‘This is going to be the best Christmas ever.’ – says Jane, in her Tiny Tim-like voice. I’ve never met Jane Linderman, but she is one of my best friends. We call her “Jane of The North” around here because she is the Northernmost Gator as a resident of Kenai, Alaska. She is also a devout Gator, having played in the Florida band. And she adores Steve Spurrier. With that priority in mind, I’m sure Jane would approve of us introducing Steve Spurrier’s Christmas Message first: Back when the HBC was in charge, a few years after Jane played in the band. (Linderman family photo) “All of us Gators appreciate the loyalty and love you have for the University of Florida. Let’s rally behind our coach, players and school. I know it means so much to them. Merry Christmas!” – Steve Spurrier Although he claims he has very little influence and is “just an ambassador” whose primary job is social interaction, suddenly the HBC has become our Godfather, the most beloved Gator of them all. Most of us know Jane for her love of the Gators, her grit, loyalty, keen sense of humor and sharp insight. Together, she and husband Manny have endured the earthquakes and long, cold nights of Alaska for 23 years, including one at 44 below zero. Why Alaska? When you know this about Jane, you understand everything about her. “Why Alaska? I was a widow and there are not many bachelors in Sarasota. (That is the truth!) I had lived in Florida for 40 years and the beauty of Alaska drew me in. Glaciers, volcanos, fishing, rich in minerals, snow skiing and lots of places for boat rides. It was an adventure for me to move 3,000 miles from Florida where I knew one person.” She married Manny in 1998. Now she drinks in the beauty of Alaska winters, plus a few glasses of hot buttered rum. We know Jane mostly from the many words of correspondence she has shared over the last decade – some social media quips, some of them strung together in stories – and her remarkable photos from the land of the really, really Frozen Tundra. Nobody loves the Florida Gators more than Jane of The North. This year she brings us our Christmas Story in GatorBait seen elsewhere on these pages. It is in Jane’s spirit that I deliver my Christmas message as Miss Joni and I pack our bags and head north – not quite as far as Jane -- for a brief holiday sabbatical with daughter Rebecca, her husband Jeff and my two marvelous granddaughters, Gracie and Charlie. We’re in Pennsylvania, just north of Philadelphia where my ancestors first settled from England in the 1600s – one of them said to have bought the first piece of land sold by William Penn. It is in Wyomissing, Pa. I’ll be watching the Gasparilla Bowl, but coverage of the game is in the capable hands of Franz (Iron Duke) Beard and photographer whiz Chris Spears. Plus columnist Carlton Reese will likely chime in from home base. I might even fire up the computer from afar and offer my thoughts. I bought a couple of new suitcases for this excursion (orange) and will need some retraining to get acclimated -- safety and masking being a priority. By the time you’re reading this, I will have been long gone and either there, or not. I cannot end this without a couple of thoughts about compassion, appreciation, gratitude and hope. First off my heart goes to those less fortunate at Christmas who suffer either in near-poverty conditions or poor health. This brutal cycle of Covid has robbed so many of their joy, or even of their existence. That tops everything. This holiday season is a good time forgiveness, so I’m thinking about people I have crossed or perhaps not shared my proper gratitude in hopes of doing better. I am one of the luckiest people in the world to work with a remarkable group of co-workers and friends at GatorBait – Franz Beard, Chad Ritch, Carlton Reese, Chris Spears. And so many loyal followers, including Loren Meadows, Dan Bond, Nat Blaylock, Lin Tindall, Sissy Long, Mac Steen and many others. And people like Jeffrey Meldon, Joe Sorrentino & Mary Brantley, Tom Ingram, Randy Briggs and others who have supported The Buddy Martin Show. It is through their compassion, vision and generosity that Buddy Martin Media has survived the last 20 months. And we’ve been so blessed by the commitment of our GatorBait subscribers who just won’t let us quit. Meanwhile, this is a most difficult time for many coaches and their families. I think of Dan and Megan Mullen, wherever they may be headed. For Urban and Shelley Meyer, as they sort out their future. And of course I wish the very best for new coach Billy Napier, his family and his “Army,” that legion of people who constitute his coaching and support staff. They may be about to become the most recognized pseudo-military group in Florida since “Arnie’s Army.” We need a tee-shirt. Billy’s Batallion? Meanwhile, over the holidays, be sure to reach out to the person you love and give them hugs and kisses like no other Christmas. The other day I read a Facebook post by a young woman whose bittersweet lament mourned the death of her father. She held his hand in the final minutes. “He gave me my first kiss,” she wrote tenderly. “And I gave him his last.” To all your families from our family: God bless you, and Merry Christmas.

A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: IT MAY BE UCF AND THE GASPARILLA BOWL, BUT IT’S A BIG DEAL Legend has it that the pirate Jose Gaspar leapt from his ship to his death in the Gulf of Mexico to avoid capture by the United States Navy somewhere around 1821. Allegedly, he left behind an enormous trove of treasure that no one has ever found. That’s not the only thing that has never been found. Actual evidence that Jose Gaspar ever lived has never been found, either. So a pirate who may have never existed is celebrated every year in Tampa with the Gasparilla Pirate Festival. It’s a big deal for the Tampa economy although it pales in comparison to Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, Mobile and Lafayette, Louisiana. The Gasparilla Bowl, which is supposed to help kick off what Tampans call “Gasparilla season,” was one step above myth until this year when luck had it that both Florida and UCF rolled snake eyes on what was expected to be big seasons for both teams. UCF’s dreams of a big season crashed and burned when quarterback Dillon Gabriel broke his collarbone in game three but the Knights won five of their last six games to finish 8-4. Florida’s season started going south on October 2 in Lexington when they committed 15 penalties and had a field goal blocked, turning a perfectly winnable game into a disastrous loss. The Kentucky game was part of a 2-5 stretch in which the Gators went from bad to worse before beating FSU in the final regular season game to finish barely bowl eligible at 6-6. One man’s – or in this case two teams’ – disaster is another man’s opportunity. In one fell swoop of genius, someone in Tampa came up with the idea of a Florida-UCF matchup in the Gasparilla Bowl. Think of it for just a moment. A bowl game whose namesake is a myth invites a school whose greatest accomplishment is a myth. UCF has touted itself as the 2017 national champion. Actual evidence of the national championship doesn’t exist although it does for Alabama, which beat Georgia that year in the College Football Playoff championship game. But as Mark Twain said way back in 1882, never let the facts get in the way of a good story. UCF takes him at his word. UCF’s opponent? Big brother, the Gators who have more real national championships in football alone (three) than the entire UCF athletic department has won legitimately (zero) in school history. The Gators of the mighty SEC have an athletic department budget of more than $150 million. Their projected media rights/bowl payout from the conference when Texas and Oklahoma join the league (estimates of $80 million) might be as much or more than UCF’s entire athletic budget (about $74 million these days). And one more thing: the Gators have yet to lose a football game to its little brothers UCF, South Florida, Florida Atlantic and Florida International. Matching little brother and big brother was enough to set off a ticket sales frenzy like nothing ever seen in the Gasparilla Bowl, which has previously been known as the St. Petersburg Bowl, the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl and the Bad Boy Mowers Bowl. Raymond James Stadium, capacity 65,618, is sold out. The previous three Gasparilla Bowls drew 59,485 COMBINED. Behind closed doors, the organizers of the Gasparilla Bowl are so giddy they’re pinching themselves to make sure it’s not a dream because they have two schools from the state who are desperate to win this football game. As much as they think beating a physically beaten-up Auburn team in the Peach Bowl was its ticket to legitimacy, UCF is still begging to be taken seriously. Years ago they were rejected by the Big East when South Florida put the kibosh on their application. The Big 12 elected to stay at 10 teams rather than take in UCF in 2016. They’ll be going into the Big 12 in 2023 but it’s not going to be the same since Texas and Oklahoma are leaving. UCF will feel legitimate if it beats Florida although if they lose, the Knights can blame it on big brother having all the money and resources, etc. Florida’s in-state brethren in Tallahassee have turned this whine into an art form. The Gators need to win this one every bit as much as UCF, mainly because it avoids a losing season. UF went from 1980-2012 without suffering a losing season. They’ve had two – 2013 under Will Muschamp and 2017 under Jim McElwain – since then. A third losing season in eight years isn’t the end of the world, but it is a setback for a program that Billy Napier is trying to elevate back to legitimate power status. Losing to UCF will only make Napier’s already enormous job that much tougher. Second, Billy Napier still has a ton of recruiting to do. There are players on the Florida roster that he needs to re-recruit to keep them out of the transfer portal, high school and junior college players that he wants to add on National Signing Day in February and transfers that he will hope to lure to Gainesville. A winning record and a bowl win can only solidify Florida as a place to be in the minds of many of those kids. Third, there is the confidence that beating Florida State and topping it off with a bowl win over another Florida wannabe will carry over into mat drills in February and spring practice in March and April. Momentum is a wonderful thing. Gervon Dexter, whose physical talent says future superstar but whose production hasn’t passed the smell test in two years, knows he and his teammates are auditioning for Napier but he also knows that bragging rights are at stake. The last thing he wants is to go back home to Polk County and hear how the Gators lost to UCF. He’s motivated. Here is what he said Tuesday about the Gators and the Gasparilla Bowl: “We’re war ready. We’re ready to go. Ready to play. It’s UCF. Win the state.” GATORS WIPE OUT STONY BROOK BY 25 POINTS That the Gators (9-3) beat the Stony Brook Seawolves (7-5) probably didn’t surprise anyone Wednesday afternoon, but the way UF did it gives hope that they’ve put a difficult stretch behind them. The Gators played great defense, shot the ball well for a change, and best of all they looked like they came to the O-Dome with a good attitude and had plenty of fun as they won their second straight game, 87-62. “We hadn’t been shooting as well as we’d want to but seeing a few go in and turning them [Stony Brook] over at a high pace, I think that’s what made it a lot more fun,” said Phlandrous Fleming Jr., who led the Gators with 20 points and hit 4-5 on his three-pointers to go with four rebounds, two assists and two steals. Getting dunks, getting out in transition and seeing everybody score from around the floor, I think it’s a lot more fun than us missing a lot of shots.” Coming into the game, the Gators had shot only 26.6 percent from the 3-point line and their shooting inside the arc had been sporadic. Against Stony Brook the Gators hit 32-60 overall (53.3 percent) and their 8-23 night on three-pointers was a bit deceiving since there were at least four shots that did everything but go in. Defensively, the Gators held the Seawolves to 5-19 shooting from the three-point line and turned them over 17 times. Stony Brook coach Ashley Langford lamented that the Gators took them completely out of their offensive game, which relies on the three-point shot, and forced 17 turnovers that were turned into 27 UF points. “Their ball pressure is elite,” Langford said. “Those guys on the perimeter – you watch film and you don’t realize how good they are on defense. You think they’re pretty good and then you get in the game. We oftentimes couldn’t get by them … They’re so good defensively that I thought at times it was hard for us to function.” Fleming got plenty of help offensively from Colin Castleton (15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 blocked shot), Jason Jitoboh (12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists) and C.J. Felder (10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 blocked shot). Jitoboh’s points and rebounds equaled a career high. “Coach and the staff have been preaching inner confidence in me, telling me that I’m way better than I think,” Jitoboh said. “So I’ve just been trying to play my role and get in the best condition I can possibly get.” SEC Basketball Wednesday’s scores: FLORIDA (9-3) 87, Stony Brook (7-5) 62; No. 12 Auburn (11-1) 71, Murray State (10-2) 58; No. 20 Kentucky (9-2) 95; Western Kentucky (8-5) 60; South Carolina (9-3) 105, Army (6-6) 75; No. 19 Tennessee (9-2) 77, No. 6 Arizona (11-1) 73; No. 17 LSU (12-0) 95, Lipscomb (6-8) 60; East Tennessee State (8-5) 86, Georgia (5-7) 84; Illinois (9-3) 88, Missouri (6-6) 63 OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC (FOOTBALL) Alabama (12-1): Offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and offensive line coach Doug Marrone have tested positive for COVID. Alabama anticipates both will be available for the College Football Playoff semifinal game with Cincinnati in the Cotton Bowl December 31. Arkansas (8-4): Offensive lineman Jalen St. John, who earlier in the week entered the transfer portal, has had a change of heart and will return to Arkansas after all. Auburn (6-6): With offensive coordinator Mike Bobo fired, head coach Bryan Harsin has taken over getting the Tigers ready for their Birmingham Bowl game with Houston. The biggest change is moving to a no huddle, up tempo attack. Georgia (12-1): In addition to quarterback JT Daniels, wide receiver George Pickens has also tested positive for COVID. LSU (6-6): LSU will be dressing only 51 scholarship players for its Texas Bowl matchup with Kansas State. Missouri (6-7): Tyler Badie, the SEC’s leading rusher, opted out of the Armed Forces Bowl, which Missouri lost to Army (9-4), 24-22, Wednesday night on a last second field goal. It is hard to imagine Mizzou losing that game if Badie had played. Ole Miss (10-2): To avoid COVID outbreaks prior to its Sugar Bowl matchup with Baylor, Ole Miss is rescheduling practice and travel plans before departure for New Orleans. South Carolina (6-6): Defensive back Karon Prunty will be transferring to D1AA North Carolina A&T. Tennessee (7-5): HBC Josh Heupel says the Vols vaccination rate is more than 90 percent. The Vols haven’t had any positive tests as they go home for a couple of days before coming back to prep for Purdue in the Music City Bowl. Texas A&M (8-4): Due to the massive COVID-19 outbreak on the team, Texas A&M has had to pull out of the Gator Bowl matchup with Wake Forest. Per A&M athletic director Ross Bjork, the Aggies are down to 38 healthy scholarship players, only 13 on the defensive side of the ball. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: I never met Robbie Roper, but tonight I grieve for his family. He was just a kid with a whole life in front of him and now he’s gone, never to be replaced. It is in moments like this that I am reminded of something my mentor, Jack Hairston, told me when he first hired me to work for him with the Jacksonville Journal back in 1969. “Get the story,” he told me. “The final score is important, but the story is the people who made the final score possible. Don’t ever forget that it’s just a game that is played by real people.” Sometimes we get so caught up in the winning and losing or the stats that we forget that it is real people playing the game. In Robbie Roper’s case, he was just a kid who loved playing football and he played it at a very high level. I want to remember a kid I never knew, not the football player I didn’t.

