Some thoughts on the UF coaching search...

First, my disclaimer. No inside information here. Just trying to read between the lines...

The names and rumors are flying hot and heavy for the vacant Florida head coaching position now that the majority of teams in college football have seen their regular seasons come to an end.

Since Saturday night, we've seen four names get dropped as "leading" contenders for the job: Doc Holliday (several sources, most notably a now-deleted tweet by Only Gators Get Out Alive), Hugh Freeze (first in a report by SI's Pete Thamel on Saturday night, followed by report from SB Nation's Steven Godfrey that UF had extended Freeze an offer), Jim McElwain (a report by Yahoo's Pat Forde which included a nugget that McElwain and Foley spoke via phone on Saturday evening) and Josh McDaniels (based on reporting by Football Scoop on Monday morning).

The takeaways from all the early conjecture?

1. I do not believe that Hugh Freeze has an offer in hand from the Gators, as it seems Foley is still in the process of "vetting out" his candidates (a term used directly in the Football Scoop report). I would not, however, be surprised if Freeze was the early or current favorite in the eyes of the UF search committee.

2. Jimmy Sexton strikes again. There could be portions of the SB Nation report which are accurate (I hate to seemingly throw Godfrey under the bus, as Sexton would be a legitimate source if that's where the information came from. But you must always be wary of agents ...). For instance, could Foley have already spoken with Freeze or an intermediary? Quite possibly. Could Foley have thrown out a figure like "$4.2-4.3 million" as the number UF was looking to spend on the upper end? Wouldn't surprise me. Could Freeze now be "mulling" the possibility of taking an offer from UF if it comes? Certainly within the realm of possibility. But the only thing I Would read from the Freeze reports at this moment, is that he's poised to make quite a bit more money next year, regardless of where he's coaching.

3. There seem to be some similar general characteristics developing from the names which are jumping out early on. Head coaching experience is a must (all four names fall under that group). SEC experience is highly preferred (Holliday, McElwain and Freeze have that, McDaniels does not). An offensive background is a major plus (all but Holliday fall into that category). And age may not be as much as a factor as it has been in previous UF searches for head coaches -- McElwain is 52 and Holliday is 57, while McDaniels (38) and Freeze (45) seem to fit the more typical profile of a Foley hire.

4. Once again, I have to wonder how McElwain's buyout will figure into the picture if he were to become one of the last finalists the job. A $7.5 million buyout at Colorado State, on top of the ~$8 million or so (a number that will certainly figure to go down as Muschamp staff members get jobs elsewhere) that Florida already has committed to the outgoing staff. That's somewhere in the neighborhood of $14-$15 million BEFORE paying for a new staff. McElwain has done a good job at Colorado State, but I don't know if he's worth the financial commitment Florida will have to make to bring him to Gainesville.

5. Josh McDaniels is a bright, young offensive mind who deserves another crack at a big job down the line. But is UF the right fit for him? He is the son of a coach, and already has over 15 years of experience at the ripe old age of 38. However, he has only spent two years at the collegiate level (as a graduate assistant under Nick Saban and Bobby Williams at Michigan State from 1999-2000). No real recruiting experience, and he's going to get thrown into the gauntlet that is the SEC? Not a good combo. Hiring McDaniels would require a strong staff of recruiters (read: expensive group of assistants) around him.

So, that's what we have so far. I do believe there is some legitimacy to all four of the above-listed names being in the mix for the UF job. We know from past experience that Foley wanted 15 names as candidates for the job when he went through the search that led to Urban Meyer's hiring in 2004. We also know that Foley can throw us a real curveball, as he did with Will Muschamp in 2010. So, the biggest takeaway from everything right now ... until the Gators actually make a hire, there's a LONG ways to go in this coaching search.

Five names to keep an eye on

A quick look at five prospects who were off-the-radar (or perhaps more on the fringe of it) heading into the season. All five players have had a strong start to the season and will force many BCS programs to take a closer look at their highlight tape (and perhaps in some cases, their transcripts as well) over the coming months.

1. LB Jakob Johnson (6-4, 240, Jacksonville Ribault) – We've already covered the German transplant in-depth over the past few days (both here and here). Nine tackles, an interception and a forced fumble in a win against Baker County last week proved to be a statement game for the versatile and athletically gifted prospect who has the ability to play as a linebacker in space, but the type of frame that suggests he could end up on the defensive line in time. Idaho, Tennessee and Tulane have already offered. A whole bunch of other schools are starting to sniff around now too.

2. LB Josh Black (6-2, 225, Tampa Sickles) – Off to a hot start with 34 tackles, 9.0 sacks, 10 QB hurries and a forced fumble through four games on a 4-0 squad. Black currently claims tenders from the likes of Arizona, Iowa State, Minnesota and South Florida among his current FBS options. But if he keeps up this performance throughout the rest of the season, bigger schools could come calling in time. Another defensive end who will likely have to make the transition to LB (whether it be in a 3-4 or 4-3 alignment) at the next level.



3. DT Freddie Booth-Lloyd (6-1, 305, Cocoa) – The big man is a space eater on the interior of the defensive line. Could also project as an offensive guard at the next level, although his lack of height may hinder him on offense. But he's got plenty of size for the defensive line. His numbers to date (20 tackles, three sacks and a blocked field goal through three games) suggest he has more than enough ability to play on that side of the ball in college. And, don't forget he's already done this over the course of the season as well:

@justinlwells don't forget the 80 yard pick 6 Booth Lloyd has too!
— J Worden (@coachjpworden) September 27, 2013

His pick-six is the first highlight on this tape. Talk about a dancing bear.



Booth-Lloyd will need to continue to re-shape his body as he moves on to college, however. Georgia Tech, Iowa State and Michigan State have all reportedly offered. Miami has shown considerable interest in Booth-Lloyd as well.

4. FB Jeremiah Jackson (6-0, 210, Brooksville Hernando) – An extremely versatile player for Hernando, Jackson has been his usual, productive self on defense with 49 tackles (5.0 for loss), two hurries and a forced fumble through the first month of the season. He also has four career interceptions, and while Jackson only has two carries for three yards through the first three games, he's recorded 210 carries for 1,233 yards and 13 scores in three-plus seasons on offense for the Leopards. Jackson claims no offers at the moment. If the Gators elect to take a fullback this year, other options could include Kellen Snider (6-1, 215, Ft. White), Kyle Forde (6-0, 225, Bradenton IMG Academy), Greg Gooch (6-1, 235, Longwood Lyman) and Kevin Bronson (6-3, 250 Delray Beach Village Academy).



5. WR Anthony Rhynes (6-0, 200, Tampa Middleton) – Although Middleton is off to an 0-3 start, Rhynes is having an awfully productive season in limited opportunities from the receiver position. 11 receptions for 467 yards and five touchdowns through three games for Rhynes. That's 42.3 yards PER RECEPTION. Incredible numbers for a prospect suddenly emerging on the radar for a struggling team. Rhynes doesn't even appear to be on the radar for college yet. That will surely change in short order.

@justinlwells Jeremiah had 26 tackles in ONE game this year. And I think Shug Rhynes has two 90+yd TD catches. Crazy stats.
— John C. Cotey (@JohnnyHomeTeam) September 27, 2013