“If you want my opinion on a sensible recruiting score for Billy Napier, based on little or no knowledge on my part about these new players, let’s just say, ‘He fought it to draw.’ But stay tuned, because this is going to overtime.” Man does not live by scheme alone. (See Dan Mullen.) Man does not live by recruiting stars alone, either. (See Billy Napier.) Around the SEC, man lives by the Ws, which means coaches require a little of each for being successful. Given my choice between the two, like all of you, I’ll take the Ws over the stars. And this just in: The Florida Gators are not the leaders in the clubhouse on either. Let’s just go ahead and admit, NSD2 was not what the Florida fans or coaches were hoping for – but hardly a bust! More like TBC – To Be Continued. So should we even have the season, or go ahead and concede Jimbo Fisher the next four national championships? Let me make this clear one more time: Just as the NFL Draft is NOT a real competition in which a legitimate score is kept or a championship won, neither is National Signing Day a real tournament. If it were, then Texas A&M would have already clinched the title: Game, Set, Match, Aggies, with seven five-stars. But anybody would be fool to de-emphasize recruiting of the best players as critical to competing in the SEC. It’s all right for Gator fans to be disappointed a little, but they should wait for the rest of the story. And it’s OK to be starstruck and dream a little about Harold Perkins or Trevonte Citizen. But just because you obsess over their constellations of stars, they won’t become Gators just by speaking them into existence. So say goodbye to Trevonte and Harold. Of course we realize recruiting is the lifeblood of college football! In the words of that old football philosopher Ron Zook – himself once considered a recruiting Mac Daddy (look it up millennials) – “It’s not about the X’s and O’s. It’s the Jimmys and the Joes!” Jimbo Fisher: Did he or didn't he? (Texas A&M photo) I literally don’t see any of those Jimmys or Joes on the Gator or Aggie rosters. There is a Ju, an Aldo, an Enai and an Ish on the list of 2022 Texas A&M commits, but nary a Jimmy or Joe. Florida has a Shemar, a Jamari, a Miguel and a Kamari, but no Jimmy or Joe. So perhaps they are going under an assumed name – or that quote needs updating. If you want my opinion on a sensible recruiting score for Billy Napier, based on little or no knowledge on my part about these new players, let’s just say, “He fought it to draw.” But stay tuned, because this is going to overtime. If you must have a grade, give him an “I” for incomplete. Soon his work will be completed and we can begin making a valid evaluation. So far, I like what I see and hear very much. Except that maybe expectations often skew the reality of outcomes, through no fault of Napier, who warned us about wishful thinking. What is remarkable is how much Napier and his staff have gotten done in 59 days – only a portion of it directly related to recruiting. Considering that they haven’t really even moved to Gainesville yet. That moving task was ahead after Wednesday’s press conference during the next five days as coaches went home to fetch their families. The last two months have been a blur. On his way to the presser, all of a sudden it hit Napier, who turned to Director of Football Communications Rick Hurtado and noted: “Fifty-nine days ago we were in the air on the plane and hit the ground right out here! So it's been unbelievable.” And now it begins to ramp up with spring ball in March. Without getting too far ahead of ourselves – as Napier says, he’s taking it “One Day At A Time, One Player At A Time” – there is still spring practice and the Orange & Blue Game (April 16), followed by another evaluation and a Transfer Portal injection. Come fall we can start crystal-balling wins, beginning with highly ranked Utah. So despite the negative ratings – 247 did rate Napier’s class at No. 19 – the new coach claimed a small victory. How does Billy gauge the job? He says he's pleased with the progress. (Chris Spears Photo) "I'm pleased with the progress we've made,” said Napier. “I thought we answered a lot of needs. I thought we took advantage of each opportunity to add players to the team . . . So, much like we said before, one day at a time, one person at a time. We've added some really good people since the last time we stood up here with you guys, not only football players but also staff members.” I can see the signs of progress in small ways. Napier’s fast-growing “Army” has created a buzz and I hear about it every time I have an out-of-state guest on my radio show. The players I’ve talked to are happier at UF. Conditions are rapidly changing for the better and new facilities are being unwrapped this fall I even like the new moniker for special teams, “GameChangers.” There’s a designated person for that, newly hired analyst Chris Couch. “We call our special teams GameChangers. So when we're trying to create a game changing play, we all know the power of an explosive play on special teams. Kind of our way to create some urgency, some importance to that part of the game. I think it's the area of your team where you start building culture. It's a combination of offense and defensive players.” And then there are core values. Throughout his last two pressers, Napier has emphasized the “C” word, which has almost become a bit of an anachronism in today’s coaching vernacular: “Character.” That term is especially important today because it applies in new ways to both programs and players. While Napier applied it specifically to his players and their on-field/off-field behavior, there is the storm cloud building up about who’s taking and giving money. The NIL is not only The Elephant In The Room — it’s the whole circus. There were coaching rants, denials and implications tossed around by some high-profile coaches Wednesday and one can generally assume character assassinations will be around the corner shortly for anybody who scoops up more than their fair share of five-stars (see Jimbo Fisher again.). Critics are making it sound like a morality breakdown and highly toxic money grab. Wisely, Napier played it off as an asset to be deployed, especially through Gator Collective: “The players create a tremendous amount of revenue for these universities. I mean, this college football deal is major entertainment. So there's revenue generated. And they show up to watch the players. They don't show up to watch anybody else. So I think there's an avenue here where we're moving towards revenue share. We're moving towards the player getting a piece of the pie. And I don't necessarily think that that's a bad thing. I think that it's a good thing. I think that the players are deserving giving supply and demand, like basic economics here.” Now for the final phases before taking the field in September as the 29th Gator head coach, the guessing game begins about the product and what to realistically expect in the way of a won-loss record – that absurd forecast of predicting outcomes without a net. It reminds me of a movie title called “Cloudy With Meatballs.” Since it’s Way Too Early for even a Way Too Early Prediction, I went to the history books for a model, the way meteorologists project the path of hurricanes. For dates, I only went back to 1960. Looking at the records of coaches the 61 years from Ray Graves to Dan Mullen and taking only the first-year records of the 10 full-time head coaches, we can expect Billy Napier to win about eight games this fall, which sounds about right and would be two more than last year. I’ll give him another half game just for his work ethic, leadership of the “Army,” the power of Gator heritage and past performance. And there you have it. I make the model for a over/under on Billy Napier’s first year at 8.5 wins. I’m sure Las Vegas will be calling me soon to factor this in its calculations. (By the way, the meatballs are 5-stars, if your’re scoring at home).

For 59 days, it was a running on fumes existence for Billy Napier, who not only signed 17 high school kids but enrolled five high quality transfers, hired an entire coaching staff and then put in place his “army,” the largest influx of analysts, graduate assistants, recruiting experts and other support staff in University of Florida history. That was actually the easy part. Now that the second signing day for high school and junior college kids is in the books, Napier moves on to spring football and roster management, which are actually joined at the hip because of anticipated attrition. Attrition. That’s a key word to remember over the next three or so months, not just here at Florida, but everywhere in Division I as every head coach has to deal with a myriad of NCAA rules, many of which make no sense at all. So, here is a Reader’s Digest Condensed version of what Napier and his carefully chosen staff of assistant coaches and personnel specialists are going to be dealing with. 1. The NCAA allows 85 scholarship football players in Division I. As of National Signing Day, the Gators have 87 on scholarship. Attrition says two have to go to make the Gators compliant with the rules. 2. The NCAA allows 25 in a signing class but the Gators only signed 22 in 2021 and three (Kamari Wilson, Devin Moore and Chris McClellan) signed and enrolled early for 2022. Those three count back to 2021. Napier signed 17 high school kids and five high quality transfers, so with the three counting back, he has a recruiting class of 19. 3. It gets a little complicated here. Because of the NCAA rule that allows a one-time transfer immediate eligibility, the transfer portal has exploded. Even with all the transfers who have signed and enrolled nationwide, there remain more than 1,400 players in the portal and we haven’t even gotten to spring football. Spring football and roster management, if you recall, are joined at the hip because of attrition. There is that word again. There will be an entire wave of transfers as well as a good number of players who essentially “retire” because they are told their chances of dressing out on game day and sniffing the playing field are less than Jethro Bodine becoming a brain surgeon. There will be lots and lots of attrition. 4. The NCAA, in its infinite wisdom and in an attempt to deal with roster management after it granted blanket eligibility immunity for every single kid who played Division I football in the COVID year of 2020, came up with a transfer waiver that allows each school to replace as many as seven who transferred out AFTER December 15. That means if seven players transfer out after December 15, they can be replaced, which means a school can as many as 32 for this signing cycle. This is complicated for a school like Florida which signed 17 high school kids and five transfers. Because the three early signees count back to 2021, the Gators essentially have another 13 scholarships at their disposal. The only problem is, the Gators are already three over the limit. Because it is not exactly 100 percent clear whether the seven transfer waiver applies to the 85-scholarship limit, Florida compliance will be working overtime to determine how many scholarships Napier has at his disposal to deal with transfers. Does Napier have 92 scholarships counting the anticipated seven transfers? Or is it just 85 and the transfers are in addition to the signing class? Spring practice will go a long way toward determining the number of scholarships that are actually available. At his Wednesday press conference when he was answering questions about the signing class and recruiting in general, Napier answered a roster management query by saying, “There’s a delicate balance between the number of players we add and also hitting that 85 number. So, a little bit of this is to be determined. It's always a big juggling act, a big math problem. You're adding and subtracting today. Certainly as we approach May 1st there will be more attrition.” Spring practice is essential because it won’t be until coaches have actually seen the returning players from 2021 and the eight (three early enrollees and five transfers) from the signing class on the field. In those 15 practices, not only will the coaches see who fits in and where, but a lot of current players will determine that they might be better off seeking opportunities elsewhere. The amount of attrition at UF following spring football will determine how many transfers are needed to fill gaps in the roster. “So I think some clarity with the players, where are they at and how they view themselves, and then you're looking at each individual position,” Napier said. “You're trying to hit a certain number.” There is no pre-determined number of transfers Napier has in mind. The eye test of seeing players actually practice and respond to coaching will fill in that blank. “There's no cap,” Napier said. “I don't necessarily see us hitting a cap when we get to the spring portal period, if that makes sense.” Until that point in time, there probably won’t be much movement on the Florida football roster. And, until then we can only speculate how many decide to seek greener pastures at Florida or anywhere else. It’s not unsual for 10 or more to leave whenever there is a coaching change. Florida has already seen eight leave and it’s possible more will choose to go after spring practice. We also have no idea how many holes Napier and his staff will determine are in the Florida roster. The fastest way to fill holes, as Napier’s buddy Michigan State coach Mel Tucker proved in 2021, is through the transfer portal. When Napier was hired, he set up a personnel division within his support staff whose sole purpose is to target potential transfers so that quick, accurate evaluations can be made. It’s an NFL approach that worked quite well for Tucker, whose Spartans went from one of the worst teams in the Big Ten in 2020 to a New Year’s Six Bowl game in 2021. Can Billy Napier use the transfer portal in the same way to turn Florida from a disappointing 6-7 in 2021 to an SEC East Division contender in his first year on the job while navigating the complexity of NCAA scholarship limits? Napier did a remarkable job in his first 59 days on the job to bring in 17 high school kids and five transfers. The next three months will be more difficult than the first 59 days, but if we go by the results we’ve seen so far, Florida has the right man to handle the situation efficiently. Here is the current roster and commentary about where there may be some attrition: QUARTERBACKS (6) Emory Jones (6-2, 211, RJR); Anthony Richardson (6-4, 235, SO); Jack Miller III (6-4, 210, SO/Transfer from Ohio State); Carlos Del Rio-Wilson (6-2, 225, RFR); Jalen Kitna (6-4, 210, RFR); Max Brown (6-2, 200, FR) Who could be going: Emory Jones is almost certain to go unless he (a) has an incredible spring in which he proves he doesn’t have to throw off his back foot or (b) reaches the conclusion that his chances of making the NFL as a QB are slim but pretty darn good if he can actually catch the football. Jalen Kitna came to UF to be coached by Dan Mullen. Mullen’s gone. He seems a prime candidate to go. RUNNING BACKS (5) NayQuan Wright (5-9, 196, JR); Lorenzo Lingard (6-0, 203, RJR); Demarkcus Bowman (5-10, 193, SO); Montrell Johnson (5-11, 210, SO/Transfer from Louisiana); Trevor Etienne (5-9, 217, FR) Who could be going: Lorenzo Lingard has hardly sniffed the field in two years. If he doesn’t think he’s getting a fair shot in the spring, you can almost bet the farm he will be looking to leave. WIDE RECEIVERS (8) Justin Shorter (6-5, 228, SR); Trent Whittemore (6-4, 211, RSO); Ja’Markis Weston (6-3, 215, RSO); Xzavier Henderson (6-3, 195, SO); Ja’Quavion Fraziars (6-3, 220, SO); Marcus Burke (6-4, 187, RFR); Daejon Reynolds (6-2, 205, RFR); Caleb Douglas (6-3, 191, FR) Who could be going: It’s doubtful anyone leaves. This is a need position and a place where a couple of quality receivers could be found in the portal. TIGHT ENDS (6) Keon Zipperer (6-3, 242, JR); Jonathan Odom (6-5, 240, RFR); Gage Wilcox (6-4, 230, RFR); Nick Elksnis (6-6, 243, RFR); Tony Livingston (6-5, 225, FR); Hayden Hansen (6-6, 256, FR) Who could be going: This is a position where it’s doubtful anyone transfers out but both Odom and Livingston have wide body frames and could grow into tackles. OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (16) Richard Gouraige (6-5, 312, RJR); O’Cyrus Torrence (6-5, 335, JR/Transfer from Louisiana); Ethan White (6-5, 319, JR); Kingsley Eguakun (6-4, 303, RSO); Josh Braun (6-6, 342, SO); Michael Tarquin (6-5, 302, RSO); Riley Simonds (6-3, 303, RSO); Will Harrod (6-5, 325, RSO); Richie Leonard (6-2, 310, SO); Austin Barber (6-6, 312, RFR); Yousef Mugharbil (6-4, 318, RFR); Jake Slaughter (6-5, 303, 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) Who could be going: Bringing in Torrence and Waites could put the squeeze on a couple of players who seem to be spinning their wheels on the depth chart. Riley Simonds and Will Harrod have been here three years but haven’t played very much. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (15) Griffin McDowell (6-4, 297, RJR); Dante Zanders (6-5, 291, RJR); Gervon Dexter (6-6, 303, SO); Princely Umanmeielen (6-4, 260, SO); Jaelin Humphries (6-3, 328, RSO); Desmond Watson (6-5, 390, SO), Jalen Lee (6-2, 305, SO), Lamar Goods (6-2, 332, RFR); Justus Boone (6-4, 252, RFR); Chris Thomas Jr. (6-5, 314, RFR); Tyreak Sapp (6-3, 251, 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) Who could be going: McDowell switched to defensive line after three years as a backup center. Almost all his playing time has been on special teams. This will be Jaelin Humphries fourth year in the program. He’s played in two games. Lamar Goods has played in two games in two seasons. LINEBACKERS/EDGE (10) Ventrell Miller (6-1, 226, SR); Brenton Cox Jr. (6-4, 253, RJR); David Reese (6-2, 230, RJR); Diwun Black (6-3, 228, JR); Lloyd Summerall III (6-5, 247, RSO); Derek Wingo (6-1, 224, SO); Antuan Powell (6-2, 255, RFR); Chief Borders (6-4, 241, RFR); Scooby Williams (6-2, 230, RFR); Shemar James (6-1, 210, FR) Who could be going: This is a position of need. Miller is the only experienced inside linebacker so expect Napier to do some shopping in the portal to find two wide body types who have a history of filling gaps to stuff the run. SECONDARY (17) Trey Dean III (6-3, 206, RSR); Jadarrius Perkins (6-1, 182, JR); Jaydon Hill (6-0, 182, RSO); Avery Helm (6-1, 180, SO); Jason Marshall Jr. (6-0, 191, SO); Rashad Torrence II (6-0, 205, SO); Tre’Vez Johnson (5-11, 192, SO); Kamar Wilcoxson (6-1, 200, SO); Donovan McMillon (6-1, 197, SO); Mordecai McDaniel (6-1, 191, SO); Fenley Graham Jr. (5-9, 171, SO); Ethan Pouncey (6-1, 175, SO); Jordan Young (6-0, 185, RFR); Corey Collier Jr. (6-1, 180, RFR); Dakota Mitchell (5-11, 182, RFR); Jalen Kimber (6-0, 170, RFR/Transfer from Georgia); Kamari Wilson (6-0, 201, FR); Devin Moore (6-3, 190, FR) Who could be going: This is a very young group with a lot of talent. It is also crowded. Attrition could probably claim three or four. Fenley Graham, who is small for a corner and who was one of the most dangerous returners in the country as a prep star in Lakeland, has asked to change positions to wide receiver. SPECIAL TEAMS (4) Long snappers (2): Marco Ortiz (6-4, 233, RJR); Rocco Underwood (6-3, 229, RFR) Punter (1): Jeremy Crawshaw (6-4, 193, SO) Kicker (1): Trey Smack (6-1, 200) Who could be going: Nobody.

