No. 15 Florida baseball (28-12, 11-7 SEC) battled to get a series win over the Auburn Tigers (17-20, 3-15 SEC). This was Florida’s second consecutive weekend series win. After taking game one against the Tigers, they split a pair of seven-inning games on Sunday, with the rubber match giving the Gators their first road-SEC series win. *You can watch a full video recap and preview of next weekend's series at the bottom of the story. Recap Prior to this past Friday, the two teams had not met since the 2018 Super Regional Series in Gainesville. The Gators arrived in Auburn to take on a team with just two conference wins. One would think this would be an “easy” series to snag. However, that was not the case. The Gators grinded and were able to get the series win thanks to some timely hitting. It should be noted that although the Tigers had only two SEC wins prior to this past weekend, they lost eight one-run games. The Gators did not expect the series to be a walk in the ballpark - no pun intended. And it was not. Game One: 4-2 Gators Game Two: 10-8 Tigers Game Three: 6-4 Gators Gators On the Mound Game One Franco Aleman started Friday night’s series opener recording five strikeouts in five shutout innings, his longest career outing. Christian Scott came in in the sixth after a leadoff walk. He struck out four in three innings with two runs allowed. Jack Leftwich pitched a clean ninth inning recording his first save of the season. Game Two Veteran pitchers Tommy Mace and Jack Leftwich both saw action in game two, and it was not particularly pretty for Gator fans. Both gave up five runs before rarely used reliever Hunter Mink took over. Game Three Left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco struck out three and allowed three runs in just over five innings. Scott replaced Barco, followed by Jordan Carrion. Trey Van Der Weide then entered and picked up the save, retiring all three batters he faced after taking the mound with two men aboard and none out in the bottom of the seventh. Notable Numbers Florida recorded double digit hits in the last seven of eight games. Jud Fabian leads the team in homeruns - 14. He recorded a multi-homer series with one Friday and one Sunday. Prior to Sunday, Leftwich had thrown nine consecutive no-hit innings over his previous three appearances. Nathan Hickey leads the team in hitting with a .356 batting average. What The Series Win Means Walking into the series, Florida had an opportunity to sweep the Tigers and move within one game of first place in the SEC East. Instead, the Gators now find themselves in the exact same position that they began the weekend in - one game behind Tennessee and two behind Vanderbilt for the East lead. What’s next for the Gators The Gators will host No. 2 Vanderbilt (31-7, 13-5 SEC) next weekend. The Commodores are coming off a series win against No. 4 Mississippi State, their second consecutive weekend series win against top-5 opponents. Last weekend, they won two of three games to get a road series win over Tennessee. Who to Watch For Right-handed pitcher, and Friday night guy for the Commodores, Kumar Rocker picked up his nation-leading ninth win of the season this past Friday against the Bulldogs. Rocker has allowed just one earned run across his last two starts and 16.0 innings of work, both coming against top-five ranked opponents. He’s now 9-1 on the season. Junior utility player Dominic Keegan - leads team in hitting with a .373 batting average. Friday’s series opener is set for 7 p.m. (ESPNU), game two Saturday at 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network+) and Sunday at 3 p.m. (ESPN2).

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: DRAFT WEEK IS UPON US After LSU’s pro day in 2007, you needed a Shop Vac to deal with the pools of drool beneath every NFL scout who watched JaMarcus Russell throw. One AFC personnel guy told Bob McGinn, who has been following the draft religiously for 37 years, “The greatest workout of all time was JaMarcus Russell.” We know how that turned out. Maybe only Ryan Leaf was a bigger first round bust as a quarterback in the last 30 or so years. Until the first name is called in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft Thursday night, we’ll be hearing plenty of “anonymous” sources claiming they’ve got the inside scoop. We will also see tons of mock drafts, essentially best guess scenarios by folks who like to hear themselves talk. Florida’s Kyle Pitts is thought to be a “generational” tight end prospect but when CBSSports asked 13 of its writers to do a mock draft, Pitts went eighth and only one of the 13 had him higher. Pitts will go first round, probably either fourth to the Atlanta Falcons or sixth to the Miami Dolphins. Kadarius Toney probably goes first round, too, but after that it’s any body’s guess where the other draft-eligible Gators are picked. Here are the grades given for the 11 Dane Brugler of The Athletic thinks have a shot to hear their names called over the three days: Kyle Pitts, TE: Pitts is a runaway top choice at wide receiver and gets a 1st-round grade. Kadarius Toney, WR: Brugler rates Toney the 4th best wide receiver prospect, trailing Ja’Marr Chase (LSU), Jayden Waddle (Alabama) and Devonta Smith (Alabama). He gives Toney a 1st-2nd grade. Kyle Trask, QB: Brugler rates Trask the seventh best QB prospect in the draft behind Trevor Lawrence (Clemson), Zach Wilson (BYU), Trey Lance (North Dakota State), Justin Fields (Ohio State), Mac Jones (Alabama) and Davis Mills (Stanford). He gives Trask a 4th-round grade. Stone Forsythe, LT: Forsythe gets a 3rd-round grade from Brugler. He’s Brugler’s 12th-ranked offensive tackle. Trevon Grimes, WR: Grimes is the 25th-ranked WR by Brugler with a 4th-5th round grade. Marco Wilson, CB: Brugler has 18 cornerbacks ranked ahead of Wilson, to whom he gives a 4th-5th round grade. Shawn Davis, S: Davis gets a 5th-round grade as the 12th-ranked safety in Brugler’s rankings. Evan McPherson, PK: McPherson is Brugler’s highest ranked kicker. He has a 5th-6th round grade. Tedarrell Slaton, DT: Slaton is the 18th-ranked D-lineman with a 6th-7th round grade. Brett Heggie, C: Heggie is Brugler’s 11th-ranked center with a priority free agent grade. Donovan Stiner, S: Stiner is the 28th-ranked safety with a priority free agent grade. TRE MANN, NBA DRAFT LOTTERY? Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com, the best college basketball writer in the business bar none and one of the best connected with NBA scouts, filed his NBA mock draft on Sunday with perhaps the biggest mover Florida’s Tre Mann. Parrish projects Mann going with the 11th pick overall to the New Orleans Pelicans, which is lottery and worth millions to Tre and his family. When the college season began back in November, Mann was thought to be a very late first to mid-second rounder but he showed constant improvement all season and by February was playing as well as any guard in the SEC. Parrish writes, “Returning for a second season at Florida benefitted Mann immensely as he averaged 10.7 more points per game and shot 12.7% better from 3-point range than he did as a freshman. He’s now considered a lock for the top 20 and somebody who can possibly flourish at three different positions in the NBA. PLAYOFFS WILL EXPAND, THE QUESTION IS WHEN AND HOW MANY TEAMS? Five years remain on the current College Football Playoff contract with ESPN, but there is plenty of unhappiness with the current 4-team model that is certain to exclude one of the Power 5 conferences every year and makes it all but impossible for even an unbeaten powerhouse from the Group of 5 to elbow its way in. With so much discontent, the College Football Playoff management committee, which includes the commissioners of all ten Division I conferences plus Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, has been meeting to figure out the next move. Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic reports CFP management committee has been considering 63 different expansion proposals. “These included 6-, 8-, 10-, 12- and 16-team options, each with a variety of different scenarios,” CFB executive director Phil Hancock told Auerbach. Under the current format, boredom has set in because usual suspects Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State tend to make the playoff every year. In the seven years of the CFB, Alabama has won three national titles (2015, 2017, 2020) and played for the title two other times while Clemson has won twice (2016, 2018) and played in the title game twice. Ohio State has one championship (2014) and a runner-up. The only team to crash the championship party is LSU (2019), from the Southeastern Conference. In an expanded playoff, the same teams might dominate but at least more teams would have a chance to at least win a game or two which theoretically would drive up interest and TV ratings. There are many experts who believe an expanded playoff will save the Pac-12 from falling completely off the map. Only twice in the seven years of the playoff has a Pac-12 team made it to the final four. Oregon got to the championship game in the first year (2014) and no Pac-12 team has even gotten in since Washington in 2016. Critics of the current format believe a four-team playoff is at least partially to blame for the demise of the Pac-12. Noting that the starting quarterbacks of teams favored to make the playoff this year – Bryce Young (Alabama), D.J. Uiagelelei (Clemson), Spencer Rattler (Oklahoma), JT Daniels (Georgia) and C.J. Stroud (Ohio State) – all hail from Pac-12 states, Stewart Mandel of The Athletic opines that the eastward migration has everything to do with the playoff. Top players – quarterback especially – want to play on the college game’s biggest stage so they go play in conferences who get teams in the playoff. Many recruiting experts have concluded that if the playoff were to expand so that the Pac-12 champ would always be in the playoff many of the top players on the left coast would choose to stay home. I am of the opinion that the playoff will eventually be a 16-team affair but I do not believe either ESPN or the CFP is inclined to go from four directly to 16. My believe is within a couple of years, the playoff will expand to six teams and then shortly thereafter move to eight. GATORS WIN WEEKEND SERIES WITH AUBURN Tre Van Der Weide picked up his first save of the season, pitching the Gators out of two on, nobody out jam in the bottom of the seventh, as UF (28-12, 11-7 SEC East) salvaged a split of a Sunday doubleheader with Auburn (17-20, 3-15 SEC West). Auburn won the first game, 10-8, while the Gators came back to win the second, 6-4. The Gators held a 6-4 lead over Auburn in the bottom of the fifth of game one when the Tigers exploded for six runs, the last five off Jack Leftwich, who had gone nine hitless innings in relief prior to this game. In game two, RBI singles by Jacob Young and Nate Hickey in the top of the seventh staked the Gators to a 6-3 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, reliever Christian Scott hit a batter after developing a blister on his pitching hand. When Jordan Carrion walked the only batter he faced, Kevin O’Sullivan brought on Van Der Weide, who settled down after a wild pitch to get the final three outs. Center fielder Jud Fabian hit his 14th homer of the season in game two. For the weekend, Fabian was 4-10 with a double, two homers and five RBI. In winning the series, the Gators remained two games behind SEC East leader Vanderbilt (31-7, 13-5 SEC East), which took two out of three from Mississippi State (29-10, 11-7 SEC West). The Gators are idle until Friday night when Vanderbilt comes to Gainesville for a 3-game weekend series. UF SOFTBALL: GATORS TAKE TWO OF THREE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA The 3rd-ranked Gators (35-7, 14-4 SEC) rebounded from a Friday night loss to win their series with South Carolina, stopping the Gamecocks 6-0 Saturday and following that up with a Sunday afternoon 4-2 win. Saturday saw the Gators back the 4-hit pitching of Natalie Lugo with home runs by Hannah Adams, Charla Echols and Jaimie Hoover. Lugo (13-1, 1.30 ERA) got the win Sunday with relief help from Katie Chronister (5 saves, 2.14 ERA) Sunday as the Gators profited from three South Carolina errors. The win moves the Gators within one game of 6th-ranked Arkansas (37-7, 16-4 SEC), which has lost two straight to 19th-ranked Missouri (24-10, 12-5 SEC). The Gators will face Florida A&M in a non-conference midweek matchup Wednesday and travel to Missouri next weekend in a critical SEC series. Other UF spring sports: Men’s tennis: The Gators were the nation’s No. 1 team heading into the SEC Championships but after two close calls vs. Mississippi State and Texas A&M, they fell in the finals, 4-3, to No. 5 Tennessee. Lacrosse: The 6th-ranked Gators (13-2, 10-0 AAC) won the American Athletic Conference championship outright and finished league play undefeated with two wins over Old Dominion in Norfolk. The Gators finish their regular season Wednesday at Donald Dizney Stadium with a non-conference game against Liberty. OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC Alabama: Defensive back Ronald Williams Jr., who was a 4-star recruit out of Hutchinson Community College in 2020, has entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal. Arkansas: The Hogs picked up two defensive tackles from the transfer portal Sunday when Markell Utsey (formerly Missouri) and John Ridgeway (formerly Illinois State) named Arkansas as their transfer destination. Auburn: Former Auburn All-American and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley is catching a lot of flack for this comment made on TNT’s “Inside the NBA” show: “Georgia is the only school in the world where they named there mascot after the women down there.” Georgia: Georgia, which has never had more than seven players taken in the NFL Draft, anticipates five will go in the first three rounds this week and as many as 11 will be selected in the full seven rounds. Kentucky: Kentucky became the first SEC school to win an NCAA volleyball championship Saturday when the Wildcats took down Texas in the championship match in Omaha ... Cam’ron Fletcher, who averaged 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds for the Wildcats last season, is transferring to Florida State. LSU: Kim Mulkey, who won four state high school championships when she played in nearby Hammond, is returning to her home state to take over the women’s basketball program at LSU. In 21 seasons at Baylor, Mulkey was 632-104 with three national championships. Mississippi State: Redshirt senior quarterback Tyler Pogue, who began his career at Arkansas Tech, has entered his name in the transfer portal. Ole Miss: Down 9-1 in the eighth inning and in danger of getting swept by LSU, Ole Miss rallied for nine runs, taking a 10-9 decision Saturday, walking off when freshman Kemp Alderman hit the first home run of his career. South Carolina: Now that spring practice is over, head coach Shane Beamer has named Luke Doty as the starting quarterback for when football resumes in August. Tennessee: Harrison Bailey, who got a couple of starts last season, was 12-15 for 260 yards and two touchdowns in the Vols spring game. Virginia Tech transfer Hendon Hooker was 10-14 for 114 yards and a TD and Brian Maurer was 9-15 for 171 yards and a TD. Texas A&M: Fifteen players on the two-deep charts didn’t participate in Saturday’s spring game in Aggieland. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Keep a close eye on what’s going on at the University of Hartford, where its president (Gregory Woodward) commissioned a study that says the school would save $10 million by dropping all sports in the athletic program down from Division I to Division III. Friends of the athletic program including a number of athletes commissioned their own study, this one done by Andy Schwarz, the economist who essentially saved college football at UAB after a study by CarrSports said the school should drop the sport. Football at UAB has thrived since and will move from decrepit, ancient Legion Field this fall into a brand new downtown stadium that seats 47,000. In the coming months we are going to see more schools in Division I still feeling the effects of the pandemic contemplating dropping down or dropping sports altogether. How many will follow the original diagnosis and drop sports and how many will seek a second opinion?

