02:46 PM ET 08.23 |
If there is one word that would describe UF football right now it is: Questions.
Right now there are more questions about the team than answers right now.
Will QB John Brantley get out of the shadow of Tebow, his uncle, and his dad?
Will Brantley be able to run the option?
Who will be Brantley's primary and secondary targets?
How will Brantley handle the pressure of playing at Bama?
Can Brantley be a leader of the offensive with Pouncey?
Will Brantley grow out a stache?
Those are just questions about one player, who is considered a known entity compared to the rest of the team. I would wear out my keyboard on defensive side of the ball.
Here is what is known about the Gators right now:
The O-Line will be very good with depth and experience at every position.
-Lead by Mike Pouncey at Center, the O-line is the best in the SEC despite 2 positions still being up for grabs.
There is a lot of depth and speed at RB
-Demps, Moody, and Gillislee all have had a great spring and camp. Demps is the fastest person in college. He won the NCAA title in 60 meter indoor and 100 meter outdoor. If Moody stays healthy, he will get the hard yards for the Gators that Tebow ran for the last 4 years. Moody also is shifty and fast in the open field. Gillislee had a huge spring while Demps was running track. Mack Brown is a talented true freshman who will get some playing time.
-Also in the mix is the "Harvin" position filled by Rainey and Debose. Rainey is very fast and very quick. he actually has beat Demps in races at football practice. Debose has been billed as the next Percy Harvin but had hamstring surgery last year.
Meyer will have great special teams
-Chas Henry is one of the best punters in the nation. The first punt that was returned happened in the SEC championship game. That is twelve games without a return if memory serves me correctly.
-UF has plenty of speed and dynamic players for the return game. There are a lot of starters in punt coverage and returning kickoffs.
The safety position is the strongest position on defense
-Will Hill and Ahmad Black are two of the best safeties in the SEC if not the nation. Will Hill is a Reggie Nelson type talent. Ahmad Black just makes plays especially in big games. Besides Joe Haden (6th pick in NFL draft), he was the only Gator to have a good game in the SEC championship. True freshman Matt Elam has been lights out during the spring and summer.
The Linebackers are fast and talented
-UF coaches and media are billing this as the fastest group of Linebackers ever at UF. Jelani Jenkins is the likely Middle Linebacker and can play sideline to sideline unlike last years MLBs who moved onto the NFL. His backup Jon Bostic is also very fast. There is plenty of experience as well as speed on the outside with the three seniors AJ Jones, Brandon Hicks, and Lorenzo Edwards. Plus all 5 can play each LB position.
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Comments (14) Add A Comment
I thought Brantley was a pure pocket passer. Isn't UF going with a pro set offense this year to play off his strengths?
I agree the O-line and the RBs will be very good and that should take much of the pressure off Brantley early in the season.
UB bulls
West Buffalo, CA
Total Comments (8642)
With guys like Demps and Rainey, the option will still be a... you know. Meyer ran it with Leak and he was hopeless. Brantley is pretty athletic, just not winning the all of the offensive conditioning sprints on his future NFL team like the past QB. As long as Brantley can get someone to bite then pitch to the speedsters.
BS&B:TrustInO-6
Total Comments (14427)
Nice!!! Thanks for the read. And thanks for the laugh!!!
BS&B:TrustInO-6
Total Comments (14427)
3. I still think Brantley will need to run some option plays. I would not want to take anything out of the playbook. When Addazio took out the option last year, the offense became very static. The UF version of the option keeps Def Coord. from knowing where the run is going to come from. Burton may be the change of pace guy for the option attack every once in awhile if Brantley is not able to be an effective option QB.
5-6. Pouncey is the leader of the offense, hands down. However, Brantley needs to step up as a leader. Meyer has been happy with Brantley's leadership so far.
7. There was a quote by the Gainesville Sun that Brantley is currently growing one out. His high school coach Kerwin Bell rocked a stache during his time as a Gator QB.
BS&B:TrustInO-6
Total Comments (14427)
Brantley ain't that big of a guy, but could probably run enough option to keep D's honest.
I don't know if I'd say it was REQUIRED, especially the traditional down-the-line, read-the-end option because the end is GONNA hit the QB, or at least we were usually taught to hit him when I played. Even if he pitched it we were supposed to make him pay, and see if he'd get jittery next time and put it on the ground. I don't want to see JB hit very often, he'll get enough whacks in the pocket.
If we had a backup QB that was known/proven to be decent, I'd probably feel a little better letting JB run the option. Probably should just let him start running it later in the season when the freshmen QBs have had some garbage time.
GR=O-6fan
Bumfrack, TX
Total Comments (12224)
Far be it for me to give Meyer advice, but hopefully they guy reads these boards and pays attention to megas like me :)
I would think UF would move from the spread option that fit Tebow's skills to more of a 4 wide Texas Tech style spread, where the QB is not expected to run much, but rather is supposed to find guys like Demps 3-5 yards down field in a crease.
Alex Smith did some running at Utah, but mostly it was down the sidelines and duck out of bounds, just enough to annoy the defense.
UB bulls
West Buffalo, CA
Total Comments (8642)
Utah demolishing Pitt in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.
I stand corrected about how Meyer used Smith. Smith had 15 rushes in that game for 68 yds and was Utah's leading rusher both in carries and in yards gained. The video is deceptive in that regard. Game log:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/ncaa/playbyplay/2005/01/01/27205 _pbp.html
UB bulls
West Buffalo, CA
Total Comments (8642)
This is the play (and player) the UF offense was missing last year
Chris Leak in the SEC championship game
The first play sets up the second.
BS&B:TrustInO-6
Total Comments (14427)
http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20100830/ARTICLES/100839948/1136?T itle=Brantley-all-grown-up
Brantley's leadership may not longer be a question.
BS&B:TrustInO-6
Total Comments (14427)
Stewie on the Gators "The Gators are too talented to struggle for long, but anyone picking them to reach the national tile game is delusional."
He has UGA over the Gators in a BCS bowl. That is a possibility, UGA has a great Oline and a great WR. However, I still think that the Gators still have an edge over the Bulldogs and the rest of SEC East.
BS&B:TrustInO-6
Total Comments (14427)
Daily Dose of Dooley
http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20100901/COLUMNISTS/100909947/1044 ?Title=Everything-changed-at-UF-20-years-ago
BS&B:TrustInO-6
Total Comments (14427)
Dareus is suspended for 2 games! Includes PENN State.
BS&B:TrustInO-6
Total Comments (14427)
WTF?
New question: Can we work out the shotgun snap? I see Flag Foosball guys do it.
BS&B:TrustInO-6
Total Comments (14427)
Gillislee will be Bruiser RB for the Gators. He may not be Lattimore, Richardson, or Ingram (yes I think the USCe freshman belongs in that group). Gillislee runs very hard, better than Moody IMO. I think he will be UF's back for the hard yards.
BS&B:TrustInO-6
Total Comments (14427)
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