A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning: THE PORTAL IS HERE TO STAY, BUT IT NEEDS TWEAKING IN THE WORST WAY All things considered, the Florida Gators are real winners when it comes to the NCAA transfer portal. Sure, the Gators lost seven players to the portal including starting linebackers Ty’Ron Hopper (Missouri) and Mohamoud Diabate (Utah) along with receivers Jacob Copeland (Maryland) and Kemore Gamble (UCF), but Billy Napier countered with five transfers who have already enrolled and all five could either start or factor prominently in 2022. Quarterback Jack Miller III (Ohio State), offensive linemen O’Cyrus Torrence and Kamryn Waites (both from Louisiana), corner Jalen Kimber (Georgia) and running back Montrell Johnson (Louisiana) certainly won’t be the only transfers Napier adds to the Florida roster. Since the Gators have 87 currently on scholarship when you add in the eight high school kids signed on Wednesday, there will have to be some attrition to get the number to the NCAA mandated 85 scholarship limit. Since attrition has become fairly normal now that the transfer rules have been tweaked to allow a first time transfer immediate eligibility, it’s safe to expect Napier will lose a few on his roster once spring football concludes in April so he should have no problems bringing in replacements without going over the scholarship limit. That Florida has a net loss of two players so far makes UF one of the more successful programs in all of Division I. Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated reports that more than 1,400 players have entered the NCAA transfer portal since August 1, 2021, which is an average of more than 10 per school in NCAA Division I. Less than half the transfers have found a new school. In the SEC, both Florida and Texas A&M lost only seven players while South Carolina and Georgia lost eight each. Everybody else lost at least 12 with Ole Miss topping the list with 19. The Rebels have brought in 11 but that is a net loss of eight. Sixteen have transferred out of Alabama and only three have transferred in. Because so many players are putting their names in the portal, the entire recruiting landscape is changing. The NCAA waiver which allows schools to replace one-for-one as many as seven outgoing transfers who leave after December 15 without counting against the 85-scholarship limit means schools can effectively sign 32 players in this recruiting cycle. In Florida’s case, since the Gators signed 17 high school kids and has five transfers enrolled, Napier could sign another 10 transfers. Seventeen high school kids and 15 transfers doesn’t seem like an effective way to build a program, but it worked last year for Mel Tucker. He added more than 20 via the transfer portal and Michigan State went from one of the worst teams in the Big Ten to a New Year’s Six bowl participant. What Tucker did and what Florida and others will do with transfers in this recruiting cycle doesn’t necessarily bode well for the long range health of college football but they are only doing what the rules and circumstances allow. There are issues that should be addressed, among them when players should be allowed to enter the portal. Several coaches have raised eyebrows and their voices at players transferring a few games into a season. Imagine a starting QB who has a nasty disagreement with his offensive coordinator or head coach five games into a season when his team is unbeaten. In a fit, he quits on his team and transfers out. It could and probably will happen at some point in the very near future. There is no way that we’re going to see a return to the old transfer rules where a player has to sit out, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make a few tweaks. Here are my suggestions to improve the transfer situation. 1. Freshmen shouldn’t be allowed to transfer until they’ve been on campus for one season. 2. Any player who transfers with less than a 2.5 GPA and who isn’t academically on track has to sit a year. 3. There should be two transfer windows for immediate eligibility: From the Sunday after the conference championships until the first Monday after January 1 and from May 1 until May 31. 4. Since the NCAA transfer portal exists for all sports, transfer windows should be put in place for each sport. 5. Change the signing rules to prevent one school from being decimated by transfers after a coach leaves for a new job or is fired. The simple thing to do is have separate signing for transfers. If a school loses 10 transfers, then they should be allowed to replace those 10 without them counting against the 25 scholarship limit. KELLY RAE STRIKES AGAIN! For the fourth time since January 6, Kelly Rae Finley coached the Florida women’s basketball team to a win over a ranked opponent. This one was 7th-ranked Tennessee, which came into the O-Dome Thursday night averaging more than 20 rebounds per game more than its opponents. The Lady Vols (17-3, 7-2 SEC) had a serious size advantage over the Gators, but it didn’t seem to matter. Florida (16-6, 6-3 SEC) outrebounded the Lady Vols, 40-38, forced 18 turnovers that were turned into 26 points and held UT leading scorer Jordan Horston (16 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists) to five points, three rebounds and one assist while committing six turnovers and shooting 2-9. The Gators neutralized 6-6 Tiari Key, holding her to eight points. Coming into the game, the Gators were 4-54 lifetime against the Lady Vols and none of the four wins was by nine or more points. Kiki Smith led the Gators with 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Also in double figures for the Gators were Nina Rickards with 16, Jordyn Merritt with 13 and Zippy Broughton with 10. The Gators, who are in a four-way tie for third place in the SEC, travel to Athens Sunday to face 14th-ranked Georgia (17-4, 6-3 SEC). SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL Alabama: Alabama is planning to replace Coleman Coliseum with a $183 million facility that will seat 10,136 … “Alabama Athletics is aware of the incident involving Pete Golding. We are mindful of the seriousness of the situation and will continue to gather more information to address this personnel matter” reads a statement released after defensive coordinator Pete Golding was arrested and charged with driving under the influence … Punter Ty Perine has withdrawn his name from the NCAA transfer portal and will instead retire from football. Arkansas: Since starting out the SEC portion of their schedule 0-3, the Hogs have reeled off seven straight wins including six in league play. Auburn: ESPN’s Greg McElroy, commenting on the sudden resignation by former offensive coordinator Austin Davis, said, “Based on what I’ve gathered, Austin Davis was unfit for the position and was going to be relieved of his duties if he didn’t step down.” McElroy offered no specifics. Davis has said his resignation was for purely “personal reasons.” … In Auburn’s 100-81 win over Alabama Tuesday night 7-1 Walker Kessler had 14 points, 12 rebounds eight blocked shots and four steals. Kessler ranks second nationally in blocked shots at 4.23 per game. As a team the Tigers lead the country with 8.1 blocked shots per game. FLORIDA: In his last six games, Tyree Appleby is averaging 15.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Over that stretch he’s hitting 43.1 percent of his 3-pointers and he’s 29-31 from the foul line (93.5 percent). Georgia: New wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon will be paid $700,000 per year, which is $150,000 more than Georgia was paying former WR coach Cortez Hankton ... It is being reported that Kirby Smart has targeted TCU assistant Chidera Uzo-Diribe as the new outside linebackers coach. Kentucky: Now that the Wildcats (18-4, 7-2 SEC) have risen to No. 5 in the latest AP basketball poll, they have to be particularly leery of Saturday’s opponent. Alabama (14-8, 4-5 SEC). The same Crimson Tide which lost to Georgia has wins over Gonzaga, Houston and Baylor when they were ranked in the top ten … Center Oscar Tshiebwe leads the country in rebounding at 15.2 per game. LSU: Point guard Xavier Pinson is still not ready to return from a knee injury. Wade says Pinson is about 70 percent recovered and Wade says he needs to be at least 85 percent before he’s effective enough to give the Tigers (16-6, 4-5) some minutes. Mississippi State: Discussing the NCAA transfer portal, Mike Leach said, “I think it’s fair to say it’s a mess. At some point we’re gonna have to sort it out so that it’s not a series of explosions all over the place. They said we’ll do this so you don’t have to be at it all year, and now they have assured that you’re at it all year. Some of the guys who make the rules can’t resist changing the rules.” Missouri: Eli Drinkwitz says Missouri will always build its football program on high school recruits but says the transfer portal has changed the number of high school recruits he expects to sign. “I think right now it’s going to be 18 to 20 every year from high school and then the rest is from the portal.” Ole Miss: Freshman point guard Daeshun Ruffin, who lit the Gators up for 21 points a couple of weeks ago, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Rebels (12-10, 3-6 SEC) win over No. 25 LSU Tuesday night. The Rebels face Florida in Gainesville Saturday. SEC Basketball Saturday’s games: Ole Miss (12-10, 3-6 SEC) at FLORIDA (14-8, 4-5 SEC); No. 1 Auburn (21-1, 9-0 SEC) at Georgia (6-16, 1-8 SEC); No. 22 Tennessee (15-6, 6-3 SEC) at South Carolina (13-8, 4-5 SEC); Missouri (8-13, 2-6 SEC) at Texas A&M (15-7, 2-5 SEC); No. 25 LSU (16-6, 4-5 SEC) at Vanderbilt (11-10, 3-6 SEC); No. 5 Kentucky (18-4, 7-2 SEC) at Alabama (14-8, 4-5 SEC); Mississippi State (14-7, 5-3 SEC) at Arkansas (17-5, 6-3 SEC) ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Writing at Saturday Down South, Matt Hayes throws out the possibility that former Florida head coach Dan Mullen could be the next reclamation project at St. Nick’s Rehab Center for Wayward Coaches. With speculation rampant that Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien will return to his NFL roots as the offensive coordinator for Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, Hayes points out that Mullen might be a logical choice. Hayes writes, “An obvious move would be hiring former Florida and Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen. Saban spoke at length last season about Mullen’s offenses and how they’re difficult to defend because of their unique concepts and Mullen’s play calling.” Although the Alabama offense averaged 39.9 points and 488.2 yards per game in 2021 when quarterback Bryce Young won the Heisman Trophy, there were games (see Florida, LSU and Georgia) when the play calling seemed too predictable so Saban might be looking for someone whose offenses tend to adjust well to whatever the opposing defense is doing. The perfect example might be the 2020 SEC Championship Game when Mullen and the Gators lit up Alabama for 462 yards and 46 points. If the Florida defense could have gotten a couple of stops, the Gators could have knocked off the eventual national champions. A couple of years working for Saban could restore some of the lost luster for Mullen, whose final season at Florida still has everyone asking at what point did he check out? It is no secret that Mullen’s eventual goal is the NFL. A couple of years in the wash at St. Nick’s could be the next step toward reaching that goal.

Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears From the moment she took over as the interim basketball coach for Florida’s women’s team, Kelly Rae Finley has never wavered with her message to the Gators. “We are enough,” she says and it’s difficult to get through a conversation with her about this team that has embraced her as their commander-in-chief without hearing those three words. For a team that spent the three previous years enduring way too much whether we’re talking abusive behavior from the former coach or too many beatdowns at the hands of Florida opponents, those words started out as symbols of emotional rescue. Now that the Gators are proving they belong among the best in the Southeastern Conference and not among the bottom feeders, which is what they were predicted to be back in the preseason, “We are enough” has taken on an entirely different meaning. Kiki Smith, who burned Tennessee for 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals to lead the Gators (16-6, 6-3 SEC) to a stunning, 84-59, win at the O-Dome over the 7th-ranked Lady Vols (17-3, 7-2 SEC), says the words mean, “We can stand with anybody. Just because of the past the University of Florida has, that has nothing at all to do with who we are now. It means, so what? We are enough.” Jordyn Merritt contributed 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals against Tennessee. She was happy the Gators scored the big win, but beating the Lady Vols didn’t change the way she thinks about her teammates. They expected to win this game. They expect to win every game. “We don’t really need validation from anybody,” Merritt said. “We believe in ourselves and we just go into any game knowing we are enough. We can compete with anybody in the country.” The win over Tennessee was just one more statement for a team that has caught fire since a 74-56 walloping at the hands of Ole Miss a month ago. Since then, the Gators have won six of seven, including four over ranked teams. The only loss was to the nation’s No. 1 team, South Carolina. To take out the Lady Vols, the Gators had to find ways to deal with a size deficit that has been the undoing of nearly every team Tennessee has faced this year. The Lady Vols try to play inside out with entry passes to 6-6 Tiari Key, who either overpowers smaller opponents or kicks it out to an open shooter like 6-2 Jordan Horston or 6-1 Rae Burrell. That was the Lady Vols’ game plan Thursday night but what they didn’t necessarily anticipate was a Florida defensive game plan that neutralized their size advantage. Working in Florida’s favor was guards Smith, Zippy Broughton and Nina Rickards, who were so much quicker than the Tennessee guards. Picking up full court, they pressured the Lady Vols into taking precious seconds off the shot clock just to get the ball across the halfcourt line. Once Tennessee crossed midcourt, it seemed Florida was able to amp up the pressure in the backcourt. Florida consistently forced the UT guards to kill their dribble eight to ten feet beyond the 3-point line. Setting up so far out from the basket completely threw off the entire offensive scheme as shots came from farther away from the basket than the Lady Vols are used to. When the Lady Vols were able to lob the ball inside to Key or 6-2 Sara Puckett they were immediately surrounded and their ability to pivot out of trouble was taken away. Because Florida’s guards were quick enough to drop down to harass the Tennessee bigs, Merritt and Faith Dut were able to wall up and hold their ground without having to foul. Whenever Key or any other UT big got the ball back outside, Florida’s guards were quick to close out so there were very few open shots to be had. “Their advantage was their size, so if we let them play their offense at the three-point line and post up our guards, we knew it was going to be a long night,” Finley said. “So, we bought into that. We understood the assignment and we pretty much executed it to perfection.” The execution was so good the Vols turned the ball over 18 times which turned into 26 Florida points. Key only squeezed off seven shots, finished the night with eight points and got just a single assist when she passed the ball out of a double team. Horston, who came into the game averaging more than 16 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, scored only five points on 2-9 shooting. She had three rebounds and no assists, plus she turned the ball over six times in what was probably her most ineffective game this season. Despite their size advantage the Lady Vols had only 10 second chance points and they managed only one point on a foul on a fast break. Perhaps the biggest shock was the Gators outrebounded Tennessee, 40-38, because the Gators boxed out and beat the Lady Vols to nearly every 50/50 ball that came off the rim. “That team outrebounds their opponents by 20-plus rebounds a game so to outrebound that team with their size advantage is hard,” Finley said. “It’s desire and it’s want and that’s what we have.” The Gators have each other, which has sustained them in a time of adversity. If there is one thing the Gators can tell you about it’s how to survive tough times. Former coach Cam Newbauer was fired amidst allegations that he ran a toxic program in which verbal and emotional abuse were constants. When Newbauer was fired Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin was facing an entire team mutiny until he named Finley as his interim coach. With Finley in charge, calm was restored and to a player, everyone ditched plans to transfer out. Immediately, Finley took the old John Wooden approach to coaching basketball – win over the team’s hearts and minds and the physical aspects of the game will take care of themselves. A team that believes in itself plays with confidence and doesn’t get flustered when things go sideways. Where the Gators were when the calendar turned over to 2022 on January 1 and where they are now is a completely different place, largely because Finley has instilled an unbreakable level of confidence in her troops. One way confidence has shown up is in the Gators showing up every game and making opponents work for everything. “We understand that you can work and try your hardest and it’s still not better than your opponent,” Finley said. “We in this program aren’t going to lose anymore. That doesn’t mean we might not get any more L’s in the loss column but we’re going to make our opponent beat us.” Perhaps Tennessee expected the Florida of old Thursday night. After all, the Gators came into the game 4-54 against the Lady Vols in history and none of the four wins was by more than nine points. The Gators have never won an SEC championship and they’ve only advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight once in school history. Tennessee, on the other hand, has won eight NCAA championships and 18 SEC titles and that can be quite intimidating. But this Florida team wasn’t intimidated. Not in the least. Kiki Smith paid no attention to the script on those Creamsicle orange jerseys the Lady Vols wore. “For me, it was just another game,” Smith said. “The SEC, the conference … every game is winnable for us. We go into each game with the same mindset.” The mindset is “We are enough.” On paper, this is not a Florida basketball team that is going to overwhelm anyone. They don’t have tremendous size and they don’t look the part of a physical team, but looks can deceive. The Gators don’t back down to anyone, no matter how physical, and as they proved against Tennessee and a couple of games ago against then 11th-ranked LSU, they have ways to compensate for their lack of size. They are playing with tremendous energy at both ends of the floor and they’re very unselfish (18 assists on 33 made baskets against the Lady Vols). By no means is this the Florida team of the past. The Gators have seven games remaining in the regular season. Win four and they’re a mortal lock to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2016 season. Nobody dared think the Gators could pull that off back in October before the season began but back then nobody knew Kelly Rae Finley had a secret weapon. It’s called “We are enough.”

