By Franz Beard
A few thoughts to jumpstart your Tuesday morning:
IS KAIIR ELAM LEAVING THE DOOR CRACKED OPEN FOR A POSSIBLE RETURN?
For months it has been assumed that Kaiir Elam has had one foot out the Florida door with the NFL his next stop. However, the combination of a season in which he feels the Gators have yet to play an elite game and a new head coach may have him thinking another year in Gainesville wouldn’t hurt.
“I just feel like, like offensively and defensively, I've just felt like when the defenses is hot, the offense has been okay,” Elam said Monday, just three days before the Gators conclude their season with a Gasparilla Bowl date with UCF at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium. “When the offense is hot, the defense has just been okay. So, I feel like if we all come together and just, you know, play our brand of football, that we're both, you know, consistent in doing what we have to do to win and just dominate on all cylinders. I feel like that's what I mean by elite."
It isn’t just the team that has been so inconsistent. On nearly every preseason list, Elam was a first team All-SEC and a second team All-America choice. He played nine games, was in on 27 tackles, broke up five passes and intercepted a pass. Hardly the kind of numbers that earn All-SEC or All-America recognition. There were a lot of missed tackles and missed opportunities to make plays, but the same can be said about nearly every player on the defense.
So the UCF game is a chance for a small measure of redemption for both the Gators and for Elam. One good game probably won’t impress the pro scouts to reinstate him as a potential first rounder, but it could impress new head coach Billy Napier. The two have talked and Elam came away with a good opinion of the new head coach.
“I feel like his plans are very detailed and precise and how he takes his time with everything,” Elam said. “I feel like that's pretty cool."
Cool enough to come back for the kind of season that could allow him to live up to expectations and perhaps become the first round draft pick that many were predicting when the season began?
That will be determined after the UCF game.
“When am I planning on making a decision?” Elam asked rhetorically. “I’m not sure. I’m really just focused on beating UCF and making plays and grinding, dominating.”
That’s not a positive one way or the other. Elam is going to be drafted if he declares for the draft but unless he is off the charts at the combine, he’s probably going to be a third day guy in the draft. Perhaps with a season at UF working with Corey Raymond, arguably the best secondary coach in the country, Elam could have the kind of season that elevates him into the first round. There is a lot of difference between the money a first rounder makes and the kind a third-day guy gets.
OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC
Alabama (12-1): Nick Saban is implementing the same safety protocols Alabama used during the 2020 season as the Crimson Tide preps for its December 31 College Football Playoff semifinal against Cincinnati. Saban said, “I’m always concerned when there’s an issue out there, and we want to do the best we can to help our players be concerned about the issue and respect it so they have the best opportunity to stay safe.”
Arkansas (8-4): Offensive lineman Jalen St. John, a former 3-star recruit, is in the transfer portal. He has four years of eligibility remaining.
Auburn (6-6): Auburn won’t have to worry about dealing with Houston’s Marcus Jones in the Birmingham Bowl. Jones, who won the Paul Hornung Award as college football’s most versatile player, has opted out of the bowl game. In addition to being a lockdown corner who doubled as a wide receiver, Jones ran back two punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns.
Georgia (12-1): Kirby Smart won’t say if quarterback JT Daniels is taking any starters reps as the Bulldogs prep for their College Football Playoff semifinal against Michigan in the Orange Bowl … DB Chris Smith (knee) and LT Jamaree Salyer (foot) are practicing although neither is 100 percent.
Kentucky (9-3): Quarterback Will Levis, who is draft eligible, plans to return to Kentucky in 2022. Levis threw for 2,593 yards and 23 touchdowns while running for 387 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021.
LSU (6-6): Defensive lineman Neil Farrell, who had 45 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in 2021, is opting out of LSU’s Texas Bowl matchup with Kansas State to prep for the NFL Draft.
Mississippi State (7-5): Responding to Mike Leach’s criticism of players opting out of the bowl game, quarterback Will Rogers said, “It’s the players’ decision. People don’t talk about it, but coaches leave all the time mid-year … That’s up to the player, his family and whatever is best for him.”
Missouri (6-6): Six Mizzou players including team captain and leading tackler Martez Manuel will miss the Armed Forces Bowl game with Army. Manuel had 77 tackles this season. Also out are defensive back Akayleb Evans, defensive lineman Akial Byers, tight end Niko Hea and offensive linemen Javon Porter and Bobby Lawrence Jr.
