Sophomore Spotlights

[GIGator]

***Keanu Neal*** In the last edition, our sophomore spotlight shifted from offense to defense, profiling Jarrad Davis. We’ll stick to defense today, continuing to look at how Will Muschamp is replacing the middle of his defense after the NFL Draft pillaged it. Last season, Florida counted on Cody Riggs (transferred to Notre Dame) and Jaylen Watkins (drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 4th round) to play up top and lead the defense. This year, Florida will turn to a sophomore in Keanu Neal to pick up where players like Reggie Nelson, Major Wright, Ahmad Black and Matt Elam left off. 2013 Stats: 5 tackles (3 solo) Keanu Neal spent most of the season on special teams but entered spring practice as the clear-cut starter at one safety spot. A hamstring injury sidelined him for the majority of towards the end of spring and was able to participate in the Orange and Blue Debut. Neal is a physically impressive athlete and a natural safety. He plays fast, smart and physical. Even though he was relegated to special teams as a freshman, his play on the field and work ethic off the field have won over the coaching staff. “He plays very active and is fast,” Muschamp said of Neal following the spring game. “A guy who really flashed at the scrimmage. When you talk in terms of playing at SEC speed, he was playing at SEC speed. Running to the ball, striking, playing blocks, and playing with the ball the deep part of the field a couple of times. He shows up.” Neal was a track star in high school but is built like a linebacker. He’s set up to take over as one of the two safeties in Will Muschamp’s offense and is a player that can fill a similar role to what Elam was for the Gators defense. With Marcus Maye, Jabari Gorman, Marcell Harris and Nick Washington all being viable options, Neal will have his hands full trying to fend them off but has the talent to do just that.

 

[GIGator]

***Jarrad Davis*** Vernon Hargreaves kicked things off with our sophomore spotlight. To keep things fair, we hopped over to the offense, highlighting Ahmad Fulwood and the need for a playmaker to emerge at receiver. Today we’ll switch gears again (just to keep you on your toes) and head back over to the defense. It is, after all, the bread and butter of Will Muschamp’s Florida Gators. There’s a saying in baseball that you want to be strong up the middle with a solid catcher, middle infield and a center fielder to command the offense. Unlike in past years, Florida doesn’t appear to be as strong up the middle after losing players like Sharrif Floyd, Dominique Easley, Jon Bostic, Jelani Jenkins and Matt Elam to the NFL. Fortunately for Muschamp’s defense, a linebacker he took a chance on two years ago is poised to emerge and take his place in the line of recent great linebackers to play for the Gators. 2013 Stats: 24 tackles (16 solo), 2 tackles for a loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass broken up Jarrad Davis was somewhat an afterthought in the 2013 recruiting class. Florida was busy flipping big names like Alex Anzalone and Matt Rolin and had a linebacker from just up the road in Jacksonville committed in Daniel McMillian. The Peach State linebacker was seemingly lost in the shuffle until, well, until he wasn’t. “We’re very pleased with where he’s at obviously,” defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin said of Davis last season. “That’s a guy that is someone we build around here.” That statement wasn’t on the same page as what was expected of Davis when he was a recruit. Heck, it wasn’t in the same book or even in the same library. But Davis worked. Seven games in to his rookie campaign Davis walked out to the midfield in Columbia, Missouri as a captain. Davis impressed the coaching staff with his work ethic, football IQ and tenacious approach to the game. He didn’t just impress the coaching staff, he earned the respect of his teammates as well. “He might be as well-respected of a player in our locker room as anyone because it’s real,” Muschamp said of Davis. “When you’ve earned the respect of the coaching staff, its one thing, when you’ve earned the respect of your teammates it’s another.” Davis earned that respect. As mentioned before, Davis didn’t arrive on campus with the fanfare of Vernon Hargreaves, or even the other players at his position. He didn’t concern himself with that, instead he focused on ding everything the coaching staff asked of him as well as doing the little things off the field to prepare himself as if he was a starter. Davis first made his impact on special teams before transitioning into the linebacker rotation after doors opened due to injury. Davis capitalized on that opportunity and has worked his way into the starting linebacker rotation with Neiron Ball and Antonio Morrison. Last year the quiet kid from Kingsland, Georgia caught everyone by surprise. “I feel like it was a great opportunity for a lot of younger guys to get out, especially myself. I played a lot at the end of the season last year,” Davis said after the Orange and Blue Debut. “But coach Muschamp was telling us, ‘You might have came in last year due to injuries but you’re coming in this year, this spring right now, you’ve got a chance to show what you can do.’ So I felt like it was a great opportunity for the young players.” Gator fans know his name but after his sophomore season the rest of the SEC will know about Jarrad Davis.