I don’t pay attention to the NFL Draft much anymore, but this one has my attention. These are some powerful story lines: 1. Will there be six quarterbacks taken in round one, and if yes, who will be the sixth? 2. Is there going to be a blockbuster trade that could involve the Jaguars after they’ve gotten their clutches on Trevor Lawrence at No. 1? 3. Where in the world will that freak Kyle Pitts with the pterodactyl wingspan finally land? It’s going to be must-see TV for Gator fans, who most likely will have a busy Thursday and Friday watching players from their team become rich. All they have to do is make the team for a year and they get the $610,000 minimum. After Pitts, who could go as high as No. 4 to Atlanta, there’s another likely first-rounder in Kadarius Toney and a longshot in Kyle Trask, who most likely will have to “settle” for a second/third-round salary if he “slips” to between $1,580,000 and $818,000. It’s not really about the money, although it is, but it’s more about a lifelong dream coming true. Among those about to hit the pot of gold at the BEGINNING of the rainbow are Pitts, Toney, Trask, Trevon Grimes, Kyree Campbell and Marco Wilson. Others who have a shot -- but may be free agents: Shawn Davis, Stone Forsythe, Evan McPherson. The most intriguing to me are Pitts and Trask. Having covered many drafts over my career, I realize there’s always a wild card or a renegade general manager who can be “disruptors.” Remember, it only takes one GM to start the avalanche. Maybe some team wants to crash the top five to pick off a quarterback. Or if, say, Tampa Bay decided to take Trask with the last pick in round one – a great choice, I think -- Dan Mullen will have coached three first-rounders on his 2020 offense. (Although the so-called experts don’t see Trask going that high). Will Pitts be that piece d’ resistance? Who knows? I don’t, so I sent the following survey to my most trusted writer/broadcaster friends and associates in the media. After speaking to Steve Spurrier, who said this of Pitts: “He will be one of the best tight ends ever, even though he might not be a pure tight end. He’s a good enough blocker and can get those ‘stalemates.’ He kind of reminds me of Kirk Kirkpatrick, who led our ‘90 team in receiving.” Then asking others in the media these questions: 1) What are the odds Pitts turns out to be the most impactful player in the draft? 2) If you were a GM in the NFL would you be trying to make a blockbuster deal for Pitts? 3) Where do you see him going and to whom? 4) On a scale of 1-10 (10 being best) how good of a pro will Pitts be? Tony Barnhart, Mr. CFB, ESPN: 1. I think he'll definitely be the most impactful non-quarterback taken in the draft and when all is said and done could be the most impactful player of them all. That's because he is a matchup nightmare. When he splits out, who do you put on him? Linebackers aren't fast enough. Corners are too small. Safeties can't run with him either. You'll have to double team him on every play. 2. I would do what I had to do to move up because players like Kyle Pitts don't come around that often. That's why I see several teams trying to work a deal to get into the four spot to get Pitts. 3. I think Atlanta, after taking a bunch of calls, will take Pitts at No. 4 behind three quarterbacks: Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, and Mack Jones. 4. I would give him a 10. Mark Long, Associated Press: 1. Zero chance. The most impactful player in every draft nowadays is a QB, and one of the five projected to go in the first round will be the most impactful. 2. The price to trade into the top five or top 10 is enormous, and it rarely happens except to get a quarterback. I would trade up for Pitts, but probably not if it means leveraging future drafts. He’s good, really good, but he just can’t have the impact that a QB can have. 3. Atlanta sure looks like a viable spot at No. 4. The Falcons and their new regime certainly could take a QB, but Matt Ryan is far from done and Pitts would make his job in these twilight years a lot easier. 4. Pitts will be a fantastic pro, a 10 and beyond. He’s mature, easy to coach and red-flag free. Woody Paige, Around The Horn: 1. No. One of qbs will be. But it may take Lawrence, Wilson. Lance or Fields a while. 2. No, not blockbuster for a tight end. 3. Atlanta just takes him. If not, Cincy. Mel Kiper Jr. says he’s the best TE he ever scouted 4. 8. Ben Troupe, former All-American Gator tight end: 1. He has a great chance to be the most impactful player but he won’t get as many opportunities as the QBs. 2. I wouldn’t make a blockbuster deal for Pitts because he is only as good as his QB so you don’t want to mortgage the franchise. 3. I see him going to ATL because I think they can help make Matt Ryan better. 4. Pitts can be an 8 or a 9, but I’ve never seen a 10. Paul Finebaum, ESPN: 1. I would say no. Strongly believe it will be Trevor. 2. After Trevor, I believe he’s most valuable player so yes. 3. Atlanta 4. Can’t miss All- Pro. Kassidy Hill, GatorBait: 1. As far as impactful, I guess it depends somewhat on the QB’s taken above him. They’re all expected to be franchise changing guys. In terms of what a QB means to a team versus a TE, I don’t know if I can in good conscience say Pitts will be the most impactful right now. But could he be the most talented? Absolutely. 2. Yes, 100%. Even though I maintain right now he might not be the most impactful, he is the most talented and can change a game. He’s right there with the top 4 QB’s in terms of game changing ability. GM’s should at least see what it would cost to get him because if they can afford it, he’s worth it. 3. Atlanta 4. 9.5...and the only reason I’m deducting the 0.5 is as a way to hedge my bets because you just never know. Robbie Andreu, Gainesville Sun (retired): 1. Those three quarterbacks will get drafted ahead of him, but Pitts is going to be the elite player in the draft who has the earliest and most significant impact in 2021. QBs always need time to adjust and develop. Pitts is NFL ready right now. 2. If I’m a GM who is really looking to make a splash offensive pick who will have an immediate impact, I’d make a move to get him. There’s no one else like him in the draft. 3. I think the Falcons will take him with the fourth pick. But I think the Dolphins, who have the sixth pick, will try to move up to take him. 4. He’ll be a 10. He’s one of those generational prospects who should start making plays the day he first arrives at camp. Lee McGriff, radio analyst. Former Gator player and coach: 1. His athletic ability certainly gives him a chance to be impactful. To me the questions are . . . Does he train and take care of himself as a priority? Does money distract him and ruin him? Does football stay important to him? 2. For a team who is wide open offensively, they should make a blockbuster deal. 3. Cincinnati is as good as a guess as any. 4. To have success in the NFL, there are so many factors that have to work for you. Is the offensive scheme in your favor? How good is the rest of your team? If they don’t do well, it’s hard for you to do well. If you lose too much, they will fire your coach and get a new one. What if the new coach has an unfavorable scheme for you individually? What if the new staff doesn’t believe in you? Then, of course, do you stay healthy? If all that stays in Pitts favor, athletically, he can be a 9 or 10. David Moulton, Miller & Moulton, Fox: 1. 15-1 (tough to be more impactful than a great QB and one of these will likely be great) 2. No 3. 4th to Atlanta 4. 8.5 Franz Beard, Senior Columnist GatorBaitMedia.com: 1. He is John Mackey and Paul Warfield combined and that's scary. 2. If I am an NFL general manager with the need for a downfield threat for whom there is no defense then I make whatever deal is necessary to get a Kyle Pitts. 3. The Falcons need him but if Justin Fields is available I cannot see them passing on a Georgia kid who is an outstanding quarterback, therefore I see him going to the Miami Dolphins at number six. 4. At least at nine but I could see him being a 10. Graham Hall, Gainesville Sun: 1. Pitts will be a top-5 most impactful in the draft after the QBs and Oregon OL Penei Sewell. 2. I would definitely make a move for him if he’s there at No. 8 3. I think he will go No. 4 to Atlanta 4. 8 Nick de la Torre, Gators Territory: 1. The odds that Pitts turns into an impactful player in the NFL are nearly 100. The most impactful player in the draft I would say are low, just considering the talent that Trevor Lawrence has and the opportunity he’s going to get right away in Jacksonville. I think the NFL has become a quarterback driven league, so I’d say Lawrence has the best odds to be the most impactful player in the draft but Kyle Pitts is right behind him. 2. The NFL has changed so much so that we’re even talking about a tight end in this regard. Of course, Pitts is more than just a tight end but we’re entering a new era in the NFL where the line between tight end and receiver is blurred. It’s also an era where passing numbers are more prolific than ever. So, for me, Pitts transcends a positional label and I view him as a generational talent. If I’m putting a GM hat on, I would love to have him on my team but I don’t know if I would give up the farm for him. He still needs someone to throw him the ball. 3. Miami Dolphins - 6 4. I think the biggest factor that would hold him back would be injury. Other than that, something he can’t control, Pitts has the size, athleticism, and most importantly the worth ethic to get every bit of talent out of his God given gifts and he’s a potential Hall of Fame type of player if he remains healthy. 10. John Oesher, Jaguars.com: 1. Low because it’s hard to be more impactful than a quarterback — Pretty high If you’re talking non-quarterback. 2. Probably not, because there’s such a history early drafted tight ends not working out. 3. Miami at six 4. Seven or eight, but I’m always very conservative with projecting players until I see them actually do it. Jacquie Franciulli, WCJB TV20: 1. I think Kyle Pitts is one of the most athletic prospects in the NFL Draft, so of course I think he can turn out to be one of the most impactful players in the draft this year. He is the unicorn. He has proven on the field he can produce during his career at Florida. He is agile for a player his size and is known to make some impossible catches. In short, Pitts is a freak athlete. 2. If I were a GM and I had a chance at Pitts, I would make any deal to grab him. He is a playmaker that can make a difference in a game. 3. I can see the Miami Dolphins pick him at No. 6 (I am being selfish since I am a Dolphins fan), however, I can also see Pitts drop down and get picked up by the Dallas Cowboys or New York Giants. 4. 8 The other part of that Kyle-To-Kyle combination is equally as tantalizing. After watching Trask’s amazing clinic in accuracy for two seasons, breaking a horde of Gator passing records, Gator fans are wondering about this conundrum: If Kyle Shanahan is so in love with Mac Jones and maybe planning to take him with the No. 3 pick, was he not watching Florida’s No. 11 this season? Is Kyle Shanahan not considering Kyle Trask? I have no clue, but let me just present this last resort as a Blockbuster Trade Proposal: I say Kyle Shanahan should take Kyle Trask, then trade the next two years’ first-round draft choices for Kyle Pitts and then play a pre-season game at Texas A&M’s Kyle Field. Then Coach Kyle could feature Kyle-to-Kyle on Kyle. Too bad Kyle Rote isn’t alive to see it.

