“Though this be madness, there is method in’t” – Polonius, Act II, Scene 2 of Hamlet by William Shakespeare   Three full seasons and four recruiting classes since he was hired in December of 2022, Billy Napier seems to have finally shed the village idiot label, thrust upon him by zealous Florida football fans who were convinced he was leading the Gators past a point of no return as well as a fairly large contingent in the sports media who thought he was living proof of the Peter Principle. Four-game winning streaks that include back-to-back playoff kills of LSU and Ole Miss along with a stomping of the dratted Seminoles and decisive bowl game win over a very good Tulane team have moved the Napier needle significantly in a positive direction.   Throw in a recruiting class that three of the four major services placed in the top ten and some folks are starting to see the light, that maybe Scott Stricklin really did know what he was doing when he plucked Napier from Louisiana to rebuild the Florida football brand. The wait to get to this point where perceptions have changed, has been painful but winning does tend to cover a number of ills and perceptions.   “Obviously, the wins help, certainly to finish with some momentum,” Napier said Wednesday morning at The Heavener Center. Years ago, National Signing Day Wednesday was a very big deal. People arranged their sick days to coincide so they didn’t miss out on recruiting news. No more. The first Wednesday in February is just another day that schools round up a few strays to finish off their recruiting classes. For Florida, it was Onis Konanbanny (6-0, 177, Columbia, SC Heathwood Hall Episcopal), a corner with a huge upside who flipped from Tennessee, and long snapper Mack Mulhern (6-1, 223, Scottsdale, AZ Horizon).   There is a carryover of momentum from the 2024 season. Napier has coached his way into the good graces of most of the fan base and the media is, for now at least, laying in wait to see if the Gators lay an egg in September. The Gators have the quarterback of the future in DJ Lagway, maybe the best returning offensive line in the SEC, a running backs room to die for, and studs galore in the wide receivers room.   That’s just on offense.   On the other side of the ball, Napier has brought in Vinnie Sunseri from Washington to coach the safeties and, per Matt Zenitz, the national reporter extraordinaire for 247Sports, Robert Bala from that same Washington staff is getting the details worked out on a contract that will bring him to Gainesville to coach the inside linebackers. Hiring Bala will allow defensive coordinator Ron Roberts to roam the practice field to figure out who’s hot and who’s not.   Additionally, Napier let it be known that defensive line coach Gerald Chatman, who interviewed with the Chicago Bears, signed a new contract a couple of weeks ago. The D-line improvement from 2023 to 2024 was dramatic. Napier confirmed that most of the  coaching staff has signed new deals and those that haven’t are working out details.   So, it is a good time to be Billy Napier. In nearly every early 2025 poll, the Gators are in the top 25. Fewer players want to leave the program and far more of the nation’s best recruits list Florida as a serious possibility. The foundation is stronger than when he first arrived and certainly facilities have caught up to the rest of the Southeastern Conference.   "We're getting better,” Napier said. “I think we have the resources to retain. I think that's No. 1. And I also think that we have relationships with the players. We recruited the players. We know the families, we know the dynamic. Typically, that's the challenging thing when you take over a program. It's like, someone else established rapport and relationships with the players you inherit. They're out there in college football, you know, and then you're trying to establish trust, you're trying to evaluate them, they're trying to decide, 'Does he like me?' So, again, we're through that. We've done the heavy lifting. I think we're on the other side of that. I think there's four players maybe that we were here when we first started and they're some of our better players."   When the Gators take the field in 2025 it will be with a mostly home grown roster supplemented by a few transfers. In building his roster, Napier could have chosen the route taken by Lake Kiffin (Ole Miss), who seems to have mastered the portal, or the one favored by Dabo Swinney (Clemson), who only this year has begun welcoming transfers. Napier’s approach is in between Kiffin and Swinney. This year, for example, the Gators signed 27 high school kids and so far, only five from the portal.     If this is a typical spring, there will be attrition although probably less this year than in the previous three. Some guys buried on the depth chart will be looking for a fresh start while some others who feel undervalued will leave in search of a better NIL deal. Whatever the reason, things will open up to add a few more from the portal.   “There's another cycle in the spring,” Napier said. “We have typically gotten through spring ball, assessed the roster. What do we need to go try to go address some things? Like (Elijhah) Badger last year. I think we were able to get a couple: Cormani (McClain), (Jason) Zandamela, trying to think off the top of my head here, but we added some pieces there in the second cycle that proved to be beneficial for the team. Look, you've got four opportunities currently to add players to the team. So we're going to use each cycle, take a good look at what we got and then trying to make good decisions.”   For the most part, Napier, his coaches and army of analysts have made good decisions about transfers. Not every transfer has been a success, but the Gators got it right with All-American right guard O’Cyrus Torrence (Louisiana), running back Montrell Johnson Jr. (Louisiana), quarterback Graham Mertz (Wisconsin), wide receivers Ricky Pearsall (Arizona State), Chimere Dike (Wisconsin) and Badger (Arizona State), defensive back Trikweze Bridges (Oregon), right tackle Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson (San Diego State) and nose tackle Cam Jackson (Memphis).   Former transfers Caleb Banks (Louisville), Pup Howard (South Carolina) and George Gumbs Jr. (Northern Illinois) will play prominent roles in the 2025 defense. Wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant (from UCLA), who has 123 catches for 1,667 yards and 13 touchdowns, is the plum of the 2025 transfer class. Former Tennessee and Louisville quarterback Harrison Bailey gives the Gators an experienced backup for Lagway.   Whether it’s high school players or experienced guys from the portal, there is no one size fits all approach to adding to the Gator roster.   "I just think about putting together the best team cycle,” Napier said. “And look, you're evaluating the film, the production, and then you get into the measurables. Do they fit within the position description? Do they have the height, length, speed, the mental makeup, the character, the circle of influence? And then, now, there is the budgetary component, right? So, you got this huge puzzle that you're putting together. I think that every cycle we're going to sign players that we think fit and we don't reach. We don't take one that we don't (like). We just go to the portal or we go to February or we go to the spring portal. We just keep moving and keep evaluating players until we find someone that we think fits."   Going strictly by stars and big names, the high school class which features perhaps the best wide receiver group in the country – 5-star Vernell Brown III (5-11, 173, Orlando, FL Jones), 4-stars Dallas Wilson (6-3, 200, Tampa, FL Tampa Bay Tech) and Naeshaun Montgomery (6-1, 180, Miami, FL Central) and 3-star Muizz Tounkara (6-4, 195, League City, TX Clear Springs) – is the best of Napier’s four recruiting classes. The combination of end of year success and Lagway had a lot to do with how the Florida recruiting class went from rock bottom to top ten. Everybody wants to play for a winner, particularly when there is a dynamic force like Lagway who’s going to be around for another two years.   But it isn’t always about getting the biggest name. It’s about finding the right fit and players who figure to have productive careers.   “We haven't always signed the flashiest name out of there but I think we've been pretty spot on in terms of the production that we get,” Napier said. “So we're hopeful we’ve done that.”      2025 HIGH SCHOOL RECRUITS WR Vernell Brown III (5-11, 175, Orlando, FL Jones) CB Ben Hanks Jr. (6-1, 170, Overtown, FL Booker T. Washington WR Dallas Wilson (6-3, 200, Tampa, FL Tampa Bay Tech) EDGE Jayden Woods (6-3, 229, Shawnee, KS Mill Valley) S Hylton Stubbs (6-1, 187, Jacksonville, FL Mandarin) OT Tavaris Dice (6-4, 302, College Park, GA Langston Hughes) S Lagonza Hayward (6-1, 200, Lyons, GA Toombs County) EDGE Jalen Wiggins (6-5, 257, Tallahassee, FL Rickards) LB Ty Jackson (6-1, 200, Fort Lauderdale, FL Seminole Ridge) RB Waltez Clark (6-1, 197, Tampa, FL Plant) QB Tramell Jones (6-0, 183, Jacksonville, FL Mandarin) WR Naeshaun Montgomery (6-2, 178, Miami, FL Central) DL Stephon Shivers (6-4, 384, Brentwood, TN Brentwood, TN) TE Micah Jones (6-4, 242, Madison, MS Madison Central) DL Jeremiah McCloud (6-3, 289, Sylvester, GA Lee County) RB Chad Gasper (5-11, 208, Katy, TX Jordan) OT Jahari Medlock (6-5, 281, Riverdale, GA Charles Drew) TE Cameron Kossmann (6-6, 240, Chesterfield, MO Marquette Senior) P Hayden Craig (6-2, 190, Mercier, Quebec/Bridgton, ME Bridgton Academy) DL Joseph Mbatchou (6-5, 283, Loganville, GA Grayson) LB Myles Johnson (6-1, 213, Brewton, AL T.R. Miller) RB Byron Louis (5-11, 206, Fort Lauderdale, FL American Heritage) CB Onis Konanbanny (6-1, 180, Columbia, SC Heathwood Hall Episcopal) WR Muizz Tounkara (6-4, 195, League City, TX Clear Springs) OL Daniel Pierre Louis (6-4, 332, Loxahatchee, FL Seminole Ridge) PK Evan Noel (6-2, 154, Bay St. Louis, MS St. Stanislaus) LS Mack Mulhern (6-1, 220, Scottsdale, AZ Horizon)   2025 TRANSFERS QB Harrison Bailey (6-5, 230, from Louisville) CB Michael Carraway Jr. (6-2, 195, from Southern Miss) EDGE Kofi Asare (6-5, 250, from UMass) WR J. Michael Sturdivant (6-3, 205, from UCLA) P Tommy Doman (6-5, 215, from Michigan)

