By Franz Beard
A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning:
A REASON TO FEEL OPTIMISTIC AND OTHER POST-COVID RAMBLINGS
Back in 2014, Will Muschamp’s last year on the job at UF, the O-line featured Trenton Brown, Chaz Green, David Sharpe, DJ Humphries and Max Garcia, all of whom have made a living in the No Fun League since their days suiting up for the Gators. They were talented, no doubt, but for reasons that are as baffling as Billy Joe McCallister jumping off the Tallahatchee Bridge, the Gators had the 96th best offense (12th in the SEC) in Division I.
From a sheer talent standpoint, that was Florida’s best offensive line since Urban Meyer retired after the 2010 season. From 2011-17, the Gators never finished higher than 96th in the country in total offense. Florida’s offense flourished under Dan Mullen, but there were always complaints that the O-line underachieved. A year ago, the Gators averaged 5.48 yards per rushing attempt (4th nationally) and the O-line allowed only 14 sacks (tied for 5th) but there were way too many mental blunders and discipline issues that resulted in false starts and holding penalties.
That brings us to 2022. New coach in Billy Napier who believes in two offensive line coaches, something the Gators haven’t had since 2008 when Steve Addazio and John Hevesy coached up a line that was as good as there was anywhere in the country, featuring future Pro Bowlers Maurkice and Mike Pouncey. Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton are charged with turning the 2022 Florida O-line into one that can grind opponents into a pulp while at the same time eliminating the silly penalties and brain farts.
If you are looking for a reason to feel optimistic about this Florida football team, then take a long look at the offensive line. It’s interesting that the preseason mags all rate the Florida O-line in the bottom half of the SEC yet there are five returnees with starting experience from last year – Richard Gouraige (6-5, 308), Ethan White (6-4, 331), Kingsley Eguakun (6-3, 302), Josh Braun (6-6, 351) and Michael Tarquin (6-5, 295) – and they’re joined by two-time All-Sun Belt right guard O’Cyrus Torrence (6-5, 347) and a pair of massive transfers in juco Jordan Herman (6-8, 370) and Kamryn Waites (6-8, 373). Just a bit of proof that the UF O-line may be underrated, Alabama returns three starters from a line that gave up 41 sacks last year yet every preseason publication rates the Bama O-line top three or four in the SEC.
I am of the opinion Florida’s O-line may turn out to be one of the best in the SEC because (1) better coaching; (2) more emphasis placed on eliminating mental and discipline mistakes; (3) more experience and (4) the presence of Torrence, a legitimate mauler who will make Florida a power running the ball up the gut.
Four of the starting positions seem set – LT Gouraige, LG White, C Eguakun and RG Torrence. I see Tarquin replaced at RT by either Braun, who lost nearly 20 pounds so he could slide over to the outside, or Herman or Waites. I believe Torrence will be first team All-SEC and challenge for first or second team All-America. On paper, this is Florida’s best O-line in years. If they prove it on the field, the Gators just might exceed expectations.
Matt Norlander (CBS) on Todd Golden’s recruiting strategy
Matt Norlander of CBS spent five days embedded with Florida basketball coach Todd Golden on the recruiting trail and in Gainesville. The second of his two-part series of the time spent with Golden will be published today at cbssports.com. The reporting in part one was quite insightful because Norlander went in-depth to uncover Golden’s recruiting strategy that starts with the coach’s admission that it will be rare when a top 15-20 high school kid chooses the Gators over schools like Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina and Kansas, the true bluebloods of the sport. That doesn’t mean Golden can’t recruit well enough to make Florida a consistent upper level finisher in the SEC and a top 25 national program. It just means the Gators will have to be creative in the way they go about it.
Here are a couple of excerpts:
“Golden’s recruiting philosophy comes down to this: go after high school players with high-end potential, then fill in the roster with 20- and 21-year-old who’ve proven their value at the college level.”
And this: “We won’t take a younger guy unless we think he is physically ready to play for us in his first year. We need pros. We need bad-ass dudes.”
