- Jun 12, 2014
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Spring Practice info: another spring in the books for UF football
- Thread starter BMF
- Start date
- Jun 12, 2014
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- Jun 11, 2014
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- Jun 14, 2014
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Further Allycat, could the social networld be free enough for someone to startup a BlackfaceBook ?
- Sep 8, 2014
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First practice focused on executing fundamentals
https://www.gatorcountry.com/feature/first-practice-focused-on-executing-fundamentals/
He’s made the walk more than a hundred times before so he couldn’t help but have déjà vu making the walk from the south end zone locker room over to the football practice fields.
“Yeah, walking out to practice, walking over here. It does kind of bring it back a little bit, of being out here,” Mullen said before pointing out the changes in the practice facility in the nine years he’s been gone. “Obviously here, it’s a little different. That used to be turf, and that used to be grass, and all the fans used to be on a hill over there.”
The walk was the same, the scenery was different and his title was different. As a first year head coach nine years ago Mullen admitted he was a little higher strung and maybe even paranoid when he led his first practice at Mississippi State. With nine years of experience and hundreds of practices under his belt he’s relaxed. It was different, according to him, to be in Orange and Blue and back in a place where he has so many fond memories.
After the way last season unfolded, with distractions on and off the field, Mullen was a sight for sore eyes for the hundreds of fans in attendance, who applauded when he arrived and cheered for every big play executed throughout a three-hour practice.
“We open up practice, we don’t know what to expect. To see all these people showing up here today – that’s why we do it, for them. They do so much supporting us, that’s why we’re doing it again tomorrow so they can come out, maybe have some fun and watch the team.”
Nine years of head coaching experience has given Mullen perspective. He knows that the guys he has on the field are still swimming through a new playbook and that the first day wasn’t going to be perfect. He wasn’t a drill sergeant, jumping down the throats of players for mistakes. He was all over the place, running a marathon —seemingly — to get from station to station to watch the guys go through their first practice.
What he and his coaching staff did was let the players know the level of intensity they expected and that the first day would be dedicated to fundamentals. That much was evident when the team spent five minutes simply working on running on and off the field before they split up into individual drills.
“I think having at least done it before, I wasn’t completely out of my mind. I was confident knowing what I wanted to see, what I wanted to expect, and of that experience,” Mullen said. “Making sure, we’re not going to be perfect today. (We’re not) worried about everything. We’re worried about, are we getting the tempo? Are we getting the little things? Is there an understanding of how we want to practice? That they’re learning how to do that, that those things are getting done.”
His voice hoarse from three hours of talking and yelling Mullen said he and his staff would go back to the office and start breaking down the tape from practice. He made sure to tell his players to get in the cold tub, see the trainers and get ready for Saturday’s scrimmage at noon. It’s a quick turnaround considering the intensity of practice.
He was happy with how his first practice at Florida went but knew that there would be things to correct after watching film. That’s what Saturday will be about and despite having run around the field almost as much as his team did on Friday, Mullen sounded like he wished they could jump back into another practice right away.
“I’m just happy to be out here. I love football. I love the excitement. I love being a Gator. This is what it’s all about for me,” he said. “I’ll watch the film and I’m sure when I watch the film tomorrow morning I’ll be changing a lot of what I saw and making a lot of corrections and teaching. I love that.”
https://www.gatorcountry.com/feature/first-practice-focused-on-executing-fundamentals/
He’s made the walk more than a hundred times before so he couldn’t help but have déjà vu making the walk from the south end zone locker room over to the football practice fields.
“Yeah, walking out to practice, walking over here. It does kind of bring it back a little bit, of being out here,” Mullen said before pointing out the changes in the practice facility in the nine years he’s been gone. “Obviously here, it’s a little different. That used to be turf, and that used to be grass, and all the fans used to be on a hill over there.”
The walk was the same, the scenery was different and his title was different. As a first year head coach nine years ago Mullen admitted he was a little higher strung and maybe even paranoid when he led his first practice at Mississippi State. With nine years of experience and hundreds of practices under his belt he’s relaxed. It was different, according to him, to be in Orange and Blue and back in a place where he has so many fond memories.
After the way last season unfolded, with distractions on and off the field, Mullen was a sight for sore eyes for the hundreds of fans in attendance, who applauded when he arrived and cheered for every big play executed throughout a three-hour practice.