By CARLTON REESE GatorBait Columnist I have to admit my dread when I heard the first bowl prediction that the Gators might go up against Central Florida in Tampa. My hope was that this scenario would not come to fruition. Two Florida teams going up against each other in Tampa? Even though it's a sellout, do they not want to sell hotel rooms or fill the restaurants with out-of-town fans? For fans of the Gators and Knights, it would seem such a bowl game would merely be a day trip for those that even cared about the game in the first place. Bowl games present a bit of a dilemma for a program like Florida’s. Unless it is a playoff game or a New Year’s Day game, the significance dwindles to little more than a vacation exhibition to pass the time. For the best players, the game is not worth the risk when NFL dollars await over the horizon – even last year’s Cotton Bowl proved unworthy of Florida’s best weapons and we saw only a facsimile of the Gator team that squashed opposing defenses during the season. But I love college football and will watch any game at any time, and if it’s the Gators playing then all the better. The problem here is UCF. What would be a great game for the regular season, an early season matchup where both teams can gauge the levels of their programs and where the urgency of victory touches fans, coaches and players alike, is suddenly lost when it is part of college football’s “silly season.” It comes down to this: the Gasparilla Bowl means everything to UCF, if only because it is the Florida Gators on the other sideline. Put Old Dominion or Fresno State on the other side and the Knights couldn’t care less; instead, playing Florida makes this the Super Bowl – a program-defining moment that can be used as bragging rights for all time. Remember, this is the program that has “National Champions” permanently etched on its stadium because it went undefeated one year and figured it would crown itself since nobody else would. For Florida, there is nothing to gain. What was a bad season can only get worse. No one cares if Florida beats UCF – the only goal is to avoid the embarrassment of losing. Victory in this game brings not a celebration, but a sigh of relief that a certain amount of shame was somehow avoided. The Gasparilla Bowl presents an enormous challenge for Greg Knox, the interim coach who found a way to bring the Gators back to life and beat Florida State. But that was the Seminoles – if one cannot get emotionally charged to play that game under any dire circumstances then one need not ever step on the playing field. The emotion of playing FSU was the perfect prime to the pump in pulling off a victory that may have seemed unlikely. Against UCF, no such prime exists – all the emotion likely resides directly in the face of the Florida Gators. Perhaps another pre-game scuffle will energize Florida’s players? For UCF, playing the Florida Gators means all hands on deck. For UF, it means playing a bowl game without two of its best defenders, Zachary Carter and Mohamoud Diabate. Carter is saving himself for the NFL and Diabate is entering the transfer portal. Wide receiver Jacob Copeland and quarterback Emory Jones are also entering the transfer portal, but so far both are planning on participating in the Gasparilla Bowl. Where will their hearts be? For the Gators, the best hope for maximum effort and emotion in this game will be in acting as a sort of audition. For players like Diabate, Jones and Copeland, the audition is for other programs interested in their services; for everyone else, the audition is for new coach Billy Napier who will certainly use this game as part of his player evaluation process. But is this enough to charge up a team to win a bowl game against an opponent that has nothing to lose? Most remember the 2015 Birmingham Bowl, in which an interim-coached Gators team played an American Conference opponent that hardly ignited passions. Florida came away with a victory, relying on running back Adam Lane and quarterback Treon Harris. If those two guys could pull out a victory (key interceptions by Brian Poole and Vernon Hargreaves notwithstanding) certainly Dameon Pierce and Emory Jones can do the same, right? Ah, Dameon Pierce, Gator fans turn their lonely eyes to you. Could this finally be the game we see the ball handed off to Pierce 20 times? We’ve been waiting and dreaming of the possibilities and the dozen times he cradled the rock against FSU may have been just an appetizer. So, if we’re looking for something to stoke our excitement level, perhaps the emergence of Pierce as a feature back could do it. Perhaps seeing Jones roll out of the pocket instead of sitting there finding open defenders will breathe some life into the fanbase for this one. Central Florida will give its best with everything it has in order to beat Florida; the Gators will be in uniform, but beyond that I wouldn’t expect too much emotion. An interim coaching staff has little to nothing at stake and players have little or nothing to prove against an outmanned opponent, so what is left to play for? Well, pride in that jersey for one. I cringe writing the cliché, but this time it really matters. Players must play for the pride of their school, the program into which they’ve poured their sweat and blood. The logo on that orange helmet means something, and if it doesn’t to any player then that player needs to be sitting this one out. A Florida Gators team that shows up emotionally charged and ready to play is not going to lose this game. But what are the odds? I, for one, will be tuned in to find out.

A few thoughts to jump start your Wednesday morning: A RINGING ENDORSEMENT FOR BILLY NAPIER If there is one thing we’ve learned about Dameon Pierce in the last four years – other than he can be a beast with the football in his hands – it is that he’s one of those if you’re not sure you’re going to like the answer then don’t ask the question kind of guys. He’s not the least bit afraid to speak his mind and that’s one of the refreshing things about him. Tuesday in Tampa, where the Gators are preparing for Thursday night’s Gasparilla Bowl game with UCF, Pierce was asked about his first impressions of new Florida football coach Billy Napier. The Gasparilla Bowl will be coached by interim head coach Greg Knox and the remaining coaches from Dan Mullen’s staff, but Napier has still made an impact, particularly with Pierce, who will be playing his final game as a Gator. “Coach Napier?” Pierce reacted to the question. “Man, he spoke to the team. It was a Monday, I forget the date. He just got off the jet, he just landed in Gainesville and met with us. I like the guy. I like the guy. He’s a good guy. From what I’m hearing from various people on the staff, he’s very people oriented. He wants to make a personal relationship with you. He does that with everyone individually. Like right now, I’m probably finally go meet with him in a couple minutes. He just wants to meet – he’s just a people person. He just wants to know you personally, and that’s a lot, especially me. “Coming from a player, that means a lot, seeing that a coach is taking extra effort to know you personally, to know your background, to get a vibe of you. You know he’s probably going to take that from what he learned about you and apply that to his coaching style. It’s really important to me, and it’s not only him, it’s the staff as a whole. They’re very people oriented. They look … they passed the first impression with me.” Extra effort is something Pierce understands completely. Although it’s puzzling that a back with his ability to keep the legs churning to break tackles, get the extra yards and not go down without a fight only carried the ball 316 times in his entire career (gained 1,749 yards; 5.5 per carry; 22 rushing TDs). That’s just five more times than NCAA rushing leader Lew Nichols of Central Michigan had in 2021 while running for 1,710 yards. This is a team-first guy whose loyalty can’t be doubted. Zachary Carter opted out of the bowl game to prep for the NFL Draft. A year ago, Kyle Pitts, Kadarius Toney, Trevon Grimes and a few other Gators chose not to play in the Cotton Bowl. C.J. Henderson opted out of the Orange Bowl in 2019. Not Pierce. The Gators are playing Thursday and he’s going to strap on his helmet and pads and play. Asked why he’s playing Thursday night, Pierce answered, “Why? Because I’m a Gator, bro. When I signed here, I signed for four good years, get my education and I’m going to rock out that way until I die, you know?” Pierce knows the Gators should have been better than 6-6 this season. Asked how close the Gators are to turning things around he responded “three or four games” and explained that if the Gators had done the little things in three or four games in 2021 there wouldn’t have been a need to fire Mullen and bring in a new coach. “You know, a lot of games weren’t on the same page, especially when it comes to adversity,” Pierce said. “That’s what it was, that’s really what the hump was. We had guys pulling in different directions on how to handle to adversity. Everybody wanted to win, but it was more so that we didn’t want to win the same way. So, that’s where things kind of got off, kind of got weird. “Like I said, with Napier, hopefully he gets everyone pulling in one direction, and if they ain’t pulling, they pushing. That’s one thing you can look for with Billy, most definitely, because I can see it in his eyes. I can see it with the way he talks, the way he approaches the game, and even with his staff hires, he’s hiring a guy that fits his persona as a coach. You know, everything is just going to blend well for the Gators. We’ve got a bright future with Billy.” JACK MILLER III COMMITS TO UF, ROB SALE TO COACH OL AND OTHER GATOR NEWS Ohio State transfer quarterback Jack Miller III ended the speculation Tuesday when he announced he is committing to Florida. For the past 10 days or so, the Miller to Florida rumors were hot and heavy. He’s 6-4, 210, and a former 4-star QB out of high school in Arizona where he set state records for TDPs in a single season (53) and career TDPs (115). He had offers from Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, Michigan and Southern Cal among others out of high school. It should be noted that Miller’s dad grew up in Cocoa Beach and is a big Gator fan. When Tim Tebow played in the Arizona Fall League during his minor league career, he stayed with the Millers in Scottsdale, where he formed a real bond with young Jack, then 11 years old. A well-informed source says that current New York Giants offensive line coach Rob Sale will be joining Billy Napier’s staff in the same capacity when the NFL season concludes. Sale worked in strength and conditioning at Alabama from 2007-11), which is where he first hooked up with Napier, and he was the O-line coach at Georgia in 2015. He worked with Napier at Arizona State in 2017 and then came with him to Louisiana in 2018 where he was the O-line coach and held the offensive coordinator title. Lefty pitcher Hunter Barco (10-2 in 2021) and center fielder Jud Fabian (20 HR, 46 RBI) have been named to Collegiate Baseball’s preseason All-America first team. The Gators are the No. 6 team in Collegiate Baseball’s preseason top 25, the sixth time in the last seven years the Gators have made the top six in the preseason rankings. GATORS FACE STONY BROOK AT 2 P.M. Florida’s last game before Christmas and prior to the SEC opener at Ole Miss on December 29 takes place at the O-Dome today at 1 p.m. against the Stony Brook Seawolves (7-4). Hopefully it will be a game in which the Gators regain their shooting touch, particularly from the three-point line where they are shooting 26.6 percent through their last five games. The Gators (8-3) come into this game at No. 30 in the Kenpom.com rankings which are usually a decent indicator of a team’s overall strength. The Gators are No. 48 in overall offensive efficiency nationally in the Kenpom analytics but they rank 28th in defensive efficiency. Stony Brook, ranked 205th by Kenpom, is 176thin offensive efficiency and 239th in defensive efficiency. SEC Basketball Tuesday’s scores: Davidson (9-2) 79, No. 10 Alabama 78; Samford (10-2) 75, Ole Miss (8-4) 73; Texas A&M (9-2) 80, Northwestern State (3-10) 61; Mississippi State (9-3) 84, Winthrop (6-6) 63; Arkansas (10-2) 81, Elon (3-10) 55 Wednesday’s games: Stony Brook (7-4) at FLORIDA (8-3); Army (6-5) at South Carolina (8-3); Murray State (10-1) at No. 12 Auburn (10-1); Western Kentucky (8-4) at No. 20 Kentucky (8-2); No. 6 Arizona (11-0) at No. 19 Tennessee (8-2); East Tennessee State (7-5) at Georgia (5-6); Lipscomb (6-7) at No. 17 LSU (11-0); Illinois (8-3) at Missouri (6-5); Vanderbilt (6-4) at Hawaii (4-3) OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC Alabama (12-1): Former Georgia Tech running back Jahmyr Gibbs is transferring to Alabama. Gibbs ran for 746 yards (5.22 per carry) and two touchdowns while catching 36 passes for 470 yards and two TDs in 2021. Arkansas (8-4): Offensive lineman Ray Curry Jr. is in the transfer portal. He has four years of eligibility remaining. Curry is the second Arkansas O-lineman in the portal in two days. Auburn (6-6): All-American corner Roger McCreary is opting out of Auburn’s Birmingham Bowl game with Houston. Georgia (12-1): JT Daniels, who proved the experts wrong for the second year in a row when he wasn’t a Heisman candidate (Jamie Newman was last year’s Georgia Heisman contender but he never played), has tested positive for COVID-19. He will be quarantined. None of the other Georgia quarterbacks have tested positive but tests will continue. Kentucky (9-3): Linebacker J.J. Weaver was named the winner of the 2021 Mayo Clinic Comeback Player of the Year. Weaver suffered a torn ACL against Florida in 2020 but came back in 2021 to lead the Wildcats with six sacks. LSU (6-6): LSU has added three coaches to its strength and conditioning staff. Mississippi State (7-5): Former Alabama defensive back Marcus Banks is transferring to Mississippi State. Missouri (6-6): Former Clemson defensive back Joseph Charleston has committed to Mizzou … The Tigers face Army (8-4) today in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth. Ole Miss (10-2): Wide receiver Jordan Watkins, who caught 35 passes for 531 yards and four touchdowns at Louisville, is transferring to Ole Miss. South Carolina (6-6): David Cloninger of the Charleston Post and Courier writes that Spencer Rattler arrives as the most hyped and scrutinized quarterback in South Carolina history. Tennessee (7-5): Tight end Jacob Warren, who made 18 catches for 179 yards, will return to Tennessee for the 2022 season. Texas A&M (8-4): The Aggies have shut down football operations as multiple players, most of them vaccinated, have tested positive for COVID-19. The Aggies face Wake Forest in the Gator Bowl on December 31. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: On a podcast for ESPN, Chris Low made it perfectly clear that it could be nuclear winter in Athens if Georgia beats Michigan in their College Football Playoff semifinal in the Orange Bowl on December 31, but then loses to Alabama in the national championship game. Low said, “If Georgia’s gonna lose in the Playoff, I think they’re better off losing to Michigan. If they lose to Alabama again? You talk about a long, restless offseason in Athens. If they lose twice in the matter of a month to Nick Saban there’s going to be that old joke: Where does Nick Saban live? He lives in Kirby Smart’s head. You don’t think that’s going to be repeated over and over again in Athens? “If they beat Michigan, I think they have a decent chance to beat Alabama. It just hard to beat a team like Georgia twice in one season, but the worst scenario for the Dogs and Kirby Smart is to beat Michigan and face Alabama again in the big game and lose that game.” It should also be noted that as well as Kirby Smart has been recruiting, he stands to lose almost his entire defensive unit to either graduation or the NFL next year, plus three members of the O-line, both specialists, his starting QB and his top two running backs. Throw in that kind of personnel departures with yet another loss to Saban and Alabama and Georgia fans might have to be talked off the ledge for months on end. Georgia is currently a 7.5-point favorite to beat Michigan, but those odds could change if JT Daniels’ positive COVID test is the first of many positive tests for the team.

