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.
Showing posts with label Tim. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tim. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Going further in-depth: Florida Offensive Line recruiting
I was a bit taken aback by some of the feedback I got regarding my post from yesterday regarding Florida's performance in recruiting elite offensive linemen in recent years. Then again, I guess I shouldn't have been. The post was designed to show the state of the offensive line in a somewhat positive light, when many hard-core UF recruitniks seem to be quite down on the performance of Tim Davis on the recruiting trail. But everyone is entitled to their opinion, so it doesn't matter if people disagree with me. Still, I do feel the need to explain myself a bit. So, bear with me, as I go a little more in-depth on my original post and try to clear up any confusion.
– First off, I find the refusal of some Florida fans to credit Tim Davis for the additions of Max Garcia and Tyler Moore simply humorous. They don't count because they transferred in from other schools? How does that make sense? They do play for Florida right now, correct? I wholeheartedly agree that relying on players with resumes like Garcia and Moore to be available on the transfer market isn't a sound way to do business on a year-to-year basis. But circumstances allowed the Gators to go out and get those guys. Just like various circumstances caused the Gators to miss on a few of their higher-rated targets in recent years, some of which were simply beyond the control of the staff. I'm sure Muschamp and Davis are well-aware of the fact that there was a bit of luck involved with landing Garcia and Moore, but it happened nonetheless. They shouldn't have to apologize for it, and I'm betting they don't expect that particular scenario to play out again any time in the near future. Moore fell within the particular scope of top offensive linemen I was looking at. He originally signed with Nebraska, and is now at Florida. So I count him for Florida.
– First off, I find the refusal of some Florida fans to credit Tim Davis for the additions of Max Garcia and Tyler Moore simply humorous. They don't count because they transferred in from other schools? How does that make sense? They do play for Florida right now, correct? I wholeheartedly agree that relying on players with resumes like Garcia and Moore to be available on the transfer market isn't a sound way to do business on a year-to-year basis. But circumstances allowed the Gators to go out and get those guys. Just like various circumstances caused the Gators to miss on a few of their higher-rated targets in recent years, some of which were simply beyond the control of the staff. I'm sure Muschamp and Davis are well-aware of the fact that there was a bit of luck involved with landing Garcia and Moore, but it happened nonetheless. They shouldn't have to apologize for it, and I'm betting they don't expect that particular scenario to play out again any time in the near future. Moore fell within the particular scope of top offensive linemen I was looking at. He originally signed with Nebraska, and is now at Florida. So I count him for Florida.
– My focus was on the big-name prospects for a reason. Those are the guys who draw the most attention on message boards, Twitter, etc. The latest news and buzz on guys like Laremy Tunsil and David Sharpe moves the needle considerably more than prospects like Octavius Jackson and Travaris Dorsey, for instance. This is, in part, of the rankings attributed to the prospects, as well as their projected positions. Sharpe and Tunsil, after all, do play the more "glamorous" left tackle position.
– Of course (and in looking back I realize I didn't point this out in the post from yesterday), finding the diamond-in-the-rough and sleeper prospects is just as important as landing the "national" All-American types. I avoided delving deeper into that side of offensive line recruiting from recent years because I was more interested in tying the post into the David Sharpe storyline that has dominated headlines for Florida fans in recent weeks. Being able to go toe-to-toe with the national powers for the top prospects and come away with victories is nice (and important), but an assistant coach being able to go out and find the other guys who are off the beaten path a bit is just as critical.
– While yesterday's post did focus more on the All-American prospects, as opposed to the quality of evaluations among those who were not highly recruited, I did note that of the "elite" recruits that Florida has hotly pursued in recent years, those guys very much proved to be a mixed bag as it relates to success at the college level:
Does getting the elite talent even matter? Yes and no. Like recruiting in general, it's a bit of a crapshoot. Benedict was an excellent prep lineman, but he never fully recovered from a freak injury suffered during his senior season at Bolles and has never been the same. Green and Silberman have been largely quiet during their careers at Florida, while Linder has been solid at Miami and Flowers made a quick impact in Coral Gables as well. Dunker has already been dismissed at UF. It's a little early to say anything definitive on most of the other prospects at this time.