“We open up practice, we don’t know what to expect. To see all these people showing up here today – that’s why we do it, for them. They do so much supporting us, that’s why we’re doing it again tomorrow so they can come out, maybe have some fun and watch the team.”
Nine years of head coaching experience has given Mullen perspective. He knows that the guys he has on the field are still swimming through a new playbook and that the first day wasn’t going to be perfect. He wasn’t a drill sergeant, jumping down the throats of players for mistakes. He was all over the place, running a marathon —seemingly — to get from station to station to watch the guys go through their first practice.
What he and his coaching staff did was let the players know the level of intensity they expected and that the first day would be dedicated to fundamentals. That much was evident when the team spent five minutes simply working on running on and off the field before they split up into individual drills.
“I think having at least done it before, I wasn’t completely out of my mind. I was confident knowing what I wanted to see, what I wanted to expect, and of that experience,” Mullen said. “Making sure, we’re not going to be perfect today. (We’re not) worried about everything. We’re worried about, are we getting the tempo? Are we getting the little things? Is there an understanding of how we want to practice? That they’re learning how to do that, that those things are getting done.”
His voice hoarse from three hours of talking and yelling Mullen said he and his staff would go back to the office and start breaking down the tape from practice. He made sure to tell his players to get in the cold tub, see the trainers and get ready for Saturday’s scrimmage at noon. It’s a quick turnaround considering the intensity of practice.
He was happy with how his first practice at Florida went but knew that there would be things to correct after watching film. That’s what Saturday will be about and despite having run around the field almost as much as his team did on Friday, Mullen sounded like he wished they could jump back into another practice right away.
“I’m just happy to be out here. I love football. I love the excitement. I love being a Gator. This is what it’s all about for me,” he said. “I’ll watch the film and I’m sure when I watch the film tomorrow morning I’ll be changing a lot of what I saw and making a lot of corrections and teaching. I love that.”
- Sep 8, 2014
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UF notebook: Newcomers impress
http://www.gatorsports.com/2018/03/uf-notebook-newcomers-impress/
Friday’s opening football practice may have been a breath of fresh air for the Gators eager to put last season’s dismal display behind them. But for nine players, Friday marked their first opportunity to improve in Gainesville.
The two transfer wide receivers, Trevon Grimes and Van Jefferson, were active throughout practice, with Jefferson drawing a loud applause on multiple occasions throughout the afternoon.
The first came on a leaping 25-yard reception over the middle in traffic as Jefferson displayed the ball skills that made him a four-star prospect out of high school. Later, a 65-yard touchdown pass from Feleipe Franks to a streaking Jefferson possibly foreshadowed Florida’s offense in 2018.
And many of Florida’s freshmen early enrollees came to play, with safety Amari Burney the most impressive. The Clearwater native hauled in a pair of interceptions during 11 vs. 11 drills and had several pass break-ups that signaled why Burney’s a candidate to earn early playing in Todd Grantham’s 3-4 defense.
Gators feed on crowd energy
In front of a crowd of about 600, the players seemed to feed off of the energy of performing in front of Florida fans once again. And the crowd turnout might have meant a little more for junior linebacker, who was participating for the first time in Spring practice after suffering an injury setback last season. David Reese felt the defense put on a show that the crowd was craving.
“Oh it was lovely. I’m mad that they only cheered for the offense today, but that’s fine. That’s expected. They’re the loved ones,” Reese said. “But a lot of guys had a lot of interceptions. I think (Amari) Burney had two, Vosean (Joseph) had one, James (Houston) had one, so it was a good turnout today.”
With the aforementioned Jefferson having his moment in the spotlight, Reese said it didn’t come as a surprise to him, considering the two hail from the Great Lakes State.
“Van Jefferson, he’s been around my area and things like that. His dad played in the NFL, so I knew a lot about him before he came here,” Reese said. “So I already knew his ability and things like that. He played football in Michigan, so I already knew he was going to be good.”
A new and improved Jordan Scarlett?
If there were any concerns about running back Jordan Scarlett losing a step, those fears were likely assuaged Friday. By all accounts, Scarlett has continued developing physically since his season-long suspension in the credit card fraud scandal last season, and the time away from the field has given Scarlett an opportunity to fine-tune his craft.
“He looked better. Way better,” Gators offensive lineman Martez Ivey said of Scarlett. “He knows the pass game, he knows the run game. And he’s been around. He’s experienced. That’s a big boost for us in the offense.”
Ivey’s sentiments were echoed by Lewis, who said the Gators will need the Scarlett of season’s past with some unproven talent in the backfield.
