By Franz Beard
A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning:
GATORS COME UP SHORT IN REGIONAL, BUT THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
The Oklahoma Sooners were still celebrating their 5-4 win over the Florida Gators that propelled them into NCAA super regional play against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia when Hunter Barco strolled out to the pitching mound at Condron Family Ballpark. Stopped down on the pitching rubber, staring at home plate was Brandon Sproat. He didn’t pitch Monday night, but he was obviously hurt and disappointed. Like everyone else who endured the 5-hour, 39-minute rain delay, Sproat probably wondered what might have been if the skies hadn’t emptied. Florida had all the momentum then, but now that it was over, the ballpark was all but empty.
So was the feeling in the pit of the stomach of both Sproat and Barco. They talked for a minute or two, then they hugged. A farewell hug? Probably. In another month both of them are going to hear their names called early on in the Major League Baseball Draft. Barco, who was Florida’s ace before a season-ending injury that required Tommy John surgery, is a hard throwing lefty who is likely to go late first to mid-second of the draft. Sproat, who came on strong in the last month of the season and threw an impressive complete game this past Friday night to beat Central Michigan in the first round of the Gainesville regional, throws consistently in the high 90s. Somewhere between rounds one and four he’ll be selected.
It is possible that both Sproat and Barco will reject the contracts offered next month and return to Florida for another year. Possible yes, but likely no. Pitchers with their arm talent probably get offers they can’t refuse. The future is bright for both of them, just as it is bright for center fielder Jud Fabian, second baseman/right fielder Sterlin Thompson and catcher/first baseman BT Riopelle. Like Barco and Sproat, they’ll get drafted and there is very little chance they’ll return to Gainesville for another season.
You can’t minimalize the loss of those five talented kids, but just because they have one foot out the door on their way to professional careers doesn’t mean the future isn’t exceedingly bright for Kevin O’Sullivan and the Gators. This was the youngest team O’Sullivan has put on the field since 2010. The Gators had the youngest pitching staff in the Southeastern Conference and one of the youngest in the entire country. Nick Ficarrotta, Carsten Finnvold, Ryan Slater, Hunter Jameson, Brandon Neely, Timmy Manning, Tyler Nesbitt and Phil Abner will be sophomores next year. Pierce Coppola, a 6-8 lefty who got a start the opening weekend and was shut down because of a back injury, should be healthy next year and Jac Caglianone is another big lefty who throws hard. He was the DH the last third of the season (.288, 6 HR) but he is recovering from Tommy John. He’s a potential first rounder whether on the mound or at first.
Wyatt Langford came out of nowhere to tie Matt LaPorta’s school record for homers in a season (26) while hitting .355 and driving in 63. Pencil him in as a first rounder next year. Josh Rivera will be back at shortstop unless he gets drafted high enough. Colby Halter will be back at third. Deric Fabian didn’t hit consistently but he’s as talented as anyone on the team and Ty Evans could move to center field to take over for Jud Fabian. Catcher Mac Guscette returns but he will be pushed by redshirt freshman Rene Lastres, who was one of the top high school catchers in the country a year ago. The incoming recruiting class includes catcher Luke Heyman (6-3, 205, Longwood, FL Lake Brantley), righty Jake Clemente (6-4, 210, Coral Springs, FL Marjory Stoneman Dougless), lefty Cade Fisher (6-4, 210, Dalton, GA Northwest Whitfield County) and power hitting outfielder/left pitcher Yoel Tejada Jr. (6-7, 220, Davie, FL North Broward Prep).
The 2023 recruiting class is absolutely loaded as well, so the future looks great but it will be great because the foundation for future success was put in place this year when O’Sullivan dealt with injuries to his pitching staff and had the patience to let the kids figure things out. The Gators could have won this regional if not for that rain delay, but that’s something we’ll never know. What we do know is that this team was all but given up for dead when they were 23-17 and 6-12 in SEC play, yet they finished 42-24 and were perhaps one or two pitches away from advancing to a super regional.
“Everyone wants to win at the end of the year, we have done that,” O’Sullivan said post game Monday night. “We have also lost in Omaha and that hurts, when you lose in a super regional or a regional, it hurts, but your whole program is built around culture. I think this is a big step in building that culture back and getting to where we want to be, playing for a national championship.”
