- Sep 8, 2014
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With Telfort suspended, Tyler Jordon is now the top backup at all 5 OL positions. Is Riles next up? WTF is Harkless, Buchanan, Mike, and the other backups doing? Any concern here? And is Telfort the top OT back up now (when he returns)?
There's a story on Tyler Jordon on SEC Country:
Florida OL Tyler Jordan’s versatility putting him in line for playing time
https://www.seccountry.com/florida/football-tyler-jordan-versatility
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — After Florida announced Sunday that seven players would be suspended for the season opener against Michigan, the focus was primarily around wide receiver Antonio Callaway and how his loss will impact the offense.
However, the loss of freshman Kadeem Telfort puts a strain on a Florida offensive line that was searching for depth outside of its starting lineup. Telfort looked to be one of those players early in fall camp, even earning first-team reps at tackle when Martez Ivey was out with an injury.
His suspension puts a bigger onus on junior Tyler Jordan to step up as the Gators’ top backup offensive lineman.
“Tyler is pretty versatile,” Ivey said. “He can play center, guard, tackle. He’s at tackle this week. He’s big right now with Telly being out. Next guy up.”
Jordan played in 25 games during his first two seasons with Florida and started 10. The 6-foot-4, 309-pound junior played primarily at right guard as a freshman and right tackle as a sophomore. However, he earned spot appearances at center last season before the emergence of T.J. McCoy.
Outside of Jordan, only redshirt juniors Kavarris Harkless (eight games, one start) and Antonio Riles (15 games, four starts but recovering from a torn ACL) have valuable experience among the Gators backups.
“I think one of the things [the suspension] does as coaches is force you into where are those nine guys [on the offensive line] and how do they fit when one or another goes down,” Florida coach Jim McElwain said. “Having Tyler being able to play out there … I think that speaks for him a little bit about his understanding.”
Jordan is a natural interior lineman but showed last year he could make the move out to tackle.
Ivey, who played left tackle throughout his high school career but spent his first two years at Florida primarily at guard, said the main difference between playing inside and outside is how quickly you make contact with the defensive line.
“At guard, there’s more contact and everything happens faster,” Ivey said. “It’s like 1-2 it happens. At tackle, you have to be really patient, you’re not always going to make contact on that first kick-step or that second kick-step – or make contact at all, really. It’s about footwork. It’s playing out there by yourself 1-on-1 and letting your feet do all the work pretty much and being patient.”
Ivey said he watched Jordan handle the transition outside without much trouble.
“He went out there and handled it like a man,” Ivey said.
There's a story on Tyler Jordon on SEC Country:
Florida OL Tyler Jordan’s versatility putting him in line for playing time
https://www.seccountry.com/florida/football-tyler-jordan-versatility
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — After Florida announced Sunday that seven players would be suspended for the season opener against Michigan, the focus was primarily around wide receiver Antonio Callaway and how his loss will impact the offense.
However, the loss of freshman Kadeem Telfort puts a strain on a Florida offensive line that was searching for depth outside of its starting lineup. Telfort looked to be one of those players early in fall camp, even earning first-team reps at tackle when Martez Ivey was out with an injury.
His suspension puts a bigger onus on junior Tyler Jordan to step up as the Gators’ top backup offensive lineman.
“Tyler is pretty versatile,” Ivey said. “He can play center, guard, tackle. He’s at tackle this week. He’s big right now with Telly being out. Next guy up.”
Jordan played in 25 games during his first two seasons with Florida and started 10. The 6-foot-4, 309-pound junior played primarily at right guard as a freshman and right tackle as a sophomore. However, he earned spot appearances at center last season before the emergence of T.J. McCoy.
Outside of Jordan, only redshirt juniors Kavarris Harkless (eight games, one start) and Antonio Riles (15 games, four starts but recovering from a torn ACL) have valuable experience among the Gators backups.
“I think one of the things [the suspension] does as coaches is force you into where are those nine guys [on the offensive line] and how do they fit when one or another goes down,” Florida coach Jim McElwain said. “Having Tyler being able to play out there … I think that speaks for him a little bit about his understanding.”
Jordan is a natural interior lineman but showed last year he could make the move out to tackle.
Ivey, who played left tackle throughout his high school career but spent his first two years at Florida primarily at guard, said the main difference between playing inside and outside is how quickly you make contact with the defensive line.
“At guard, there’s more contact and everything happens faster,” Ivey said. “It’s like 1-2 it happens. At tackle, you have to be really patient, you’re not always going to make contact on that first kick-step or that second kick-step – or make contact at all, really. It’s about footwork. It’s playing out there by yourself 1-on-1 and letting your feet do all the work pretty much and being patient.”
Ivey said he watched Jordan handle the transition outside without much trouble.
“He went out there and handled it like a man,” Ivey said.