– I was asked about the importance in the using 2010 as the starting point for that post. It was simply to allow for a little perspective on the big picture, and also since the guys signed that particular year are still on the team and with eligibility remaining after this year. I realize and am aware that Addazio (Harrison, Halapio, Koehne) and Verducci (Humphries) deserve as much of the credit (if not more, in the case of Addazio) for putting this offensive line unit together as Davis does. But I didn't try to argue otherwise, either.
– One other note that I wanted to throw in. The Gators are currently in line to return 12 scholarship offensive linemen next year. Compare that with my (unofficial) tallies of what some of the other top programs in the SEC are slated to return in 2014:
South Carolina: 15
Auburn: 14
Arkansas: 13
Georgia: 12
Vanderbilt: 12
Alabama: 11
LSU: 11
Ole Miss: 11
Texas A&M: 10
That number puts Florida right about in the middle of the pack. They could probably get away with signing as few as four offensive linemen in this class. But as always, when projecting numbers, knowing what potential attrition lies on the roster after the season is key as it relates to how many players the Gators actually take come National Signing Day.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Florida's OL recruiting from 2010-14: An Analysis
There's been a lot of venom directed at Tim Davis in recent weeks for his apparent inability to close on top offensive line talent. This, of course, is mostly a result of the Gators apparent inability to land Jacksonville Providence product David Sharpe after Florida appeared to be in the driver's seat of his recruitment earlier in the year. Combine that with the Gators' striking out last year on local product Laremy Tunsil (who ended up at Ole Miss), and it's enough to have fans grumbling a bit.
Fair enough. Missing out on Sharpe has to be a bitter pill for the recruitniks to swallow. But if you compare the Gators' ability to land the "elite" in-state offensive line talent in recent years with the other in-state programs, they've done a fairly good job. Going back to 2010, these are the prospects who were generally considered to be among the best in the state. These were the All-American-types who were highly-coveted by programs around the Southeast and beyond:
2010
Brent Benedict (Georgia)
Chaz Green (Florida)
Brandon Linder (Miami)
Ian Silberman (Florida)
2011
Bobby Hart (Florida State)
Tyler Moore (Nebraska/Florida)
2012
Jessamen Dunker (Florida)
Ereck Flowers (Miami)
Patrick Miller (Auburn)
John Theus (Georgia)
Avery Young (Auburn)
2013
Ira Denson (Florida State)
Laremy Tunsil (Ole Miss)
2014
Kc McDermott (Miami)
David Sharpe (Undecided)
So, the breakdown of these players signing with colleges are as follows:
Florida: 4
Miami: 3
Georgia: 2 (will be 3 if they add Sharpe)
Auburn: 2
Florida State: 2
Ole Miss: 1
So, what can we take away from all of this based on the past five years?
– Getting the transfer of Moore obviously boosted the numbers, but Florida has fared well in being able to keep in-state offensive line talent home in recent years. Miami has generally been able to keep the South Florida talent at home, with the pairing of Miller and Young leaving for Auburn in 2012 being the major exception.
