Replacing Dominique Easley no easy task

The Gators have been trying to prepare for a future without Dominique Easley since last year. It has proven to be a difficult process, to date.

It was Will Muschamp, who spoke after the Kentucky game about how much more difficult it is to double-team an interior lineman, as opposed to someone out on the edge. So while Dominique Easley may give up some girth and brute strength playing on the interior at 285, his first step and explosiveness more than make up for that. Muschamp and his staff have clearly been in the market for a player who can potentially provide that same spark from the middle. They've struck out so far.

Florida made a spirited run at one-time Alabama commit DeMarcus Walker out of Jacksonville late last year. The Gators appeared poised to land the big defensive lineman before he made the late switch to follow Crimson Tide assistant Jeremy Pruitt to Tallahassee, where Pruitt took over as defensive coordinator for Florida State following the BCS National Championship Game.

This year, the Gators landed an early commitment from St. Thomas Aquinas defensive tackle Anthony Moten, another player who fit in the Easley mold in terms of bringing quickness from the interior, and the positional versatility to potentially play either end or tackle at Florida. But he bailed on his pledge to UF after the summer and currently appears to be favoring Miami.

There have been some others, as well. JUCO prospect Davonte Lambert was hotly pursued by Florida but would go on to commit to Tennessee. Louisiana native Davon Godchaux was another UF target who went elsewhere, giving a pledge to LSU this week. Gerald Willis, another prospect from the Pelican State, also appears headed to LSU. Most analysts have Illinois lineman Dewayne Hendrix pegged to Tennessee, where he will visit this weekend for the Georgia game. Needless to say, the search has been somewhat futile to date.

From looking at the prospects defensive line coach Brad Lawing continues to pursue, it seems clear Florida is in the market for two things: a long, angular, athletic pass-rusher in the mold of a Lorenzo Carter or Lorenzo Featherston, and then the best candidate the UF staff can find in the mold of Easley. Expect the Gators to continue evaluating other prospects in that mold (possibly looking to the JUCO ranks), and don't be surprised if they try to turn things around with one of the above-listed prospects (with the exception of Walker, of course) before they sign on the dotted line.

ACL Injuries: They're a fact of life in football, people

Shortly after Florida announced the loss of Dominique Easley for the season to a torn ACL, I made a prediction as to what the response of UF fans would be.

Re: Florida's rash of ACL injuries -- really just a case of bad luck for #UF, although I'm SURE someone will try to read deeper into it.
— Justin Wells (@justinlwells) September 25, 2013

Remember when Florida had a rash of knee injuries -- especially at the safety position -- in the summer of '08? Sometimes it happens.
— Justin Wells (@justinlwells) September 25, 2013

I wanted to expand on this matter a bit more in-depth. That 2008 team, which experienced a rash of ACL injuries, still went on to win a national championship. I'm not predicting the same fate for Florida this year, but the Gators can overcome their injury issues to have some semblance of a "succesful" season, depending on your definition of "success." The knee injuries the 2008 team encountered included the following:

– Safeties Dorian Munroe and John Curtis suffered ACL injuries during offseason conditioning drills in July. Combined with the loss of Jamar Hornsby (for some very notable off-the-field transgressions), UF went into the season with a razor-thin depth chart at safety.

– Expected to be a major factor on offense in 2008, Cornelius Ingram tore an ACL just two days into preseason camp for the Gators that August.

–  Not even a week later, reserve offensive lineman Jim Barrie and backup linebacker Brendan Beal would incur ACL injuries just two days apart, adding to the misery for UF fans heading into the season.

This fall for Florida, the Gators have seen an assortment of season-ending injuries. A torn labrum for Chaz Green, a surgically repaired shoulder for Nick Washington as well, a broken leg for Jeff Driskel, and ACL injuries for Andre Debose, Matt Rolin, and now Easley. It's been a rough two months in terms of health for Florida. If the Gators can avoid the injury bug from here on out, they still have a shot at a pretty good season. But if not, well, things could get ugly in a hurry.

For the fans that want to blame this on the Strength & Conditioning coaches: please stop. Everyone was singing their praises last fall. Did they suddenly just forget how to do their job? This is simply a freakish streak of bad luck that no one could prevent. There was nothing different for which Jeff Dillman and his staff could have done to prevent any of these injuries from happening. In fact, two of the ailments (Rolin and Washington) were simply re-injuries of previous issues both players had dating back to last season, when they were still in high school. Hopefully, both freshmen have received proper treatment and won't have any issues moving forward as they rehab during their redshirt seasons.

