpedoing tournament chances. So, how do the Gators overcome that disastrous loss to Texas Southern? Winning cures everything, but the schedule is daunting. The Gators have to play No. 5 Kentucky home and home, plus they have home games with red hot Arkansas and No. 1 Auburn. The other three games are all roadies: Texas A&M, Georgia and Vanderbilt. If the Gators can win the games with Texas A&M, Georgia and Vanderbilt – all games that on paper, at least, they should win – they will have at least 19 regular season wins. Given the strength of the SEC plus non-conference wins over Florida State, No. 16 Ohio State and Oklahoma State, a 19-win regular season should get the Gators over the hump and into the tournament although it will probably be an 11 or 12 seed that requires a trip to Dayton for a dreaded play-in game. If the Gators could win the three they should win and then somehow get one win against Kentucky, Arkansas or Auburn, they could probably move up to the 10 line since they would have 20 regular season wins. Any wins in the SEC Tournament would further enhance their standing and could be conducive to moving up in that 7-10 grouping. The 7-10 grouping is not a bad place to be since all four teams are pretty evenly matched. There usually isn’t a whole lot of difference between a No. 10 and a No. 7. UConn won the NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed in 2014 and Villanova won as a No. 8 in 1985. Wichita State made the national championship game as a No. 9 in 2013 and Syracuse made it to the Final Four as a No. 10 seed in 2016. In 2006 George Mason advanced to the Final Four (lost to Florida in the semifinals) as a No. 11 and VCU made it to the Final Four as a No. 11 in 2011. A No. 12 seed has won a first round game in 18 of the last 20 tournaments and the 2002 Missouri Tigers made the Elite Eight as a No. 12. In the Mike White era at the University of Florida, the Gators have made the NCAA Tournament four of five years. The only years the Gators didn’t make the tournament were White’s first year in 2016 when they went to the NIT quarterfinals and 2020 when the NCAA Tournament was cancelled because of COVID-19. The Gators made the Elite Eight in 2017 when they finished 14-4 in the SEC for second place. As the No. 4 seed in the East, the Gators advanced to the Elite Eight game in the NCAA Tournament where they lost to South Carolina. That team might have had a chance to win the national title except that 6-11 center John Egbunu went down with a torn ligament in his thumb that kept him out of the SEC and NCAA Tournaments. The 2018 Gators went 11-7 in SEC play to earn a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Injuries to Chase Johnson and Gojok Gak were a problem during the season. The Gators lost in the second round of the NCAA to Texas Tech. The 2019 Gators made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed after a 9-9 SEC run. The Gators lost in the second round to Michigan and for a third straight year, injuries were a problem at tournament time. A year ago, the Gators endured the collapse on the court of preseason All-America Keyontae Johnson and two COVID-enforced breaks. They still finished 9-7 in SEC play and got to the second round of the NCAA Tournament where they lost to Oral Roberts. With Johnson in the lineup to go with NBA first rounder Tre Mann, NBA second round draft pick Scottie Lewis and Colin Castleton, this team could have made a very deep run in the tournament. Injuries have been a constant with the Gators every NCAA Tournament year. That’s not an excuse but a reality. If Florida fails to make the tournament this year, injuries will be a factor once again. Assuming there are no further injuries and Castleton can stay healthy, Florida has a legitimate chance to get to 19 regular season wins and a 9-9 SEC record. To be on the safe side, however, they need to get to 20 wins and get what will amount to a signature win over Kentucky, Auburn or Arkansas. That would make it a no doubter that UF belongs in the tournament. Currently, ESPN bracket analyst Joe Lunardi, has the Gators among the last four teams to make the NCAA Tournament. Lunardi projects the Gators as a No. 12 seed which would send them to Dayton for a play-in game. Win that one and the Gators would advance to the first round to face a No. 5 seed. The only way the Gators are going to get off that 12-seed bubble is to finish the regular season with three or four wins. A win at the SEC Tournament certainly would enhance their chances of getting to the 7-10 area of the brackets. Lunardi currently has seven SEC teams making the tournament – Auburn (1), Kentucky (2), Tennessee (5), Alabama (6), Arkansas (7), LSU (7) and Florida (12) – which ties the Big 12 and Big Ten for most teams by any conference. POST SEASON CHANCES FOR THE REST OF THE SEC Alabama (15-9, 5-6 SEC): Although it has been an up and down season in the SEC for Alabama, the Crimson Tide does own wins over then No. 1 Gonzaga and then No. 4 Baylor, the two teams that played for the national championship last year. Those wins offset losses to Memphis, Missouri and Georgia. Included in the final seven regular season games are Arkansas and road trips to Kentucky and LSU. The NCAA Net Ranking is 23 so a 4-3 record down the stretch will get Alabama in even without an SEC Tournament win. Arkansas (19-5, 8-3 SEC): There isn’t a hotter team in the league than the Razorbacks, who have rebounded from an 0-3 start in league play to reel off eight wins in a row including a recent slaying of No. 1 Auburn. Arkansas has one of the tougher stretch runs, however, with Alabama on the road, Tennessee home and home and a homer with Kentucky. Florida on the road in between home games with Tennessee and Kentucky could prove troublesome. The NCAA Net Ranking is 31. With eight SEC wins already, the Hogs are shoo-ins for the NCAA Tournament. If they can finish 14-4 in league play, they could be a top four seed in some regional. Auburn (22-2, 10-1 SEC): Bruce Pearl took Auburn to the Final Four in 2019 with a team that wasn’t as talented, as tall or as deep as this one. The schedule down the stretch isn’t particularly daunting other than a road trip to Tennessee so 6-1 or 7-0 is achievable, which would mean a regular season SEC championship. The Tigers have a No. 9 net ranking and Joe Lunardi has them a No. 1 seed. It’s hard to imagine they would drop any lower than a No. 2. This is a team that could make a Final Four run and bring home a national championship. Georgia (6-18, 1-10 SEC): The Bulldogs are going nowhere. About the only question remaining is will Tom Crean get another year. A growing number of Georgia fans believe that if Crean is still the coach next year it is a sure sign that the administration cares only about football. Kentucky (20-4, 9-2 SEC): The Wildcats have disposed of five consecutive opponents including a blowout win over then No. 5 Kansas in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. It isn’t a question of if the Wildcats get into the tournament, just a matter of how high they will be seeded and where the Big Blue Nation needs to start reserving hotel rooms. The way John Calipari has the Wildcats playing defense, they have the look of a Final Four team. Their Net Ranking is No. 5 and Joe Lunardi currently has them a No. 2 seed. To run the table the rest of the regular season, they’ll have to win at Tennessee and at Arkansas, plus beat Florida twice and Alabama. That’s difficult but do-able. LSU (17-7, 5-6 SEC): Now that point guard Xavier Pinson is healthy again, the Tigers could prove to be formidable down the stretch. Before Pinson was hurt, they were 14-1. LSU is looking like a 7-10 team in the NCAA Tournament. Any higher than that will require at least five wins in the next seven games with one of those five against either Arkansas or Kentucky, both games on the road. LSU has a No. 16 NCAA Net Ranking. Currently, Lunardi has them on the seven line. Mississippi State (14-9, 5-5 SEC): The Bulldogs are on everybody’s bubble, but they’ve lost five of their last seven games and they still have to play at LSU, at Alabama and home against Auburn. They did beat Arkansas before the Razorbacks got things rolling, but that’s the closest they have to a signature win. Because of a COVID postponement they have eight SEC games remaining. They need to go 5-3 to make the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs have a No. 56 NCAA Net Ranking and they’re among Lundardi’s first four out. Missouri (9-14, 3-7 SEC): Barring something unforeseen, such as winning eight straight SEC games or winning five in a row to take the SEC Tournament, the Tigers aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Are the natives restless enough to call for Cuonzo Martin’s head on a platter? That might be the biggest question with three weeks remaining in the regular season. The NCAA Net Ranking is 145. Ole Miss (12-12, 3-8 SEC): The final seven games include roadies to Auburn and Kentucky and this is an Ole Miss team that needs to win all seven to make the NCAA Tournament plus go deep in the SEC Tournament. Ole Miss is good enough to be pesky and capable of knocking off an unsuspecting team at home, but maybe not good enough to even make the NIT with a strong stretch run. The NCAA Net Ranking is 107. South Carolina (13-10, 4-7 SEC): There are only two ways South Carolina can get into the NCAA Tournament: (1) go 7-0 down the stretch to finish 11-7 in SEC play or (2) win the SEC Tournament. The NCAA Net Ranking is 106. Four wins should get the Gamecocks into the NIT but even that will be difficult. Tennessee (17-6, 8-3 SEC): The Vols have won their last three and seven of their last nine to jump to a No. 10 NCAA Net Ranking. Lunardi has Tennessee on a five line, but that could change since the remaining schedule is daunting with home games against Kentucky and Arkansas and a roadie to Auburn. A 4-3 record down the stretch probably keeps UT at a No. 5 for the NCAA Tournament. Win two of the three against Kentucky, Arkansas and Auburn plus make the SEC Tournament semifinals and the Vols could be a four or better seed. Texas A&M (15-9, 4-7 SEC): The Aggies started out 15-2 and 4-0 in the SEC. Since then the wheels come off. With seven losses in a row, it’s going to take some sort of miracle to break out of their funk to turn things around. The schedule is conducive to a good finish although three wins in their last seven should land them in the NIT. The Net Ranking is No. 74. Vanderbilt (13-10, 5-6 SEC): Jerry Stackhouse is a prime candidate for SEC Coach of the Year. It has been five years since the Commodores won 13 games in a season. Getting to the NIT would be quite an accomplishment and would take winning five of the last seven to get there. Odds aren’t good for that to happen, but still, getting to 17 or 18 wins would be a real sign that Stackhouse has the program heading in the right direction. The NCAA Net Ranking is 82.