Fair enough. Missing out on Sharpe has to be a bitter pill for the recruitniks to swallow. But if you compare the Gators' ability to land the "elite" in-state offensive line talent in recent years with the other in-state programs, they've done a fairly good job. Going back to 2010, these are the prospects who were generally considered to be among the best in the state. These were the All-American-types who were highly-coveted by programs around the Southeast and beyond:
2010
Brent Benedict (Georgia)
Chaz Green (Florida)
Brandon Linder (Miami)
Ian Silberman (Florida)
2011
Bobby Hart (Florida State)
Tyler Moore (Nebraska/Florida)
2012
Jessamen Dunker (Florida)
Ereck Flowers (Miami)
Patrick Miller (Auburn)
John Theus (Georgia)
Avery Young (Auburn)
2013
Ira Denson (Florida State)
Laremy Tunsil (Ole Miss)
2014
Kc McDermott (Miami)
David Sharpe (Undecided)
So, the breakdown of these players signing with colleges are as follows:
Florida: 4
Miami: 3
Georgia: 2 (will be 3 if they add Sharpe)
Auburn: 2
Florida State: 2
Ole Miss: 1
So, what can we take away from all of this based on the past five years?
– Getting the transfer of Moore obviously boosted the numbers, but Florida has fared well in being able to keep in-state offensive line talent home in recent years. Miami has generally been able to keep the South Florida talent at home, with the pairing of Miller and Young leaving for Auburn in 2012 being the major exception.
– Georgia has obviously done well in the state of Florida. A lot of that owes to the fact they have been able to get guys from Jacksonville (Benedict and Theus were from Bolles, Sharpe is from Jacksonville), as well as the fact that Stacy Searles and Will Friend (past and present OL coaches) have sterling reputations as talent developers and as recruiters.
– Does getting the elite talent even matter? Yes and no. Like recruiting in general, it's a bit of a crapshoot. Benedict was an excellent prep lineman, but he never fully recovered from a freak injury suffered during his senior season at Bolles and has never been the same. Green and Silberman have been largely quiet during their careers at Florida, while Linder has been solid at Miami and Flowers made a quick impact in Coral Gables as well. Dunker has already been dismissed at UF. It's a little early to say anything definitive on most of the other prospects at this time.
Just some things to consider. Sharpe will be considered a major loss in UF recruiting circles when he eventually decides to head elsewhere (likely UGA), but the numbers suggest Florida has generally done well in landing top in-state talent in recent years, although some will try to argue otherwise.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Will Grier's Madden-like numbers
It was just another ho-hum game for Florida QB commit Will Grier (Davidson, N.C.) over the weekend. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound quarterback completed 18-of-22 passes for 370 yards with six touchdowns against one interception in a 45-0 win for Davidson Day over the Community School of Davidson on Friday night. It was the Patriots' lowest scoring output on the season to date through five games.
Grier and Davidson Day appear to be coming up on the real meat of their schedule, with arguably the three toughest games on their schedule on tap within the next four games, beginning with a trip to Marvin Ridge of Waxhaw, N.C. (the general area in which former President Andrew Jackson was birthed, just in case you didn't know) on Friday.
With the regular season now half-over for Grier, it's interesting to note what he's done so far this season. It really is like something out of a video game. In some respects, he's taken a step back on the passing side of things from his junior year, although it was going to be nearly impossible to top the numbers he put up in 2012. He's completing 71.1% of his passes this fall (down from 78.3% a year ago). Although, it should be noted that his completion percentage is improving as the season moves along, and he's connected on 48-of-62 passes in his last two games (77.4%).
Grier has also tossed six interceptions in 149 passing attempts this season. That number doesn't sound too bad, until you consider he threw six picks in 414 attempts for the entire season a year ago. Grier's interception rate in 2013 (4.0%) is up considerably from both his sophomore (2.5%) and junior (1.4%) campaigns.
However, Grier has also been tossing touchdowns at a ridiculous rate. He's thrown for 31 scores through five games, and is currently on pace to wind up with as many as 79 on the season (assuming Davidson Day plays a full total of 13 games, as they likely will). That would even usurp his incredible run in 2012, when he connected on 61 touchdown strikes, but would still fall short of the national single-season record of 91, held by Corey Robinson of Lone Oak (Ky.) from 2007.