A few thoughts to jumpstart your Tuesday morning: IS KAIIR ELAM LEAVING THE DOOR CRACKED OPEN FOR A POSSIBLE RETURN? For months it has been assumed that Kaiir Elam has had one foot out the Florida door with the NFL his next stop. However, the combination of a season in which he feels the Gators have yet to play an elite game and a new head coach may have him thinking another year in Gainesville wouldn’t hurt. “I just feel like, like offensively and defensively, I've just felt like when the defenses is hot, the offense has been okay,” Elam said Monday, just three days before the Gators conclude their season with a Gasparilla Bowl date with UCF at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium. “When the offense is hot, the defense has just been okay. So, I feel like if we all come together and just, you know, play our brand of football, that we're both, you know, consistent in doing what we have to do to win and just dominate on all cylinders. I feel like that's what I mean by elite." It isn’t just the team that has been so inconsistent. On nearly every preseason list, Elam was a first team All-SEC and a second team All-America choice. He played nine games, was in on 27 tackles, broke up five passes and intercepted a pass. Hardly the kind of numbers that earn All-SEC or All-America recognition. There were a lot of missed tackles and missed opportunities to make plays, but the same can be said about nearly every player on the defense. So the UCF game is a chance for a small measure of redemption for both the Gators and for Elam. One good game probably won’t impress the pro scouts to reinstate him as a potential first rounder, but it could impress new head coach Billy Napier. The two have talked and Elam came away with a good opinion of the new head coach. “I feel like his plans are very detailed and precise and how he takes his time with everything,” Elam said. “I feel like that's pretty cool." Cool enough to come back for the kind of season that could allow him to live up to expectations and perhaps become the first round draft pick that many were predicting when the season began? That will be determined after the UCF game. “When am I planning on making a decision?” Elam asked rhetorically. “I’m not sure. I’m really just focused on beating UCF and making plays and grinding, dominating.” That’s not a positive one way or the other. Elam is going to be drafted if he declares for the draft but unless he is off the charts at the combine, he’s probably going to be a third day guy in the draft. Perhaps with a season at UF working with Corey Raymond, arguably the best secondary coach in the country, Elam could have the kind of season that elevates him into the first round. There is a lot of difference between the money a first rounder makes and the kind a third-day guy gets. OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC Alabama (12-1): Nick Saban is implementing the same safety protocols Alabama used during the 2020 season as the Crimson Tide preps for its December 31 College Football Playoff semifinal against Cincinnati. Saban said, “I’m always concerned when there’s an issue out there, and we want to do the best we can to help our players be concerned about the issue and respect it so they have the best opportunity to stay safe.” Arkansas (8-4): Offensive lineman Jalen St. John, a former 3-star recruit, is in the transfer portal. He has four years of eligibility remaining. Auburn (6-6): Auburn won’t have to worry about dealing with Houston’s Marcus Jones in the Birmingham Bowl. Jones, who won the Paul Hornung Award as college football’s most versatile player, has opted out of the bowl game. In addition to being a lockdown corner who doubled as a wide receiver, Jones ran back two punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns. Georgia (12-1): Kirby Smart won’t say if quarterback JT Daniels is taking any starters reps as the Bulldogs prep for their College Football Playoff semifinal against Michigan in the Orange Bowl … DB Chris Smith (knee) and LT Jamaree Salyer (foot) are practicing although neither is 100 percent. Kentucky (9-3): Quarterback Will Levis, who is draft eligible, plans to return to Kentucky in 2022. Levis threw for 2,593 yards and 23 touchdowns while running for 387 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021. LSU (6-6): Defensive lineman Neil Farrell, who had 45 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in 2021, is opting out of LSU’s Texas Bowl matchup with Kansas State to prep for the NFL Draft. Mississippi State (7-5): Responding to Mike Leach’s criticism of players opting out of the bowl game, quarterback Will Rogers said, “It’s the players’ decision. People don’t talk about it, but coaches leave all the time mid-year … That’s up to the player, his family and whatever is best for him.” Missouri (6-6): Six Mizzou players including team captain and leading tackler Martez Manuel will miss the Armed Forces Bowl game with Army. Manuel had 77 tackles this season. Also out are defensive back Akayleb Evans, defensive lineman Akial Byers, tight end Niko Hea and offensive linemen Javon Porter and Bobby Lawrence Jr. Ole Miss (10-2): Defensive back Jakorey Hawkins, who made one tackle in the only game he played in 2021, is in the transfer portal. Hawkins was in on 28 tackles in 2020. South Carolina (6-6): With Spencer Rattler transferring in from Oklahoma and a pair of 4-star QBs signed, the Gamecocks will have far more talent at the position next season than they’ve had in years. Rattler began the 2021 season as the Heisman favorite. He will be joined by freshmen Braden Davis and Tanner Bailey. That might send Luke Doty, who started most of the games in 2021 to the portal. Tennessee (7-5): On a recent Saturday Down South podcast, former Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer said that he and Steve Spurrier are far from adversaries. Fulmer said, “Everybody thinks Steve and I are bitter enemies and we’re really good friends. I kid him all the time: You’re really a good guy until someone puts a microphone in front of you and then you’re a bit of a prick, but we’re actually good friends. I kid Steve that I ran him out of college football, but that’s in jest.” Texas A&M (8-4): Tight end Jalen Wydermyer, A&M’s leading receiver with 40 catches for 515 yards and four touchdowns, is opting out of the Aggies’ Gator Bowl game with Wake Forest. STONY BROOK IS A MUST WIN FOR GATORS On paper, Stony Brook (7-4) at Florida (8-3) is a blowout waiting for the opening tip to happen. The visiting Seawolves start a 6-7 center and four guards, the tallest of which is 6-4. The Gators have a distinct size advantage which should lend itself to a dominant game on the backboards and they’re exceptional defending the three. The size differential alone tells you Stony Brook is going to jack up a lot of threes and that should play right into Florida’s hands. Except for one thing. The Gators do have this habit of playing down to opponents. Remember the loss to Texas Southern, which came to the O-Dome winless and left with a 15-point upset of the then 12th-ranked Gator? Texas Southern celebrated like it had just won the NCAA title. The Stony Brook Seawolves have to be thinking they are every bit as capable as Texas Southern, especially if the Gators show up as under-motivated as they were against Texas Southern or even this past Saturday when they earned an uninspired 66-55 win over South Florida. How the Seawolves get it done is on the defensive end where they are an in-your-face team that gives up only 35.2 percent from the field overall and 30.4 percent from the three-point line. The Gators didn’t respond well to Texas Southern’s in-your-face defense and they struggled to make shots against South Florida. So this is a game the Gators can lose if they show up thinking these guys are going to roll over. Because it’s the last non-conference game before the SEC opener with Ole Miss and because the Gators can’t afford a loss to a team that is No. 206 in the Kenpom.com ratings (the Gators are actually No. 30), this is a must win for Mike White’s team. The Gators need to defend well and they need to pass it better as well as value each possession. Florida has turned the ball over 140 times this year and the team only has 137 assists. That doesn’t cut it and won’t once the Gators get into the SEC. The Associated Press Top 25 poll: 1. Baylor 10-0; 2. Duke 10-1; 3. Purdue 10-1; 4. Gonzaga 9-2; 5. UCLA 9-1; 6. Arizona 11-0; 7. Kansas 9-1; 8. Southern Cal 12-0; 9. Iowa State 11-0; 10. Alabama 9-2; 11. Michigan State 9-2; 12. Auburn 10-1; 13. Houston 10-2; 14. Ohio State 8-2; 15. Seton Hall 9-1; 16. Texas 8-2; 17. LSU 11-0; 18. Xavier 11-1; 19. Tennessee 8-2; 20. Kentucky 8-2; 21. Colorado State 10-0; 22. Providence 11-1; 23. Villanova 7-4; 24. Wisconsin 9-2; 25. Texas Tech 8-2 The Coaches Top 25 poll: 1. Baylor 10-0; 2. Duke 10-1; 3. Purdue 10-1; 4. (Tie) Gonzaga 9-2 and Arizona 11-0; 6. UCLA 9-1; 7. Kansas 9-1; 8. Iowa State 11-0; 9. Southern California 12-0; 10. Michigan State 9-2; 11. Alabama 9-2; 12. Auburn 10-1; 13. Ohio State 8-2; 14. Houston 10-2; 15. Seton Hall 9-1; 16. LSU 11-0; 17. Texas 8-2; 18. Kentucky 8-2; 19. Tennessee 8-2; 20. Xavier 11-1; 21. Colorado State 10-0; 22. Villanova 7-4; 23. Providence 11-1; 24. Wisconsin 9-2; Texas Tech 8-2 SEC Basketball Monday’s game: Georgia (5-6) 85, Western Carolina (6-6) 79 Tuesday’s games: Samford (9-2) at Ole Miss (8-3); Northwestern State (3-9) at Texas A&M (8-2); Davidson (8-2) at No. 10 Alabama (9-2); Winthrop (6-5) at Mississippi State (8-3); Elon (3-9) at Arkansas (9-2) Wednesday’s games: Stony Brook (7-4) at FLORIDA (8-3); Army (6-5) at South Carolina (8-3); Murray State (10-1) at No. 12 Auburn (10-1); Western Kentucky (8-4) at No. 20 Kentucky (8-2); No. 6 Arizona (11-0) at No. 19 Tennessee (8-2); East Tennessee (7-5) at Georgia (5-6); Lipscomb (6-7) at No. 17 LSU (11-0); Illinois (8-3) at Missouri (6-5); Vanderbilt (6-4) at Hawaii (4-3) ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Thursday night will be Emory Jones’ swan song with the Florida Gators. He leaves having been a caddy to Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask while waiting his chance to prove he belonged at the SEC level. Whether he wins or loses the Gasparilla Bowl game with UCF, he will leave behind the disappointment of being good, just not good enough. Good enough to scare the bejabbers out of Alabama, which will probably win the national championship. Good enough to destroy Tennessee a week later when he threw for 209 yards and ran for 144. Good enough to throw for a school record 464 yards and six touchdowns while running for 86 against Samford. Sure, it was a D1AA team, but you put up 550 yards of offense and seven TDs (he ran for one) against a homeless shelter and you’re doing well. Yet he was bad enough to throw 13 interceptions including critical picks that kept the Gators from winning against Kentucky and LSU. Win those two games and Florida’s season probably never goes south. It’s way too easy to point out the all the bad plays in Emory Jones’ one season as Florida’s starting QB, and far too convenient to overlook the fact he never made excuses, worked his butt off, went to class and made good grades and was admired by teammates. Maybe it didn’t work out for him at UF, but he needs to walk off the field Thursday night with his head high, knowing he never copped an attitude and always gave it his very best. For that, we should be thankful.

