By Franz Beard
A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning:
DON’T SLEEP ON THESE THREE GUYS IN THE FALL
Here are three Gators who will be vastly underrated when football cranks up again in the fall:
Justin Shorter, WR: His 2021 numbers – 41 catches, 550 yards (13.4) and three touchdowns – weren’t bad, but they could have been and should have been better. That wasn’t necessarily his fault. He was open a lot, but didn’t get the ball thrown his way. He isn’t a burner but he has deceptive speed and he’s capable of getting open consistently. He was one of the hardest workers on the team this spring.
Ethan White, LG: He’s 15 pounds heavier (334) than he was last year and he’s healthy. He’s been injured a lot in his career (played in only 18 games in three years, 8 starts). Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton like maulers on the inside. They have one on the right side in O’Cyrus Torrence, the Louisiana transfer. White had a very good spring and if he continues the hard work in the weight room in the offseason, he will have a big season.
Trey Dean III, S: The word around spring football was the Trey Dean you think you know from the past four years isn’t the Trey Dean you will see in the fall. Attribute that to two things – great attitude and better coaching from Patrick Toney. The talent has always been there. The attitude and coaching have not.
HELP WANTED …
Based on what I saw in the spring, here is where my transfer portal shopping list for Billy Napier begins:
Wide receiver: Someone with elite speed who can back the safeties off the line of scrimmage. It doesn’t have to be someone with incredible numbers. Alabama got Tyrell Hatton from Louisville, who only caught 18 passes but he averaged almost 30 per catch. Someone like that is what the Gators need. I expect attrition here so three would be ideal.
Right tackle: This is the one spot on the offensive line that is a concern. Michael Tarquin is okay in pass protection, but the Gators need to find someone who can grind in the running game and still have quick enough feet to pass protect. Overall, I think the Gators need to find three O-linemen with experience, one who can start at right tackle and two who can get in the rotation up and down the line.
Defensive tackle: I’m not sold on Desmond Watson getting down to 380, which is where he will need to be to play regularly and I’m not sold on anyone other than Gervon Dexter. I expect attrition of one or two. I think Napier needs three at a minimum, but four ideally.
Inside linebacker: I don’t see that 6-4, 250-pound guy who is a rock at the goal line. I think Diwun Black is an outside guy who will have to play inside unless Napier can find that prototypical big guy. Two big guys would be rather nice.
UF BASEBALL: NO MIDWEEK GAME THIS WEEK
It might be a good thing that the Gators (23-17, 6-12 SEC) get a midweek break before hosting Kentucky (22-18, 6-12 SEC) this weekend. Without Hunter Barco, Kevin O’Sullivan probably has found a weekend rotation in Ryan Slater, Brandon Sproat and Brandon Neely, but he needs a few days to get his other young pitchers some rest and to figure out the bullpen. The Gators are currently tied with Kentucky and South Carolina for fourth in the SEC East.
D1Baseball Top 25: 1. Tennessee 37-3; 2. Oregon State 31-8; 3. Miami 391-9; 4. Southern Miss 32-8; 5. Arkansas 31-9; 6. Stanford 24-12; 7. Virginia Tech 28-9; 8. Oklahoma State 27-13; 9. Texas Tech 29-14; 10. Texas 30-13; 11. Virginia 31-10; 12. Gonzaga 26-11; 13. UCLA 27-12; 14. Georgia 28-12; 15. UConn 32-8; 16. Louisville 27-12; 17. Texas State 32-9; 18. Notre Dame 26-8; 19. Auburn 29-12; 20. TCU 27-13; 21. Texas A&M 25-14; 22. LSU 27-12; 23. Maryland 32-8; 24. Georgia Southern 37-12; 25. Wofford 30-10
UF SOFTBALL: GATORS DROP TO NO. 11
The Gators, who are 4-5 in their last nine SEC games, get a tune-up for their weekend roadie to Baton Rouge tonight when Stetson comes to town (6 p.m., Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium). The recent skid has dropped the Gators out of the top 10 into a very generous 11th in the latest D1Softball top 25. The Gators need one win this weekend at LSU (30-17, 10-8 SEC) to secure a break even record in conference play. The last time UF finished .500 in SEC play was 2019 (12-12) when they got hot in the post season, won the SEC Tournament, all three NCAA regional games and then beat Tennessee two out of three in the Super Regional to advance to the Women’s College World Series.