“I knew I wanted to go to the SEC... Florida was the first SEC school to contact me. It felt right.” -- ANTONIO VALENTINO Transcribed From The Buddy Martin Show By Kyle Curtis Question: What was the transfer portal like, are you happy with it? Answer: “The portal is really nerve-wracking to be honest with you, I wasn’t super highly recruited out of high school, so I didn’t know what was going to happen once I put my name in there. It’s a big thing in trusting yourself. I was very fortunate to land at Florida.” After spending his first four seasons with Penn State, Valentino took his talents to Gainesville where he was a key contributor on the defensive line. Question: What made you choose Florida? Answer: “I knew I wanted to go to the SEC... Florida was the first SEC school to contact me. It felt right.” Valentino also stated he had offers while in the portal from Michigan, he didn’t want to stay in the same division or conference as Penn State because he didn’t want to “burn any bridges.” Question: What’s your thoughts on ‘Coach Chaos’? Spencer is the new co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach at the University of Florida. Valentino had high praise for “Coach Chaos,” saying the room always had an identity with Spencer at the helm. He says it’s a great addition to Napier’s “Army.” Answer: “I was with Spence (Sean Spencer) for five years. Spence is the best defensive line coach I have ever been around... Spence holds a special place in all of his players’ lives, all of his players’ hearts... Don’t worry about a thing when it comes to recruiting, this guy is a master at it.” Question: How big of a culture shock was it moving to Gainesville from the Midwest? Answer: “I never really interacted with a lot of people from the East Coast...that was new. June, July, and August I was miserable! It was so hot. We would start the practice on the inside and then finish on the outside on purpose.” Question: Talk about what the best atmosphere you’ve played in during your time in school. Answer: “They [Penn State and Florida] are both amazing in their own way. Beaver Stadium is incredible because there are so many people, like when does it end? The Swamp is special because the stadium feels more so like it’s a living thing.” Valentino was lucky enough to play in two of the most iconic settings in all of college football. Valentino was not able choose a favorite between Happy Valley and The Swamp. Question: What’s the next move after football? Answer: “I am In Fort Myers right now for draft training... What am I going to do afterwards though? I have a natural ability to talk to people, I’m really into story-telling... I’m also super big into taking photos.” Antonio was able to get his broadcasting degree during his time at Penn State. Valentino also said how much of an impact his academic advisor had on his plans after football. He was able to find his passion and figure out what he wanted to do after football. Question: What do you think happened with Dan Mullen? Answer: “I think that’s above my pay grade. All I know is I did exactly what the man told me to do.” Question: Who is the toughest lineman you played against? Answer: “I would say, South Carolina’s line across the board played extremely well as a unit.” The Gators fell to South Carolina 40-17 where the Gamecocks were able to dominate in the trenches where the Gamecocks outgained the Gators 284-82 on the ground. Question: What are you going to take your most from your experience in Gainesville, even past football? Answer: “I would say really leaning on people who care, a lot of people care about the Florida Gators. Being able and willing to serve them as well ... Not being afraid to step into a new environment and thinking of what people will think about me. Just being myself.” Question: What do you think of what Billy Napier has done so far? Answer: “To be honest with you, I saw the writing on the wall that this kind of thing was going to happen... Nobody has anything bad to say. I think when you’re good to people it comes back to you, and I think this is a result of Coach Napier being good to people.” Valentino says has full trust in Napier and feels that the future of Florida football is in good hands.

Early in the day this is how ESPN was projecting it. By KYLE CURTIS GatorBait Intern 247 Sports National Rank: 19 SEC Rank: 9 247 Sports gave the Gators a final rating of .8860 after National Signing Day. That puts Florida with the 9th best class in the SEC and 19th in the nation. 247 also has Kamari Wilson as UF’s highest recruit, a four-star, although he is acknowledged as a five-star on other recruiting platforms. Rivals National Rank: 24 SEC Rank: T10 Rivals has both Florida and South Carolina with a score of 1712 after National Signing Day. The score is an accumulation of all the recruits each team has signed and their ratings. Rivals recognized incoming linebacker Shemar James as our only five-star. On3 National Rank: 25 SEC Rank: 11 On3 has Florida with an average class rating of 88.12 out of 100. That sets the Gators up for 25th nationally and 11th in the SEC. Sports Illustrated National Rank: 21 SEC Rank: 10 “The Gators added just one prospect Wednesday, wide receiver Caleb Douglas, despite being in the mix for several—including a few where confidence was tangible late in the game. The overall close under Billy Napier was strong enough to get the program in the top 25 rankings, though.”- Sports Illustrated The consensus was that Florida had a sub-par National Signing Day and missed out on a few players that could have had immediate impacts. ESPN National Ranking: 32 SEC Ranking: 12 This was the lowest ranking the Gators received across all platforms, and puts us behind Wrap-Up: After what some may consider a disappointing signing day, you must look at things in the big picture. When this new staff came in, Florida had a recruiting class outside of the top 50. Within 60 days, with a limited pool of players, Napier and his staff were able to put together a respectable Top 25 class with notable pickups. No telling what this crew can do with a full cycle. Mo Florida signee class 2022 Kamari Wilson, S Hometown: Bradenton, Fla. High school: IMG Academy Ranking: Four-star, No. 43 overall, No. 3 safety Date of commitment: Dec. 15, 2021 (signed Dec. 15); enrolled Notable: A 6-foot, 200-pound downhill safety through to be leaning toward Georgia, Wilson’s direction turned after a visit to Gainesville. He emerged as the early signing day stunner for the Gators, giving them their third five-star defensive signee in the past three years. His other finalists included Florida State, LSU, Miami and Texas A&M. Shemar James, LB Hometown: Mobile, Ala. High school: Faith Academy Ranking: Four-star, No. 66 overall, No. 5 LB Date of commitment: June 20, 2021 Date of decommitment: Oct.20, 2021 Date of commitment: Dec. 15, 2021 (signed Dec. 15) Notable: He scored 12 offensive touchdowns at Faith Academy as a junior — catching 34 passes and compiling 700-plus yards from scrimmage — but his disruptive knack on defense is what excites recruiters. He made six sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 66 stops overall as a junior, even contributing on special teams. His senior season was hindered by an ankle injury. Listed at 6-3 by recruiting services, he measured just under 6-2 on his visit to Florida. That’s in no way a red flag considering it’s still on par with the average height of NFL middle linebackers. Chris McClellan, DL Hometown: Owasso, Okla High school: Owasso Ranking: Four-star, No. 112 overall, No. 15 DL Date of commitment: Nov. 23, 2021 (signed Dec. 15); enrolled Notable: At 6-3 and 295, he’s an impressive interior defender who had offers from Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio State and USC. Though he could use a developmental year in college, Florida’s lack of depth on the defensive front could force him into freshman playing time. Trevor Etienne, RB Hometown: Jennings, La. High school: Jennings Ranking: Four-star, No. 186 overall, No. 14 running back Date of commitment: Jan. 8, 2022 (signed Feb. 2) Notable: Sources say the younger brother of Clemson All- American Travis Etienne silently committed to Dan Mullen’s staff last November. He chose the Gators over LSU and Clemson, with Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M, Penn State and Florida State among his additional offers. At 5-9 and 218 pounds, he’s a low-gravity runner with exceptional balance who ran for more than 4,900 yards and 73 touchdowns the past three seasons. Devin Moore, DB Hometown: Naples, Fla. High school: Naples Ranking: Four-star, No. 251 overall, No. 21 safety Date of commitment: Dec. 15, 2021 (signed Dec. 15); enrolled Notable: At 6-3 and 190, different schools are split on whether Moore’s future is at cornerback or safety, but Napier lauded his coverage skills Wednesday. He was committed to Notre Dame for five months, though the previous Florida staff worked to flip him and Napier’s crew sealed the deal. Tony Livingston, OT/TE Hometown: Tampa, Fla. High school: King Ranking: Four-star, No. 307 overall, No. 24 OT Date of commitment: March 11, 2021 (signed Dec. 15) Notable: A basketball standout in a football body at a shade under 6-5, he dropped from 260 pounds to 225 in the past year. Schools such as Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, FSU, Miami, Notre Dame and LSU also have offered Livingston — who one Power 5 recruiter labeled “an absolute freak of an athlete.” Napier described Livingston as having “unique dimensions” that include 11-inch hands. He’ll be a developmental player who could wind up at offensive tackle, tight end or defensive end. Jamari Lyons, DL Hometown: Melbourne, Fla. High school: Viera Ranking: Four-star, No. 373 overall, No. 46 DT Date of commitment: Oct. 6, 2021 (signed Dec. 15) Notable: A solid pickup for the Gators who measured him at 280 pounds and just under 6- foot-4 on a summer visit. The long-armed Lyons projects as an interior tackle who can be deployed at strong-side defensive end in some packages. He holds 23 FBS offers including Georgia, South Carolina, Auburn, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Florida State, Penn State, Arizona State. Jack Pyburn, Edge Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla. High school: The Bolles School Ranking: Three-star, No. 441 overall, No. 36 edge Date of commitment: Feb. 1, 2022 (signed Feb. 2) Notable: A late-rising prospect who found an opening in Florida’s class when more highly rated prospects went elsewhere, Pyburn also had offers from Auburn, Miami, FSU and Minnesota. At 6-3 and 265 he also played inside linebacker for a high school team that advanced to the Florida Class 4A state semifinals each of the past three seasons. In 2021, he had 14 sacks and 32 tackles for loss. Caleb Douglas, WR Hometown: Missouri City, Texas High school: Hightower Ranking: Three-star, No. 470 overall, No. 67 WR Date of commitment: Feb. 2, 2022 (signed Feb. 2) Notable: A former high school quarterback who transitioned to wideout full time as a senior. The USC decommit has size (6-3, 192) and “another gear” according to Napier. His previous relationship with Keary Colbert at Southern Cal was crucial to the Gators beating out LSU and Baylor down the stretch. Douglas previously held offers from Notre Dame, Texas, Maryland and Virginia Tech. Andrew Savaiinaea, DL Hometown: Graham, Wash. High school: Graham-Kapowsin Ranking: Three-star, No. 470 overall, No. 67 WR Date of commitment: Feb. 2, 2022 (signed Feb. 2) Notable: Savaiinaea was a stand-up defensive end in high school but has the frame (6-3, 258) to grow into a defensive end with interior flexibility on passing downs. He held offers from Kentucky, Cal, USC, Nebraska, Washington and Virginia. Jalen Farmer, IOL Hometown: Covington, Ga. High school: Eastside Ranking: Three-star, No. 687 overall, No. 31 IOL Date of commitment: Sept. 10, 2021(signed Feb. 2) Notable: Farmer took official visits to Alabama and Auburn recently yet stuck with his four- month-old commitment to Florida. He also held offers from Kentucky, Mississippi State and Georgia Tech. At 6-5 and 325 pounds, he wasn’t among Florida’s top offensive line targets when the 2022 cycle began 18 months ago, but based on legit interest from other SEC programs he’s a solid pickup at a position where the Gators sorely need depth. Miguel Mitchell, ATH Hometown: Oxford, Ala. High school: Oxford Ranking: Three-star, No. 921 overall, No. 65 ATH Date of commitment: Feb. 1, 2022 (signed Feb. 2) Notable: At a shade under 6-1, Mitchell projects as a college safety with decent coverage skills. He played cornerback for one of Alabama’s top Class 6A programs, made eight breakups and contributed on five takeaways as a senior before earning MVP of the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game. Mitchell held offers from USC, Oregon, Tennessee, West Virginia, Northwestern, Vanderbilt and Memphis. David Conner, OT Hometown: Atlanta High school: Deerfield Beach, Fla. Ranking: Three-star, No. 1,202 overall, No. 113 OT Date of commitment: Aug. 17, 2021 (signed Dec. 15) Notable: Raw prospect whose frame is intriguing enough that he has late-bloomed into a Power Five prospect. Arizona, Maryland and Syracuse were his notable offers before the Gators’ staff evaluated him on two summer visits — measuring him at 6-5 1/4 and 284 pounds. Christian Williams, OL Hometown: Missouri City, Texas High school: Fort Bend Marshall Ranking: Three-star, No. 1,214 overall, No. 67 OL Date of commitment: Dec. 10, 2021 (signed Dec. 15) Notable: The former Louisiana commitment flipped to Florida last week when Napier offered. An interior lineman at 6-4 and 320, Williams is a lightly recruited prospect who might need two developmental seasons before cracking the rotation. Max Brown, QB Hometown: Tulsa, Okla. High school: Lincoln Christian Ranking: Three-star, No. 1,552 overall, . 94 QB Date of commitment: Jan. 24, 2022 (signed Feb. 2) Notable: After four-star recruit Nick Evers flipped to Oklahoma in December, the Gators brought in Ohio State transfer Jack Miller, and there was uncertainty whether the staff would sign a high school quarterback in the 2022 cycle. Brown was available because he opted not to sign with Central Michigan in December, and Florida edged Washington for his signature. His profile soared last fall — his first full season as a starter — when Brown threw for 2,750 yards, ran for 1,343 more and accounted for 61 touchdowns for a school that was state runner-up in Oklahoma Class 3A. Trey Smack, K Hometown: Severna Park, Md. High school: Severna Park Ranking: Three-star, No. 1,842 overall, No. 10 K Date of commitment: June 23, 2021 (signed Dec. 15) Notable: The former lacrosse and soccer standout made the switch to football two years ago and rapidly became one of the nation’s top-rated kickers in the 2022 class. (He’s currently unranked by the 247 Sports Composite but stands No. 3 in the country on the Kohl’s kicker ratings.) A powerful 6-2 frame and a booming leg make Smack the favorite to handle field goals and kickoffs throughout his career at Florida. Several schools also have pursued him as a punter. Hayden Hansen, TE Hometown: Weatherford, Texas High school: Weatherford Ranking: Three-star, No. 1,850 overall, No. 109 TE Date of commitment: Jan. 23, 2022 (signed Feb. 2) Notable: Coming off the momentum of Kyle Pitts winning the Mackey Award, Florida opened the 2022 cycle hoping to land top-100 tight end Jaleel Skinner along with three- star CJ Hawkins. But after Skinner landed at Miami and Hawkins flipped to Stanford, Florida brought in the 6-foot-6 Hansen, who caught 38 passes for 369 yards and three scores a high school senior. Hansen chose the Gators over offers from Colorado, Washington State, UTSA and Louisiana.