Denzel Aberdeen will get the start if Walter Clayton Jr. can't go against Vandy (Photo by Chris Spears) Think of tonight’s O-Dome matchup of No. 6 Florida (18-3, 5-3 SEC) and Vanderbilt (16-5, 4-4 SEC) as a hold your breath kind of game. The fact that it’s an SEC game and Vanderbilt has wins over Kentucky and Tennessee alone makes it a matter of maximum importance for the Gators, who will be trying to rebound from a beatdown at the hands of Tennessee in their last outing. There is also that teensy matter of Walter Clayton Jr.   Late in the first half against Tennessee, Clayton sprained an ankle, which limited his effectiveness in the second half. Late in the second half, Clayton’s ankle gave way again. He’s had a couple of days to recover but even Florida coach Todd Golden is unsure if his leading scorer and point guard will be able to answer the bell against the visiting Commodores.   “He definitely tweaked his ankle pretty good there in the first half,” Golden said Monday. “Second half, slipped in front of our bench. I don’t think there was anything added on because of that. Just kind of a fluky deal. Obviously, he’s been knocking out his rehab and is recovering. He’s moving around pretty well, but we’ll take it hour by hour right now and see how it goes this afternoon in practice. I think tomorrow when he wakes up will be a big determinant in if he goes tomorrow night or not.”   Clayton averages 17.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. When he heats it up, he can take over a game and lead the Gators on one of those spurts that can create separation. Since arriving at Florida after transferring from Iona, Clayton has never missed a game so if he’s unable to answer the bell, all eyes will be on Denzel Aberdeen.   Aberdeen has played well as the man off the bench in Florida’s 4-man rotation on the perimeter. He’s averaging 7.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists, all career highs. In Florida’s 30-point win over Tennessee back on January 7, Aberdeen was brilliant, scoring 16 points. Aberdeen was instrumental in Florida’s comeback win over South Carolina, scoring nine while providing lock down defense in Florida’s 1-point margin.   That’s off the bench, but can he get the job done as a starter? Golden has full confidence, not just in Aberdeen but in Urban Klavzar, who hasn’t played much but has shown flashes of brilliance as a passer when he’s on the floor. If Clayton can’t go, freshman Isaiah Brown could also see some minutes in the perimeter rotation. Kajus Kublickas is a pure point guard who has also seen limited action.   “I'm very confident that they'll be able to step up if we need them,” Golden said. “You know, they're great players, they're very good players, and obviously our rotation has been tight. We've been healthy, and things have been going pretty well, so there hasn't been a need necessarily to stretch that out. But if, you know, we need extended minutes from Urby, Zai or even Kajus, you know, I think those guys will be able to lift up a little bit if we need them to.”   Whether Clayton can go or if the Gators have to go deeper on the bench than normal, this is a critical game. Coming off a 20-point loss, the Gators need a big bounce back, particularly with a road trip to No. 1 Auburn next on the agenda. Vanderbilt has proven it can play with the big boys as evidenced by wins over Tennessee and Kentucky, but like the Gators, the Commodores are coming off a blowout loss. Last Saturday in Norman, Oklahoma scorched Vanderbilt 97-67.   Road wins in the Southeastern Conference come at a premium, so it’s a necessity to win at home. The Gators are 10-1 in the O-Dome this year, their only loss by one to Missouri. After their loss to Kentucky in early January and the loss to Missouri a couple of weeks ago, the Gators showed resilience by bouncing back with big wins.   Can they do it again, particularly after getting their doors blown off up in Knoxville?   “We got knocked on our butt Saturday and have to make sure it doesn’t happen Tuesday night ,” Golden said.   Anticipated starting lineups No. 6 FLORIDA (18-3, 5-3 SEC): Alex Condon (6-11, 230, SO); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 255, SO); Will Richard (6-4, 206, SR); Alijah Martin (6-2, 195, GR); Walter Clayton Jr. (6-2, 195, SR)   Vanderbilt (16-5, 4-4 SEC): Devin McGlockton (6-7, 230, JR); Tyler Nickel (6-7, 230, JR); Chris Manon (6-5, 215, SR); Jason Edwards (6-1, 175, JR); AJ Hoggard (5-4, 220, SR)   SEC BASKETBALL Today’s games Vanderbilt (16-5, 4-4 SEC) at No. 6 FLORIDA (18-3, 5-3 SEC) Oklahoma (16-5, 3-5 SEC) at No. 1 Auburn (20-1, 8-0 SEC) No. 14 Kentucky (15-6, 4-4 SEC) at No. 25 Ole Miss (16-6, 5-4 SEC)   Wednesday’s games No. 15 Missouri (17-4, 6-2 SEC) at No. 4 Tennessee (18-4, 5-4 SEC) Arkansas (13-8, 2-6 SEC) at Texas (15-7, 4-5 SEC) LSU (12-9, 1-7 SEC) at Georgia (15-7, 3-6 SEC)   Saturday’s games No. 5 FLORIDA (18-3, 5-3 SEC) at No. 1 Auburn (20-1, 8-0 SEC) No. 4 Alabama (19-3, 8-1 SEC) at Arkansas (13-8, 2-6 SEC) No. 8 Tennessee (18-4, 5-4 SEC) at Oklahoma (16-5, 3-5 SEC) South Carolina (10-12, 0-9 SEC) at No. 12 Kentucky (15-6, 4-4 SEC) No. 13 Texas A&M (17-5, 6-3 SEC) at No. 20 Missouri (17-4, 6-2 SEC) No. 14 Mississippi State (16-6, 4-5 SEC) at Georgia (15-7, 3-6 SEC) No. 23 Ole Miss (16-6, 5-4 SEC) at LSU (12-9, 1-7 SEC) Texas (15-7, 4-5 SEC) at No. 24 Vanderbilt (16-5, 4-4 SEC)   Coaches top 25: 1. Auburn 20-1; 2. Duke 19-2; 3. Alabama 19-3; 4. Tennessee 18-4; 5. Houston 17-4; 6. FLORIDA 18-4; 7. Purdue 17-5; 8. Iowa State 17-4; 9. Michigan State 18-3; 10. St. John’s 19-3; 11. Marquette 18-4; 12. Texas Tech 17-4; 13. Texas A&M 17-5; 14. Kentucky 15-6; 15. Memphis 18-4; 16. Missouri 17-4; 17. Kansas 15-6; 18. UConn 16-6; 19. Wisconsin 17-5; 20. Arizona 15-6; 21. Clemson 18-4; 22. Michigan 16-5; 23. Saint Mary’s 20-3; 24. Maryland 17-5; 25. Illinois 15-7   Associated Press top 25: 1. Auburn 20-1; 2. Duke 19-2; 3. Alabama 19-3; 4. Tennessee 18-4; 5. Houston 17-4; 6. FLORIDA 18-4; 7. Purdue 17-5; 8. Iowa State 17-4; 9. Michigan State 18-3; 10. Texas A&M 17-5; 11. Marquette 18-4; 12. St. John’s 19-3; 13. Texas Tech 17-4; 14. Kentucky 15-6; 15. Missouri 17-4; 16. Kansas 15-6; 17. Memphis 18-4; 18. Maryland 17-5; 19. UConn 16-6; 20. Arizona 15-6; 21. Wisconsin 17-4; 22. Mississippi State 16-6; 23. Illinois 15-7; 24. Michigan 16-5; 25. Ole Miss 16-6

Sam Alexis faces up along the baseline against Tennessee (UAA Photo) Paybacks can be hell, particularly when it comes to basketball in the Southeastern Conference. A few weeks past Florida’s humiliating 73-43 domination of then No. 1 Tennessee at the O-Dome, the Vols returned the favor in Knoxville. The similarities are eerie.   In Gainesville, the Gators held the Vols to 12-56 shooting overall and 4-29 from the 3-point line. The Gators didn’t exactly burn it up on the offensive end, but they commanded the backboards and the interior.   In Knoxville, the Gators went 13-53 from the field, 4-27 from the 3-point line. Florida played a solid defensive game, but the Gators inability to rebound and get second chance points spelled defeat.   “We were just atrocious offensively,” Florida coach Todd Golden said in what would qualify as the understatement of the year. The Gators have the ability to score points in bunches when everything goes well. Few teams have the firepower of Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard, but when all three are off as they were Saturday, the scoring has to come from the big guys. Through the first 20 games, there were only a couple when the perimeter guys were so off but most teams have a game like this over the course of a season.   