Mama There Goes That Man -- Jadan Baugh Arrived On The Scene Less Known (FloridaGators.com)

Alijah Martin was taken in the second round by the Toronto Raptors (Gator Bait Photo by Chris Spears) The best backcourt in all of college basketball last season will be taking their games to the NBA. Following the first round selection of Walter Clayton Jr. by the Utah Jazz Wednesday night, both Alijah Martin and Will Richard were taken in the second round when the NBA Draft concluded Thursday night.   Martin, who averaged 14.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists after transferring to Florida from Florida Atlantic, was taken with the 39th pick by the Toronto Raptors. Richard, a three-year starter at UF who began his career as a transfer from Belmont, was taken with the 56th pick by the Golden State Warriors, who made a trade to move up three places to land him.   A 6-2, 195-pounder from Summit, Mississippi, Martin was a key component to Florida Atlantic’s run to the Final Four in 2023. After transferring to Florida, he became the second leading scorer and an invaluable asset as a team leader. Counting his FAU stats, Martin averaged 12.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 rebounds per game for his collegiate career, scoring 2,022 points.   Richard, 6-4 and 206 pounds, came to Florida after a freshman year at Belmont in which he averaged 12.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. A pure shooter who made 201 3-pointers in his three years at Florida, Richard averaged 13.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He was selected to the all-tournament teams at the SEC and NCAA Final Four. Counting his Belmont stats, Richard averaged 11.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists for his collegiate career in which he hit 248-698 (35.5 percent) from the 3-point line.   A tough, physical defender who rebounded well beyond his 6-2 size, Martin electrified crowds during Florida’s NCAA run with thunderous dunks. Against UConn, he came up with a loose rebound and slammed home a dunk for an 8-point Florida lead with 41.5 seconds to go. Against Texas Tech in the Elite Eight, he batted a loose rebound to midcourt, outran everyone to the ball and finished with a high-flying breakaway with 11:36 left in the game. Against Auburn in the semifinal game at the Final Four, he had two – the first off a steal in which he soared high above the rim with 9:54 to go; the second off a steal when he finished by splitting two Auburn defenders for the dunk with  5:22 left.   Martin goes to a Toronto team that finished 22 games under .500 during the 2024-25 season. He joins a crowded backcourt headlined by RJ Barrett who averaged 21.1 points per game and point guard Immanuel Quickley, who scored 17.1 points and 5.8 assists per game. The Raptors come off the bench with Grady Dick (14.4), Ochai Agbaji (10.4) A.J. Lawson (9.1) and JaKobe Walter (8.6).   Richard had moments in which he literally took the game over. Against South Carolina in Columbia, the Gators were down 13 points (58-45) with 8:49 left in the game. When the Gators went to a full court press, Richard came up with three critical steals. He scored 10 of Florida’s final 22 points including the game winner with 3.1 seconds to go, the only time the Gators led the entire game. In the NCAA championship game against Houston, Richard kept the Gators in the game with 14 first half points. He finished the game with 18 points to go with eight rebounds, two assists, a blocked shot and two steals.   Richard goes to a Golden State team that made the playoffs once again. The Warriors are led by Stephon Curry (24.5 points per game). The backcourt also includes shooters Buddy Hiels (11.1), Brandin Podziemski (11.7) and Moses Moody (9.8).   Both Martin and Richard are likely to sign 2-way contracts. Toronto’s G-League affiliate is Raptors 905 which plays in Mississauga, Ontario, which Golden State’s G-League team is Santa Cruz.   UF FOOTBALL: GATORS LAND 4-STAR O-LINEMAN   Billy Napier and the Gators continued their outstanding June recruiting haul Thursday when they got a commitment from 4-star interior offensive lineman Desmond Green (6-4, 330, Saint Stephen, SC Timberland).  Green is Florida’s 14th commitment for the recruiting class of 2026, Florida’s 12th in the month of June.   In landing Green, the Gators outrecruited Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Clemson. Green had offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Oregon and Tennessee among others.   2025 commitments 4-stars: OL Desmond Green (6-4, 330, Saint Stephen, SC Timberland); DB CJ Bronaugh (6-1, 175, Winter Garden, FL Windermere); WR Marquez Daniel (6-5, 182, Tuskeegee, AL Booker T. Washington); DE JaReylan McCoy (6-7, 250, Tupelo, MS); RB Carsyn Baker (6-0, 210, Fairburn, GA Langston Hughes); WR Justin Williams (5-11, 190, Gainesville, FL Buchholz); QB Will Griffin (6-3, 230, Tampa, FL Jesuit)   3-stars: OL Javarii Luckas (6-5, 330, Belle Glade, FL Glades Central); OT Tyler Chukuyem (6-6, 290, Douglasville, GA South Paulding); OT Chancellor Campbell (6-8, 305, St. Petersburg, FL Lakewood); S Kaiden Hall (6-3, 195, Milton, FL); IOL G’Nivre Carr (6-4, 336, Ocala, FL/Bradenton, FL IMG Academy); DL Jamir Perez (6-5, 360, Cleveland, OH Glenville); TE Kekua Aumua (6-5, 255, Kahuku, Hawaii)

Walter Clayton Jr. was taken by the Utah Jazz at No. 18 after a trade with Washington (UAA Photo) Think of Walter Clayton Jr.’s first night in the NBA sort of like getting on a plane and flying somewhere. Chances are you’ll be changing planes in Atlanta.   In the case of Clayton, one of the players invited to wait for his NBA call in the green room at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn, there was a brief stop in Washington before the final destination of Utah. With the 18th pick in the NBA Draft, Clayton was selected by the Washington Wizards, who immediately traded him to the Utah Jazz.   To get Clayton, the Jazz essentially moved up three places. To complete the trade, the Jazz selected Illinois small forward Will Riley at No. 21, dealing him to Washington along with two second round picks. It was an emotional moment when NBA commissioner announced the trade and the selection of Clayton, who led the Florida Gators to the NCAA championship back in April. Clayton buried his tear-streaked face in his hands before rising from his chair to hug his mother Cherie Foster, attending the draft along with his year-and-a-half daughter Leilani and other family members.   "I knew it was a possibility," Clayton told KSL TV/Radio in Salt Lake City. "We had some conversations after I got drafted tonight. They like my skill set. They think I can bring something great for the team."   Utah was one of the teams that was prominent for Clayton in mock drafts before the Wednesday night extravaganza. Two mock drafts had Clayton going to Utah at No. 21, but Miami at No. 20 and Orlando at No. 25 were the expected destinations. Clayton never worked out for the Jazz leading up to Wednesday, but then again, neither did small forward Ace Bailey of Rutgers, who was taken No. 5 by Utah.   “Two weeks ago, we sat down and looked at our picks and said what would be the best case scenario and these were the two guys that we really wanted, so we feel very fortunate and very excited to have them in the family,” Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge told the Deseret News in Salt Lake City.   The draft was just the latest whistlestop in a journey that began for Clayton in Lake Wales. A highly regarded 4-star football prospect who had offers from Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Clemson among others, Clayton transferred from Lake Wales to Bartow to play basketball after his sophomore year. Despite leading Bartow to back-to-back state championships in basketball, Clayton was a no-star recruit. He defied conventional wisdom by saying no to football to play college basketball. His offer sheet was Jacksonville and East Carolina before Rick Pitino and Iona made what could be called a COVID offer. Amid the pandemic and its restrictions, Clayton never visited Iona but he did accept the offer.   Clayton spent two years at Iona, making the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) all-freshman team before winning the league’s player of the year award for the 2022-23 season. Immediately after Clayton’s sophomore season, Pitino accepted the St. John’s job. Clayton went into the transfer portal and then pulled off a mild surprise by accepting an offer from Florida rather than follow Pitino to St. John’s.   At Florida, Clayton was an All-SEC performer as a junior but as a senior he was a consensus first team All-American who led the Gators on a 12-game winning streak at the end of the year that culminated with the NCAA championship. Clayton won the most outstanding player award at the SEC Tournament in Nashville, the West Regional in San Francisco and the Final Four in San Antonio.    While leading the Gators to the 2025 national championship, Clayton averaged 18.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He shot 38.6 percent from the 3-point line, where he became synonymous for clutch shots during Florida’s 6-0 run to the national championship. Clayton set a UF single season scoring record with 713 points. His 134 points were the most by any player in the NCAA Tournament. His 1,346 points in two seasons rank 24th all-time on Florida’s scoring list.   Speaking on NBA TV prior to the draft, Florida coach Todd Golden said, “ It starts with his character – he’s just an amazing young man. Incredibly coachable, a guy that wants to be a leader and a great work ethic, and obviously over the last year I’d argue he was the best player in college basketball. He led us to 36 wins and a national championship, best player on the floor in the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament, a guy that just has a great competitive nature about him.”   At Utah, Clayton and Bailey join the team that posted the worst record (17-65) in the NBA last season. The Jazz have productive big guys in Lauri Markannan (19 points, 5.9 rebounds), John Collins (19 points, 8.2 rebounds) and Walker Kessler (11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds). Former Alabama star Collin Sexton (18.4 points) and Keyonte George (16.8 points) were the starting backcourt last season.   Obviously, Bailey and Clayton were not brought to Utah to sit although they will have to earn their playing time to supplant veterans in the starting lineup. Jazz coach Will Hardy runs a system that emphasizes the 3-point shot off screen and pick and roll actions. The offense seems like a good fit for Clayton, who thrived in Golden’s offense. During the NCAA Tournament run, Clayton was a lethal 3-point shooter who led comebacks against UConn in the second round, Texas Tech in the Elite Eight in San Francisco and Auburn in the semifinals in San Antonio.   In the NCAA championship win over Houston, Clayton scored all 11 of his points in the final eight minutes when the Gators erased a deficit to beat the Cougars, 65-63. Ironically, it wasn’t a 3-pointer from Clayton that provided the final drama in the title game, but a defensive play when he forced Emanuel Sharp to turn the ball over with three seconds remaining.

Where will Walter Clayton Jr. (1) go in tonight's NBA Draft (Photo by Chris Spears) The NBA will draft tonight and Duke’s Cooper Flagg will be the No. 1 pick of the Dallas Mavericks. The odds are better that Vesuvius will erupt spewing lava all over Naples that someone other than Flagg will go No. 1. The NBA hopes he is the next Larry Bird, capable of resurrecting the league’s sagging television numbers, which were down 19 percent in the championship finals this year and have been in steady decline ever since 2017 when the Golden State Warriors dispatched the Cleveland Cadavers in five games.   That Flagg will go first is a foregone conclusion. A better question for Florida fans is who will draft Walter Clayton Jr.? Four of the more prominent writers have Clayton going No. 25 to the Orlando Magic. Two have him going No. 21 to the Utah Jazz. Jonathan Gilvoy and Jeremy Woo of ESPN have Clayton going No. 20 to the Miami Heat. That’s the highest anyone seems to have him going.   Gator fans would love seeing Walter stay in-state at either Orlando or Miami, but is he a good fit at either place? Orlando just traded for Desmond Bane, a shooting guard from Memphis who Magic brass hope will add some juice to one of the worst offenses in the league. One of the real issues with the team is the lack of a point guard who is a pass first type. Clayton knows how to distribute the basketball, but he would certainly be a better fit in a free-flowing offense that would take advantage of his seize the moment abilities. Miami has a high-scoring point guard in Tyler Herro (23.9 points, 5.5 assists) and a solid backup in Davion Mitchell (10.3 points, 5.3 assists). Would Miami be willing to play Clayton off the ball even though he’s 6-2, which is rather undersized for the position?   Utah has a crowded backcourt with Collin Sexton, Keyonte George, Jordan Clarkson and Isaiah Collier. The Jazz were the worst defensive team in the NBA last year so would they draft Clayton, who is a dynamic scorer and a good but not great defender?   Most of the mock drafts have five or six point guards going ahead of Clayton. Are there really that many point guards better? If we go by what he did in the SEC Tournament and then six NCAA Tournament games when he led the Gators to the national championship, then the answer is probably not. Of the point guards listed ahead of Clayton, none of them made it to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. Winners tend to win and Walter Clayton Jr. is a winner who came up big when the pressure was the greatest.   If there is a real problem for Walter Clayton Jr. it is that he spent four years playing college basketball. Since 2010, only four seniors and 13 juniors have been drafted among the top ten in any draft year. In 2010, three juniors were among the top ten. Three times (2011, 2013 and 2016), one junior and one senior were among the first ten players selected. In every mock draft listed below, the top ten players are all either freshmen or foreign players.   