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: AUDITION WEEK HAS BEGUN “Well, the first days are the hardest days, don’t you worry anymore; ‘Cause when life looks like easy street, there is danger at your door” – From “Uncle John’s Band” by the Grateful Dead, lyrics by Robert Hunter In the case of the Florida Gators, the first days are indeed the hardest days. Think of what started on Sunday and runs through Thursday night’s Gasparilla Bowl game with UCF (7-5) as audition week. At least that’s what it will be for players who intend to be on Florida’s football roster next fall. They’ll take this entire process that began with player interviews on Sunday very, very seriously. This is a no-nonsense type who has a very business-like approach to his job of restoring Florida football to a championship level. Those who have transferring on their minds, will find out in a hurry that this is a coach with a don’t let the screen door hit you on the way out approach. Judging from what folks back in Lafayette have to say about him, Billy Napier isn’t the type to beg anyone to stay. Those who intend to be Gators next fall should remember that old adage that the first impression lasts the longest. “We'll begin individual meetings,” Napier said Wednesday at his early signing day press conference. “I'm going to meet with each individual player starting Sunday.” Then he will observe and take copious notes. Those intending to stay need to make a very good impression on the practice field and play very hard if they get in the game. Seven Gators have entered the transfer portal with two – Gerald Mincey (Tennessee) and Khris Bogle (Michigan State) – already committed. Of the remaining five (quarterback Emory Jones, wide receiver Jacob Copeland, linebacker Mohamoud Diabate, linebacker Lloyd Summerall III and defensive end Dante Zanders) there are rumblings that Summerall is hedging a bit. That would make sense since Bogle is transferring and Brenton Cox Jr., who is planning to return, has to show he’s capable of staying healthy. There is playing time potentially there for Summerall if he elects to return. One observer who was at most of Florida’s practices during the season, says he expects there will be another 10-15 who put their names in the transfer portal after the bowl game. With just the players currently in the portal and adding in the nine who were signed last Wednesday, there are approximately 70 on scholarship. The NCAA has given a special waiver that allows a school to replace up to seven who enter the transfer portal after December 15 without counting against the 85 roster limit. That gives Napier some flexibility on how to rebuild the roster if he loses a dozen or so players after the bowl game. Maybe one of the safest calculations is that Napier will sign another 7-9 high school/junior college kids in February and will add as many as 12-14 transfers. Think of the transfer portal as the new norm for college football. The coaches who understand it and know how to use it best are going to be the ones who succeed in the years to come. ANOTHER UGLY WIN FOR UF, BUT AT LEAST IT WAS A WIN The gang that can’t shoot straight had a better game than they’ve had recently against South Florida Saturday, but the Gators (8-3) still only shot 39 percent overall and 30.8 percent from the 3-point line. They also turned the ball over 17 times and had only 12 assists. Ugly? You got it, but the defense, rebounding and an 18-point margin from the 3-point line were enough to give the Gators a 66-55 win in the Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise. Florida held the Bulls to just 2-11 shooting from the 3-point line, and while Florida’s 30.8 percent is nothing to write home about, going the eight made threes helped pull this one out. The Gators outrebounded the Bulls 45-27. “I liked the way we rebounded,” Mike White said. “We have to value the ball better. We have to adjust better to changing defenses, or even though it was all man, they changed what they were doing, and we have to find a way to make some shots. That’s on myself and our staff as much as anyone. A lot of this is trial and error and we need to change something that we’re doing in practice. We need to continue searching because we are better shooters than this – we are. I believe they’ll go down and maybe it’s trying something different.” The Gators have only one more non-conference game before the SEC schedule kicks in on December 29 against Ole Miss. The Gators face Stony Brook (7-4) Wednesday in a 1 p.m. game at the O-Dome. SEC Basketball Saturday’s scores: FLORIDA (8-3) 66, South Florida (4-6) 55; No. 6 Alabama (9-2) 65, Jacksonville State (5-6) 59; No. 13 Auburn (10-1) 74; Saint Louis (8-4) 70; No. 19 LSU 66; Louisiana Tech (8-3) 57; No. 21 Kentucky (8-2) 98; North Carolina (8-3) 69; Hofstra (7-5) 89, No. 24 Arkansas (9-2) 81; Vanderbilt (6-4) 77, Austin Peay (4-6) 51; Missouri (6-5) 83, Utah (7-4) 75; Clemson (8-4) 70, South Carolina (8-3) 56; Ole Miss (8-3) 76, Dayton (7-5) 68; George Mason (6-5) 80, Georgia (4-6) 67l Texas A&M (8-2) 83, Oregon State (1-10) 73; No. 18 Tennessee (8-2) at Memphis (6-4), Postponed COVID Monday’s game: Western Carolina (6-5) at Georgia (4-5) Tuesday’s games: Samford (9-2) at Ole Miss (7-3); Northwestern State (3-9) at Texas A&M (8-2); Davidson (8-2) at No. 6 Alabama (9-2); Elon (3-9) at No. 24 Arkansas (9-2); Winthrop (6-5) at Mississippi State (8-3); Wednesday’s games: Stony Brook (7-4) at FLORIDA (8-3); Army (6-4) at South Carolina (8-3); Murray State (10-1) at No. 13 Auburn (10-1); Louisville (7-4) at No. 21 Kentucky (8-2); No. 8 Arizona (11-0) at No. 18 Tennessee (8-2); East Tennessee State (7-5) at Georgia (4-6); Lipscomb (5-7) at No. 19 LSU (11-0); Illinois (8-3) at Missouri (6-5); Vanderbilt (6-4) at Hawaii (4-3) OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC Alabama (12-1): Former 4-star offensive lineman Pierce Quick, who played in one game (3 snaps) in 2021, has transferred to Georgia Tech … Only two other Alabama players remain in the transfer portal. Next game: Friday, December 31, vs. Cincinnati (13-0) in the Cotton Bowl, CFP semifinal Arkansas (8-4): Defensive end Tre Williams, who is the team sack leader (6) was arrested for DWI … Currently there are seven Razorbacks in the transfer portal. Next game: Saturday, January 1, vs. Penn State (7-5) in the Outback Bowl Auburn (6-6): There is no turning back for Bo Nix. Auburn’s former starting QB is transferring to Oregon to play for Dan Lanning … Auburn’s new offensive coordinator is former Southern Miss quarterback Austin Davis, who is the quarterbacks coach of the Seattle Seahawks … Former 4-star safety Ahmari Harvey, who didn’t play in a game in 2021, is the seventh Auburn player to enter the transfer portal. Harvey played prep football at Tallahassee Florida State University School. Next game: Tuesday, December 28, vs. Houston (11-2) in the Birmingham Bowl Georgia (12-1): ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay has three Bulldogs going in the first round in April: defensive tackle Jordan Davis, linebacker Nakobe Dean and defensive end Travon Walker. Next game: Friday, December 31, vs. Michigan (12-1) in the Orange Bowl, CFP semifinal Kentucky (9-3): Mark Stoops’ new contract, extended until 2028, will pay him $6,350,000 next year and will escalate to $7,600,000 in his final season. The contract is loaded with incentives that could increase the money every year … Eight Wildcats remain in the transfer portal. Next game: Saturday, January 1, vs. Iowa (10-3) in the Citrus Bowl LSU (6-6): Brian Kelly tried to lure Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken but since Monken said no, he’s targeted Cincinnati OC Mike Denbrock, who worked for Kelly at Grand Valley State and for seven years at Notre Dame ... With Max Johnson transferring to Texas A&M, five Tigers remain in the transfer portal. Next game: Tuesday, January 4, vs. Kansas State (7-5) in the Texas Bowl Mississippi State (7-5): Left tackle Charles Cross, who made some All-America teams, will opt out of the Liberty Bowl game with Texas Tech to prepare for the NFL Draft … Currently there is only one Bulldog in the transfer portal. Next game: Tuesday, December 28, vs. Texas Tech (6-6) in the Liberty Bowl Missouri (6-6): Currently there are seven Tigers in the transfer portal. Next game: Wednesday vs. Army (8-4) in the Armed Forces Bowl Ole Miss (10-2): Left tackle Nick Broeker says he won’t make any decision about returning to Ole Miss or leaving for the NFL until after the Sugar Bowl game with Baylor … Former Southern Cal linebacker Danny Lockhart Jr. is transferring to Ole Miss ... Five Rebels remain in the transfer portal. Next game: Saturday, January 1, vs. Baylor (11-2) in the Sugar Bowl South Carolina (6-6): South Carolina, which signed 4-star QB Braden Davis on Wednesday, got another 4-star QB when Tanner Bailey (6-1, 195, Gordo, AL) flipped from Oregon over the weekend ... Currently nine South Carolina players are in the transfer portal. Next game: Thursday, December 30, vs. North Carolina (6-6) in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl Tennessee (7-5): Navy (yes, that’s his real name) Shuler, a freshman quarterback at Appalachian State, is transferring to Tennessee. A 3-star prospect out of high school, Shuler had offers from 13 schools including Duke and Wake Forest. He’s the son of former UT quarterback Heath Shuler (1991-93) … Currently there are only three Tennessee players in the transfer portal. Next game: Thursday, December 30, vs. Purdue (8-4) in the Music City Bowl Texas A&M (8-4): In an obvious slap at Tennessee (he’s from Powell, Tennessee), 5-star defensive tackle Walter Nolen responded to rumors that he chose the Aggies because they offered him a big NIL deal, by stating, “If I was looking for NIL money, I would have come to UT.” … There are currently three Aggies in the transfer portal. Next game: Thursday, December 31, vs. Wake Forest (10-3) in the Gator Bowl Vanderbilt (2-10): Former 4-star linebacker Kane Patterson is transferring from Clemson to Vandy. His younger brother Langston signed with Vanderbilt for the 2022 recruiting class … Former 3-star edge rusher Alex Williams is in the transfer portal. He has three years of remaining eligibility. Williams brings to seven the number of Commodores in the transfer portal. Next game: Saturday, August 27, at Hawaii ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Iowa offensive lineman Tyler Linderbaum made some money from NIL deals this season but he’s not letting the money spoil him. Unlike some of the college football players who are raking in big bucks, Linderbaum is showing that just because you have a lot of money at your disposal doesn’t mean you have to spend it all on yourself. Over the weekend, he wrote a $30,000 check to the Iowa Children’s Hospital. I don’t have a problem with kids making some money on name, image and likeness. After all, why should the schools make money on the kids without sharing some of it? It does make me happy when someone like Linderbaum understands that he can use the money he makes from his talent and abilities to help those who can’t help themselves. It’s Christmas. I’m hoping a lot more kids who have profited off NIL this year elect to help those less fortunate but I’m not counting on it. I am willing to be surprised, however.