D1Softball Top 25: 1. Oklahoma 42-1; 2. Virginia Tech 36-6; 3. Florida State 43-5; 4. UCLA 36-5; 5. Arkansas 35-8; 6. Oklahoma State 38-7; 7. Alabama 39-8; 8. Northwestern 34-7; 9. Washington 28-11; 10. Duke 36-7; 11. FLORIDA 35-12; 13. Arizona State 32-7; 13. Tennessee 33-13; 14. Kentucky 30-13; 15. Texas 32-15-1; 16. Georgia 37-11; 17. UCF 39-11; 18. Clemson 33-14; 19. Auburn 36-10; 20. Notre Dame 35-9; 21. Oregon State 31-15; 22. Michigan 29-14; 23. Stanford 31-13; 24. San Diego State 30-12; 25. LSU 30-17
UF TRACK AND FIELD: MEN, WOMEN NO. 3 NATIONALLY
USTFCCA Men’s Top 25: 1. Texas; 2. Alabama; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Texas A&M; 5. Oregon; 6. Georgia; 7. Texas Tech; 8. BYU; 9. Kentucky; 10. LSU; 11. Baylor; 12. North Carolina A&T; 13 Arkansas; 14. Southern Cal; 15. Iowa; 16. Washington; 17. Arizona State; 18. Florida State; 19. Princeton; 20. Ohio State; 21. Tennessee; 22. Virginia; 23. Stanford; 24. Oklahoma; 25. Oklahoma State
USTFCCA Women’s Top 25: 1. Texas; 2. Texas A&M; 3. FLORIDA; 4. LSU; 5. Texas Tech; 6. Arkansas; 7. Kentucky; 8. BYU; 9. Oregon; 10. Ohio State; 11. North Carolina A&T; 12. New Mexico; 13. South Carolina; 14. North Carolina State; 15. Arizona State; 16. Oklahoma State; 17. Baylor; 18. Ole Miss; 19. Duke; 20. Southern Cal; 21. Auburn; 22. California; 23. Washington; 24. Colorado; 25. Georgia
UF GOLF: MEN NO. 10, WOMEN NO. 11
Golfweek Men’s Top 25: 1. Oklahoma; 2. Pepperdine; 3. Vanderbilt; 4. Oklahoma State; 5. Arizona State; 6. North Carolina; 7. Texas; 8. Washington; 9. Texas Tech; 10. FLORIDA; 11. Georgia Tech; 12. Georgia; 13. Texas A&M; 14. Notre Dame; 15. Arkansas; 16. Auburn; 17. Illinois; 18. Wake Forest; 19. LSU; 20. Florida State; 21. Stanford; 22. Tennessee; 23. Clemson; 24. Ohio State; 25. New Mexico
Golfweek Women’s Top 25: 1. Stanford; 2. Oregon; 3. South Carolina; 4. Wake Forest; 5. Oklahoma State; 6. San Jose State; 7. Arizona State; 8. Southern Cal; 9. Alabama; 10. Virginia; 11. FLORIDA; 12. UCLA; 13. Florida State; 14. Texas; 15. LSU; 16. Baylor; 17. Auburn; 18. Texas A&M; 19. Arkansas; 20. Michigan; 21. Duke; 22. Ole Miss; 23. Arizona; 24. Kentucky; 25. Illinois
UF LACROSSE: GATORS MOVE UP TO NO. 6
IWLCA Coaches Top 25: 1. North Carolina 15-0; 2. Northwestern 13-3; 3. Boston College 14-2; 4. Syracuse 13-4; 5. Maryland 14-1; 6. FLORIDA 11-4; 7. Denver 14-1; 8. Stony Brook 12-2; 9. Rutgers 13-3; 10. Duke 15-2; 11. Princeton 10-3; 12. James Madison 12-4; 13. UConn 13-2; 14. Loyola Maryland 15-1; 15. Southern Cal 12-3; 16. Temple 10-5; 17. UMass 15-2; 18. Johns Hopkins 9-7; 19. Michigan 10-5; 20. Jacksonville 11-3; 21. Ohio State 9-6; 22. Notre Dame 8-8; 23. Virginia 8-8; 24. Penn State 6-8; 25. Yale 10-3
SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL
Alabama: Former 4-star defensive back Kaine Williams, who chose Alabama over Florida and LSU, is in the transfer portal. He has four years eligibility remaining.