This is a very sound recruiting strategy made possible by the portal which will allow Golden to plug and play with experienced players rather than spend too much time trying to develop high school kids. Golden can concentrate on recruiting excellent high school kids from Florida and as far north as Atlanta then fill out the roster with grown men who already know how to play the game.
I’m not enamored with …
Southern Cal: Everyone is gaga over Lincoln Riley and the Trojans. He convinced a whole bunch of transfers to come to Tinseltown including quarterback Caleb Williams, who followed him from Oklahoma, and wide receiver Jordan Addison who caught 100 passes for 17 touchdowns last year at Pitt. I wouldn’t be surprised if Southern Cal finishes THIRD in the Pac-12 South behind Utah and UCLA. Lest we forget, Utah boatraced Southern Cal 42-26 last year. What UCLA did to their crosstown cousins was downright criminal. It was 62-33. Sure, that was last year and this is a new year, but nobody seems to be taking into consideration that both Utah and UCLA have their coaches and quarterbacks returning.
Quinn Ewers, Texas QB: I’ll admit it. I haven’t exactly thought much of Ewers since he skipped his senior year in high school to pick up a million dollar NIL deal, threw himself on Ohio State in August after camp had already begun, then took the first train out of Columbus when he was (a) overwhelmed by the Ohio State offense and (b) played maybe four snaps in one game of mop-up duty. Now he’s at Texas. Maybe he will prove that he’s the greatest thing since the invention of the flush toilet but something tells me Steve Sarkisian will be turning to Hudson Card if he intends for the Longhorns to win. I wonder what happens when Arch Manning shows up in 2023. I don’t think he’s planning to sit.
These guys aren’t getting near enough attention …
Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma: They won’t miss Caleb Williams for a nanosecond at Oklahoma because Gabriel is that good and now he’s reunited with Jeff Lebby, his offensive coordinator for two years at UCF. In 26 games at UCF he threw for 8,037 yards (8.8 per attempt) and 70 touchdowns with only 14 picks. He’s the reason Oklahoma will win the Big 12.
Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss: Before he was injured in the third game last season, he already had 15 catches for 290 yards and three touchdowns. He tried to play later on in the season but was still not over his injury. He is 6-2, 225 and runs a legit 4.4 in the 40. He is a matchup nightmare because he’s faster than most corners and more physical than all but a couple of safeties in the SEC.
Grayson McCall, QB, Coastal Carolina: This is the best quarterback most of you have never heard of. The NFL has heard of him. He would start at most schools in the SEC. In two seasons he’s thrown for 5,361 yards (12.5 per attempt) and 53 touchdowns with only six interceptions. He has also run for 859 yards and 11 TDs.
Henry To’oTo’o, LB, Alabama: Will Anderson gets all the attention and there’s no doubt he’s a fabulous linebacker, but To’oTo’o led Bama in tackles with 113 and was a beast making plays between the tackles.
Devin Leary, QB, North Carolina State: Everybody in the ACC is talking about Sam Hartman at Wake Forest Gump, Tyler Van Dyke at Miami and Brennan Armstrong at Virginia or the wunderkind Cade Klubnik at Clemson. All those guys are good, but the best QB in the league is Leary. Last year he threw for 3,433 yards and 35 TDs with only five picks.
Potential widespread panic in the Almost Competitive Conference
Apparently, at Saturday Road, ACC info site run by the people who own Saturday Down South, there are serious concerns that Notre Dame would join the Big Ten or SEC. As part of its agreement that allows Notre Dame to be an ACC member in all sports except football and hockey, Notre Dame is contracted to play a minimum of five football games each year against ACC opponents. Should Notre Dame join either the SEC or ACC, there is concern that it could be seen as a breach of the ACC’s Grant of Rights agreement, which would allow schools like Clemson, North Carolina, Virginia, Miami and Florida State to bolt for another league.