Of course, this goes back to the issue of Grier's numbers not being recognized in the national record books. Grier's Davidson Day squad is under the governing body of the NCISAA (North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association), as opposed to the standard NCHSAA (North Carolina High School Athletic Association, the equivalent of Florida's FHSAA). Since the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) only recognizes the official records of the NCHSAA, and the NCHSAA doesn't officially recognize Grier's numbers, as his school isn't a part of the NCHSAA, Grier's name will never grace the "official" high school record books.
I hope you got all of that. But Grier's place in the national pantheon of great prep signal-callers should be unquestioned at this point, even if his numbers aren't officially recognized.
He's currently on pace to pass Chris Leak's state record of 185 touchdown passes (accomplished at Charlotte Independence High School between 1999-02, good for second all-time nationally). However, the national record of 219 (credited to current Missouri backup Maty Mauk, who attended Kenton High School in Ohio from 2008-11) will be tough for Grier to match (he would need 70 touchdown passes in a maximum of eight games). Likewise, Chris Leak's state record of 15,593 yards will be tough to top as well (Grier would have to average 525 yards per game the rest of the way to beat that mark). Ultimately, Grier should "unofficially" finish up as one of the top-five most prolific passers in national prep history. Behind the Mauk brothers, Leak and West Virginia native J.R. House, but ahead of such luminaries as Brock Berlin, Garrett Gilbert, Tim Couch and Josh Booty, among others.
It should also be noted that Grier is running the ball even better this year, piling up 519 yards and six scores on just 31 carries. His 16.7 average per carry is nearly double his output from a year ago (8.8).
Barring injury, Will Grier will go down as one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the history of high school football. Even if he doesn't play another down at the prep level, his legend is already quite secure. But considering how many names litter the top of those all-time high school passing lists (the aforementioned Mauk brothers, Leak, Berlin, Gilbert, Couch and Booty, along with Greg Paulus, Drew Tate and Jamarcus Russell), Grier's prep accomplishments do not guarantee even a high degree of success at the college level. How Grier fares at Florida will be determined by a completely different set of circumstances than the ones that have allowed him to reach such heights in Davidson, N.C. over the past two-plus seasons (and counting).
Highlights from UF commit Will Grier's junior season at Davidson Day (Davidson, N.C.)
Grier and Davidson Day appear to be coming up on the real meat of their schedule, with arguably the three toughest games on their schedule on tap within the next four games, beginning with a trip to Marvin Ridge of Waxhaw, N.C. (the general area in which former President Andrew Jackson was birthed, just in case you didn't know) on Friday.
With the regular season now half-over for Grier, it's interesting to note what he's done so far this season. It really is like something out of a video game. In some respects, he's taken a step back on the passing side of things from his junior year, although it was going to be nearly impossible to top the numbers he put up in 2012. He's completing 71.1% of his passes this fall (down from 78.3% a year ago). Although, it should be noted that his completion percentage is improving as the season moves along, and he's connected on 48-of-62 passes in his last two games (77.4%).
Grier has also tossed six interceptions in 149 passing attempts this season. That number doesn't sound too bad, until you consider he threw six picks in 414 attempts for the entire season a year ago. Grier's interception rate in 2013 (4.0%) is up considerably from both his sophomore (2.5%) and junior (1.4%) campaigns.
However, Grier has also been tossing touchdowns at a ridiculous rate. He's thrown for 31 scores through five games, and is currently on pace to wind up with as many as 79 on the season (assuming Davidson Day plays a full total of 13 games, as they likely will). That would even usurp his incredible run in 2012, when he connected on 61 touchdown strikes, but would still fall short of the national single-season record of 91, held by Corey Robinson of Lone Oak (Ky.) from 2007.
Of course, this goes back to the issue of Grier's numbers not being recognized in the national record books. Grier's Davidson Day squad is under the governing body of the NCISAA (North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association), as opposed to the standard NCHSAA (North Carolina High School Athletic Association, the equivalent of Florida's FHSAA). Since the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) only recognizes the official records of the NCHSAA, and the NCHSAA doesn't officially recognize Grier's numbers, as his school isn't a part of the NCHSAA, Grier's name will never grace the "official" high school record books.