Arkansas: Defensive lineman Dorian Gerald and linebacker Kelin Burrle are in the transfer portal. Gerald, who had 22 sacks in two junior college seasons, went down with a season-ending injury in the first game of the 2021 season. Burrle is a former 3-star recruit who didn’t play last season.
Georgia: Matthew-Alexander Moncrief (6-7, 196), who averaged 4.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game at Oklahoma State, is the fourth transfer pickup for Mike White.
Kentucky: Point guard Sahvir Wheeler (5-9, 180), who started 29 games for the Wildcats after transferring from Georgia, announced he will return next season. Wheeler averaged 10.1 points and was third in the nation, first in the SEC in assists at 6.9 per game … Bryce Hopkins (6-6, 220) is transferring to Providence after averaging 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds at Kentucky last season as a true freshman.
Mississippi State: Former 4-star corner Hunter Washington is transferring to Mississippi State from Florida State. He played in one game at FSU and took a redshirt … Point guard Iverson Molinar (6-3, 190), who averaged 17.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, will remain in the NBA Draft.
Missouri: Guard Amari Davis (6-2, 175), who started 13 games last season after transferring from Green Bay, is in the portal again. At Mizzou he averaged 9.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists … Defensive lineman Ben Key (6-5, 285), a former juco transfer who played in two games last year, is in the portal.
South Carolina: Meechie Johnson Jr. (6-2, 172), a former 4-star recruit in 2020 who averaged 4.4 points and 1.5 rebounds per game per game at Ohio State, is transferring to South Carolina … Small forward Hayden Brown (6-5, 225) is transferring to South Carolina from The Citadel. He averaged 18.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
Tennessee: Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (6-10, 246) is transferring to Louisville after a freshman year in which he averaged 3.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.
Vanderbilt: Backup linebacker Michael Mincey, a former 3-star recruit from Waycross, is in the transfer portal. He appeared in one game last year but was also on the track team where he ran the 100 and 200 meters.
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: “Kirby Smart is the best coach in college football. That’s right, Kirby Smart.” I didn’t say that. Matt Hayes did. Matt is one of the best college football writers in the country and his opinions are taken as gospel by a lot of folks.
I’m not one of them. At least when it comes to Kirby being the best coach in college football. I will concede that he was the best coach in college football last year, but in all of college football at this present moment? Moving forward?
In the immortal words of Dennis Hopper as The Deacon in the film Water World, “There’s two chances that’s going to happen: No way and no how.”
Okay, maybe someday it will, but not today. Not right now. There is that teensy little matter of Nick Saban at Alabama. Last time I checked, he hasn’t gone anywhere. Also, last time I checked he has won six national championships at Alabama and one at LSU, which is one more than Bear Bryant won. I wasn’t a math major but seven national championships is six more than Kirby Smart has won.
He has won national championships at Alabama with five different offensive coordinators. He won a national championship with Doug Nussmeier as his offensive coordinator. That alone should tell you something. You do remember those brilliant offenses Nussmeier coordinated at Florida from 2015-17, don’t you? I’ll refresh you. They finished 112 (2015), 116 (2016) and 110 (2017) nationally. In the SEC the Gators were 12, 14 and 13.
When Kirby Smart can win a national championship with Doug Nussmeier as his offensive coordinator, maybe I’ll concede that he’s the best coach in the country. For now, he was the best coach in the country for the 2021 season, but the best coach in the country? That’s Nick Saban and unless he was dropped on his head too many times as an infant and the residual effects of CTE don’t start showing up until 2022, he’s still the best in the country.