 

[GIGator]

***Ahmad Fulwood*** We turn to the offense as we continue our sophomore spotlight. Yesterday we highlighted freshman sensation Vernon Hargreaves, stating the all-to-obvious need for Hargreaves to step up and lead the defense in 2014. Today we take a look at the other side of the ball and a position that has been lackluster to put it kindly — wide receiver. Ahmad Fulwood took some time to adjust to the college game, catching just one pass for five yards through the first half of the season. However, Fulwood hit his stride in the second half of his freshman campaign, catching at least one pass in the final seven games of the season. He finished fourth on the team in receptions and yards and tied for second with one touchdown. 2013 Stats: 17 receptions, 127 yards (7.47 avg.), 1 TD Career High: Catches: 4 (FSU), receiving yards: 33 (Vanderbilt), longest catch: 11 yards (2x) The hype and buzz surrounding the Florida offense before last season surrounded Demarcus Robinson. The electric wide receiver from Georgia had a tantalizing set of skills that had Gator fans drooling about his potential. Robinson struggled to stay on the field, with Will Muschamp citing maturity issues. That opened the door for Fulwood. In high school, Fulwood played mainly as a slot receiver so he took some time to adjust playing outside at Florida. It may have taken time, but Fulwood really hit his stride in the latter part of the season — 11 of his 17 receptions came in the final four games. At 6-4, Fulwood is a huge target for Jeff Driskel and should develop into a redzone threat. Fulwood is a good blocker and will get an opportunity to earn a starting job across from Quinton Dunbar this season. Boom or Bust? All things considered, Fulwood put up respectable numbers as a freshman. Sure, 17 catches is just one more than Fresno State receiver Davante Adams had against Idaho, but Fulwood wasn’t catching passes from Derek Carr, he was running routes for Tyler Murphy and Skyler Mornhinweg. With a new, simpler offensive scheme, Fulwood should be able to shine with Kurt Roper. Fulwood has good speed for his size but he builds to his top-end speed. He’s a good route runner, which will help with a quick passing game but he’s also a player that Florida can run screens to. With major question marks surrounding Demarcus Robinson, Fulwood will need to step up and take some attention away from Quinton Dunbar, giving Florida two threats at the position. Bold Prediction: Florida hasn’t had a receiver catch for more than 600 yards since Riley Cooper in 2009. Fulwood will finish with more than 40 receptions and will surpass the 600 receiving yard mark as a sophomore.

 

[GIGator]

***Vernon Hargreaves*** Injuries plagued the 2013 Florida Gators, turning a promising season sour before October rolled around on the schedule. Injuries derailed a team with promise and led them down a slippery road of losses and the worst season of football in Florida history in three decades. The silver lining, however, was valuable experience for a talented freshmen class; class loaded with playmakers, pushed into bigger roles than they could have been ready for at the time. The moment might have been a bit bigger than they could have handled as freshmen but with a year of experience they will be asked to be pillars of the team in this redemption season for the Gators. We’ll kick off our sophomore spotlight with the freshmen that exceeded even the lofty expectations heaped on his shoulders coming into Florida after an Under Armour All-American senior season in high school — Vernon Hargreaves 2013 Stats: 12 games played (10 starts) 3 interceptions, 38 tackles (26 solo), 11 pass breakups Postseason Awards: Third team All-American (AP), National Defensive Freshman of the Year (College Football News), First Team All-Freshmen All-American (numerous publications), SEC Newcomer of the Year (Athlon Sports), First Team All-SEC (numerous publications), First Team Freshmen All-SEC (numerous publications). Hargreaves started the season off right, recording three interceptions in his first four collegiate games. He started the last ten games of the season and led the Gators with 11 pass breakups — tying the school record for most by a freshman. Hargreaves was touted as the next great cornerback in a recent line of star-studded players who now play their football on Sunday. He didn’t disappoint. Hargreaves handled the pressure like a fifth-year senior, someone who has been around the block and seen all there is to see in the toughest conference in college football, not the green thumb rookie he was. Now he’ll be asked to come back out for an encore. He’ll be needed more than ever after the departures of Jaylen Watkins, Cody Riggs, Loucheiz Purifoy and Marcus Roberson. Hargreaves will need to lead this secondary — and team — in 2014. Boom or Bust? Hargreaves’ freshman campaign is a tough act to follow. Many players would struggle to keep a level head when heaped with as many postseason and pre-season accolades as Hargreaves has been. But he’s the right player to do it. The son of a coach, Hargreaves grew up surrounded by some of the best players in college football, spending his youth watching the Miami Hurricanes while his father was a coach. “Being around, when my dad coached at Miami, I was around all those great players like Ed Reed, Sean Taylor,” he said. “I was around all them. I remember how hard they used to work and compete. I took that from them.” That work ethic ensures that Hargreaves will not rest on his laurels, for those who have great ability will always endure greater expectations. Hargreaves will rise to this new set of expectations because it’s who he is as a person and a player. He is already one of if not the best player on his own team and could be the considered one of the best players in the SEC after what should be a promising, award-filled, sophomore season.