While the casual fan probably wonders what the heck happened to the Gators, this is the kind of thing that happens on the road against a quality SEC opponent. The Gators are an outstanding team that has Final Four potential but they can't afford any more games like this. They have to be able to hold serve at home and steal games on the road. The Gators (18-3, 5-3 SEC) have 10 games remaining in the regular season, five at home, five on the road. If UF can win six or seven more games in the regular season, they stand a good chance to earn a top top four seed in the NCAA Tournament.   The Gators need Micah Handlogten Other than the fact the Gators couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean from the end of the pier at high tide Saturday, one thing patently obvious was the need for Micah Handlogten to make a decision to forego the redshirt and play. Handlogten isn’t a great offensive player but he doesn’t need to be. He’s a ferocious offensive rebounder and can either score on stickbacks or give the Gators extra possessions.   Alex Condon has had a good, not great season. He’s good on the backboards, good defensively, but he’s inconsistent offensively. Rueben Chinyelu is a strong rebounder but he’s foul prone and a work in progress offensively. Thomas Haugh is pure hustle who can impact the game without scoring, but he’s not a consistent offensive threat. Sam Alexis can score, but he’s not consistent at the defensive end.   Put Handlogten in the big man rotation and the Gators can be formidable both defensively and rebounding. With him able to give the Gators 10-12 minutes a game, UF has serious Final Four potential. The Gators can get to the Final Four without Handlogten, but adding the 7-1 junior would be a real difference.   SEC BASKETBALL Tuesday’s games No. 24 Vanderbilt (16-5, 4-4 SEC) at No. 5 FLORIDA (18-3, 5-3 SEC) Oklahoma (16-5, 3-5 SEC) at No. 1 Auburn (20-1, 8-0 SEC) No. 12 Kentucky (15-6, 4-4 SEC) at No. 23 Ole Miss (16-6, 5-4 SEC)   Wednesday’s games No. 20 Missouri (17-4, 6-2 SEC) at No. 8 Tennessee (18-4, 5-4 SEC) Arkansas (13-8, 2-6 SEC) at Texas (15-7, 4-5 SEC) LSU (12-9, 1-7 SEC) at Georgia (15-7, 3-6 SEC)   Saturday’s games No. 5 FLORIDA (18-3, 5-3 SEC) at No. 1 Auburn (20-1, 8-0 SEC) No. 4 Alabama (19-3, 8-1 SEC) at Arkansas (13-8, 2-6 SEC) No. 8 Tennessee (18-4, 5-4 SEC) at Oklahoma (16-5, 3-5 SEC) South Carolina (10-12, 0-9 SEC) at No. 12 Kentucky (15-6, 4-4 SEC) No. 13 Texas A&M (17-5, 6-3 SEC) at No. 20 Missouri (17-4, 6-2 SEC) No. 14 Mississippi State (16-6, 4-5 SEC) at Georgia (15-7, 3-6 SEC) No. 23 Ole Miss (16-6, 5-4 SEC) at LSU (12-9, 1-7 SEC) Texas (15-7, 4-5 SEC) at No. 24 Vanderbilt (16-5, 4-4 SEC)   No. 4 Alabama (19-3, 7-1 SEC): With No. 3 Iowa State going down to unranked Kansas State, the Crimson Tide is likely to move up one spot in the Associated Press rankings.     Arkansas (13-8, 2-6 SEC): The Hogs were 13th in the SEC in 3-point shooting prior to their win over Kentucky at Rupp. They hit 13-25 from beyond the arc to fuel the upset for John Calipari, who got the last laugh on Kentucky fans who booed him pre-game. The five players who left Kentucky to follow Cal to Arkansas scored 66 points, pulled down 27 rebounds and handed out 11 assists.   No. 1 Auburn (20-1, 9-0 SEC): In leading Auburn to a road win over No. 23 Ole Miss, Johni Broome had 22 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. All five starters for Auburn scored in double figures … Auburn is 12-1 in Quad 1 games.     Georgia (15-7, 3-6 SEC): The Bulldogs have lost five of their last six SEC games. Six of their last nine games are against ranked teams. It might take five SEC wins for Georgia to make it into the NCAA Tournament.   No. 12 Kentucky (15-6, 4-4 SEC): The Wildcats allow 76.5 points per game, which is 297th nationally and 15thin the SEC. The Wildcats played the Arkansas game without point guard Lamont Butler, who is averaging 13.2 points and 4.8 assists per game.   LSU (12-9, 1-7 SEC): The Tigers have struggled against SEC competition, their only win in Baton Rouge over Arkansas. Unless they win the SEC Tournament (doubtful), their best bet is to get to 17 or 18 wins to get to the NIT.   No. 14 Mississippi State (16-6, 4-5 SEC): The Bulldogs have lost two straight and five of their last seven. They get the midweek bye before traveling to Georgia next Saturday. Former Gator Riley Kugel is averaging 9.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.   No. 20 Missouri (17-4, 6-2 SEC): The Tigers took down two ranked SEC teams last week (Ole Miss and Mississippi State). They won’t crack the top ten this week but they should be ranked somewhere between 11-15. Caleb Grill is hitting 49 percent of his 3-pointers.   Oklahoma (16-5, 3-5 SEC): Since starting out the SEC schedule 0-4, the Sooners have won three of four. In blowing out Vanderbilt, Jeremiah Fears had 21 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.   No. 23 Ole Miss (16-6, 5-4 SEC): The Rebels started the SEC schedule 4-0 but they’re 1-4 ever since. Ole Miss allowed Auburn to hit 14-28 3-pointers and lost the rebounding battle by 11.     South Carolina (10-12, 0-9 SEC): In the Gamecocks two losses last week, Collin Murray-Boyles had a combined 40 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, four steals and four blocked shots.   No. 8 Tennessee (18-4, 4-4 SEC): In their win over Florida, the Vols held the Gators to 13-53 shooting from the field overall, 4-27 from the 3-point line. The Vols outscored the Gators 40-23 in the second half.   Texas (15-7, 4-5 SEC): After an 0-3 start in SEC play, the Longhorns are 4-2. Freshman Tre Johnson is averaging 19 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.   No. 13 Texas A&M (17-5, 6-3 SEC): The Aggies are idle until next Saturday when they travel to Missouri. Wade Taylor leads the Aggies at 15.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.   No. 24 Vanderbilt (16-5, 4-4 SEC): One game after a court-storming win over Kentucky, the Commodores laid an egg at Oklahoma, losing by 30 (99-67). Jason Edwards, a transfer from North Texas, is averaging 17.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.   UF GYMNASTICS: GATORS WIN TRI-MEET WITH UTAH, WEST VIRGINIA The Gators were a few small mishaps from a second 198+ score Sunday afternoon in Morgantown, but despite the hiccups, the 2nd-ranked Gators still came away with a 197.575 score, good for a win over No. 4 Utah (197.425) and host West Virginia (195.475).   The Gators scored a 49.525 on bars, 49.400 on vault, 49.350 on beam and 49.300 on floor. Florida’s vault score was .125 below their season high. The 49.350 on beam was .325 below the season high. At 49.300 the Gators were .200 below the season high on floor. Even the bars score was .150 below the season high.   Leeanne Wong won the all-around title with a 39.675. She scored 9.925s on vault, bars and floor, 9.90 on balance beam. She tied with Anya Pilgrim for the bars title. Selena Harris-Miranda tied for the vault title at 9.95. Sloane Blakely won the beam title with a 9.95.   CHICAGO BEARS WANT TO HIRE CHATMAN; TIM SKIPPER INTERVIEWS WITH UF The Chicago Bears want to hire Florida defensive line coach Gerald Chatman, whose one year with the Gators resulted in dramatic improvements in both sacks and tackles for loss. The Gators went from 22 to 39 sacks, which was tied for 13th nationally. The Gators had 58 tackles for loss in 2023, but they improved to 86 in 2024 which were good for 355 yards in losses.   Tim Skipper who was on the Florida staff for three years during the Jim McElwain era, was on campus Friday interviewing for a position on Billy Napier’s staff. Skipper, who was the interim head coach at Fresno State, taking the Bulldogs to a 6-7 record and a bowl game, coached running backs the first two years at UF, then was the linebackers coach in 2017.   ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: The deadline to hear objections to the NCAA’s $2.8 billion antitrust settlement has come and gone. Now it’s time to wait for Judge Claudia Wilken. She will decide on April 7 if the deal is “fair, reasonable and adequate.”   Wilken will decide to approve the deal in its entirety, approve some of it while demanding revisions or reject the deal altogether, which would result in multiple lawsuits.   In polite terms this deal is complicated. It gives athletes a stake in college sports revenues but how the money will be distributed whether among athletes or the Division I schools remains to be seen. On paper it sounds good that the schools in the non-power conferences will get much needed revenue, but will it save the smaller schools from going belly up? Also, will gymnasts and softball players, for example, get the same financial share as football players?    In not so polite terms this deal is potentially disastrous and could lead to Title IX challenges as well as labor lawsuits, since the deal essentially eliminates the ability for athletes to unionize and collectively bargain.   The best thing that could happen would be for Wilken to reject the deal and for the college presidents and athletic directors to announce they are seceding from the NCAA with the intent of forming their own new organization complete with new rules and a commissioner.