"I think we're pretty spread out in this class. So I think that's a product of the circumstances. Those are the players that we felt like fit us from an evaluation standpoint." -- BILLY NAPIER COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT COACH NAPIER: Talking to Rick, 59 days ago we were in the air on the plane and hit the ground right out here. So it's been unbelievable. Certainly very thankful for the reception. People have been incredible. I think the old Ray Allen quote: The greatest gift that we have in life is opportunity. And I'm extremely thankful for this opportunity. Dr. Fuchs and Scott Stricklin and his staff have been absolute professionals. Everyone within the UAA and all that they do to contribute to recruiting and really the transition and logistics of our entire staff has been great. I think that we talked to the players a lot about plan our work and work our plan, that's what we try to do. A lot of early mornings, a lot of late nights but it's been really good. We took on the December national signing day, the contact period there, which was really quick. And what I'm calling the winter portal period, right? A little bit like free agency to some degree. And then you move the team into phase one, the offseason. And then we just tackled the January contact period in February national signing day. All the while we're building a staff. We're hiring a lot of people at the same time. I think my job has gotten a lot easier with each addition to the staff. We're thankful for that. It's probably the most important thing that we do is hire really good people. It takes a team -- operations, personnel, on-campus recruiting, the Gator Made program, the recruiting department, OCR, equipment, university community -- all the professors, all the advisors, the tutors, Jeff [phonetic] and his staff over at the Hawkins Center. And certainly those UAA pilots. I was thankful for them in the first period but even more thankful in the pride they took in their role in this past month or so. So I think that there's a lot of people to thank in the community. Hotel Eleo, we use them the last couple of weekends, and they were exceptional. Spurrier's, Coach Spurrier, Spurrier's Gridiron Grill, and Blue Water Bay, several other places that help us out. That's been great. I think evaluation and recruitment is kind of a separate entity. Then the players arrive then it's time to develop them, motivate them, improve their lives as people, students and players. I'm pleased with the progress we've made. I thought we answered a lot of needs. I thought we took advantage of each opportunity to add players to the team. Obviously you've got a list there of guys that have signed so far, just added a few more just a couple minutes ago. We've got more to go today. So, much like we said before, one day at a time, one person at a time. We've added some really good people since the last time we stood up here with you guys, not only football players but also staff members. So what questions do we have here? Q. We'll talk about today's addition, Caleb. I want to say he was the first recruit you offered. What did you see in him early on and what was it like battling trying to get his pledge? COACH NAPIER: Caleb is a unique athlete. Caleb is a former quarterback who had made the transition to playing receiver as a junior. He was in our footprint, recruiting footprint at Louisiana. We had evaluated him. Had a previous relationship with him. And really felt great about the upside. You turn the senior tape as you expected a guy who took off and had a great year. I think his best football is ahead of him. He was 6'3", 192 pounds on his official visit. He's really got another gear. Fantastic ball skills and more importantly the guy's really got his act together. Great kid, great student, incredible family. I think that he's the type of person, the type of athlete that we want at the University of Florida. So it's a big win today. Keary Colbert was outstanding in that situation. Had a previous relationship. He was committed to Southern Cal at one point. Keary was there. Very fortunate to get Caleb. Q. You mentioned you felt like you addressed a lot of needs. What were some of the ones you felt were the biggest priorities you feel like you guys hit? COACH NAPIER: I think running back, obviously, I think was a critical need. Just to create some depth on our team corner. I think up front on the offensive line, the two transfers and high school players. And then the defensive line. So, across the board I think it's a pretty diverse group. I don't necessarily -- I'd probably be leaving something out. I think each year you are really trying to develop depth on your team. But we made good work of each opportunity. I thought in December you get to go on the road for four days. We were able to put together a pretty good group there. And then obviously I thought we did good work in the portal. And today's been a great day. So I think across the board I'm pleased with each position. Q. So you don't know anything else as a head coach with this early signing period, but how much does it jam up the calendar having that, and then you're getting in the fifth or whatever, you did your introductory? And what does it require from a staff and you yourself to just put all those pieces together with all the pressure? COACH NAPIER: I'll tell you, I've been a huge fan. Been a big advocate of the early signing period. I just think that's been a great addition in my opinion. I think that's helped the quality of life of the assistant coaches. It certainly created a little bit more of security. You can kind of move on to the next group. I think a lot of young men, we've seen over time that they've got it figured out. I think with 80 percent of the kids, 85 percent of the kids are signing in December. And I think that's been pretty consistent since they've created that. So I think the bigger issues now are kind of what I'm calling the winter portal period and the spring portal period. That's the new dynamic. That's what we've got to kind of get our arms around as leaders in this college football dynamic that we have there. So I think that's where the changes and adjustments probably need to be made, if that makes sense. This was the first year where that was expected to be an option for the player and then all of a sudden you've got a lot of different dynamics in terms of it's almost like you added two different free agency periods that you haven't planned for. That requires work and that requires planning. I think that's probably the newest change and the thing we need to make adjustments to, in my opinion. Q. How close are you to the staff that you envision -- it's gotten pretty big, but how close to completing it and what's the key to building chemistry within this whole group? COACH NAPIER: It's a great question. I think we're a couple of pieces away there. I think we've got a few spots, graduate assistants, in particular. I think we've got more work to do there to fill those jobs. Couple more off-the-field positions. But for the most part we're close to being done. In terms of creating chemistry and morale with the group, I think it takes time. I think that this group, some of these people have worked together in the past. I think there's prior relationship, but there's certainly a lot of new faces too. I'll tell you what, these official-visit weekends present some of those opportunities. I think there's nothing like kind of getting in there and working together as a team. Recruiting presents that opportunity. And we've got a great group, one that I've been very impressed with just the morale overall, the teamwork. That's what it's going to take. I think when you hire people, you're looking for somebody that will be a great teammate. Somebody that has an authentic care for the players. Someone that's an expert at the job that we're asking them to do, and certainly fit our recruiting footprint or bring a skill set, a personality to the table that can help us in recruiting. So, so far so good. I don't think that's going to be a problem with this group. Q. We've heard for decades you've got to take care of your backyard in Florida, in the state. Only six guys from the state. Do you feel like that's where you need to make inroads moving forward, or is that just kind of a one-year kind of blip given that you're from Louisiana and whatnot? COACH NAPIER: No question. I think it's a product of the circumstance. I think we basically just had to go evaluate the players that were available. And we looked all over the country. I think we're pretty spread out in this class. So I think that's a product of the circumstances. Those are the players that we felt like fit us from an evaluation standpoint. And then we had the resources to go get that accomplished. I think that's the one thing to remind ourselves of is that Florida brand is strong. And it's spread out and it was able to do good work. But our approach is going to be inside/out, there's no question. I think history would indicate that when Florida has a really good football team, it starts right here in our backyard and works out. So that's the approach that we will take and certainly with the '23 group, which we've already started on, that will be the mentality for sure. Q. What are the challenges of recruiting a guy like Andrew in Washington and how did he come on your radar? COACH NAPIER: Andrew is, first of all, an impressive young man. His character, the family that he comes from. Really bright young man who has got a very specific plan, not only for football, but as a student, as a person. The family he comes from, their values, a lot of common ground there. And really excited about him. I think that much like we just described in the questionnaire, we just spread out and evaluated the players that were available. He did some evaluation work for us. Then he gets here on the official visit, the guy was 6'3", 259 pounds, and really moves well for his size. He's not only heck of an outside linebacker but heck of a tight end as well. He's going to be an edge player on defense. Big, tall, long, and a lot of growth potential there. I think a really unique athlete for his size. When he walks in the room, you're thinking that's the guy on the tape. So, overall, the type of guy we're looking for. Q. So much obsession with signal callers. Max Brown, what does he bring was he someone in your sphere before now, what does he bring to your program? COACH NAPIER: We're very fortunate to add really two good quarterbacks to the team with Jack and Max, and certainly I think Max when you turn the tape on, you can immediately see the baseball background. The off-platform throws. Really a natural thrower. A guy that is projected to be kind of a middle round draft pick in baseball. He was 6'1" and a half, 200 pounds on his visit. Dad played receiver in the National Football League. Really a good-looking athlete. We think he has upside. He just started playing quarterback two years ago. And a good runner. The guy can make some plays with his feet. We were able to go out to his school, observe him and was very impressed. So there's some pedigree there. The guy's a winner. I've been impressed with his leadership skills. And I think his best football is in front of him. Q. You referenced the '23 class a minute ago. When you've been out the last couple of weeks, how much focus was on '22 versus how much was on '23? COACH NAPIER: I think you build your schedule based off the '22s. And then maybe the '23 players in that area. You try to do the best job you can. I took that approach. Jacob did a great job of mapping that out. And certainly each assistant coach kind of taking the same philosophy. So we're hopeful that we won't be doing this much business in February next year, and we'll be able to be a little bit more strategic about our time on the road relative to the next group. But I think we made the most of it for sure. Q. I wanted to ask about one of the staff additions. What is a game-changer coordinator? Could you explain that term? COACH NAPIER: Coach Couch is a special teams coordinator, really special teams analyst and really Coach Couch was with us at the previous stop. We call our special teams game changers. So when we're trying to create a game changing play, we all know the power of an explosive play on special teams. Kind of our way to create some urgency, some importance to that part of the game. I think it's the area of your team where you start building culture. It's a combination of offense and defensive players. Oftentimes, young players will get opportunities to contribute to the team first there. And then your walk-ons can earn a niche on the team there as well. So it requires a lot of coordination, a lot of team effort. Coach Couch will be leading that area as an analyst off the field. And we're trying to change the game on special teams. Q. Last couple of days Nick Saban and Lane Kiffin weighed in on the NIL (indiscernible) how those benefits have taken place of other factors they think players should be considering. And they're afraid it's turning into a bidding war and the team with the biggest war chest will win. What kind of impact have you seen in this recruiting cycle of NIL? And given how apparently this is the way the game is played, are you confident that Florida has the program in place to compete in this marketplace? COACH NAPIER: Yeah, I'm surprised it took that long to ask that question. But I do think that this name, image and likeness concept -- I think that we're all wrapping our arms around it and really wrapping our heads around it, trying to figure out what exactly this entails, where we're headed. I think the issues are right now there's no parameters. There's really no guidelines outside of the laws within each state. I think each university is trying to solve that problem, come up with the best strategy. It's an area where we've been very aggressive. Certainly thankful for the partnership with Gator Collective, Gator Sports Properties their ability to get it done and worked out. But the players create a tremendous amount of revenue for these universities. I mean, this college football deal is major entertainment. So there's revenue generated. And they show up to watch the players. They don't show up to watch anybody else. So I think there's an avenue here where we're moving towards revenue share. We're moving towards the player getting a piece of the pie. And I don't necessarily think that that's a bad thing. I think that it's a good thing. I think that the players are deserving giving supply and demand, like basic economics here. So I do think we need parameters. We need guidelines. We need consistency across the board relative to what there is to offer. But I think it's also an opportunity. So for us I think it can be a strength. I think the passion of this fan base, right, the University of Florida alumni, we're 450,000-plus strong. We've got an incredible sale independent of that. So name, image and likeness, it just becomes another strength at the University of Florida. We're certainly excited about the opportunities that come with that. But I do think that there's going to be some guidelines and parameters that come with this for sure. Q. Back to the Gator Collective and things, when it comes to the resources, people are throwing out numbers that Texas A&M is 25 million, there's no telling. If it just came down to resources and the program in place, will you be able to compete with Texas A&M and that type of situation they have there? COACH NAPIER: I think we've got to realize that this is just a portion -- this is just a part of the decision. I think there's so much that goes into a decision for a young man independent of name, image and likeness. But it's certainly part of the dynamic that we have right now. I think, much like the questions you're asking, I'm asking myself those same questions every day. So, as we go forward here, people will adjust -- I think the leaders within our profession, within in this market will adjust and there will be things that come with this. I think a lot of this is to be determined. We're fortunate that we're in the state of Florida. We're fortunate in the relationships that we have. We're going to take full advantage of it while we can. Q. With you having the early signing period and now the winter portal, what is your comfort level with where you are at based on what you guys have gotten today to add on to what you got the last couple of weeks? COACH NAPIER: I don't think I've ever batted a thousand with signing day. To tell some of our young people in the building, hey, this is a little more like baseball here. We've got to swing a lot and make contact and at the end of the day we need 25 really good hits. So it requires a little bit of perspective, if that makes sense. And resiliency, I would say. So you've got to have a short