A few thoughts to jump start your Tuesday morning:
DON’T SLEEP ON THESE THREE GUYS IN THE FALL
Here are three Gators who will be vastly underrated when football cranks up again in the fall:
Justin Shorter, WR: His 2021 numbers – 41 catches, 550 yards (13.4) and three touchdowns – weren’t bad, but they could have been and should have been better. That wasn’t necessarily his fault. He was open a lot, but didn’t get the ball thrown his way. He isn’t a burner but he has deceptive speed and he’s capable of getting open consistently. He was one of the hardest workers on the team this spring.
Ethan White, LG: He’s 15 pounds heavier (334) than he was last year and he’s healthy. He’s been injured a lot in his career (played in only 18 games in three years, 8 starts). Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton like maulers on the inside. They have one on the right side in O’Cyrus Torrence, the Louisiana transfer. White had a very good spring and if he continues the hard work in the weight room in the offseason, he will have a big season.
Trey Dean III, S: The word around spring football was the Trey Dean you think you know from the past four years isn’t the Trey Dean you will see in the fall. Attribute that to two things – great attitude and better coaching from Patrick Toney. The talent has always been there. The attitude and coaching have not.
HELP WANTED …
Based on what I saw in the spring, here is where my transfer portal shopping list for Billy Napier begins:
Wide receiver: Someone with elite speed who can back the safeties off the line of scrimmage. It doesn’t have to be someone with incredible numbers. Alabama got Tyrell Hatton from Louisville, who only caught 18 passes but he averaged almost 30 per catch. Someone like that is what the Gators need. I expect attrition here so three would be ideal.
Right tackle: This is the one spot on the offensive line that is a concern. Michael Tarquin is okay in pass protection, but the Gators need to find someone who can grind in the running game and still have quick enough feet to pass protect. Overall, I think the Gators need to find three O-linemen with experience, one who can start at right tackle and two who can get in the rotation up and down the line.
Defensive tackle: I’m not sold on Desmond Watson getting down to 380, which is where he will need to be to play regularly and I’m not sold on anyone other than Gervon Dexter. I expect attrition of one or two. I think Napier needs three at a minimum, but four ideally.
Inside linebacker: I don’t see that 6-4, 250-pound guy who is a rock at the goal line. I think Diwun Black is an outside guy who will have to play inside unless Napier can find that prototypical big guy. Two big guys would be rather nice.
UF BASEBALL: NO MIDWEEK GAME THIS WEEK
It might be a good thing that the Gators (23-17, 6-12 SEC) get a midweek break before hosting Kentucky (22-18, 6-12 SEC) this weekend. Without Hunter Barco, Kevin O’Sullivan probably has found a weekend rotation in Ryan Slater, Brandon Sproat and Brandon Neely, but he needs a few days to get his other young pitchers some rest and to figure out the bullpen. The Gators are currently tied with Kentucky and South Carolina for fourth in the SEC East.
D1Baseball Top 25: 1. Tennessee 37-3; 2. Oregon State 31-8; 3. Miami 391-9; 4. Southern Miss 32-8; 5. Arkansas 31-9; 6. Stanford 24-12; 7. Virginia Tech 28-9; 8. Oklahoma State 27-13; 9. Texas Tech 29-14; 10. Texas 30-13; 11. Virginia 31-10; 12. Gonzaga 26-11; 13. UCLA 27-12; 14. Georgia 28-12; 15. UConn 32-8; 16. Louisville 27-12; 17. Texas State 32-9; 18. Notre Dame 26-8; 19. Auburn 29-12; 20. TCU 27-13; 21. Texas A&M 25-14; 22. LSU 27-12; 23. Maryland 32-8; 24. Georgia Southern 37-12; 25. Wofford 30-10
UF SOFTBALL: GATORS DROP TO NO. 11
The Gators, who are 4-5 in their last nine SEC games, get a tune-up for their weekend roadie to Baton Rouge tonight when Stetson comes to town (6 p.m., Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium). The recent skid has dropped the Gators out of the top 10 into a very generous 11th in the latest D1Softball top 25. The Gators need one win this weekend at LSU (30-17, 10-8 SEC) to secure a break even record in conference play. The last time UF finished .500 in SEC play was 2019 (12-12) when they got hot in the post season, won the SEC Tournament, all three NCAA regional games and then beat Tennessee two out of three in the Super Regional to advance to the Women’s College World Series.