If Billy was looking for The Sweet Spot, he found it with freshman All-American DJ Lagway

Walter Clayton Jr. needs 12 points for 1,000 in his Florida career (Photo by Chris Spears)   Asked Thursday to describe last weekend’s Auburn-Tennessee game, won by Auburn, 53-51, Todd Golden replied, “Rock fight.”   That’s probably what the 5th-ranked Gators (18-2, 5-2 SEC) can expect today when they face 8th-ranked Tennessee (17-4, 4-4 SEC) in Knoxville (12 noon, ESPN). The Gators come into the game flying high and within shouting distance of No. 1 Auburn (7-0 SEC) and No. 4 Alabama (6-1 SEC). Tennessee, on the other hand, has lost two in a row and three of their last four.   Desperation might be the key word when describing the state of the Vols. Today’s game with the Gators marks the halfway point of the SEC portion of the schedule for Tennessee. A loss would be their fifth in league play, placing them in the precarious position of needing six wins the rest of the way to post a winning record in the SEC. Six of Tennessee’s last nine games are against ranked teams.   Florida knows what it takes to beat Tennessee. Back on January 7 when the Vols were the No. 1-ranked team in the nation, Florida put on a defensive clinic in scoring a 73-43 win, the largest margin of victory over a No. 1 team in more than 50 years. The Gators held Tennessee to 12-56 shooting from the field overall and a miserable 4-29 from the 3-point line. Chaz Lanier came into the game the SEC’s leading scorer and one of the nation’s more lethal 3-point shooters. Dogged all night by Will Richard, Lanier went 3-16 from the field including 1-9 from the 3-point line. The straw that stirs the Tennessee offense, Zakai Ziegler scored 10 but he was only 1-6 from the 3-point line and managed only one assist. Ziegler leads the SEC at 7.4 assists per game.   It might be ludicrous to think the Gators could hold the Vols to similar numbers today. Although the Gators will likely employ a similar defensive strategy of taking Lanier and Ziegler out of the game while making the other Vols pick up the slack, Tennessee has a habit of shooting exceedingly well at Thompson-Boling Arena where they are egged on by crowds of 20,000 or more for SEC games.   Golden knows the Vols will come into this game with a backs against the wall mentality. The best way to handle that is for Florida to impose its will at both ends of the floor.   "Listen, we know we are going to see a really, really fired up team.” Golden said.  “Sometimes on the road, you have to absorb it a little bit. We will definitely try to be proactive and set the tone, get it up and down the floor a little bit and push tempo, which should help. We will push tempo regardless whether we play here or on the road, but it was physical enough, they were incredibly physical against us here in our place. Obviously, they missed some shots and we were able to get out in transition some and get that lead and not relinquish it. It will be different up there and it will be a super challenge that way.   “We have to be physical. We have to be strong with the ball. We have to make them earn their offensive baskets, and we have to make them guard us. That will be key, and obviously they are the best defensive team in the country. So we have to handle it. We have to not turn it over, avoid live ball turnovers, got to play off two feet, take smart shots. We have to have great mental discipline to win."   Game notes: The Vols hold opponents to an average of 59.3 points per game, best in the SEC and fourth nationally. The Gators are seventh in the country in scoring at 85.2 per game, third in scoring margin at 19 … The Gators are third in the country in rebounding (44.43 per game), fourth in offensive rebounds per game (15.25) …The Gators hold opponents to 27.9 percent from the 3-point line which is third nationally. Tennessee leads the country, limiting opponents to 26.5 percent …Walter Clayton Jr., who leads the Gators in scoring at 17.8 per game, needs only 12 points for 1,000 in his Gator career. Counting his two years at Iona, Clayton has scored 1,759 points, an average of 14.7 per game.   Anticipated starting lineups No. 5 FLORIDA (18-2, 5-2 SEC): Alex Condon (6-11, 230, SO); Rueben Chinyelu (6-10, 255, SO); Will Richard (6-4, 206, SR); Alijah Martin (6-2, 195, GR); Walter Clayton Jr. (6-2, 195, SR)   No. 8 Tennessee (17-4, 4-4 SEC): Igor Milicic (6-10, 225, SR); Felix Okpara (6-11, 235, JR); Jahmai Mashack (6-4, 202, SR); Chaz Lanier (6-5, 207, SR); Zakai Ziegler (5-9, 172m SR)   SEC BASKETBALL Today’s games No. 5 FLORIDA (18-2, 5-2 SEC) at No. 8 Tennessee (17-4, 4-4 SEC) No. 1 Auburn (19-1, 7-0 SEC) at No. 23 Ole Miss (16-5, 5-3 SEC) Georgia (15-6, 3-5 SEC) at No. 4 Alabama (18-3, 7-1 SEC) Arkansas (12-8, 1-6 SEC) at No. 12 Kentucky (15-5, 4-3 SEC) No. 13 Texas A&M (16-5, 5-3 SEC) at South Carolina (10-11, 0-8 SEC) No. 20 Missouri (16-4, 5-2 SEC) at No. 14 Mississippi State (16-5, 4-4 SEC) No. 24 Vanderbilt (16-4, 4-3 SEC) at Oklahoma (15-5, 2-5 SEC) Texas (14-7, 3-5 SEC) at LSU (12-8, 1-6 SEC)

Vinnie Sunseri spent last year coaching Washington's safeties (Photo from Sunseri Instagram) A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning: Vinnie Sunseri has been named the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach for the Florida Gators. That’s probably the worst kept secret on the planet, but the Gators made it official Thursday.   Sunseri, whose dad Sal was the defensive line coach for Dan Mullen in 2018, played collegiately at Alabama where he was a vital part of two national championship secondaries. Sunseri was drafted in the fifth round by the New Orleans Saints in the 2014 NFL Draft.   He worked as a grad assistant for Nick Saban at Alabama in 2019, then was on Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots’ staff from 2020-23. He was the safeties coach at the University of Washington last season, working for Belichick’s son Steve who was the defensive coordinator.   "Vinnie Sunseri has a great pedigree coming from a football family and has also played and coached for exceptional coaches throughout his career," Florida head coach Billy Napier said. "He is a two-time national champion with NFL and collegiate experience. Vinnie will help our organization improve as we continue to build. I'm excited to welcome he and his wife, Kaci, to Gainesville."   Napier was on the Alabama staff (analyst 2011, wide receivers coach 2013) when Sunseri played for the Crimson Tide. Sal Sunseri was the associate head coach at Alabama when Napier was an analyst.   Vinnie Sunseri fills the spot on the coaching staff vacated by Austin Armstrong, who left to become the defensive coordinator at Houston. Sunseri will team up with Ron Roberts to call the defense for the Gators with Roberts likely to remain in the booth while Sunseri will be on the sidelines. Florida’s defense made a dramatic turnaround in the 2024 season when Armstrong went to the sidelines and Roberts took over in the booth.   In the first four games (2-2 record), plus the Georgia and Texas losses, both blowouts due to the injury to DJ Lagway that brought the offense to a standstill, the Gators gave up 192 points (32 points per game) and 2709 yards (450.33 per game). In those games, the Gators forced seven turnovers and got to quarterbacks for 11 sacks. In the other seven games (6-1 record) the Gators gave up 2,191 yards (313 per game) and 108 points (15.4 per game). The Gators had 28 sacks in the those games and forced 18 turnovers.   It's a veteran defense the Gators will return next year with 17 players off last year’s two-deep returning. Will Harris, who coached the entire secondary last season, will be in charge of the corners with Sunseri taking over the safeties.     