“Hope is the companion of power, and mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles.” – Samuel Smiles The power of hope was unleashed on the Gator Nation Wednesday afternoon in the form of a tweet from a young warrior who has already proven that we continue to live in an age of miracles. Keyontae Johnson broke a few months of silence when he announced on Twitter “I plan to keep working to prepare for the upcoming season. My story continues to be written and driven by God! Go Gators!” We have no way of knowing if Keyontae Johnson will actually be cleared to suit up for the Gators next season nor do we know if he is able to play if he will be anything close to the player who was expected to be the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year back before the 2020-21 season began. If he plays at all it will be a miracle. If he is able to contribute it will be a most unexpected bonus. What is important is that there is hope because a little more than four months ago were at all certain Keyontae Johnson would even be alive right now, much less contemplating the possibility that he will suit up once again for the Gators and possibly play basketball at a very high level. If he is able to be anything close to the star he was at when he collapsed on the floor of the Donald Tucker Center in Tallahassee just minutes into Florida’s game with Florida State back on December 12, it will be perhaps the greatest feel good story in Florida basketball history. It will be the kind of story that provides the script for a great sports movie. In a little more than five months from now the Gators will begin practice for the 2021-22 season. We may not know by then if Keyontae has been cleared to practice but he believes that it’s possible and where there is belief hope springs eternal. About the only thing we know about the intersection of health and basketball as it relates to Keyontae is that he’s been allowed to do strength and other fitness training plus do some shooting. We know little else right now but is it even important that we know? Just the fact that he says he’s “steadily making progress daily” when it comes to health lends hope that he will be on the O-Dome court again and will hear the roar of an appreciative Gator Nation. When you combine hope with an unbreakable self-confidence that is fueled by faith that with God all things are possible, you have a platform from which miracles can be launched. We’ve already seen a string of miracles with Keyontae so who are we to doubt that we’ll see yet another in the future? The miracles actually began on that December afternoon when he passed out and fell face first on the floor of the Tucker Center in Tallahassee. Few of us understood that in the moments after his legs gave way and he lost consciousness that we were witnessing a miracle. A cardiologist just happened to be at the game sitting courtside and the moment she saw Keyontae fall she rushed onto the floor to render swift, medical assistance that proved to be life saving. “I was passed out,” Johnson was quoted on the Florida team site. “I could have died. She jumped out on the court and saved me. If it isn’t for her, I may not have had a second chance in life. You just can’t take life for granted.” We didn’t know until days later of the second miracle, performed by the doctors at Tallahassee Memorial. They placed Keyontae in a medically induced coma for two days, another life-saving decision. Keyontae survived and was responsive faster than anyone could have anticipated. Days later he was transferred back to Gainesville where the doctors at Shands took over. Under their care Keyontae made so much progress that he was released from the hospital and able to rejoin the team, not as a player, but as an extension of Mike White as a student-assistant coach. If you aren’t one to believe in miracles, then consider this: Less than three weeks after a near-death experience Keyontae Johnson was coaching his buddies, offering advice and encouragement, and most of all serving as a symbol of hope and strength for teammates drained emotionally by the traumatic experience in Tallahassee. In the 17 days from the time Keyontae collapsed until the Gators opened the SEC portion of their season with Vanderbilt in Nashville, serious consideration was given to cancelling the season. If the team had opted out, who could have blamed them, but they chose instead to play. Even so, it’s a season that could have gone south in a hurry because Keyontae wasn’t just Florida’s best player but he was the team’s emotional rock as well. So, they adapted, helped by Keyontae’s presence at every practice, on the sideline during games both home and away, traveling with the team on the road. You could see him talking with players during time outs. He had a calming influence on the team and likely prevented the Florida season from going south. Such is the power of hope. This was a roller coaster of a season. There were games that the Gators played like a team capable of beating anyone in the country. Just ask Tennessee, which came to the O-Dome ranked sixth in the country and left on the short end of a humiliating 26-point beat down. There were also games in which the Gators could have lost to anyone in the country. Witness that disaster at the O-Dome against a vastly inferior South Carolina team, one of the worst losses in Mike White’s six years as Florida’s head coach. Through it all, Keyontae Johnson was a rock that the Gators could cling to in the difficult times. When bodies grew weary and exhaustion set in, when it felt like simply putting one foot in front of another was too big a chore, all they had to do was look to the sideline and there he was – Keyontae, always positive, always encouraging, always offering advice honed by personal experience, the penultimate teammate and friend. There was another traumatic experience ahead, this of the COVID-19 variety that lasted 13 days with three games erased. When play resumed the Gators were a .500 team, five wins, five losses. Florida fans lamented every loss, some going so far as throwing up their hands in despair and calling for athletic director Scott Stricklin to either fire Mike White or put him on the shortest of leashes. Not everyone saw things through the orange and blue glasses of Gator fans, however. Former Long Beach State and Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg, now a respected analyst with ESPN, thought White did a tremendous job of holding the team together and getting them to the NCAA Tournament. “Florida, I think they’ve over-achieved,” Greenberg told Paul Finebaum. “I think Mike has done a tremendous job after that tragedy they went through and what they had to witness even though Keyontae is with the team.” In the NCAA Tournament, the Gators won a game they shouldn’t have against Virginia Tech and they lost one they should have won in the second round against Oral Roberts. The Gators were capable of making a far deeper run but we can’t forget they could have also finished the season as an SEC bottom feeder without a postseason. What happened after the Oral Roberts loss was the equivalent of throwing 50-gallon drums of gasoline onto an already raging fire. Both Gator fans who were annoyed by a 15-10 season and those who have been supportive of White nearly had apoplexy when there was a swift wholesale exit of six players. Tre Mann was expected to go since he’s a sure first rounder with a legitimate chance of working his way into the NBA Draft lottery. Scottie Lewis going pro was unexpected considering he was the single-most inconsistent player on the Florida roster. Many expected him to transfer but going pro? That remains a head scratcher. Noah Locke’s departure was thought to be a foretelling of things to come, particularly since he and Keyontae have often been described as twin brothers by different mothers. When Locke left, conventional wisdom said Keyontae Johnson was as good as gone, but that never happened. Locke was followed into the transfer portal rather quickly by Omar Payne, Ques Glover and Osayi Osifo. The keyboard cowboys on the internet called for Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin to fire White immediately before the cupboard was laid completely bare, especially after Locke (Louisville), Payne (Illinois), Glover (Samford) and Osifo (Jacksonville) found new homes almost immediately. A funny thing happened on the way to the tar and feathering of Florida’s head coach, however. Almost before the screen door could hit the final departing player in the posterior on their way out the door, the basketball program began taking on the qualities of the ancient Egyptian phoenix, a bird that was consumed by fire only to rise from the ashes, stronger than ever before. The four departing players were replaced from the transfer portal by four players whose careers at their previous schools have been more accomplished. From a pride and public relations standpoint the departures hurt, but that was offset by four incoming players whose stat lines dwarf those of the four departures. White outrecruited Kansas for Brandon McKissic, one of the three or four most coveted players in the transfer portal. The Missouri-Kansas City combo guard is a high volume scorer (17.2 last year) in addition to being the Summit League’s Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Lefty Driesell National Defensive Player of the Year. That was followed by the commitment of power forward C.J. Felder from Boston College. He’s 6-7, but plays 6-10, a prolific shot blocker (2.2 per game) and a substantial offensive upgrade (9.7 per game) from either Payne (3.8) or Osifo (1.9). White outrecruited a number of ACC and Big East Elites as well as Arkansas, Ole Miss and Tennessee to land Felder. It was a battle between LSU, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Alabama among others for Myreon Jones, another stout defensive player and a knockdown 3-point artist who was Penn State’s leading scorer. Phlandrous Fleming Jr. was thought to be a mortal lock for perennial national power Virginia when he committed to UF. He was the Big South Conference’s two-time Defensive Player of the Year, a 20-point per game scorer and 7.4 rebounder. The four transfers are more than just tapping the brakes on what seemed to be a skidding program. They are an upgrade, but still, it took Keyontae’s tweet to cast aside the negativity to deliver a powerful and much-needed injection of hope. This is what the Florida basketball program desperately needed. This is what Mike White needed. It says plenty that Keyontae was on the NBA radar even with his medical concerns. Had he elected to enter the transfer portal, it would have been a who’s who of the college game lining up for a shot at a player who, by character alone, would represent a substantial roster upgrade. He could have gone home to be surrounded by friends and family while taking a year off to get healthy and survey his options. He could have done all those things but instead he’s coming back to the University of Florida for a chance to play at least one more year – he has two years of eligibility remaining – for Mike White. He is coming back to the University of Florida because he trusts the medical professionals at Shands and believes they are the best choice to improve his health to the point that he can return to playing basketball. This is where he wants to be. Mike White is the coach he wants to play for. The doctors at Shands are the ones he wants to treat him. What a powerful statement that is. What extraordinary timing for the announcement. Perhaps Keyontae Johnson wasn’t thinking about the necessity of this announcement when he took to Twitter, but whether planned for maximum effect or not, it has made a clear statement to everyone who follows Florida basketball that reports of the basketball program’s demise are greatly exaggerated. We won’t know for another five months at the earliest if Keyontae will be cleared medically to play again and getting cleared is just the first step in the process. Once he’s able to practice again, we’ll find out how much of a physical toll this injury – whatever it was – has taken out of him. Will he be as strong or as quick as before? Will he be able to leap as high or make the same shots? And, every bit as important, how has the collapse affected him emotionally? Will he be able to block out everything from the past and simply focus on playing hard and playing well? Or will he have it in the back of his mind that another collapse could be right around the corner? It will be months before we know those answers, but whether Keyontae Johnson can play again or not, he is a symbol of hope and courage who wants to be a Florida Gator.

