Fever,
Spot On !
Let Richardson & the Gators have a decent year & let AR return for a another year to impress the NFL - works for me !
Billy Napier: Return of Chris Thomas Jr. is a ‘big deal’ for Florida’s DL depth; More Info on Thomas' Return to Team
- Thread starter Jeff from Jax
- Start date
Spot On !
Let Richardson & the Gators have a decent year & let AR return for a another year to impress the NFL - works for me !
Good point. You just never know what is going to happen. Kerwin Bell was a WALK ON freshman in 84 and played lights out. However, that 84-85 team (excluding QB) was probably the best overall bunch to ever wear the orange and blue.
Saw this in a side panel note & looked it up
DL Chris Thomas back with the Gator Football team
"...Safety Mordecai McDaniel, defensive lineman Chris Thomas, and safety turned receiver Fenley Graham. Florida recently updated its roster online from the 2022 spring camp roster to a fall roster and those three players were excluded from the updated roster."
https://www.on3.com/teams/florida-g...ors-football-players-no-longer-with-the-team/
I looked on the official football roster & Thomas is now listed - again.
https://floridagators.com/sports/football/roster/chris-thomas-jr-/15487
Last I read, we were at 86 scholarship players; who gets the AX now ?
Perhaps Watkins is moving on & we need another DL.
Perhaps Napier needs to post another "open letter !" & let fans know what's up.
Napier's secrecy doesn't work for me;
SOS wouldn't have done this !
DL Chris Thomas back with the Gator Football team
"...Safety Mordecai McDaniel, defensive lineman Chris Thomas, and safety turned receiver Fenley Graham. Florida recently updated its roster online from the 2022 spring camp roster to a fall roster and those three players were excluded from the updated roster."
https://www.on3.com/teams/florida-g...ors-football-players-no-longer-with-the-team/
I looked on the official football roster & Thomas is now listed - again.
https://floridagators.com/sports/football/roster/chris-thomas-jr-/15487
Last I read, we were at 86 scholarship players; who gets the AX now ?
Perhaps Watkins is moving on & we need another DL.
Perhaps Napier needs to post another "open letter !" & let fans know what's up.
Napier's secrecy doesn't work for me;
SOS wouldn't have done this !
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Are you sure about that 86 number? I heard before this we were technically 2 or 3 under.
Don't forget Cam Newton started only 1 season in D1 ball and went #1.
Not saying Richardson will but anything is possible.
Tennessee,
Unless returning Heisman Trophy Winner Bryce Young gets injured, hold your breath for Richardson to even get mentioned in the 1st round.
Bryce stats awesome & Bama returns a top 2 or 3 team.
MichiGator1,
I am NOT an expert on scholly math;
I do not pay for any premium access.
At a friends house, he had some 247 & ON3 scholarship charts & 86 was what he said.
I also thought that every school had to be at 85 or less for the START of fall practice.
Some players could still claim an extra year, but I didn't think that there was any more COVID wiggle room in the 85 cap.
If we are adding Chris Thomas back to the team, you may well be right about the 2 or 3 under or the NCAA came up with some COVID wiggle room.
I didn’t mean to call you out, I was just scared we had to cut someone. It wasn’t any premium access that I got it from, one of the podcast guys said it I think Zach or olsen. Didn’t know if something changed!
MichiGator1,
lets hope someone who is an expert on Scholly math (Paco ?) will educate all of us shortly !
lets hope someone who is an expert on Scholly math (Paco ?) will educate all of us shortly !
More Info on Thomas' Return to Team
His addition would be confirmed with a roster check as of today, Aug. 4. Still, it is unclear as to whether or not Thomas is back on the roster via scholarship, his status as of right now is unknown.
He is expected to practice today for the team's second day of fall camp.
https://www.si.com/college/florida/...an-rejoins-florida-gators-roster-chris-thomas
His addition would be confirmed with a roster check as of today, Aug. 4. Still, it is unclear as to whether or not Thomas is back on the roster via scholarship, his status as of right now is unknown.