CALL THIS SEPARATION SATURDAY IN SEC HOOPS When the 5th-ranked Gators (18-2, 5-2 SEC) travel to Knoxville to face No. 8 Tennessee (17-4, 4-4 SEC) Saturday (12 noon, it’s a chance for Florida to get three games of separation from the Vols, who have lost two in a row. This is a very big deal as the SEC reaches the midway point. No. 1 Auburn is unbeaten in league play and No. 4 Alabama has one loss, so a win in Knoxville will keep the Gators within striking distance of the top and put Tennessee in the precarious position of needing seven or eight wins to ensure top four seeding.   Florida and Tennessee are both on the No. 2 line in the bracketology for both Joe Lunardi (ESPN) and Jerry Palm (CBS). Tennessee’s latest loss to Kentucky will probably drop the Vols a bit when new brackets come out (likely today). A loss to Florida will probably take the Vols out of a top four. It is unlikely that a Florida win will move the Gators to the No. 1 line, but it will definitely solidify their position on the No. 2 line, particularly since the Gators beat the Vols by 30 (73-43) in Gainesville back on January 7 when Tennessee was ranked No. 1 in the nation.   Handlogten unlikely to play this season: Asked about the status of 7-1 Micah Handlogten, who has been debating whether to play this season or continue as a medical redshirt, Florida coach Todd Golden said Thursday, “ I think he will probably sit out the rest of the year."   That could change, of course. Handlogten was expected to play last Saturday against Georgia but he changed his mind prior to the game. Handlogten, who suffered a severe leg fracture against Auburn in last season’s SEC Tournament championship game, has been practicing the last two or three weeks with the team.   Saturday’s games No. 5 FLORIDA (18-2, 5-2 SEC) at No. 8 Tennessee (17-4, 4-4 SEC) No. 1 Auburn (19-1, 7-0 SEC) at No. 23 Ole Miss (16-5, 5-3 SEC) Georgia (15-6, 3-5 SEC) at No. 4 Alabama (18-3, 7-1 SEC) Arkansas (12-8, 1-6 SEC) at No. 12 Kentucky (15-5, 4-3 SEC) No. 13 Texas A&M (16-5, 5-3 SEC) at South Carolina (10-11, 0-8 SEC) No. 20 Missouri (16-4, 5-2 SEC) at No. 14 Mississippi State (16-5, 4-4 SEC) No. 24 Vanderbilt (16-4, 4-3 SEC) at Oklahoma (15-5, 2-5 SEC) Texas (14-7, 3-5 SEC) at LSU (12-8, 1-6 SEC)   FLORIDA SOFTBALL: SEC COACHES PICK TEXAS TO WIN LEAGUE TITLE The Gators might be ranked No. 1 nationally by both D1Softball and Softball America, but the Southeastern Conference coaches don’t see it that way. SEC coaches ranked Texas No. 1 with the Gators No. 2. Florida finished third last year at the Women’s College World Series while Texas finished runner-up to Oklahoma, which became the first NCAA champ to 4-peat.     The preseason poll of the coaches went like this: 1. Texas; 2. FLORIDA; 3. Oklahoma; 4. Tennessee; 5. Texas A&M; 6. LSU; 7. Arkansas; 8. Georgia; 9. Missouri; 10. Alabama; 11. Kentucky; 12. Mississippi State; 13. Auburn; 14. Ole Miss; 15. South Carolina.   The coaches selected five Gators to the preseason All-SEC team. Named first team were catcher Jocelyn Erickson, last year’s SEC and NFCA national Player of the Year, center fielder Kendra Falby, left fielder Korbe Otis, and DH Reagan Walsh. Pitcher Keagan Rothrock was selected to the second team.   Erickson was a unanimous first team All-America selection and a Rawlings Gold Glove winner. Otis made first team All-America and first team All-SEC. Walsh made first team All-SEC and third team All-America. Falby was first team All-SEC and winner of a Rawlings Gold Glove. Rothrock was third team All-America, second team All-SEC, and was the SEC Freshman of the Year.   UF WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: GATORS FALL TO VANDERBILT The Gators (11-11, 2-6 SEC) fell behind by 20 in the first half but couldn’t make up the difference despite scoring 60 in the second half, falling 96-86 to Vanderbilt (18-4, 5-3 SEC) at the O-Dome.     Ra’Shaya Kyle (23), Liv McGill (20), Jeriah Warren (13) and Laila Reynolds (12) all scored in double figures but they couldn’t offset the NCAA record 53-point performance by Vandy’s Mikayla Blakes, who scored 53 and grabbed 14 rebounds.   The Gators travel to Arkansas Monday night.   UF LACROSSE: GATORS PICKED NO. 1 IN PRESEASON BIG 12 One year after winning the American Athletic Conference for the fourth straight year, the Gators move to the Big Eight where the coaches selected the Gators to win the championship. This is the fourth conference for the Gators since they began the program in 2010. Amanda O’Leary, the only coach in Florida lacrosse history, has guided the Gators to 12 consecutive conference championships. The Gators made the Final Four last year. Florida has made the Final Four twice and the quarter-final round of the NCAA Tournament six  times.   Coaches selected five Gators preseason All-Big 12: Kaitlyn Davies, Theresa Bragg, Elyse Finnelle, Ashley Dyer and Ava Tighe.   The Gators open the season today at No. 11 Johns Hopkins.   Coaches Preseason Big 12 poll: 1. FLORIDA; 2. Colorado; 3. Arizona State; 4. Cincinnati; 5. UC-Davis; 6. San Diego State   The Gators were also selected No. 5 in the ILWomen top 25 poll: 1. Boston College; 2. Northwestern; 3. Michigan; 4. North Carolina; 5. FLORIDA; 6. Syracuse; 7. Maryland; 8. Yale; 9. Virginia; 10. Loyola; 11. Johns Hopkins; 12. Pennsylvania; 13. Notre Dame; 14. Stony Brook; 15. Denver; 16. James Madison; 17. Princeton; 18. Navy; 19. Penn State; 20. Stanford; 21. Clemson; 22. Southern California; 23. Colorado; 24. Drexel; 25. Duke   ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: If Congress and the NCAA have their way, college sports as we know them will change dramatically on April 1 when the anti-trust settlement kicks in. Depending on your opinion of both Congress and the NCAA it’s either nothing could be finer or else trouble right here in River City.   If all goes according to plan, the power conferences will get most of the $2.8 billion settlement. Athletes are supposed to get access to lots of money due to revenue sharing – $20 million a year would go to the University of Florida and each of the other 15 SEC schools – and there will be new scholarship limitations. For example, baseball which has been shackled by this silly 11.9 scholarship limits, will have more than 30 scholarships available. Football limitations are supposed to be 105 instead of the current 85.   Sounds so good, doesn’t it? Well, maybe not.   Already there are lawsuits popping up everywhere including one by the United States Department of Justice. The DOJ is concerned because there is no accommodation for athletes who wish to unionize and they cannot bargain for a revenue sharing cap.   The Southeastern Conference is so bought in to the settlement that the league is holding fast to the 85-scholarship limit for football at least for this year. A week ago Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin told me the SEC is in no hurry to expand the scholarship limits. Stricklin, by the way, wouldn’t be opposed to a 5-year limit on eligibility. Five years. Athletes can play all five years, but if they redshirt or they are injured, that year counts against the five.   Other conferences may go gung-ho to expand scholarship limits but what happens if this settlement falls through and schools now have to deal with 20 more football scholarship athletes? This is one of those situations where it’s a good thing to have Greg Sankey running the show for the SEC. Common sense is one of his strong points and common sense tells us the SEC is smart to let the dust settle from all these lawsuits to see where we are.   I’m of the opinion that the combination of Congress and the NCAA is a recipe for the sports equivalent of Hurricane Helene. The hope here is that when – you notice I didn’t say if – the settlement is thrown out that Sankey will lead the revolution that will lead to the extinction of the NCAA. We need a new organization. We need some common sense injected into collegiate athletics.   Common sense and both the NCAA and Congress are ships passing in the night … thousands of miles apart.