For six Saturday’s a year—sometimes five, sometimes seven—Ben Hill Griffin Stadium can become the epicenter of the state of Florida. At any given time during those Saturday’s in the fall, 100,000 fans can be found milling about, taking over every seat, wall or available piece of grass in the area. But the Swamp is meant to be enjoyed more than just six or seven days a year. That’s the philosophy Athletic Director Scott Stricklin adopted as he worked to make the Swamp the place to be at all times of the year. Ben Hill Griffin has always had more of an open door policy than other stadiums. The Alabama Crimson Tide stadium for example, is closed every day but gameday. If you want to enter the stadium on a random Tuesday, you have to pay a fee for a tour. In Gainesville, Gate 18 is always open. Students and local residents can be found inside working out, taking pictures or even enjoying picnics as the sun sets in the Florida sky. Every September 11, the Gainesville Fire Department puts on their full gear and runs the stadium steps to the equivalent of the steps in the World Trade Centers. So the stadium is there for the community to use. But Stricklin wants the community to feel like it is truly theirs as well. That’s why he’s worked to make it a destination for thousands, more than just a few Saturday’s in the fall or a late March workout. Which is why on a cool evening earlier this week, Stricklin found himself standing above the North endzone in the Touchdown Terrace, talking to a group of local reporters as they leaned on golf clubs. “A couple of years ago we had a Garth Brooks concert here in the Swamp,” Stricklin reminded those gathered there. “We love finding ways to use this facility for the community to come out and engage at times of year that they wouldn’t normally be here.” So this weekend, fans can sign up to play Top Golf in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. TopGolf is the entertainment venue that has taken society by storm in recent years. The multi-level building has hitting bays, combining the driving range with video games, bowling and the ability to hang out with friends. The TopGolf website describes the experience as such: “No matter the occasion or who you share it with, we believe that every great time starts with play, is fueled by food and drinks, moved by music and all made possible through community. “Here at Topgolf, we’ve made socializing a sport through a blend of technology and entertainment – and that’s just the game! If you journey through our venue on any given day, you’ll find a place buzzing with energy. Every Topgolf features dozens of climate-controlled hitting bays for year-round comfort with HDTVs in every bay and throughout our sports bar & restaurant. “There’s no pressure to have a good golf swing or score a lot of points. It’s all about everyone having fun.” Possessing a good golf swing really isn’t necessary. This writer can attest it doesn’t impede on the fun. From the Touchdown Terrace, groups are put in bays. Surfaces are cleaned and sanitized often, abiding with COVID-19 protocols. Inflatable bubbles dot the field, which are used to keep score based on the trackers in each golf ball. Since this is the traveling system and not permanent one, the score keeping isn’t always official. Sometimes balls from the next bay over will count on a neighboring scoreboard. Some balls take up to a minute to send back a score and certain clubs have been kept out of the bag, so as to keep those with extra hard swings from hitting the far scoreboard. But the ability to stand above the endzone, see the stadium from a point of view not normally afforded, and jack golfballs downfield is a unique experience. It serves as a reminder as well that Gainesville is a vibrant community, full of art and culture, nature and community. The Gators program is the city’s fun side, but its quirkiness is what helps the city thrive year round. Stricklin’s desire to give the stadium to the community in the spring as well leans in to that fact, creating a marriage between the fans, the town and the Florida Gators that can truly be all encompassing. So if you find yourself with free time this weekend, grab a golf glove and point your car towards Gainesville for an experience that can’t be easily replicated…until the next event anyways. For schedule and pricing, check here.

If Florida softball had a rival outside of Florida State, it would be the Alabama Crimson Tide. In the last 12 seasons, either the Gators or the Crimson Tide have gone on to win the SEC regular season title. The two programs are like football’s eastern division race between Florida and Georgia. It’s a tossup when it comes down to who will actually play in the SEC Championship game, but you can bet one of the two teams will be in Atlanta. Similarly, the likelihood of Florida or Alabama winning the SEC regular season title is high. Which is why last weekend’s series between the Gators and the Crimson Tide was huge, not only within the SEC, but in the world of college softball as a whole. The two teams went head-to-head on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Tuscaloosa in a battle between the No. 5-ranked Gators and the No. 4-ranked Crimson Tide. Florida was coming off of a humiliating loss to UCF that saw the Knights route the Gators 7-0 in Gainesville, marking just the second time this season that Florida lost on its own turf. But in less than 48 hours following the loss, the Gators would be in T-Town preparing for their biggest series of the season. Tim Walton’s ability to get his team to respond to his challenges following losses is unmatched. He did it the first time the Gators lost to UCF, and later went on to sweep a top 15-ranked LSU team that weekend. Perhaps the biggest challenge of the weekend for the Gators would be facing Alabama pitcher Montana Fouts. Fouts, who stands over six feet tall, making her one of the tallest softball pitchers in the country, has a unique stride in the circle – one that’s hard to adjust to for most batters. The right-handed ace has pitched 118 innings on the year, including 14 – two complete games – against the Gators. The Alabama junior has tallied a respectable 181 strikeouts and maintains a 1.66 ERA on the year. Florida’s leadoff hitter Hannah Adams went hitless on Friday night, despite boasting a .409 average on the year. Meanwhile, Cheyenne Lindsey, who Walton moved to the two-spot after having generally hit at the bottom of the lineup, recorded a two-hit performance Friday night, including the hit that made the difference in Florida’s series-opening win. A two-out, two-RBI single off the bat of Lindsey were the only two runs the Gators would score and need in their 2-0 win. Florida’s opening win was bigger than most realize. Any win over Fouts is something to take note of. But more importantly, Walton and the Gators knew that Fouts couldn’t pitch all weekend. They’d likely only need to beat her once, in addition to whoever else the Tide started in the circle. After earning the start and hurling 140 pitches on Friday night, the Gators knew that Fouts wouldn’t get the start on Saturday, if she saw any action at all. Senior Krystal Goodman started Saturday night’s contest against Florida. And while opposing Goodman, who is also 6-foot-1, is no walk in the park, it also doesn’t match the task of batting against Fouts. The Gators hopped on Goodman in the third inning, plating two runs, which was ignited by a one-out walk from Adams. Lindsey, staying put in the two-hole, scored Adams after knocking a 0-1 offering from Goodman to right-center field, good for an RBI double. Florida third baseman Charla Echols followed Lindsey’s two-bagger with one of her own, scratching Lindsey across the plate, helping the Gators to a two-run advantage. Walton has been high on Echols since the Georgia-native transferred to Florida from Michigan State prior to the 2020 season. “Wherever Charla goes, we go,” Walton has said. Alabama answered the Gators’ two-run third inning in the home-half of the fourth, where the Crimson Tide plated a pair of runs. The two runs in the fourth inning were the only two runs given up by Florida’s pitching staff through the first two games. Elizabeth Hightower pitched the distance on Friday night, holding the Tide to just three hits and no runs. On Saturday, Natalie Lugo and Katie Chronister pitched four and three innings, respectively, and gave up a combined four hits and two runs. Meanwhile, the Gators capitalized on Montana Fouts’ absence and strung together seven hits on Saturday, the biggest of which came in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, Florida’s Kendyl Lindaman waltzed to the plate and flashed a smirk before stepping into the batter’s box. Stretching 5-foot-10, Lindaman is one of the taller batters pitchers will face in most lineups, but Florida’s lineup, especially. And sometimes, in an attempt to adjust to the heightened strike zone, pitchers can keep balls hanging a hair too high. And Lindaman will make pitchers pay for the mistake every time. One pitch is all Lindaman needed. Goodman tossed a screwball over the plate and Lindaman watched it hang high a hair too long for Goodman’s liking, but it was perfect for the Gators’ designated player. With one swing of the bat, Lindaman blew the game wide open with a four-run grand slam in the sixth inning to help the Gators to an 8-2 lead. Florida would plate one more run in the seventh, to put the game on ice en route to a 9-2 thumping in game two, securing its fifth-straight conference series. The Gators have yet to cough up a series in the SEC. The Gators would go on to drop Sunday’s matchup as Fouts would dish 11 strikeouts in a 4-2 win for the Tide. But while a sweep would have been the icing on the cake, Florida accomplished what they came into Tuscaloosa to do: bounce back and win the series. The Gators rose to No. 3 in the country in both major polls this week, making them the top-ranked team in the SEC. However, the race for the regular season conference title is far from over. The Arkansas Razorbacks have silently had an impressive season and currently sit atop the conference. Florida and Arkansas won’t see each other in the regular season, meaning it will boil down to conference record. And the Razorbacks (16-2 SEC) currently hold a one-game advantage over the Gators (12-3). Florida has nine conference games left on its schedule, while Arkansas has just six. All said, if both the Gators and the Razorbacks finish out conference play perfectly and go undefeated, the game-three loss to the Crimson Tide could come back to bite the Gators in the rear. But we’ll worry about what when we reach that bridge. For now, Walton and the Gators get to enjoy clinching a huge series against Alabama, their foes of the conference.

A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning: WOULD THE 49ERS TAKE KYLE PITTS AT NO. 3? That is a question being raised by Rob Schuch of Sports Illustrated. Logically, the answer is no based on the fact San Francisco already traded up from the 12th to the third pick and head coach Kyle Shanahan has had extra pro day workouts to get a second look at Alabama quarterback Mac Jones and Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. A case could be made that (a) both quarterbacks make sense for a coach who obviously doesn’t have a lot of confidence that incumbent veteran Jimmy Garopolo can get the job done and (b) it’s unheard of to trade up to draft a tight end that high. But this isn’t just any tight end. This is a tight end that many longtime observers and experts say is a generational talent. Kyle Pitts is not your traditional tight end just as he’s not your traditional wide receiver either. So what is he? Well, he’s got tight end size (6-6, 250), an NBA wingspan (83-5/8 inches), enormous hands (10-5/8 inches), wide receiver speed (4.4) and the ability to be a mismatch wherever you play him. Put him outside and he is as fast as most corners and able to catch the ball over them. Put him in the slot and there isn’t a safety in the league big enough or fast enough to play him straight up. Put him as a motion guy or traditional tight end and linebackers will get burned consistently. In other words, he’s going to command a double team from the day he plays his first down in the No Fun League. So which do the Niners need more: A quarterback who can make all the throws or a receiver like no other in the draft? Garopolo has played only one complete season (2019) in which he threw for 3,978 yards (8.4 per attempt) and 27 touchdowns (13 picks). He played only six games in 2020 before suffering a season-ending injury before the injury he was less than spectacular. Nick Mullens threw 12 TDPs and 12 INTs as Garopolo’s replacement so he’s definitely not the answer. There are five quarterbacks who are consensus first round material for next week: Trevor Lawrence (to Jacksonville) and Zach Wilson (to New York Jets) are already spoken for, then there are Jones, Fields and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance. Jones throws the best deep ball; Fields has a big arm and great wheels; Lance is thought to have the most upside of the three. Nobody would fault Shanahan taking Jones, Fields or Lance, but as we saw in 1983 when six quarterbacks were taken in the first round, three wound up in the Hall of Fame (John Elway, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly), one ended up pretty good (Ken O’Brien) and two were categorical busts (Todd Blackledge and Tony Eason). The lesson: Typically, there are as many busts as first round successes when it comes to drafting quarterbacks in the first round. Tom Brady, you might recall, was a sixth rounder and Drew Brees was taken in the second. So, that brings us back to Kyle Pitts. Last year the 49ers had a very pedestrian group of receivers. Leading receiver Brandon Aiyuk averaged only 12.5 yards per catch. Kendrick Burns was slightly better at 13.6. Tight end George Kittle averaged 13.5. The three of them combined for 157 catches and five touchdowns. None of them had a catch for more than 50 yards. Pitts caught 43 passes for 770 yards (17.91 per catch) and 12 touchdowns in only eight games. A very large