Catching up on this thread…… Not a fan of Saban personally but have to agree with here. It’s just getting really brazen what these top prospects are demanding to sign an LOI.
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Gators to Hire Ron Roberts as LB Coach, Co-Defensive Coordinator ?
- Thread starter Jeff from Jax
- Start date
Lane Kiffin alerts Tennessee football to son's highlight tape: 'Bring the boy home'
Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin continues to tout the skills of his son, Knox, a middle school QB.
www.yahoo.com
We made the top 5 for Knox Kiffin 2028
First and 10: Graham Mertz is going to make or break Billy Napier’s tenure at Florida
Florida scouted 24 QBs before signing Graham Mertz. Bold or brutal? We'll find out soon enough. Plus: Alabama's new OC, SEC power rankings, biggest remaining portal needs and more.
www.saturdaydownsouth.com
A must readFirst and 10: Graham Mertz is going to make or break Billy Napier’s tenure at Florida
Florida scouted 24 QBs before signing Graham Mertz. Bold or brutal? We'll find out soon enough. Plus: Alabama's new OC, SEC power rankings, biggest remaining portal needs and more.
Damn that was a sobering article on Napier's situation. The only thing I would say on that is no modern times coach I am aware of has reached the level of power 5 conference championships and competing for national championships without a 9-3 regular season by their 3rd full year as a coach. Napier by not having any blue chip QB recruits his first 2 classes will be depending probably on Mertz or a true freshman in 2024 to try and pull that off. He probably survives 8-4 with a true freshman playing most of 2024 but no way do UF fans accept a 7-5 record in year 3 after the 2 previous seasons
I don't think there's anyone that's not worried about the QB room. But remember, Napier wants to be a run first team. Candidly he needs more of a game manager for his offense. Now, not saying that's the way to go about it, but it's the reality. Look at the offensive line he's putting together. Big giant road grader type dudes. Napier would be happy to run all day, play solid D and field position.
ghost,
Forget where I read this, but one Transfer Portal Player stated that in addition to his NIL$$$, he wanted, basically a law school scholarship for his girlfriend.
They rejected him & his girlfriend !
LOL
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Our 3rd WR Mycah zpittman made just above 100k last yr with NIL and is set to make 150+k plus this yr..... for a 3rd WR. That's kind of crazy
Dillard four-star DB Antione Jackson asks for release from letter of intent with Miami
Antione Jackson, a four-star safety from Fort Lauderdale Dillard, asked for a release from his national letter of intent, he confirmed on Twitter by quoting a report from On3.com. Jackson signed his letter of intent with Miami during the early signing period last year, rejecting late overtures from the Colorado Buffaloes and East Carolina Pirates to stick with his oral commitment.
https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/acc/university-of-miami/article272231448.html
Antione Jackson, a four-star safety from Fort Lauderdale Dillard, asked for a release from his national letter of intent, he confirmed on Twitter by quoting a report from On3.com. Jackson signed his letter of intent with Miami during the early signing period last year, rejecting late overtures from the Colorado Buffaloes and East Carolina Pirates to stick with his oral commitment.
https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/acc/university-of-miami/article272231448.html
ESPN's Paul Finebaum says Kirby Smart's 'probably content' to let Todd Monken go
“If Todd Monken is going to keep interviewing with the Tampa Bay Bucs, Kirby Smart is probably content to let him go,” Finebaum said on his Monday show.
“Don’t forget Georgia has Bobo in the wings. If you want to go to the NFL – go to the NFL. There aren’t that many college assistant coaches who are worth $3 million a year.”
https://ugawire.usatoday.com/2023/0...en-go-to-nfl-baltimore-ravens-tampa-bay-bucs/
Grading Alabama's decision to hire Kevin Steele as the team's next defensive coordinator
Recruiting
Scheme
Longevity
Previous coaching stops
https://rolltidewire.usatoday.com/l...-be-the-the-teams-next-defensive-coordinator/
Projecting the pre-spring defensive two-deep depth chart
GD3 - I don't have a premium membership for this (or Any Other) Site - LOL
If anyone has any current depth chart info - in advance of spring training, please post it.
Rumors, Lies, WAGs - all perfectly acceptable ! LOL
Just spell the names right & make sure they are still at UF.
https://insidethegators.com/projecting-the-pre-spring-defensive-two-deep-depth-chart/
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I think Bama and GA are the only teams with any chance to win the SEC mostly running now and even Bama seems to have abandoned that idea for quite a few years now. It will be interesting to see the play calls with Mertz back there. If we have no threat at TE again I think we will be in trouble against the better defenses.