I hope you got all of that. But Grier's place in the national pantheon of great prep signal-callers should be unquestioned at this point, even if his numbers aren't officially recognized.
He's currently on pace to pass Chris Leak's state record of 185 touchdown passes (accomplished at Charlotte Independence High School between 1999-02, good for second all-time nationally). However, the national record of 219 (credited to current Missouri backup Maty Mauk, who attended Kenton High School in Ohio from 2008-11) will be tough for Grier to match (he would need 70 touchdown passes in a maximum of eight games). Likewise, Chris Leak's state record of 15,593 yards will be tough to top as well (Grier would have to average 525 yards per game the rest of the way to beat that mark). Ultimately, Grier should "unofficially" finish up as one of the top-five most prolific passers in national prep history. Behind the Mauk brothers, Leak and West Virginia native J.R. House, but ahead of such luminaries as Brock Berlin, Garrett Gilbert, Tim Couch and Josh Booty, among others.
It should also be noted that Grier is running the ball even better this year, piling up 519 yards and six scores on just 31 carries. His 16.7 average per carry is nearly double his output from a year ago (8.8).
Barring injury, Will Grier will go down as one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the history of high school football. Even if he doesn't play another down at the prep level, his legend is already quite secure. But considering how many names litter the top of those all-time high school passing lists (the aforementioned Mauk brothers, Leak, Berlin, Gilbert, Couch and Booty, along with Greg Paulus, Drew Tate and Jamarcus Russell), Grier's prep accomplishments do not guarantee even a high degree of success at the college level. How Grier fares at Florida will be determined by a completely different set of circumstances than the ones that have allowed him to reach such heights in Davidson, N.C. over the past two-plus seasons (and counting).
Sunday, September 22, 2013
A remarkable run of health at the QB position ends for Florida
29 years. That's how long it's been since the Gators suffered a major injury at the QB position. An incredible run of good fortune that ended on Saturday with the post-game revelation that Jeff Driskel suffered a fracture of the right tibia during the first quarter of Florida's 31-17 win against Tennessee. Driskel's season comes to a close after just three games.
Not since fifth-year senior Dale Dorminey suffered a torn ACL four days before the season-opener in 1984 (when a player ran into him on the sidelines in pratice, no less), has a Florida quarterback been lost in a similar fashion. Sure, there have been injuries at the position. Kerwin Bell (who fortuitously earned the starting job as a redshirt freshman after Dorminey's injury) struggled with a balky left knee in 1986 which was injured in a loss to LSU, but only missed two games. Danny Wuerffel suffered what ultimately proved to be a season-ending knee injury in 1993, but missed only the final two games (the 1993 SEC Championship and the 1994 Sugar Bowl). John Brantley missed two games after a severe sprain of his ankle in 2011, but returned to action against Georgia (although his effectiveness was severely limited the remainder of the season as a result of that injury). Of course, we can't forget Tim Tebow's broken right hand against FSU in 2007 as well as a concussion suffered at Kentucky in 2009. But he didn't miss any time as a result of those maladies. While all of the above-mentioned quarterbacks suffered fairly significant injuries (or, at least, what was thought at the time to be serious injuries), none of them missed more than two games as a result.
The only comparable situation for Florida in fairly recent history as to the predicament they now face is 1989, when starter Kyle Morris was lost for the season after six contests. But that was due to an investigation into the gambling practices of four team members (including Morris and his eventual successor at quarterback, Shane Matthews), as opposed to injury. The Gators, who began the 1989 season 5-1, would lose four of their last six games, as the turmoil in that particular fall included the firing of head coach Galen Hall under the veil of NCAA improprieties. In all, the mess of that season would lead to the hiring of Steve Spurrier, who as we all know, got things turned around in a hurry.