“We need a big running back like that. He can hit the holes like the A-gap and bring power to the team on third-and-1, fourth-and-1,” Redshirt senior tight end C’yontai Lewis said. “We need him to bring that power and get those extra yards for us. He’s a good downhill runner. And then he’s a veteran and he knows a lot more about the game than young running backs.”
http://www.gatorsports.com/2018/03/uf-notebook-newcomers-impress/
Friday’s opening football practice may have been a breath of fresh air for the Gators eager to put last season’s dismal display behind them. But for nine players, Friday marked their first opportunity to improve in Gainesville.
The two transfer wide receivers, Trevon Grimes and Van Jefferson, were active throughout practice, with Jefferson drawing a loud applause on multiple occasions throughout the afternoon.
The first came on a leaping 25-yard reception over the middle in traffic as Jefferson displayed the ball skills that made him a four-star prospect out of high school. Later, a 65-yard touchdown pass from Feleipe Franks to a streaking Jefferson possibly foreshadowed Florida’s offense in 2018.
And many of Florida’s freshmen early enrollees came to play, with safety Amari Burney the most impressive. The Clearwater native hauled in a pair of interceptions during 11 vs. 11 drills and had several pass break-ups that signaled why Burney’s a candidate to earn early playing in Todd Grantham’s 3-4 defense.
Gators feed on crowd energy
In front of a crowd of about 600, the players seemed to feed off of the energy of performing in front of Florida fans once again. And the crowd turnout might have meant a little more for junior linebacker, who was participating for the first time in Spring practice after suffering an injury setback last season. David Reese felt the defense put on a show that the crowd was craving.
“Oh it was lovely. I’m mad that they only cheered for the offense today, but that’s fine. That’s expected. They’re the loved ones,” Reese said. “But a lot of guys had a lot of interceptions. I think (Amari) Burney had two, Vosean (Joseph) had one, James (Houston) had one, so it was a good turnout today.”
With the aforementioned Jefferson having his moment in the spotlight, Reese said it didn’t come as a surprise to him, considering the two hail from the Great Lakes State.
“Van Jefferson, he’s been around my area and things like that. His dad played in the NFL, so I knew a lot about him before he came here,” Reese said. “So I already knew his ability and things like that. He played football in Michigan, so I already knew he was going to be good.”
A new and improved Jordan Scarlett?
If there were any concerns about running back Jordan Scarlett losing a step, those fears were likely assuaged Friday. By all accounts, Scarlett has continued developing physically since his season-long suspension in the credit card fraud scandal last season, and the time away from the field has given Scarlett an opportunity to fine-tune his craft.
“He looked better. Way better,” Gators offensive lineman Martez Ivey said of Scarlett. “He knows the pass game, he knows the run game. And he’s been around. He’s experienced. That’s a big boost for us in the offense.”
Ivey’s sentiments were echoed by Lewis, who said the Gators will need the Scarlett of season’s past with some unproven talent in the backfield.
“We need a big running back like that. He can hit the holes like the A-gap and bring power to the team on third-and-1, fourth-and-1,” Redshirt senior tight end C’yontai Lewis said. “We need him to bring that power and get those extra yards for us. He’s a good downhill runner. And then he’s a veteran and he knows a lot more about the game than young running backs.”
- Feb 4, 2015
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Super psyched to hear about Amari making immediate impact. All the great Florida defenses have featured dominant ball hawking safeties like Will White, Reggie Nelson, Teako Brown, etc. We haven't had that piece of the puzzle in place recently.
If he emerges, maybe Chauncey can move permanently back to nickel.
Henderson and Wilson were in full shutdown mode. We'll have two of the better starting CBs in the conference. Need to find the depth there now.....
If he emerges, maybe Chauncey can move permanently back to nickel.
Henderson and Wilson were in full shutdown mode. We'll have two of the better starting CBs in the conference. Need to find the depth there now.....
- Sep 8, 2014
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- 59,376
Florida football: Observations from Gators first spring practice
https://www.seccountry.com/florida/florida-football-spring-practice-obversations
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Dan Mullen era officially began Friday with the start of spring football.
The Gators opened the first two practices to the public and more than 400 fans turned out for opening day. Here are SEC Country’s observations from the first practice:
https://www.seccountry.com/florida/florida-football-spring-practice-obversations
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Dan Mullen era officially began Friday with the start of spring football.