memory. You've got to move on to the next one. Certainly as a competitor maybe some of those things you learned as a competitor you can apply in recruiting for sure. But we fill a lot of needs. I'm confident in each individual player we've added, what they bring to the team, certainly the jobs that we think they can do for our team. But we're never -- I don't think anybody is ever completely satisfied with what happens. But so far, so good. We've got a few more out there. And then we have to get ready for the spring portal period that's to come. Q. You've got 17 guys counting your high school kids and your transfers, another five transfers. How many of the kids count back on last year if you can tell us that? And then what does that mean for you going forward, for example, with transfers? Do you have a set number, like another five, another seven that you might add, and maybe another how many high school kids you think you might add? COACH NAPIER: Sure. Well, the high school players obviously would be today. I think -- then there's kind of a balance. We get to the spring, we obviously are going to have additional spots remaining where we could add players. So there's been movement on our roster. We've got plenty of options going forward. There's no cap. I don't necessarily see us hitting a cap when we get to the spring portal period, if that makes sense. But there's a delicate balance between the number of players we add and also hitting that 85 number. So a little bit of this is to be determined. It's always a big juggling act, a big math problem. You're adding and subtracting today. Certainly as we approach May 1st there will be more attrition. And really in the transition year, with a new staff and kind of a new culture, I think that there's some things that come with that, both positive and negative. So I think it's a really good question. But I think a lot of that is to be determined based off the rest of the day and also any movement that we have later on in the semester. Q. Roster management is everybody's problem, because you have super seniors. Anybody that played during 2020, that year doesn't count, et cetera, like that. How difficult is the juggling act you've got to go through to get your roster and to determine, okay, do we really have 85 or do we have 78 or do we have 95? COACH NAPIER: You're right. I think especially when you inherit a group. I think there's been great teamwork with Jacob LaFrance, our compliance department, certainly some of the previous staff members in terms of where exactly -- and then each individual is a little bit different. You may talk to one kid and technically he's a junior but in his mind he's a senior. So I think some clarity with the players, where are they at and how they view themselves. And then you're looking at each individual position. You're trying to hit a certain number. We've done great research in terms much how many players in each position we'd like to carry, not only with the scholarship players but with the walk-on players. So great question, and I think it's one of the challenges that comes with the attrition and the addition. So we went from having kind of two times of year to adding two more if that makes sense. That math problem is being done a couple more times a year. Q. Being here before you probably have a couple more chances to go up against your old boss in Coach Saban. But Jalen Farmer was a guy you identified pretty early on and someone that Alabama came in late for. What was the scout on him and how were you guys able to hold onto him? COACH NAPIER: Jalen was a previous commit. One of the first players we went to see. We were very impressed with the initial evaluation. This is a big man. He's 6'4" and a half, 330 pounds. I think he may actually be under 330. He plays with effort. He plays with power. He comes from a really great family. Mom and dad are impressive people. And he's all business. This guy not really all about the glitz and the glamour and recruiting. He's got a plan. And I was very impressed with his maturity, kind of his approach. And certainly it's a good thing when some of the best programs in the country come in try to recruit some of your commits. But we've got a ton of confidence in Jalen. We believe in him, and we're ecstatic what he's going to bring to our team. So big win today for the Gators for sure. Q. Do you have the paper in front of you or do you know all these heights and weights? We'll start quizzing you every time you come up here. COACH NAPIER: Yeah, we've got great people in the personnel department that do a good job keeping me up to speed. Q. And then I think you were on SEC Network talking about the four things that you guys try to instill in players -- character, opportunity, knowledge. And you said development and talent was kind of under those. Could you tell me more why talent I guess is under the other three things? COACH NAPIER: Well, I don't want you to misunderstand me here. The evaluation part of what we do is critical. And the recruitment part, we're identifying certain things that we're looking for in each position -- height, length, verified speed -- all these critical factors relative to the jobs that we're going to ask that young man to do. If we're doing a good job evaluating and we're doing a really good job recruiting then we have the player, the young man, who he is as a person, student and player -- he shows up day one, typically, the talent component is not going to change very much, if that makes sense. So, you have to separate these two entities. I think sometimes we put all these expectations on these guys, like he was ranked number two in the country at his position. So that's going to translate to this, when in reality that's just a starting point in a really long journey that has a lot of adversity, a lot of great experiences, but a lot of ups and downs. I think these guys are nowhere close to being who they are, who they're going to be relative to the things that come with this -- this is a critical time in their life and what we try to do is kind of flip the script a little bit. Now that you're here, all right, let's work really hard on your character. Let's try to increase your knowledge and then let's focus in on your development in all these different areas as a player. So the character component, I think, is the single most important thing to sustaining success. These guys are gifted athletes. They're going to have some success just as a result of their physical ability, but can they sustain it? Do these things that the game teaches you translate to when you're finished as a player and we want to try to get these guys to use football and don't allow football to use them. So I think a little bit of that is, hey, look I'm trying to sign the most talented team that we can sign each year. Each one of these guys it's important that we do that. But once they arrive it's not about that anymore. I don't really care how tall you are anymore. I care about can we improve you as a person, student and player. And those are the things that the player can control. And we try to get them to focus on those things instead of getting caught up in the hype. I think we've got to alleviate some of those expectations that were put on these guys and get them to focus on each day, all right, let's go to work on our character today. Let's increase our knowledge, whether it's our education at the University of Florida or football IQ, things that we can learn that can help us play faster, anticipate better, be more productive. And then the development part is how we practice, how we teacher, strength and conditioning, sports science, nutrition, the training room. These are all areas where a guy can maximize the ability that he does have. So there you go. Q. Anything in the first 59 days in the recruiting game surprise you about this Florida job? COACH NAPIER: Well, I think first thing I would say is that kids want to come to the University of Florida. I think this is a powerful place. This is a strong brand. This is one of those iconic places in college football, where there's history, where there's tradition. Where there's been legendary players, legendary coaches. We've got one of the most incredible venues in all of college sports in The Swamp. We have a top five public education to offer. We've got an incredible classic college town in Gainesville, Florida. And there's passion about this place. And I think that that becomes a reality all of a sudden when you're selling this place. When you're on the road and you're working, you're hustling and in a short period of time I'm pleased with the work we've been able to get done. That's a tribute to all the people in the organization have been working really hard. So, this is a special place. I mean, this is a real opportunity. One that's very capable. The key here is that we take all this potential and we translate that to performance. So I think that's where we've got to -- one day at a time, right? So there's great opportunity here and we look forward to that. Q. Hayden Hansen, he was someone that you committed at Louisiana. What have you seen with his games and character that led to you bringing him here? COACH NAPIER: Haden is an impressive player, 6'6" and a quarter. Weighed 256 on the visit. This guy is a former quarterback and a guy that really blew me away when he came and did a private workout for us at Louisiana. I thought I was on reality TV or something. It was like this guy doesn't have the opportunities that maybe I would think he would have. So I think a little bit of that is a result of him playing quarterback. A couple games into his junior year they moved him to tight end. He kind of buys into that. The film wasn't great as a junior. He would tell you that. But he took a big step forward. And he ran a 4.79, 4.81 for us at UL. And a big man with hands and I think his ceiling is really high. You pair that with the family background, kind of a blue-collar, really bright kid. Lives probably an hour and a half west of Dallas, kind of out in the West Texas. So you've got to kind of -- you've got to be intentional about getting there. So I think there's some things that come with that. I think it's one of the better evaluations in the class, in my opinion. Q. He mentioned after his visit that you guys had talked a lot about 12 personnel and you guys have a couple of running backs, couple tight ends, whether they're signees or transfers. When the time comes, is that something that with the numbers you have you feel comfortable installing? COACH NAPIER: Yeah, no question. We've got a good group on campus. I think we've got a couple of really good additions here in this class. It's pretty well documented the type of system that we ran at the prior stop. We'll continue with that philosophy. And certainly tight ends will be a big piece of the puzzle in terms of presenting a lot of variables to the defense. So the more versatile those players are, the more variables we can present and the more difficult we can be to defend. Q. (Inaudible)? COACH NAPIER: I'm not sure what NFL team he played for. I'm going to guess Cleveland. But that's a good question. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

It turns out that Emory Jones, who we all thought was joining the mad rush to the NCAA transfer portal, actually never put his name in the portal, which we were pretty sure he was going to do immediately after the Gators lost to UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl. He’s enrolled in classes and participating in team meetings. If he’s planning to transfer out, it will be in the spring, but more on that later. Lloyd Summerall III, who was actually in the transfer portal but played in the Gasparilla Bowl game, has removed his name, is back in school and planning to move on up a thinned out depth chart in the spring and summer. Khris Bogle, who played ahead of Summerall back in the fall, has transferred to Michigan State, so with three years of eligibility remaining and a chance to be in the D-line rotation under Florida’s new coaching staff, he’s back. Dante Zanders, who came to Florida as a tight end but switched over to defensive end when he more or less out grew tight end, was also in the portal. Now he’s not. He has two years of eligibility, a new coaching staff and a chance to do more than low man on the rotation totem. Trey Dean III, who was invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, and was thought to be all but gone, has decided to make the best of the one year of eligibility he has left on his NCAA clock, so he’s returning for a final season playing for new safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator Patrick Toney. Four who put their names in the transfer portal – Bogle, offensive lineman Gerald Mincey (Tennessee), wide receiver Jacob Copeland (Maryland) and linebacker Mohamoud Diabate (Utah) – didn’t let the screen door hit them on the way out. They have already enrolled elsewhere, so there’s no turning back. The spring semester officially began January 5 and there is no official accounting of who’s enrolled and who hasn’t, so it’s entirely possible there will be several transfers announcing in the next few days. You shouldn’t be shocked if no one else puts his name in the portal, either. Billy Napier has a way of making strong first impressions and some of these who back in December might have had a foot out the door, may be hedging to see how things work out in the spring with a brand new coaching staff. The portal will be alive and very active then, too. Are you confused yet? Stick with me. The transfer portal has created college football’s version of the wild, wild west. It’s free agency with no sit out rule for those who have never before transferred. Graduate transfers have for years had immediately eligibility at their disposal. One of the very first grad transfers to gain immediately eligibility and have an immediate impact was corner Ryan Smith, who transferred to UF from Utah in 2006, earning All-America honors while helping the Gators to the national championship. Here is where the portal gets a little bit tricky, thanks to a waiver provided by the NCAA, which also isn’t counting the 2020 season against any player who saw the field. Any school that loses seven or more players to transfer AFTER December 15, 2021 can replace as many as seven without it counting against the 85-scholarship roster limit. Napier signed nine in the early signing period plus he’s added two transfers in former Ohio State quarterback Jack Miller III and former Louisiana offensive tackle Kamryn Waites. Their additions plus the decisions of Jones, Dean, Summerall and Zanders to enroll for the spring semester bring the current Florida roster to 74, so Napier can sign 11 high school, junior college or transfers. If he signs 11 high school or junior college kids, and at least two on the current roster transfer out, then Miller and Waites will not count against the 85-man scholarship roster. This is where the situation with Jones gets interesting. Had Richardson stayed healthy throughout the 2021 season, Jones most likely would have been relegated to a backup role sometime around October. Richardson has the thunderbolt arm and lightning feet to be as good a dual threat quarterback as can be found in the United States. Then there is Miller, a former 4-star recruit who sat behind Heisman finalist CJ Stroud and former 5-star Kyle McCord at Ohio State. The Buckeyes also signed a 4-star QB in the early signing period. Miller didn’t come to Florida to wait patiently for his turn. If he had wanted to be patient, he would have stayed at Ohio State. Jones isn’t interested in changing positions, which is what some have speculated. He wants to play quarterback and believes he can be an effective Division I starter. The odds that he could be Florida’s quarterback in 2022 are stacked against him. So why come back? Why not go ahead and transfer out? Reportedly, he only needs a couple more classes to graduate, plus the quarterback situation nationally should be far less murky in the spring. The last thing Jones wants to do is transfer to a school that has a settled quarterback situation, so it makes sense to stay one more semester. Although it’s probably a longshot, if Jones responds to Billy Napier’s coaching – Napier does coach the quarterbacks – perhaps he can realize the potential that earned him offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Auburn among others. More than likely, he gets his degree from Florida and transfers in the spring. Another decision that hasn’t been made has nothing to do with the transfer portal but with corner Kaiir Elam. Thought to be a first half of the first round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Elam had anything but a stellar season for the Gators back in the fall. Elam still ranks fifth on Mel Kiper’s big board for corners but he