Other SEC teams in regional play Monday: No. 11 Southern Miss 8, LSU 7 (Southern Miss hosts Ole Miss in a super regional); No. 3 Oregon State 7, Vanderbilt 6 (Oregon State hosts Auburn in a super regional); Ole Miss 22, Arizona 6 (Ole Miss advances to Southern Miss super regional); Arkansas 7, No. 7 Oklahoma State 3 (Arkansas advances to Chapel Hill super regional to face 10 North Carolina)
THE HEAD BALL COACH SPEAKS
In Memphis to receive an award from the Liberty Bowl, Steve Spurrier offered these goodies for public consumption, as reported by the Memphis Commercial-Appeal:
Solving the NIL problem
“I don’t like the idea of buying the players before they get there or giving them money before they get there. My suggestion would be go back to the original recruiting rules. After a player gets to college, he does very well he can do a deal and endorse. If someone wants to pay him a bunch of money, then it’s perfectly all right but they have come and play one year, and then, you know it’s a free country.”
On the Nick vs. Jimbo feud
“I didn’t think Coach Saban had accused him of cheating. He just said he bought most if not all, of his recruiting class. Jimbo didn’t like it, I guess. It’ll blow away. I guess maybe it’ll come back up when they play each other this year, but it’s pretty old news.”
On the ideal number of teams for an expanded College Football Playoff
“I used to say eight but now I would say 16. The top teams are still probably going to win, but we can use all the bowls around the country to get those games and you work it all down. They have 64, I think, in baseball. Sixty-eight in basketball have a shot at it. Football, we just have four of the big teams and it’s about [the] same ones every year. I’d like to see them expand it a bit.”
FINEBAUM ON JIMBO VS. NICK; JIMBO AND THE PRESSURE TO WIN
On WJOX in Birmingham Monday morning, Paul Finebaum offered another cruise missile across the bow of the SS Jimbo Fisher:
“This is not a 2-way feud. Nick Saban doesn’t care. I think in terms of Jimbo Fisher not one thing has changed in three weeks. I think he feels the same way. I think he’s just as angry. He has no interest in that relationship.”
And this regarding Jimbo’s public statement “I’m moving on” at the SEC Meetings in Destin:
“He just said, ‘I’m moving on. He should have just come out with a statement … but instead he acted like he had stolen the cookie and the father caught him and he was still trying to explain it by saying, ‘C’mon, let’s move on. It just didn’t work and I think that’s where his credibility starts to come into question.”
About the pressure to win:
“If the record is not vastly improved a year from now I cannot imagine why Jimbo Fisher would not be the story of next summer in terms of the pressure on him to finally succeed.”
SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL
Alabama: Offensive lineman Dayne Shor (6-6, 295), a former 3-star recruit, is transferring to UConn.
Kentucky: Forward Keion Brooks will be transferring to Washington. At Kentucky last year Brooks averaged 10.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
SPORTING NEWS TOP 25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACHES FOR 2022
1. Nick Saban, Alabama (269, 67); 2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson (150-36); 3. Kirby Smart, Georgia (66-16); 4. Ryan Day, Ohio State (34-4); 5. Luke Fickell (54-22); 6. Brian Kelly, LSU (145-61); 7. Lincoln Riley, Southern Cal (55-10); 8. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M (117-37); 9. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan (90-45); 10. Kyle Whittingham, Utah (144-70); 11. Mario Cristobal, Miami (62-60); 12. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State (149-69); 13. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa (178-110); 14. Mark Stoops, Kentucky (59-53); 15.Mack Brown, North Carolina (265-139); 16. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss (76-41); James Frankin, Penn State (91-49); 18. Paul Chryst, Wisconsin (84-42); 19. Dave Aranda, Baylor (14-9); 20. Matt Campbell, Iowa State (77-49); 21. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota (65-45); 22. Mel Tucker, Michigan State (18-14); 23. Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh (53-37); 24. Dave Clawson, Wake Forest (83-79); 25. Sam Pittman, Arkansas (12-11)
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Three Gators made the ballot for the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class – defensive lineman Brad Culpepper, running back Errict Rhett and quarterback Tim Tebow. All three are very deserving, but if you have to put your money on one of them, put it on Tebow. He won a Heisman Trophy in 2007, made the Heisman podium in both 2008 and 2009, and finished his collegiate career with a 35-6 record as a starter at QB. He contributed to the 2006 Florida national championship as a true freshman, then won it as a junior in 2008. In his four-year Florida career, Tebow threw for 9,285 yards (9.3 per attempt) and 88 touchdowns (just 16 interceptions) while running for 2,947 yards (4.3 per carry) and 57 touchdowns.
