Over the last few weeks, I've been looking over names of offensive line coaches that have ties to Will Muschamp. The LSU game very possibly might have sounded the death knell for Tim Davis' tenure in Gainesville, so now seems like as good of a time as any to discuss the topic. There are plenty of possibilities out there, but one name keeps jumping off the page: Stacy Searels of Texas.
There are a number of reasons that particular move would make sense. Searels and Muschamp have a history, as they coached together for two seasons at LSU from 2003-04. Searels has deep ties to the South, hailing from the state of Georgia. He attended Auburn and has coached at UGA in addition to his time in Baton Rouge. Searels has a strong reputation as a recruiter (an area that Davis has been widely criticized for during his time in Gainesville). Plus he's currently on the staff at Texas. Considering how tenuous Mack Brown's hold on the head coaching job is in Austin, it makes sense for Searels to potentially look elsewhere for employment.
Now, the negatives. It's good for an offensive coordinator and an offensive line coach to be on the same page, naturally. Searels and Brent Pease have no real known connections, so we don't know if they would be a good fit together. Of course, Pease may not even be the offensive coordinator at UF by this time next season, so that factoid may not even matter. Searels' four seasons in Athens were not completely well-received. Although Georgia turned it around with a 11-2 mark in 2007, his first with the Bulldogs, they were 6-7 by the end of his tenure in 2010, with the running game being largely blamed for Georgia's offensive struggles. By the time Searels left for Texas in January of 2011, his departure wasn't exactly considered the worst development for the UGA coaching staff by the local press.
In Austin, the running game has improved, from 4.2 ypc in 2010 to 4.5 ypc in 2011 and now 4.8 ypc through the midway point of this season. These aren't Earth-shattering numbers, by any means, but they tend to show a trend of positive performance under Searels. Then, there's the matter of salary. Searles reportedly makes $439,500 per year from the Longhorns. So, perhaps he would have to consider the possibility of a paycut in the event he were to somehow end up at UF? Or maybe the Gators would consider continuing to be less-stingy with the salaries of football assistants? Either way, that could be a major factor in the pursuit of a high-profile coach like Searels.
There are other names to keep an eye on (Bob Bostad, currently an assistant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and a former OL coach at Wisconsin, is one who stands out), but if the offensive line continues to be an issue for the Gators, a move on the coaching staff is likely to happen at some point in the not-too-distant future.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
Post-LSU recruiting thoughts
To start, a recap of the week that was. Some of the posts you might have missed:
– Eight prep receivers from the state of Florida who have shined so far this fall.
– Where is Delray Beach Village Academy defensive lineman Kevin Bronson on the radar for the Gators?
– The Gators have had a strong run of success at the tight end position since 2000. Where does it stack up against other programs in college football?
– Jacksonville Ribault linebacker Jakob Johnson, a German transplant, is now sitting on four offers after Wisconsin extended a tender to him last week.
– Which positions could Florida look to for immediate relief after this season from the JUCO ranks?
– Some late-week Gators-related news and notes.
And now, on to the new stuff ...
– Chewing on Florida's 17-6 loss in Baton Rouge for a couple of days can leave one with the sensation of a mouthful of gristle. This explains why the typical day-after recruiting post comes on Monday instead of Sunday. It's hard to discern at this point whether the offensive struggles are an issue of coaching or an issue of personnel. And that's obviously a dangerous place to be in if you're the coach of the Florida Gators. We'll have to see where the rest of this season goes, but I'm hard-pressed not to think there won't be some coaching turnover on the offensive side of the ball after this season. But that's really not the point of this post, so that topic will have to be saved for another day.
Going into the season, if you asked me to concede one game for Florida this season, the LSU contest in Baton Rouge was the very obvious pick. I'm sure some are disappointed by the manner in which Florida lost on Saturday. Yes, there's some things that have to be corrected on offense (especially up front on the line). We'll see how Florida rebounds from this one, and it will only take a few days to get their response. No rest for the weary (now down another starter in RB Matt Jones) as a tougher-than-originally-expected trip to Missouri looms on the schedule this weekend.
– Florida was originally able to sell Immokalee receiver J.C. Jackson on the idea of dropping his pledge to FSU in favor of a commitment to UF by focusing on the defensive angle, as he preferred playing cornerback to receiver, which is the position Florida State recruited him for. He may want to re-think that stance.
I always liked the idea of taking J.C. Jackson to go along with Adoree' Jackson and Chris Lammons, because it seemed natural that one of those guys would probably end up on offense as a slot guy. But Florida still has a lot of work to do to make that happen. Lammons is committed, but hasn't completely shut the door. Jackson visited LSU this past weekend and came away singing the praises of the Bayou Bengals after their win over Florida. Now, Jackson is flirting pretty heavily with Miami, and it will certainly be interesting to see what comes of that. The Gators don't need to sign all three of those guys, certainly. But getting at least two would be nice.
The number of skill players (RB, WR and DB types) in this class likely needs to be right around 10 to offset the losses UF will experience after this season, especially in the secondary. The Jacksons, as well as guys like Lammons and some of the other top targets on the board are keys to making sure the Gators restock
with the proper amount of speed and athleticism.
Florida could also use a guy who can take the top off the defense and give them a vertical threat down the field in the passing game. J.C. Jackson may turn out to be exactly that guy.
– At this point, a total overhaul at the tight end position needs to be considered. All four of the scholarship players at that position currently for Florida, have eligibility remaining after this season. That number needs to be cut in half. Deandre Goolsby, who visited Arkansas this past weekend, has to be considered a major priority at this point. If he decides to stick closer to home for college, then the Gators will need to go back to the drawing board and consider other options. With the type of season Jordan Franks is putting together at Crawfordville Wakulla, a scholarship offer for his services no longer seems like such a far-fetched option.