doesn’t have first round assurance. With Corey Raymond, who made LSU synonymous with the term DBU, joining Napier’s staff as the cornerbacks coach, does it make sense for Elam to come back for a year, get coached up and risk that he will slide downward again in the eyes of the NFL? Or does he take his chances in 2022? He knows he will be drafted and perhaps with a great Combine workout he could regenerate his first round draft stock. Left tackle O’Cyrus Torrence, a 6-5, 338-pound two-time All-Sun Belt selection, is expected to announce he will transfer from Louisiana, where he played for Napier. He has two years of eligibility remaining. Running backs Montrell Johnson (838 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns) and Emani Bailey (642 yards, 8 touchdowns) put their names in the portal. They both have three years of remaining eligibility. The Gators only have seven scholarship receivers, so they’re going to need to pick up three more, whether it’s in the portal or from high school or junior college. There is a need for two more linebackers (10 on scholarship), but don’t get too caught up in the numbers, understand that it’s entirely possible one or more positions will become depleted through attrition in the next few days, weeks or months. So, if you think you’ve got the roster all figured out, you might want to take a step back, take a couple of deep breaths and play the wait and see game. The situation is fluid and likely to change several times before we have it all nailed down. THE FLORIDA ROSTER AS OF JANUARY 6, 2022 QUARTERBACKS (5) Emory Jones (6-2, 211, RJR), Anthony Richardson (6-4, 235, SO), Jack Miller III (6-4, 210, SO/Transfer from Ohio State), Carlos Del Rio-Wilson (6-2, 225, RFR), Jalen Kitna (6-4, 210, RFR) RUNNING BACKS (3) NayQuan Wright (5-9, 196, JR), Lorenzo Lingard (6-0, 203, RJR), Demarkcus Bowman (5-10, 193, SO) Gone (2): Dameon Pierce (5-10, 215, Graduate), Malik Davis (5-10, 207, Graduate) WIDE RECEIVERS (7) Justin Shorter (6-5, 228, SR), Trent Whittemore (6-4, 211, RSO), Ja’Markis Weston (6-3, 215, RSO), Xzavier Henderson (6-3, 195, SO), Ja’Quavion Fraziars (6-3, 220, SO), Marcus Burke (6-4, 187, RFR), Daejon Reynolds (6-2, 205, RFR) Gone (3): Jacob Copeland (6-0, 202, RJR, Transferred to Maryland), Rick Wells (6-1, 200, Graduate), Jordan Pouncey (6-1, 208, Graduate) TIGHT ENDS (5) Keon Zipperer (6-3, 242, JR), Jonathan Odom (6-5, 240, RFR), Gage Wilcox (6-4, 230, RFR), Nick Elksnis (6-6, 243, RFR) Signed: Tony Livingston (6-5, 225) Gone: Kemore Gamble (6-4, 243, Graduate) OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (14) Richard Gouraige (6-5, 312, RJR), Ethan White (6-5, 319, JR), Kingsley Eguakun (6-4, 303, RSO), Josh Braun (6-6, 342, SO), Michael Tarquin (6-5, 302, RSO), Riley Simonds (6-3, 303, RSO), Will Harrod (6-5, 325, RSO), Richie Leonard (6-2, 310, SO), Austin Barber (6-6, 312, RFR), Yousef Mugharbil (6-4, 318, RFR) Jake Slaughter (6-5, 303, RFR), Kamryn Waites (6-8, 358, RFR/Transfer from Louisiana) Signed (2): David Conner (6-5, 295); Christian Williams (6-4, 319) Gone (3): Jean Delance (6-5, 307, Graduate); Stewart Reese (6-6, 345, Graduate); Gerald Mincey (6-6, 320, Transferred to Tennessee) DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (13) Griffin McDowell (6-4, 297, RJR), Dante Zanders (6-5, 291, RJR), Gervon Dexter (6-6, 303, SO), Princely Umanmeielen (6-4, 260, SO), Jaelin Humphries (6-3, 328, RSO), Desmond Watson (6-5, 390, SO), Jalen Lee (6-2, 305, SO), Lamar Goods (6-2, 332, RFR), Justus Boone (6-4, 252, RFR), Chris Thomas Jr. (6-5, 314, RFR), Tyreak Sapp (6-3, 251, RFR) Signed (2): Chris McClellan (6-3, 305); Jamari Lyons (6-4, 298) Gone (4): Antonio Valentino (6-3, 312, Graduate), Daquan Newkirk (6-2, 308, Graduate), Tyrone Truesdell (6-2, 326, GR), Zachary Carter (6-4, 285, Graduate) LINEBACKERS/EDGE (10) Ventrell Miller (6-1, 226, SR), Brenton Cox Jr. (6-4, 253, RJR), David Reese (6-2, 230, RJR), Diwun Black (6-3, 228, JR), Ty’Ron Hopper (6-2, 228, RSO), Lloyd Summerall III (6-5, 247, RSO), Derek Wingo (6-1, 224, SO), Antuan Powell (6-2, 255, RFR), Chief Borders (6-4, 241, RFR), Scooby Williams (6-2, 230, RFR) Gone (5): Jeremiah Moon (6-5, 245, Graduate), Amari Burney (6-2, 239, Graduate), Lacedrick Brunson (6-2, 229, Graduate), Mohamoud Diabate (6-3, 227, Transferred to Utah), Khris Bogle (6-4, 240, transferred to Michigan State) SECONDARY (17) Trey Dean III (6-3, 206, RSR), Jadarrius Perkins (6-1, 182, JR), Jaydon Hill (6-0, 182, RSO), Avery Helm (6-1, 180, SO), Jason Marshall Jr. (6-0, 191, SO), Rashad Torrence II (6-0, 205, SO), Tre’Vez Johnson (5-11, 192, SO), Kamar Wilcoxson (6-1, 200, SO), Donovan McMillon (6-1, 197, SO), Mordecai McDaniel (6-1, 191, SO), Fenley Graham Jr. (5-9, 171, SO), Ethan Pouncey (6-1, 175, SO), Jordan Young (6-0, 185, RFR), Corey Collier Jr. (6-1, 180, RFR), Dakota Mitchell (5-11, 182, RFR) Signed (2): Kamari Wilson (6-0, 201), Devin Moore (6-3, 190) Gone (1): * Kaiir Elam (6-2, 196, NFL) * Hasn’t declared for the NFL or hired an agent so he can return SPECIAL TEAMS (4) Long snappers (2): Marco Ortiz (6-4, 233, RJR), Rocco Underwood (6-3, 229, RFR) Punter (1): Jeremy Crawshaw (6-4, 193, SO) Signed (1): Trey Smack (6-1, 200)

Billy Napier didn’t have a walks on water finish to National Signing Day. The anticipated last second bonanza never materialized so dreams of the Florida Gators sniffing the top 10 in the final recruiting rankings went up in smoke. Here are the final rankings from the five networks: 247Sports 19, Sports Illustrated 21, Rivals 24, On3Sports 25 and ESPN 32. Based on those rankings, Napier’s sprint to the finish probably resembled a casual stroll, but the rankings are misleading. The rankings don’t tell the entire story for a couple of reasons. First, the rankings fail to take into account just how much ground the Gators had to make up and second, the fact that Napier didn’t take the easy route. When you consider what Napier accomplished in only 59 days, it’s pretty remarkable. During the same time he was cobbling together a recruiting class that was already shaky before it went in the tank when Dan Mullen was fired, Billy Napier hired a coaching staff and an “army” of analysts, recruiting specialists and other support staff. He landed five transfers, all of whom will play important roles on the field in 2022. He had a chance to evaluate the returning roster at practices for and during the Gasparilla Bowl, plus interviewed every single player, whether leaving or staying. All that and he signed 17 high school kids to scholarships, nine in December and eight more Wednesday including 4-star edge rusher Jack Pyburn. Napier could have scored a higher recruiting ranking if he had loaded up the class with several gettable but lower ranked players, but instead he swung for the fences and went after the higher ranked kids. At his NSD press conference, he referenced the old baseball analogy that you never get a hit if you don’t swing the bat. Napier went after 5-star linebacker Harold Perkins, 4-star safety Jacoby Matthews, 4-star defensive lineman Caden Story and 4-star running back TreVonte Citizen. He whiffed but was right there to the bitter end with all four. At some point in the future, Napier will win his share of those battles. There are no moral victories in recruiting, but Napier did get the Gators in the conversation. It's not unfair or wrong to be disappointed that the Gators didn’t close out and secure all of their big targets, but it’s also not unfair to point out that when you take everything that happened in the last 59 days into consideration, then Billy Napier’s first recruiting class is very good. Not great, mind you, but very good. GATKEK’S BLOCK PRESERVES ROAD VICTORY OVER MIZZOU For the second consecutive game, help when the Gators (14-8, 4-5 SEC) needed it most came from the most unlikely source. Tuongthach Gatkek didn’t score a point Wednesday afternoon but he came through with the critical block of a driving shot by Amari Davis with 2.2 seconds remaining to preserve a 66-65 win over Missouri (8-13, 2-6 SEC) in Columbia. Last Saturday, Gatkek, who has become Florida’s rim protector and paint defender in the absence of Colin Castleton and Jason Jitoboh, scored eight points and had three blocked shots to help the Gators score an unexpected win over Oklahoma State in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. He played 19 minutes against the Tigers, grabbed four rebounds and blocked five shots. Not bad for a 6-9, 172-pound stringbean that Mike White and the Florida staff were thinking to redshirt when he was signed in August. “He has to continue to fill out,” White quipped. “I’m only going to eat half my pizza and give him the other half!” It was Florida’s defense down the stretch and clutch free throw shooting that brought the Gators back from a 9-point second half deficit to a second straight win. After a first half in which the Gators hit 8-14 from the 3-point line, the shooting went south after the break. Missouri amped up its defense to limit opportunities for Myreon Jones, who hit 5-7 from the 3-point line in the first half, and without his hot hand, the Gators struggled to find their offense. Fortunately, they got to the foul line 21 times in the second half, hitting 19 to compensate for 6-20 shooting from the field overall and only 2-9 from the 3-point line. Tyree Appleby, who was scoreless in the first half after picking up two quick fouls, scored Florida’s final eight points including the two with seven seconds remaining that gave the Gators the lead for good. Appleby finished 10-10 at the line, scoring 17 points. Jones, who scored 15 in the first half, missed his only 3-pointer in the last 20 minutes, but he hit three clutch free throws with 6:38 left to pull the Gators back to within three. Anthony Duruji finished with 14 points and Phlandrous Fleming Jr. scored 12. The Gators can even their SEC record at 5-5 Saturday when they play host to Ole Miss at the O-Dome. Currently, Joe Lunardi of ESPN has the Gators in the NCAA Tournament a 12-seed in his latest bracketology. SEC Basketball Wednesday’s scores: FLORIDA (14-8, 4-5 SEC) 66, Missouri (8-13, 2-6 SEC) 65; Arkansas (17-5, 6-3 SEC) 99, Georgia (7-16, 1-8 SEC) 73; No. 5 Kentucky (18-4, 7-2 SEC) 77, Vanderbilt (11-10, 3-6 SEC) 70 Saturday’s games: Ole Miss (12-10, 3-6 SEC) at FLORIDA (14-8, 4-5 SEC); No. 1 Auburn (21-1, 9-0 SEC) at Georgia (7-16, 1-8 SEC); No. 22 Tennessee (15-6, 6-3 SEC) at South Carolina (13-8, 4-5 SEC); Missouri (8-13, 2-6 SEC) at Texas A&M (15-7, 4-5 SEC); No. 25 LSU (16-6, 4-5 SEC) at Vanderbilt (11-10, 3-6 SEC); No. 5 Kentucky (18-4, 7-2 SEC) at Alabama (14-8, 4-5 SEC) A CHANCE FOR A STATEMENT WIN FOR UF WOMEN TONIGHT Interim head coach Kelly Rae Finley has the Gators (15-6, 5-3 SEC) looking very much like an NCAA Tournament team the way they played in the month of January when they knocked off three ranked teams. The Gators can add to their already impressive resume tonight at the O-Dome (6 p.m., SEC Network) when they host 7th-ranked Tennessee (19-2, 8-1 SEC), which lost last week to SEC bottom feeder Auburn and then struggled to get past Arkansas at home. To beat the Vols, the Gators have to figure out a way to slow down Jordan Horston (16.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists) and get some sort of inside game going against 6-6 Tamari Key, who averages 3.8 blocked shots per game with a high of 11 in a January win over Texas A&M. In ESPN’s latest bracketology, the Gators are an 11-seed while Tennessee is a two. SEC FOOTBALL Alabama: Very quietly, Nick Saban hired Kentucky offensive line coach Eric Wolford from Kentucky, which means Doug Marrone is almost certainly headed back to the NFL ... With new special teams coordinator Coleman Hutzler also named to coach outside linebackers, Sal Sunseri will be elevated to an off-the-field position to evaluate players in the NCAA transfer portal. Recruiting rankings: Rivals 2; 247Sports 2; On3Sports 2; Sports Illustrated 2; ESPN 2 Arkansas: The Hogs loaded up with five O-line recruits. Recruiting rankings: Rivals 26; 247Sports 28; On3Sports 26; ESPN 21 Auburn: On National Signing Day, Auburn lost wide receiver Ja’Varrius Johnson, a former 4-star recruit, to the transfer portal ... Among Auburn’s signees is placekicker Alex McPherson, younger brother of former Gator and now Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson. Recruiting rankings: Rivals 18; 247Sports 18; On3Sports 18; Sports Illustrated 16; ESPN 18 Georgia: Winning a national championship has its rewards. Kirby Smart is in negotiation for a long term extension along with a hefty raise from his current $7 million contract. Recruiting rankings: Rivals 3; 247Sports 3; On3Sports 3; Sports Illustrated 3; ESPN 3 Kentucky: Kentucky has lost O-line coach Eric Wolford to Alabama, key analyst Jovon Bouknight to Marshall where he will coach wide receivers, and there is a very good chance the Wildcats will lose offensive coordinator Liam Coen to the Los Angeles Rams should Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell land (as expected) the head coaching gig with the Minnesota Vikings. Recruiting rankings: Rivals 13; 247Sports 13; On3Sports 14; Sports Illustrated 18; ESPN 15 LSU: The Tigers late push on the final official visit weekend convinced LB Harold Perkins to choose LSU over Florida. Recruiting rankings: Rivals 14; 247Sports 12; On3Sports 12; Sports Illustrated 14; ESPN 13 Mississippi State: The QB in the class is 4-star Braedyn Locke. Recruiting rankings: Rivals 16; 247Sports 27; On3Sports 23; Sports Illustrated 20; ESPN 29 Missouri: The Tigers’ top recruit is 5-star wide receiver Luther Burden. Recruiting rankings: Rivals 17; 247Sports 14; On3Sports 15; Sports Illustrated 11; ESPN 11 Ole Miss: Lane Kiffin scored big in the transfer portal Wednesday when former Mississippi State wide receiver Malik Heath committed to Ole Miss. Heath caught 34 passes for 442 yards and five touchdowns last year. Recruiting rankings: Rivals 27; 247Sports 23; On3Sports 21; Sports Illustrated 25; ESPN 23 South Carolina: Tight ends coach Eric Kimrey is leaving the South Carolina staff to take an out-of-state high school head coaching job, reportedly at The Baylor School in Chattanooga. Also leaving the South Carolina staff is former Gamecock record-setting QB Conner Shaw. Recruiting rankings: Rivals 25; 247Sports 26; On3Sports 28; Sports Illustrated 22; ESPN 17 Tennessee: The quarterback in the class is 4-star Tayven Jackson. Recruiting rankings: Rivals 12; 247Sports 16; On3Sports 16; Sports Illustrated 12; ESPN 22 Texas A&M: Late in the day the Aggies landed 5-star safety Jacoby Matthews out of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, who also had Florida and LSU on his final list. The Aggies landed five 5-star recruits. Recruiting rankings: Rivals 1; 247Sports 1; On3Sports 1; Sports Illustrated 1; ESPN 1 Vanderbilt: Offensive tackle Leyton Miller was a last-second flip from UCF to Vanderbilt. Miller said that among the reasons Miller flipped to Vanderbilt was the cost of attendance stipend. Recruiting rankings: Rivals 33; 247Sports 31; On3Sports 31; ESPN 31 ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Did you happen to catch Jimbo Fisher’s rant regarding the swirling rumors that his No. 1-ranked Texas A&M recruiting class was secured through some serious NIL expenditures? Spare me the sanctimony, please. I have no idea whether the Aggies forked over the rumored millions to convince so many outstanding recruits to spend the next few years of their lives in College Station. Maybe it’s true, maybe not, but I do know that when Jimbo was the coach at Florida State there were always rumors that some of his top recruits perhaps received something beyond the standard scholarship fare and the cost of attendance stipend. FSU wasn’t lit up by the NCAA while Jimbo was the coach, so perhaps he and his football program were as pure as the driven snow. Perhaps. Whether the Aggie alums and boosters dipped into their enormous bank accounts – it’s said that only God and the Longhorns have more money than the Aggies – or not, Jimbo isn’t going to live down the perception any time soon, and the way he went off on a rant didn’t come across as someone who had nothing to hide. Instead of his angry rant, he could have kept his cool and said something like, “We do things completely by the book and we welcome anyone to investigate.” That doesn’t sound like a guilty party. Again, I’m not saying the Aggies are guilty of anything and with the NCAA doing a marvelous imitation of a eunuch when it comes to NIL, who’s to say what’s cheating and what isn’t? The lines of what’s legal and what isn’t are completely blurred and the NCAA seems in no hurry to clarify things. Meanwhile, Jimbo’s rant didn’t exactly leave the impressive with anyone except maybe some rabid A&M fans that the Aggies didn’t bend a rule or two – or three or four – along the way.