As for the notion that an indoor practice facility (or "IPF," for the football facility diehards) could have prevented Easley's injury, I'll just agree to disagree. Easley could have torn his ACL walking down the street and stepping off (or onto) a curb in the wrong fashion. It's just one of those things. Unless he was pushed around in a wheelchair all day, in a protective bubble, and didn't play football, there was no way to prevent this from happening. It was a non-contact injury. One of those freak things. Hopefully Easley's surgery goes well, and he rehabs quickly enough to put himself in a position to sneak into the bottom of the first round of next May's NFL Draft. That's really about all we can hope for at this point.

This is a bitter pill to swallow. I get it. Until Easley's injury, there was still a sense that this team could accomplish anything on its list of goals heading into a season. Despite the injuries. This one is different. It happened to a guy who came back for all the right reasons, and who was playing himself into a potential All-American. In many ways, Easley was the guy who stirred the drink of this 2013 squad. He'll still be there in spirit. The question is, can the other guys on this vaunted Florida defense step up in his absence? We'll get the first indications from Lexington just two days from now.

Perspective on Easley's injury

Yeesh. The bad luck continues for the Florida Gators on the injury front. Dominique Easley has a "tweaked" right knee, according to head coach Will Muschamp. But the smoke on Twitter is starting to point at something much more serious.

MT @MR_ChUcKiE_2: Gatornation thank you for all of 4 yrs of sticking wi th me but god has something else planned for and have no worries
— Alligator Army (@AlligatorArmy) September 25, 2013

And if that's not enough, former UF offensive lineman Shannon Snell threw in his two cents as well.

If it's true what I was told about him, I'm going to need something a little heavier than koolaide to drink tonight.
— Shannon Snell (@theebigbossSS) September 25, 2013

Yea, I can confirm Easley tore his ACL. Yikes. @onlygators
— Shannon Snell (@theebigbossSS) September 25, 2013

Assuming the news is true, and Easley is done for the year, it would seem that Jay-nard Bostwick is next in line to move into the rotation. Muschamp has already expressed that the staff has come close to playing Bostwick on multiple occasions this year, but it appears there was still some hope that the 6-foot-3, 305-pound freshman out of Port St. Lucie would redshirt. That scenario would seem unlikely now.

In terms of losing a defensive lineman the caliber of Easley, you would have to go all the way back to 2006. Marcus Thomas, in the midst of a dominant, All-American level senior campaign, was suspended from the team before a trip to Vanderbilt in November and ultimately dismissed. The Gators had already lost back-up tackle Javier Estopinan to a knee injury against Alabama earlier in the season. After shortening the rotation up front to just six men (Jarvis Moss, Derrick Harvey, Ray McDonald, Steven Harris, Joe Cohen and Clint McMillan), Florida was able to hang on for the final six games while only giving up 15.1 points per game on the way to a National Championship.

To find a similar injury in terms of impact, you have to go back a little farther, to 1998. Ed Chester, a projected first-round pick (like Easley), went down with a gruesome knee injury in an October home game against LSU (whose offensive linemen decided to aim for Chester's legs all night long, a classy gesture on their part). His football career ended in the Swamp that night. The Gators were deeper up front that particular year, and were able to continue with a nine-man rotation the remainder of the season. Derrick Chambers took Chester's spot in the starting lineup, and joined a group that included Tim Beauchamp, Willie Cohens and Reggie McGrew. The back-ups included Thaddeus Bullard (you know him now as Titus O'Neil), Jayme Campbell, Anthony Mitchell and Gerard Warren. Florida gave up just 11.7 points per game in the final six games down the stretch. But a team that had a national-title caliber defense (easily the best in Spurrier's 12 seasons as HBC) ultimately would have to settle for a 10-2 record and finish as the 1999 Orange Bowl Champions.

So can the Gators overcome this loss? History says yes, although I'm not sure there's a defensive tackle on the roster with the talent of a Reggie McGrew, Gerard Warren or Ray McDonald right now. The young guys are going to have to step up a little sooner than hoped, now that the unquestioned leader of the Florida defense appears to be gone for the year. Send some thoughts the way of Dominique Easley this afternoon, as the big man prepares for what could be season-ending surgery in the coming days.