Culpepper the anchor on the defensive line of the first Florida Southeastern Conference championship that wasn’t taken away (1991), was a consensus All-American in 1991 and a two-time first team All-SEC performer. He won the Draddy Trophy as the nation’s top scholar-athlete in 1997.
Rhett, a Culpepper teammate, holds the Florida school rushing record of 4,163 yards (4.8 per carry). He ran for 34 touchdowns and also caught 153 passes for 1,230 yards (8.0 per catch) and two more touchdowns. He was a 1993 first team All-America and a three-time All-SEC choice who led the conference in rushing twice. He is the first place in NCAA history to run for more than 4,100 yards and catch more than 140 passes in his collegiate career.
To even get on the ballot for the Hall of Fame, a player must have been either a consensus first team All-American by at least half of the recognized publications or a unanimous first team All-American.
Others with an SEC connection who were nominated: Eric Berry, S (Tennessee); Gregg Carr, LB (Auburn); Tim Couch, QB (Kentucky); Willie Gault, WR (Tennessee); Dan Hampton, DT (Arkansas, although Arkansas was in the Southwest Conference when he played); Garrison Hearst, RB (Georgia); Josh Heupel, QB (Oklahoma, now Tennessee HBC); Bradie James, LB (LSU); Antonio Langham, DB (Alabama); Jeremy Maclin, WR (Missouri, Big 12 when he played); Chris Samuels, OT (Alabama); Larry Sievers, WR (Tennessee); Justin Smith, DL (Missouri, Big 12 when he played); Kevin Smith, CB (Texas A&M, SWC when he played); Jim Carlen (coach at West Virginia, Texas Tech and South Carolina); Mark Richt (coach at Georgia and Miami).
Besides Tebow, I think Berry, Hampton, Samuels and Carlen make it for sure. I think Hearst and Couch have an outside shot along with Culpepper. Rhett maybe next year.
A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning:
GATORS COME UP SHORT IN REGIONAL, BUT THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
The Oklahoma Sooners were still celebrating their 5-4 win over the Florida Gators that propelled them into NCAA super regional play against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia when Hunter Barco strolled out to the pitching mound at Condron Family Ballpark. Stopped down on the pitching rubber, staring at home plate was Brandon Sproat. He didn’t pitch Monday night, but he was obviously hurt and disappointed. Like everyone else who endured the 5-hour, 39-minute rain delay, Sproat probably wondered what might have been if the skies hadn’t emptied. Florida had all the momentum then, but now that it was over, the ballpark was all but empty.
So was the feeling in the pit of the stomach of both Sproat and Barco. They talked for a minute or two, then they hugged. A farewell hug? Probably. In another month both of them are going to hear their names called early on in the Major League Baseball Draft. Barco, who was Florida’s ace before a season-ending injury that required Tommy John surgery, is a hard throwing lefty who is likely to go late first to mid-second of the draft. Sproat, who came on strong in the last month of the season and threw an impressive complete game this past Friday night to beat Central Michigan in the first round of the Gainesville regional, throws consistently in the high 90s. Somewhere between rounds one and four he’ll be selected.
It is possible that both Sproat and Barco will reject the contracts offered next month and return to Florida for another year. Possible yes, but likely no. Pitchers with their arm talent probably get offers they can’t refuse. The future is bright for both of them, just as it is bright for center fielder Jud Fabian, second baseman/right fielder Sterlin Thompson and catcher/first baseman BT Riopelle. Like Barco and Sproat, they’ll get drafted and there is very little chance they’ll return to Gainesville for another season.
You can’t minimalize the loss of those five talented kids, but just because they have one foot out the door on their way to professional careers doesn’t mean the future isn’t exceedingly bright for Kevin O’Sullivan and the Gators. This was the youngest team O’Sullivan has put on the field since 2010. The Gators had the youngest pitching staff in the Southeastern Conference and one of the youngest in the entire country. Nick Ficarrotta, Carsten Finnvold, Ryan Slater, Hunter Jameson, Brandon Neely, Timmy Manning, Tyler Nesbitt and Phil Abner will be sophomores next year. Pierce Coppola, a 6-8 lefty who got a start the opening weekend and was shut down because of a back injury, should be healthy next year and Jac Caglianone is another big lefty who throws hard. He was the DH the last third of the season (.288, 6 HR) but he is recovering from Tommy John. He’s a potential first rounder whether on the mound or at first.