The Gators opened the first two practices to the public and more than 400 fans turned out for opening day. Here are SEC Country’s observations from the first practice:
- Feleipe Franks ran with the first-team offense throughout the day and was the sharpest quarterback of the group. He made accurate throws and looked comfortable running the offense. During the skeleton passing drill, Franks threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver transfer Van Jefferson, drawing a ton of cheers from the crowd.
- Kyle Trask (No. 2), Jake Allen (No. 3) and Emory Jones (No. 4) received reps in that order. Trask had a solid turn during 11-on-11 work and received an applause from the fans as he came off the field. Allen and Jones struggled some with their accuracy. On a designed QB run, Jones put a nasty juke move on linebacker Vosean Joseph. He also had some fumble exchanges with the running backs.
- Florida running back Jordan Scarlett practiced for the first time since fall camp after missing all of last season due to suspension. He slipped a couple times in the backfield, but otherwise looked impressive in his return to the starting lineup.
- Gators running back coach Greg Knox made his presence known throughout practice. He is the loudest coach on the field and does not let anything slide with the players, stressing ball security and pad level on Friday. He jumped all over Adarius Lemons for fumbling and later chased down Iverson Clement and Lamical Perine during their long runs to make sure they went all the way to the end zone.
- Jefferson and Kadarius Toney stood out at receiver. Both ran with the starters and were very involved in the offense. Jefferson caught everything that came his way and looked like a seasoned SEC wideout, while Toney ran a couple reverses and made several grabs across the middle.
- Florida’s starting offensive line: Martez Ivey (LT), Tyler Jordan (LG), T.J. McCoy (C), Fred Johnson (RG) and Jawaan Taylor (RT). Second-team offensive line: Jean DeLance (LT), Kavaris Harkless (LG), Nick Buchanan (C), T.J. Moore (RG) and Stone Forsythe (RT).
- Florida’s starting defensive line: Jabari Zuniga (DE), Khairi Clark (NT) and Luke Ancrum (DE) with CeCe Jefferson at outside linebacker. Second-team defensive line: Zach Carter (DE), T.J. Slaton (NT) and Elijah Conliffe (DE) with Jachai Polite at outside linebacker.
- During 11-on-11 work, Florida’s backup O-line got dominated by Carter, Conliffe, Slaton and Polite off the edge. Jones was in at quarterback at the time and he had no chance to throw or run against that group.
- Early enrollee Amari Burney made a pair of interceptions and looked good repping at safety. Linebacker Vosean Joseph and cornerback C.J. Henderson also came down with picks, while cornerbacks Trey Dean, Brian Edwards and Marco Wilson all had pass breakups.
- Edwards played safety last season, but is now working with the corners. C.J. McWilliams has moved from cornerback to safety/nickel. Chauncey Gardner started at nickel when Florida was in that formation, with Brad Stewart and Jeawon Taylor as the safeties.
- Sep 8, 2014
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Florida Gators first spring practice notebook
http://www.gatorcountry.com/florida-gators-football/florida-gators-first-spring-practice-notebook/
Dan Mullen’s first practice as the head coach of the Florida Gators is in the books. Here are the highlights and notes from the first day of spring camp.
Starting 11
First, a caveat from Mullen about starters:
“The most important one is who finishes. You want to see who the real people are? It’s not maybe who plays the first play of the game, that’s maybe what everybody concerns themselves on, it’s when we’re in overtime who plays the last play of the game.”
That’s all well and good, but everybody wants to know who were the starting 11 on both sides of the ball when the team went into 11-on-11 work.
Offense
QB – Feleipe Franks
RB – Lamical Perine
TE – C’yontai Lewis
LT Martez Ivey
LG – Tyler Jordan
C – T.J. McCoy
RG – Fred Johnson
RT – Jawaan Taylor
WR – Van Jefferson
WR – Tyrie Cleveland
Slot – Kadarius Toney
Defense
DE/OLB – CeCe Jefferson
DE – Jabari Zuniga
NT Khairi Clark
DT – Luke Ancrum
LB – David Reese
LB – Vosean Joseph
CB – Marco Wilson
CB – C.J. Henderson
Nickel – Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
S – Jeawon Taylor
S- Brad Stewart
Standouts
Amari Burney
The early enrollee had two interceptions on Friday afternoon. The first came in 7-on-7 work and the second in 11-on-11 work. Both drew loud cheers from the crowd and then murmurs of, “who’s wearing No. 30?” If Burney keeps playing that way people won’t be asking who’s wearing No. 30 for long. Burney started his first collegiate practice at safety, where Mullen said he would start. He’s an athletic player that could potentially play on both sides of the ball or at multiple positions on defense. For now his home is on the defensive side of the ball.