A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning: PYBURN WILL BE A GATOR, BUT WHO ELSE? The Gators got good news Tuesday when 4-star defensive lineman Jack Pyburn (6-4, 265, Jacksonville, FL Bolles) announced he will sign with Florida today. Pyburn decided he’s got a better future at UF than at Auburn or Miami, but can Billy Napier have the same kind of success today that he had back in December when he shocked the college football world by bringing in Kamari Wilson, Chris McClellan, Shemar James and Devin Moore? The recruiting “experts” seem to think all of Napier’s top targets are going to sign somewhere other than Florida. Some of their predictions are linebacker Harold Perkins going with Texas A&M or LSU, safety Jacoby Matthews going with either LSU or Texas A&M, defensive tackle Caden Story going to Clemson and running back TreVonte Citizen going with LSU. Conventional wisdom probably says the “experts” know what they’re talking about, but these same experts didn’t give the Gators any chance to land Wilson, James or Young back in December. Faxes start rolling in at 7 a.m. Perhaps I’m just too much the optimist, but I don’t think Gator Nation is going to be disappointed when the final results are in. GATORS GAME WITH MIZZOU RESCHEDULED FOR 3 P.M. Due to anticipated weather issues, Florida’s Wednesday game at Missouri (8-12, 2-has been rescheduled for 3 p.m. to give the Gators (13-8, 3-5 SEC) a chance to play then get out of Columbia ahead of the storm. The Gators will once again be playing without Colin Castleton, who Mike White says is making progress but isn’t ready to play again. “[He’s] doing some non-contact stuff,” White said of his leading scorer and rebounder. “Shooting a little bit. Doing some skill-level stuff, but nothing competitive. Outlook hasn’t changed.” With Castleton out and backup Jason Jitoboh done for the year after undergoing eye surgery, White will once again be forced to go unconventional in his approach to beat a Missouri team that is very physical and plays well at home. The unconventional approach worked well last Saturday when the Gators came from 16 points down to beat Oklahoma State 81-72. “We'll go to Colombia, see what works, what doesn't work, we’ll try to make some adjustments on the fly, of course,” White said. “What we try to execute, how we play offensively may look different in a couple of weeks.” The Gators are expected to go with their vertically challenged lineup of 6-7 Anthony Duruji, 6-6 Kowacie Reeves, 6-5 Phlandrous Fleming Jr., 6-3 Brandon McKissic and 6-1 Tyree Appleby against the Tigers. Against Oklahoma State, the Gators got help off the bench from 6-9, 172-pound freshman Tuongthach Gatkek and 6-6 Niels Lane. Gatkek scored a career high eight points to go with three rebounds and three blocked shots. Lane didn’t score but he was a vital component in Florida’s press plus he blocked two shots and came up with a critical steal, all in the game’s final eight minutes. SEC BASKETBALL Tuesday’s scores: Mississippi State (14-7, 5-3 SEC) 78, South Carolina (13-8, 4-5 SEC) 64; No. 22 Tennessee (15-6, 6-3 SEC) 90, Texas A&M (15-7, 4-5 SEC) 80; Ole Miss (12-10, 3-6 SEC) 76, No. 25 LSU (16-6, 4-5 SEC) 72; No. 1 Auburn (21-1, 9-0 SEC) 100, Alabama (14-8, 4-5 SEC) 81 Wednesday’s games: FLORIDA (13-8, 3-5 SEC) at Missouri (8-12, 2-5 SEC); Vanderbilt (11-9, 3-5 SEC) at No. 5 Kentucky (17-4, 6-2 SEC); Arkansas (16-5, 5-3 SEC) at Georgia (6-15, 1-7 SEC) NICK SABAN ON DRAWING A LINE IN THE DIRT WHEN IT COMES TO NIL Here are some comments about NIL and recruiting made by Alabama coach Nick Saban when he was at the Senior Bowl Tuesday: On not using NIL to lure a recruit to Alabama: “When we start using name, image and likeness for a kid to come to our school, that’s where I draw the line because that’s not why we did this.” On the question of NIL making cheating legal: “I hear these crazy people on TV who say now you’re doing it above board. We never did it. We never did it. We never cheated to get a player. We never paid players to come to our school and now that’s actually happening. People are making deals with high school players to go to their school.” On what kids are looking for now that there is NIL: “It’s not about coaching and developing as much as it is, what kind of money can you make?” LANE KIFFIN ON HOW NIL IS CREATING A CASTE SYSTEM IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL “We don’t have the same funding and resources as some of these schools do to do these NIL deals. It’s basically like dealing with salary caps. We now have a sport that has completely different salary caps. Some of these schools [have] five, 10 times more than everybody else [with] what they can pay the players. I know no one uses these phrases, but that is what it is. I joked the other day I didn’t know if Texas A&M was going to incur a luxury tax in how much they paid for their signing class.” Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin said that Tuesday afternoon, less than 24 hours before the faxes start rolling in on National Signing Day. Kiffin has brought in 10 potential starters through the transfer portal, which is what he has to use to compete. He doesn’t have access to NIL resources of a school like Texas A&M, which was rumored to have spent millions to land its No. 1 ranked recruiting class. Alabama Heisman Trophy QB Bryce Young made an estimated $2 million on NIL, more than half before he ever started a game. JT Daniels watched on the sidelines as Stetson Bennett IV led Georgia to the national championship. Daniels made well in excess of six figures on NIL. Kiffin’s concerns about NIL aren’t lost on the majority of college football coaches, but he’s rare in that he is willing to voice his concerns. Here are a few rather profound statements from his Tuesday press conference: On what the changes in the transfer rules have created: “You basically have year-round free agency in football, which is obviously a major issue. It’s why they don’t do it in the NFL.” On what’s ahead with the transfer portal following spring practice: “Like everything, this transfer thing is not over. Until they figure out how to do this thing better, you’re going to see a whole ‘nother group after spring ball that leaves places so this is an ongoing thing … you’re going to see things adjust and rosters adjust all the way up until training camp.” On the wild, wild west of college football with NIL and free agency due to the transfer rules: “The NFL knows what they’re doing. It’s not open free agency all year-round for a reason and you’ve got long term contracts for reasons. Kids can’t leave at any point of any year all the time.” On the need to get NIL under control somehow: “Somehow they’re going to, I bet, try to control NIL because now you’ve got these salary caps at places giving players millions of dollars to play before they ever even play and other places not being able to do that. What would the NFL look like if there were a couple of teams in the NFL where their salary cap was 10 times more than everybody else’s salary cap? So, that’s where you’re headed. They’re going to have to do something.” On whether college football need a commissioner or czar to get NIL under control: “I don’t have that answer. That’s way above me. I just think they have an issue. It’s why a long time ago they made signing classes 25 and everybody’s on the same page with that. So, at some point you’re going to have to do something because, again, there are certain schools that have no shot certain high school players because they’re going to get paid … If a class has an average – the freshman class has an average of $25 million per class, that’s an average of a million dollars per person for the course of their time there … These kids are 17-18 years old. They’re going to go where they’re paid the most … Whenever these things are created a lot of times there are problems people didn’t think about. You’ve just legalized paying players where used to be people would cheat.” WE HARDLY KNEW YE, KEVIN! In the last 14 months, Kevin Steele has served as the interim head football coach at Auburn (0-1 record, lost the Citrus Bowl to Northwestern), interim head coach at Tennessee (0-0 record) for which he was paid an $860,000 buyout for 51 days on the job, defensive coordinator at Maryland for four days, and now he’s Mario Cristobal’s defensive coordinator at Miami. That might be a record for most titles over a 14-month period in the history of the NCAA. I only have one question. Why? I’ll use the stint from 2016-20 as Gus Malzahn’s defensive coordinator to make my case. During those five years running Auburn’s defense, the Tigers never finished better than fifth in the SEC in total defense. Auburn lost at least four games every season. If that’s not enough, in 2015, in his one season as the defensive coordinator for Les Miles at LSU, he took a defense that returned just about everyone from a unit that was No. 9 nationally the previous season and turned them into the No. 25 defense in the country. Previously, Dabo fired him as the defensive coordinator after the Tigers got smoked for 70 points by West Virginia in the Orange Bowl and he was 9-36 as Baylor’s head coach. Do the folks at The Ewe really think they’ve got themselves a stud defensive coordinator? MORE COLLEGE FOOTBALL STUFF Not that we should be surprised, but quarterback Caleb Williams will be joining Lincoln Riley at Southern Cal. James Madison will be leaving D1AA in football to join the Sun Belt Conference in all sports starting in the fall of 2022. Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports says there are more than 1,400 players currently in the NCAA transfer portal and approximately 250 scholarships available. Obviously, a whole lot of kids are going to discover that maybe, just maybe, they should have stuck it out where they were rather than going into the portal. The grass, as the portal proves, isn’t always greener somewhere else. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Something called the Journal of Marketing in Higher Education has come out with a study that concludes that facilities don’t matter much when it comes to recruiting for football. I have no need to go into detail to refute this study of football by academics, not when I can offer this analogy. Depending on which study you read, either Stanford or Harvard has the best medical school in the country. Tuition is in the $66,000 a year range for both schools, which traditionally churn out some of the best doctors in the world. You can pay somewhere around $15,000 a year in tuition to go to something called the All Saints University School of Medicine in Chicago. Now, which of these schools do you think has top notch facilities designed to lure the best students? Of course, facilities matter. Do you think a student who wants to major in nuclear engineering will go South Texas College in McAllen or to the University of Florida which has a functioning reactor on campus? For the same reason, schools with better football facilities attract better players. Which school in the SEC consistently has the worst recruiting classes? It’s the same school with the worst facilities, Vanderbilt. They hide behind their academics and use that as a crutch when, in reality, they aren’t willing to invest in their football program to bring their facilities up to at least a Mountain West Conference level.

Selling the brand. It now includes players. And the Gators are in. (Chris Spears Photo) What we have concluded is that each of these players have their own unique stories and, given the chance, can make a connection with fans and the media. From that standpoint, I believe this will be well-received. This connection is sorely needed. “So what the hell is this NIL deal, anyway?” That question was asked quite a few months ago. Ever since, I’ve been looking for the answer, but apparently I am a slow learner. Then I decided: Hey, maybe it’s time for this Old Dog to learn these new tricks. What is this “Name, Image, Likeness” all about? I dove in. And I must say it’s not at all what I expected. But let me warn you: Be careful to discern what “it” is. Because “it” can be lots of things. I started out with a series of phone calls with Eddie Rojas, former Gator pitcher and founder of The Gator Collective, kicking the tires. It led to a conference call with my friend, Gator All-American and fellow broadcaster Ben Troupe. After seeing and agreeing that Rojas had a solid concept and wasn’t some dude out to line his own pockets, Ben and I decided to take the next step in our learning process. That led to interviewing four Florida players, past and present. Ever since one-on-one relationships for the media were ka-boshed by schools and personal contact with coaches or players was discouraged, if not eliminated, those of us who believed in building trust in order to learn about our subjects were severely hamstrung by the new impersonal method of Zoom conferences. After Troupe and I talked to Rojas and his assistant Jen Grosso, we concurred that having some of the Gator Collective athletes on The Buddy Martin Show might be a good way to re-establish connections. So that is where we began. No money was exchanged, no favors granted, no promises made – just a desire to know these young men better and decide for ourselves if their stories needed to be told, whether we could have any role in that and whether this might develop into a new conduit for future conversations. Over the next two weeks we quickly became educated as we hosted Rojas on The Buddy Martin Show, which drew a surprisingly strong and favorable reaction from our thousands of Gator fans. Right away, 10 of our listener/viewers signed up with #thegatorcollective.com. Next was to meet the players. I must admit there were – and still are – many skeptics who feel this NIL is a money-grab for gifted athletes who already receive a paid education. And besides, isn’t there the danger of schools simply buying players? They can already slide in and out of the lanes, breaking commitments, an unhealthy environment created by the transfer portal. Didn’t we read about Alabama quarterback Bryce Young having a “seven figure deal” before he won the Heisman Trophy? And wasn’t there a Texas booster whose company agreed to pay every Longhorn offensive lineman on scholarship 50 grand each? This is the hot mess that college football has become? Yecch! Clearly this was already messed up, but despite that, Troupe and I were determined to move ahead with our own research. And hopefully learn. Derek Wingo led off an impressive lineup from Gator Collective. (UAA Photo) Up next was former Penn State commit Derek Wingo of Naples, who spent four years away from his mother while playing for St. Thomas Aquinas on the east coast and decided against signing with the Nittany Lions because he wanted to be closer to his family. “Why am I and going to travel halfway across the country to play when I can stay and play in my home state and be close to my family?” Derek asked himself. It was after that his mom moved to Gainesville to be closer to her son and started a bakery specializing in cupcakes, Mama Wingo’s Sugar Shack. On a visit to UF he had gotten to know, and like, since-departed LB coach Christian Robinson, so he signed with UF. Now he has to get accustomed to a new defense and new co-coordinator Patrick Toney, but has already been convinced by him to “spend more time in the film room and learn the defense” and eagerly awaits the fall season. The linebacker position took a small hit in transition with loss of Mohamoud Diabate (Utah) and Ty’Ron Hopper (Missouri) transferring, but it was bolstered by return of Ventrell Miller. Wingo will have the benefit of Miller’s leadership and experience. And should Florida pull off the coup of landing former Texas A&M commit Harold Perkins, the No. 4 ranked linebacker, all of a sudden the defensive potential sparkles. It didn’t take us long to realize that Wingo was a very together young man, articulate, with strong family values and a commitment to academics. He chose Florida over 30 other schools, but admittedly had concerns when his coaches were fired. As he talked for a few minutes, listeners began messaging how impressed they were with comments like “I hope this young man can be in the press conferences” and “Florida needs to take Derek to SEC Media Days.” Right after Napier’s arrival, Wingo noticed the difference. What he liked was that Napier addressed immediate needs of the players – among them the age-old issue of parking and the thousands of dollars they are forced to pay in parking tickets. His solution? Have them park their cars on the north lawn of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium until the issue was resolved. Ben and I were also impressed as we heard Wingo talk about education and life after football. He said the quality of his education also factored in his decision and that with a degree from UF “I’m pretty sure I can walk up to somebody’s door and have a good shot at getting a job.” Big Fella Gervon Dexter wants everyone to know last year wasn't acceptable. (UAA Photo) Next we caught up with Gervon Dexter, the centerpiece of Billy Napier’s defensive line, with a huge 310-pound frame and quick feet who occupies two people most of the time and is a forceful run-stopper. Gervon admitted he is just learning technique and did most of his damage last season with pure raw talent. He is certain he can be better with coaching. The last few months have been life-changing for the former Lake Wales product, having lost his father recently and now an expectant father himself. This is a new beginning for Gervon and he is dedicated to shedding that “loser” image created by last year’s 6-7 record and that painful Gasparilla Bowl loss to Central Florida. He let us know right away that image doesn’t set right with him and he’s determined to remind his teammates that “6-7 and a bowl” is not what’s expected of the Florida Gators. As told on these pages elsewhere by GatorBait’s Kyle Curtis, Dexter is very much about bringing game and attitude: “Attitude is contagious,” said Dexter. “The attitude that Coach Napier and his staff have brought in has been a very positive change. I feel like they brought a winning attitude onto us ... as long as we follow that and what they have planned for us I feel like it will be a good season.” Gone but not forgotten: Antonio Valentino. He wants the NFL or the Media. (UAA Photo) Our third interviewee from Gator Collective was former defensive lineman Antonio Valentino, who has his bachelors degree from Penn State in communications and hopes to be in the media someday, but right now is trying to make it in the NFL. It became evident right away that if there’s talking involved in a media job, this guy’s got a real shot. He’s bright, thoughtful, entertaining and has the gift of storytelling. Valentino regrets he doesn’t have another year of eligibility to play for Napier and his staff. He was impressed when he met the new Gator coach and was told by him “I really like the way you play the game” – knowing full well he was no longer of useful to Napier. He also spoke about “Coach Chaos” -- as the Gators’ new defensive line coach Sean Spencer was known as at Penn State -- in glowing terms. “I was with him for five years. ‘Spence’ was the best defensive line coach I have ever been around,” said Valentino. “Spence holds a special place in the hearts of all his players because it’s not just ‘ball’ with him. Spence knows my family. KNOWS my family. My sister was born my freshman year. Spence met her at the same time I did. I still talk to him. Even when he was with the Giants, I still talked to him every other week.’” From JUCO All-American to UF, Jadarrius Perkins hopes to make an impact. (UAA Photo) Our next interview was with the Gator Collective’s Jadarrius Perkins, a 6-2, 185-pounder with 4.42 speed and two years experience at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College who originally committed to Missouri. He was full of gratitude for getting a chance to play at Florida — as refreshing as the last three — even though there were nearly 40 other schools interested. On his Twitter account “Perk” pledged that when he made his first big check that he would “give it all away to a foster home.” He confirmed that in his interview. ”That’s why I keep it pinned up there,” he said. He showed his generosity of spirit in saying his intention was to make money and send it home to his little brother and mother. Perkins went to JUCO out of high school where he played with Diwun Black at Gulf Coast CC and was a JUCO All-American. He initially signed with Missouri in late January and then also went through spring ball before entering the transfer portal and signing with Florida. What we have concluded is that each of these players has their own unique stories and, given the chance, can make a connection with fans and the media. From that standpoint, I believe this will be well-received. This connection is sorely needed. The other day I read a suggestion from CBS columnist Dennis Dodd that given the option of spending $10M in booster money on a coach’s buyout or to “buy better players” with NIL money, the latter would happen first. Of course that’s off-the-charts absurdity and we hate that idea – but we get the point. In this new world of economics, coaches and ADs realize that importance. In an interview about the NIL with Jeff Cardozo on WRUF, Scott Stricklin pointed out “who would have thought a year ago I would be sitting here talking about this?” A few days later Stricklin would be announcing a new partnership with The Gator Collective as a media sponsor for UF Sports. Stricklin added: ”"We are excited to welcome the Gator Collective as a new sponsor of Florida Athletics," he said. "The NIL space is governed by our state statute along with NCAA Bylaws and the Gator Collective provides fans a way to support NIL opportunities for athletes within those rules." It’s a new day with a new way. That’s why NIL governance is critical, and we know by history that giving it over to the government would be a disaster. And that’s the reason people like Rojas and his Gator Collective make a great deal of sense. "I'm about the confetti," Rojas told CBS sports. "I want to create an environment where Florida becomes NIL-U." The piece went on to say: “Rojas, 44, is also CEO of his own company, 401K Generation. He has 16 years experience in portfolio management and pension consulting with his company currently managing $3.28 billion in assets. That confetti he's talking about? He's referring to the post-game stuff shot out of cannons celebrating national championships, a level of success he wants to help bring back to Florida.” Gator Collective prides itself on teaching its disciples about handling money and the importance of setting aside taxes, etc. Inspiring Troupe to come up with the concept of the goal for athletes to “graduate with Florida with a degree and a 401K.” In an interview with former Florida DL Antonio Valentino @_groovy55, this week, he asked folks to buy his little sister's Girl Scout Cookies. Her goal was to sell 55 boxes. @BenTroupe84 bought 50 on the show. Shannon Snell bought the rest. At last count after my @buddyshow Tweet hit neariy 50,000, his sister approached the sale of more than 1,000 boxes. #RandomActOfKindness. Yeah, I think this can work.