percentage of the defensive backs he burned on a regular basis will be the same ones he will be facing in the NFL. There is a big difference between college and the pros, but in the right system Pitts could be that guy who is even better playing for money on Sundays than he was playing for free on Saturdays. As we approach next week’s draft, everything logical says the 49ers will take either Jones or Fields with the third selection. The book on these guys is they are can’t miss prospects but nobody is calling them generational talents. You will find very few pro scouts or coaches who think Kyle Pitts isn’t a generational receiver. Here is one off the wall thought. San Francisco general manager John Lynch is a Stanford guy who is close to Stanford coach Willie Shaw? Does Lynch go with Pitts and then take Stanford QB Davis Mills, whose draft stock has been rising steadily the last couple of weeks, with the 43rd overall selection in the second round? Crazier things have happened. GATORS REACH SEC TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH Blaise Bicknell scored a 3-set victory (4-6, 6-2, 6-4) over Noah Schachtner to secure a 4-3 won for No. 1 Florida (20-1) over Texas A&M (16-8) in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference Championships in Fayetteville. The Aggies won the doubles point but Florida got singles wins from Sam Riffice, Ben Shelton, Josh Goodger and Bicknell to score the win. The Gators will face Tennessee (23-3), a 4-0 winner over South Carolina (15-9), in the championship match today. CRITICAL ROAD SERIES AT AUBURN FOR UF BASEBALL Based solely on records, the 15th-ranked Gators (26-11, 9-6 SEC East) should have few problems with SEC bottom feeder Auburn (16-18, 2-13 SEC West) this weekend but Florida can’t afford a letdown as the second half of the SEC portion of the schedule gets under way. The Gators are two games behind SEC East leader and 2nd-ranked Vanderbilt (29-6, 11-4 SEC East) and one behind 6th-ranked Tennessee (30-8, 10-5 SEC East) and a half-game behind 11th-ranked South Carolina (24-11, 10-6 SEC East). Vanderbilt is at home this weekend against 4th-ranked Mississippi State (28-8, 10-5 SEC West) for perhaps the best matchup in all of college baseball. Tennessee is on the road at Texas A&M (22-17, 4-11 SEC West), a series the Vols figure to sweep. South Carolina dropped the first game of its 3-game series with No. 1 Arkansas (31-6, 12-4 SEC) Thursday night. Florida will once again go with its revamped weekend rotation, starting Franco Aleman (1-1, 4.06 ERA) tonight with Tommy Mace (4-0, 3.78 ERA) going Saturday and Hunter Barco (5-2, 4.70 ERA) getting the Sunday start. Other UF spring sports: Softball: The 3rd-ranked Gators (33-6, 12-3 SEC) hope to stay within striking distance of SEC leader Arkansas (37-5, 16-2 SEC) when South Carolina (23-18, 2-13 SEC) comes to Gainesville for a 3-game series starting tonight at 6 p.m. It will be Senior Day at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium on Saturday when the Gators honor Katie Chronister, Kendyl Lindaman, Jaimie Hoover and Jordan Matthews along with Jordan Roberts, Sophia Reynoso and Jade Caraway who didn’t get a Senior Day last year. Lacrosse: The 9th-ranked Gators (11-2, 8-0 AAC) need only one win in their two weekend matches against Old Dominion (3-12, 1-7 AAC) to clinch the outright American Athletic Conference championship. The Gators and Monarchs square off at 3 p.m. today and 10 a.m. on Sunday. Men’s golf: The Gators remained tied for 9th in the SEC Championships at St. Simon’s Island after posting a 9-over par 289 Thursday for a two-day total of 575, 15-over par. Alabama holds the lead at one-over par 561. The Gators need to finish among the top eight teams to advance to match play starting on Saturday. OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC Alabama: On ESPN’s First Take radio show, running back Najee Harris said the reason so many Alabama players get drafted is because the “competition level in practice was almost greater than the game because you go against all these guys who are future 1st-rounders, future Hall of Famers, future all-pro, all this talent that’s coming there. Just me being at practice would be almost as hard as the games.” Arkansas: Arkansas will be turning the keys to the offense over to K.J. Jefferson, who is a career 47.2 percent passer with 492 yards and three touchdown passes. Auburn: Trey Alexander (6-4, 190), a 4-star shooting guard recruit out of Oklahoma, has asked to be released from his signed national letter of intent. Georgia: Defensive coordinator Dan Lanning is interviewing to become the next head coach at Kansas … Hines Ward, a former Georgia quarterback signee who developed into an All-Pro wide receiver who caught 1,000 passes for 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns during his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, will be coaching wide receivers for Willie Taggart at Florida Atlantic. Kentucky: Terrence Clarke, who recently declared for the NBA Draft after a single season at UK, was killed in an automobile accident in Los Angeles Thursday. Clarke averaged 9.6 points in an injury-shortened freshman year. Teammate BJ Boston was in the car with Clarke but reports say he is okay. LSU: In addition to a Title IX lawsuit against the LSU football program, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is investigating the sexual misconduct scandal to see if the school engaged in race and gender discrimination as well as equal pay issues. LSU associate athletics director for recruiting is behind the $50 million Title IX lawsuit. Mississippi State: Mike Leach is going to hire former Utah offensive analyst Ryan Lindley to his staff. Missouri: Missouri’s wrestling program will compete next year in the Big 12. Mizzou is the only SEC school with a wrestling program. The Tigers competed in the MAC prior to this move to the Big 12. South Carolina: Due to expected weather issues, South Carolina is moving its Garnet and Black game from Saturday afternoon to Sunday. Tennessee: Former Michigan quarterback Joe Milton says he hasn’t made a final decision to transfer to Tennessee. He says he will announce Sunday, choosing between UT and Washington State. Texas A&M: Defensive coordinator Mike Elko will be interviewing for the vacant Kansas HBC job. GENO HAYES IN HOSPICE CARE Say a prayer for former Florida State linebacker Geno Hayes tonight. Hayes, who was a 220-pounder in his college days at FSU and a 7-year NFL career that included stops at Tampa Bay, Chicago and Jacksonville, suffers from chronic liver disease that has dropped his weight down to 150 pounds. Hayes has been moved into hospice at his parents’ home in Georgia. Despite the dismal outlook for his future, Hayes says his “main goal is to just inspire, to inspire the next person, no matter what they’re going through, no matter who talks bad about them – family, friends, social media, all of that crap – it don’t matter. You take care of you. Make sure that you’re straight. That’s all I want to do.” ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: In case you missed it, Southern Cal basketball was put on probation by the NCAA a few days ago because former assistant coach Tony Bland took a $4,100 bribe and was caught on FBI wiretaps bragging about the things he could do for recruits. Bland was fired and got a three-year show cause. The penalties were light – two years probation but no post season ban, a $5,000 fine and a 1 percent loss of the basketball budget for two years. Southern Cal got off light, according to the NCAA, because it cooperated during the investigation. I don’t doubt that USC cooperated, but still the process took way too long. Kansas, Arizona and LSU are now in their fourth years of dealing with this same scandal and they haven’t had their day in court. I have no doubt they’ll get hammered when the time comes, but it’s ridiculous to think that by the time justice is served we’ll be five years beyond the infractions.

A few thoughts to jump start your Thursday morning: KEYONTAE WILL COME BACK We still don’t know if Keyontae Johnson will ever play basketball again. The University of Florida has some of the best doctors in the world and they still haven’t told us if they believe Keyontae can make all the way back for what will be described as a miracle comeback from a near death experience. Back on December 12 in Tallahassee, it was indeed a close call with death when a few minutes into the game with Florida State, Keyontae mysteriously collapsed on the floor of the Donald Tucker Center. Only quick and decisive action by doctors on hand that day saved his life. We were thrilled when he recovered enough to work with Mike White and the UF coaching staff to help guide the team once the SEC portion of the schedule kicked in. Most of us have been of the opinion that coaching might be the only option remaining for Keyontae if he intends to stay involved in basketball but as Lee Corso might say, “Not so fast my friend!” There might be more than coaching in his future. Wednesday when Keyontae took to Twitter to update his status we didn’t get anything that clarifies exactly what caused the collapse in Tallahassee. That remains private information and only if and when Keyontae and his family elect to release it will we know why he came so close to death that day. The only thing we know at this point is that Keyontae tested positive for COVID-19 last summer and that his family has stated the collapse was non-COVID related. We’re still in the dark about so much, but Wednesday we were enlightened, not about the medical condition for which he continues to be treated, but about his plans for the future. He’s not going anywhere and he is doing everything he can to get to a point where he can play again. In a statement posted on Twitter Keyontae said he will not enter the NBA Draft. Even with the medical issues, Keyontae was considered enough of a prospect that many mock drafts including one recently posted by ESPN had him going in the second round. He also isn’t intending to transfer out even though best buddy Noah Locke – described by some as a twin brother by a different mother – is leaving UF to play for Louisville next year. Another option might have been to return home to Norfolk where he could be close to family, but that also has been nixed. Instead, Johnson says he will remain at Florida and continue to work diligently to regain full health. On Twitter, Johnson stated he is “patiently waiting on medical clearance” and that “I plan to keep working to prepare for the upcoming season. My story continues to be written & driven by God! Go Gators!” If you saw Keyontae so lifeless on the court at the Tucker Center back in December, then you know what a miracle it is that he’s making progress with his health and is determined to play basketball again for the Gators. What a feel good story this next miracle would be if he’s cleared to play and can be a contributor next season. Never mind stardom. Just getting back on the floor would be a real inspiration to everyone who has kept Keyontae. Anything more than that would feel like God shined on the Gator Nation once again. DARRIS NICHOLS NEW HBC FOR RADFORD BASKETBALL When Darris Nichols accepted the head coaching job at Radford University of the Big South Conference Wednesday it meant that all three of the assistant coaches who came to the University of Florida with Mike White now leading a Division I program of their own. Dusty May is the HBC at Florida Atlantic and Jordan Mincey only recently accepted the HBC job at Jacksonville University. It’s a homecoming for Nichols, who grew up in Radford although he played collegiately at West Virginia. Nichols spent two years working for White at Louisiana Tech before coming to Gainesville where he spent the last six years. A WatchStadium.com poll of SEC coaches rated Nichols the No. 2 assistant in the league. N0. 1 GATORS ADVANCE TO SEC TENNIS SEMIFINALS Despite losing the doubles point, the Gators (19-2) won their 16th straight match Wednesday evening, knocking off 17th-ranked Mississippi State, 4-2, in their quarterfinal match at the Southeastern Conference Championships in Fayetteville. Mississippi State’s top two doubles teams won their matches for a quick 1-0 lead but the Gators came back to win four of the five singles matches. Once the Gators clinched the win, the sixth singles match was suspended. Getting wins for UF were Sam Riffice at No. 2, Blaise Bicknell at No. 4, Ben Shelton at No. 5 and Josh Goodger at No. 6. The Gators will face Texas A&M in Thursday’s semifinals. Other UF spring sports: Softball: Cheyenne Lindsey provided all the offense the Gators needed with a first inning 2-run homer and Natalie Lugo and Katie Chronister combined to pitch a 3-hitter as 3rd-ranked Florida shut out Florida Gulf Coast, 3-0, in Fort Myers Wednesday evening. Hannah Adams opened the game with a single and Lindsey followed with her third homer of the year over the right field fence. Lugo (11-1, 1.34 ERA) picked up the win while Chronister picked up her fourth save with two hitless innings in relief. Next up for the Gators (33-6, 12-3 SEC) is a weekend SEC matchup with South Carolina (23-17, 2-13 SEC). The win was the 950th of the career for Florida coach Tim Walton, whose .798 winning percentage is the highest in the nation among Division I coaches over the past 19 seasons. Walton is 950-241 overall in his career, 827-177 at Florida. Volleyball: T’ara Ceasar was named second team All-America and Lauren Forte was selected to the third team by the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Women’s tennis: It was a bad day for the 11th-ranked Gators in Tuscaloosa as they dropped their quarter-final match to South Carolina, 4-1, in the SEC Championships. Men’s golf: The 17th-ranked Gators are tied for ninth place, 11 shots behind Georgia after one round of the SEC Championships at St. Simon’s Island. The Gators are 6-over par although Joe Pagdin had a strong day, finishing 2-under (68). OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC (FOOTBALL/HOOPS) Alabama: John Petty Jr. made it official that he’s hiring an agent and declaring for the NBA Draft. Meanwhile, Joshua Primo (6-6, 190, FR) is testing the NBA Draft waters but will not hire an agent so he will be able to return to school. Primo averaged 8.1 points and 3.4 rebounds last season. Arkansas: The Arkansas passing game took a hit when wide receiver Mike Woods announced he is transferring. Woods, who caught 32 passes for 619 yards and five touchdowns last season, averaged 19.3 per catch, which was the best of any returning receiver in the SEC. Joining Woods in the NCAA transfer portal is redshirt freshman defensive tackle Enoch Jackson, who was on the field for 17 snaps last season. Auburn: Desi Sills (6-1, 203, JR) is transferring from Arkansas to Auburn. Sills averaged 7.