Chris Spears Photo The Lady Gators are winning and getting noticed because of Kelly Rae Finley, “I don't understand why that girl hasn't been named the head coach yet…” – LSU Coach Kim Mulkey By KYLE CURTIS GatorBait Intern Since the previous update on Kelly Rae Finley’s success with the women’s basketball team at UF, she has not only taken the SEC by storm, but the whole nation. The Gators were ranked #19 in the most recent AP poll heading into their game vs. Mississippi State this week, which they won handidly in Starkville Thursday night, 73-64. Finley has her Gators rolling, having now won eight of their last nine games, five against those being AP top 25 teams. Their only loss came to #1 South Carolina at home, quickly followed by a program-defining 84-59 thrashing of No. 7 Tennessee on the road. After one of the most controversial off seasons in recent history for Florida sports, Finley now has her team in the midst of one of their best seasons in program history. The grit and attention shown on the court were inspirational enough to draw compliments from opposing coaches (At this writing she was still wearing the “interim” tag.) LSU head coach, Kim Mulkey, had this to say regarding Finley's status as interim head coach after losing to Florida: “I don't understand why that girl hasn't been named the head coach yet. What else does she have to do? What are you waitin’ on?” Mulkey, as well as others across the nation, are asking the same question as Gator’s fans are. Finley has the team ranked in the top 20 for the first time since December of 2016, with a chance to make a deep run in the tournament with hopes of a high tournament seeding. Gator Nation has flooded Twitter with tweets of support and gratitude in hopes of Finley securing the job. Some have even called it “the best story in all of college hoops this year,” If the Gators fail to secure Finley past the 2022 season, she is likely to have plenty of job opportunities. There are no reports of any other current offers, but Finley has ties to schools such as Harvard (alma mater and assistant coach) and Arizona (recruiting coordinator and guard coach) where she has experienced previous success. Graphic Courtesy of UAA Kelly Rae has also been a big reason in breakout guard Kiara (Kiki) Smith. Smith has won SEC player of the week twice already this season and is likely to have ALL-SEC honors when the season concludes. In the Gator's four upset wins over ranked teams, Smith was able to score at least 23 points, including 27 against Texas A&M. A storybook season already, still has a couple more chapters to be written as the ladies look to finish this potential historic season in strong fashion.

The new coach greets the latest addition to his 2022 Class. UAA Photo “The coaches connected with me and my family, and I felt like that was a huge part. They check off all the boxes.”--Arlis Boardingham By KYLE CURTIS GatorBait Intern Wait, wait! Recruiting season isn’t over yet! If you weren’t paying attention on Wednesday night, you missed it: In the midst of a Florida-Georgia basketball game in Gainesville, football managed to steal the spotlight. The Gators were able to secure a commitment from 3-star Athlete Arlis Boardingham to close out their 2022 recruiting class. Boardingham, 6-foot-3, 234 pounds, was primarily a wide receiver in high school, although UF will likely throw him in at tight end as well. He was officially listed an “ATH,” or athlete, which is not a designation often used to describe a tight end. Boardingham, a California native, pared his colleges down to Florida and Oregon before ultimately choosing the Gators. In addition to the Gators and Ducks, Boardingham had offers from USC, Texas, Notre Dame, Utah, Arizona State and Oregon State among others. Boardingham officially visited the UF on Jan. 14 and received multiple visits from them during the contact period. UF was also the program that had been recruiting him the hardest. Oregon never made the effort to visit him out in California. Nonetheless, Boardingham made a trip to Eugene the weekend before National Signing Day. Therefore, Boardingham was dealt with a tough decision between the Ducks and Gators leading up to National Signing Day before finally choosing Gainesville. “I would say the coaching staff,” Boardingham told Gators Online when asked why UF received the nod. “They all seem like they have a plan and are on the same page. They also share the same common goal and have their best interest in me and me developing as a person and player. “The coaches connected with me and my family, and I felt like that was a huge part,” said Boardingham. “They check off all the boxes.” Napier and his staff have proved how committed they were on the recruiting trail. According to the On3 Consensus Rankings, Boardingham is the No. 19 athlete in the 2022 class. He is also the No. 39 senior in the state of California and has an On3 NIL Valuation of $15,300. Florida has jumped up to 17 in the latest 247sports overall rankings, up from 19th after National Signing Day. Significantly better than outside of the top 80, where we stood the first day Napier arrived on campus. Here is how the 2022 class ended up (via 247sports): Enrollees: ● Kamari Wilson, 4-Star Safety ● Chris McClellan, 4-Star Defensive Lineman ● Devin Moore, 4-Star Safety Signed Letter of Intent: ● Shemar James, 4-Star Linebacker ● Trevor Etienne, 4-Star Running back ● Tony Livingston, 4-Star Offensive Tackle ● Jamari Lyons, 4-Star Defensive Lineman ● Jack Pyburn, 3-Star Edge ● Caleb Douglas, 3-Star Wide Receiver ● Arlis Boardingham, 3-Star Athlete ● Andrew Savaiinaea, 3-Star Defensive Lineman ● Jalen Farmer, 3-Star Offensive Lineman ● Miguel Mitchell, 3-Star Athlete ● David Conner, 3-Star Offensive Tackle ● Christian Williams, 3-Star Offensive Lineman ● Max Brown, 3-Star Quarterback ● Trey Smack, 3-Star Kicker ● Hayden Hansen, 3-Star Tight End Transfers ● O’Cyrus Torrence (Louisiana Lafayette), 4-Star Offensive Lineman ● Jalen Kimber (Georgia), 4-Star Cornerback ● Montrell Johnson (Louisiana Lafayette), 4-Star Running back ● Kamryn Waites (Louisiana Lafayette), 4-Star Offensive Tackle ● Jack Miller (Ohio State), 3-Star Quarterback ● Tyrone Truesdell (Auburn), 3-Star Defensive Lineman

Photo courtesy Gator Collective "I have always played linebacker and quarterback my whole life. I would say I was more focused on the quarterback my 7th and 8th grade … There was always this kind of anger in me that made me want to be on the other side of the ball and knock somebody out." -- Derek Wingo Transcribed From TheBuddyMartinShow/GatorCollective Corner By Kyle Curtis, GatorBait Intern (Each week, GatorBait features an interview from a Florida player with Gator Collective. This week it’s sophomore linebacker Derek Wingo from Fort Lauderdale.) Question: How does it feel to finally have parking on campus? Answer: “I’d say parking was an issue that was a long time coming… We were able to get that done get that set aside… It’s amazing,” Wingo said. “One of the first things when Napier sat down and had that conversation about what are the things we wanted to change within the program. One of the first things said was parking.” After years and years of football players coming in and out of the program, struggling with parking tickets and lack of spots, Napier and his staff were able to knock this out as one of their first accomplishments here at UF. Question: What has it been like going through the culture and mood change during the offseason within the program? Answer: Guys are feeling closer as a team, pushing each other, just having the right attitude and work ethic. Even the strength was amazing, their enthusiasm, it was nothing I saw before. Wingo stressed how it felt different while conducting workouts with the new staff. He emphasized how everyone felt closer as a team and the strength staff was doing a “great job of keeping everyone motivated and engaged.” Question: Talk about having the family structure, and how much your mom and dad have influenced your football career up to this point? Answer: I was born in Naples, Florida. When it came to the decision to be able to go over to the East Coast to attend Saint Thomas (Aquinas), my mom owned a pre-school, so that was something she couldn’t just push away. We decided as a family for my dad to move over to the East Coast with me, so I commuted those four years for family time. My mom would travel every Friday night to come to see my games. That was something that was tough. When COVID hit, my mom ended up losing her business, a lot of different things were going on… She then made the decision she wanted to support me and be a part of my journey so they moved to Gainesville. To be able to have my parents here in Gainesville supporting me, that’s something amazing. We got the whole family here, just having the support on my back is amazing. Wingo went into depth about how he attended one of the most athletically-decorated high schools in Florida and the hardships that came along with it for his family. He explained how much of an impact his parents have had on him and now they are in Gainesville makes not only football life easier, but also college life as a student. Question: What is your favorite item from your mom’s bakery shop, the Sugar Shack? Answer: My favorite one is actually the birthday cake and Reese’s cup because I’m a huge Reese’s cup fan. That was one of the first things Coach Napier brought up to me, ‘I heard your mom has a cupcake shop.’ Having my mom around the team is incredible. Wingo’s mom opened “Mama Wingo’s Sugar Shop." She makes different kinds of cakes and sweets for the Gainesville area and has even brought cupcakes to the whole staff and team in the past. Question: How is the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) working from your perspective, and how is it affecting you personally? Answer: NIL is an amazing thing… The biggest thing that stands out is Gator Collective. That is something that will always be there, it’s a family. It’s relationships, connections we have built, and I think that’s one of the biggest things about the University of Florida. Gator Collective doing something no one else has done is amazing, to be able to help all these athletes… I thank the Gator Collective for doing what they do. Wingo emphasized how much of an impact Gator Collective has had in such a short time on campus. He went on to say how thankful he is for Gator Collective, helping out not only certain players but every player within the program. Question: How is the coaching staff addition, and the numbers, effect you as an athlete? Answer: The biggest thing that’s been noticeable for me… He (Napier) is maxing our staff out for literally everything. Someone is texting me making sure I'm getting the right meals, make sure I'm getting the right protein after I work out … someone comes up to make sure I get a kind shake specific to me. In the weight room, I have a coach specific to my position that played my position… They want the best for us, they want us to succeed as a person and an athlete. Each position has its own workout group customized to their needs. Wingo stated there is a different energy within the program surrounding practices and workouts approach. Question: Can you talk about being coached by former Miami defensive great Jason Taylor in high school and a guy like (former Gator assistant) Christian Robinson in college? Answer: As a high school athlete, to be coached by someone like Jason Taylor, is really unheard of. Being able to build a relationship was amazing, all the techniques were incredible. To see it in person and be coached, is something that not a lot of people gate. To have someone like Christian Robinson -- I don’t think there’s a better coach in college football. Christian Robinson has done everything for us as people … Being able to have people like Jason Taylor and Christian Robinson -- those are the kind of coaches we need in this world. Taylor spent the majority of his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins. He was inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame in 2017. Robinson departed Gainesville in the midst of the Dan Mullen departure and was able to secure an opportunity as the linebackers coach at Auburn for the upcoming season. Both men have had an everlasting impact on not only Wingo’s football performance but also him as a person. Question: How did you make the transition from quarterback to the defensive end, who helped you? Answer: I have always played linebacker and quarterback my whole life. I would say I was more focused on the quarterback my 7th and 8th grade … There was always this kind of anger in me that made me want to be on the other side of the ball and knock somebody out. I felt like I always had to be in the gym and work out… I’d say making the switch was hard, but I had guys like Jason Taylor who was there for me. It is just like being the quarterback of the defense. I think that was something that transferred over very easily, being able to stay poised in tough situations, that really translated well. Wingo touched on how his experience as being quarterback as a sophomore at Aquinas for a season translated to his success on the defensive side of the ball. He credits a lot of his success to Taylor. Question: What is it about your game that translates so well, what is the best part of your game and something that you are improving on? Answer: My freshman year I had to transition from playing on the ball to off the ball. My freshman year I struggled with that… This year I was able to work on and improve on that. I feel more comfortable and poised in my abilities… My pass rush ability was my skill set in high school, but now I’m working on the run game and staying in coverage. As middle linebacker that is the biggest position on defense. I know something I am good at is being in the film room and being aware of everything… I’m looking forward to it. Wingo also said he is excited to get into the film room and work with the new defensive coordinator, Patrick Toney. He also wants to get his weight and strength up while improving his speed to help with run defense along with coverage. Question: Why did you choose Florida, and has it been what you anticipated? Answer: I was committed to Penn State originally, and decommited to come to the University of Florida. Coach Rob was a big guy that influenced me. One of the biggest things was already being away from my mom four years. Why am I going to travel halfway across the country when I have a great opportunity to play in the state I was born in and stay close to my family? Just to stay close to my family, stay in the heat and play for the Florida Gators… To be able to have the relationships, the connections, the education everything is just amazing. Wingo was a four-star recruit with 30 division 1 offers. As mentioned, he was previously committed to Penn State before decommitting and coming home to Gainesville.

UAA Photo A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: YES IT WAS GEORGIA, BUT A WIN IS A WIN IN FEBRUARY It is indeed true that Florida’s 72-63 win over Georgia (6-18, 1-10 SEC) at the O-Dome Wednesday night won’t move the college basketball Richter scale. This was a game the Gators (16-8, 6-5 SEC) probably should have won by more than nine points, too, but this is February and there are only seven more regular season games remaining. When you get to this stage of the season, you take a win any way you can get one. Sure, everyone would love a good old- fashioned blowout, but whether you win by one or 101 it only counts as one in the win column. The win was Florida’s fourth straight and while it won’t do much for Florida’s NCAA Net Ranking (currently 43rd), a loss would have been disastrous for Florida’s NCAA Tournament hopes. That beatdown at the hands of Texas Southern (net ranking of 177) back in December could haunt the Gators on NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday. As bad as Texas Southern was, Georgia is worse (NCAA Net ranking 207) so this was absolutely a must win for UF. The way the Gators began both halves, this should have been a blowout, but other than Myreon Jones (7-11 from the 3-point line, UF career best 23) and Colin Castleton (13 points, 9 rebounds, two assists, four blocked shots and a steal) there wasn’t a lot of consistency on the offensive end. Jones, who was 17-77 on his previous 3-pointers just a week ago, has now hit 14 of his last 23. Unknown to Gator fans and the media, Jones played through a broken finger dating back to December 18 against South Florida. That may have thrown off his shot but now the finger is healed and now he’s starting to find a shooting groove just when the Florida Gators need him the most. It's a good thing Jones was red hot from the perimeter against Georgia because he was Florida’s difference maker. “If he doesn’t go 7-11 from three, I don’t think we win this game,” Florida coach Mike White said. “He was terrific, shot it with confidence.” Jones hit his first 3-ball at the 14:27 mark in the first half. He went on to hit three more as the Gators built a 16-point lead – 35-19 with 5:40 to go – before they lost their focus at both ends of the floor, which allowed Georgia to halve the deficit by intermission on a Christian Wright layup at the buzzer. The Gators built the lead up to 13 on two occasions in the second half, but