Florida coach Todd Golden understands fully that the NBA goes for youth and potential before they get around to drafting experienced, mature players like Walter Clayton Jr., who was a consensus All-American and the most outstanding player in the SEC Tournament, the NCAA West Regional and the NCAA Final Four. Golden is not about to concede there are many players capable of that.   “Personally, I think he should be close to, like, 10, you know, 12, if I was a NBA GM, but I'm not,” Golden said last week. “We'll see, but whoever picks him is going to get an incredible value, and then in two years, people are gonna be, 'How did Walter Clayton drop to that. Why did he go there?'   “I'm just telling you right now that's what's gonna happen, because you look at guys like Fred VanVleet, Damian Lillard. Like, he’s in that bucket. I'm not saying he's gonna get there right away, but the guy just had the most incredible senior season, tournament run, whatever you want to say. He's got real size, [is an] incredible athlete, elite shooter. I mean, what doesn't he do? And he just wins all the games, and that matters to some teams, and a team will pick him, and he'll end up killing it, and people will be like, 'Why wasn't higher?' I'm just telling you right now that's going to happen.”   A few mock drafts:   Gary Parrish, CBS Sports: 1. Dallas: SF Cooper Flagg, Duke; 2. San Antonio: PG Dylan Harper, Rutgers; 3. Philadelphia: SG Tre Johnson, Texas; 4. Charlotte: SG VJ Edgecome, Baylor; 5. Utah: PG Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma; 6. Washington: SF Ace Bailey, Rutgers; 7. New Orleans: SF Kon Knueppel, Duke; 8. Brooklyn: C Khaman Maluach, Duke; 9. Toronto: C Derik Queen, Maryland; 10. Phoenix: SF Carter Bryant, Arizona; 11. Portland: PF Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina; 12. Chicago: PG Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois; 13. Atlanta: PG Ego Demin, BYU; 14. San Antonio: SF Liam McNeeley, UConn; 15. Oklahoma City: C Thomas Sorber, Georgetown; 16. Memphis: SG Cedric Coward, Washington State; 17. Minnesota: PF Danny Wolf, Michigan; 18. Washington: C Joan Beringer, France; 19. Brooklyn: SG Jase Richardson, Michigan State; 20. Miami: SF Nique Clifford, Colorado State; 21. Utah: SF Hugo Gonzalez, Spain; 22. Atlanta: PF Asa Newell, Georgia; 23. New Orleans: PF Noa Essengue, France; 24. Oklahoma City: PG Nolan Traore, France; 25. ORLANDO: PG WALTER CLAYTON JR., FLORIDA; 26. Brooklyn: SF Will Riley, Illinois; 27. Brooklyn: PF Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph’s; 28. Boston: C Maxime Raynaud, Stanford; 29. Phoenix: PG Ben Saraf, Israel; 30. Los Angeles Clippers: C Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton   Kyle Boone, CBS: 1. Dallas: SF Cooper Flagg, Duke; 2. San Antonio: PG Dylan Harper, Rutgers; 3. Philadelphia: SF Ace Bailey, Rutgers; 4. Charlotte: SG VJ Edgecombe, Baylor; 5. Utah: SG Tre Johnson, Texas; 6. Washington: PG Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma; 7. New Orleans: SF Kon Knueppel, Duke; 8. Brooklyn: PG Kasparas Jakacionis, Illinois; 9. Toronto: C Khaman Maluach, Duke; 10. Houston: PF Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina; 11. Portland: PG Egor Demin, BYU; 12. Chicago: C Derik Queen, Maryland; 13. Atlanta: SG Jase Richardson, Michigan State; 14. San Antonio: SF Liam McNeeley, UConn; 15. Okahoma City: SG Cedric Coward, Washington State; 16. Memphis: SF Nique Clifford, Colorado State; 17. Minnesota: SF Carter Bryant, Arizona; 18. Washington: PF Danny Wolf, Michigan; 19. Brooklyn: PF Asa Newell, Georgia; 20. Miami: PG Nolan Traore, France; 21. Utah: PF Noa Essengue, France; 22. Atlanta: C Thomas Sorber, Georgetown; 23. New Orleans: C Joan Beringer, France; 24. Oklahoma City: Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton; 25. ORLANDO: PG WALTER CLAYTON JR., FLORIDA; 26. Brooklyn: PG Ben Saraf, Israel; 27. Brooklyn: SF Hugo Gonzalez, Spain; 28. Boston: C Noah Penda, France; 29. Phoenix: C Maxime Raynaud, Stanford; 30. Los Angeles Clippers: C Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Penn State   Cameron Salerno, CBS: 1. Dallas: SF Cooper Flagg, Duke; 2. San Antonio: PG Dylan Harper, Rutgers; 3. Philadelphia: SF Ace Bailey, Rutgers; 4. Charlotte: SG VJ Edgecombe, Baylor; 5. Utah: SF Kon Knueppel, Duke; 6. Washington: SG Tre Johnson, Texas; 7. New Orleans: PF Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina; 8. Oklahoma: PG Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma; 9. Toronto: C Khaman Maluach, Duke; 10. Houston: PG Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois; 12. Chicago: C Derik Queen, Maryland; 13. Atlanta: SF Carter Bryant, Arizona; 14. San Antonio: SF Liam McNeeley, UConn; 15. Oklahoma City: SF Nique Clifford, Colorado State; 16. Memphis: PF Asa Newell, Georgia; 17. Minnesota: PG Egor Demin, BYU; 18. Washington: PF Danny Wolf, Michigan; 19. Brooklyn: PF Noa Essengue, France; 20. Miami; SG Jase Richardson, Michigan State; 21. UTAH: PG WALTER CLAYTON JR., FLORIDA; 22. Atlanta: C Thomas Sorber, Georgetown; 23. New Orleans: PG Nolan Traore, France; 24. Oklahoma City: C Johni Broome, Auburn; 25. Orlando: SF Will Riley, Illinois; 26. Brooklyn: C Joan Beringer, France; 27. Brooklyn: PG Ben Saraf, Israel; 28. Boston: C Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton; 29. Phoenix: SG Cedric Coward, Washington State; 30. Los Angeles Clippers: PF Yaxel Lendeborg, Washington State   Matt Norlander, CBS: 1. Dallas: SF Cooper Flagg, Duke; 2. San Antonio: PG Dylan Harper, Rutgers; 3. Philadelphia: SF Ace Bailey, Rutgers; 4. Charlotte: SG Tre Johnson, Texas; 5. Utah: SG VJ Edgecombe, Baylor; 6. Washington: SF Kon Knueppel, Duke; 7. New Orleans: PG Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois; 8. Brooklyn: C Khama Maluach, Duke; 9. Toronto: PG Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma; 10. Houston: SF Carter Bryant, Arizona; 11. C Derik Queen, Maryland; 12. Chicago: PF Noa Essengue, France; 13. Atlanta: PG Egor Demin, BYU; 14. San Antonio: PF Asa Newell, Georgia; 15. Oklahoma City: PF Danny Wolf, Michigan; 16. Memphis: PF Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina; 17. Minnesota: SG Jase Richardson, Michigan State; 18. Washington: SG Cedric Coward, Washington State; 19. Brooklyn: SF Liam McNeeley, UConn; 20. Miami: SF Nique Clifford, Colorado State; 21. UTAH: PG WALTER CLAYTON JR., FLORIDA; 22. Atlanta: C Joan Beringer, France; 23. New Orleans: SF Noah Penda, France; 24. Oklahoma City: PG Nolan Traore, France; 25. Orlando: C Thomas Sorber, Georgetown; 26. Brooklyn: Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton; 27. Brooklyn: PG Ben Saraf, Israel; 28. Boston: SF Drake Powell, North Carolina; 29. Phoenix: C Maxime Raynaud, Stanford; 30. Los Angeles Clippers: SF Will Riley, Illinois   Jonathan Givony/Jeremy Woo, ESPN: 1. Dallas: SF Cooper Flagg, Duke; 2. San Antonio: PG Dylan Harper, Rutgers; 3. Philadelphia: SG VJ Edgecombe, Baylor; 4. Charlotte: SF Kon Knueppel, Duke; 5. Utah: PG Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma; 6. Washington: SF Ace Bailey, Rutgers; 7. New Orleans: SG Tre Johnson, Texas; 8. Brooklyn: C Khaman Maluach, Duke; 9. Toronto: PF Noa Essengue, France; 10. Phoenix: PF Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina; 11. Portland: SF Carter Bryant, Arizona; 12. Chicago: PG Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois; 13. Atlanta: PG Egon Demin, BYU; 14. San Antonio: C Joan Beringer, France; 15. Oklahoma City: C Derik Queen, Maryland; 16. Memphis: SG Cedric Coward, Washington State; 17. Minnesota: C Thomas Sorber, Georgetown; 18. Washington: SF Liam McNeeley, UConn; 19. Brooklyn: PF Asa Newell, Georgia; 20. MIAMI: PG WALTER CLAYTON JR., FLORIDA; 21. Utah: SF Hugo Gonzalez, Spain; 22. Brooklyn: PF Danny Wolf, Michigan; 23. New Orleans: SF Nique Clifford, Colorado State; 24. Oklahoma City: SF Will Riley, Illinois; 25. Orlando: SG Jase Richardson, Michigan State; 26. Brooklyn: PG Nolan Traore, France; 27. Brooklyn: PF Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph’s; 28. Boston: C Maxime Raynaud, Stanford; 29. Phoenix: C Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton; 30. Los Angeles Clippers: C Noa Penda, France   Sam Vecenie, The Athletic: 1. Dallas: SF Cooper Flagg, Duke; 2. San Antonio: PG Dylan Harper, Rutgers; 3. SG VJ Edgecombe, Baylor; 4. Charlotte: SF Kon Knueppel, Duke; 5. Utah: PG Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma; 6. Washington: SF Ace Bailey, Rutgers; 7. New Orleans: SG Tre Johnson, Texas; 8. Brooklyn: PG Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois; 9. Toronto: C Khaman Maluach, Duke; 10. Phoenix: C Derik Queen, Maryland; 11. Portland: C Noa Essengue, France; 12. Chicago: SF Carter Bryant, Arizona; 13. Atlanta: C Joan Beringer, France; 14. San Antonio: SG Cedric Coward, Washington State; 15. Oklahoma City: PF Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina; 16. Memphis: SF Liam McNeeley, UConn; 17. Minnesota: C Thomas Sorber, Georgetown; 18. Washington: PF Danny Wolf, Michigan; 19. Brooklyn: PG Egor Demin, BYU; 20. PF Asa Newell, Georgia; 21. Utah: SG Nique Clifford, Colorado State; 22. Atlanta: SF Will Riley, Illinois; 23. New Orleans: SG Jase Richardson, Michigan State; 24. Oklahoma City: SF Hugo Gonzalez, Spain; 25. ORLANDO: PG WALTER CLAYTON JR., FLORIDA; 26. Brooklyn: PG Nolan Traore, France; 27. Brooklyn: SF Drake Powell, North Carolina; 28. Boston: C Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton; 29. Phoenix: C Maxime Raynaud, Stanford; 30. Los Angeles Clippers: PF Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph’s   Kevin Sweeney, Sports Illustrated: 1. Dallas: SF Cooper Flagg, Duke; 2. San Antonio: PG Dylan Harper, Rutgers; 3. SG VJ Edgecombe, Baylor; 4. Charlotte: SG Tre Johnson, Texas; 5. Utah: SF Kon Knueppel, Duke; 6. Washington: SF Ace Bailey, Rutgers; 7. New Orleans: PG Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma; 8. Brooklyn: C Khaman Maluach, Duke; 9. Toronto: C Noa Essengue, France; 10. Phoenix: PF Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina; 11. Portland: PG Egor Demin, BYU; 12. Chicago: C Derik Queen, Maryland; 13. Atlanta: PG Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois; 14. San Antonio: C Joan Beringer, France; 15. Oklahoma City: SF Carter Bryant, Arizona; 16. Memphis: SG Cedric Coward, Washington State; 17. Minnesota: PF Asa Newell, Georgia; 18. Washington: C Thomas Sorber, Georgetown; 19. Brooklyn: SF Will Riley, Illinois; 20. Miami: SG Jase Richardson, Michigan State; 21. Utah: PF Danny Wolf, Michigan; 22. Brooklyn: SF Liam McNeeley, UConn; 23. New Orleans: SG Nique Clifford, Colorado State; 24. Oklahoma City: SF Hugo Gonzalez, Spain; 25. ORLANDO: PG WALTER CLAYTON JR., FLORIDA; 26. Brooklyn: PG Nolan Traore, France; 27. Brooklyn: PF Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph’s; 28. Boston: C Noa Penda, France; 29. Phoenix: C Maxime Raynaud, Stanford; 30. Los Angeles Clippers: Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton

Alex Condon (21) is a reason to believe the Gators can repeat as NCAA champs (Photo by Chris Spears) FOUR THINGS THAT HAVE ME THINKING OUT LOUD ON MONDAY 1. Don’t bet on anything that can talk: Years ago when I was working at the Miami News, our horse racing editor, Art Grace, gave me this valuable piece of advice: “Bet on horses and bet on dogs. Don’t bet on football, basketball or any other sport where the athlete is human. In other words: don’t bet on anything that can talk.” Art included casino gambling because the house always wins.   I’ve followed his advice for nearly 50 years, during which time I’ve had a ton of friends come ask me for money because they bet on sure things that turned out to be not so sure. I haven’t lost any sleep.   I do know people professional gamblers who make big bucks when they get it right, lose their shirts sometimes when they don’t. More power to them. They have more guts than I do.   This year, however, I’m almost inclined to give in to temptation and put some money on Florida football and Florida basketball. I’ve seen over/under on Florida football wins anywhere from 5.5 to 6.5 wins. It’s so difficult for teams to repeat as national champs in basketball, so odds are the Gators won’t go back-to-back.   Both those things have me thinking.   The more I study Florida football, the rest of the SEC and the national scene, the more convinced I am that the over/under for the Gators should be something like 8.5. I think Billy Napier has an SEC roster from top to bottom for the first time since he’s been here. I think the Gators have a stud quarterback in DJ Lagway, outstanding running backs in Jadan Baugh and Ja’Kobi Jackson, the fastest receivers since Urban Meyer’s days and an offensive line led by All-American center Jake Slaughter and left tackle Austin Barber that I think will prove to be the best in the SEC. Over on defense, I look at what the Gators did in the last four games. That was with Ron Roberts in the booth and taking charge of things. He had Garrett Nussmeier seeing ghosts, which is what the properly executed creeper defense will do for you. I think Florida has at least four All-SEC types on defense in Caleb Banks, Myles Graham, Tyreak Sapp and Devin Moore.   The schedule is tough again, but the Gators are a far better team than the one that got whomped by Miami and Texas A&M right out of the chute. Without the injuries to Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway, I don’t think the Gators go 0-3 in games against Tennessee, Georgia and Texas. I don’t think the Gators will lose back-to-back to the Himmicanes and Aggies. Win those and it’s off to the races.   So, if I were a betting man, I’d put money on the Gators.   Basketball. I was writing basketball in the ACC back when Dean Smith wasn’t much older than Todd Golden is now. I was there in Chapel Hill when Carolina trailed Duke by eight with 18 seconds to go. The Tar Heels tied the game and sent it to overtime on a long bank shot by Walter Davis. Had there been a 3-point rule, Carolina would have won the game. The way Todd Golden makes in-game adjustments reminds me of Dean back in the early 70s.   