So, the Gators must now navigate the final three-quarters of their season knowing their starter is gone for the season. Facebook and Twitter have ably demonstrated how many fans are happy with this development, seeing as how Driskel had struggled considerably in his first three games of the year. But, as has been pointed out many times before, the back-up quarterback can often times be the most popular man on campus. Tyler Murphy accorded himself well on Saturday against the Vols, after being thrown into a tough situation. Despite some struggles getting on the same page with his offensive line in the first half, he guided the Gators to a season-high 31 points, and showed an ability to make plays with both his feet (79 yards rushing and a TD) and his arm (8-of-14 passing, 134 yards and one score). Now the question is very simply this: can he continue to produce like he did against Tennessee for the rest of the season?
Murphy was a completely unknown quantity before Saturday. With each passing week, defenses will be able to gameplan to exploit Murphy's weaknesses – whatever those may prove to be – as more film on him becomes available. That will be his biggest test moving forward, as the element of surprise will no longer be a factor.
In any case, while injuries are a regular part of football, injuries for the Florida Gators at the quarterback position have been surprisingly few and far between for UF over the past three decades. Now Will Muschamp and Brent Pease get to learn how the other side lives as they prepare for the rest of the season with Tyler Murphy as their starting signal-caller.
Not since fifth-year senior Dale Dorminey suffered a torn ACL four days before the season-opener in 1984 (when a player ran into him on the sidelines in pratice, no less), has a Florida quarterback been lost in a similar fashion. Sure, there have been injuries at the position. Kerwin Bell (who fortuitously earned the starting job as a redshirt freshman after Dorminey's injury) struggled with a balky left knee in 1986 which was injured in a loss to LSU, but only missed two games. Danny Wuerffel suffered what ultimately proved to be a season-ending knee injury in 1993, but missed only the final two games (the 1993 SEC Championship and the 1994 Sugar Bowl). John Brantley missed two games after a severe sprain of his ankle in 2011, but returned to action against Georgia (although his effectiveness was severely limited the remainder of the season as a result of that injury). Of course, we can't forget Tim Tebow's broken right hand against FSU in 2007 as well as a concussion suffered at Kentucky in 2009. But he didn't miss any time as a result of those maladies. While all of the above-mentioned quarterbacks suffered fairly significant injuries (or, at least, what was thought at the time to be serious injuries), none of them missed more than two games as a result.
The only comparable situation for Florida in fairly recent history as to the predicament they now face is 1989, when starter Kyle Morris was lost for the season after six contests. But that was due to an investigation into the gambling practices of four team members (including Morris and his eventual successor at quarterback, Shane Matthews), as opposed to injury. The Gators, who began the 1989 season 5-1, would lose four of their last six games, as the turmoil in that particular fall included the firing of head coach Galen Hall under the veil of NCAA improprieties. In all, the mess of that season would lead to the hiring of Steve Spurrier, who as we all know, got things turned around in a hurry.
So, the Gators must now navigate the final three-quarters of their season knowing their starter is gone for the season. Facebook and Twitter have ably demonstrated how many fans are happy with this development, seeing as how Driskel had struggled considerably in his first three games of the year. But, as has been pointed out many times before, the back-up quarterback can often times be the most popular man on campus. Tyler Murphy accorded himself well on Saturday against the Vols, after being thrown into a tough situation. Despite some struggles getting on the same page with his offensive line in the first half, he guided the Gators to a season-high 31 points, and showed an ability to make plays with both his feet (79 yards rushing and a TD) and his arm (8-of-14 passing, 134 yards and one score). Now the question is very simply this: can he continue to produce like he did against Tennessee for the rest of the season?
Murphy was a completely unknown quantity before Saturday. With each passing week, defenses will be able to gameplan to exploit Murphy's weaknesses – whatever those may prove to be – as more film on him becomes available. That will be his biggest test moving forward, as the element of surprise will no longer be a factor.