Writes Matt Hayes on Saturday Road: “A move by Notre Dame to the Big Ten or SEC would be another legal argument opportunity for ACC schools who want to leave the conference. Notre Dame would no longer play as many as 6 games against ACC teams – high value for ACC members – and that, too, can be argued as a change in the original agreement.”
“We have no idea where this is headed, or how beneficial it will be to member institutions,” an ACC athletic director told Saturday Road. “Everyone is searching for stability, for a safe spot.”
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Just a couple of weeks ago, the 10 Pac-12 schools not named Southern Cal and UCLA voiced their solidarity to remain a viable conference. Commissioner George Kliavkoff, who was suckered along with ACC commissioner Little Jimmy Phillips into believing their alliance with Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren could bring the big, bad SEC to its knees, told his 10 remaining stragglers to never fear, a new media rights deal would be negotiated to replace the one that expires after the 2023-24 academic year.
So much for negotiation. ESPN has low-balled the league with an offer of $24.5 million per Wildcat Authority editor Jason Scheer. They were anticipating a deal that would at least match the $33.6 million the league distributed a couple of years ago ($19 million last year). Fox won’t be making an offer. Fox, after all, put all its money into the Big Ten and even greased the skids so that Southern Cal and UCLA would depart.
Now you know why Oregon, Washington, California and Stanford are balking at signing any new deal with the Pac-12 and why Phil Knight has been frantically pulling whatever strings he can to get Oregon into the Big Ten. Figure those four will be leaving with Southern Cal and UCLA in 2024. Of course, none of those four move the television needle but it will give the Big Ten six schools on the Left Coast which will help ease some of the logistics issues.
So you can stick a fork in the Pac-12. It has two years of existence before it scatters like the wind. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah will be joining the Big 12, which will get a far better media rights deal as a 16-team league than the Pac-12 got as a 10-team league that was trying to make an alliance with the ACC or add a couple of Mountain West schools to bring its number back to 12. The two Pac-12 orphans will be Oregon State and Washington State, which are almost certain to be absorbed into the Mountain West.
A few thoughts to jump start your Friday morning:
A REASON TO FEEL OPTIMISTIC AND OTHER POST-COVID RAMBLINGS
Back in 2014, Will Muschamp’s last year on the job at UF, the O-line featured Trenton Brown, Chaz Green, David Sharpe, DJ Humphries and Max Garcia, all of whom have made a living in the No Fun League since their days suiting up for the Gators. They were talented, no doubt, but for reasons that are as baffling as Billy Joe McCallister jumping off the Tallahatchee Bridge, the Gators had the 96th best offense (12th in the SEC) in Division I.
From a sheer talent standpoint, that was Florida’s best offensive line since Urban Meyer retired after the 2010 season. From 2011-17, the Gators never finished higher than 96th in the country in total offense. Florida’s offense flourished under Dan Mullen, but there were always complaints that the O-line underachieved. A year ago, the Gators averaged 5.48 yards per rushing attempt (4th nationally) and the O-line allowed only 14 sacks (tied for 5th) but there were way too many mental blunders and discipline issues that resulted in false starts and holding penalties.
That brings us to 2022. New coach in Billy Napier who believes in two offensive line coaches, something the Gators haven’t had since 2008 when Steve Addazio and John Hevesy coached up a line that was as good as there was anywhere in the country, featuring future Pro Bowlers Maurkice and Mike Pouncey. Rob Sale and Darnell Stapleton are charged with turning the 2022 Florida O-line into one that can grind opponents into a pulp while at the same time eliminating the silly penalties and brain farts.
If you are looking for a reason to feel optimistic about this Florida football team, then take a long look at the offensive line. It’s interesting that the preseason mags all rate the Florida O-line in the bottom half of the SEC yet there are five returnees with starting experience from last year – Richard Gouraige (6-5, 308), Ethan White (6-4, 331), Kingsley Eguakun (6-3, 302), Josh Braun (6-6, 351) and Michael Tarquin (6-5, 295) – and they’re joined by two-time All-Sun Belt right guard O’Cyrus Torrence (6-5, 347) and a pair of massive transfers in juco Jordan Herman (6-8, 370) and Kamryn Waites (6-8, 373). Just a bit of proof that the UF O-line may be underrated, Alabama returns three starters from a line that gave up 41 sacks last year yet every preseason publication rates the Bama O-line top three or four in the SEC.