Lynden Trail and the 2010 Defensive Line Class

Looking back on Florida's 2010 defensive line class, it's hard not to think that's not one of the better units signed at that position in UF history. Urban Meyer and his staff should get a lot of credit for this group. Let me illustrate this point. The Gators signed six players to play up front for the Class of 2010:

Neiron Ball (6-3, 196, Jackson, Ga.)
Dominique Easley (6-3, 270, Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis)
Sharrif Floyd (6-3, 311, Philadelphia, Pa./George Washington)
Leon Orr (6-5, 344 New Port Richey/Gulf)
Ronald Powell (6-4, 250, Moreno Valley, Calif/Rancho Verde)
Lynden Trail (6-7, 220, Miami/Booker T. Washington)

Ball was technically listed as a DE-OLB, and has played both positions at Florida (as Ronald Powell has done as well).

Overall, let's consider what this group has accomplished.

– Floyd, of course, picked up All-SEC and All-American honors as a junior on his way to being selected 23rd overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2013 NFL Draft.

– We're only three games into the season, but Easley appears well on his way to earning at least All-SEC honors as a senior in 2013. His draft stock is steadily climbing as well, and he could very well be a first-round draft pick when next April rolls around.

– With a year of eligibility remaining for both Orr and Powell, there could be a few chapters left to write on both of their careers in Gainesville. Nonetheless, both are extremely talented physically, and figure to at least here their names called at some point during one of the next two NFL Drafts.

– After overcoming a condition known as arteriovenous malformation (AVM), that Neiron Ball is even still playing for the Gators is a miracle. The fact he's become a solid contributor with plenty of still untapped potential is even more incredible.

– Finally, that brings us to Trail. The one "bust" you could label in this class for the Gators. In that sense, Trail certainly didn't live up to the lofty expectations placed on him entering Florida. A tall, lanky and extremely athletic defensive end, many (including myself) thought Trail would come to UF, hang around on the bench for a year or two as he gained weight, then provide a pass-rushing presence similar to that of former Florida star Jarvis Moss. Things never worked out in Gainesville, as Trail quickly added the weight, but was unable to make any sort of impact for the Gators. After redshirting in 2010, he only dressed for one game in 2011 (the season-opener against Florida Atlantic) before opting to pursue a transfer after the season.

************

But the story doesn't end there. Trail's journey would take him to 1-AA Norfolk State, a member of the MEAC based in Norfolk, Va. There he has excelled in 15 games with the Spartans. Playing as a outside linebacker in Norfolk's 3-4 defensive scheme, Trail led the team with 70 tackles, 17.0 TFL and eight quarterback pressures, and tied for the team lead in sacks (6.0) and fumble recoveries (2) in 2012, despite the fact he only started three of 11 games during the season.

Trail is off to a solid start this fall as well. Now a full-time starter, Trail is second on the team in tackles with 22, and has added 1.5 sacks through the first three contests of the season. While things may not have worked out for the big man in Gainesville, the now 260-pound Trail appears well on his way to playing at the pro level, just like his defensive line comrades in the 2010 recruiting class for UF who have seen their success take place in The Swamp, as expected.

************

What's most interesting to me about the 2010 class, is the success Florida had recruiting on the defensive line, considering the mixed bag of evaluations for the Gators at that position from 2006-09.

– In 2006, the Gators had a need for numbers, and reeled in a group that included Brandon Antwine, Jermaine Cunningham, Corey Hobbs, Lawrence Marsh, and Terron Sanders. Cunningham would excel for the Gators, while Marsh and Sanders were more than serviceable. Antwine showed flashes when he got on the field, but injuries ultimately derailed his career. Hobbs was a bust in every sense of the word, as he would eventually move to offense before disappearing from the squad altogether. The Gators made a run at a trio of linemen who would eventually sign with Penn State – Aaron Maybin, Jared Odrick and Phil Taylor – but obviously missed on all three. However, the glaring miss for Florida in 2006 would be a guy right under their noses: Geno Atkins at St. Thomas Aquinas. Atkins would go on to have a productive career at Georgia and is now considered one of the two or three best interior defensive linemen in the NFL today.

– In 2007, Florida again signed a large and highly-touted contingent of defensive linemen that included John Brown, Torrey Davis, Carlos Dunlap, Jaye Howard, Duke Lemmens and Justin Trattou. Dunlap and Howard had fine careers in Gainesville, while Trattou proved to be an extremely versatile piece of the defensive line rotation for four years. Brown and Davis, of course, were unable to stick around at Florida for too long, although Davis holds a place in most Gators fans hearts for his big fourth-down stop at the goal line against Oklahoma in the 2009 BCS Championship Game. Looking back now, the defensive tackles that UF turned away in the 2007 cycle have to make some fans sick. Local product Linval Joseph was committed to the Gators at one point, but then dropped (ultimately to free up a slot for James Wilson). Joseph went on to become a dominant force at East Carolina and was a second-round pick of the New York Giants. Ian Williams had a solid career at Notre Dame after the Gators elected to move on from his recruitment. He's now a key contributor in San Francisco (or was until he was placed on IR a week ago). There was also Cameron Heyward, who reportedly had a high level of interest in the Gators before UF elected to move on from his recruitment as well. Heyward starred at Ohio State before becoming a first-round pick of the Steelers in 2011.