 

[rogdochar]

Good info, GIGATOR. Thanks.

 

[NavetG8r]

Thanks for sharing. Lots to look forward to. If only one good thing can be said to have come from last year's terrible season, it's that a lot of young players on the team got experience. I really feel that's going to make a difference this year.

 

[GIGator]

Thanks for sharing. Lots to look forward to. If only one good thing can be said to have come from last year's terrible season, it's that a lot of young players on the team got experience. I really feel that's going to make a difference this year.

The playing time those guys got, last year, will pay major dividends. This Sophomore class will make an impact on both sides of the ball. I really like Davis.

 

[NavetG8r]

The playing time those guys got, last year, will pay major dividends. This Sophomore class will make an impact on both sides of the ball. I really like Davis.

Yeah, he stepped up last year and played well. Looking for him to be the leader we were missing after DE got injured.

 

[GIGator]

***Demarcus Robinson*** The sophomore spotlight continues. After back-to-back defensive players we switch gears and jump back over to the offense. Two years ago Demarcus Robinson’s recruitment captivated die hard Gator fans. Robinson first committed to Clemson in July of 2012 and he took visits to Notre Dame and Clemson during his senior season. Then, after only seeing Florida’s campus a couple of times, he decommitted from Clemson and pledged allegiance to the Gators two days before he would take an official visit. Robinson’s commitment didn’t last long — five days — before he flipped back to Clemson. Robinson — an early enrollee — decided to keep his final decision quiet and just show up on campus of the school he would pick. This left fans and recruiting writers scouring his twitter feed for clues. Robinson created seismic waves in recruiting but didn’t live up to that hip eon the field and he only has one person to blame. 2013 Stats: 5 receptions, 23 yards Stats don’t always tell the whole story. These stats in no way indicate Robinson’s ability or potential; not even close. On the field, Robinson is a tall, fast and gifted receiver. He’s a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses with good route running, soft hands and the ability to go up and get any ball thrown his way. However, he couldn’t get out of his own way off the field. Robinson was suspended for a violation of team rules before Florida took on Tennessee. Robinson was suspended again, this time indefinitely, prior to the game against Georgia Southern. Will Muschamp simply said Robinson needed to “act right” before he would see the field again. Robinson did make an impact, however, in the Orange and Blue Debut. He hauled in five receptions for 53 yards and a score. Robinson’s touchdown showed just what the player can do when he gets the ball in space, something Kurt Roper’s offense will aim to do as much as possible. (Robinson’s catch starts at 1:47) Muschamp and his coaching staff have recruited well. There is talent on the roster. Now it’s up to the coaching staff to pull that together, but they can only do so much. They can only put players in positive positions on the field and give them opportunities to make plays. It’s up to Robinson to do things the right way off the field and as his coach said, “act right.” If Robinson can grow up and mature off the field, he’ll be a terror for opponents on the field this fall.

 

[deuce]