I am of the opinion Florida’s O-line may turn out to be one of the best in the SEC because (1) better coaching; (2) more emphasis placed on eliminating mental and discipline mistakes; (3) more experience and (4) the presence of Torrence, a legitimate mauler who will make Florida a power running the ball up the gut.
Four of the starting positions seem set – LT Gouraige, LG White, C Eguakun and RG Torrence. I see Tarquin replaced at RT by either Braun, who lost nearly 20 pounds so he could slide over to the outside, or Herman or Waites. I believe Torrence will be first team All-SEC and challenge for first or second team All-America. On paper, this is Florida’s best O-line in years. If they prove it on the field, the Gators just might exceed expectations.
Matt Norlander (CBS) on Todd Golden’s recruiting strategy
Matt Norlander of CBS spent five days embedded with Florida basketball coach Todd Golden on the recruiting trail and in Gainesville. The second of his two-part series of the time spent with Golden will be published today at cbssports.com. The reporting in part one was quite insightful because Norlander went in-depth to uncover Golden’s recruiting strategy that starts with the coach’s admission that it will be rare when a top 15-20 high school kid chooses the Gators over schools like Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina and Kansas, the true bluebloods of the sport. That doesn’t mean Golden can’t recruit well enough to make Florida a consistent upper level finisher in the SEC and a top 25 national program. It just means the Gators will have to be creative in the way they go about it.
Here are a couple of excerpts:
“Golden’s recruiting philosophy comes down to this: go after high school players with high-end potential, then fill in the roster with 20- and 21-year-old who’ve proven their value at the college level.”
And this: “We won’t take a younger guy unless we think he is physically ready to play for us in his first year. We need pros. We need bad-ass dudes.”
This is a very sound recruiting strategy made possible by the portal which will allow Golden to plug and play with experienced players rather than spend too much time trying to develop high school kids. Golden can concentrate on recruiting excellent high school kids from Florida and as far north as Atlanta then fill out the roster with grown men who already know how to play the game.
I’m not enamored with …
Southern Cal: Everyone is gaga over Lincoln Riley and the Trojans. He convinced a whole bunch of transfers to come to Tinseltown including quarterback Caleb Williams, who followed him from Oklahoma, and wide receiver Jordan Addison who caught 100 passes for 17 touchdowns last year at Pitt. I wouldn’t be surprised if Southern Cal finishes THIRD in the Pac-12 South behind Utah and UCLA. Lest we forget, Utah boatraced Southern Cal 42-26 last year. What UCLA did to their crosstown cousins was downright criminal. It was 62-33. Sure, that was last year and this is a new year, but nobody seems to be taking into consideration that both Utah and UCLA have their coaches and quarterbacks returning.
Quinn Ewers, Texas QB: I’ll admit it. I haven’t exactly thought much of Ewers since he skipped his senior year in high school to pick up a million dollar NIL deal, threw himself on Ohio State in August after camp had already begun, then took the first train out of Columbus when he was (a) overwhelmed by the Ohio State offense and (b) played maybe four snaps in one game of mop-up duty. Now he’s at Texas. Maybe he will prove that he’s the greatest thing since the invention of the flush toilet but something tells me Steve Sarkisian will be turning to Hudson Card if he intends for the Longhorns to win. I wonder what happens when Arch Manning shows up in 2023. I don’t think he’s planning to sit.
These guys aren’t getting near enough attention …
Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma: They won’t miss Caleb Williams for a nanosecond at Oklahoma because Gabriel is that good and now he’s reunited with Jeff Lebby, his offensive coordinator for two years at UCF. In 26 games at UCF he threw for 8,037 yards (8.8 per attempt) and 70 touchdowns with only 14 picks. He’s the reason Oklahoma will win the Big 12.
Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss: Before he was injured in the third game last season, he already had 15 catches for 290 yards and three touchdowns. He tried to play later on in the season but was still not over his injury. He is 6-2, 225 and runs a legit 4.4 in the 40. He is a matchup nightmare because he’s faster than most corners and more physical than all but a couple of safeties in the SEC.
Grayson McCall, QB, Coastal Carolina: This is the best quarterback most of you have never heard of. The NFL has heard of him. He would start at most schools in the SEC. In two seasons he’s thrown for 5,361 yards (12.5 per attempt) and 53 touchdowns with only six interceptions. He has also run for 859 yards and 11 TDs.
Henry To’oTo’o, LB, Alabama: Will Anderson gets all the attention and there’s no doubt he’s a fabulous linebacker, but To’oTo’o led Bama in tackles with 113 and was a beast making plays between the tackles.
Devin Leary, QB, North Carolina State: Everybody in the ACC is talking about Sam Hartman at Wake Forest Gump, Tyler Van Dyke at Miami and Brennan Armstrong at Virginia or the wunderkind Cade Klubnik at Clemson. All those guys are good, but the best QB in the league is Leary. Last year he threw for 3,433 yards and 35 TDs with only five picks.
Potential widespread panic in the Almost Competitive Conference
Apparently, at Saturday Road, ACC info site run by the people who own Saturday Down South, there are serious concerns that Notre Dame would join the Big Ten or SEC. As part of its agreement that allows Notre Dame to be an ACC member in all sports except football and hockey, Notre Dame is contracted to play a minimum of five football games each year against ACC opponents. Should Notre Dame join either the SEC or ACC, there is concern that it could be seen as a breach of the ACC’s Grant of Rights agreement, which would allow schools like Clemson, North Carolina, Virginia, Miami and Florida State to bolt for another league.
Writes Matt Hayes on Saturday Road: “A move by Notre Dame to the Big Ten or SEC would be another legal argument opportunity for ACC schools who want to leave the conference. Notre Dame would no longer play as many as 6 games against ACC teams – high value for ACC members – and that, too, can be argued as a change in the original agreement.”
“We have no idea where this is headed, or how beneficial it will be to member institutions,” an ACC athletic director told Saturday Road. “Everyone is searching for stability, for a safe spot.”
ONE FINAL PITHY THOUGHT: Just a couple of weeks ago, the 10 Pac-12 schools not named Southern Cal and UCLA voiced their solidarity to remain a viable conference. Commissioner George Kliavkoff, who was suckered along with ACC commissioner Little Jimmy Phillips into believing their alliance with Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren could bring the big, bad SEC to its knees, told his 10 remaining stragglers to never fear, a new media rights deal would be negotiated to replace the one that expires after the 2023-24 academic year.
So much for negotiation. ESPN has low-balled the league with an offer of $24.5 million per Wildcat Authority editor Jason Scheer. They were anticipating a deal that would at least match the $33.6 million the league distributed a couple of years ago ($19 million last year). Fox won’t be making an offer. Fox, after all, put all its money into the Big Ten and even greased the skids so that Southern Cal and UCLA would depart.
Now you know why Oregon, Washington, California and Stanford are balking at signing any new deal with the Pac-12 and why Phil Knight has been frantically pulling whatever strings he can to get Oregon into the Big Ten. Figure those four will be leaving with Southern Cal and UCLA in 2024. Of course, none of those four move the television needle but it will give the Big Ten six schools on the Left Coast which will help ease some of the logistics issues.
So you can stick a fork in the Pac-12. It has two years of existence before it scatters like the wind. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah will be joining the Big 12, which will get a far better media rights deal as a 16-team league than the Pac-12 got as a 10-team league that was trying to make an alliance with the ACC or add a couple of Mountain West schools to bring its number back to 12. The two Pac-12 orphans will be Oregon State and Washington State, which are almost certain to be absorbed into the Mountain West.
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