Thomas Haugh helps to make the Gators a national title contender (Photo by Chris Spears) We’re at the midway point of an historical Southeastern Conference basketball season and just weeks from the start of spring football. Yes, indeed, life in the SEC is good. Very good in fact.   Joe Lunardi (ESPN) and Jerry Palm (CBS) have both loaded up their brackets with SEC teams. Lunardi has a record 13 from the SEC while Palm has 12. Wouldn’t it be a hoot if an SEC team won the national championship in basketball in a year when football was shut out of a national title for the second straight year?   Basketball is at an all-time high. For those who think football is on the downslide, consider this: 171 bluechip players signed with SEC schools, which is more than the Big Ten (106) and ACC (57) combined. The SEC signed 17 5-star players, more than the Big Ten (10), ACC (4) and Big 12 (1) combined. The SEC hit a speed bump last year. The league will be back. Soon.   QUESTIONS MOVING FORWARD FOR ALL 16 SEC BASKETBALL TEAMS No. 4 Alabama (18-3, 7-1 SEC): Their goal is to run everyone they play out of the gym. Vulnerable to physical teams that can slow them down to playing in the half court. Top four NCAA seed.   Arkansas (12-8, 1-6 SEC): The Hogs have only eight healthy scholarship players. They can win games at home. Five wins will get them into the NIT.   No. 1 Auburn (19-1, 7-0 SEC): Now that Johni Broome seems to have shrugged off his injury (27 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocked shots Wednesday night), the Tigers look the part of a Final Four team. They look like the No. 1 national seed when they unveil the seedings on Selection Sunday.   No. 5 FLORIDA (18-2, 5-2 SEC): The Gators are 10-1 at home, 8-1 away from the O-Dome. If they whack Tennessee at Thompson-Boling Saturday, this team might have the look of one that’s Final Four bound. If Micah Handlogten returns, the Gators are going to be right up there with Auburn for the top seed in the country.   Georgia (15-6, 3-4 SEC): The Bulldogs are road kill. All five SEC losses on the road. They’re tough at home and if they get to 20-21 wins they’ll make the NCAA Tournament somewhere around a 9-10 seed.     No. 12 Kentucky (15-5, 4-3 SEC): When the Wildcats get it all together, they are formidable as Tennessee found out Tuesday night. The big question for the Wildcats is which team shows up? The one that beat the Vols in Dollywood or the one that has been blown out by Ohio State and Georgia? The Cats travel. Because of that they will get a decent NCAA seed even if they don’t finish top five in SEC play.   LSU (12-8, 1-6 SEC): The Tigers are 43-43 since Matt McMahon took over the program in 2022-23. The schedule looks like seven or eight more losses. The natives are growing restless. Making the NIT will be an accomplishment. Enough to save McMahon’s job?   No. 14 Mississippi State (16-5, 4-4 SEC): The Bulldogs should have beaten Alabama. They need to prove they can not only play with but beat the good teams in the league. Lock for the tournament seeded between five and seven.   No. 20 Missouri (16-4, 5-2 SEC): Not a team anyone wants to play. They are one of the more physical teams in the league and when 3-point bomber Caleb Grill goes into a shooter’s coma, they’re as hard to defend as any team in the SEC. Mortal locks for the NCAA Tournament, probably in the 5-7 range.   Oklahoma (15-5, 2-5 SEC): In any other league the Sooners would be challenging for the conference championship. In the SEC they’re just another team but they are good enough to make the NCAA Tournament, figure somewhere around a No. 8.     No. 23 Ole Miss (16-5, 5-3 SEC): The Rebels beat Alabama decisively in Tuscaloosa so they’re capable of playing with anyone but they’re mistake prone and that is going to bite them. Another mortal lock for the NCAA Tournament.   South Carolina (10-11, 0-8 SEC): Good enough to play every team in the SEC tough but capable of losing big if Collin Murray-Boyles is having an off night.   No. 8 Tennessee (17-4, 4-4 SEC): The Vols have lost two in a row. They’re vulnerable to teams that can keep Zakai Ziegler from getting into the paint. Chaz Lanier doesn’t respond well to teams that play him with a physical defender. They need to win some games to get back into top four seed consideration.   Texas (14-7, 3-5 SEC): The Longhorns are quite susceptible to physical teams that rebound well. They can beat anyone in a finesse game. Joe Lundardi and Jerry Palm have them among the last teams into the field of 64.   No. 13 Texas A&M (16-5, 5-3 SEC): When Wade Taylor IV gets it going, the Aggies are capable of beating anyone on their schedule. It’s best to bring body armor when playing them in College Station. They could make a top four seed.   No. 24 Vanderbilt (16-4, 4-3 SEC): Mark Byington had to replace an entire team that transferred out. Vandy’s 11 transfers are holding their own in SEC play. Beatable on the road, formidable at home. They’ll get in the tournament, probably between seven and 10.   Wednesday’s scores No. 1 Auburn (19-1, 7-0 SEC) 87, LSU (12-8, 1-6 SEC) 74 No. 4 Alabama (18-3, 7-1 SEC) 88, No. 14 Mississippi State (16-5, 4-4 SEC) 84 No. 23 Ole Miss (16-5, 5-3 SEC) 72, Texas (14-7, 3-5 SEC) 69   Saturday’s games No. 5 FLORIDA (18-2, 5-2 SEC) at No. 8 Tennessee (17-4, 4-4 SEC) No. 1 Auburn (19-1, 7-0 SEC) at No. 23 Ole Miss (16-5, 5-3 SEC) Georgia (15-6, 3-5 SEC) at No. 4 Alabama (18-3, 7-1 SEC) Arkansas (12-8, 1-6 SEC) at No. 12 Kentucky (15-5, 4-3 SEC) No. 13 Texas A&M (16-5, 5-3 SEC) at South Carolina (10-11, 0-8 SEC) No. 20 Missouri (16-4, 5-2 SEC) at No. 14 Mississippi State (16-5, 4-4 SEC) No. 24 Vanderbilt (16-4, 4-3 SEC) at Oklahoma (15-5, 2-5 SEC) Texas (14-7, 3-5 SEC) at LSU (12-8, 1-6 SEC)   THE BIG QUESTION FOR EVERY SEC FOOTBALL TEAM PRE-SPRING Alabama: The heat is on Kalen DeBoer who has to find a quarterback and integrate a bunch of transfers into the two-deep and culture. Is Ty Simpson good enough to start at QB or is it going to be freshman Keelon Russell?   Arkansas: The Hogs went heavy into the transfer portal but didn’t land a stud running back. Lots of new faces on the O-line from the portal. Too many questions to answer in the spring.   Auburn: Hugh Freeze has two quality quarterbacks from the portal in Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma) and Ashton Daniels (Stanford). Can one of them separate in the spring? And will the loser transfer again?   FLORIDA: The Gators are borderline loaded, particularly on offense. They have to find some answers on the D-line and at corner but if answers are found, the Gators will be really, really good.   Georgia: Is Gunner Stockton good enough to be a playmaker or simply a game manager? How long will it take Ryan Montgomery to learn the offense? Will Kirby Smart trust his offense to a true freshman?   Kentucky: The Wildcats went to the portal to land Zach Calzada from Incarnate Word. Remember him? He played for Jimbo at A&M and Gus at Auburn. So this is school No. 4. Does that sound like the guy to take a team to seven or more wins?   LSU: Where to begin? It all starts with Brian Kelly. Three years, 11 losses … not exactly what they had in mind when they doled out a 10-year, $100 million deal to hire him out of Notre Dame. He’s loaded up in the portal, not exactly a good sign since it indicates there is a lack of player development. Mississippi State: Lots of guys left in the portal, lots more arrived. Is Blake Shapen healthy enough to play QB again? Can Jeff Lebby find five guys who can block for him?   Missouri: Two big questions. Is Penn State transfer Beau Pribula the answer at QB? And, does running back Ahmad Hardy’s game translate to the SEC. He was a stud in the Sun Belt at Louisiana-Monroe.   