Dean Smith knew how to construct a roster, too, and this is one more reason why I think Florida is going to make a serious run at back-to-back national championships. The Gators have the best front court in the nation bar none with Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, Tommy Haugh and Micah Handlogten. Now Golden has replaced Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard with Xaivian Lee, Boogie Fland and AJ Brown, all three experienced scorers who know how to share the basketball. Throw in Urban Klavzar, Isaiah Brown and the freshmen, CJ Ingram and Alex Lloyd, and the Gators have the most solid roster in the country.   The key word here is experience. Florida will have the most experienced team in the country. I’m not concerned about Lee and Boogie at all because they’re both used to sharing the basketball. Tommy Haugh will be the hybrid wing/post guy who is a nightmare and the defense will be great again.   I don’t bet, but if I did, I would put some money on the Gators.   2. I’m not convinced the new NCAA v. House deal will succeed: You have to find a third world country where poverty and corrupt politicians rule the day to find something more inept than the NCAA. For everything the House deal gets right, it gets two things wrong.   Yet now there is this settlement that raises the number of scholarships across the board and allows schools to directly pay athletes. Supposedly this will make things better.   I ask for who?   When I talked to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey back in December, I asked if the SEC is going to increase college football scholarships to 105. He shook his head and replied, “Do we really need more than 85?” Based on the number of players that depart via the transfer portal, it doesn’t take a rocket surgeon or a brain scientist to figure out most of the players leaving are gone because there are too many ahead of them.   Increasing the scholarships means the Power Four schools and a few of the Group of Five schools that are financially stable will take players that would have gone to programs in the weaker conferences. The mid-major and below schools will be harmed and the increased number of scholarships at the Power Five level will mean there will be more transfers than ever before.   This will be true across the college sports landscape. Name the sport and damage will be done, perhaps irreparable. The rich will get richer and while some think there is nothing wrong with that, a healthy Group of Five serves a real purpose in accommodating athletes that need more time to develop and – for lack of a better way of phrasing it – serve as a farm system for the big guys.   The settlement means schools have $20.5 million to pay the athletes. From that you can figure football will get 75 percent of the money. Okay, it’s the sport that has the highest rate of long term debilitating injuries so you can argue football needs it most. But what happens when the women from the water ballet team file a Title IX lawsuit claiming they should get a fair share of the money? Brace yourself. That’s going to happen. Bet the farm on it.   I am convinced there is no contingency plan for when the women’s sports and other non-revenue sports lawyer up and demand their share of the money. What looks like a step forward, I believe, will become two steps backward.   3. There is an answer: In San Antonio at the Final Four, former Villanova coach Jay Wright and I talked about the current state of college sports.   “The model we have isn’t working and it is unsustainable,” he told me. He said he sees some good things in the NCAA v. House of Representatives settlement, but not enough for the model to sustain success.   Jay Wright believes the answer starts with football either seceding from the NCAA or becoming an autonomous division that makes its own rules. Football pays the freight for nearly every other sport on campus and it should no longer be encumbered by the NCAA and its ridiculous rules.   Since pay for play is the new cost of doing business, then Wright says contracts are essential.   “You want to play college sports, then you have to sign an enforceable contract,” he said. “It goes both ways. If a school wants to get rid of a player, they have to buy out his contract. If the player wants to transfer then he either has to buy out his contract or reach a settlement with the school.”   With enforceable contracts, it will resolve the issue of players opting out of bowl games. Opt out and with the right contract, the player can be forced to pay back all the money he’s received for breach of contract.   “If we don’t make changes we’re not going to recognize college sports in two or three years,” Wright said. “I don’t even recognize them now.”   There is a reason why he retired. Same reason Nick Saban called it quits. Both of them could have continued for years but the college sports landscape has changed to the point they would rather watch someone else deal with it.   4. A few common sense suggestions: Here are a few things that I think could make college sports better.   A. No more regular season games against D1AA teams. If we’re going to have such a thing as spring practice in the future, then give us a real game. Make it a game against a D1AA team. That way the D1AA team doesn’t get beaten up when it has a playoff to consider and the D1 team doesn’t risk a loss that can prevent making the playoff.   B. Personally, I would prefer no more spring football in the traditional months of March and April. Instead, move it back to May or June. Let the kids who went through the fall have the spring semester to recuperate and get ready for practice in May. This way high school kids can stay in school, graduate with their class and then enroll in the summer. It makes more sense for incoming freshmen to have practice then two months working out with new teammates and spending time watching film. The carryover to the fall would be better.   C. Start the college basketball season mid-December after fall semester exams. Make it a one-semester sport.   D. Go to a 9-game SEC football schedule and do it for the right reason – for the fans. Three permanent opponents that play home and home every year, the other 12 teams are guaranteed to play every other team in the SEC home and home at least once every four years.   E. New transfer rules tied to academics. For example, a 2.5 GPA or else you sit a year. If you’re still taking remedial course and transfer, you sit a year. If you aren’t making satisfactory progress toward a degree and you transfer, you sit a year.   F. Five years eligibility in all sports. No extra year for redshirt or injury or transfer. The clock starts ticking your freshman year and you have five years to play, then you’re through.   G. A college sports commissioner who knows and understands the business of sports. Give him power to enforce the rules. Take the college presidents out of the equation. Let them do what they do best, which is deal with academics. Leave sports to sports people who know the business.