Wyatt Langford came out of nowhere to tie Matt LaPorta’s school record for homers in a season (26) while hitting .355 and driving in 63. Pencil him in as a first rounder next year. Josh Rivera will be back at shortstop unless he gets drafted high enough. Colby Halter will be back at third. Deric Fabian didn’t hit consistently but he’s as talented as anyone on the team and Ty Evans could move to center field to take over for Jud Fabian. Catcher Mac Guscette returns but he will be pushed by redshirt freshman Rene Lastres, who was one of the top high school catchers in the country a year ago. The incoming recruiting class includes catcher Luke Heyman (6-3, 205, Longwood, FL Lake Brantley), righty Jake Clemente (6-4, 210, Coral Springs, FL Marjory Stoneman Dougless), lefty Cade Fisher (6-4, 210, Dalton, GA Northwest Whitfield County) and power hitting outfielder/left pitcher Yoel Tejada Jr. (6-7, 220, Davie, FL North Broward Prep).
The 2023 recruiting class is absolutely loaded as well, so the future looks great but it will be great because the foundation for future success was put in place this year when O’Sullivan dealt with injuries to his pitching staff and had the patience to let the kids figure things out. The Gators could have won this regional if not for that rain delay, but that’s something we’ll never know. What we do know is that this team was all but given up for dead when they were 23-17 and 6-12 in SEC play, yet they finished 42-24 and were perhaps one or two pitches away from advancing to a super regional.
“Everyone wants to win at the end of the year, we have done that,” O’Sullivan said post game Monday night. “We have also lost in Omaha and that hurts, when you lose in a super regional or a regional, it hurts, but your whole program is built around culture. I think this is a big step in building that culture back and getting to where we want to be, playing for a national championship.”
Other SEC teams in regional play Monday: No. 11 Southern Miss 8, LSU 7 (Southern Miss hosts Ole Miss in a super regional); No. 3 Oregon State 7, Vanderbilt 6 (Oregon State hosts Auburn in a super regional); Ole Miss 22, Arizona 6 (Ole Miss advances to Southern Miss super regional); Arkansas 7, No. 7 Oklahoma State 3 (Arkansas advances to Chapel Hill super regional to face 10 North Carolina)
THE HEAD BALL COACH SPEAKS
In Memphis to receive an award from the Liberty Bowl, Steve Spurrier offered these goodies for public consumption, as reported by the Memphis Commercial-Appeal:
Solving the NIL problem
“I don’t like the idea of buying the players before they get there or giving them money before they get there. My suggestion would be go back to the original recruiting rules. After a player gets to college, he does very well he can do a deal and endorse. If someone wants to pay him a bunch of money, then it’s perfectly all right but they have come and play one year, and then, you know it’s a free country.”
On the Nick vs. Jimbo feud
“I didn’t think Coach Saban had accused him of cheating. He just said he bought most if not all, of his recruiting class. Jimbo didn’t like it, I guess. It’ll blow away. I guess maybe it’ll come back up when they play each other this year, but it’s pretty old news.”
On the ideal number of teams for an expanded College Football Playoff
“I used to say eight but now I would say 16. The top teams are still probably going to win, but we can use all the bowls around the country to get those games and you work it all down. They have 64, I think, in baseball. Sixty-eight in basketball have a shot at it. Football, we just have four of the big teams and it’s about [the] same ones every year. I’d like to see them expand it a bit.”
FINEBAUM ON JIMBO VS. NICK; JIMBO AND THE PRESSURE TO WIN
On WJOX in Birmingham Monday morning, Paul Finebaum offered another cruise missile across the bow of the SS Jimbo Fisher:
“This is not a 2-way feud. Nick Saban doesn’t care. I think in terms of Jimbo Fisher not one thing has changed in three weeks. I think he feels the same way. I think he’s just as angry. He has no interest in that relationship.”