Before there was such a thing as the NCAA transfer portal complete with instant eligibility for a first-time transfer, the NCAA granting blanket eligibility immunity from anyone who played in 2020 and NIL deals that entice kids to leave their current school in search of one that can pay, roster management wasn’t all that difficult. Singularly, there are very few coaches incapable of handing these issues. Dealing with them all at once, particularly when you’ve only been on the job a little more than a week, and you’ve got an obstacle course that has to be navigated carefully. That Billy Napier has shown that he has a plan and the resources to make them work in favor of the Florida Gators tells you something about the coach who was only introduced to us back on Sunday, December 5. In short order, he’s brought in a surprisingly strong albeit small early signing day recruiting class of nine. Now it’s time to deal with the portal and both the positives and negatives of today’s transient college football culture as he tries to piece together what his roster will look like after January 1 and which holes have to be filled either by recruits or transfers. “I'm going to meet with each individual player starting Sunday,” Napier said Wednesday as he answered questions about the nine kids who signed their national letters of intent. “Certainly as we hire coaches and they get here, they can start working on that, but this big algorithm of roster management certainly is very fluid, and it changes each day. “You know, it'll be one of the challenges because you inherit some situations at certain positions that you need to improve. We've got a lot of bright spots on the team, and a lot of it is to be determined. It's part of the transition period here, and we're going to make the best of it.” As it stands on December 16, there are 71 on the roster but that doesn’t factor in players who will choose to leave after next Thursday’s Gasparilla Bowl game with UCF. Several seasoned roster analysts anticipate Napier could see another 7-10 players exit. That’s the bad news. The good news is that he can replace up to seven who transfer out after December 15 without them counting against the NCAA mandated 25-scholarship limit. None of this has caught Napier by surprise. As he spoke Wednesday, it was evident that Napier has already crunched the numbers and has a contingency plan ready for whatever takes place. “Certainly the transfer portal is a part of college football now, and certainly a lot different dynamic because they can go play immediately,” Napier said. “I think you're going to see this is just part of the game now, and certainly what we need to do is build a really good culture here where players want to be a part of our organization and play for the University of Florida, and hopefully we don't have to deal with those issues unless we're wanting to deal with them. “But in the meantime, there's going to be some attrition. I think that's reality … That creates opportunity, and we'll go to work. It's another way to acquire a player much like NFL free agency. The problem is we don't have a salary cap and we don't have schedule parity, so it's a little bit different dynamic.” It is indeed a different dynamic, but one that is manageable for a head coach who has both a plan in place and a qualified staff to make it all work out. Here is what the 2022 roster looks like as of December 16: QUARTERBACKS (3) Anthony Richardson (6-4, 235, SO) Carlos Del Rio-Wilson (6-2, 225, RFR) Jalen Kitna (6-4, 210, RFR) Gone (1): Emory Jones (6-2, 211, Transfer) Looking ahead: Jones is leaving after the bowl game and that will leave Anthony Richardson as the only QB who has taken snaps in real games. Richardson showed flashes of brilliance in 2021 when he threw for 529 yards and six TDs (5 INTs) and ran for 401 yards and three more TDs. He has a big arm, breakaway speed and a penchant for the dramatic but he was injured in high school, injured as a true freshman in 2020 and had a variety of injuries in 2021 including a knee that will keep him out of the Gasparilla Bowl. Napier won 33 games with dual threat Levi Lewis at QB so most expect that he will be looking for a pass first QB who has the mobility and instincts to make the RPO stuff work. Redshirt freshman Carlos Del Rio-Wilson showed in practice during the fall that he also has a strong arm and good instincts as a runner. Jalen Kitna has an outstanding arm, but he’s a pure pocket passer who reminds a lot of people of Kyle Trask with his accuracy. He could be the odd man out and headed for the transfer portal if Napier brings in dual threat transfer Cameron Ward (47 TDPs at Incarnate Word). Kitna’s stock could rise if the option from the portal is either Kedon Slovis (Southern Cal) or Jack Miller (Ohio State), who are more the pro-style talent although both are fairly mobile. The ideal quarterback room has five, but if Napier can land a high quality transfer, he may elect to save a scholarship for 2023 unless there is some attrition. 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) Looking ahead: When Nay’Quan Wright is in the game and the ball is in his hands, good things happen. He ran for 326 yards and a TD, plus caught 14 passes for 178 yards and another TD in a season that he only touched the ball 90 times. Wright was injured in the Florida State game and there has been very little indication how long it will take to rehab. Lorenzo Lingard and Demarkcus Bowman are former 5-star running backs who will get their chance to show what they can do in Napier’s offense. Both have breakaway speed and will be threats in the passing game, too. Neither one saw many carries in 2021 so they should both have fresh legs. Ideally, there will be five running backs, so look for Napier to sign a couple, perhaps one high school back and one from the portal. 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, Transfer); Rick Wells (6-1, 200, Graduate); Jordan Pouncey (6-1, 208, Graduate) Looking ahead: Realistically, the Gators barely had enough scholarship wide receivers last year when there were 10. With only seven on scholarship this is an area that needs an immediate infusion whether it’s high school, jucos or transfers from the portal. There is good speed but not that home run type like Alabama’s Jameson Williams who makes the safeties back off an extra 10 yards. Justin Shorter (38-496, 3 TDs) spent the entire 2021 season wide open but Florida’s quarterbacks missed way too many opportunities to get the ball to him. He’s a former 5-star recruit whose size and speed make him a very difficult matchup. When Trent Whittemore (16-188, 1 TD) is in the game, he is a threat to throw the ball (3-3 passing, 41 yards, 2 TDPs) on end around plays. Xzavier Henderson (25-272, 2 TDs) has been under-used for two years. It’s time for Ja’Markis Weston and Ja’Quavion Fraziars to live up to their talent. Marcus Burke caught two passes for 73 yards and had everyone wondering why he hadn’t been targeted more often. Daejon Reynolds is a strong, slot type receiver. The Gators need to bring in five receivers, particularly two with legitimate deep threat speed. 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) Looking ahead: Zipperer, with 25 career receptions for 309 yards and three touchdowns, is the only tight end who has caught a pass. Elksnis drew rave reviews for his play last spring but never caught a pass and was redshirted in 2021. Both Zipperer and Elksnis are better known for their pass catching abilities. The tight end was never a primary target in Napier’s offenses at Louisiana, however, he might see a need to bring in a tight end whose size makes him an extra tackle. 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) * Kaleb Boateng (6-4, 285, RSO) * Transferred from Clemson, was not on scholarship in 2021 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) Looking ahead: Expectations are that Napier will hire either Rob Sale (New York Giants) or Brent Key (Georgia Tech) as the new O-line coach. Whoever it is will have six experienced linemen – Gouraige, Braun, Eguakun, White, Tarquin and Leonard – and a lot of inexperience below them to work with. Gouraige could declare for the NFL after the bowl game, which would be a serious setback. However, it’s unlikely he will get anything more than a third-day grade so it would be smart on his part to return, especially if he can work with either Sale or Key, both of whom have good track records of getting the most out of their players. This is a spot to add two or three from the portal. There is a lot of talent and experience in the portal right now, so expect Napier to be active. This is also a position where we can probably expect some attrition. DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (12) Griffin McDowell (6-4, 297, 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 (5): Antonio Valentino (6-3, 312, Graduate); Daquan Newkirk (6-2, 308, Graduate); Tyrone Truesdell (6-2, 326, GR); Zachary Carter (6-4, 285, Graduate); Dante Zanders (6-5, 291, Transfer) Looking ahead: There is a lot of size, but not a lot of experience at the tackles. Gervon Dexter has a world of potential but he’s never been consistent. Everybody marvels at Desmond Watson’s ability to move quickly for a man his size, but he’s got to lose several deck chairs off his Titanic-size body to be able to play every down. Jalen Lee played a lot last year and he will have to play more often. Princely Unmanmielen gained a lot of experience at end in 2021. Justus Boone and Tyreak Sapp have talent but no experience. They have to step it up. Chris McClellan wasn’t signed to sit. The Gators will probably go after two or three in the transfer portal, especially tackles. We might see some attrition here. LINEBACKERS/EDGE (8) Brenton Cox Jr. (6-4, 253, RJR) David Reese (6-2, 230, RJR) Ty’Ron Hopper (6-2, 228, RSO) Diwun Black (6-3, 228, JR) 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 (6): Jeremiah Moon (6-5, 245, Graduate); * Amari Burney (6-2, 239, Graduate); Lacedrick Brunson (6-2, 229, Graduate); * Ventrell Miller (6-1, 226, Graduate); Mohamoud Diabate (6-3, 227, Transfer); Lloyd Summerall III (6-5, 247, Transfer); Khris Bogle (6-4, 240, transfer to Michigan State) * Can return due to 2020 COVID rule Looking ahead: With Khris Bogle transferring to Michigan State and both Mohamoud Diabate and Lloyd Summerall III in the portal, this is a position that is dangerously thin. It is being whispered that Ventrell Miller may take advantage of the COVID rule and return for 2022 to enhance his draft status. Brenton Cox Jr. returning is a huge boost. He played hurt all of 2021. With a healthy 2022, he could move way up in the draft evaluations. Ty’Ron Hopper played well in the final month of the season so he factors as an inside linebacker, but who is going to play alongside? Derek Wingo, Scooby Williams and Diwun Black will all get their shot to prove they’re capable in the spring. Chief Borders may grow into a D-lineman. Keep an eye on Antuwan Powell coming off the edge. The Gators need to recruit a couple of high school linebackers and pick up at least two from the portal to be at a minimum safe number of 12. SECONDARY (15) 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) Signed: Kamari Wilson (6-0, 201); Devin Moore (6-3, 190) Gone (2): * Trey Dean III (6-3, 206, GR); **Kaiir Elam (6-2, 196, NFL) * Can return due to 2020 COVID rule ** Hasn’t hired an agent yet, so he can return Looking ahead: Co-defensive coordinator Patrick Toney (safeties) and Corey Raymond (cornerbacks) inherit a talented, experienced group that was enhanced when 5-star safety Kamari Wilson and 4-star corner Devin Moore signed. The Gators can go three-deep in the secondary with players who were at least 4-star signees. When spring football begins, the starting secondary will probably have Avery Helm and Jason Marshall Jr. at the corners with Rashad Torrence and either Tre’Vez Johnson or Donovan McMillon at the safeties. This unit will get a real boost when Jaydon Hill and Kamar Wilcoxson are 100 percent healthy. Both were expected to have major roles in 2021 but both suffered knee injuries in the preseason. As deep as the Gators are, this might be an area from which we could see some attrition prior to January. With the better coaching that is expected, Florida’s secondary could rank among the best in the SEC and perhaps the entire country in 2022. SPECIAL TEAMS (4) Marco Ortiz (6-4, 233, RJR) Jeremy Crawshaw (6-4, 193, SO) Rocco Underwood (6-3, 229, RFR) Signed (1): Trey Smack (6-1, 200) Looking ahead: This should be one of the more solid positions on the team with a veteran long snapper (Ortiz) and All-SEC freshman punter Jeremy Crawshaw, who averaged 44 yards per kick last year. Smack, the No. 3-ranked kicker in the 2022 recruiting class, has range to 60 yards on field goals, regularly sticks the ball in the end zone on kickoffs and will be the backup punter.

