All Eyes Look Towards the 2016 Football Class

As the Florida Gators enter the new year, it’s time to look forward to the new recruiting class. With a roller coaster year for the team, Coach Jim McElwain has stated that he is bringing in 25 to 30 new players for the 2016 season. The Gators started out strong when the new head coach first arrived this year. Winning the first six games, they were on par with No 3 Ole Miss. However, things didn’t take a turn for the better for the rest of the year.

The Gators saw the suspension of quarterback Will Grier in the early fall, lost the final three games of their season, and then got crushed by the Michigan Wolverines in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl. They lost to the Wolverines 41 to 7; one of the worst performances the team has ever had in their history. Needless to say, the Gators went home with the taste of disappointment in their mouths and their tails between their legs. McElwain seemed to be chipper after the game though.

Austin Appleby in a game against Iowa. Photo courtesy of Marc Lebryk – USA TODAY Sports

He stated to reporters during his postgame press conference that;  “Maybe that’s my fault about being upbeat. Yeah, I’m disappointed. We’re all disappointed. But you also got to learn from disappointment, and we will.”

As four upperclassmen declared for the NFL Draft, McElwain shifted his focus on the players that will shape the years to come for the Gators. Seeing them as leaders, the coach will depend on them to help guide the newcomers over the year. As a result of this new responsibility for returning team members,  the excitement for next season seems to be returning. A crop of fresh and talented newcomers are set to start early in order to be eligible for the fall season. Ten out of the twelve of them have arrived already for spring classes and received a warm welcome from the head coach.

In addition to these new team members, Austin Appleby has announced that he will be transferring to the University of Florida as a graduate student. Currently, Appleby is the head quarterback at Purdue University. The addition of the older player will add an interesting contender for who might the starting QB next year. As I already wrote about in a previous blog post, there are four other contenders for the starting position. However, Austin  is the only one that already seems to fit what the head coach looks for in a starter. He is the same height as all of the other QB’s who played under McElwain’s other teams, can take care of the ball well and has the experience of playing under pressure already.

Whatever the outcome of the transfer window, the Gators seem to be taking the steps towards laying down a solid foundation for the team. It’s an exciting time for both fans and teammates as everyone looks forward to a successful 2016 season.

The Triumphs and Trials of the Florida Gators in 2015

2015 was a year of success and heartbreak for the Florida Gator’s sport teams. For every moment that there were thrills and laughs, there were others filled with tears and regret. One thing rings true though, fans of the Gators will stand behind their teams regardless of what happens. Here are some of the best and heartbreaking moments in Gator sports in the 2015 season.

With a football program that seemed to be crumbling, the arrival of Coach Jim McElwain change everything. McElwain was brought in to help improve the Gator’s record, similar to the way that he improved Colorado State’s record in the three years he coached their team. Hired in 2012, Coach Jim brought the CSU team from a 4-8 record to a 10-2 record by 2014. He broke down the different cliques within the team and refocused their energy on playing as a team rather then playing for themselves.  As a result of these coaching techniques, the team improved as the years passed.

Head Coach Jim McElwain. Photo courtesy of http://www.tampabay.com/

Florida saw the potential of what he could bring out of a team and bought out his $7.5 million contract with CSU. At first his arrival generated a tepid reaction out of fans as they saw him as a snooze fest. However, he quickly changed their minds with an impressive 6 – 0 record in the beginning of the season. Seizing the opportunity to make changes within the program, McElwain executed everything that he could to push them forward. He devoted a space in the football complex so NFL scouts could sit in comfort, he scolded players when they needed it and banned swag on the field. Despite the changes though, the suspension of the quarterback and some lackluster performances, the Gators struggle to keep up their winning streak.

The suspension of Will Grier broke the hearts of many Gators fan this year. Will took an over the counter supplement without checking with the staff’s medical team first to see if it was okay to use. As a result of this oversight, the Gators quarterback tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and was suspended for a year. In a press conference soon after the announcement he had been suspended from playing, Grier stated that “I really hope that people can learn from this, learn from my mistake. I’m really sorry to everyone, just really sorry.” Since that time, Grier has decided to transfer from the University of Florida in a move that surprised many.

The football team wasn’t the only team that saw success in the 2015 season though. The Gators baseball team had their return to the College World Series in Omaha this year. The team, which is ranked 4th in their division, celebrated this milestone after they beat the Florida State Seminoles 11 – 4. This is the first time since 2012 that the Gators have made it to the College World Series, and the fourth time under head coach Kevin O’Sullivan. Ultimately the Gators were eliminated by Virginia Cavaliers, but the team will continue to strive for greatness in the next baseball season.

Finally, many of the non-revenue sports managed to claim a variety of titles as well. The women’s gymnastic team claimed their third National Title in a row. Freshman Alex McMurtry brought her team to victory after scoring a nearly perfect routine as the final competitor on the bars. They weren’t the only successful women’s team for Florida either. Combined with the various wins from both their men’s and women’s team the University of Florida was award the SEC All-Sports Trophy once again. It’s the 25th time the school has won it.