Oklahoma: Brent Venables got his guy in Washington State QB John Mateer, big arm and really good feet. Can the Sooners put together an offensive line in the spring and can Mateer bond with a slew of talented new receivers?   Ole Miss: Lane Kiffin has brought in 22 transfers. So far. More will be coming. Count on it. The Rebels will have a strong offense with Austin Simmons at QB. The questions are all on defense which will be rebuilt through the portal.   South Carolina: Shane Beamer has a stud returning QB in LaNorris Sellers and he brought in Ohio State transfer QB Air Noland. The running game picked up a good one in Utah State transfer Rahsul Faison. Can the Gamecocks find better offensive linemen? They gave up 41 sacks last year.   Tennessee: The Vols brought in Notre Dame offensive tackle Sam Pendelton and Arizona guard Wendell Moe Jr. The O-line was supposed to be outstanding but it gave up 30 sacks. Can the Vols make a functional O-line in 15 spring practices?   Texas: Now it’s Arch Manning’s team. Steve Sarkisian is loaded up at the skill positions but can he find replacements on the offensive line?   Texas A&M: The Aggies went hard into the portal for EDGE rushers like Florida’s TJ Searcy, Georgia’s Sam M’Pemba and Colorado’s Dayon Hayes. Finding receivers who can stretch a defense will be a priority in the spring.   Vanderbilt: The Commodores won seven games. That sounds very strange, doesn’t it? They also return a stud QB in Diego Pavia. Can the Commodores find wide receivers who can stretch the defense in the spring?

Scott Stricklin and Billy Napier chat after Florida's win over Tulane in the Gasparilla Bowl (Photo by Chris Spears) "Stand by your man; give him two arms to cling to" -- Tammy Wynette If there is a song that seems appropriate for Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin, that is the one. There isn't an athletic director in the country who has gone out further on a limb for two coaches more than Stricklin has in the last three months. First it was Billy Napier. Thought to be on a way too hot seat and with one foot already out the front door of the Heavener Center, along came Stricklin. Stricklin gave Napier the dreaded vote of confidence at a time when a good number of national pundits thought Stricklin was as much a goner as his football coach.   We know how that worked out. Four straight wins in November including going back-to-back over LSU and Ole Miss, effectively eliminating both of them from College Football Playoff consideration. A dominant win in the bowl game brought the Gators to a respectable 8-5, quite a way to end what only weeks before seemed like dead man walking toward college football’s equivalent of the chair.   Nobody pulled down the switch. Suddenly, Billy Napier is back in vogue once again. That guy who most in the media questioned his coaching chops is thought once again to actually know what he’s doing. Having a quarterback like DJ Lagway certainly helps, but it wasn’t Lagway only that turned the Gators around. It was all those other players, too. They believed whatever Billy was selling and they participated in a rather shocking reversal of fortune, enough of which that the Gators are thought to be one of those teams that will actually challenge for the playoff.   Thanks, in large part, to the faith Scott Stricklin showed in him.   Next came the news that a Title IX complaint had been filed against basketball coach Todd Golden for sexual harassment, stalking and exploitation by women including University of Florida students. In this era when “believe the woman” has become so prevalent, the easy thing to do would have been to dismiss or at least suspend Golden indefinitely. Probably that happens at most schools.   At Florida, Stricklin once again stood by his man. There were no news conferences, no boisterous claims of innocence by either Golden or Stricklin. It was simply business as usual. Golden took care of basketball, Stricklin took care of running the athletic department.   So look what has happened. Golden has the Gators off to an 18-2 start, the best since the 2014 Florida team that won the SEC and made it to the Final Four. The Gators are ranked fifth nationally and have become the team absolutely nobody wants to play.   Take a moment to contemplate this: With 11 SEC games remaining – five at home where the Gators are 10-1 – a 6-5 record the rest of the way will give the Gators 24 regular season wins. An 8-3 finish is entirely possible. Do that and the Gators might very well win the SEC and earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. A 26-win team from the SEC would be hard to keep off that No. 1 line.   Stricklin didn’t stand by Golden because he thought the Gators have the kind of team that can make the Final Four. He trusted his instincts once again and believed – as he did with Napier – in a coach he personally hired. It paid off Monday when the University of Florida announced in a statement that the Title IX investigation, conducted by an independent California firm, could find no evidence that Golden had committed any Title IX violations.   Case dismissed. Now Todd Golden can go the rest of the year without catching it from SEC crowds, known to be among the most hostile in all of college basketball. Golden is free to turn his entire attention to coaching a team that can beat anybody in the country.   For the second time in three months, Scott Stricklin’s faith in his coaches and instincts have paid off in a very positive way for the University of Florida. Let’s not kid ourselves here. If the Gators hadn’t closed the football season on such a roll, Napier and Stricklin would have been goners. If the Title IX investigation had uncovered evidence that Golden was guilty, it would have been a real stain on the University of Florida and the athletic department would have been set back years.   Stricklin hasn’t been the most popular athletic director. A lot of fans still think he blew it when he couldn’t bring home Chip Kelly after the firing of Jim McElwain. Those same fans think Stricklin took the easy way out when he hired Dan Mullen, who had worked for him at Mississippi State. Then Mullen goes in the tank in year four after 29 wins and three New Year’s Six bowl games in the first three years. Two straight losing seasons by Napier had the Gator Nation ready to send Stricklin and Napier packing, but patience has paid off.   That doesn’t say if the Gators have a poor 2025 that the fans won’t be calling for the heads of both Napier and Stricklin. However, with a quarterback like Lagway, an offensive line that might be as good as there is in the country, exceptional skill people and a potentially dominating defense, Napier looks like a coach who will be at the University of Florida for years to come. And Scott Stricklin looks like an AD whose patience has really paid off.    Golden obviously has more wiggle room than Napier. It would take his team going on strike for the Gators to miss out on the NCAA Tournament. It’s a relatively safe bet that Florida will be a top four seed and you would be foolish to think the Gators can’t make it to the No. 1 line. He is a very strong candidate for national coach of the year this year and he has the basketball program on such firm footing that the Gators figure to be yearly challengers to do well in the NCAA Tournament, which is what they were when Billy Donovan was the coach.   A lot of athletic directors would have bowed to pressure and done the expedient thing. It takes guts to stand firm rather than taking the easy way out. Stricklin showed he has the guts in sticking by his coaches. And now, with the Gators entering the winning season, he could go down as the top athletic director in the country. Nobody should be surprised if the Gators come home with two or three national championships between now and when the College World Series concludes the collegiate athletic year.   