– Danielle Hunter showed on Saturday why Florida needs to add some height to the defensive line. Two batted balls on screen passes, one of which was set up to go for a long way to Valdez Showers if it's completed. Hunter is listed at 6-6 by the LSU sports information department. Florida has one 6-6 end in Alex McAllister on the roster, but he's not currently a factor in the defensive line rotation. This is why "the Lorenzos" (6-5 Carter and 6-7 Featherston) are such a priority for the Gators on the recruiting trail in the Class of 2014. Expect Brad Lawing to continue trying to add length and size to the defensive line moving forward, as well.
– I know Florida has an upperclassmen-laden depth chart along the offensive line, with most of those guys returning for next season. But if the LSU game is an example of the best effort this group can muster, Florida has got to consider looking to the JUCO ranks for talent (once again) in order to find a player or two who can come in and compete for playing time right off the bat. There is simply no excuse for the lack of production in the running game for a team built to win by being physical and pounding opposing defenses with a physical ground attack.
– Eight prep receivers from the state of Florida who have shined so far this fall.
– Where is Delray Beach Village Academy defensive lineman Kevin Bronson on the radar for the Gators?
– The Gators have had a strong run of success at the tight end position since 2000. Where does it stack up against other programs in college football?
– Jacksonville Ribault linebacker Jakob Johnson, a German transplant, is now sitting on four offers after Wisconsin extended a tender to him last week.
– Which positions could Florida look to for immediate relief after this season from the JUCO ranks?
– Some late-week Gators-related news and notes.
And now, on to the new stuff ...
– Chewing on Florida's 17-6 loss in Baton Rouge for a couple of days can leave one with the sensation of a mouthful of gristle. This explains why the typical day-after recruiting post comes on Monday instead of Sunday. It's hard to discern at this point whether the offensive struggles are an issue of coaching or an issue of personnel. And that's obviously a dangerous place to be in if you're the coach of the Florida Gators. We'll have to see where the rest of this season goes, but I'm hard-pressed not to think there won't be some coaching turnover on the offensive side of the ball after this season. But that's really not the point of this post, so that topic will have to be saved for another day.
Going into the season, if you asked me to concede one game for Florida this season, the LSU contest in Baton Rouge was the very obvious pick. I'm sure some are disappointed by the manner in which Florida lost on Saturday. Yes, there's some things that have to be corrected on offense (especially up front on the line). We'll see how Florida rebounds from this one, and it will only take a few days to get their response. No rest for the weary (now down another starter in RB Matt Jones) as a tougher-than-originally-expected trip to Missouri looms on the schedule this weekend.
– Florida was originally able to sell Immokalee receiver J.C. Jackson on the idea of dropping his pledge to FSU in favor of a commitment to UF by focusing on the defensive angle, as he preferred playing cornerback to receiver, which is the position Florida State recruited him for. He may want to re-think that stance.
Immokalee defeated Naples 33-27. Immokalee WR JC Jackson had 5 catches for 231 yards and 3 TDs. #npfnfOn the season, Jackson now has 621 yards receiving and nine scores on just 18 receptions. He's averaging 34.5 yards per catch. These numbers are obviously pretty good.
— David Dorsey (@DavidADorsey) October 12, 2013
I always liked the idea of taking J.C. Jackson to go along with Adoree' Jackson and Chris Lammons, because it seemed natural that one of those guys would probably end up on offense as a slot guy. But Florida still has a lot of work to do to make that happen. Lammons is committed, but hasn't completely shut the door. Jackson visited LSU this past weekend and came away singing the praises of the Bayou Bengals after their win over Florida. Now, Jackson is flirting pretty heavily with Miami, and it will certainly be interesting to see what comes of that. The Gators don't need to sign all three of those guys, certainly. But getting at least two would be nice.
The number of skill players (RB, WR and DB types) in this class likely needs to be right around 10 to offset the losses UF will experience after this season, especially in the secondary. The Jacksons, as well as guys like Lammons and some of the other top targets on the board are keys to making sure the Gators restock
with the proper amount of speed and athleticism.
Florida could also use a guy who can take the top off the defense and give them a vertical threat down the field in the passing game. J.C. Jackson may turn out to be exactly that guy.
– At this point, a total overhaul at the tight end position needs to be considered. All four of the scholarship players at that position currently for Florida, have eligibility remaining after this season. That number needs to be cut in half. Deandre Goolsby, who visited Arkansas this past weekend, has to be considered a major priority at this point. If he decides to stick closer to home for college, then the Gators will need to go back to the drawing board and consider other options. With the type of season Jordan Franks is putting together at Crawfordville Wakulla, a scholarship offer for his services no longer seems like such a far-fetched option.
– Danielle Hunter showed on Saturday why Florida needs to add some height to the defensive line. Two batted balls on screen passes, one of which was set up to go for a long way to Valdez Showers if it's completed. Hunter is listed at 6-6 by the LSU sports information department. Florida has one 6-6 end in Alex McAllister on the roster, but he's not currently a factor in the defensive line rotation. This is why "the Lorenzos" (6-5 Carter and 6-7 Featherston) are such a priority for the Gators on the recruiting trail in the Class of 2014. Expect Brad Lawing to continue trying to add length and size to the defensive line moving forward, as well.
– I know Florida has an upperclassmen-laden depth chart along the offensive line, with most of those guys returning for next season. But if the LSU game is an example of the best effort this group can muster, Florida has got to consider looking to the JUCO ranks for talent (once again) in order to find a player or two who can come in and compete for playing time right off the bat. There is simply no excuse for the lack of production in the running game for a team built to win by being physical and pounding opposing defenses with a physical ground attack.
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