He is expected to practice today for the team's second day of fall camp.
https://www.si.com/college/florida/...an-rejoins-florida-gators-roster-chris-thomas
DT Chris Thomas Jr wasn't the only new face among Florida's defensive linemen in fall camp. Walk-on players Kaleb Boateng and Nicolas Flynn, the latter having joined the program this summer, were also practicing with the unit on Thursday despite their listings as offensive linemen on the team's roster.
DT's on the Fall Roster:
NT Jaelin Humphries 6-3 328 rsSo ****
DT Gervon Dexter 6-6 312 So *****
NT Desmond Watson 6-5 415 So ***
NT Jalen Lee 6-2 299 So ****
DT Keenan Landry 6-0 338 So - JuCo xfer PWO 4.0 GPA
DT Jamari Lyons 6-4 298 Fr ****
The Gator DL just got a Fall boost on it's depth chart:
DT Chris Thomas Jr 6-5 314 rsFr ***
OL/DT Kaleb Boateng 6-4 280 rsJr *** - CU xfer WO
OL/DT Nicolas Flynn 6-2 297 Fr ** - WO
NT Jaelin Humphries 6-3 328 rsSo ****
DT Gervon Dexter 6-6 312 So *****
NT Desmond Watson 6-5 415 So ***
NT Jalen Lee 6-2 299 So ****
DT Keenan Landry 6-0 338 So - JuCo xfer PWO 4.0 GPA
DT Jamari Lyons 6-4 298 Fr ****
The Gator DL just got a Fall boost on it's depth chart:
DT Chris Thomas Jr 6-5 314 rsFr ***
OL/DT Kaleb Boateng 6-4 280 rsJr *** - CU xfer WO
OL/DT Nicolas Flynn 6-2 297 Fr ** - WO
Did any of those inexperienced D lineman do much against UCF? If I remember right we got pushed around and ran all over that game. Dexter was making a lot of plays that game but he is the only one I remember holding his ground.
Edit: Just went and watched some highlights from that UCF game and they were taking the non-Dexter D linemen and literally planting them into the ground on run plays. Happened quite a few times. I hope they worked hard in the weight room this offseason.
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DT Chris Thomas Jr 6-5 314 rsFr *** - Tallahassee, FL
The recently returned to the team DT made his collegiate debut vs UCF.
A rough place to begin getting your feet wet at I'm guessing....
PRIOR TO FLORIDA
Recorded 88 tackles, 9 sacks and 31 tackles while helping Dunbar make it to the 6A Region Finals... Transferred to Dunbar High School in Ft. Myers following one varsity season at Rickards High School in Tallahassee... Participated in the 32nd annual Rotary South All-Star Classic, open to the best seniors in Lee County...
A 2019 Class 6A All-State Football 3rd Team, by FloridaHSFootball.com...
Rated the 27th best DT in the 2021 national recruiting class...
Chose Florida over offers from Texas A&M, Miami and FSU, among others...
Prior to Florida - DT Chris McClellan 6-3 305 Fr **** - EE - N.Tulsa, OK
Ranked the No. 2 recruit in the state of Oklahoma by 247Sports Composite Rankings...
Named the No. 17 DL and No. 100 prospect in the Class of 2022 by Composite Rankings...
Selected to the 2022 All-American Bowl Game...
Listed in the ESPN 300 for the Class of 2022...
Signed with Florida over Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma and USC, among others...
PRIOR TO FLORIDA - DT Jamari Lyons 6-4 298 Fr **** - Cocoa, FL
Rated as a top-26 player in the state of Florida by 247Sports...
Selected as the No. 1 Preseason Player on Florida Today’s 321 Preps Dandy Dozen... Recorded 91 total tackles including 54 solo tackles and 11 sacks in high school career... Led high school to the third round of the Sunshine State’s 7A State Playoffs...
Signed with Florida over Georgia, FSU, Texas A&M, Auburn and PSU, among others...