Florida's experienced offensive line will be opening plenty of holes for Jadan Baugh (13) in 2025 (Photo by Chris Spears)   A few thoughts to jump start your Sunday morning:   One of the chief reasons the Florida Gators will start the 2025 football season ranked inside the top 25 is the return of four starters on the offensive line – LT Austin Barber; LG Knijeah Harris; All-American C Jake Slaughter and RG Dameion George Jr. The fifth starter at right tackle is slated to be redshirt sophomore Bryce Lovett who made a strong showing in the spring.   This group is the most highly regarded of any O-line at Florida in recent years. Slaughter made first team All-America at center last year when the Gators cut their sacks allowed total in half from 2023. The 2023 Gators allowed 39 sacks in 12 games while the 2024 unit gave up 20 in 13 games. The Gators ran for 161.23 yards per game last season, an improvement from the 149.83 of 2023.   Statistically, the Gators took a slight step backward last season, going from 28.4 points and 409.1 yards per game in 2023 to 28.3 points and 386.9 yards per game, but the 2023 team went 5-7 while last season the Gators won their final four games and finished 8-5. It was the first winning record since 2020.   The combination of four returning starters on the offensive line to go with quarterback DJ Lagway (12 TDP), who went 6-1 as a starter after taking over for the injured Graham Mertz last year, plus experienced running backs Jadan Baugh (673 yards, 7 TD) and Ja’Kobi Jackson (509 yards, 7 TD) and the fastest, deepest group of receivers in years is why there is so much optimism for 2025. Even with a schedule that will rank among the top two or three toughest in the country, the Gators are expected to win eight or nine games during the regular season.   Former Alabama QB Greg McElroy and former Auburn center Cole Cubelic, who do a radio show together in Birmingham when they aren’t working for ESPN as game analysts, rank Florida’s O-line No. 3 nationally on the Always College Football podcast last week. McElroy said the Gators under Billy Napier will be committed to run the football, called Rob Sale “one of the best offensive line coaches in the country” and had high praise for Slaughter. Cubelic said he is impressed with how Napier’s offense can neutralize opposing defensive lines.   Athlon ranks Florida No. 2 in the SEC and No. 5 nationally. The Gators are outside the top ten but No. 3 in the SEC according to Lindy’s.   Greg McElroy/Cole Cubelic top ten OL in the country: 1. Notre Dame; 2. Texas A&M; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Alabama; 5. Utah; 6. Miami; 7. Penn State; 8. Auburn; 9. Clemson; 10. Oregon   Athlon top ten OL in the country: 1. Notre Dame; 2. Penn State; 3. Texas A&M; 4. Miami; 5. FLORIDA; 6. Alabama; 7. Clemson; 8. Texas; 9. Ohio State; 10. Iowa   Lindy’s top ten OL in the country: 1. Alabama; 2. Penn State; 3. Texas A&M; 4. Illinois; 5. Utah; 6. Wisconsin; 7. Oregon; 8. Clemson; 9. Iowa State; 10. Notre Dame   Athlon SEC offensive lines: 1. Texas A&M; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Alabama; 4. Texas; 5. Georgia; 6. Auburn; 7. LSU; 8. Tennessee; 9. Oklahoma; 10. Missouri; 11. Ole Miss; 12. South Carolina; 13. Arkansas; 14. Kentucky; 15. Mississippi State; 16. Vanderbilt   Lindy’s SEC offensive lines: 1. Alabama; 2. Texas A&M; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Georgia; 5. Texas; 6. Missouri; 7. South Carolina; 8. Auburn; 9. Ole Miss; 10. Oklahoma; 11. Vanderbilt; 12. Tennessee; 13. Arkansas; 14. LSU; 15. Mississippi State; 16. Kentucky   FIRST COMMITMENT FROM THE “GRILLE IN THE VILLE”   Tramond Collins (6-2, 185, Cottondale, FL), a 4-star wide receiver and one of the Gators’ top 2027 targets, became the first to commit to Florida from the “Grille in the Ville” recruiting event in Gainesville this weekend. As a sophomore last season, Collins had 13 catches for 402 yards (30.9 yards per catch) and 661 rushing yards (21.3 per carry) while scoring 15 touchdowns. Auburn, Tennessee, Kentucky and Louisville all extended offers to Collins. Collins is Florida’s first commitment to the 2027 recruiting class.   IF TODD GOLDEN WAS AN NBA GM …   The NBA will hold its annual draft this week, the first round taking place Wednesday with the second going on Thursday. Nearly every mock draft has Florida All-American Walter Clayton Jr. going first round. Some recent mock drafts include Alijah Martin in the second round and Will Richard, ranked the No. 71 draft eligible athlete by ESPN, going in the second.   Florida coach Todd Golden believes Clayton is going to bring real value to any team that takes him. In so many of the mock drafts, Clayton is going anywhere from No. 13 to the Atlanta Hawks to No. 29 to the Pheonix Suns. Golden is of the opinion that Clayton should go in the top echelons of the first round.   "I've gotten great reports from different NBA teams that have worked out Walt,” Golden said last week. “Obviously, I don't know where he'll end up going. Personally, I think he should be close to, like, 10, you know, 12, if I was a NBA GM, but I'm not. We'll see. But whoever picks him is going to get an incredible value, and then in two years, people are gonna be, 'How did Walter Clayton drop to that. Why did he go there?' I'm just telling you right now that's what's gonna happen," Golden said. "Because you look at guys like Fred VanVleet, Damian Lillard, like he's in that bucket. I'm not saying he's gonna get there right away. But, the guy just had the most incredible senior season tournament run, whatever you want to say. He's got real size, [is an] incredible athlete, elite shooter. I mean, what doesn't he do? And he just wins all the games, and that matters to some teams, and a team will pick him, and he'll end up killing it, and people will be like, 'Why wasn't he higher?' I'm just telling you right now that's going to happen."   URBAN MEYER SAID IT   On the Triple Option podcast, Meyer was asked if Michigan’s sign stealing was as big a deal as it’s being made out to be.   Meyer said, “Is it a run or a pass? Is that significant? Hell yeah it is — it’s a tremendous advantage. It changes the entire technique of your defensive front, linebackers. The second everybody knows it’s a pass, that’s a completely different story. And then the whole right or left, if they know it’s a run to the right or run to the left. And that’s why I understand what the advantages are.”   ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT   Florida will finish seventh in the annual Learfield Director’s Cup standings, just six points behind Tennessee and 183.25 behind national champion Texas. Texas won the Director’s Cup by 1.5 points over Southern Cal. Stanford, which typically picks up huge blocks of points in sports like field hockey, water polo and other non-revenue points, will finish third, the first time in 31 years its athletic program has finished outside the top two.   It's rare that the Gators finish outside the top five in the Director’s Cup standings, the Gators didn’t miss by much. North Carolina, which finished fourth, outscored the Gators by 123.25 points and fifth place UCLA had a scant 77 point lead.   