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game ... Allan Flanigan (6-6, 215, SO), who averaged 14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game last year, announced he will be returning to Auburn for the 2021-22 season. Georgia: The loss of point guard Sahvir Wheeler (5-10, 160, JR) is a huge blow to Tom Crean and the Georgia basketball program. Wheeler is testing the NBA Draft waters and has also placed his name in the transfer portal. Wheeler was Georgia’s leading scorer last year at 14 per game. He also averaged 3.5 rebounds and led the SEC in assists at 7.4 per game. Wheeler’s departure means that Georgia has lost six to the transfer portal. Kentucky: Iowa fans are in an uproar, claiming John Calipari and the UK staff have been tampering with C.J. Fredrick (6-3, 200, SO), who played his prep basketball at Covington Catholic. Frederick averaged 7.5 points per game while shooting 47.4 percent on his 3-pointers. Fredrick’s dad vehemently denied that anyone from UK had been in contact with CJ prior to his transfer announcement on Tuesday ... UK assistant Tony Barbee, once the head basketball coach at Auburn, is the front runner for the vacant job at Central Michigan. LSU: Wide receivers coach Mickey Joseph is at the top of the leaderboard as Southern University vets candidates for its vacant HBC job … Tari Eason (6-8, 220, FR) is transferring in from Cincinnati after averaging 7.4 points and 5.9 rebounds last season. Mississippi State: Sophomore center Quinten Post (7-0, 240, SO) is transferring out after averaging 2.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. Missouri: Parker Braun (6-8, 217, SO) is transferring to Santa Clara after averaging 2.8 points and 1.5 rebounds last year. Ole Miss: Former 4-star recruit Jaemyn Brakefield (6-8, 216, FR) is transferring from Duke to Ole Miss. Brakefield averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game for Duke last season. South Carolina: A.J. Lawson (6-6, 195) is going pro and hiring an agent. Lawson averaged a team-leading 16.6 points while pulling down 4.1 rebounds per game last year. He scored 1,153 points in his South Carolina career. Tennessee: Former 4-star recruit KaTron Evans has been released from his national letter of intent. He was rated the No. 17 defensive tackle in the nation as a high school senior last year. Texas A&M: With the departures of LaDamien Bradford and Jaxson Robinson earlier in the week, eight scholarship players have left the Aggie basketball program since the season ended back in March. Vanderbilt: A huge loss for the basketball roster as last year’s second leading scorer and leading rebounder Dylan Disu (6-9, 220, SO) is transferring out. Disu averaged 15 points and 9.2 rebounds per game last year while shooting a very respectable 36.9 percent from the three-point line ... Jerry Stackhouse completed his basketball staff by hiring Ed Conroy and Michael Curry. Conroy is formerly a head coach at both Citadel and Tulane while Curry has been the head coach of the Detroit Pistons and Florida Atlantic during his coaching career … Cornerback Donovan Kauffman, who was in on 15 tackles and had a pass breakup last fall as a true freshman, has entered the football transfer portal. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: A friend of mine lamented the fact that Vanderbilt remains a member of the Southeastern Conference. “They’re good in baseball, women’s tennis and women’s bowling,” he told me. “They need to go to the ACC where they can play Duke, Wake Forest, Boston College and teams like that every year.” I’ve been hearing suggestions like that most of my adult life. While I can’t disagree that Vandy would probably in many ways be a better fit in the ACC or that it is a bottom feeder in nearly every SEC sport, there is a reason why Vandy isn’t going anywhere. Not soon or in the distant future. I can tell you why in one word: MONEY. The SEC distributed $45 million to each of its 14 member schools in 2019-20. While those numbers will dip because of COVID-19 when the next distribution is made, it will still be significantly more than the ACC doles out ($29 million in 2019-20). And this isn’t taking into consideration that when the football contract with CBS ends every SEC school will get a boost of $20 million additional dollars from ESPN. Vanderbilt is a private school with a hefty endowment, but it isn’t going to leave the SEC to make less money elsewhere nor is the SEC about to tell the Dores don’t let the screen door hit you on the way out. For one thing, everybody in the SEC loves those trips to Nashville not to mention the fact Vanderbilt makes for a nice homecoming opponent.

A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning: WILL TRASK BE THE SIXTH QB TAKEN IN THE FIRST ROUND? You won’t find a single mock draft out there that has Florida quarterback Kyle Trask selected in the first round of next week’s NFL Draft. Mel Kiper of ESPN, considered by most the foremost expert on the draft rates Trask as his 6th-ranked QB but the folks who do the mock drafts tend to disagree with that assessment. Dane Brugler of The Athletic gives Trask a fourth-round grade and has Stanford’s Davis Mills, who threw 18 touchdown passes in two seasons (Trask threw 66 including 41 last year) rated higher. Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports has Trask going to the New Orleans Saints at the end of the third round in a compensatory pick (No. 98 overall), 46 spots lower than Mills. Jason Risdom of something called Real GM has Trask going in the fifth or sixth round. Peter King, who spent 29 years with Sports Illustrated before moving over to NBC Sports, is as well connected with NFL owners, executives, coaches and scouts as anyone in the country. King agrees that Trevor Lawrence (Clemson), Zach Wilson (BYU), Justin Fields (Ohio State), Mac Jones (Alabama) and Trey Lance (North Dakota State) are mortal locks for the first round, but he’s hearing that Trask has a chance to be the sixth QB taken, something that hasn’t happened since 1983 when the six selections were John Elway, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, Ken O’Brien, Todd Blackledge and Tony Eason. The knock on Trask is that he doesn’t have elite arm strength, but he threw only 15 interceptions in 813 passes during his UF career and had a 67.9 completion percentage. Pro Football Focus, King points out, gave Trask a 71.1 rating when throwing under duress, one of the higher ratings. Trask isn’t going to beat people with his legs, but he moves in the pocket very well and tends to throw the football where only his receivers can catch it. King believes Trask would be a good first round fit with the New Orleans Saints where the veteran QBs on the roster are Taysom Hill, who was often injured during his college days at BYU and has thrown for 1,047 yards and four TDs in his pro career, and Jameis Winston, who completed 30 passes to the other team in his final year at Tampa Bay. If the Saints are thinking long term solution that doesn’t have to play immediately, Trask might be the perfect fit. It’s interesting also that Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported that the Saints seemed quite enamored with Trask at Florida’s Pro Day. The first round might be a longshot, but I can see Trask in the second without a lot of trouble and I would almost bet the farm he goes before the likes of Shane Buechele (SMU) and Georgia’s NHTW (Near Heisman Trophy Winner) Jamie Newman, who Risdom ranks higher. GATORS MOVE UP IN BASEBALL POLLS A 4-0 week that saw the Gators (25-11, 9-6 SEC) get a walk-off win over Florida State and a 3-game sweep over Missouri paid off at the polls. The Gators moved up in all four of the major college baseball polls, advancing as high as No. 12 in the poll run by Collegiate Baseball. The Gators travel to Jacksonville (7-22) tonight in a non-conference matchup and resume SEC play this weekend at Auburn (14-18, 2-13 SEC). Freshman lefty Timmy Manning (0-0, 4.50 ERA) is expected to get the start for UF. Collegiate Baseball poll: 1. Arkansas 30-6; 2. Vanderbilt 28-6; 3. Texas 30-8; 4. Mississippi State 27-8; 5. TCU 26-9; 6. Tennessee 29-8; 7. South Carolina 24-10; 8. Louisville 22-11; 9. Ole Miss 26-10; 11. East Carolina 26-5; 12. FLORIDA 25-11; 13. Stanford 22-7; 14. Notre Dame 18-7; 15. Oregon 22-8; 16. Arizona 23-11; 17. Michigan 18-7; 18. Pittsburgh 20-11; 19. UCLA 21-11; 20. Oklahoma State 21-10-1; 21. Georgia 23-12; 22. Oregon State 24-10; 23. Arizona State 19-11; 24. UC-Irvine 22-11; 25. UC-Santa Barbara 24-10; 26. Stony Brook 19-8; 27. Miami 21-11; 28. Nebraska 18-6; 29. Charlotte 25-10; 30. Old Dominion 27-7. USA Today Coaches poll: 1. Arkansas 30-6; 2. Vanderbilt 28-6; 3. Texas 30-8; 4. Mississippi State 27-8; 5. Tennessee 29-8; 6. Texas Tech 26-8; 7. TCU 26-9; 8. East Carolina 26-5; 9. Louisville 22-11; 10. Ole Miss 26-10; 11. South Carolina 24-10; 12. Notre Dame 18-7; 13. Oregon 22-8; 14. FLORIDA 25-11; 15. Louisiana Tech 26-9; 16. Stanford 22-7; 17. Arizona 23-11; 18. Pittsburgh 20-11; 19. Oklahoma State 21-10-1; 20. Old Dominion 27-7; 21. Charlotte 25-10; 22. Virginia Tech 20-12; 23. Michigan 18-7; 24. Indiana State 20-8; 25. Miami 21-11. D1Baseball.com poll: 1. Arkansas 30-6; 2. Vanderbilt 28-6; 3. Texas 30-8; 4. Mississippi State 27-8; 5. Texas Tech 26-8; 6. Tennessee 29-8; 7. Louisville 22-11; 8. TCU 26-9; 9. East Carolina 26-5; 10. Notre Dame 18-7; 11. South Carolina; 12. Ole Miss 26-10; 13. Oregon 22-8; 14. Louisiana Tech 26-9; 15. FLORIDA 25-11; 16. Pittsburgh 20-11; 17. Stanford 22-7; 18. Arizona 23-11; 19. Charlotte 25-10; 20. Old Dominion 27-7; 21. Indiana State 20-8; 22. Virginia Tech 20-12; 23. Michigan 18-7; 24. Oklahoma State 21-10-1; 25. Florida State 18-14. Baseball America poll: 1. Arkansas 30-6; 2. Mississippi State 27-8; 3. Vanderbilt 28-6; 4. Louisville 22-11; 5. Texas 30-8; 6. Notre Dame 18-7; 7. Tennessee 29-8; 8. East Carolina 26-5; 9. South Carolina 24-10; 10. Texas Tech 26-8; 11. TCU 26-9; 12. Ole Miss 26-10; 13. Arizona 23-11; 14. Oregon 22-8; 15. Virginia Tech 20-12; 16. Pittsburgh 20-11; 17. Florida State 18-12; 18. FLORIDA 25-11; 19. Louisiana Tech 26-9; 20. Georgia Tech 17-14; 21. Stanford 22-7; 22. Oregon State 24-10; 23. Michigan 18-7; 24. Indiana State 20-8; 25. Old Dominion 27-7. GATORS JUMP ALABAMA IN SOFTBALL POLL The Gators (32-6, 12-3 SEC) moved up one spot to third in the most recent softball poll after taking two out of three from then 3rd-ranked Alabama. The Gators will travel to Florida Gulf Coast Wednesday and will play host to D1Softball.com poll: 1. Oklahoma 33-0; 2. UCLA 25-2; 3. FLORIDA 32-6; 4. Washington 34-6; 5. Alabama 33-7; 6. Florida State 31-6; 7. Arkansas 36-5; 8. Oregon 28-8; 9. Oklahoma State 35-5; 10. Arizona State 28-11; Arizona 27-8; 12. LSU 26-14; 13. Virginia Tech 28-7; 14. Texas 31-6; 16. Missouri 32-10; 18. Clemson 32-4; 19. Tennessee 32-7; 20. Wichita State 32-5-1; 21. Minnesota 22-6; 22. Michigan 21-4; 23. Duke 30-10; 24. Ole Miss 28-15; 25. UCF 30-12-1. GATORS FALL TO NO. 1 WISCONSIN IN NCAA VOLLEYBALL QUARTERFINALS The curtain came down on Florida’s volleyball season Monday evening in Omaha when the Gators (21-4) gave No. 1 seed Wisconsin all it could handle before falling in the fifth and deciding set of the NCAA quarterfinals. The Gators dominated the fourth set behind Thayer Hall to take a 25-18 win, forcing Wisconsin into a fifth set for the first time all season. Florida held a 9-6 lead in the fifth set before Wisconsin rallied to take the set and the match. OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC (FOOTBALL/HOOPS) Alabama: One of the big surprises this spring has been last year’s fourth string running back Roydell Williams, who ran for 43 yards and caught passes for 65 on A-Day. Arkansas: HBC Sam Pittman, who didn’t have a spring practice last year, says, “I think we could have a special team. I’m not saying we’ll go 12-0 but we should be able to compete in every single game on our schedule.” Auburn: Wide receiver Elijah Canion made a huge move during spring practice. During the A-Day game he caught a game-high six passes for 51 yards and a TD. No other receiver caught more than two passes. Georgia: Paul Finebaum says Georgia is a legitimate championship contender but the issues are the same as they were last year. “I think it’s fairly similar, I mean this is what Kirby Smart does,” Finebaum said on WJOX. “He recruits elite athletes. This is one of the four or five top programs in the country, can they win the right games for us to say they’re going to the playoffs. Simple as that.” Kentucky: Kentucky is expected to make a big play for Iowa transfer C.J. Fredrick, a Covington Catholic product who shot 47.4 percent from the 3-point line last season. LSU: New offensive coordinator Jake Peetz was brought in to dial up an offense similar to the one LSU used to go unbeaten and win the 2019 national championship. After watching what Peetz has done in the LSU spring game, Coach O said, “Great job of bringing back the Joe Brady offense and spreading the ball around.” Mississippi State: Ben Howland landed his second big time transfer in the last three days when D.J. Jeffries (6-7, 225) announced he is leaving Memphis to play for Mississippi State. Missouri: Despite losing nine players including six transfers, basketball coach Cuonzo Martin says he’s not concerned. “If they want to go somewhere else and play and be successful, have fun, whatever it is they're looking for, give them the right to do that,” Martin said. “So it wasn't a problem for me at all."Ole Miss: The defense was the big story for Ole Miss at its Saturday scrimmage, quite the contrast from 2020 when the Rebels gave up 38.3 points and 519 yards per game. South Carolina: A.J. Lawson has declared for the NBA Draft and will hire an agent. Lawson averaged 16.