Ole Miss (10-2): Defensive back Jakorey Hawkins, who made one tackle in the only game he played in 2021, is in the transfer portal. Hawkins was in on 28 tackles in 2020.
South Carolina (6-6): With Spencer Rattler transferring in from Oklahoma and a pair of 4-star QBs signed, the Gamecocks will have far more talent at the position next season than they’ve had in years. Rattler began the 2021 season as the Heisman favorite. He will be joined by freshmen Braden Davis and Tanner Bailey. That might send Luke Doty, who started most of the games in 2021 to the portal.
Tennessee (7-5): On a recent Saturday Down South podcast, former Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer said that he and Steve Spurrier are far from adversaries. Fulmer said, “Everybody thinks Steve and I are bitter enemies and we’re really good friends. I kid him all the time: You’re really a good guy until someone puts a microphone in front of you and then you’re a bit of a prick, but we’re actually good friends. I kid Steve that I ran him out of college football, but that’s in jest.”
Texas A&M (8-4): Tight end Jalen Wydermyer, A&M’s leading receiver with 40 catches for 515 yards and four touchdowns, is opting out of the Aggies’ Gator Bowl game with Wake Forest.
STONY BROOK IS A MUST WIN FOR GATORS
On paper, Stony Brook (7-4) at Florida (8-3) is a blowout waiting for the opening tip to happen. The visiting Seawolves start a 6-7 center and four guards, the tallest of which is 6-4. The Gators have a distinct size advantage which should lend itself to a dominant game on the backboards and they’re exceptional defending the three. The size differential alone tells you Stony Brook is going to jack up a lot of threes and that should play right into Florida’s hands.
Except for one thing. The Gators do have this habit of playing down to opponents. Remember the loss to Texas Southern, which came to the O-Dome winless and left with a 15-point upset of the then 12th-ranked Gator? Texas Southern celebrated like it had just won the NCAA title.
The Stony Brook Seawolves have to be thinking they are every bit as capable as Texas Southern, especially if the Gators show up as under-motivated as they were against Texas Southern or even this past Saturday when they earned an uninspired 66-55 win over South Florida. How the Seawolves get it done is on the defensive end where they are an in-your-face team that gives up only 35.2 percent from the field overall and 30.4 percent from the three-point line. The Gators didn’t respond well to Texas Southern’s in-your-face defense and they struggled to make shots against South Florida.
So this is a game the Gators can lose if they show up thinking these guys are going to roll over. Because it’s the last non-conference game before the SEC opener with Ole Miss and because the Gators can’t afford a loss to a team that is No. 206 in the Kenpom.com ratings (the Gators are actually No. 30), this is a must win for Mike White’s team. The Gators need to defend well and they need to pass it better as well as value each possession. Florida has turned the ball over 140 times this year and the team only has 137 assists. That doesn’t cut it and won’t once the Gators get into the SEC.
The Associated Press Top 25 poll: 1. Baylor 10-0; 2. Duke 10-1; 3. Purdue 10-1; 4. Gonzaga 9-2; 5. UCLA 9-1; 6. Arizona 11-0; 7. Kansas 9-1; 8. Southern Cal 12-0; 9. Iowa State 11-0; 10. Alabama 9-2; 11. Michigan State 9-2; 12. Auburn 10-1; 13. Houston 10-2; 14. Ohio State 8-2; 15. Seton Hall 9-1; 16. Texas 8-2; 17. LSU 11-0; 18. Xavier 11-1; 19. Tennessee 8-2; 20. Kentucky 8-2; 21. Colorado State 10-0; 22. Providence 11-1; 23. Villanova 7-4; 24. Wisconsin 9-2; 25. Texas Tech 8-2
The Coaches Top 25 poll: 1. Baylor 10-0; 2. Duke 10-1; 3. Purdue 10-1; 4. (Tie) Gonzaga 9-2 and Arizona 11-0; 6. UCLA 9-1; 7. Kansas 9-1; 8. Iowa State 11-0; 9. Southern California 12-0; 10. Michigan State 9-2; 11. Alabama 9-2; 12. Auburn 10-1; 13. Ohio State 8-2; 14. Houston 10-2; 15. Seton Hall 9-1; 16. LSU 11-0; 17. Texas 8-2; 18. Kentucky 8-2; 19. Tennessee 8-2; 20. Xavier 11-1; 21. Colorado State 10-0; 22. Villanova 7-4; 23. Providence 11-1; 24. Wisconsin 9-2; Texas Tech 8-2
SEC Basketball
Monday’s game: Georgia (5-6) 85, Western Carolina (6-6) 79
Tuesday’s games: Samford (9-2) at Ole Miss (8-3); Northwestern State (3-9) at Texas A&M (8-2); Davidson (8-2) at No. 10 Alabama (9-2); Winthrop (6-5) at Mississippi State (8-3); Elon (3-9) at Arkansas (9-2)