Considering the rash of injuries that proved costly to multiple sports, Florida’s seventh place finish is quite remarkable. Gymnastics, baseball, softball and both the men’s and women’s track and field teams left points on the table largely because the injury bug hit hard. Additionally, women’s basketball, women’s tennis and soccer collectively produced zero points.   Gymnastics, which regularly makes the final four and battles Oklahoma down to the last athlete in the last event, won its regional and made the championships in Fort Worth, but didn’t make the final four. With a healthy Kayla DiCello, Skye Blakely and Sloan Blakely, the Gators might have won the national championship but certainly would have had final four points. The Gators scored 73 points but a third or fourth place finish would have pushed the Gators past Tennessee.   Baseball, which was forced to play with a patchwork lineup down the stretch due to injuries to All-SEC catcher Luke Heyman, shortstop Colby Shelton and second baseman Cade Kurland, didn’t get out of the region. Put those three in the lineup along with gold glove center fielder Kyle Jones and give lefty Pierce Coppola the two months he missed in the middle of the year, and it’s not a stretch to think the Gators might have at least been a regional host and made a super regional. With one regional win the Gators scored 37.5 points. Had they won their regional they would have scored 64.   Softball got to the Women’s College World Series but once there was two and through because of blisters on the pitching hand of ace Keagan Rothrock. The Gators scored 73 points but would have scored 78 with one win at the WCWS, 83 for a third or fourth place finish, 90 for second place.     Mike Holloway’s men’s track and field team, winners of the last three outdoor national championships and third place finishers at the previous two indoor NCAA meets, scored only a single point at the indoor championships for a 56th place finish, and eighth outdoors with 22 points. Florida scored 0 Director’s Cup points indoors and 49 outdoors. A fourth place finish, would have been worth an additional 31 Director’s Cup points. The women’s team, which won both the indoor and outdoor national championship in 2022 and finished top two indoors and top three outdoors in the previous two championships, finished 31st indoors with seven points and 15th outdoors with 18 points. The outdoor finish was good for 14 Director’s Cup points. Injuries to sprint sensation Wanya McCoy cost the Gators a top 10 finish indoors and quite possibly a top three finish outdoors. Injuries derailed a top ten finish outdoors for the women. Tenth indoors for the men and tenth outdoors for the women would have each been worth 34 points.   It doesn’t take a math major to see the Gators could have easily finished at least fourth and possibly could have challenged Stanford for third. All things considered, however, the seventh place finish under the circumstances is a sure sign of a healthy athletic program.

Expectations are through the roof for DJ Lagway in 2025 (Photo by Chris Spears) A few thoughts to jump start your Saturday morning:   Expectations are through the roof for DJ Lagway, who will begin the 2025 season with the best record among Southeastern Conference quarterbacks who started multiple games in 2024. Lagway is 6-1 as Florida’s starting QB, his only loss to Georgia, a game the Gators were leading 10-3 when he left the game with a hamstring injury. When he came back from the injury a couple of weeks later, Lagway won four straight games to establish himself as a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender for his sophomore season.   The last Florida quarterback to enter into his sophomore season with a stratospheric forecast qwas Tim Tebow. In 2008, Tebow met and then exceeded all expectations by winning the Heisman Trophy even though he lost three games during the regular season. Expectations for Lagway are scraping the edges of the universe, but just like Tebow, he seems to have the ability to zone out everything except the task at hand.   If Lagway can stay focused on whatever is next instead of looking at the big picture projected by an entire season, the Gators will have a legitimate shot at the College Football Playoff. And, if the Gators make the playoff, Lagway figures to be in the running to become Florida’s fourth Heisman Trophy winner.   Lindy’s ranks Lagway as the No. 7 national quarterback, No. 4 in the SEC. He’s also Lindy’s No. 7 Heisman contender.   How Lindy’s ranks the quarterback rooms in the SEC: 1. LSU: The starter is Garrett Nussmeier. The backup is Mississippi State transfer Michael Van Buren. Nussmeier was 337-525 for 4,052 (7.7 per attempt) yards while running for three more TDs. As a freshman at Mississippi State, Van Buren was 140-256 for 1,886 yards (7.4 per attempt) and 11 TDs (7 picks).   2. Texas: The starter is Arch Manning. The backup is Troy transfer Matthew Caldwell. Manning was 61-90 passing for 939 yards (10.4 per attempt) for nine touchdowns (2 picks). He ran for 108 yards and four touchdowns. At Troy, Caldwell was 141-223 passing for 1,608 yards (7.2 per attempt) and 13 touchdowns (8 picks). He ran for 47 yards and five touchdowns.   3. South Carolina: The starter is LaNorris Sellers. The backup is redshirt freshman Air Noland, who transferred from Ohio State. Sellers was 196-299 passing for 2,534 yards (8.5 per attempt) and 18 touchdowns (7 picks). He ran for 674 yards and seven touchdowns.   4. FLORIDA: The starter is DJ Lagway. The backup is Harrison Bailey, who began his career at Tennessee and transferred to UNLV before spending last year at Louisville. Lagway completed 115-192 passes for 1,915 yards (10 yards per attempt) and 12 touchdowns (9 picks). He ran for 101 yards. At Louisville, Bailey was 24-33 for 227 yards and three touchdowns (0 picks).   5. Oklahoma: The starter is Washington State transfer John Mateer. The backup is Michael Hawkins Jr. Mateer completed 224-337 passes for 3,139 yards (9.0 per attempt) for 29 touchdowns (7 picks). He ran for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns. Hawkins was 76-120 passing for 783 yards (6.5 per attempt) for three touchdowns (2 picks). He ran for 204 yards and a touchdown.   6. Vanderbilt: The starter is Diego Pavia. The backup is Blaze Berlowitz. Pavia was 177-298 passing for 2,293 yards (7.7 per attempt) and 20 touchdowns (4 picks). He ran for 801 yards and eight touchdowns. Berlowitz took a redshirt season after transferring from New Mexico State.   7. Alabama: The starter is Ty Simpson. The backup is sophomore Austin Mack. Simpson completed 14-25 passes last year for 167 yards. Mack was 2-3 for 39 yards and a touchdown.   8. Ole Miss: The starter is sophomore Austin Simmons. The backup is freshman AJ Maddox. Simmons was 19-32 passing for 282 yards (8.8 per attempt) and two touchdowns (0 picks).     9. Texas A&M:  The starter is Marcel Reed. The backup is freshman Miles O’Neil. Reed was 147-240 passing for 1,864 yards (7.8 per attempt) and 15 touchdowns (6 picks). He ran for 543 yards and seven touchdowns.   