both times went into another scoring funk. It was a 3-pointer by Jones with 6:04 remaining in the game that put the Gators up 64-51 but that was followed by another scoring/focus lapse. Georgia scored 10 straight points before Castleton hit a 12-foot jumper in the lane with 2:35 left. That was followed by a 3-pointer by Tyree Appleby, who scored all 11 of his points in the second half with 37 seconds remaining. Appleby’s two free throws with 26 seconds left put UF up by eight (71-63) to all but seal the win. “Obviously, there’s an intensity drop,” White said. “Are we watching the scoreboard? Are you just hoping it ends? Are you mentally fatigued? Are you down about your last missed shot? A mental toughness that we’ve been talking about all year … I thought at times, we played with a lot of edge. I thought we started with a lot of edge with the right mental approach. We’ve got to be better finishing, of course. We’re fortunate, man.” Take away Jones’ 7-11 on 3-pointers and a 2-4 night from deep by freshman Kowacie Reeves and the Gators were an abysmal 3-20 from the 3-point line. Asked what the basket looks like now that he’s broken out of his shooting slump, Jones responded, “It’s huge, honestly. When I get in that groove, I’m just shooting. I don’t think about anything else, I just shoot. That’s just the results.” The Gators travel to Lexington Saturday to face No. 5 Kentucky (20-4, 9-2 SEC), which has won its last five games. SEC Basketball Wednesday’s scores: FLORIDA (16-8, 6-5 SEC) 72, Georgia (6-18, 1-10 SEC) 63; Alabama (15-9, 5-6 SEC) 97, Ole Miss (12-12, 3-8 SEC) 83; No. 19 Tennessee (17-6, 8-3 SEC) 72, Mississippi State (14-9, 5-5 SEC) 63 Saturday’s games: FLORIDA (16-8, 6-5 SEC) at No. 5 Kentucky (20-4, 9-2 SEC); Texas A&M (15-9, 4-7 SEC) at No. 1 Auburn (22-2, 10-1 SEC); Arkansas (19-5, 8-3 SEC) at Alabama (15-9, 5-6 SEC); South Carolina (13-10, 4-7 SEC) at Georgia (6-18, 1-10 SEC); Vanderbilt (13-10, 5-6 SEC) at No. 19 Tennessee (17-6, 8-3 SEC); Mississippi State (14-9, 5-5 SEC) at LSU (17-7, 5-6 SEC); Ole Miss (12-12, 3-8 SEC) at Missouri (9-14, 3-7 SEC) UF WOMEN HAVE TO AVOID A LETDOWN It’s been a real grind, but the Gators (17-6, 7-3 SEC) have finally cracked the Associated Press Top 25 rankings. Now comes the tough part for Kelly Rae Finley and her 19th-ranked Gators – avoiding a letdown after fighting so hard to finally get some recognition. They will be put to the test in Starkville tonight when they face Mississippi State (14-7, 5-4 SEC), which has won three in a row With seven wins in their last eight games including five over ranked teams, the Gators have overcome an 0-2 start in the SEC to move into a third-place tie with 14th-ranked LSU, just a game out of second place behind No. 13 Tennessee. The Gators own wins over both LSU and the Lady Vols. To take out Mississippi State, the Gators have to find a way to neutralize the backcourt tandem of point guard Myah Taylor (7.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game) and shooter Anastasia Hayes (18.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game). During the past eight games, the Gators have gotten dominant play by guards Kiki Smith (14.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.5 steals) and Zippy Broughton (8.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals). In the wins over Tennessee and Georgia last week, Smith and Broughton combined for 56 points, 22 rebounds, 16 assists and nine steals. SEC Basketball Thursday’s games: No. 19 FLORIDA (17-6, 7-3 SEC) at Mississippi State (14-7, 5-4 SEC); Missouri (16-7, 5-5 SEC) at No. 13 Tennessee (19-4, 8-2 SEC); No. 1 South Carolina (21-1, 9-1 SEC) at Kentucky (9-10, 2-7 SEC); Vanderbilt (12-12, 3-7 SEC) at Texas A&M (13-9, 3-7 SEC); Auburn (9-12, 1-9 SEC) at Arkansas (14-8, 4-5 SEC); No. 17 Georgia (17-5, 6-4 SEC) at No. 14 LSU (19-4, 7-3 SEC) SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL Arkansas: Arkansas has been fined $250,000 by the Southeastern Conference after fans stormed the court when the Hogs beat No. 1 Auburn Tuesday night. This was the third offense for Arkansas, which was fined after its fans stormed the field in September when the Hogs beat Texas in football. FLORIDA: Garrick McGee, who was Florida’s quarterback coach in 2021 and the interim offensive coordinator for the Gasparilla Bowl, has landed a job as the wide receivers coach at Purdue. Georgia: Kirk Benedict, who spent the last eight seasons as the special teams coordinator at Duke, has been hired as a special teams analyst ... Georgia starts spring practice on March 15 and will play its spring game on April 16. Kentucky: It’s looking more and more as if offensive coordinator Liam Coen will be named offensive coordinator of the Los Angeles Rams after the Super Bowl. Current Rams OC Kevin O’Connell will take over as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings after Sunday’s game. Missouri: It’s official. Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks has departed to take over as the DC with the NFL Carolina Panthers. Tennessee: After beating Mississippi State in Starkville Wednesday night, the Vols have won three in a row and six of their last seven games. Texas A&M: The Aggies will hold their annual Maroon and White Game on April 9. Vanderbilt: The Commodores have won three of their last four games. Their 13 wins are the most for any Vandy team since the 2017 seasons when they went 19-15. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Gus Malzahn needs to get some callouses on his knees. Callouses from getting down on his knees to thank God every single night that he is no longer having to deal with the three-ring circus that is Auburn University and its loony band of boosters. Bryan Harsin has been on the job a little more than 13 months. What he’s going through dealing with the Auburn boosters, who want him pink-slipped is just a taste of what Gus Malzahn went through during the eight years he was the AU football coach. First they loved him, then they hated him. Then he got the miracle win over Georgia followed by the Kick Six win over Alabama in 2017 and they loved him again and gave him a monster contract. And then they hated him again, so much that they paid him $21.7 million to go away. He’s at UCF now, knocking down a tidy $2.3 million at a place where the boosters think he could walk all the way across Lake Eola without so much as going ankle-deep after winning nine games despite a ton of injuries and beating Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl. When Mike Bianchi suggested Wednesday that Auburn should have never fired Gus, he replied, “I just feel blessed to be here [at UCF].” And why not? He’s got $21.7 million collecting interest in the bank, he’s well paid by UCF and the Knights will be playing in the Big 12 in another year where they’ll have a better chance of making the College Football Playoff than Auburn will at its present pace. Up at Auburn, if Bryan Harsin makes it through another 48 hours without the loony boosters writing an $18.3 million check to ease the pain from the indignity of getting fired, then this will rank right up there among miracles with the walls of Jericho tumbling down. Odds that Harsin will get a stay of football execution from the Auburn warden (president Jay Gogue)? You have a better chance of winning the $172 million Power Ball Jackpot on Saturday. Driving to the Florida-Georgia basketball game this evening, I was listening to Van Morrison’s album “Hymns to the Silence.” When the song “Professional Jealousy” started playing my first thought was Auburn University. Bryan Harsin is a scapegoat for the Auburn boosters. Their problem isn’t so much Harsin as it is Alabama, which drives the Auburn boosters insane with jealousy to the point that the fat cats who write the big checks are willing to spend millions to get rid of a good coach and millions more to hire someone they hope and pray can beat Alabama. Bryan Harsin lost to Alabama and then was out-recruited by Nick Saban, unpardonable sins to the Auburn boosters. Auburn will hire a new coach. You would think anyone decent would shy away, but money talks and Auburn’s loony boosters will throw an insane amount at someone whose mission in life will be to beat Alabama. Gus Malzahn beat Nick Saban and Alabama three times but it wasn’t enough for the boosters. The next guy should be so lucky to beat Nick Saban three times in eight years. Down in Orlando, Gus Malzahn probably breaks into uncontrollable giggles every time he passes his bank. Money can’t buy you love, so they say, but it sure does make you feel good when you realize you’ve got a small fortune in the bank and you don’t have to deal with the Auburn loonies any longer.