– 2008 was a mess. William Green and Omar Hunter were a pair of All-Americans who never quite lived on to their billing. Earl Okine was a local project who never could really carve out a major role at Florida, despite his immense physical talent. Troy Epps was an undersized JUCO transfer who had no business ever playing for the Gators. That UF elected to pursue Epps, instead of Swanson Miller, a local product from Alachua always sort of baffled me. Miller played for Oklahoma State before moving on to spend two years with the Broncos.

– The following year, 2009, again proved to be problematic on the defensive line. Gary Brown was talented, but troubled, and lasted less than a year at Florida. The Gators then elected to reach on a pair of projects – Kedric Johnson and JUCO transfer Edwin Herbert – as they missed on many of their top targets (Ryne Giddens, Demonte McAllister and Curtis Porter, among others). That Florida couldn't close the deal on Pernell McPhee, a Pahokee product who ended up at Mississippi State and is now with the Baltimore Ravens, had to sting a bit.

************

How this class even came about was a bit of a minor miracle. Of course, this group was held together in the Urban Meyer "he's going, he's staying, he's going" drama that played out in three acts over the course of 12 months from December of 2009 until December of 2010. But when Meyer first decided to stick around for what would ultimately prove to be his final season at Florida, Steve Addazio essentially ran most of the operations, although Meyer was still involved in terms of interacting with and contacting recruits.

Interestingly enough, Dominique Easley had recruited Florida harder than Florida had recruited Easley throughout most of the process. He visited Gainesville twice on his own dime – once, in the spring of 2009 for a Florida practice. His second trip was to Friday Night Lights in July. It was there that Meyer reportedly nixed Easley's inclusion in the class after eyeing him in person. One person in the Swamp that night later relayed to me that Easley had issues with a warm-up routine led by strength coach Mickey Marotti that included push-ups (this witness claimed that Easley struggled to do even 10 on that particular day, whether or not that's true I can't say for certain). In any case, Easley had come to Gainesville expecting to give his commitment to UF. Instead, as he left Florida that weekend, he and the Gators appeared to have parted ways. So Easley's recruitment carried on, and he figured to be head elsewhere for college. All the way until the morning of the 2010 Under Armour All-America Game, that is.

Oregon and Penn State had moved in as the leaders of Easley's recruitment after UF backed off. Easley made official visits to both programs, and Oregon appeared to be in the driver's seat. In covering practices the week of the Under Armour All-America Game, I hadn't even bothered to do a story with Easley, as he did not appear to be on the radar for the Gators. Then as I showed up to Tropicana Field a couple of hours before game time, an excited JC Shurburtt (then with ESPN, now the top national analyst at 247Sports) stopped me as I set down my stuff. 

"Easley's going to Florida," he told me.

I was dumbfounded. The Gators hadn't even appeared to be a factor just 24 hours before, now they were going to sign a guy whose performance that week rocketed him up the charts from a borderline national top-100 caliber player to a consensus five-star stud. What had happened?

The answer was very simple: Steve Addazio. Now given the authority to make some of the personnel decisions, he authorized a late offer to Easley which the big man quickly jumped on. Addazio had been the point man on the Easley recruitment and was in his corner from the outset. He had privately relayed to people that he felt Easley was the "second coming of Dwight Freeney." While his game didn't ultimately translate to the college level the same way in which Freeney's did, the impact both can have on a game is very much similar. Addazio's projection was off, but his evaluation was right on. He saw a high-quality blue-chip prospect long before many others did.

For Floyd and Powell, it was more of a matter of building the right relationships with the right people around them. Then, it was just a matter of holding on those last few days as Meyer went back-and-forth on his future in Gainesville. Once he decided to stick around (albeit, for less than a year), all the pieces fell into place on a recruiting class that was proclaimed to be perhaps the best in school history. While some positions didn't live up to their billing, it's hard to say that Florida didn't knock it right out of the park along the defensive line back on February 3, 2010.