The Florida Gators were getting skunked. And despite the fact that Napier had warned everybody to lower their expectations, it was a gut punch to the hopefuls who just wanted to see some signs of life. The prize pick: Five-star Kamari Wilson from IMG (Graphic courtesy of UAA) Every outstanding quarterback and coach I’ve ever covered had a clock in his head. It was with that sense of timing and rhythm that he arrived at the right place, at the right time, usually achieving the right result. In only his second week, without ever coaching a single player or play, Billy Napier became that guy, arriving at just the right time on National Signing Day. It was impressive. At the beginning of the day, Florida looked like Lazarus, without a pulse, and you could feel the pall being cast over Gator Nation. Napier had said that he doubted Florida would land many – if any – new recruits. Surely he was sandbagging! As the day went on, Gator fans gasped at the sight of the ESPN scoreboard which listed Florida 14th in the SEC, or “NR,” behind even VANDERBILT! It felt like a new low. I don’t know exactly how you score a National Signing Day. Frankly, I’ve never understood why it was considered a competition when they don’t keep a real score, aside from those who count the accumulated stars. Along those lines, Texas A&M and Alabama apparently won the day with 15 five-stars each. The Florida Gators were getting skunked. And despite the fact that Napier had warned everybody to lower their expectations, it was a gut punch to the hopefuls who just wanted to see some signs of life. When the news started dropping, Gator fans got excited again. (GatorBait Photo) Then Napier came to the rescue, at just the right time. Word began to spread on the message boards that UF was in the hunt for five-star safety Kamari Wilson of IMG Academy and the nation’s No. 2 ranked linebacker, Shemar James, a former Gator commit who had flipped but might be flipped back. Scheduling for a press conference at 4:30, Napier pushed it to 5. That was my first clue that something was brewing. Why would Napier delay the bad news? There was still a buzz about several potential prize recruits being landed by Napier and his staff. Starting down by four touchdowns, so to speak, Napier rallied. And his gallant attempt to be a relevant on NSD resonated with Gator fans. Suddenly there was a scent of hope. Was Napier going to out-recruit the Alabama's and Georgia's for a few top players? Even a recruiting dummy like me could catch the significance of what was going on. At end of his first NSD at Florida, Napier showed up with nine players, five of them highly regarded, a quality start on his roster. He got both of his big fish, Wilson and James, and what he called “an intelligent group that comes from really good people, great communicators. I think they’re wired right, if that make sense, and they’re team-first people.” Sorry Alabama, Shemar won't be coming to Tuscaloosa. (Graphic courtesy of UAA) And by the way, he said there would be “more to come.” I took that to mean another signee or two might drop in the next 24-48 hours. But there are two makeup windows – a second NSD in February and the ever-lovin’ Transfer Portal, which giveth and taketh away. As many as 10 or 15 Gators may wind up leaving through the Portal – as we found out that same day, Emory Jones was among those planning to transfer. However, Napier promised there would be more “talent acquisition.” “We're going to acquire talent, too,” said Napier. “Just not as many today as they did. But this is our first class, and we're going to make the best of it. I'll say this: I've got confidence and conviction about each of these players that signed here today. They fit exactly what we're looking for. They've got redeeming qualities, and we've got confidence that they can do a job for our team.” I must confess that while it’s not on the same level as playing and winning the games, year-round recruiting has become so critical that it takes on its own life. Having said that, by modern standards, Napier is undefeated in his first two competitions. He won the inaugural press conference. And in a partial signing day, starting the game in about the last four minutes of play, the new Florida coach at least fought it to a draw. What bodes well for him is the fact that in a short period of time, Napier has hired some superb assistants. In fact he admitted it was through the relationship with Assistant Head Coach/Safeties Corey Raymond and defensive assistant Jamar Chaney played a big role in the decision of Wilson. Having a relationship with Corey Raymond helped land Wilson. (Graphic Courtesy of UAA) Right off, the fact that Napier picked the low-hanging fruit at IMG by landing Wilson seemed like a late-coming wakeup call which has somehow mystified other Florida coaches. Had it eluded them that only 160 miles out their backdoor resided a cluster of five- and four-stars? Could there not have been better reconnaissance? Even if it’s not legal to “recruit,” surely there must have been a way to have an insider feeding intel. Napier is ramping up his staff to include an “army” of analysts, assistants, support personnel, etc. and his plan includes the use of more brain power and elbow grease on daily recruiting. Unlike his predecessor, he not only welcomes the challenge but considers recruiting an enjoyable “off-season competition.” A former ally at Alabama described Napier like “a pit bull grabbing the leg” of a recruit once he got him in his sights. As a show of force, he and Scott Stricklin cherry picked Georgia’s Katie Turner and named her assistant AD Recruiting at Florida — a bit of a coup. “We love to do it, and I think it's a big part -- you go back to the analogy of growing up watching my dad as a high school coach, right? He didn't get to decide who was on his team. He just had to coach the players in the community. I think it's part of the competition to me is you get to build your roster. You get to hand select the individual players that you want to be a part of your team, not only from a talent perspective but I think all these intangibles that really separate the good player from the great player, and I think that all these young men fit what we're looking for.” Jamar Chaney just arrived but had an impact on NSD. (Graphic Courtesy of UAA) Once he gets his brood in the house, “then it’s time to roll up his sleeves and now the real work begins. Take the stars off, start at the bottom, earn your way, and we'll begin that process. A lot of these guys are mid-year players and they're going to have a chance to show up here on January 4th and contribute to the team.” Contrary to what critics may have surmised, yes, Virginia, Billy Napier will field a Gator team in 2022.

A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning: PUTTING AN ARMY TOGETHER The “army” of recruiting specialists, analysts and other support staff promised by Billy Napier got a new leader Thursday when Katie Turner was hired from the University of Georgia as associate athletic director of recruiting strategy. Turner is an Alabama grad (2016) who worked with Napier at Louisiana as the director of on-campus recruiting in 2018-19. During those two years, the Ragin Cajuns had the top recruiting classes in the Sun Belt Conference. At Georgia in 2020-21, Turner was the director of recruiting operations, helping the Bulldogs earn the No. 5 ranking for the 2021 class, the No. 3 for 2022. Napier arrived at Florida on December 5 yet still landed two 5-star and two 4-star recruits in its small, 9-man early signing day class. Turner joins a staff that already includes director of recruiting and football logistics Kyle Kazakevicius, director of player personnel Jacob LaFrance and personnel analyst Joe Hamilton. Kazakevicius, LaFrance and Hamilton followed Napier to Gainesville from Louisiana. Napier plans to have his entire coaching staff in place before or soon after January 1, plus the majority of a recruiting/personnel department that will rival Alabama and Georgia (more than 30 each) in number. This is breaking new ground for Florida, which has fallen far behind the schools at the top of the SEC (and nation) in recruiting, in large part due to the lack of staff working full time to evaluate talent and bring it home to UF. “I think it's the most important part of what we do as leaders is get the right people in the right positions, and there's a lot that goes into that, right,” Napier said Wednesday. “… the integrity and character of each individual, their competence, their expertise in the job that we're asking them to do, how they fit into our recruiting footprint, and it changes every time you add a person.” GATORS TRY TO GET BACK ON WINNING TRACK SATURDAY VS. USF Having lost three of their last four games, the Gators (7-3) will try to get back on track Saturday when they play host to South Florida (4-4) in the annual Orange Bowl Classic at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise. It marks the first time in 19 years the Gators and Bulls have met in basketball. After starting the season at 6-0 while ascending to the No. 12 national ranking, the Gators have gone into a slump that has its roots in poor shooting. The Gators have hit just 25 of their last 98 3-pointers (25.5 percent) and for the season they’re a very poor 30.9 percent. With just one more out-of-conference game (December 22 vs. Stony Brook) remaining before the first SEC game (December 29 at Ole Miss), the Gators need to figure things out in a hurry because the SEC should be tougher from top to bottom of the league than any time in history. The shooting might improve if the Gators passed the basketball better. Their assist-to-turnover ratio is 125-to-123, a sure sign that they’re sloppy with the ball and they don’t pass it well. SEC Basketball Friday’s game: Furman (7-4) at Mississippi State (7-3) Saturday’s games: South Florida (4-4) at FLORIDA (7-3) in Sunrise, FL; No. 18 Tennessee (8-2) at Memphis (6-4); Austin Peay (4-5) at Vanderbilt (5-4); Utah (7-3) at Missouri (5-5); No. 15 Ohio State (8-2) at No. 21 Kentucky (7-2) Postponed COVID; Dayton (7-4) at Ole Miss (7-3); No. 19 LSU (9-0) at Louisiana Tech (8-2); George Mason (5-5) at Georgia (4-5); Hofstra (6-5) at No. 24 Arkansas (9-1); Texas A&M (7-2) at Oregon State (1-9); South Carolina (8-2) at Clemson (7-4); Jacksonville State (5-5) at No. 6 Alabama (8-2); No. 13 Auburn (9-1) at Saint Louis (8-3) OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC Alabama: Ty Simpson, Alabama’s 5-star quarterback signee, will be joining the Crimson Tide at football practice beginning this week. He will enroll early and will be practicing with the team throughout its run in the College Football Playoff. Describing Simpson to the media Wednesday, Nick Saban called his new QB a “football junkie.” Arkansas: Former 4-star wide receiver Darin Turner is in the transfer portal. He spent two years at Arkansas without making a single catch. Auburn: Three Auburn players including All-America corner Roger McCreary are opting out of the Birmingham Bowl matchup with Houston. In addition to McCreary, starting right tackle Brodarius Hamm and linebacker Zakoby McClain will not play. McClain led the team with 95 tackles in 2021. Georgia: In a sign that he might return to Georgia in 2022 even though he is draft eligible, wide receiver George Pickens has signed an NIL deal with BRADY, the apparel company that was begun by Tom Brady. Kentucky: Wide receiver Devonte Ross, who signed with Kentucky in 2021 but didn’t make it to school, has signed with former Kentucky assistant Jon Sumrall, the new HBC at Troy. LSU: The big news at LSU was quarterback Myles Brennan has removed his name from the transfer portal and will return for the 2022 season. Brennan was injured in the third game of 2021 after throwing 11 touchdown passes, then was injured in August of 2022 and never saw the field … Former Florida International O-lineman Miles Frazier is transferring to LSU, choosing the Tigers over offers from Florida State and Ohio State … Wide receiver Trey Palmer, who caught 30 passes for 344 yards and three touchdowns in 2021, is in the transfer portal. Mississippi State: The NCAA has granted offensive lineman LaQuinston Sharp, who made five starts at right guard, an extra year of eligibility. He had his sophomore year at East Mississippi Community College cut short because of injury and the 2020 COVID season doesn’t count, so this will be his sixth year of college football. Missouri: Trajan Jeffcoat, an All-SEC edge rusher in 2020 who slumped badly in 2021, will return to Mizzou for the 2022 season. Ole Miss: Former Auburn corner Ladarius Tennison, who played in 20 games over two seasons, is transferring to Ole Miss. He was a 4-star recruit out of Rockledge High School in Brevard County. South Carolina: After an official visit to South Carolina, where he transferred, former Oklahoma tight end Austin Stogner began talking quarterback transfer Spencer Rattler about being a package deal. Now South Carolina has a serious upgrade both at the tight end and quarterback positions. Tennessee: Tennessee has added UTEP of Conference USA to its 2024 schedule. UTEP will get a $1.6 million to visit Neyland Stadium. Texas A&M: Texas A&M associate athletic director for football Marshall Malchow has been hired as Dan Lanning’s chief of staff at Oregon. Malchow and Lanning worked together at Georgia in 2018-19. Vanderbilt: Vanderbilt is expected to lose defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield to Washington. THE PORTAL GIVETH AND THE PORTAL TAKETH AWAY Former UCF quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who threw for 70 touchdowns in a little more than two seasons, is transferring to UCLA. Former Indiana quarterback Michael Penix, a Tampa native, is transferring to Washington, which seems strange since the new UDub coach came from Fresno State and he’s being followed by QB Jake Haener, who threw for 3,810 yards and 32 touchdowns last season at Fresno State. Penix, who has never made it through an entire season healthy, has thrown for 25 touchdown passes in his collegiate career. Former Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez is transferring to Kansas State. At Nebraska, Martinez threw for 8,495 yards and 45 touchdowns, while running for 2,288 yards and 35 TDs. Jayson Jones, a former 4-star recruit whose home is Calera, Alabama, is transferring out of Oregon. He had 19 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a freshman in 2021. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Back in July, while talking to the Texas Coaches Association, Nick Saban said quarterback Bryce Young had already secured an outrageous amount of NIL money. “Our QB has already approached ungodly numbers and he hasn’t even played yet,” Saban said. “If I told you what it is … it’s almost 7-figures.” Here we are five months later, Young’s NIL money tops $1 million and he’s won a Heisman Trophy. He’s got another year to play at Alabama and it’s not unfathomable that Young could get several million dollars more in NIL money. At the time he made those remarks, Saban was quick to point out that the big bucks for Young were possible because of Alabama’s brand. When you think of college football and winning championships, your first thought is Alabama since the Crimson Tide have won six of them since 2009 and they’re the number one seed in this year’s College Football Playoff. The toothpaste is out of the tube and it’s not going back in so NIL is here to stay, but something needs to be done to regulate it. It’s one thing for a company like Dr. Pepper can give a QB like Clemson’s D.J. Uiagalelei money to appear in a commercial but when an organization such as Horns with a Heart is willing to pay every Texas O-lineman $50,000 a year for their participation in “charity work” the system has gone completely haywire. Do you think for even one second that offensive linemen everywhere are going to practically beg Texas for an offer? Do you think for even one more second that Aggie boosters are going to let their Texas brethren offer that kind of money without countering with even more. There is that old saying in Texas that only God and the Longhorns have more money than the Aggies, but the Aggies make everyone else in college sports seem like paupers. Why are we engaging in what amounts to bidding wars for 18-year-old kids who are in a developmental sport of which maybe 1.5 percent will ever make it on to professional football? What can we do to bring some common sense back into the sport before it destroys itself? The one thing that seems more obvious by the day to me is that it’s time for college football to break completely away from the NCAA and hire a commissioner. Greg Sankey comes to mind immediately. The new organization needs to completely scrap the NCAA model and set up new, enforceable standards for membership, recruiting and yes, even NIL deals. As I see it, it’s either do away with the NCAA’s thumb on college football altogether by forming a new organization with its own commissioner instead of the inept Mark Emmert or face the possibility of Congress stepping in to regulate. I’m not trying to sound political here, but I do recall the words of Ronald Reagan, who once said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