A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning: GATORS HAVE TO AVOID THE BIG LETDOWN AGAINST GEORGIA Having come from behind the last three games, all of them wins, the Gators (15-8, 5-5 SEC) can’t afford any sort of emotional letdown tonight when Georgia (6-17, 1-9 SEC) comes to the O-Dome (6:30 p.m., SEC Network). Georgia has a bad record and is probably a month away from Tom Crean pink-slipped, but the Bulldogs have pulled a shocker to beat Alabama this season and they came within a last second basket of knocking off No. 1 Auburn. The Gators have had issues with emotions. They took then previously winless Texas Southern for granted back on December 6 and took a hosing, 69-54. The Gators lost to a below average Maryland team, 70-68, back on December 12. Florida’s January 24 loss to Ole Miss (70-54) was totally devoid of emotion and energy. All three of these losses could prove costly when the NCAA fills out its 68-team brackets. Texas Southern has a No. 173 NCAA Net Ranking while Maryland is No. 100 and Ole Miss is No. 104. Had the Gators won those three they would be 18-5 right now and either ranked or just outside the top 25. What those three losses have done is take away any wiggle room the Gators might have with the NCAA selection committee. There are eight games remaining, four against teams with lower NCAA Net rankings than the Gators (No. 44) – Georgia (No. 207) twice, Texas A&M (No. 70) and Vanderbilt (No. 83). Consider those four must wins. If the Gators can win those four and then somehow score a win over Kentucky (No. 4), who they play twice, Auburn (No. 7) or Arkansas (No. 37), it would almost certainly put them in the 7-10 range for the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. The Gators are expected to go with the same starting lineup they used against Ole Miss: Colin Castleton, Anthony Duruji, Neils Lane, Phlandrous Fleming Jr. and Tyree Appleby. It’s unconventional in that Lane doesn’t even look to score, but he’s an outstanding defender who operates one of the points in Florida’s 2-2-1 press. Castleton came back from a three-week absence against Ole Miss with 17 points, seven rebounds, three blocked shots and a steal. Appleby had a double-double against Ole Miss, 10 points and 10 assists. Beal out for the rest of the NBA season: Former Gator Bradley Beal will miss the remainder of the NBA season after undergoing surgery to repair ligament damage in his wrist. A three-time all-star, Beal was averaging 23.6 points and 6.6 assists per game for the Washington Wizards. He is eligible to sign a 5-year contract for $245 million next year. SEC Basketball Tuesday’s scores: Arkansas (19-5, 8-3 SEC) 80, No. 1 Auburn (22-2, 10-1 SEC) 76; No. 5 Kentucky (20-4, 9-2 SEC) 86, South Carolina (13-10, 4-7 SEC) 76; LSU (17-7, 5-6 SEC) 76, Texas A&M (15-9, 4-7 SEC) 68; Vanderbilt (13-10, 5-6 SEC) 70, Missouri (9-14, 3-7 SEC) 62 Wednesday’s games: Georgia (6-17, 1-9 SEC) at FLORIDA (15-8, 5-5 SEC); Alabama (14-9, 4-6 SEC) at Ole Miss (12-11, 3-7 SEC); No. 19 Tennessee (16-6, 7-3 SEC) at Mississippi State (14-8, 5-4 SEC) KIKI SMITH SEC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK For the second time this season, guard Kiki Smith has been named SEC Player of the Week. In leading the Gators to wins over then No. 7 Tennessee and then No. 14 Georgia, Smith combined for 35 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and five steals. Against Tennessee, Smith had 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals. The two wins helped the Gators crack the Associated Press Top 25 poll where they are ranked 19th. The Gators (17-6, 7-3 SEC) are on the road Thursday night when they travel to Starkville to face Mississippi State (14-7, 5-4 SEC). NAPIER BY THE NUMBERS AT HIS PREVIOUS JOB Here are some key stats from Billy Napier’s four seasons as the head coach at Louisiana, where he was 40-12. 2018 (7-7): The Rajin Cajuns averaged 218.71 yards per game rushing and 205.6 passing. Trey Regas (Now with the Raiders) gained 1,181 yards and Elijah Mitchell (49ers) had 977 yards and 13 touchdowns. Louisiana threw 16 TDPs in 2017, 27 in 2018. 2019 (11-3): The Rajin Cajuns averaged 37.9 points per game and trimmed 15 points off defensively (19.7) from 2018. They ran for 257.43 yards with Mitchell running for 1,147 and 16 TDs, Raymond Calais (Rams) had 886 and six TDs, and Regas had 820 and 11 TDs. Louisiana averaged 236.7 per game passing with Levi Lewis throwing for 26 TDPs with only four picks. 2020 (10-1): The Cajuns upset then No. 12 Iowa State in the season opener of the COVID year. They threw for 208.5 yards per game with Lewis throwing 19 TDPs while running for five more. Louisiana ran for 213 per game with Mitchell running for 878 and eight TDs and Regas getting 758 and 10. The defense gave up 22 points per game but picked off 16 passes and allowed only 10 TDPs. 2021 (12-1): The Cajuns threw for 218.5 yards per game with Lewis throwing 20 TDPs (only four picks) while running for five more. On the ground, the Cajuns averaged 194 yards per game with 34 rushing TDs led by Chris Smith with 856 yards and eight TDs and Montrell Johnson getting 838 and 12 TDs. The defense gave up only 18.5 points and 340.9 yards per game. Louisiana forced 23 turnovers and only turned it over eight times all year. SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL NOTES Alabama: Former Alabama running back Santonio Beard, who once scored five touchdowns in a game against Ole Miss, was shot and killed in Lithonia, Georgia. Beard ran for 1,526 yards and 16 touchdowns in his Alabama career … Alabama shoots more 3-pointers than any Division I team in the country but the Crimson Tide is shooting only 30.5 percent, which ranks 321st out of 358 teams. Arkansas: When the Hogs (19-5, 8-3 SEC) beat Auburn (22-2, 10-1 SEC), 80-76, in overtime Tuesday night at Bud Walton Arena it marked the first win over a No. 1 ranked team since 1984 when Arkansas upset Michael Jordan and North Carolina. The win was Arkansas’ ninth in a row and their eighth straight in SEC play after an 0-3 start. Auburn: While Auburn’s high-powered boosters and the administration debate on his future, head football coach Bryan Harsin continues to vacation outside the country … A substantial gift by Auburn power booster Bill Neville will result in an upgraded basketball practice facility and Neville getting his name on the outside of Auburn Arena ... In their 80-76 overtime loss to Arkansas at Bud Walton Arena Tuesday night, the Tigers shot 8-32 from the 3-point line and 8-17 from the foul line. Georgia: Kirby Smart has targeted Auburn secondary coach Zac Etheridge to replace Jahmile Addae, who left to coach the secondary at Miami. Kentucky: Kentucky’s indoor football practice facility is shared with the track team. That is about to change as UK will build Mark Stoops a 100 percent football only indoor facility ... Shaedon Sharpe, a 5-star recruit who left high school to enroll early in January, will not play this season … Oscar Tshiebwe had 18 points and 14 rebounds in Kentucky’s 89-76 win over South Carolina. Tshiebwe is the nation’s leading rebounder. LSU: In beating Texas A&M on the road Tuesday night, LSU (17-7, 5-6 SEC) broke a 3-game losing streak. LSU got 11 points from point guard Xavier Pinson, back in the lineup for the first time since an early January knee injury … While declaring that he would never resume his coaching career on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama, former LSU coach Ed Orgeron said he wants to coach again either in the college ranks or NFL. Smart money is that he will be joining buddy Lane Kiffin on the staff at Ole Miss either as an assistant or in a well-paid support position. Mississippi State: Mississippi State and Southern Miss will play home-and-home in 2030-31 with the 2030 game in Hattiesburg. South Carolina: Jody Wright, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant with the New York Giants, is expected to be named tight ends coach … Former Gamecock DeVonte Holloman, a key player for Steve Spurrier’s 2009-10 teams, has taken a position on Shane Beamer’s support staff. Tennessee: Forward Olivier Nkamhoua, who has started 22 games this season while averaging 8.6 points and 5.6 rebounds, will miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury. Texas A&M: Back on January 15, the Aggies were 15-2 and off to a 4-0 start in SEC play. Since then, they’ve lost seven in a row. Vanderbilt: To replace defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who left to become the defensive coordinator at Michigan, HBC Clark Lea promoted Nick Howell. Howell was hired from Virginia after Bronco Mendenhall retired. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: If a lawsuit filed Tuesday by the National College Players Association that claims unfair labor practices against Southern Cal, UCLA, the Pac-12 Conference and the NCAA succeeds then every Division I athlete playing men’s and women’s college basketball and college football will be considered employees of their schools. As Dan Murphy of ESPN writes, “The NCAA would no longer be able to place limits on how much schools pay their athletes.” In other words, stipends would be out and contracts and salaries would be in. This is the second major lawsuit filed with the National Labor Relations Board since the NCAA got clobbered at the United States Supreme Court in the infamous NCAA vs. Alston ruling. Although that ruling pertained to name, image and likeness, the door was opened for athletes to be declared employees. And, once they are deemed employees, they will have the right to unionize, which essentially will be the end of college sports as we know them. Sure, sports will go on, but it’s never going to be the same again. Players will have rights that they’ve never had, but don’t think for a second that they will have all the power. Nobody seems to be talking about the fact that players as employees can be fired on the spot. A coach, who is the CEO of his sport, will be able to randomly cut players to get his roster under control. Imagine, if you will, a head coach whose roster is right at the 85-scholarship limit. He gets contacted by a productive wide receiver who wants to transfer in. Instead of saying there’s no room at the inn to the transfer wide receiver, he simply calls in an unproductive player to tell him he’s been cut from the team. There is the issue of taxation, too. If athletes are employees, then they will have to pay taxes on salaries, but perhaps on scholarships and other benefits received. For every plus the athletes will have there will indeed be a minus. The biggest minus of all may be that college athletics might end up being an independent entity that rents the stadiums, etc. Writing for Sports Illustrated, Ross Dellenger quotes Kansas City-based attorney Mit Winter with this very chilling statement about how colleges and universities may respond to employee-athletes replacing the student-athlete: “I don’t know if universities and conferences and the NCAA want to participate in a system where they are collectively bargaining with the athletes. It remains to be seen,” he said in an interview in October. “There are different models that have been kicked around where athletic teams are spun off from the school and are their own standalone entities.” If Winter is correct, get ready for the Chico’s Bail Bonds Georgia Bulldogs or the Yella Wood Auburn Tigers or the Publix Florida Gators.