Wednesday’s games: Stony Brook (7-4) at FLORIDA (8-3); Army (6-5) at South Carolina (8-3); Murray State (10-1) at No. 12 Auburn (10-1); Western Kentucky (8-4) at No. 20 Kentucky (8-2); No. 6 Arizona (11-0) at No. 19 Tennessee (8-2); East Tennessee (7-5) at Georgia (5-6); Lipscomb (6-7) at No. 17 LSU (11-0); Illinois (8-3) at Missouri (6-5); Vanderbilt (6-4) at Hawaii (4-3)
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Thursday night will be Emory Jones’ swan song with the Florida Gators. He leaves having been a caddy to Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask while waiting his chance to prove he belonged at the SEC level. Whether he wins or loses the Gasparilla Bowl game with UCF, he will leave behind the disappointment of being good, just not good enough. Good enough to scare the bejabbers out of Alabama, which will probably win the national championship. Good enough to destroy Tennessee a week later when he threw for 209 yards and ran for 144. Good enough to throw for a school record 464 yards and six touchdowns while running for 86 against Samford. Sure, it was a D1AA team, but you put up 550 yards of offense and seven TDs (he ran for one) against a homeless shelter and you’re doing well. Yet he was bad enough to throw 13 interceptions including critical picks that kept the Gators from winning against Kentucky and LSU. Win those two games and Florida’s season probably never goes south. It’s way too easy to point out the all the bad plays in Emory Jones’ one season as Florida’s starting QB, and far too convenient to overlook the fact he never made excuses, worked his butt off, went to class and made good grades and was admired by teammates. Maybe it didn’t work out for him at UF, but he needs to walk off the field Thursday night with his head high, knowing he never copped an attitude and always gave it his very best. For that, we should be thankful.
A few thoughts to jumpstart your Tuesday morning:
IS KAIIR ELAM LEAVING THE DOOR CRACKED OPEN FOR A POSSIBLE RETURN?
For months it has been assumed that Kaiir Elam has had one foot out the Florida door with the NFL his next stop. However, the combination of a season in which he feels the Gators have yet to play an elite game and a new head coach may have him thinking another year in Gainesville wouldn’t hurt.
“I just feel like, like offensively and defensively, I've just felt like when the defenses is hot, the offense has been okay,” Elam said Monday, just three days before the Gators conclude their season with a Gasparilla Bowl date with UCF at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium. “When the offense is hot, the defense has just been okay. So, I feel like if we all come together and just, you know, play our brand of football, that we're both, you know, consistent in doing what we have to do to win and just dominate on all cylinders. I feel like that's what I mean by elite."
It isn’t just the team that has been so inconsistent. On nearly every preseason list, Elam was a first team All-SEC and a second team All-America choice. He played nine games, was in on 27 tackles, broke up five passes and intercepted a pass. Hardly the kind of numbers that earn All-SEC or All-America recognition. There were a lot of missed tackles and missed opportunities to make plays, but the same can be said about nearly every player on the defense.
So the UCF game is a chance for a small measure of redemption for both the Gators and for Elam. One good game probably won’t impress the pro scouts to reinstate him as a potential first rounder, but it could impress new head coach Billy Napier. The two have talked and Elam came away with a good opinion of the new head coach.
“I feel like his plans are very detailed and precise and how he takes his time with everything,” Elam said. “I feel like that's pretty cool."
Cool enough to come back for the kind of season that could allow him to live up to expectations and perhaps become the first round draft pick that many were predicting when the season began?
That will be determined after the UCF game.
“When am I planning on making a decision?” Elam asked rhetorically. “I’m not sure. I’m really just focused on beating UCF and making plays and grinding, dominating.”
That’s not a positive one way or the other. Elam is going to be drafted if he declares for the draft but unless he is off the charts at the combine, he’s probably going to be a third day guy in the draft. Perhaps with a season at UF working with Corey Raymond, arguably the best secondary coach in the country, Elam could have the kind of season that elevates him into the first round. There is a lot of difference between the money a first rounder makes and the kind a third-day guy gets.