D1Softball Top 25: 1. Oklahoma 42-1; 2. Virginia Tech 36-6; 3. Florida State 43-5; 4. UCLA 36-5; 5. Arkansas 35-8; 6. Oklahoma State 38-7; 7. Alabama 39-8; 8. Northwestern 34-7; 9. Washington 28-11; 10. Duke 36-7; 11. FLORIDA 35-12; 13. Arizona State 32-7; 13. Tennessee 33-13; 14. Kentucky 30-13; 15. Texas 32-15-1; 16. Georgia 37-11; 17. UCF 39-11; 18. Clemson 33-14; 19. Auburn 36-10; 20. Notre Dame 35-9; 21. Oregon State 31-15; 22. Michigan 29-14; 23. Stanford 31-13; 24. San Diego State 30-12; 25. LSU 30-17
UF TRACK AND FIELD: MEN, WOMEN NO. 3 NATIONALLY
USTFCCA Men’s Top 25: 1. Texas; 2. Alabama; 3. FLORIDA; 4. Texas A&M; 5. Oregon; 6. Georgia; 7. Texas Tech; 8. BYU; 9. Kentucky; 10. LSU; 11. Baylor; 12. North Carolina A&T; 13 Arkansas; 14. Southern Cal; 15. Iowa; 16. Washington; 17. Arizona State; 18. Florida State; 19. Princeton; 20. Ohio State; 21. Tennessee; 22. Virginia; 23. Stanford; 24. Oklahoma; 25. Oklahoma State
USTFCCA Women’s Top 25: 1. Texas; 2. Texas A&M; 3. FLORIDA; 4. LSU; 5. Texas Tech; 6. Arkansas; 7. Kentucky; 8. BYU; 9. Oregon; 10. Ohio State; 11. North Carolina A&T; 12. New Mexico; 13. South Carolina; 14. North Carolina State; 15. Arizona State; 16. Oklahoma State; 17. Baylor; 18. Ole Miss; 19. Duke; 20. Southern Cal; 21. Auburn; 22. California; 23. Washington; 24. Colorado; 25. Georgia
UF GOLF: MEN NO. 10, WOMEN NO. 11
Golfweek Men’s Top 25: 1. Oklahoma; 2. Pepperdine; 3. Vanderbilt; 4. Oklahoma State; 5. Arizona State; 6. North Carolina; 7. Texas; 8. Washington; 9. Texas Tech; 10. FLORIDA; 11. Georgia Tech; 12. Georgia; 13. Texas A&M; 14. Notre Dame; 15. Arkansas; 16. Auburn; 17. Illinois; 18. Wake Forest; 19. LSU; 20. Florida State; 21. Stanford; 22. Tennessee; 23. Clemson; 24. Ohio State; 25. New Mexico
Golfweek Women’s Top 25: 1. Stanford; 2. Oregon; 3. South Carolina; 4. Wake Forest; 5. Oklahoma State; 6. San Jose State; 7. Arizona State; 8. Southern Cal; 9. Alabama; 10. Virginia; 11. FLORIDA; 12. UCLA; 13. Florida State; 14. Texas; 15. LSU; 16. Baylor; 17. Auburn; 18. Texas A&M; 19. Arkansas; 20. Michigan; 21. Duke; 22. Ole Miss; 23. Arizona; 24. Kentucky; 25. Illinois
UF LACROSSE: GATORS MOVE UP TO NO. 6
IWLCA Coaches Top 25: 1. North Carolina 15-0; 2. Northwestern 13-3; 3. Boston College 14-2; 4. Syracuse 13-4; 5. Maryland 14-1; 6. FLORIDA 11-4; 7. Denver 14-1; 8. Stony Brook 12-2; 9. Rutgers 13-3; 10. Duke 15-2; 11. Princeton 10-3; 12. James Madison 12-4; 13. UConn 13-2; 14. Loyola Maryland 15-1; 15. Southern Cal 12-3; 16. Temple 10-5; 17. UMass 15-2; 18. Johns Hopkins 9-7; 19. Michigan 10-5; 20. Jacksonville 11-3; 21. Ohio State 9-6; 22. Notre Dame 8-8; 23. Virginia 8-8; 24. Penn State 6-8; 25. Yale 10-3
SEC FOOTBALL/BASKETBALL
Alabama: Former 4-star defensive back Kaine Williams, who chose Alabama over Florida and LSU, is in the transfer portal. He has four years eligibility remaining.