Cornerbacks C.J. Henderson and Marco Wilson
Whether it was 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 the duo was impressive. We didn’t see either allow a reception all day and they’ll likely be some of the first players to earn a starting role, if that hasn’t been put down in sharpie already.
Van Jefferson
Florida won’t know Jefferson’s status until after spring practice (Jefferson transferred from Ole Miss after the school was put on probation and is going through an appeal process to be immediately eligible).
However, it’s apparent that the Gators have a special talent in Jefferson. He is already the best receiver the Gators have. He’s a solid route runner with sneaky speed that can get him behind the defense and great hands. If he’s eligible he’ll be a key player on the Florida offense this season.
http://www.gatorcountry.com/florida-gators-football/florida-gators-first-spring-practice-notebook/
Dan Mullen’s first practice as the head coach of the Florida Gators is in the books. Here are the highlights and notes from the first day of spring camp.
Starting 11
First, a caveat from Mullen about starters:
“The most important one is who finishes. You want to see who the real people are? It’s not maybe who plays the first play of the game, that’s maybe what everybody concerns themselves on, it’s when we’re in overtime who plays the last play of the game.”
That’s all well and good, but everybody wants to know who were the starting 11 on both sides of the ball when the team went into 11-on-11 work.
Offense
QB – Feleipe Franks
RB – Lamical Perine
TE – C’yontai Lewis
LT Martez Ivey
LG – Tyler Jordan
C – T.J. McCoy
RG – Fred Johnson
RT – Jawaan Taylor
WR – Van Jefferson
WR – Tyrie Cleveland
Slot – Kadarius Toney
Defense
DE/OLB – CeCe Jefferson
DE – Jabari Zuniga
NT Khairi Clark
DT – Luke Ancrum
LB – David Reese
LB – Vosean Joseph
CB – Marco Wilson
CB – C.J. Henderson
Nickel – Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
S – Jeawon Taylor
S- Brad Stewart
Standouts
Amari Burney
The early enrollee had two interceptions on Friday afternoon. The first came in 7-on-7 work and the second in 11-on-11 work. Both drew loud cheers from the crowd and then murmurs of, “who’s wearing No. 30?” If Burney keeps playing that way people won’t be asking who’s wearing No. 30 for long. Burney started his first collegiate practice at safety, where Mullen said he would start. He’s an athletic player that could potentially play on both sides of the ball or at multiple positions on defense. For now his home is on the defensive side of the ball.
Cornerbacks C.J. Henderson and Marco Wilson
Whether it was 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 the duo was impressive. We didn’t see either allow a reception all day and they’ll likely be some of the first players to earn a starting role, if that hasn’t been put down in sharpie already.
Van Jefferson
Florida won’t know Jefferson’s status until after spring practice (Jefferson transferred from Ole Miss after the school was put on probation and is going through an appeal process to be immediately eligible).
However, it’s apparent that the Gators have a special talent in Jefferson. He is already the best receiver the Gators have. He’s a solid route runner with sneaky speed that can get him behind the defense and great hands. If he’s eligible he’ll be a key player on the Florida offense this season.
- Jun 13, 2014
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Holy crap,dude. He's freakin jacked.
Dude’s ripped!Coach Gonzalez better watch out.
- Jun 12, 2014
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@NickdelaTorreGC: Gators are practicing punt blocks.
Never saw this practiced under the last staff, probably because they never planned or tried blocking one during a game.
Never saw this practiced under the last staff, probably because they never planned or tried blocking one during a game.
- Jun 12, 2014
- 8,462
- 14,794
Founding Member
- Jun 12, 2014
- 8,462
- 14,794
Founding Member
@Bailiegh_Jo04: “Protect the ball. All day long for the next hour and a half ... Never can they have the ball.” #Gators
- Jun 12, 2014
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@InsideTheGators: Drills with the quarterbacks practicing hand-offs to the backs. Join the discussion in the Alley for up-to-the-minute coverage. http://florida.rivals.com
- Jun 12, 2014
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@Bailiegh_Jo04: Don’t think I’ve ever heard this much talking and energy at a #Gators practice in the last two years.
- Jun 12, 2014
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Founding Member
@NickdelaTorreGC: #Gators RBs