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game last season ... South Carolina baseball has increased capacity to 50 percent at Founders Park. Tennessee: Former Michigan quarterback Joe Milton has transferred to Tennessee. Milton threw for 1,077 yards and four touchdowns in six games last year. Texas A&M: The exit sign remains well lit in Aggieland. Freshman forward Jaxson Robinson (6-7, 193) and LaDamien Bradford (6-4, 223) became the seventh and eighth players to transfer out. Robinson averaged 2.1 points and 1.1 rebounds while Bradford scored four total points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Vanderbilt: Jerry Stackhouse scored big on the transfer trail with commitments from Rodney Chatman (6-1, 180, SR, from Dayton) and Terren Frank (6-8, 235, FR, from TCU). Chatman averaged 7.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 12 games in an injury-shortened season. Frank averaged 1.9 points and 0.9 rebounds. ALEX SMITH RETIRES Without Alex Smith, the Florida Gators might not have won the 2006 and 2008 national championships. Smith, it turned out, was the perfect fit for what was then a highly experimental spread option offense run by Urban Meyer. Prior to Meyer’s arrival at Utah in 2003, Smith ran for -11 yards and completed 2-4 passes for four yards. In 2003, he threw for 2,247 yards and 15 TDs while running for 452 and five more to lead the Utes to a 10-2 season. In 2004, Smith was brilliant, throwing for 2,952 yards and 32 touchdowns with 631 rushing yards and 10 more as Utah went unbeaten. Those two seasons made Meyer the hottest coaching property in the country, which led to Florida hiring him to replace Ron Zook. The rest is history. Smith had a good but not great pro career in which he led 23 comebacks and 19 game winning drives. He retired Monday having thrown 199 touchdown passes over 14 seasons. He missed the 2008 season with an injured shoulder and suffered a horrendous knee/leg injury in 2018 while playing with Washington. He missed all of 2019 and then made an amazing comeback in 2020 in which he started six games. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Some people, I guess, have never heard about Matt Corral, the Ole Miss quarterback who only threw for 3,337 yards while averaging 10.2 per pass attempt and completed 70.9 percent of his passes while throwing for 29 touchdowns last year. He also ran for 506 yards and four touchdowns. This was with a brand new head coach, brand new offense and no spring football. He has 10 games as a starter and now a spring football under his belt plus an offensive line that returns four starters. JT Daniels played in four games at Georgia and while he did very well in those four games it’s not like he played anyone special (I don’t consider Cincinnati special, sorry Group of Five). He had an entire seven games to get ready for his first start, which begs the question, if he was that good – and lest we forget CLEARED to play medically in September – then why didn’t he start against Florida or at least come into the game when Stetson Bennett IV struggled against the WORST defense in Florida history? So someone tell me please why Barrett Sallee of CBSSports.com writes “Georgia will enter 2021 with the best quarterback in the SEC (JT Daniels) … “? Must be the Kool-Aid.

Dan Mullen has known this was coming for a while. He even began to allude to the possibility back in early 2019. “I don’t think everybody wants it to be open recruiting every single year,” said the Florida Gators head coach back on March 11, 2019. “You’d have to really change the rules in college football and your number of signees and the numbers and guys you can bring in and initials in the class and how you’d replace guys.” Fast forward two years and the NCAA has officially passed the one-time transfer rule. This will allow college athletes to transfer to a new school one time without penalty or having to sit out for any amount of time. In a release from the NCAA, Council vice chair Jon Steinbrecher, who chairs the Working Group on Transfers and is commissioner of the Mid-American Conference said, “Allowing student-athletes a one-time opportunity to transfer and compete immediately provides a uniform, equitable and understandable approach that benefits all student-athletes. The decision is consistent with Division I’s goal of modernizing its rules to prioritize student-athlete opportunity and choice.” Whether a proponent or opponent of the rule, it’s hard to ignore the fact the NCAA brought this upon themselves. As Steinbrecher noted, the goal has become “modernizing its rules to prioritize student-athlete opportunity and choice.” This is necessary because the NCAA did the exact opposite for so long. The organization continued to hurt themselves by denying certain waivers while approving others, with little to no rhyme or reasoning from one decision to the next. There is of course an argument that some should have been denied while others approved, but the NCAA rarely drew those lines where one would assume they should be drawn. In the end, the easiest course of action forward—knowing they’d have to adapt or die—was to issue a unilateral standard across the board for the first move. And coaches have braced themselves for the turning tide. “I think you’re going to see a lot more transfers down the road, to be honest with you, because of the new NCAA rules that they’re putting into place,” Mullen said on December 7, 2020. “I don’t know if they’re in place yet but appear to be going into place. So, I think you might just see that a little more coming in the future anyway.” Fast forward two weeks, to the early signing day on December 20, 2020 and Mullen warned yet again of how the landscape of college football was about to drastically change. “I think there’s so much uncertainty when it comes to the transfer aspect with the NCAA, what’s it going to be moving forward. In every area. I think we have a couple of spots for transfers still on our team. I think if you ask almost every coach around the country, they have a lot of concerns about the direction that’s heading. “Let me explain it this way: not concerns of, ‘ok, hey, we can’t let guys transfer.’ I mean, obviously that’s coming. I think coaches understand there’s going to be a lot of little things that go along with that, that people don’t understand yet or don’t know yet, and all of a sudden, you’re going to look – and it might be a month from now, might be six months from now, might be two years from now – all of a sudden, ‘hey, we didn’t realize all this would come with it and we better change a lot of different rules to get caught up.’ “Because I do think a lot of the different rules that are in place don’t match the rules that they’re trying … the transfer rules that are coming, the current recruiting rules don’t match, they don’t meld. There’s a lot of concerns from coaches around the country about how that’s all going to work out.” The concerns are certainly still there, because the NCAA is nothing if not notoriously slow. But as the rules are put in to place and programs learn to adjust, schools can either choose to dig in their heels in protest or use the new rules to their advantage. On Thursday, speaking to the local media in Tuscaloosa, Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban said of the near perennial National Champions, “We do [have a plan], we have thought about a strategy that we're going to use. You’ve heard me speak about this before, but now that it is a rule, we're going to adapt to it and make it an advantage for us. I think what's going to happen as you see how often in a lot of leagues, you know the good players go to a good team and the bad players leave good teams because they're not playing. “So is that going to make the rich get richer? I don't know. You can decide that, but we will only look for transfers that can really, that are going to help our team be better.” The door will swing both ways. Transfers will leave, but transfers will also come in and Mullen has developed a quick reputation for being one of the best recruiters yet out of the transfer portal. Still, there are guaranteed to be some growing pains. As Mullen said back in early 2019, this will create a bit of free agency in college football. That can be both excruciating and exciting, because while it’s going to create free agency like the NFL, it’s still college football. “We’re not the NFL where we get to go do interviews and combines and check everything out,” said Mullen in March. "You’ve gotta try the best you can to get the right fit. You talk to the guys a lot about what you need, what your expectations are, what you’re looking for, and I think a lot of those guys, transfers are different than maybe in recruiting. Those guys have been in programs for a while. They understand what’s going on. When you sit down and say, this is where we’re at, this is what I’m looking for, and this is what I need from you. That’s the role. That’s how I see this working. “Guys look and they say, ‘I fit that. That’s what I’m looking for. This is a situation that I’m looking for and I fit what coach needs and that style of program.’ It’s different than maybe recruiting with high school guys because these guys have kind of been through it. When you’re talking to them about the needs and how it works and how it fits, they’ve experienced playing a lot of college football, so they know what’s going on.” This is working on the other side of campus as well. After an exodus of players, head basketball coach Mike White has welcomed four transfers: CJ Felder (Boston College), Phlandrous Fleming Jr. (Charleston Southern), Myreon Jones (Penn State) and Brandon McKissic (Missouri-Kansas City). According to a release by UF, McKissic and Fleming have both been defensive player of the year and all-league performers in their respective conferences, while Felder and Jones both have a track record of success on power conference teams. Gainesville has become a favorite destination for high-impact transfers, who have played significant roles on recent Florida teams. Most recently, the Gators have placed an incoming transfer on the All-SEC team each of the past two seasons (Colin Castleton, Kerry Blackshear Jr.). In addition to Castleton, the Gators’ starting five this past season also regularly included transfers Tyree Appleby and Anthony Duruji. In a world where coaches make promises and leave, families call kids home and in some cases, yes, athletes simply make a rash decision, the ability to correct a mistake can make or break their future. As such, college athletics are changing, a necessary adaptation for survival. Coaches have been preparing for the dynamic shift for years, preparing for the inevitable. But one thing will remain the same, at least as far as Dan Mullen is concerned. It’s the perspective he had back in March 2019, and still keeps to this day. “I hope guys are here because they want to be Florida Gators, and they want to be part of our program. It’s pretty easy to want to be here. If you don’t want to be here, there’s a specific reason. I’d think we did a poor job recruiting if guys were coming in and then immediately walking out the door because it was something different than what they thought it would be and we lied to them during recruiting, or we sold them on a dream that wasn’t true.”

Last Wednesday, Florida Gators Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said he anticipates having a full capacity crowd in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium this fall. The comments came during a virtual UF Eye Opener Discovery Breakfast with faculty and staff Wednesday, according to Gainesville TV reporter Sara Cardona of MYCBS4. Graham Hall of the Gainesville Sun later reported Stricklin also told faculty and staff he doesn't anticipate fans being required to show proof of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. However he did hedge his bets and say they'll continue to follow the direction of UF Health. Stricklin further clarified his comments. On the most recent episode of Double Coverage With Jacquie and Kassidy—which is done in conjunction with Buddy Martin Media and GatorBait Magazine—Jacquie Franciulli and Kassidy Hill discuss Stricklin's comments and what they could mean for fans. With all of this in mind, the University Athletic Association announced the first wave of ticket sales. Saturdays in The Swamp are right around the corner and fans now have a chance to purchase mini plan ticket packages for the 2021 season starting this Monday (April 19). Fans can choose from three packages that include a total of three home games each. Individual mini plans are headlined by matchups against Alabama, Tennessee or in-state foe Florida State in addition to Florida’s homecoming matchup against Vanderbilt and a choice of either FAU or Samford. Packages start at $120 per ticket. The three mini plan options are listed below. TENNESSEE MINI PLAN – $120 per ticket Tennessee, September 25. Vanderbilt, October 9 (Homecoming). Pick one the following games: FAU (September 4, season opener) or Samford (November 13). ALABAMA MINI PLAN – $180 per ticket Alabama, September 18. Vanderbilt, October 9 (Homecoming). Pick one the following games: FAU (September 4, season opener) or Samford (November 13). FLORIDA STATE MINI PLAN – $150 per ticket Florida State, November 27. Vanderbilt, October 9 (Homecoming). Pick one the following games: FAU (September 4, season opener) or Samford (November 13). Fans have three options to purchase mini plans and season tickets for the upcoming season. Visit FloridaGators.com/tickets Call the Gators Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683 Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Complete the ticket information form here to be contacted by a Gators Ticket Office representative. Follow the Gator Ticket Office on twitter at @GatorsTix for all the latest information on Gator tickets.