And here is the kicker for all those who rely on these ranking systems to turn their lives into ecstasy or misery: It’s all fake news! The calculation of these numbers is farcical and should be scrutinized a bit more closely. Just how well did Billy Napier do? A lot better if you consider this. (Louisiana Lafayette Photo) By CARLTON REESE GatorBait Columnist So all the Gator recruitniks looked at Wednesday’s final rankings on Rivals and headed for the next bridge from which to end it all: Florida hauled in the 47th-best recruiting class in the country. Oh, the horror! Many fans who put way too much of their life’s stock in this process did, however, breathe a sigh of relief with a couple surprise signees in Kamari Wilson, the prized defensive back out of Bradenton’s IMG Academy who spurned offers from everyone including Alabama and Georgia; Devin Moore, the Naples DB who flipped from his commitment to Notre Dame; and Shemar James, the 5-star linebacker from Mobile, Ala., who was once a UF commit that had backed off and looked to be headed elsewhere. But the final rankings say it all, don’t they? Florida’s recruiting class was the 14th best out of 14 SEC schools and fell way short of even Florida State’s that rated No.12 nationally. And here is the kicker for all those who rely on these ranking systems to turn their lives into ecstasy or misery: It’s all fake news! The calculation of these numbers is farcical and should be scrutinized a bit more closely. Let’s assume for a moment that all the individual player assessments are correct – I would certainly have no way of determining whether the guy rated the No.75 prospect could actually be a better recruit than the guy rated No.10. So, we’ll just have to take their word for it. Remember, Russell Wilson was a 2-star recruit coming out of high school and Aaron Rodgers was not even rated. To put it simply, the rankings compiled by Rivals are more about volume than quality. All 10 of Florida’s signees from Wednesday could have been 5-star recruits and it still may have not landed the Gators among the top-10 classes in the country. Because Florida signed only 9 players, one may not notice the average high-level recruit the Gators nabbed since other schools that signed 20-25 players mainly of the 3-star variety are being touted as better classes. Therein lies the nonsense. When this year’s recruiting cycle has ended, Florida will not be sitting with 9 players; there will be a full recruiting class in addition to a number transfers flocking to play for Billy Napier who has already caught the attention of recruits and coaches in the mere blink of an eye since he took over. In one of Aesop’s Fables, the beasts of the field argue over which animal deserves the most credit for producing the most children at birth. The lioness turns the table on the argument by stating she has just one, but that one happens to be the king of the jungle. If we can’t trust a lesson from Aesop’s Fables, then we cannot put our trust in anything. Hence, let’s look at Rivals’ rankings based on quality and not quantity, shall we? Remember, we are taking for good measure the accuracy of the assessments by these recruiting services. Rivals gives players a rating anywhere from zero to five stars and the average of those stars is one good way to examine the overall quality of signees. Each player is also given a numerical rating, generally from 5-6.1, and one might take the average of those ratings to make a determination as to the overall quality of a recruiting class. Excluding kickers and including only players who actually signed as opposed to still only verbally committed, Florida’s rankings fly way up the charts when overall quality is the measurement. In terms of stars, Florida’s signing class averaged 3.67 per player, making it the 7th best class in the country. Alabama and Georgia, with classes of 24 and 23 players, respectively, are ranked Nos. 1 and 3 based on average stars. LSU, which signed only 13 players and accordingly received a low ranking of 26, holds the same average stars among recruits as the Gators. According to Rivals, the Kentucky Wildcats hauled in the 10th best recruiting class the country, but its average star rating of 3.579 puts it at 13th, well behind the Gators and LSU. Kentucky signed 20 players Wednesday, the same number signed by Tennessee which earned a No.11 ranking. The Volunteers, though, signed players with an average star of 3.35, ranking them only No.22. And what of Florida State, which faced the humiliation of being left at the altar by the nation’s top recruit? The ‘Noles’ signing class ranks No.12 according to Rivals, miles ahead of Florida’s, but upon closer examination the Gators’ haul was more impressive. Sitting 35 spots ahead of UF in the rankings, FSU is actually seven spots behind the Gators in terms of average star rating (3.533). In terms of average player ratings, Gator recruits come in at 5.8 (Alabama’s class average is 5.888). The Gators’ average rating comes in significantly higher than FSU, Tennessee, LSU, Kentucky, Miami and all other SEC schools except Alabama, Georgia and Texas A&M. This is only the early signing period – much more is yet to come and that bodes well for coach Napier who seems to have built a lot of trust among recruits in a very short time. On the board are 21 top-250 recruits still undecided and 20 others who are verbally committed but not yet signed. This means the final rankings in February will look decidedly different across the board and especially for Florida which still has a lot of room to play with in terms of filling out its class. The bottom line is thus: Gator fans should be happy with what is transpiring on the recruiting front and not get bogged down in statistical rankings that do not give an accurate picture. Remember, Mark Twain once said, “There are three kinds of lies: Lies, damn lies, and statistics.” So it is with recruiting rankings, in spite of all the confusing numbers thrown at you here – these numbers are meant solely to comfort the distraught among us for there is no reason to stress this day. Climb down from the ledge and join those of us living in the realm of rationality and enlightenment. The air is clean and the earth spins rather slowly beneath our feet. Football starts in the Fall, not on signing day.

A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: IT’S THE QUALITY THAT COUNTS, NOT THE QUANTITY Recruiting services make their money handing out stars to high school and junior college recruits and then ranking recruiting classes on signing day. It’s a numbers game and the winner is the school that accumulates the most highly-rated players. If we go strictly by numbers, then Billy Napier’s early signing day class is an abject failure since only nine kids decided to be Gators. Of the top four classes (ranked by Rivals), No. 1 Alabama signed 24, No. 2 Texas A&M and No. 3 Georgia each signed 26, and No. 4 Texas signed 27. Florida’s class pales by numeric comparison. Now if we go by quality and throw in the degree of difficulty of a transition class that was already doomed to crash and burn even before Dan Mullen was fired, then it’s absolutely astounding what Napier did. Not only did he bring in a pair of 5-stars in safety Kamari Wilson (6-0, 201, Fort Pierce, FL/Bradenton, FL IMG Academy) and linebacker Shemar James (6-2, 210, Mobile, AL Liberty), but he beat Georgia (for Wilson) and Alabama (for James) in the process. He also beat out Notre Dame for 4-star corner Devin Moore (6-3, 190, Naples, FL). Before I go further, consider the fact that next year or the year after Florida’s secondary could be former 5-star corner Nick Marshall, Moore, former 5-star safety Corey Collier Jr. and Wilson. I can’t recall the last time the Gators had that kind of talent in the secondary and we’re not even considering the fact that Kamar Wilcoxson, Avery Helm, Rashad Torrence, Ethan Pouncey, Donovan McMillon, Jordan Young and Dakota Mitchell are all former 4-star recruits. There should be no more complaining about talent in the secondary. But back to Napier and the early signing day. It’s impressive that he didn’t panic and take a bunch of lower ranked kids just to fill out the numbers. Listening to him talk at his press conference, it was clear that he’s not concerned about having enough good players on the roster next year. He’s going to bring in quality kids. Florida may wind up with only 15 or 16 high school kids or junior college kids. The rest? They will come from the portal and there will be no shortage of talent there. If transfers are a disease, then we have a college football pandemic on our hands. Quarterback Emory Jones tweeted out that he has entered the portal while Napier was answering questions about his recruiting class. Earlier in the day Khris Bogle announced he’s off to Michigan State. Lloyd Summerall III, Gerald Mincey, Mohamoud Diabate, Jacob Copeland and Dante Zanders are also in the portal. They probably won’t be the only ones and it wouldn’t be a shocker if some of them elect to stay once the coaching staff has been filled out. Just understand this: Napier wants players who want to be Gators. He’s not going to beg anyone who doesn’t want to be a Gator to stay. He has a comprehensive process for picking the players he wants to have on his team and it goes beyond obvious things like height, weight, length and speed. Let this comment from his Wednesday press conference sink in. “You go back to the analogy of growing up watching my dad as a high school coach, right,” Napier said Wednesday. “He didn't get to decide who was on his team. He just had to coach the players in the community. I think it's part of the competition to me is you get to build your roster. You get to hand select the individual players that you want to be a part of your team, not only from a talent perspective but I think all these intangibles that really separate the good player from the great player, and I think that all these young men fit what we're looking for.” He's very picky. I like that. KEARY COLBERT HIRED AS WIDE RECEIVERS COACH Keary Colbert, a former Southern Cal wide receiver who was a second round NFL Draft pick, is Florida’s new wide receivers coach. He played at Southern Cal for Pete Carroll, worked as a Southern Cal grad assistant under Lane Kiffin, spent two seasons at Alabama (2014-15) as an analyst for Nick Saban and was on the Southern Cal coaching staff for six years, serving as an analyst, tight ends coach and wide receivers coach from 2019-21. He worked with Napier at Alabama in 2014-15. During his playing career at USC, Colbert caught 207 passes for 2,964 yards and 19 touchdowns. Still to be hired: Offensive line, tight ends, defensive line, inside linebackers, outside linebackers. THE QUARTERBACK SITUATION Unless Emory Jones changes his mind between now and next Thursday, Florida will be down to three scholarship quarterbacks following the Gators’ Gasparilla Bowl game with UCF in Tampa – Anthony Richardson, Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and Jalen Kitna. Of the three, Richardson has incredible potential but he’s been hurt ever since his senior year in high school and has had (or will have) knee surgery to fix a meniscus tear that has never healed properly. Richardson is also the only one who has taken collegiate snaps. Based on what Napier did with his offense at Louisiana, it would seem that both Richardson and Del Rio-Wilson are good fits in that they are both mobile quarterbacks and certainly a lot larger than 3-year starter Levi Lewis, listed at 5-10 and 185. Lewis threw for 8,933 yards and 73 touchdowns while rushing for 1,014 and 14 more TDs, leading the Rajin Cajuns to a 33-6 record since 2019. Kitna is a pure pocket passer whose mobility we aren’t at all certain of. It would seem he could be the odd man out and perhaps a candidate for the transfer portal. Of course, that could be said about Del Rio-Wilson, too. Neither Kitna nor Del Rio-Wilson were recruited to Florida by Napier and since they’re freshmen they may view this as the ideal time to leave. All eyes have been on Incarnate Word QB Cameron Ward, but with the addition of Keary Colbert as Napier’s new wide receivers coach, could that bring Kedon Slovis into play as a transfer? He has two full years of eligibility remaining and has thrown for 7,576 yards and 58 touchdowns. Two other transfer portal QBs who could find their way into Florida’s evaluation process: Ohio State transfer Jack Miller, a former 4-star recruit who has four years of eligibility remaining; and former Tennessee QB Harrison Bailey, a former 4-star recruit who has four years of eligibility. OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC Alabama: The Crimson Tide finished with the No. 1 class at Rivals headed by 5-star quarterback Ty Simpson (6-2, 197, Martin, TN Westview), the No. 3-ranked pro-style QB … Alabama also got a commitment from LSU transfer corner Elias Ricks, who was a Freshman All-America in 2020. Arkansas: The Razorbacks earned the No. 13 ranking. The Hogs flipped wide receiver Isaiah Satenga (5-11, 165, Fayetteville, AR), a former Oregon commitment … Safety Jay Catalon, who missed the last six games of 2021 after undergoing surgery, announced he will return for 2022 ... Linebacker JT Towers and safety Jermaine Hamilton-Jordan have entered the transfer portal. Auburn: Auburn’s No. 16-ranked class included 3-star pro-style QB Holden Geriner (6-3, 215, Savannah, GA Benedictine) … Wide receiver Elijah Canion is transferring to Purdue. Georgia: Georgia’s No. 3 ranked class tore out Florida State’s heart by signing the son of all-time FSU great linebacker Marvin Jones. Marvin Jones Jr. (6-4, 242, Plantation, FL American Heritage) is a 5-star edge rusher. The QB in Georgia’s class is 4-star Gunner Stockton (6-1, 195, Tiger, GA Rabun County), the No. 2-ranked dual threat QB. Kentucky: The Wildcats landed the 10th-ranked class in the country which included 4-star offensive tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin (6-8, 305, Charlestown, IN), who chose the Wildcats over Michigan State. LSU: LSU’s 13-man recruiting class was ranked 27th by Rivals, headed up by 5-star Walker Howard (6-0, 186, Lafayette, LA St. Thomas More), the No. 2-ranked pro-style QB in the nation. Mississippi State: Mississippi State’s recruiting class was ranked 14th nationally and it included monstrous 4-star juco offensive tackle Percy Lewis (6-7, 350, Perkinston, MS Mississippi Gulf Coast CC), the No. 3 ranked juco offensive lineman in the country. The Bulldogs signed QB Braedyn Locke (6-0, 190, Rockwall, TX), the No. 16 pro-style QB in the country. Missouri: The top recruit in Missouri’s 18th-ranked class was 5-star Luther Burden (6-2, 205, East St. Louis, MO), the nation’s No. 1-ranked wide receiver. The Tigers also signed 4-star pro-style quarterback Sam Horn (6-3, 180, Suwanee, GA Collins Hill), ranked No. 5 at his position. Ole Miss: The Rebels signed 17 players to rank No. 31. The best of the signees are linebacker Jaron Willis (6-2, 215, Leesburg, GA Lee County) and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris (6-6, 338, Madison, MS Germantown) … Linebacker MoMo Sango is transferring to Louisville … Entering the transfer portal are corner David Beckum and defensive linemen Quentin Bivens and Sincere David. South Carolina: On a day in which the Gamecocks signed the 21st-ranked class, quarterback Jason Brown, who was the star of the upset win over Florida, announced he has entered the transfer portal. The Gamecocks signed 4-star quarterback Braden Davis (6-6, 190, Middletown, DE), whose dad played football at Tennessee … Former 4-star wide receiver Keveon Mullins is in the transfer portal. Tennessee: The Vols finished 11th in the recruiting class rankings, led by 4-star pro-style QB Tayven Jackson (6-5, 196, Greenwood, In Center Grove). Texas A&M: The Aggies finished with the No. 2 ranked class headed up by 5-star QB Conner Weigman, 6-2, 200, Cypress, TX Bridgeland), the No.1-ranked dual threat QB in the 2022 recruiting class, and 5-star wide receiver Evan Stewart (6-1, 175, Frisco, TX Liberty). Vanderbilt: The only 4-star recruit in Vanderbilt’s 33rd-ranked class was 4-star quarterback AJ Swann (6-2, 204, Canton, GA Cherokee). SEC BASKETBALL Wednesday’s game: Ole Miss (7-3) 62, Middle Tennessee State (8-3) 52 Friday’s game: Furman (7-4) at Mississippi State (7-3) Saturday’s games: South Florida (4-4) at FLORIDA (7-3); No. 18 Tennessee (8-2) at Memphis (6-4); Austin Peay (4-5) at Vanderbilt (5-4); Utah (7-3) at Missouri (5-5); No. 15 Ohio State (8-2) at No. 21 Kentucky (7-2); Dayton (7-4) at Ole Miss (7-3); No. 19 LSU (9-0) at Louisiana Tech (8-2); George Mason (5-5) at Georgia (4-5); Hofstra (6-5) at No. 24 Arkansas (9-1); Texas A&M (7-2) at Oregon State (1-9); South Carolina (8-2) at Clemson (7-4); Jacksonville State (5-5) at No. 6 Alabama (8-2); No. 13 Auburn (9-1) at Saint Louis (8-3) ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Urban Meyer has been fired as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. It has been a rough 11 months for Meyer, who not only had difficulty adjusting to the pro game but inherited the least talented roster in the league when he took the job. I’m not the least bit surprised that Meyer didn’t last long in Jacksonville, although I have to admit I thought he would get frustrated with the NFL and resign after one season rather than get fired. As a collegiate coach, Meyer won three national championships and compiled a 187-32 record, which is one of the best marks in collegiate football history. As a college coach, Meyer rarely lost. As coach of the Jaguars, he lost all the time, which is why I thought he would have an early exit from the NFL. I’ve never known a coach who took losing as badly as Meyer. It’s what drove him to win in the college game and something he couldn’t control in the NFL since he took over the worst team in the league. He needs to take a year or two away from coaching, but I’m not sure he can stay away. I do know this. He’s not going to coach in the NFL ever again.

With all due respect to the late, great Mark Twain, we need to put a 2021 spin on and take a couple of liberties by paraphrasing one of his more frequently used quotes. It goes like this: Reports of the recruiting demise of the Gators has been greatly exaggerated. That’s because on the day when Florida fans everywhere were expecting the worst, Billy Napier sent a shot across the bow of all the naysayers. Not only do the Gators have a pulse – and a strong one at that – but they are going to be a force on the recruiting trail from here on out. This was simply the opening salvo and you’d better believe it got the attention of the coaches you normally associate with great recruiting classes. The Gators landed only nine players, not enough to crack even the top 40 based on the way the recruiting services do their rankings, but it was more than anticipated both in terms of numbers and quality. It was also enough to advance the Gators about 30 spots from where they were Tuesday. Rivals has the Gators at No. 47 while 247Sports has UF at No. 50. This is just the beginning. Things are going to get better. “We're going to add to this group,” Napier said Wednesday afternoon as he spent 30 minutes answering questions about stage one of his first University of Florida recruiting class. “We've got a lot of work left to do here with plenty of room. We've got to keep building here, and I think it's important for us to realize this is going to happen one day at a time and one person at a time.” The one day at a time approach is working just fine because Wednesday the Gators raised plenty of eyebrows, and not just those of the Gator Nation, which woke up expecting nuclear winter. Schools like Georgia, Alabama and Notre Dame that are used to having their way on the recruiting trail were surprised that Billy Napier and Florida elbowed their way in to grab some players that were expected to go elsewhere after the coaching change at UF. The ultimate eye-opener was safety Kamari Wilson (6-0, 201, Fort Pierce, FL/Bradenton, FL IMG Academy). The recruiting gurus had him penciled in for Georgia and as everyone knows, Kirby Smart doesn’t lose recruits to Florida. Well, not until Wednesday when the 5-star safety cast his lot with Florida, with the help of two newbies to the staff – highly regarded cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond, who made LSU synonymous with the phrase DBU, and Jamar Chaney, who arrived as a defensive analyst from Mississippi State. Chaney, it turns out, is from Fort Pierce and is a family friend. Raymond’s reputation and Chaney’s relationship with the family opened the door and Napier slammed it shut on Georgia. When Napier and assistant head coach/strength and conditioning coordinator Mark Hocke visited Wilson at IMG, there was an instant connection ready to be made. “We actually were there at IMG, had a good talk,” Napier recalled. “He [Wilson] said, ‘Hey, Coach, I think you need to go see my mom, and we quickly made a quick trip over there. Next thing you know I’m standing in a Sam’s talking to Mrs. Wilson, and it was really good. So, they agreed to take the [official] visit. We had an incredible weekend and I think Kamari made a life-changing decision.” Shemar James (6-2, 210, Mobile, AL Faith Academy) tugged on Superman’s cape twice on unofficial visits since October 20, but when it came time to sign his LOI papers, he chose the Gators. James decommitted from the Gators back on October 20 after the Gators had lost to LSU and buzzards began circling the UF football complex over the future of Dan Mullen. He visited Alabama twice, Florida State and just last Friday he was at Georgia on an official visit weekend. Alabama wanted him. Bad. So did Kirby. When it comes to recruiting Alabama kids, Nick Saban is Superman. Alabama kids don’t say no to Nick but Shemar James did. That’s two 5-star recruits (Wilson and James) to Florida, whose only 5-star on the current roster not acquired via transfer is defensive tackle Gervon Dexter (signed in 2020). Three 4-stars also picked Florida. Devin Moore (6-3, 190, Naples, FL), defensive tackle Chris McClellan (6-3, 305, Owasso, OK) and tight end Tony Livingston (6-5, 225, Tampa, FL King) signed. With co-defensive coordinator Patrick Toney leading the recruiting effort, the Gators were able to fend off Notre Dame to land Moore. McClellan could have slipped through the cracks when Brent Venables was named Oklahoma’s head coach, but he stuck with UF. Livingston committed to Florida back in March and stuck with his commitment even with the coaching change from Mullen to Napier. He has slimmed down considerably and was recruited by Napier as a tight end. The other four who signed are 3-star offensive lineman Christian Williams (6-4, 319, Missouri City, TX Thurgood Marshall), 3-star defensive tackle Jamari Lyons (6-3.5, 298, Viera, FL), offensive tackle David Conner (6-5, 295, Atlanta, GA/Deerfield Beach, FL, Deerfield Beach) and 2-star placekicker Trey Smack (6-1, 200, Severna Park, MD). Kickers rarely get more than two stars in anyone’s ratings. Smack has a big time leg. The nine Florida signees are kids that Napier says “fit exactly what we’re looking for.” He isn’t the least bit worried about the number of players who have signed. He won’t accept anyone who doesn’t meet his standard. Far too many coaches of transition classes try to bump up the numbers by taking flyers on kids who probably aren’t going to make it. When Napier has a full staff of assistants and his “army” of personnel people on hand in January, the evaluation process will be the same. Napier sees no need to take chances on players. The approach will be always be the same – sign kids who fit his vision for where the program has to go to be successful. That means high school, junior college and transfers. Napier will start interviewing players on the current roster on Sunday to determine who wants to be Gators and who might be thinking the grass is greener somewhere other than Gainesville. Also, with the early signing period over, he will have the chance to spend time watching players practice for Florida’s Gasparilla Bowl game in Tampa next week against UCF. The bowl game, he says, is a blessing. “I think one of the things that we're very fortunate here is that we beat Florida State University and had an opportunity to play in a bowl game,” Napier said. “We're going to get a chance … we had a few practices last weekend. We'll get a chance to do that a little bit more here over the next couple days, and spend time with the players. As we add coaches we're able to develop some relationships. You can imagine what a nightmare it would be if they weren't in a bowl game in terms of having some time with the players.” Recruiting new players, re-recruiting old ones and figuring out what kind of roster he will have going into the spring is all part of roster management, which is complicated because every player who was part of the 2020 COVID year has a free year to play. The transfer situation is changing by the hour. While Napier was talking to the media about his recruiting class, for instance, quarterback Emory Jones tweeted out that he’s going to transfer. Earlier in the day, edge rusher Khris Bogle announced he’s leaving for Michigan State. Almost certainly, others will be leaving. “Certainly as we hire coaches and they get here, they can start working on that, but this big algorithm of roster management certainly is very fluid, and it changes each day,” Napier said. That’s where the personnel department will be working overtime. Not only will they be evaluating the players who didn’t sign in December to determine the right targets for the National Signing Day in February, but they will also be compiling data on transfers. There were 2,626 transfers last year. That number is expected to increase this year and Florida will be active in the portal to find plug and play types at positions that need a boost. Ultimately, the goal is to make Florida such a desirable place to play, that very few want to leave once they are in Gainesville. “Certainly, the transfer portal is a part of college football now, and certainly a lot different dynamic because they can go play immediately,” Napier said. “I think you're going to see this is just part of the game now, and certainly what we need to do is build a really good culture here where players want to be as part of our organization and play for the University of Florida, and hopefully we don't have to deal with those issues unless we're wanting to deal with them. “But in the meantime, there's going to be some attrition. I think that's reality … That creates opportunity, and we'll go to work. It's another way to acquire a player much like NFL free agency. The problem is we don't have a salary cap and we don't have schedule parity, so it's a little bit different dynamic.” The greatest takeaway from the first early signing day of the Billy Napier University of Florida era is that the Gators have a head coach who not only loves the challenge of recruiting and going head-to-head with the likes of Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Jimbo Fisher and Dabo Swinney, but enjoys making the parts fit properly in his roster puzzle. It’s clear that he has studied every aspect of acquiring players from the physical aspects to their ability to fit in with academically and culturally with the culture that he is going to build at the University of Florida. Nobody has ever accused Billy Napier of being an offensive savant like Dan Mullen. Of course, nobody ever accused Mullen of embracing every aspect of recruiting. If he had, he would probably still be Florida’s head football coach. Having a head to call a spectacular ball play against any defense may not be Napier’s long suit, but understanding the dynamics of building a roster by systematically putting all the right pieces together is. What he has shown us since he took the Florida job and especially with the first nine players he signed to scholarships is that Billy Napier has a plan and we’re only just beginning to see how it’s all going to work out. The demise of Florida’s football recruiting has been greatly exaggerated. This new guy is the real deal.