And this regarding Jimbo’s public statement “I’m moving on” at the SEC Meetings in Destin:
“He just said, ‘I’m moving on. He should have just come out with a statement … but instead he acted like he had stolen the cookie and the father caught him and he was still trying to explain it by saying, ‘C’mon, let’s move on. It just didn’t work and I think that’s where his credibility starts to come into question.”
About the pressure to win:
“If the record is not vastly improved a year from now I cannot imagine why Jimbo Fisher would not be the story of next summer in terms of the pressure on him to finally succeed.”
SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL
Alabama: Offensive lineman Dayne Shor (6-6, 295), a former 3-star recruit, is transferring to UConn.
Kentucky: Forward Keion Brooks will be transferring to Washington. At Kentucky last year Brooks averaged 10.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
SPORTING NEWS TOP 25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACHES FOR 2022
1. Nick Saban, Alabama (269, 67); 2. Dabo Swinney, Clemson (150-36); 3. Kirby Smart, Georgia (66-16); 4. Ryan Day, Ohio State (34-4); 5. Luke Fickell (54-22); 6. Brian Kelly, LSU (145-61); 7. Lincoln Riley, Southern Cal (55-10); 8. Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M (117-37); 9. Jim Harbaugh, Michigan (90-45); 10. Kyle Whittingham, Utah (144-70); 11. Mario Cristobal, Miami (62-60); 12. Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State (149-69); 13. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa (178-110); 14. Mark Stoops, Kentucky (59-53); 15.Mack Brown, North Carolina (265-139); 16. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss (76-41); James Frankin, Penn State (91-49); 18. Paul Chryst, Wisconsin (84-42); 19. Dave Aranda, Baylor (14-9); 20. Matt Campbell, Iowa State (77-49); 21. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota (65-45); 22. Mel Tucker, Michigan State (18-14); 23. Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh (53-37); 24. Dave Clawson, Wake Forest (83-79); 25. Sam Pittman, Arkansas (12-11)
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Three Gators made the ballot for the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame Class – defensive lineman Brad Culpepper, running back Errict Rhett and quarterback Tim Tebow. All three are very deserving, but if you have to put your money on one of them, put it on Tebow. He won a Heisman Trophy in 2007, made the Heisman podium in both 2008 and 2009, and finished his collegiate career with a 35-6 record as a starter at QB. He contributed to the 2006 Florida national championship as a true freshman, then won it as a junior in 2008. In his four-year Florida career, Tebow threw for 9,285 yards (9.3 per attempt) and 88 touchdowns (just 16 interceptions) while running for 2,947 yards (4.3 per carry) and 57 touchdowns.
Culpepper the anchor on the defensive line of the first Florida Southeastern Conference championship that wasn’t taken away (1991), was a consensus All-American in 1991 and a two-time first team All-SEC performer. He won the Draddy Trophy as the nation’s top scholar-athlete in 1997.
Rhett, a Culpepper teammate, holds the Florida school rushing record of 4,163 yards (4.8 per carry). He ran for 34 touchdowns and also caught 153 passes for 1,230 yards (8.0 per catch) and two more touchdowns. He was a 1993 first team All-America and a three-time All-SEC choice who led the conference in rushing twice. He is the first place in NCAA history to run for more than 4,100 yards and catch more than 140 passes in his collegiate career.
To even get on the ballot for the Hall of Fame, a player must have been either a consensus first team All-American by at least half of the recognized publications or a unanimous first team All-American.
Others with an SEC connection who were nominated: Eric Berry, S (Tennessee); Gregg Carr, LB (Auburn); Tim Couch, QB (Kentucky); Willie Gault, WR (Tennessee); Dan Hampton, DT (Arkansas, although Arkansas was in the Southwest Conference when he played); Garrison Hearst, RB (Georgia); Josh Heupel, QB (Oklahoma, now Tennessee HBC); Bradie James, LB (LSU); Antonio Langham, DB (Alabama); Jeremy Maclin, WR (Missouri, Big 12 when he played); Chris Samuels, OT (Alabama); Larry Sievers, WR (Tennessee); Justin Smith, DL (Missouri, Big 12 when he played); Kevin Smith, CB (Texas A&M, SWC when he played); Jim Carlen (coach at West Virginia, Texas Tech and South Carolina); Mark Richt (coach at Georgia and Miami).
Besides Tebow, I think Berry, Hampton, Samuels and Carlen make it for sure. I think Hearst and Couch have an outside shot along with Culpepper. Rhett maybe next year.
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