A few thoughts to jump start your Monday morning: MATH LESSONS FOR UNDERCLASSMEN In 10 days, the National Football League will conduct its draft, seven rounds in all but with compensation picks 259 players will be selected. The draft includes 128 underclassmen. If it’s a typical draft, more than 50 percent of the underclassmen will discover they should have stayed in school because they won’t be selected. Some might land a free agent contract and will make a roster but for the most part, undrafted means they can stick a fork in their dreams of multi-year, multi-million dollar contracts. The NBA will draft in late June, two rounds with 60 players taken. Players have until May 30 to declare for the draft and if they haven’t hired an agent, they have until June 19 to pull their name out and return to school. Last year more than 230 players kept their name in the draft. An overwhelming majority of underclassmen went undrafted last year and the same will hold true this June. The odds of making an NBA roster as a free agent pale in comparison to the bad odds of free agents spending years in the NFL but at least they have the G-League and can go play professionally around the world. The question is who advises these kids? And, given the poor odds they’ll get drafted are they listening in the first place? A kid who isn’t assured of going in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft needs to stay in school. A kid who isn’t reasonably sure he will go in the first round of the NBA Draft needs to stay in school. Right now there are more than 1,000 Division I football players who have transferred and as of Sunday night, more than 1,400 basketball players were in the NCAA portal. Those numbers are going to swell significantly in the next six weeks since (a) spring football will conclude and players who are buried on depth charts decide to look elsewhere; (b) the academic year concludes and kids know they have the grades to transfer out and (c) there is no longer a one-year penalty for changing schools. There is going to be a rude awakening for a very large number of kids who will find themselves without a place to play and a scholarship. Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com writes, “Let's be generous and assume each of the 130 FBS programs have five extra scholarships to give. (They do not. Not even close. But we're trying to make a point.) That's 650 scholarships. That also means a boat load of players who won't have a new home.” The numbers will be just as bad for basketball, maybe worse since more kids will be transferring. There are 353 Division I schools so it would take every school in Division I taking four or more transfers for every player who went into the portal to land a scholarship. Since rosters are limited to 13 scholarship players and high school kids get signed in November to provide the foundation, it’s likely that 50 percent of the transfers will find themselves out on their own quite soon. Whether it’s football or basketball, very few coaches will take back a kid who has put his name in the transfer portal. The moment a kid puts his name in the portal and the semester comes to an end, coaches have no more obligations. It becomes an effective form of roster management for coaches. They will claim that the new legislation makes for virtual free agency out loud, but in private they will be giggling because they can get rid of kids who are dead weight on a roster and replace them with hand-picked players with experience. So far, it has been a fortunate year for the Gators who are neither taking a big hit with players leaving for the draft or in the transfer portals. Here is the status of the University of Florida athletes who have declared for the NFL or NBA drafts as well as those who are in the transfer portal. UF underclassmen declaring for the NFL Draft (4) Kyle Pitts, TE Kadarius Toney, WR Marco Wilson, CB Evan McPherson, PK Assessment: Barring something drastic taking place between now and next week, Pitts will go in the first six picks. Toney is expected to go in the lower third of the first round. Wilson’s stock has been rising. He could go late third round. McPherson is likely a sixth or seventh round pick. Had he stayed in school McPherson would probably be looking at the same draft status in 2022. UF underclassmen declaring for the NBA Draft (2) Tre Mann, SG/PG Scottie Lewis, SG/SF Assessment: Mann is solidly in the first round. His stock continues to rise and it wouldn’t be a big surprise if he gets in the lottery (first 13 picks). Someone gave Lewis horrendous advice. He won’t get drafted and if he gets any contract at all it will be for the G-League making $50,000 or less or in Europe for maybe a little bit more. UF transfers (scholarship only) Football departures (8) Iverson Clement, RB (Temple) Jesiah Pierre, LB (Texas Tech) Chester Kimbrough, DB (Michigan State) Jahari Rogers, DB (SMU) C.J. McWilliams, DB (Purdue) T.J. Moore, OL James Houston, LB Quincy Linton, S Assessment: Of the three who haven’t already lined up a scholarship, Houston has the best chance to land with a Power 5 team. Linton and Moore will be fortunate to get a Group of Five scholarship. Football arrivals (4) Demarkcus Bowman, RB (Clemson) Antonio Shelton, DL (Penn State) Daquan Newkirk, DL (Auburn) Jace Christmann, PK (Mississippi State) Assessment: Bowman is a former 5-star recruit with four years of eligibility remaining. The running back room is crowded but he’s too talented to sit. Shelton and Newkirk are grad transfers who ended spring football as starters on the D-line. Christmann is a grad transfer who will step in as McPherson’s replacement. Expect two more transfers. Basketball departures (4) Noah Locke, SG (Louisville) Omar Payne, PF/C (Illinois) Ques Glover, PG (Samford) Osayi Osifo, PF (Jacksonville) Assessment: Locke is an excellent catch and shoot guy who going to a place that had the gang that couldn’t shoot straight last year. Payne can block shots but in two years showed no offensive game other than an occasional alley opp dunk or stickback. Glover can probably be a good player in the Southern Conference. Osifo is at JU where he will be 6-7. Basketball arrivals (4) Brandon McKissic, PG/SG (UM-Kansas City) C.J. Felder, PF (Boston College) Myreon Jones, SG (Penn State) Phlandrous Fleming Jr., SG (Charleston Southern) Assessment: The four replacements are an upgrade over the four departures. All four can score and all four can play defense. McKissic and Fleming are grad transfers while Jones has as many as two years of eligibility remaining and Felder as many as three. Don’t be surprised if all four start. The Gators have one open scholarship for sure, two if Keyontae Johnson isn’t cleared to play. If it’s two scholarships, expect one transfer and one high school kid. BASEBALL: GATORS SWEEP MIZZOU It was a critical weekend for the 18th-ranked Gators (25-11, 9-6 SEC East). With their three-game sweep of Missouri (11-23, 4-11 SEC East) UF gained ground on division leader Vanderbilt (28-6, 11-4 SEC) and both Tennessee (29-8, 10-5 SEC East) and South Carolina (24-10, 10-5 SEC East). Pitching stars of the weekend were Christian Scott and Jack Leftwich. Scott (1-2, 1.62 ERA) gave up one hit in 5-2/3 innings of relief as UF came from behind to take an 8-5 win Friday night. Leftwich (6-2, 3.02 ERA) held Mizzou hitless over four innings Saturday to preserve an 8-6 win. Leftwich pitched eight innings of relief last week, allowing no hits, one walk and striking out nine. Judd Fabian went 5-11 with three doubles and a homer. The Gators will face Jacksonville University on the road Tuesday night and then hit the road to face Auburn in SEC play next weekend. SOFTBALL: GATORS TAKE TWO OUT OF THREE FROM ALABAMA The 4th-ranked Gators (32-6, 12-3 SEC) won their series with 3rd-ranked Alabama (33-7, 12-6 SEC) in Tuscaloosa as Elizabeth Hightower (15-3, X ERA) pitched a complete game, 3-hit shutout Friday night for a 2-0 win and Kendyl Lindaman blasted a grand slam on Saturday as UF hammered Bama 9-2. The Gators travel to Florida Gulf Coast for a non-conference game Wednesday night. South Carolina will be in Gainesville next weekend. VOLLEYBALL: GATORS ADVANCE TO OMAHA REGIONAL FINAL The No. 8 seed Gators (21-3) advanced to Monday night’s regional final with a Sunday night win over No. 9 Ohio State, 25-20, 26-24, 23-25 and 25-16). Other UF spring sports Men’s tennis: The Gators (18-1, 12-0 SEC) are the top seed when the SEC Tournament is held in Fayetteville starting on Wednesday. Gymnastics: The Gators were the nation’s No. 1 seeded team but could manage only a 4th-place finish at the NCAA Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth. Trinity Thomas, who was easily the top gymnast in the country when healthy, was still feeling the effects of two sprained ankles. Her scores were nowhere near what they were six weeks ago and it showed with Florida’s team scores. Still, UF was the only SEC team to make the final four. Lacrosse: The 9th-ranked Gators (11-2, 8-0 AAC) clinched at least a tie for the American Athletic Conference championship by knocking off Vanderbilt(11-4, 6-2 AAC) twice over the weekend, 17-7 on Friday and 22-9 on Sunday. OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC (FOOTBALL/HOOPS) Alabama: Bryce Young completed 25-44 passes for 333 yards and a touchdown, winning MVP honors in Alabama’s spring game. Jah-Marien Latham, who had four tackles, one sack and two quarterback hurries, was chosen most valuable lineman. Arkansas: Expected starting QB KJ Jefferson completed 6-11 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Malik Hornsby hit 11-18 passes for 144 yards and a TD. Auburn: Assessing QB Bo Nix, HBC Bryan Harsin says, “He’s a weapon.” In the spring game, Nix completed 12-20 passes for 112 yards and a TD while running for 29 yards. Georgia: JT Daniels threw for 342 yards (28-41) and three touchdowns in the spring game. Carson Beck was 22-31 for 236 yards for two touchdowns and an interception. Kentucky: Linebacker D’Eryk Jackson suffered a season-ending non-contact injury during pre-scrimmage warmups. The injury is only described as lower leg. LSU: Neither Max Johnson nor Myles Brennan threw an interception in the spring game Saturday but backups TJ Finley (two) and Garrett Nussmeier (three) made the defensive backs look very good. Mississippi State: Southern Miss transfer Jack Abraham completed 23-34 passes for 162 yards and two TDs without an interception in the spring game. Last year’s starter Will Rogers was 25-41 for 255 yards with one TD and one interception. Missouri: Defensive lineman Marcus Utsey has elected to transfer out. He was in on 19 tackles last season. Tennessee: Rick Barnes got good news when center John Fulkerson (6-10, 220) decided to take advantage of the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility. Fulkerson, who averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last year, returns for a sixth season with the Vols. Texas A&M: Point guard Marcus Williams (6-2, 180, FR) transferred from Wyoming. He was the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year last season when he averaged 14.8 points and 4.3 assists per game ... Junior college small forward Aaron Johnson-Cash (6-7, 200) signed his national letter of intent to play for the Aggies. Vanderbilt: Vanderbilt’s new head coach is a former defensive coordinator, which doesn’t exactly explain how the final score in the spring game was 68-30. ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: There are sacrifice flies and then there is the one that scored the winning run Saturday when South Carolina beat Tennessee 3-2 in eight innings in an SEC softball game. With the bases loaded and one out, Riley Blampied popped a foul ball behind the plate. Catcher Josie Willingham and first baseman Ashley Morgan collided and fell to the ground pursuing the ball. It appears Willingham got her mitt on the ball but it popped out. Before it hit the ground, Morgan secured the catch but neither was cognizant of South Carolina’s Maddie Gallagher, who had tagged up at third. Gallagher sprinted home for the winning run. Most sacrifice flies make it to the outfield. This one was 10-12 feet behind the plate.