Sometimes a little bit of faith, a lot of instinct and guts to make the tough decisions go a long, long way.   SEC BASKETBALL Coaches top 25: 1. Auburn 18-1; 2. Duke 17-2; 3. Iowa State 17-2; 4. Alabama 17-3; 5. Houston 16-3; 6. FLORIDA 18-2; 7. Michigan State 17-2; 8. Tennessee 17-3; 9. Marquette 17-3; 10. Purdue 16-5; 11. Kansas 14-5; 12. Kentucky 14-5; 13. Mississippi State 16-4; 14. St. John’s 17-3; 15. Texas A&M 15-5; 16. Memphis 16-4; 17. Wisconsin 16-4; 18. Oregon 16-4; 19. Texas Tech 15-4; 20. Illinois 14-6; 21. Missouri 16-4; 22. Louisville 15-5; 23. Ole Miss 15-5; 24. UConn 14-6; 25. Clemson 17-4   Associated Press top 25: 1. Auburn 18-1; 2. Duke 17-2; 3. Iowa State 17-2; 4. Alabama 17-3; 5. FLORIDA 18-2; 6. Houston 16-3; 7. Michigan State 17-2; 8. Tennessee 17-3; 9. Marquette 17-3; 10. Purdue 16-5; 11. Kansas 14-5; 12. Kentucky 14-5; 13. Texas A&M 15-5; 14. Mississippi State 16-4; 15. St. John’s 17-3; 16. Oregon 16-4; 17. Wisconsin 16-4; 18. Illinois 14-6; 19. Memphis 16-4; 20. Missouri 16-4; 21. Louisville 15-5; 22. Texas Tech 15-4; 23. Ole Miss 15-5; 24. Vanderbilt 16-4; 25. UConn 14-6   Tonight’s games No. 9 Kentucky (14-5, 3-3 SEC) at No. 6 Tennessee (17-3, 4-3 SEC) Oklahoma (15-4, 2-4 SEC) at No. 13 Texas A&M (15-5, 4-3 SEC) South Carolina (10-10, 0-7 SEC) at Georgia (14-6, 2-5 SEC)   Wednesday’s games No. 1 Auburn (18-1, 6-0 SEC) at LSU (12-7, 1-5 SEC) No. 4 Alabama (17-3, 6-1 SEC) at No. 14 Mississippi State (16-4, 4-3 SEC) Texas (14-6, 3-4 SEC) at No. 16 Ole Miss (15-5, 4-3 SEC)   Saturday’s games No. 5 FLORIDA (18-2, 5-2 SEC) at No. 6 Tennessee (17-3, 4-3 SEC) No. 1 Auburn (18-1, 6-0 SEC) at No. 16 Ole Miss (15-5, 4-3 SEC) Georgia (14-6, 2-5 SEC) at No. 4 Alabama (17-3, 6-1 SEC) Arkansas (12-8, 1-6 SEC) at No. 9 Kentucky (14-5, 3-3 SEC) No. 13 Texas A&M (15-5, 4-3 SEC) at South Carolina (10-10, 0-7 SEC) No. 22 Missouri (16-5, 5-2 SEC) at No. 14 Mississippi State (16-4, 4-3 SEC) Vanderbilt (16-4, 4-3 SEC) at Oklahoma (15-4, 2-4 SEC) Texas (14-6, 3-4 SEC) at LSU (12-7, 1-5 SEC)

Florida dominates Georgia with an NCAA high score 198.125 over the Bulllogs 196.825. It was alumni night as Florida welcomed back past gymnasts that helped set the standard for an elite program period to help mark that special occasion the Gators introduced the Spurrier leotard. Spurrier was 11-1 versus Georgia coaching the football team in his career. The Leo has a large jeweled Gator logo on the front and a football strap design on the back:   ”Just have to truly thank coach Spurrier for the support that he gives the Gators and especially women's athletics. He's been a huge supporter of gymnastics. He's one of the first people to reach out to me after a big win and congratulate me and that alone says a lot. He's committed, he's invested and truly cares. So really, really grateful for his support to the Gators”   Six gymnast compete with Florida having the home rotation of vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. The five highest scores count. On to the recap:   Vault: (Last week: 49.450. Average: 49.325, 4th in the nation)   -Anya Pilgrim: Yurchenko 1 ½ Slight hop on the landing- 9.850 -Ellie Lazzari: 1st vault of the season. Yurchenko 1 ½ Stepped forward- 9.775 (The dropped score) -Ly Bui: Yurchenko 1 ½ Long vault! Small hop- 9.925 -Sloan Blakely: Yurchenko 1 ½ Big vault. Legs together.- 9.90 -Leanne Wong: Yurchenko half on. Pike off. Very difficult.- 9.925 -Selena Harris-Miranda: Yurchenko 1 ½ Nails landing! 10?- 9.950 Score: 49.550 Highest score in NCAA this season. Florida leads by .400 after one rotation.     Uneven Bars: (Last week: 49.025. Average: 49.175, 10th in the nation)   -Sloane Blakely: Legs together . Double front dismount. Small hop- 9.825 (The dropped score) -Anya Pilgrim: Springboard mount to high bar. Twist landing. Stuck- 9.90 -Riley McCusker: Nice handstands. Small hop on landing- 9.875 -Skye Blakely: Springboard mount. Backflip, twist ant the end landing. Stuck- 9.90 -Selena Harris-Miranda: Over rotated on low bar. Double layout landing. Stuck- 9.850 -Leanne Wong: Nice low to high bar. Double layout landing. Hop- 9.875 Score: 49.400 Florida leads by .475 after the 2nd rotation.     Beam: (Last week: 49.475. Average, 49.488, 1st in the nation)   -Skylar Draser: Back handspring. Switch leap, 180 degrees/ 1 ½ twist dismount. Stuck- 9.90 -Sloane Blakely: Front flip to back flip. Side dismount. Stuck- 9.95 - Anya Pilgrim: Side Candle mount. Back handspring. Slight wobble. Back handspring side dismount. Stuck- 9.950 - Victoria Nguyen: Twisting back handspring into a back handspring to a full turn. Backflip dismount. Stuck- 9.950. The Gators get a rare 9.950. Three in a row! -Leanne Wong: Running springboard mount. Falls down to the beam. 2nd week in a row with an issue. Front twisting dismount. Stuck- 9.625 (The dropped score) -Selena Harris-Miranda: Side split beam mount. Perfect triple series backflip. Switch leaps into a Gator Chomp! Front twisting landing. Stuck.- 9.925 Score: 49.675. Another season high score in the NCAA for the Gators. Florida leads Georgia by an insurmountable .900 after the third rotation.       Floor Exercise: (Last week: 48.475. Average, 49.075, 17th  in the nation)   -Victoria Nguyen: First pass (The long runs from corner to corner) Front flip. Hop out of bounds. Second pass: 1 ½ twist layout. Stuck- 9.50 (The dropped score) -Anya Pilgrim:  First pass: 1 ½ flip into twisting flip. Second pass: Front tuck. Double layout. Hop.- 9.850 -Taylor Clark: First pass: Double layout. Stuck landing. Second pass: Front tuck. Hop- 9.90 -Sloan Blakely: First pass: Double flip twist. Stuck. Second pass: 1 ½ twist flip.- 9.925 -Leanne Wong: First pass: Double layout. Stuck. Second pass: Back twist landing. Stuck- 9.925 -Selena Harris-Miranda: First pass: Front tuck into a double back flip. Second pass: Back twisting. Landing stuck- 9.90 Score: 49.500 Four 9.9 or higher scores on the Floor for the first time this season. Florida wins the Meet 198.125 to 196.825     Florida is definitely settling in after three weeks of competition. Despite a case of the flu running around the team this week the Gators turn in a 198 plus score. The first 198 in the nation and the benchmark score for supreme excellence. This is the type of score that wins national championships.   Coach Rowland said after the meet:   “It was a rough week. We had a lot under the weather athletes throughout the week. Several missed a day here or two and at the same time, it's coming back. It's trusting your training. Everybody has been prepared. They've done what they've needed to this fall in order to come out, even though they may have missed a practice or two, to come out and just trust their training. So extremely proud of the confidence, of the resilience of the unknown, the uncertainty of them being able to step up and be ready. We didn't even call lineups last night. The message was, if you train an event, be ready to warm up an event because we didn't know who was going to feel well enough to compete. So extremely proud of everybody. I had a very enjoyable evening, and I think the Gators looked loose, calm. We will take a recovery day or two and get back into the gym on Monday to keep refining the little details here and there that we know we still have to improve upon.”   With Florida sweeping the All-Around this week. Selena Harris Miranda- 39.625, Sloane Blakely- 39.60 and Snya Pilgrim- 39.55. The sky is the limit. UF has yet to have 2024 olympic team member Leanne Wong have a great meet. The team continues to improve week to week and next week is a three-way meet at West Virginia with #5 Utah Sunday February 2nd.