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: WAS DAMEON PIERCE THE VICTIM OF COACHING MALPRACTICE? Eric Edholm, who writes for Yahoo Sports, spent last week observing practices at the Senior Bowl where he came away shaking his head when it comes to former Gator running back Dameon Pierce. In four seasons at Florida, Pierce ran for 1,806 yards on 329 carries, averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored 23 touchdowns. He also caught 45 passes for 422 yards (9.4 per carry) and five more TDs. Just for the sake of comparison, Pierce’s productivity per touch isn’t that far off Alabama’s Najee Harris. Harris had double the carries and receptions in his four years at Alabama, gaining 3,843 yards (6.0 per carry, 46 TDs) while catching 80 passes for 781 yards (9.8 per catch, 11 TDs). Why Pierce wasn’t given more carries and receptions has boggled the minds of Gator fans for the last four years. Eric Edholm was wondering the same thing after seeing Pierce at Senior Bowl practice. “The question I came away with from this week: Why didn’t Dan Mullen and the Gators feature Pierce more? The Senior Bowl is seldom a place where backs can impress significantly but Pierce bucked that trend. “All week long he looked assertive as a runner and pass blocker and facile as a receiver. Watching his burst, vision and yards-after-contact ability, Pierce looked more like a big fish in a small pond rather than someone who averaged fewer than 100 touches over his four seasons in Gainesville. “How the 5-9, 220-pound back never received more than 17 touches in his 48 college games feels like coaching malpractice.” The Gators had very productive offenses all four years that Pierce played. Sure, that 2018 team had Jordan Scarlett and Lamical Perine, so there weren’t many carries to be had for a true freshman, but there is no question Pierce should have been more involved in the offense the other three years. He showed the kind of speed he had in 2019 when he broke off a 75-yard TD run that led the comeback win over South Carolina. How is it a back with that kind of speed who could run through tacklers only carried the football 54 times that year? How is it that Pierce never had more than 13 carries in a game in 2021 when every time he touched the ball it seemed he broke at least one tackle or flattened the poor soul attempting to bring him down? Mullen typically was too involved in the play calls so he left the rotation at each position to his assistant coaches, but he’s the head coach. He watched the film. He saw what was going on. He should have grabbed Greg Knox by the lapels and told him either Pierce is in the game and more involved in the offense or you can find a new job somewhere else, words Mullen should have shared with a few other assistant coaches to whom he was far too loyal. Of course, there is a silver lining in Dameon’s favor. Because he’s had less wear and tear on his body the last four years, he should have a longer NFL career. Still, if he had carried the ball more often and been on the receiving ends of more passes, he might have earned a bigger signing bonus than the one he will get when he is drafted in April. ANOTHER FIRST FOR KELLY RAE: GATORS CRACK AP TOP 25 It took awhile, but the rest of the country is finally catching on to a couple of things: First off, Kelly Rae Finley should be on everybody’s short list for both SEC and national coach of the year, and secondly, the Gators (17-6, 7-3 SEC) are that hot team nobody in the Southeastern Conference wants to play. Florida’s 54-51 win over Georgia was the fifth over a ranked team in the last month and it earned the Gators their first national ranking since 2015. Finley has the Gators playing with a whatever it takes to win mentality, especially on the defensive end where Florida’s guards proved way too quick in last week’s wins over then No. 7 Tennessee and No. 14 Georgia. The 19th-ranked Gators have six games remaining in the regular season, all of them winnable including 14th-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge. Florida’s last 20-win season was 2015-16 when the Gators finished 22-9. At their present pace, the Gators have a chance to either match or exceed the school record for wins in a season (24), which has been achieved four times. The Associated Press Top 25 poll: 1. South Carolina 21-1; 2. Stanford 18-3; 3. Louisville 21-2; 4. Michigan 20-2; 5. North Carolina State 20-3; 6. Arizona 17-3; 7. Indiana 16-3; 8. UConn 15-4; 9. Iowa State 20-3; 10. Baylor 17-5; 11. Georgia Tech 18-4; 12. Oklahoma 20-3; 13. Tennessee 19-4; 14. LSU 18-4; 15. Maryland 17-6; 16. Texas 15-6; 17. Georgia 17-5; 18. Notre Dame 18-5; 19. FLORIDA 17-6; 20. BYU 19-2; 21. Ohio State 16-4; 22. Florida Gulf Coast 21-1; 23. North Carolina 18-4; 24. Oregon 14-7; 25. Iowa APPLEBY HAS BECOME FLORIDA’S GLUE GUY Perhaps we’re seeing the Tyree Appleby we always thought we were getting when he transferred to UF after two standout seasons at Cleveland State. It’s not that Appleby was a disappointment prior to these last seven games, it’s just that he’s blossoming into the kind of point guard the Gators have lacked since Andrew Nembhard took his game to Gonzaga. When Colin Castleton went down with a shoulder injury that kept him out of six games, Florida’s season seemed on the brink, but that’s when Appleby stepped up his game. On both ends of the court, Appleby has become Florida’s take charge guy. Offensively, he’s averaging 14.7 points and 4.87 assists per game in the last seven. He’s only hitting 32.8 percent from the 3-point line for the season, but he’s hitting 38% (19-50) in the last seven games. He’s also Mr. Clutch at the foul line, hitting 36-39 to bring his season total to 86.6 percent. When Castleton was out, the Gators had to rely heavily on quickness and full court pressure. Appleby has been outstanding both in the press and handling his guy man-to-man. Appleby had his first bad shooting game in awhile (1-10 from the field overall, 1-6 from the 3-point line) this past Saturday, but he compensated with 10 assists and going 7-8 from the foul line in overtime as the Gators won their third straight game, 62-57. SEC Basketball Tuesday’s games: No. 1 Auburn (22-1, 10-0 SEC) at Arkansas (18-5, 7-3 SEC); No. 5 Kentucky (19-4, 8-2 SEC) at South Carolina (13-9, 4-6 SEC); LSU (16-7, 4-6 SEC) at Texas A&M (15-8, 4-6 SEC); Missouri (9-13, 3-6 SEC) at Vanderbilt (12-10, 4-6 SEC) Wednesday’s games: Georgia (6-17, 1-9 SEC) at FLORIDA (15-8, 5-5 SEC); Alabama (14-9, 4-6 SEC) at Ole Miss (12-11, 3-7 SEC); No. 19 Tennessee (16-6, 7-3 SEC) at Mississippi State (14-8, 5-3 SEC) The Associated Press Top 25 poll: 1. Auburn 22-1; 2. Gonzaga 19-2; 3. Purdue 20-3; 4. Arizona 19-2; 5. Kentucky 19-4; 6. Houston 20-2; 7. Duke 19-3; 8. Kansas 19-3; 9. Texas Tech 18-5; 10. Baylor 19-4; 11. Providence 20-2; 12. UCLA 16-4; 13. Illinois 17-5; 14. Wisconsin 18-4; 15. Villanova 17-6; 16. Ohio State 14-5; 17. Michigan State 17-5; 18. Marquette 16-7; 19. Tennessee 16-6; 20. Texas 17-6; 21. Southern Cal 19-4; 22. Saint Mary’s 19-4; 23. Murray State 22-2; 24. UConn 15-6; 25. Xavier 16-6 The Coaches Top 25 poll: 1. Gonzaga 19-2; 2. Auburn 22-1; 3. Purdue 20-3; 4. Kentucky 19-4; 5. Arizona 19-2; 6. Duke 19-3; 7. Houston 20-2; 8. Kansas 19-3; 9. Texas Tech 18-5; 10. Baylor 19-4; 11. Providence 20-2; 12. UCLA 16-4; 13. Illinois 17-5; 14. Wisconsin 18-4; 15. Villanova 17-6; 16. Ohio State 14-5; 17. Michigan State 17-5; 18. Tennessee 16-6; 19. Marquette 16-7; 20. Texas 17-6; 21. Southern Cal 19-4; 22. Saint Mary’s 19-4; 23. UConn 15-6; 24. Murray State 22-2; 25. Wake Forest 19-5 SEC FOOTBALL NOTES Georgia: Secondary coach Jahmile Addae has departed for Miami, which gave him a 2-year contract. Mississippi State: Backup quarterback Jack Kristofek is in the transfer portal. Missouri: Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks has interviewed for the vacant New York Giants defensive coordinator position. Texas A&M: Commenting on the “Pat McAfee Show,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit addressed Jimbo Fisher’s recent rant. “I have no idea what’s true and what’s not in this world of NIL,” Herbstreit said. “There are always rumors that A&M has a bunch of money and a bunch of boosters that are throwing big money into a pot and then just divvying it up to players and recruits.” ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: What’s going on at Auburn should be entitled, “The Dysfunction at the Junction.” But, then again, it is Auburn. What do you expect? There is every good chance that Auburn is going to fire football coach Bryan Harsin. They would love to find some speck of dust that they could say taints the whole program. Then the power brokers who are behind this latest palace coup, wouldn’t have to write buyout checks, but again, this is Auburn. If buying out Bryan Harsin’s contract after just 13-1/2 months on the job is what it takes for them to hire a new coach then that’s what they’ll do. Count on it. Buying out Harsin would set the boosters back $18.3 million. Sounds like a lot but it pales in comparison to the $21.7 million it cost them to buy out Gus Malzahn even though he’s the only man on the planet that’s beaten Nick Saban three times since 2007. Gus is making $2.3 million a year now at UCF, which not only affords him a rather nifty lifestyle but allows him to keep that $21.7 million earning interest every day. Before Gus, the Auburn boosters paid Gene Chizik $11.09 million to go away two years after he had put together one of the greatest unbeaten national championship runs in 2010 when former Gator Cam Newton led the way and won the Heisman Trophy. Before Chiz there was now Senator Tommy Tuberville, who they paid $5.1 million to leave even though he had an unbeaten season to his credit and had bushwhacked Alabama seven straight years. Tubs is perhaps the poster child for just how dysfunctional they are at Auburn. Two days before Tubs and Auburn beat Alabama 28-23 in the 2003 Iron Bowl, Bobby Lowder, Auburn president William Walker, athletic director David Housel and a few cronies capable of writing big checks boarded a jet for Louisville where they made a verbal hire of Bobby Petrino. Somehow word leaked out and the rank-and-file Auburn boosters rallied behind Tubs, forcing Lowder and his henchmen to back off. Tubs went 13-0 the next season. Eventually, these same people bought out Tuberville after he went 5-7 in 2008, with the misfortune of losing to Vandy and 36-0 to Alabama, but the damage was done five years earlier. Despite the great season in 2004, it was only a matter of time before the big money boosters ran Tubs off. So absorb this number: $62.39 MILLION. That’s what Auburn will have paid to buy out every single coach dating back to Terry Bowden if the boosters succeed in firing Bryan Harsin. And, do you want to know it is rumored the money boosters want to replace Harsin, a good football coach, with? Kevin Steele. The same Kevin Steele who got buyout money when Gus was fired (Steele was DC), buyout money from Tennessee for serving as interim coach for one month when Jeremy Pruitt was fired, and who spent four days as the DC at Maryland only to take the DC job at Miami. Firing Harsin will be stupid. If Kevin Steele is the replacement coach, then stupid has just been taken to a level lower than anything we could dream or imagine.

Gator Bait photo by Chris Spears A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: CASTELTON PROVIDES SUDDEN IMPACT Any concerns Colin Castleton might have had about re-injuring his shoulder disappeared within a couple of minutes Saturday afternoon at the O-Dome. Playing his first game since January 15, Castleton was going head-to-head with Ole Miss 7-footer Nysier Brooks and there might have been a little bit of apprehension, but after a little bit of contact at both ends of the floor, Castleton forgot all about the shoulder. “It felt a little weird since I haven’t had 5-on-5 contact in awhile so going out there … you know Nysier Brooks is a big dude,” Castleton said after he scored 17 points to go with seven rebounds, three blocked shots and a steal to lead the Gators (15-8, 5-5 SEC) to a 62-57 overtime win over the Rebels. “Once I started getting in a zone, I was like you know what, don’t even worry about the shoulder. Just play basketball. Do what you do. Obviously, I’m a big person as well, so I’m not going to back down from anybody. I was just battling him as much as possible.” Without Castleton a couple of weeks ago, Ole Miss hammered the Gators, 70-54, in Oxford, scoring 32 points in the paint. The Rebels managed only 16 Saturday. Ironically, when Castleton was in the game Saturday, his presence was worth +16 points for UF. Castleton was the sudden impact Gator at both ends of the court. Keeping him healthy the rest of the season is a necessity. Castleton obviously couldn’t do it alone. Phlandrous Fleming Jr. had 10 points, seven rebounds, three blocked shots and a steal and Tyree Appleby had 10 points and 10 assists. He was 7-8 from the free throw line in overtime to seal with win. The Gators are now 15-8 on the season, but they’re 5-5 in SEC play, which is fairly remarkable when you consider they started SEC play 0-3 and had to play three weeks without Castleton. There are eight SEC games remaining and for the Gators to get off the NCAA Tournament bubble they will need to at least get a split. They have home and home games remaining with No. 5 Kentucky, a home game with No. 1 Auburn and a home game with an Arkansas team that should crack the AP top 25 this week. Win the four winnable games and steal one of the four with Kentucky, Auburn and Arkansas and the Gators won’t have to sweat Selection Sunday. SEC Basketball Tuesday’s games: No. 1 Auburn (22-1, 10-0 SEC) at Arkansas (18-5, 7-3 SEC); No. 5 Kentucky (19-4, 8-2 SEC) at South Carolina (13-9, 4-6 SEC); No. 25 LSU (16-7, 4-6 SEC) at Texas A&M (15-8, 4-6 SEC); Missouri (9-13, 3-6 SEC) at Vanderbilt (12-10, 4-6 SEC) Wednesday’s games: Georgia (6-17, 1-9 SEC) at FLORIDA (15-8, 5-5 SEC); Alabama (14-9, 4-6 SEC) at Ole Miss (12-11, 3-7 SEC); No. 22 Tennessee (16-6, 7-3 SEC) at Mississippi State (14-8, 5-3 SEC) IF UF WOMEN AREN’T RANKED, THEN THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG After a week in which they have kneecapped No. 7 Tennessee in the O-Dome and gone on the road to score a 54-51 win over 14th-ranked Georgia, the Florida women’s team has five wins over ranked teams, all in league play. If what Kelly Rae Finley has done with the Gators (17-6, 7-3 SEC) doesn’t resonate with the voters then there is something seriously wrong with the polls. This Florida team is very much real and sitting third in the SEC, the toughest league top to bottom in the country. Sunday, the Gators struggled offensively against a Georgia team that Finley says is as good defensively as any team in the SEC, but UF remembered to bring its defensive intensity, too, and that proved to be the difference, particularly in the fourth quarter. The Gators trailed 46-40 with 8:59 to go in the game, but they held Georgia to just five points the rest of the way, scoreless over the final 4:39. Jordyn Merritt’s 3-pointer with 3:35 cut Georgia’s lead to 51-48 and a pair of free throws by Kiki Smith with 2:16 left brought UF within one. Zippy Broughton’s layup among Georgia’s tall trees in the lane with 1:32 left gave the Gators their first lead since the 7:20 mark in the third quarter. Broughton added a layup at the buzzer to provide the final margin. Florida hit only 3-13 from the 3-point line but the Gators held Georgia to 1-10 and held 6-5 Jenna Staiti to four points, 11 below her average. The Gators travel to Mississippi State (14-7, 5-4 SEC) Thursday night. CRUNCHING UF FOOTBALL SCHOLARSHIP NUMBERS Here is a position-by-position breakdown of Florida’s football players on scholarship counting