In any case, while injuries are a regular part of football, injuries for the Florida Gators at the quarterback position have been surprisingly few and far between for UF over the past three decades. Now Will Muschamp and Brent Pease get to learn how the other side lives as they prepare for the rest of the season with Tyler Murphy as their starting signal-caller.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Benjamin Knox decommits: What is Florida's next move?
In case you missed it last night, the Gators are now short one member of their 2014 recruiting class, as DeLand offensive tackle Benjamin Knox has withdrawn his commitment to UF:
This was not an unexpected development, as Florida and Knox seemed to be drifting apart for a few months. The move puts UF at 14 commitments for the Class of 2014, with three players projected to end up on the offensive line presently in the fold (Dontae Angus, Nolan Kelleher and Travaris Dorsey.)
Based on the numbers, Florida needs to add 2-3 more prospects to this class up front. The only problem here is, the Gators really don't have a ton of guys remaining on the board. Or, at least, that how it would appear to look from the outside. The top target is obviously David Sharpe (6-6, 290, Jacksonville Providence) and while the Gators are a strong contender there, Clemson and Georgia have made a real push with the big man in recent weeks as well.
Damien Mama (6-4, 370, Bellflower, Calif./St. Bosco Prep) and Jordan Sims (6-4, 340, Birmingham, Ala./Homewood) also claim offers, but I don't think anyone is particularly confident in the Gators' chances of landing either prospect at the moment. Miami commitment Trevor Darling (6-5, 330, Miami Central ) keeps getting thrown around as a possibility, but there's been no evidence to support the notion he's anything but solid in his commitment to the 'Canes.
In any case, regardless of what Sharpe, Mama, and Sims do, some other prospects will emerge on the radar between now and National Signing Day along the offensive line. Here's a list of six guys to keep an eye on over the coming months:
1. Jordan Prestwood (6-5, 310, Plant City/Arizona Western C.C.) – There should be some obvious concerns here, as Prestwood has already left two big-time programs (Florida State and Notre Dame) for various reasons. On the plus side, he is on pace to enroll in December, and would have three years of eligibility remaining. A big-time recruit coming out of high school, he may be the most likely candidate for UF if they elect to hit the JUCO ranks in 2014.
2. Montel McBride, (6-4, 350, Plant City) – With the recent pledge of Cameron Robinson, Alabama now has six offensive line commitments, and seems to be busting at the seems a bit at the position. McBride may be ripe for the taking, but UF has shown no indication to date they are interested in the two-way player, who is a product of Plant City High School, like Prestwood. I think that could change, depending on his senior film. McBride would be an excellent fit at guard at the next level, but he is going to have to drop some weight, as Florida offensive line coach Tim Davis clearly prefers his players to be mobile at the position.
3. Denzel Ward (6-8, 305, Chicago, Ill./Simeon) – Florida was heavily involved in the recruitment of Ward at one point. If David Sharpe decides to head elsewhere, it would come as no surprise if the Gators turn up the heat once again for the current Purdue commitment.
4. Delroy Baker (6-6, 270, Ocala/West Port) – Although the Gators offered Baker over the summer, they didn't seem to really push for the local product, who eventually committed to Indiana. With an impressive senior season, UF may re-evaluate their stance on Baker, who would presumably jump at the chance to stay closer to home.
5. Marcus Applefield (6-6, 280, Weeki Wachee) – Applefield plays at a new program, only in its third year of existence, and will prove to be the school's first player to sign with a FBS program. Applefield has great size and potential as an offensive tackle. He visited for Florida's first game against Toledo in August. Rutgers is thought to be the present front-runner for Applefield, but the opportunity to stay closer to home and attend Florida or Florida State is believed to greatly appeal to him.