10. Auburn: The starter is Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold. The backup is freshman Deuce Knight. Arnold was 154-246 passes for 1,421 yards and 12 touchdowns with three interceptions. He ran for 444 yards and three touchdowns.   11. Arkansas: The starter is Taylen Green. The backup is freshman K.J. Jackson. Green completed 230-381 passes for 3,154 yards and 15 touchdowns (9 picks). He ran for 602 yards and eight more touchdowns.   12. Missouri: The starter is Penn State transfer Beau Pribula. The backup is Sam Horn. Pribula was 26-35 passing for 275 yards (7.9 per attempt) with five touchdowns (1 pick). He ran for 242 yards and four touchdowns. Horn is a junior who did not play in 2024.   13. Georgia: The starter is Gunner Stockton. The backup is freshman Ryan Puglisi. Stockton was 45-64 passing for 440 yards (6.9 per attempt) with one TD and one pick.   14. Mississippi State : The starter is Blake Shapen.  The backup is freshman KaMario Taylor. Shapen was 74-108 passing for 974 yards (9.0 per attempt) with eight touchdowns (1 pick) before he was hurt in game four.     15. Tennessee: The starter will be UCLA transfer by way of Appalachian State, Joey Aguilar. The backup is freshman Jake Merklinger. At Appalachian State, Aguilar was 218-390 passing for 3,003 yards (7.7 per attempt) and 23 touchdowns (14 picks). He ran for 207 yards and two touchdowns.   16. Kentucky: The starter is Incarnate Word transfer Zach Calzada, who began his career at Texas A&M before transferring to Auburn, then Incarnate Word. The backup is redshirt freshman Cutter Boley. Calzada was 343-524 passing for 3,744 yards (7.1 per attempt) and 35 touchdowns (9 picks) while running for 332 yards (5 touchdowns). Boley was 26-53 passing for 338 yards (6.9 per attempt) with two touchdowns (4 picks).   THE NAPIER HOT STREAK CONTINUES   There is fast and then there is CJ Bronaugh fast. Thirteen straight times Bronaugh has exploded out of the blocks to scorch the field over 100 meters, the most recent at the Florida 4A track and field championships at the University of North Florida. In the state meet at UNF, Bronaugh, running for Windermere, took down the field with a 10.34 time. It was the second straight year Bronaugh has come away with gold in the 100 meters (2023 for Foundation Academy). During his run of 13 straight wins in the 100, Bronaugh has hit 10.24 twice and never exceeded 10.44.   Bronaugh does more than run. He’s one of the top cornerback prospects in the country who was committed to Nebraska before Wednesday. Bronaugh (6-1, 175, Winter Garden, FL Windermere) flipped to Florida, the 11th prospect in the month of June to commit to Billy Napier and the Gators.   Bronaugh is the No. 72 recruit in the country per 247Sports, which ranks him as the No. six corner in the country and the No. 8 overall prospect in the state of Florida. Rivals ranks Bronaugh No. 94 nationwide, the 10th best corner and the 12th best player in the state of Florida. In seven games last season, Bronaugh had six interceptions, three that he ran back for touchdowns.   Prior to committing to Nebraska, Bronaugh had offers from Florida, Florida State, Penn State, Oklahoma, LSU, Miami, Texas A&M, Tennessee and North Carolina among others.   The addition to Florida’s 2026 recruiting class moved the Gators up to No. 12 at On3, No. 13 at 247Sports and No. 21 at Rivals.   Billy Napier and the Gators are hosting what is billed as “The Grille in the Ville,” a recruiting event for rising juniors for the 2027 class. Expected to attend are some of the top rated juniors in the country. Some folks who make their living off football recruiting believe Napier is going to score big. Among the visitors will be 5-star offensive tackles Mark Matthews (6-6, 280, Fort Lauderdale, FL St. Thomas Aquinas) and Cooper Hackett (6-7, 250, Fort Gibson, OK)   BREAKOUT DAY FOR JAC CAGLIANONE   The wait is over for Jac Caglianone. After a 10-51 start after being brought up to Kansas City from AAA Omaha, Caglianone hit his first and second Major League Baseball home runs Thursday afternoon as the Kansas City Royals beat the Texas Rangers, 4-1. Caglianone’s first homer, a 387-foot blast in the second inning, was off a shoulder high 95.5 mph fast ball from Jacob Latz. In the ninth, Caglianone hit a low slider 439 feet off lefty Robert Garcia.   A night earlier, while Caglianone took a seat, former Gator Wyatt Langford had a 3-5 night for the Rangers with a single, a pair of doubles and an RBI.   Friday night in San Diego, Caglianone went 1-4 while playing both right field and first base.   ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT   Friday, the University of Wisconsin and its NIL collective filed a lawsuit against the University of Miami claiming tortious interference, which is a fancy way of saying Wisconsin thinks Miami tampered with one of its players. Wisconsin is seeking financial damages and a declaratory judgment against Miami, claiming UM interfered with a binding revenue sharing contract between Xavier Lucas and the University of Wisconsin.   A former Wisconsin defensive back who played in 12 games and was in on 18 tackles as a true freshman in 2024, Lucas transferred to Miami in January without entering the portal, which had already closed. Wisconsin presented documents in court that show Lucas had signed a 2-year revenue sharing agreement that was set to begin on July 1. That’s the date when all schools can begin to legally compensate athletes due to the settlement between the NCAA and the United States House of Representatives.   The revenue sharing contract, produced by the Big Ten, binds players to a specific school – Wisconsin in the case of Lucas – and grants the issuing school the non-exclusive right to use and market the player’s name, image and likeness. The contract forbids the player’s name, image and likeness to be used by any other school. Lucas signed an agreement with the collective to receive compensation until the university was legally allowed to do so once the NCAA v. House of Representatives settlement kicks in July 1.   The suit claims Lucas had more than one impermissible contact with Miami coaches during December and January. It claims a Miami coach and booster visited Lucas in his home with a contract that pays more than Wisconsin.   Lucas is being represented by Darren Heitner, who graduated with a bachelors and law degree from the University of Florida. Heitner represented the Gator Collective during the Jaden Rashada fiasco.   This may be the first tampering lawsuit but don’t think for a second it will be the only one. Since the advent of the portal and collectives, there have been constant complaints that tampering has become the norm. The difference is this is the first time one school has sued another.   Should Wisconsin win this lawsuit against Miami, it will be the dawn of a new cottage industry as schools lawyer up to go after those it suspects of tampering with its players. The NCAA deal with the House is supposed to offer a clear pathway to navigate a myriad of issues. What we are going to discover is the deal only complicates matters.   Things are going to get worse before they ever get better again.