OVER, UNDER, AROUND AND THROUGH THE SEC
Alabama (12-1): Nick Saban is implementing the same safety protocols Alabama used during the 2020 season as the Crimson Tide preps for its December 31 College Football Playoff semifinal against Cincinnati. Saban said, “I’m always concerned when there’s an issue out there, and we want to do the best we can to help our players be concerned about the issue and respect it so they have the best opportunity to stay safe.”
Arkansas (8-4): Offensive lineman Jalen St. John, a former 3-star recruit, is in the transfer portal. He has four years of eligibility remaining.
Auburn (6-6): Auburn won’t have to worry about dealing with Houston’s Marcus Jones in the Birmingham Bowl. Jones, who won the Paul Hornung Award as college football’s most versatile player, has opted out of the bowl game. In addition to being a lockdown corner who doubled as a wide receiver, Jones ran back two punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns.
Georgia (12-1): Kirby Smart won’t say if quarterback JT Daniels is taking any starters reps as the Bulldogs prep for their College Football Playoff semifinal against Michigan in the Orange Bowl … DB Chris Smith (knee) and LT Jamaree Salyer (foot) are practicing although neither is 100 percent.
Kentucky (9-3): Quarterback Will Levis, who is draft eligible, plans to return to Kentucky in 2022. Levis threw for 2,593 yards and 23 touchdowns while running for 387 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021.
LSU (6-6): Defensive lineman Neil Farrell, who had 45 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in 2021, is opting out of LSU’s Texas Bowl matchup with Kansas State to prep for the NFL Draft.
Mississippi State (7-5): Responding to Mike Leach’s criticism of players opting out of the bowl game, quarterback Will Rogers said, “It’s the players’ decision. People don’t talk about it, but coaches leave all the time mid-year … That’s up to the player, his family and whatever is best for him.”
Missouri (6-6): Six Mizzou players including team captain and leading tackler Martez Manuel will miss the Armed Forces Bowl game with Army. Manuel had 77 tackles this season. Also out are defensive back Akayleb Evans, defensive lineman Akial Byers, tight end Niko Hea and offensive linemen Javon Porter and Bobby Lawrence Jr.
Ole Miss (10-2): Defensive back Jakorey Hawkins, who made one tackle in the only game he played in 2021, is in the transfer portal. Hawkins was in on 28 tackles in 2020.
South Carolina (6-6): With Spencer Rattler transferring in from Oklahoma and a pair of 4-star QBs signed, the Gamecocks will have far more talent at the position next season than they’ve had in years. Rattler began the 2021 season as the Heisman favorite. He will be joined by freshmen Braden Davis and Tanner Bailey. That might send Luke Doty, who started most of the games in 2021 to the portal.
Tennessee (7-5): On a recent Saturday Down South podcast, former Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer said that he and Steve Spurrier are far from adversaries. Fulmer said, “Everybody thinks Steve and I are bitter enemies and we’re really good friends. I kid him all the time: You’re really a good guy until someone puts a microphone in front of you and then you’re a bit of a prick, but we’re actually good friends. I kid Steve that I ran him out of college football, but that’s in jest.”
Texas A&M (8-4): Tight end Jalen Wydermyer, A&M’s leading receiver with 40 catches for 515 yards and four touchdowns, is opting out of the Aggies’ Gator Bowl game with Wake Forest.
STONY BROOK IS A MUST WIN FOR GATORS
On paper, Stony Brook (7-4) at Florida (8-3) is a blowout waiting for the opening tip to happen. The visiting Seawolves start a 6-7 center and four guards, the tallest of which is 6-4. The Gators have a distinct size advantage which should lend itself to a dominant game on the backboards and they’re exceptional defending the three. The size differential alone tells you Stony Brook is going to jack up a lot of threes and that should play right into Florida’s hands.
Except for one thing. The Gators do have this habit of playing down to opponents. Remember the loss to Texas Southern, which came to the O-Dome winless and left with a 15-point upset of the then 12th-ranked Gator? Texas Southern celebrated like it had just won the NCAA title.
The Stony Brook Seawolves have to be thinking they are every bit as capable as Texas Southern, especially if the Gators show up as under-motivated as they were against Texas Southern or even this past Saturday when they earned an uninspired 66-55 win over South Florida. How the Seawolves get it done is on the defensive end where they are an in-your-face team that gives up only 35.2 percent from the field overall and 30.4 percent from the three-point line. The Gators didn’t respond well to Texas Southern’s in-your-face defense and they struggled to make shots against South Florida.
