Spring Practice info: another spring in the books for UF football

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BMF

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Florida football opens spring practice Friday
  • Spring practice has officially arrived for Florida, which goes through its first official practice with coach Dan Mullen on Friday afternoon from 4:25 p.m. to 6:55. The Gators’ practices Friday and Saturday (12:20-2:50 p.m.) are open to fans.
 

BMF

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Mullen said Campbell was only out for a short period, won't miss the entire spring (hopefully that's the case).

Honestly, we're good at his position w/ Clark and Slaton, unless he's slated to play a lot of DE. I want to see the what the DE's and OLB's can do. They have a lot of 'trying out' to do w/ Zuniga, Jefferson, Clayton, and a few of the other 'tweeners'.
 

Alagator

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I'm offended by the racial term being used in the "music".
Seems to be an element of ageism in that song too.... why’s it gotta be a young nigga? (Is a white guy allowed to say that word if a young black man posts a song with said word as the primary vernacular of the song?) Anyway and more importantly, what’s he got against old guys?
 

BMF

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Spring Primer: Gators Defense
New defensive coordinator Todd Grantham seeks to recharge a unit that slipped in the national rankings in 2017.


http://floridagators.com/news/2018/3/14/scott-carter-spring-primer-gators-defense.aspx

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Veteran defensive coordinator Todd Grantham has a simple explanation to what kind of defense he wants the Gators to have in the first year under his direction.

Grantham left Mississippi State after only one season to join Dan Mullen at Florida, bringing a recipe for success that has produced results in the NFL and at Georgia, Louisville and Mississippi State in recent years.

"The identity that I would want is for us to play fast, physical and aggressive,'' Grantham said. "It really gets down to those three words."

You hear those words often from defensive coordinators. They are nothing new. However, while the offense has taken the majority of the criticism for the Gators' struggles over the past eight seasons, the defense came under fire in 2017.

At times, the Gators' defense seemed to lose some of that fast, physical and aggressive style it displayed as one of the nation's most consistent units this decade. Grantham is ready to hit the reboot button and get to work.

THREE STORYLINES

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Junior linebacker David Reese returns after leading the team in tackles last season. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)

1. If Grantham can work the same magic he did a year ago at Mississippi State, the Gators will win more than four games like in 2017. In his only season with the Bulldogs, Grantham turned a defense that finished ranked 110th nationally into one that finished 10th last season. Grantham has typically installed a forceful 3-4 scheme that causes chaos by constantly attacking and using players in multiple positions.

2. The Gators return nine starters on defense, so Grantham, a veteran coordinator with impressive credentials in both the NFL and the SEC, has talent and experience to build around as the Gators try to reverse last season's slide from fifth in total defense in 2016 to 31st in 2017.

3. Junior middle linebacker David Reese led the Gators with 102 tackles last season and established himself as a team leader. Still, the Gators would like to see more production from their linebackers. Vosean Joseph finished third on the team with 55 tackles, but no other linebacker on the roster had 25 tackles. With Reese anchored in the middle, the Gators will test several players around him this spring.
RETURNING VET

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Senior defensive lineman Cece Jefferson is a versatile player for the Gators. (Photo: Lady Mendoza/UAA Communications)

Defensive lineman Cece Jefferson decided to return for his senior season, giving the Gators a veteran leader and playmaker up front.

Grantham's versatile NFL-style defense should give Jefferson ample opportunity to shine. Jefferson led the Gators with 13.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks last season. The general perception is that Jefferson (6-1, 242) has yet to reach his full potential and can boost his NFL stock playing for Grantham.

Jefferson's return was equally important in the locker room, where teammates voted him to the team's leadership committee as one of the more respected players on the roster.

Jefferson had a career-high nine tackles in the regular-season finale against Florida State and finished fourth on the team with 47 tackles. Jefferson should easily surpass that total if he stays healthy and maximizes his potential splitting time between defensive end and outside linebacker.
NEWCOMER ALERT


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Marlon Dunlap Jr.

Defensive tackle Marlon Dunlap Jr. played in seven games two seasons ago at North Carolina before transferring to UF and sitting out last season due to NCAA rules.

Dunlap (6-3, 328) has strong competition for playing time with the departure of Taven Bryan. Returning starter Khairi Clark is the most experienced interior lineman and started 11 games in 2017. Sophomores Tedarrell Slaton and Elijah Conliffe flashed their potential at times and will get plenty of reps this spring.

With sophomore Kyree Campbell slowed (read below), Dunlap can perhaps get some extra snaps in his bid to make a favorable new impression on new defensive line coach Sal Sunseri.