Fever,
You don't think we will see the 2 TE formation much ?
Cameron Carroll (6-0, 225), Tulane Transfer, can supposedly catch the ball - play him as a receiving TE occasionally
Don't know about our other RBs, but as long as Mertz/Miller/Brown doesn't overthrow the ball (like AR did) we could use that swing pass/circle route out of the backfield like we did under Mullen.
Depending on who actually plays QB & their ball handling skills, we could run the Wishbone or some other type of Triple Option as well as the 2 back sets.
Surprised CBN hasn't already done that - RPO & Triple option very similar.
Do not think a steady diet of Wishbone/Triple Option formations would work - too easy for SEC defenses to put extra, fast, players in the box & stuff the run.
But occasionally shifting into that formation & putting the TE (or two TEs) at the point of attack, would cause opponents to spend time preparing for it.
You can always pass out of a full backfield to add further confusion to your offense.
Tebow,
Thanks for posting that.
I now see that Mertz knows which end of the football to hold when passing; he has no wheels, but that's why we have RBs.
Highlights always look good or you would not show them - but hopefully we are misjudging Mertz & his skill as a passer.
As he did last year, CBN will restrict media coverage to 15 minutes at the start of practice, so we won't really know anything until the O&B game - if then.
CBN has already determined his starter; so barring injury, Mertz will be the only QB who takes the field all year; hope he holds up physically.
Who know how good he will be. ?
Vandy is a home game; so if Mertz is a decent game manager & our Defense improves, perhaps we can beat them & a few others.
Just hoping he doesn't waste another Scholly on a late portal QB.
As Fever said, show a WO some love; promote Engle.
Biggest successes for Gators from 2023 recruiting cycle
CBN -Didn’t waste scholarships & overstuff this class with filler players in an effort to raise the class’ rating.
Didn't sign players who couldn't qualify academically.
Didn't keep Rashada.
Better use of Portal - especially OL.
https://hailfloridahail.com/2023/02/07/florida-football-successes-gators-recruiting/
From about the #8 class to #14 will come down to evaluations and development on who is better at the end but we aren't in a spot anywhere like GA or Bama when it comes to recruiting. Heck I think a lot of Georgia's class is made up of top state of Florida recruits.
Fever,
Easy to see why that happened
Dawgs - back to back National Championships; established coach
Gators - back to back 6-7 seasons (1 belongs to Mullen); CBN starting 2nd season @ UF
CBN has recruited State of Florida HS players successfully; always a few if only players that get away (UCF DT John Walker, etc), but that's true with every school.
We can't sign them all; State of Florida has a large number of talented HS football players & Kirby has been working hard for years on recruiting here.
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If Monken wants to go, then go. But I personally don’t want Bobo back in there. That’s going backwards.
Wow!! Shocking. Why do schools keep doing this with coaches that haven’t proved enough or much? I think UF did this with Muschamp and Mike White (thank god UGA bailed us out there).
Not sure. He's making a little over 8 mill a yr now, it's for 7 yrs (wish it was for 5). I think he earned a raise (he was making 3.75) and we are still funding Willie's ass for 1 more yr. I was hoping for a 6 and 6 deal (money and yrs). Next yr should be our best yr under him but I think we have to wait till Willie's contract is gone so we can upgrade the coaching staff. We hired Patrick surtsin as db coach but to me, Shannon sucks at recruiting, Fuller sucks at recruiting. Need some better recruiters.
I guess the panic comes in (what if we don't extend coach x and someone takes him).
Could be, not sure yet tbh. So far I think he's done exactly what I thought he would do. Not sure if he can win the big one. Very few can, I just want to see him win the ACC
Well he's 11-13 in ACC games. ACC made some great strides in football a few years ago but candidly has been pretty weak the past 3 seasons. Not sure that warrants tossing big money at him. Would have been smarter to see how this season plays out.
I see that angle, I guess from the outside looking in that would be a take that most can stand on. I think from the inside looking in, he won 3 games the first yr (covid yr) and only got to hold like 4 practices, probably the worst yr to take over a new team. Entire position groups missing games and our team was atrocious (thanks willie). Last yr went 5 and 7 but there were clear strides made. Then this yr 10 wins and again, clear strides made. Culture is a big thing in college football for some reason and I hate using that because I thought it was bs but he really has built a good culture. He's been elite in the portal so far and he has been great at developing the talent on hand. His big draw back to me was not signing a top class and not beating Clemson or winning the ACC. So there is definitely some boxes to check still and in a perfect world, I would have loved to wait one more yr. On the flip side, what if the progression we have seen still continues this yr and he's not on a long term deal and a good team comes calling and there is a bidding war. Then it was smart to lock him up early, now if he wins 6 games this yr, it was an awful decision. It's a calculated risk but honestly, I'd rather them lock him up early. Fsu has come into some money for football so I think it's worth it based on trajection. This will by far be his best team in all 4 yrs. I have no idea how it turns out tbh.