So this is a game the Gators can lose if they show up thinking these guys are going to roll over. Because it’s the last non-conference game before the SEC opener with Ole Miss and because the Gators can’t afford a loss to a team that is No. 206 in the Kenpom.com ratings (the Gators are actually No. 30), this is a must win for Mike White’s team. The Gators need to defend well and they need to pass it better as well as value each possession. Florida has turned the ball over 140 times this year and the team only has 137 assists. That doesn’t cut it and won’t once the Gators get into the SEC.
The Associated Press Top 25 poll: 1. Baylor 10-0; 2. Duke 10-1; 3. Purdue 10-1; 4. Gonzaga 9-2; 5. UCLA 9-1; 6. Arizona 11-0; 7. Kansas 9-1; 8. Southern Cal 12-0; 9. Iowa State 11-0; 10. Alabama 9-2; 11. Michigan State 9-2; 12. Auburn 10-1; 13. Houston 10-2; 14. Ohio State 8-2; 15. Seton Hall 9-1; 16. Texas 8-2; 17. LSU 11-0; 18. Xavier 11-1; 19. Tennessee 8-2; 20. Kentucky 8-2; 21. Colorado State 10-0; 22. Providence 11-1; 23. Villanova 7-4; 24. Wisconsin 9-2; 25. Texas Tech 8-2
The Coaches Top 25 poll: 1. Baylor 10-0; 2. Duke 10-1; 3. Purdue 10-1; 4. (Tie) Gonzaga 9-2 and Arizona 11-0; 6. UCLA 9-1; 7. Kansas 9-1; 8. Iowa State 11-0; 9. Southern California 12-0; 10. Michigan State 9-2; 11. Alabama 9-2; 12. Auburn 10-1; 13. Ohio State 8-2; 14. Houston 10-2; 15. Seton Hall 9-1; 16. LSU 11-0; 17. Texas 8-2; 18. Kentucky 8-2; 19. Tennessee 8-2; 20. Xavier 11-1; 21. Colorado State 10-0; 22. Villanova 7-4; 23. Providence 11-1; 24. Wisconsin 9-2; Texas Tech 8-2
SEC Basketball
Monday’s game: Georgia (5-6) 85, Western Carolina (6-6) 79
Tuesday’s games: Samford (9-2) at Ole Miss (8-3); Northwestern State (3-9) at Texas A&M (8-2); Davidson (8-2) at No. 10 Alabama (9-2); Winthrop (6-5) at Mississippi State (8-3); Elon (3-9) at Arkansas (9-2)
Wednesday’s games: Stony Brook (7-4) at FLORIDA (8-3); Army (6-5) at South Carolina (8-3); Murray State (10-1) at No. 12 Auburn (10-1); Western Kentucky (8-4) at No. 20 Kentucky (8-2); No. 6 Arizona (11-0) at No. 19 Tennessee (8-2); East Tennessee (7-5) at Georgia (5-6); Lipscomb (6-7) at No. 17 LSU (11-0); Illinois (8-3) at Missouri (6-5); Vanderbilt (6-4) at Hawaii (4-3)
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Thursday night will be Emory Jones’ swan song with the Florida Gators. He leaves having been a caddy to Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask while waiting his chance to prove he belonged at the SEC level. Whether he wins or loses the Gasparilla Bowl game with UCF, he will leave behind the disappointment of being good, just not good enough. Good enough to scare the bejabbers out of Alabama, which will probably win the national championship. Good enough to destroy Tennessee a week later when he threw for 209 yards and ran for 144. Good enough to throw for a school record 464 yards and six touchdowns while running for 86 against Samford. Sure, it was a D1AA team, but you put up 550 yards of offense and seven TDs (he ran for one) against a homeless shelter and you’re doing well. Yet he was bad enough to throw 13 interceptions including critical picks that kept the Gators from winning against Kentucky and LSU. Win those two games and Florida’s season probably never goes south. It’s way too easy to point out the all the bad plays in Emory Jones’ one season as Florida’s starting QB, and far too convenient to overlook the fact he never made excuses, worked his butt off, went to class and made good grades and was admired by teammates. Maybe it didn’t work out for him at UF, but he needs to walk off the field Thursday night with his head high, knowing he never copped an attitude and always gave it his very best. For that, we should be thankful.
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