***Demarcus Robinson*** The sophomore spotlight continues. After back-to-back defensive players we switch gears and jump back over to the offense. Two years ago Demarcus Robinson’s recruitment captivated die hard Gator fans. Robinson first committed to Clemson in July of 2012 and he took visits to Notre Dame and Clemson during his senior season. Then, after only seeing Florida’s campus a couple of times, he decommitted from Clemson and pledged allegiance to the Gators two days before he would take an official visit. Robinson’s commitment didn’t last long — five days — before he flipped back to Clemson. Robinson — an early enrollee — decided to keep his final decision quiet and just show up on campus of the school he would pick. This left fans and recruiting writers scouring his twitter feed for clues. Robinson created seismic waves in recruiting but didn’t live up to that hip eon the field and he only has one person to blame. 2013 Stats: 5 receptions, 23 yards Stats don’t always tell the whole story. These stats in no way indicate Robinson’s ability or potential; not even close. On the field, Robinson is a tall, fast and gifted receiver. He’s a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses with good route running, soft hands and the ability to go up and get any ball thrown his way. However, he couldn’t get out of his own way off the field. Robinson was suspended for a violation of team rules before Florida took on Tennessee. Robinson was suspended again, this time indefinitely, prior to the game against Georgia Southern. Will Muschamp simply said Robinson needed to “act right” before he would see the field again. Robinson did make an impact, however, in the Orange and Blue Debut. He hauled in five receptions for 53 yards and a score. Robinson’s touchdown showed just what the player can do when he gets the ball in space, something Kurt Roper’s offense will aim to do as much as possible. (Robinson’s catch starts at 1:47) Muschamp and his coaching staff have recruited well. There is talent on the roster. Now it’s up to the coaching staff to pull that together, but they can only do so much. They can only put players in positive positions on the field and give them opportunities to make plays. It’s up to Robinson to do things the right way off the field and as his coach said, “act right.” If Robinson can grow up and mature off the field, he’ll be a terror for opponents on the field this fall.

So, he's a Thug?

 

[WobbleGator]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[rogdochar]

So, he's a Thug?

Again GIGATOR, real good info (and your effort off the field). Robinson's & others' off-field misbehavior may clear some with a
decent offensive season with mostly wins. Still, it's all up to him.

I'm thinking a turned loose TE (McGee) with Roper's plays will tie our passing attack together. McGee could be a mature leader.
This on-field organization needs on-fire leaders using a totally new scheme. It really begins to feel like we've got that.

 

[NavetG8r]

Again GIGATOR, real good info (and your effort off the field). Robinson's & others' off-field misbehavior may clear some with a
decent offensive season with mostly wins. Still, it's all up to him.

I'm thinking a turned loose TE (McGee) with Roper's plays will tie our passing attack together. McGee could be a mature leader.
This on-field organization needs on-fire leaders using a totally new scheme. It really begins to feel like we've got that.

It would be difficult for a transfer to assume a leadership role on the team. He certainly could lead by example though.

 

[GIGator]

Again GIGATOR, real good info (and your effort off the field). Robinson's & others' off-field misbehavior may clear some with a
decent offensive season with mostly wins. Still, it's all up to him.

I'm thinking a turned loose TE (McGee) with Roper's plays will tie our passing attack together. McGee could be a mature leader.
This on-field organization needs on-fire leaders using a totally new scheme. It really begins to feel like we've got that.

It would be difficult for a transfer to assume a leadership role on the team. He certainly could lead by example though.

I hear he is fitting in very well with the receivers and they know he's had some success. He'll be really good for the younger TE's.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

We need a penalty box for people who don't understand paragraphs.

 

[NavetG8r]

Again GIGATOR, real good info (and your effort off the field). Robinson's & others' off-field misbehavior may clear some with a
decent offensive season with mostly wins. Still, it's all up to him.

I'm thinking a turned loose TE (McGee) with Roper's plays will tie our passing attack together. McGee could be a mature leader.
This on-field organization needs on-fire leaders using a totally new scheme. It really begins to feel like we've got that.

It would be difficult for a transfer to assume a leadership role on the team. He certainly could lead by example though.

I hadn't thought about the impact he could have on our younger TEs that'll be here after he leaves. That's a very good point. Hopefully he can help them this year.

 

[NavetG8r]

We need a penalty box for people who don't understand paragraphs.

I don't think it's paragraphs he has trouble with. I think it's interwebz skills.






j/k GI!

 

[sonomagator]

So, he's a Thug?

Again GIGATOR, real good info (and your effort off the field). Robinson's & others' off-field misbehavior may clear some with a
decent offensive season with mostly wins. Still, it's all up to him.

I'm thinking a turned loose TE (McGee) with Roper's plays will tie our passing attack together. McGee could be a mature leader.
This on-field organization needs on-fire leaders using a totally new scheme. It really begins to feel like we've got that.

He has turned it around fairly well.He was running with and getting in trouble w/Roberson. Also not going to class bad grades etc. which is why he was suspended so much. at the end of the spring semester he tweeted his gpa was up to 3.75 up from a 2.2 if I remember right.So I would gather it was more freshman bs not the thug life.

 

[GIGator]

I don't think it's paragraphs he has trouble with. I think it's interwebz skills. What skills? j/k GI!

 

[NavetG8r]