With such an impact on college sports, the Gators have a lot to live up to in the 2016 school year.

Who is the next Gators Quarterback?

As the new year lingers on the horizon, many Gator fans are asking themselves – who will be the 2016 starting quarterback? As I said in my last blog, Will Grier looked like the next big thing for Gator’s football. This changed when Will, the current starting quarterback, decided to transfer from Florida leaving the spot open to new prospects. However, as Grier has been suspended, he would have missed the first six games of the new year if he had stayed with the Gators anyways. It leaves the open ended question of who is going to take over the starting spot.

With so many other questions lingering, I’ve broken down the current starting options for 2016. There are four different players that could fill the role, each having a variety of strengths and weaknesses.

• Treon Harris – This might be the clear answers for most people. As he will be a junior in 2016, it leaves Harris with plenty of time to grow with the Gators. After Gier was suspended, Treon was appointed to take over the quarter back role as well. However with a poor start to the year, it looks doubtful that he will continue in the new year. He has only completed 49% of his passes, managed five interceptions and seven touchdowns since he took over in October. His specific skill set doesn’t fit in with coach’s Jim McElwain’s style of play either which has caused friction in the Gator’s world.

• Kyle Trask – As a freshman in 2016, Trask will be enrolling early at Florida. This will help him gain experience and boost his development as a college player. It’s his inexperience at a higher level of the game that will probably hold him back from the starting position though. His height and weight make him an interesting prospect for the role, but most people think he won’t be ready for the starting role in his first year.

• Feleipe Franks – Franks is the clear cut winner amongst the Gator fans. With a massive arm and weight behind him, his style is the most similar to a pro-style game. As the third best quarterback in the 2016 class, Franks holds an impressive record for a high school senior. Enrolling early, Franks will be a freshman in 2016 but like Trask, will lack the experience of a higher level of play. Many feel that exposing him to the game from the sideline will be more beneficial to the younger player then throwing him into the game right away. Due to the lack of prospects though, he will having the potential to become a starter right away.

• Luke Del Rio – As the son of Oakland Raider head coach, Jack Del Rio, Luke has been impressing Gator’s coaches over the summer. As a transfer from Oregon State, Luke was not allowed to play in the current NCAA season due to transfer rules. As a walk on to the Alabama football team, Luke later transfer to Oregon before making his final move to Florida. His pro-style makes him a good fit with the coaches training techniques, but also a good fit with the offensive team. However, it doesn’t mean it would be a long lasting thing. If he does get the starting job, it could just be temporary as the Gators groom the younger players.

Photo courtesy of http://thechtonsports.com/

University of Florida: The Quarterback

A lot of the Florida Gators success over the last 20 year has a lot to do with the play of their quarterbacks. Now you’re probably thinking, “every good college football team has a great quarterback, right?” Not necessarily. Take a look at a team like LSU. They had a stellar defense with a guy like Jordan Jefferson at quarterback. Or even Ohio State today, who recently made a switch at quarterback despite being ranked #2 in the country. Florida has had such great quarterback play that many of them went on to play at the NFL level. Let’s take a look at a couple of them.

Rex Grossman 2000 – 2002

Grossman had a fantastic career at the University of Florida. A Consensus All-American, Grossman was the 2001 Heisman Trophy Runner-up to Eric Crouch of Nebraska. Grossman was also named Associated Press Player of the Year. During his time in Gainesville, Grossman threw for 9,164 yards and 77 touchdowns. His success allowed him to be selected 22nd overall in the 1st round of the 2003 draft by the Chicago Bears. Grossman had a rocky NFL career but played 12 seasons.

Doug Johnson 1997 – 1999

Doug Johnson had a stellar career with the Gators. The one knock on him perhaps is that he didn’t progress as many would have liked. In 1997, he finished with 2,023 yards, 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. In 1998, he threw for 2,346 yards, 19 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. During his final year, Johnson threw for 2,574 yards, 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. While his numbers were somewhat stagnate, they were impressive nonetheless. Johnson was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons and played 7 seasons in the NFL.

Tim Tebow 2007 – 2009

Tim Tebow, the legend. Tim arrived at Florida highly touted. Tebows prolific college career went something like this:

• 66.4% completion rate
• 9,285 passing yards
• 88 touchdowns (against just 16 interceptions)
• 2,947 rushing yards
• 57 rushing touchdowns
• 2x National Champion
• 2x SEC Champion
• 3x All-SEC
• 2007 Heisman Trophy Winner
• 2008 SEC Offensive Player of the Year

Tebow was a 1st round pick (25th overall) in 2010 by the Denver Broncos. After experiencing some early success, Tebow’s career derailed after stints with the Jets, Patriots and Eagles. He officially has played 2 seasons with the Broncos and 1 with the Jets.

Can Will Grier be the next great Florida quarterback? Only time will tell.