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That makes sense. Portal is changing the landscape and MN has done a good job there. But to be a championship team you have to recruit top rated classes and he has not done that. IMHO his ceiling was what you saw this year. Too much talent in the state to settle for that from any of the Big 3.
I’m telling you, I’ve got Graham Mertz fever.
Smart has been getting top classes since his 2nd class I think after a pedestrian first season so the money must have been flowing then. It wasn't on field success that got that class. It is nuts how most of the very top Florida recruits leave the state now.
Brad,
A highlight video is a marketing tool; you only put in the good stuff. Even allowing for that, Mertz does looks good in those snippets.
I realized that without even seeing him play as a Gator, I was negative about him.
I guess with all the other "Elite (?)" portal QBs supposedly available, I was - beyond disappointed - pissed off that we had to settle for Mertz.
Watching that video helped me to move on from that attitude & hopefully give him a fair chance.
Even if Mertz plays well, I still don't think we will be much better than last year - Offense has the potential to be acceptable, Defense non-existent, & "game changer" concept for special teams (off the field ST coach) isn't working.
Seems like the OL has been in a state of crisis every year since Jim McElwain took over & found that Will Muschamp only left him 7 scholarship OL (6 actually - 1 got injured & quit football).
Kamryn Waites & his Achilles injury is a major setback but CBN's prompt portal moves & a year of growth for the other OL should help.
NOTE:
We may not have the NIL$$$ for the superstars that everyone wants (& UGA, Bama, etc get), but the Portal OL we signed got some NIL$$$ & CBN got their deals done quickly & discretely.
OFFENSE
Don't know if the OL will be SEC caliber, but they should at least be better than what we saw in the L V Bowl. We have good RBs, mediocre TEs, & at least 1 WR.
If Mertz is a good ball handler, we should use RPO extensively & since they are similar, throw in some veer, triple option, & dare I say it - Wishbone offense just to make what will certainly be a run heavy offense less predictable.
You can't win the SEC or a Nattie without an elite QB & a strong passing game,
BUT
UGA has won a lot of football with a competent game manager at QB, a good running game, defense, & special teams.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
Don't know how CBN's year 2 will turn out; but as a Gator, I've been "waiting for next year" for most of my life -
AS
long as we don't go "chumming" in the portal for a QB (& waste a scholarship), 1 more year won't kill me.
Tebow, thanks again for finding & posting Mertz's video.
After 4 years of CFB Mertz is what he is. What we are getting is a very experienced guy who has played in some big games against some really good teams. We are also getting is a QB that has been average at best. If he has ample time he can make some throws, but due to his lack of athleticism if there is any type of pressure he is below average. He's not a playmaker. My guess is Napier wants to be run heavy, force teams to play the run and hopefully that slows down or at least helps to mitigate heavy pass rush. If we are relying on Mertz to win games for us it will be a very long and disappointing season. Hopefully he will manage the game, limit his mistakes, get the ball to playmakers. Getting just slightly behind the chains will spell doom....
Miami’s coaching staff falling apart after just 1 season under Cristobal. That’s not a good thing for continuity and trying to build a program. Gattis (fired), Frank Ponce, Kevin Steele and now Charlie Strong all 4 on-staff coaches that won’t be returning.
One thing I’ll say about Mertz is he played for and under a Paul Chryst offense. I don’t think any QB has performed that well under him and his offense.
Would love to have Charlie back here in Gainesville. Not the most awesome D coordinator but he is an excellent recruiter.
Don't disagree. His offenses at Pitt were boring as hell too.
I’d take him as a LB coach in a heartbeat for sure.
Blue Chip Billy. They released what programs signed the most percentage of blue chippers in their class. UF was 4th. OSU, Bama and UGA were the top 3.
2024 Florida Gators Football Depth Chart | Ourlads.com
The most respected source for NFL Draft info among NFL Fans, Media, and Scouts, plus accurate, up to date NFL Depth Charts, Practice Squads and Rosters.
A projected depth chart but I am sure a few true freshman will get in the 2 deep probably. Scooby Williams is a big question mark. Does he compete for a starting LB spot or will he be moved to the Jack position?
Paco,
Charlie Strong, wearing Orange & Blue, would look good on the sidelines or in the press box.
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