"There's some people who really caught my eye, but I'm going to hold that to myself right now until they can show the consistency of doing it every week, every day,'' Sunseri said.
INJURY REPORT

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Defensive end Keivonnis Davis is out this spring but there's a chance he could play again. (Photo: Jay Metz/UAA Communications)

The Gators enter spring camp mostly healthy on defense, although Mullen did say sophomore defensive tackle Campbell is going to miss "a little bit of spring" with an unspecified injury.

Meanwhile, redshirt junior defensive lineman Keivonnis Davis is back with the team after being suspended last season as part of the credit card fraud case that ensnared nine players. While suspended, a scooter accident put Davis' career in jeopardy.

Mullen offered hope that Davis might be able to resume his career once he recovers fully from the injuries that will keep him out of action this spring.

"He's just recovered and started to work out,'' Mullen said. "There's actually positive hope that he might be able to make it back."
POSITION TO WATCH

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Jeawon Taylor is among a host of players vying for playing time in the secondary. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)

With the departure of veteran leader Duke Dawson from last year's team, sophomores Marco Wilson and CJ Henderson are the front-runners to start at cornerback.

However, the lineup at safety and nickel is one worth watching this spring. Several players are vying for playing time.

Junior Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, MVP of the Outback Bowl his freshman season two years ago, is the veteran of the group. Mullen said Gardner-Johnson will play safety and possibly some nickel in the defensive scheme the Gators will run.

That leaves a group of players including junior Jeawon Taylor, redshirt sophomores Quincy Lenton, C.J. McWilliams and McArthur Burnett, sophomores Brad Stewart, Brian Edwards, Shawn Davis and Donovan Stiner, and newcomers Trey Dean and Amari Burney to battle it out.

Safeties coach Ron English has many evaluations to pour over during camp – and talent to work with.

"We'll be athletic and able to do some things,'' English said. "We're going to make it work. We'll train some guys and cross-train some guys, and we'll have enough players."
 

BMF

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(continued):


READY TO SHINE

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Linebacker Jeremiah Moon in pursuit against Tennessee. (Photo: Tim Casey/UAA Communications)


Redshirt sophomore linebacker Jeremiah Moon took a while to make his presence felt a season ago after missing most of his freshman season due to an injury. At 6-foot-6, 228 pounds, Moon is an intriguing physical specimen.

He played in 10 games last season and started five, finishing with 23 tackles. Moon's length and athleticism make him a good fit at outside linebacker and possibly as an edge rusher in Grantham's aggressive defensive approach.

Mullen said Moon will cross-train between defensive end and outside linebacker this spring, along with defensive linemen Jabari Zuniga and Jachai Polite.


MYSTERY MAN

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Antonneous Clayton, No. 90, gets a sack against UAB last season. (Photo: Sydney Jones/UAA Communications)


Junior defensive lineman Antonneous Clayton joined the Gators in 2016 with a lot of fanfare out of Dooly County High in Vienna, Ga. Clayton added weight and muscle heading into his sophomore season and was a player projected to have a larger role.

Instead, Clayton had another quiet year buried on the depth chart.

Clayton played in nine games as a reserve, making seven tackles. He picked up his first career sack in the next-to-last game of the season against UAB. The 6-foot-2, 254-pound Clayton is one of the players seeking to impress the new coaching staff this spring to make his case for a more prominent role.


DID YOU KNOW?

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The UF defense seeks a return to form after dropping off in the national rankings. (Photo: Ashley Williams/UAA Communications)


After nine consecutive seasons ranked in the top 15 nationally in total defense, the Gators dipped to 31st in 2017. In fact, in eight of the previous nine seasons, the Gators finished ranked ninth or higher in total defense.

Florida allowed opponents to average 349.3 yards per game last season, which was 56 yards more than in 2016 when the Gators played in the SEC Championship Game for the second straight year.

The last time UF allowed that many yards per game was in 2007 when it finished ranked 41st in total defense by giving up 361.8 yards a game.

QUOTE OF NOTE

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Gators head coach Dan Mullen previews spring camp on Tuesday. (Photo: Alex de la Osa/UAA Communications)

"You'll see us be in the 3-4, you'll see us be in the 4-3. We're not going to sit in one defense. We're going to move in and out of defenses and use different personnel groupings. Very similar to what we are offensively. Todd is going to have the flexibility to build the defense around the personnel that we have now – and as we continue to build and recruit and get guys that fit the specific needs of what we want, that defense will transition long-term into what we want to be." – Mullen on the defensive philosophy
 

williston_gator

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@MBakerTBTimes: #Gators QB Feleipe Franks entering first day of spring ball...with a left knee brace?
 

williston_gator

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@GatorsScott: #Gators out for their first practice under Mullen with a nice crowd standing watch ...
 

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