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: CLOSING IN ON THE SECOND PHASE OF RECRUITING The first phase was the early signing day in December and the transfer portal that brought in five quality players between December 15 and the start of the spring semester in January. Now comes Phase II on Wednesday when Billy Napier brings in anywhere from six to ten new recruits. We’ll get the first hint of how successful Napier will be today when wide receiver DJ Allen and defensive lineman Jack Pyburn announce their intentions. If they both announce for Florida, it will be a good sign although nothing sure that Wednesday will have landslide results. There are reasons to believe that Florida is going to close strong, however. That Napier has done as well as he has is rather incredible when measured by how already inconsistent recruiting went into the tank when Dan Mullen was fired. Here are the 10 who have gotten the most mention as top Florida targets: LB Harold Perkins, S Jacoby Matthews, DL Caden Story, DL Jack Pyburn, WR DJ Allen, WR Caleb Douglas, TE Arlis Boardingham, RB Trevor Citizen, TE Danny Lewis and OL Jalen Farmer. Here is how I would rate the results: Outstanding (5): Perkins, Pyburn and Story plus any two of the remaining seven. Brilliant (6): Perkins, Pyburn, Story, Boardingham and any two of the remaining six. Superb (7): Perkins, Pyburn, Story, Boardingham, Douglas, Lewis and any two of the remaining five. Napier Walks on Water: Any final class that includes Perkins, Matthews, Pyburn, Story and any of the remaining six. NFL DRAFT, MEASURABLES, ETC. Pro Football Focus is projecting corner Kaiir Elam to go 25th in the first round of the NFL Draft … Zach Carter measured 6-3-1/4 and weighed in at 287 pounds at the Senior Bowl in Mobile while running back Dameon Pierce was 5-9 and 220 pounds … At the East-West Shrine Bowl, former Gator right tackle Jean Delance measured 6-3-7/8 and weighed in at 296 pounds ... Offensive lineman Stewart Reese and defensive lineman Antonio Valentino are playing in the Hula Bowl, played in Orlando. BASKETBALL IN THE SEC Alabama (14-7, 4-4 SEC): Alabama is No. 22 in the NCAA Net Rankings and a No. 5 seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology. Lunardi has the Crimson Tide opening the NCAA Tournament against the winner of North Carolina and Oregon in a 12-seed play-in game. Tuesday’s game: at No. 1 Auburn (20-1, 8-0 SEC) Arkansas (16-5, 5-3 SEC): The Hogs are No. 46 in the NCAA Net Rankings. Joe Lunardi has Arkansas in the tournament as a No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region facing No. 6 UConn in the first round. Wednesday’s game: at Georgia (6-15, 1-7 SEC) No. 1 Auburn (20-1, 8-0 SEC): The Tigers are No. 6 in the NCAA Net Rankings. Joe Lunardi has Auburn the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, opening its NCAA Tournament play with the winner of the qualifier game between Southern and New Orleans. Tuesday’s game: vs. Alabama (14-7, 4-4 SEC) FLORIDA (13-8, 3-5 SEC): The Gators are currently 41st in the NCAA Net Rankings. Lunardi has the Gators among his first four teams out. Wednesday’s game: at Missouri (8-12, 2-5 SEC) Georgia (6-15, 1-7 SEC): Georgia's Net Ranking is 213. Wednesday’s game: vs. Arkansas (16-5, 5-3 SEC) No. 5 Kentucky (17-4, 6-2 SEC): Kentucky is No. 7 in the NCAA Net Ranking but only a 3rd seed in the South Region in Lunardi’s bracketology. Lunardi has the Wildcats opening the tournament with Princeton of the Ivy League. Wednesday’s game: vs. Vanderbilt (11-9, 3-5 SEC) No. 25 LSU (16-5, 4-4 SEC): The Tigers are No. 14 in the latest NCAA Net Ranking. Lunardi projects LSU as a No. 5 seed playing the winner of West Virginia and San Diego State in a South Region first round game. Tuesday’s game: vs. Ole Miss (11-10, 2-6 SEC) Mississippi State (13-7, 4-3 SEC): The Bulldogs are 50th in the current NCAA Net Rankings. Lundardi has MSU among his first four out. Tuesday’s game: vs. South Carolina (13-7, 4-4 SEC) Missouri (8-12, 2-5 SEC): The Tigers are playing a lot of people tough but they’re losing. Their Net Ranking is 160 and they’re four games under .500. They need to go on some sort of monster winning streak to have a chance to even make the NIT. Wednesday’s game: vs. FLORIDA (13-7, 3-5 SEC) Ole Miss (11-10, 2-6 SEC): Ole Miss is barely above .500 overall and four games under water in SEC play. Their Net Ranking is 116. An NIT bid would be an accomplishment. Tuesday’s game: at No. 25 LSU (16-5, 4-4 SEC) South Carolina (13-7, 4-4 SEC): The Gamecocks need to go 6-4 at least in SEC play to have a chance to make the NCAA Tournament. Their current NCAA Net Ranking is 97. Tuesday’s game: at Mississippi State (13-7, 4-3 SEC) No. 22 Tennessee (14-6, 5-3 SEC): The Vols have a very strong NCAA Net Ranking (No. 12) and Lunardi has them a No. 4 seed in the East, which is higher than most would expect given their current record. Lunardi has Tennessee facing No. 13 Toledo in the first round. Tuesday’s game: vs. Texas A&M (15-6, 4-4 SEC) Texas A&M (15-6, 4-4 SEC): The Aggies have a good record but they need to supplement it with some good Quad 1 wins. They are No. 65 in the NCAA Net Rankings. Lunardi has the Aggie sin the second four out. Tuesday’s game: at No. 22 Tennessee (14-6, 5-3 SEC) Vanderbilt (11-9, 3-5 SEC): Most SEC coaches say Vandy is the most improved team in the league. The Commodores are No. 90 in the Net Rankings. Six wins in the regular season or the SEC Tournament should get the Commodores in the NIT which would be an accomplishment. Wednesday’s game: at No. 5 Kentucky (17-4, 6-2 SEC) The Associated Press Top 25: 1. Auburn 20-1; 2. Gonzaga 17-2; 3. UCLA 16-2; 4. Purdue 18-3; 5. Kentucky 17-4; 6. Houston 18-2; 7. Arizona 17-2; 8. Baylor 18-3; 9. Duke 17-3; 10. Kansas 17-3; 11. Wisconsin 17-3; 12. Villanova 16-5; 13. Michigan State 16-4; 14. Texas Tech 16-5; 15. Providence 18-2; 16. Ohio State 13-5; 17. UConn 15-4; 18. Illinois 15-5; 19. Southern Cal 18-3; 20. Iowa State 16-5; 21. Xavier 15-5; 22. Tennessee 14-6; 23. Texas 16-5; 24. Marquette 15-7; 25. LSU 16-5 The Coaches Top 25: 1. (Tie) Gonzaga 17-2 and Auburn 20-1; 3. Purdue 18-3; 4. UCLA 16-2; 5. Arizona 17-2; 6. Duke 17-3; 7. Kentucky 17-4; 8. Baylor 18-3; 9. Houston 18-2; 10. Kansas 17-3; 11. Wisconsin 17-3; 12. Villanova 16-5; 13. Michigan State 16-4; 14. Texas Tech 16-5; 15. Providence 18-2; 16. Ohio State 13-5; 17. UConn 15-4; 18. Illinois 15-5; 19. Southern Cal 18-3; 20. Tennessee 14-6; 21. Texas 16-5; 22. Iowa State 16-5; 23. Xavier 15-5; 24. Marquette 15-7; 25. LSU 16-5 ESPN WOMEN’S HOOP BRACKETOLOGY: GATORS ARE IN THE TOURNAMENT Kelly Rae Finley has already won more games (15) than the Gators won last year (12) under Cam Newbauer. With eight games to go in the regular season including a Thursday matchup with 7th-ranked Tennessee (18-2, 7-1 SEC) at the O-Dome, the Gators (15-6, 5-3 SEC) are shaping up as an NCAA Tournament team for the first time since 2016. ESPN currently projects the Gators as a No. 11 seed in the Greensboro Region facing No. 6 North Carolina in a first round game in Ann Arbor. SEC FOOTBALL STUFF Alabama: Four-star defensive lineman Walter Bob will not sign with the Tide on Wednesday but instead will be heading to Hutchinson Community College in Kansas … Pro Football Focus projects LT Evan Neal (No.1) and WR Jameson Williams (No. 13) to go in the first round of the NFL Draft. Arkansas: Deke Adams is the new D-line coach. He worked for Steve Spurrier at South Carolina in the past and was Jadaveon Clowney’s college position coach ... WR Treylon Burks is being projected as the No. 26 player taken in the NFL Draft by Pro Football Focus. Auburn: Just a month after he was hired away from the Seattle Seahawks, Austin Davis is stepping down as the offensive coordinator at Auburn with the intent on stepping away from coaching for awhile at least to focus on his family … CB Roger McCreary is projected as the 24th player to go in the NFL Draft by Pro Football Focus. Georgia: Pro Football Focus is projecting LB Nakobe Dean to go with the 12th pick in the NFL Draft. LSU: Michigan man Tom Brady says former Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow, who won a national championship and a Heisman Trophy at LSU, was smart to transfer to LSU from Ohio State. Brady said, “Joe’s obviously a great player. I think one of the [greatest] decisions he ever made was leaving Ohio State. You got out of that godforsaken place and [went to] LSU. As a Michigan man, I could tell how smart he was when he did that. One of the best you ever made Joe.” … Pro Football Focus projects CB Daryl Stingley Jr. to go with the fourth pick in the NFL Draft. Missouri: Tight end Tyler Stephens is transferring from Buffalo to Mizzou. He had 15 catches for 157 yards and a TD in 2021. Mississippi State: Mike Leach has made a number of changes to his coaching staff. Outside wide receivers coach Steve Spurrier Jr. will assume the passing game coordinator role while O-line coach Mason Miller will be the run game coordinator. Defensive coordinator Zach Arnett will coach safeties, Matt Brock will coach both outside and inside linebackers, Eric Mele will be special teams coordinator, Jason Washington will coach running backs and Drew Hollingshead will coach the inside wide receivers … OT Charles Cross is projected as the No. 6 player in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft by Pro Football Focus. Ole Miss: The Rebels added their 10th player from the transfer portal when Georgia Tech edge rusher Jared Ivey committed Monday. As a freshman in 2021, Ivey (6-6, 275) had 32 tackles including six for loss and 1.5 sacks … QB Matt Corral is projected to go 20th in the NFL Draft by Pro Football Focus. South Carolina: Wide receiver OrTre Smith, who had 43 catches for 435 yards and four touchdowns in his Gamecock career, will be a grad transfer to North Carolina Central where he plans to get a master’s degree in kinesiology. Texas A&M: O-lineman Kenyon Green projects as the No. 23 player taken in the NFL Draft by Pro Football Focus. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: “Division I is too large. There are more ways in which we are different than are ways that we are the same. There is an appetite [in the Power 5] for more control over our fate” – Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby speaking to Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated. I am not at all certain we need the 65 Power 5 schools to break away and form their own football league, but I do agree with Bowlsby that Division I is way too large. Back in the 1970s when Division I split to form Division I-AA, there were stadium and attendance requirements for Division I membership. In the years since then we’ve added to Division I far too many schools with smaller stadiums that are half-filled on Saturdays. I’m of the opinion that to be a member of Division I you should (a) have a stadium that seats at least 30,000 and (b) you should be able to average at least 20,000 in attendance. That’s reasonable, but this has become a pay for play era now that Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) has essentially tossed all the rules out the window. We’re heading for a time when membership in Division I will be based on which fat cat boosters and which corporate sponsors pony up the cash to back a particular school, attendance and stadium size be damned. While it’s not a bad thing that players get paid since, after all, they play a brutal sport that has long range consequences on their health, there is a bridge too far if we wind up with something like four 16-team super conferences or membership determined by who has the most billionaires in their corners. If and when we get to that point, I’m afraid that we’ll see scholarships and opportunities for kids eliminated at the schools that make up the have nots. Somehow, we have to find a fair and equitable way to pare down Division I to reasonable levels without killing off football at the lower levels. What troubles me in thinking about what’s next for college football is that we have too many idiot commissioners bickering over how to split up the billions without considering what is best for the sport and what will provide the most opportunities for kids. I keep hoping common sense will prevail, but it seems to be in short supply these days.