What's a better bet for a new team with new coaches and a new defense?
A bunch of experienced chumps unlearning an old system and old habits, or some younger guys with obvious upside talent? --- We'll see soon enough....
The recently returned to the team DT made his collegiate debut vs UCF.
A rough place to begin getting your feet wet at I'm guessing....
PRIOR TO FLORIDA
Recorded 88 tackles, 9 sacks and 31 tackles while helping Dunbar make it to the 6A Region Finals... Transferred to Dunbar High School in Ft. Myers following one varsity season at Rickards High School in Tallahassee... Participated in the 32nd annual Rotary South All-Star Classic, open to the best seniors in Lee County...
A 2019 Class 6A All-State Football 3rd Team, by FloridaHSFootball.com...
Rated the 27th best DT in the 2021 national recruiting class...
Chose Florida over offers from Texas A&M, Miami and FSU, among others...
Prior to Florida - DT Chris McClellan 6-3 305 Fr **** - EE - N.Tulsa, OK
Ranked the No. 2 recruit in the state of Oklahoma by 247Sports Composite Rankings...
Named the No. 17 DL and No. 100 prospect in the Class of 2022 by Composite Rankings...
Selected to the 2022 All-American Bowl Game...
Listed in the ESPN 300 for the Class of 2022...
Signed with Florida over Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma and USC, among others...
PRIOR TO FLORIDA - DT Jamari Lyons 6-4 298 Fr **** - Cocoa, FL
Rated as a top-26 player in the state of Florida by 247Sports...
Selected as the No. 1 Preseason Player on Florida Today’s 321 Preps Dandy Dozen... Recorded 91 total tackles including 54 solo tackles and 11 sacks in high school career... Led high school to the third round of the Sunshine State’s 7A State Playoffs...
Signed with Florida over Georgia, FSU, Texas A&M, Auburn and PSU, among others...
What's a better bet for a new team with new coaches and a new defense?
A bunch of experienced chumps unlearning an old system and old habits, or some younger guys with obvious upside talent? --- We'll see soon enough....
Billy Napier: Return of Chris Thomas Jr. is a ‘big deal’ for Florida’s DL depth
Thomas entered the transfer portal on June 27 but has since taken the necessary steps to earn another opportunity with the Gators. His return was discussed Friday by UF coach Billy Napier.
This is the only comment from Napier which made sense - "...Florida’s defensive tackle depth has been an issue since the spring, with walk-on offensive linemen Kaleb Boateng and Nicolas Flynn both switching to DT this week."
WTF Does This Coach Speak Mean ? Everything Napier is quoted as saying is Gibberish !
“Just some internal things there from a logistical standpoint relative to his role on the team and his eligibility and ability to participate with the team,” Napier said when asked how Thomas worked his way back. “Some of those things have been cleared up. Those things took time.
“Obviously, we’ll keep the details in house there, but we’re happy that Chris is back with us and certainly continue his development, his growth. Obviously, football, but the person and the student, I think it’s all really, really important. Chris is a young player and he’s got an opportunity in front of him here to continue to improve in all those areas.”
https://www.on3.com/teams/florida-g...thomas-jr-is-a-big-deal-for-florida-dl-depth/
I am not sure. Didn't see him in those highlights. I think I saw it was Lee who got flattened one time and didn't catch the other names. I did see Lee make a nice play also though
When a young player like Thomas makes it back on the roster, it has nothing to do with who else is on or off the roster at the time they return. It's personal, it's individual, and it's to his own credit as he works to attain a new level of maturity in his attitudes, off the field, in the classroom, and then on the field....
This is what moving the players from one attitude to another in the coaching transition really means.
From privileged and entitled >To > opportunity grateful and personally responsible.
It seems to me that there are maybe a lot of Gator fans that need a similar transition in attitudes.... 🤓
I think Richardson is going pro as soon as he can (like so many do), so he may as well have a brilliant season now.