players who have signed their letters of intent. A check of the spring roster also reveals a couple of players who are using their COVID year (WR Jordan Pouncey, LB Amari Burney). The Gators have 91 on scholarship so that will require attrition of at least six if Billy Napier doesn’t add anymore high school, jucos or transfers. Heights and weights are based on UF’s spring roster. QUARTERBACKS (6) Emory Jones (6-2, 201, RJR); Anthony Richardson (6-4, 237, SO); Jack Miller III (6-3, 215, SO/Transfer from Ohio State); Carlos Del Rio-Wilson (6-2, 228, RFR); Jalen Kitna (6-4, 205, RFR); Max Brown (6-2, 200, FR) RUNNING BACKS (5) NayQuan Wright (5-9, 201, JR); Lorenzo Lingard (6-0, 205, RJR); Demarkcus Bowman (5-10, 183, SO); Montrell Johnson (5-11, 210, SO/Transfer from Louisiana); Trevor Etienne (5-9, 217, FR) WIDE RECEIVERS (9) Jordan Pouncey (6-1, 210, RSR); Justin Shorter (6-5, 228, SR); Trent Whittemore (6-4, 210, RSO); Ja’Markis Weston (6-3, 216, RSO); Xzavier Henderson (6-3, 193, SO); Ja’Quavion Fraziars (6-3, 212, SO); Marcus Burke (6-4, 183, RFR); Daejon Reynolds (6-2, 208, RFR); Caleb Douglas (6-3, 191, FR) TIGHT ENDS (6) Keon Zipperer (6-3, 234, JR); Jonathan Odom (6-5, 245, RFR); Gage Wilcox (6-4, 241, RFR); Nick Elksnis (6-6, 232, RFR); Tony Livingston (6-5, 225, FR); Hayden Hansen (6-6, 256, FR) OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (16) Richard Gouraige (6-5, 310, RJR); O’Cyrus Torrence (6-5, 335, JR/Transfer from Louisiana); Ethan White (6-5, 334, JR); Kingsley Eguakun (6-4, 305, RSO); Josh Braun (6-6, 357, SO); Michael Tarquin (6-5, 301, RSO); Riley Simonds (6-3, 301, RSO); Will Harrod (6-5, 333, RSO); Richie Leonard (6-2, 315, SO); Austin Barber (6-6, 311, RFR); Yousef Mugharbil (6-4, 311, RFR); Jake Slaughter (6-5, 302, RFR); Kamryn Waites (6-8, 358, RFR/Transfer from Louisiana); David Conner (6-5, 295, FR); Christian Williams (6-4, 319, FR); Jalen Farmer (6-5, 334, FR) DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (15) Griffin McDowell (6-4, 283, RJR); Dante Zanders (6-5, 261, RJR); Gervon Dexter (6-6, 313, SO); Princely Umanmeielen (6-4, 259, SO); Jaelin Humphries (6-3, 330, RSO); Desmond Watson (6-5, 415, SO), Jalen Lee (6-2, 305, SO), Lamar Goods (6-2, 351, RFR); Justus Boone (6-4, 245, RFR); Chris Thomas Jr. (6-5, 309, RFR); Tyreak Sapp (6-2, 264, RFR); Chris McClellan (6-3, 305, FR); Jamari Lyons (6-4, 298, FR); Jack Pyburn (6-3, 263, FR); Andrew Savaiinaea (6-3, 261, FR) LINEBACKERS/EDGE (11) Ventrell Miller (6-1, 228, RSR); Amari Burney (6-2, 236, RSR); Brenton Cox Jr. (6-4, 253, RJR); David Reese (6-2, 236, RJR); Diwun Black (6-3, 221, JR); Lloyd Summerall III (6-5, 236, RSO); Derek Wingo (6-1, 225, SO); Antuan Powell (6-2, 245, RFR); Chief Borders (6-4, 232, RFR); Scooby Williams (6-2, 232, RFR); Shemar James (6-1, 210, FR) SECONDARY (19) Trey Dean III (6-3, 201, RSR); Jadarrius Perkins (6-1, 182, JR); Jaydon Hill (6-0, 193, RSO); Avery Helm (6-1, 174, SO); Jason Marshall Jr. (6-0, 192, SO); Rashad Torrence II (6-0, 197, SO); Tre’Vez Johnson (5-11, 192, SO); Kamar Wilcoxson (6-1, 183, SO); Donovan McMillon (6-1, 200, SO); Mordecai McDaniel (6-1, 194, SO); Fenley Graham Jr. (5-9, 166, SO); Ethan Pouncey (6-1, 166, SO); Jordan Young (6-0, 188, RFR); Corey Collier Jr. (6-1, 179, RFR); Dakota Mitchell (5-11, 171, RFR); Jalen Kimber (6-0, 170, RFR/Transfer from Georgia); Kamari Wilson (6-0, 201, FR); Devin Moore (6-2, 190, FR); Miguel Mitchell (6-1, 203, FR) SPECIAL TEAMS (4) Long snappers (2): Marco Ortiz (6-4, 235, RJR); Rocco Underwood (6-3, 227, RFR) Punter (1): Jeremy Crawshaw (6-4, 188, SO) Kicker (1): Trey Smack (6-1, 200) SEC MEN’S BASKETBALL NOTES Alabama: Alabama played without reserve forward Darius Miles in its loss to Kentucky. Miles, who averages 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, was suspended for the game for a violation of team rules. Arkansas: The Hogs started the SEC portion of their schedule 0-3, but they’re on an 8-game roll right now with seven straight wins in the SEC. They have a chance to knock off No. 1 Auburn Tuesday night. Auburn: Auburn’s three transfers are difference makers. Georgia transfer K.D. Johnson averages 13.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Eastern Kentucky transfer Wendell Green Jr. averages 12.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. Walker Kessler, the 7-1 transfer from North Carolina, averages 11.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.2 blocks per game. FLORIDA: In his last eight games, point guard Tyree Appleby is averaging 13.5 points and 5.0 assists. In those games, Appleby has hit 36-39 from the foul line (92.3 percent). Georgia: With 11 losses in 12 games and another losing season all but guaranteed, the future of Tom Crean is in serious jeopardy. Kentucky: Kentucky’s perimeter defense against Alabama was off the charts. The Wildcats held Alabama to 3-30 shooting (10 percent) from the 3-point line. LSU: LSU was 14-1 when point guard Xavier Pinson went down with a knee injury. The Tigers are 2-6 since and have lost their last three. Mississippi State: If the Bulldogs are to make a run to get into the NCAA Tournament, then 6-11 Tolu Smith is going to have to stay healthy. He is their best inside player (12.9 points, 6.6 rebounds), but he’s played only nine games this year. Missouri: The Tigers hit 13-15 from the foul line to score the win over Texas A&M to break a 4-game losing streak. Ole Miss: Jakel Joyner played 40 minutes against the Gators in his first game since January 8. He is the Rebels leading scorer (13.1 per game) and essential for Ole Miss to have any chance at making the NIT. South Carolina: The Gamecocks have lost their last two games by a combined 38 points. Tennessee: The Vols are 6-1 over their last seven, their only loss at Texas in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. Texas A&M: The Aggies have lost six of their last seven games. Vanderbilt: Just days after LSU coach Will Wade complained that Vanderbilt draws a foul on more than 30 percent of its possessions and spends an extraordinary amount of time at the foul line, the Commodores shot only 17 free throws (made 10) against Wade and the Tigers. LSU, on the other hand, was 21-29 but somehow the Tigers lost by nine and were down 20 at the half. SEC FOOTBALL NOTES Auburn: Auburn center Nick Brahms is asking Auburn president Jay Gogue and the Board of Trustees to meet with players to discuss the situation regarding head coach Bryan Harsin. It is unclear whether the players are supportive of Harsin or will be asking for his head on a pike. Georgia: Georgia officially hired Chidera Uzo-Diribe as its outside linebackers coach, replacing Dan Lanning, now the HBC at Oregon. Kentucky: San Francisco 49ers offensive line assistant Zach Yenser is expected to be hired as the replacement for Eric Wolford, who left last week for Alabama. LSU: Linebacker Kolbe Fields, who was a 3-star recruit out of high school, has transferred to LSU from South Carolina. Texas A&M: Jimbo Fisher’s rant about NIL and how the Aggies are pure as the driven snow is under quite a bit of scrutiny now that a comment he made on Paul Finebaum’s show back in December has resurfaced. “There’s always been NIL stuff going on, it just wasn’t legal,” Fisher said on that show. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Should Auburn part ways with Bryan Harsin this week, maybe the first name you’ll hear on the wish list is Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze. Freeze turned down Auburn last year when Gus Malzahn was given the heave-ho and it probably would be a shocker if he accepted the second go-round. Liberty pays him $4 million and has built his family a beautiful home on the mountain overlooking the campus in Lynchburg, Virginia. That’s not to say he will stay at Liberty forever, but why take over a dysfunctional job like Auburn that has to share a state with Nick Saban? There will be other jobs.