6. Avery Gennesy (6-5, 305, Southaven, Miss./East Mississippi C.C.) – The Gators would be getting in late on the recruitment of Gennesy, but they do have ties to East Mississippi Community College, having signed a player out of the program each of the past two years (Damien Jacobs in 2012, Darious Cummings in 2013.)
Former #Gators three-star commit Benjamin Knox just told me with UF out of the mix, Louisville and USF are two schools under consideration.
— Landon Watnick (@LandonWatnick) September 11, 2013
This was not an unexpected development, as Florida and Knox seemed to be drifting apart for a few months. The move puts UF at 14 commitments for the Class of 2014, with three players projected to end up on the offensive line presently in the fold (Dontae Angus, Nolan Kelleher and Travaris Dorsey.)
Based on the numbers, Florida needs to add 2-3 more prospects to this class up front. The only problem here is, the Gators really don't have a ton of guys remaining on the board. Or, at least, that how it would appear to look from the outside. The top target is obviously David Sharpe (6-6, 290, Jacksonville Providence) and while the Gators are a strong contender there, Clemson and Georgia have made a real push with the big man in recent weeks as well.
Damien Mama (6-4, 370, Bellflower, Calif./St. Bosco Prep) and Jordan Sims (6-4, 340, Birmingham, Ala./Homewood) also claim offers, but I don't think anyone is particularly confident in the Gators' chances of landing either prospect at the moment. Miami commitment Trevor Darling (6-5, 330, Miami Central ) keeps getting thrown around as a possibility, but there's been no evidence to support the notion he's anything but solid in his commitment to the 'Canes.
In any case, regardless of what Sharpe, Mama, and Sims do, some other prospects will emerge on the radar between now and National Signing Day along the offensive line. Here's a list of six guys to keep an eye on over the coming months:
1. Jordan Prestwood (6-5, 310, Plant City/Arizona Western C.C.) – There should be some obvious concerns here, as Prestwood has already left two big-time programs (Florida State and Notre Dame) for various reasons. On the plus side, he is on pace to enroll in December, and would have three years of eligibility remaining. A big-time recruit coming out of high school, he may be the most likely candidate for UF if they elect to hit the JUCO ranks in 2014.
2. Montel McBride, (6-4, 350, Plant City) – With the recent pledge of Cameron Robinson, Alabama now has six offensive line commitments, and seems to be busting at the seems a bit at the position. McBride may be ripe for the taking, but UF has shown no indication to date they are interested in the two-way player, who is a product of Plant City High School, like Prestwood. I think that could change, depending on his senior film. McBride would be an excellent fit at guard at the next level, but he is going to have to drop some weight, as Florida offensive line coach Tim Davis clearly prefers his players to be mobile at the position.
3. Denzel Ward (6-8, 305, Chicago, Ill./Simeon) – Florida was heavily involved in the recruitment of Ward at one point. If David Sharpe decides to head elsewhere, it would come as no surprise if the Gators turn up the heat once again for the current Purdue commitment.
4. Delroy Baker (6-6, 270, Ocala/West Port) – Although the Gators offered Baker over the summer, they didn't seem to really push for the local product, who eventually committed to Indiana. With an impressive senior season, UF may re-evaluate their stance on Baker, who would presumably jump at the chance to stay closer to home.
5. Marcus Applefield (6-6, 280, Weeki Wachee) – Applefield plays at a new program, only in its third year of existence, and will prove to be the school's first player to sign with a FBS program. Applefield has great size and potential as an offensive tackle. He visited for Florida's first game against Toledo in August. Rutgers is thought to be the present front-runner for Applefield, but the opportunity to stay closer to home and attend Florida or Florida State is believed to greatly appeal to him.
6. Avery Gennesy (6-5, 305, Southaven, Miss./East Mississippi C.C.) – The Gators would be getting in late on the recruitment of Gennesy, but they do have ties to East Mississippi Community College, having signed a player out of the program each of the past two years (Damien Jacobs in 2012, Darious Cummings in 2013.)
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