Arkansas: Defensive lineman Dorian Gerald and linebacker Kelin Burrle are in the transfer portal. Gerald, who had 22 sacks in two junior college seasons, went down with a season-ending injury in the first game of the 2021 season. Burrle is a former 3-star recruit who didn’t play last season.
Georgia: Matthew-Alexander Moncrief (6-7, 196), who averaged 4.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game at Oklahoma State, is the fourth transfer pickup for Mike White.
Kentucky: Point guard Sahvir Wheeler (5-9, 180), who started 29 games for the Wildcats after transferring from Georgia, announced he will return next season. Wheeler averaged 10.1 points and was third in the nation, first in the SEC in assists at 6.9 per game … Bryce Hopkins (6-6, 220) is transferring to Providence after averaging 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds at Kentucky last season as a true freshman.
Mississippi State: Former 4-star corner Hunter Washington is transferring to Mississippi State from Florida State. He played in one game at FSU and took a redshirt … Point guard Iverson Molinar (6-3, 190), who averaged 17.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, will remain in the NBA Draft.
Missouri: Guard Amari Davis (6-2, 175), who started 13 games last season after transferring from Green Bay, is in the portal again. At Mizzou he averaged 9.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists … Defensive lineman Ben Key (6-5, 285), a former juco transfer who played in two games last year, is in the portal.
South Carolina: Meechie Johnson Jr. (6-2, 172), a former 4-star recruit in 2020 who averaged 4.4 points and 1.5 rebounds per game per game at Ohio State, is transferring to South Carolina … Small forward Hayden Brown (6-5, 225) is transferring to South Carolina from The Citadel. He averaged 18.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
Tennessee: Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (6-10, 246) is transferring to Louisville after a freshman year in which he averaged 3.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.
Vanderbilt: Backup linebacker Michael Mincey, a former 3-star recruit from Waycross, is in the transfer portal. He appeared in one game last year but was also on the track team where he ran the 100 and 200 meters.
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: “Kirby Smart is the best coach in college football. That’s right, Kirby Smart.” I didn’t say that. Matt Hayes did. Matt is one of the best college football writers in the country and his opinions are taken as gospel by a lot of folks.
I’m not one of them. At least when it comes to Kirby being the best coach in college football. I will concede that he was the best coach in college football last year, but in all of college football at this present moment? Moving forward?
In the immortal words of Dennis Hopper as The Deacon in the film Water World, “There’s two chances that’s going to happen: No way and no how.”
Okay, maybe someday it will, but not today. Not right now. There is that teensy little matter of Nick Saban at Alabama. Last time I checked, he hasn’t gone anywhere. Also, last time I checked he has won six national championships at Alabama and one at LSU, which is one more than Bear Bryant won. I wasn’t a math major but seven national championships is six more than Kirby Smart has won.
He has won national championships at Alabama with five different offensive coordinators. He won a national championship with Doug Nussmeier as his offensive coordinator. That alone should tell you something. You do remember those brilliant offenses Nussmeier coordinated at Florida from 2015-17, don’t you? I’ll refresh you. They finished 112 (2015), 116 (2016) and 110 (2017) nationally. In the SEC the Gators were 12, 14 and 13.
When Kirby Smart can win a national championship with Doug Nussmeier as his offensive coordinator, maybe I’ll concede that he’s the best coach in the country. For now, he was the best coach in the country for the 2021 season, but the best coach in the country? That’s Nick Saban and unless he was dropped on his head too many times as an infant and the residual effects of CTE don’t start showing up until 2022, he’s still the best in the country.
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