Robert Craft
Gator Chomp
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Florida will begin the 2021 season where they ended in 2020; ranked 13th by the AP.
Florida sits behind three SEC teams, two of which will appear on this year’s schedule.
Week 3 the number 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide will travel to Gainesville, and Halloween weekend, the annual cocktail party with number 5 Georgia.
Remember, it was just three years ago that the Gators were 4-7. Dan Mullen was hired and the turnaround began. The Gators have gone 21-5 the past three seasons.
Of course, the 8-4 record was disappointing, but beating Georgia and playing in the SEC Championship game were signs of the program heading in the right direction.
This year’s Gators have the potential and talent to challenge for the College Football Playoffs.
Sept 4 vs FAU: Willie Taggart will bring his Owls to the Swamp to be plucked. Florida 51 FAU 10.
Sept 11 at South Florida: USF brings back 15 total starters but that is not going to mean much as the Bulls get barbecued. Florida 49 USF 17.
Sept 18 vs Alabama: It is hard for me to believe that Florida or any other SEC team takes down the Tide this season. The fact the game is at the Swamp and it will be Bryce Young first SEC road start gives the Gators a puncher’s chance.
Alabama is one of the most talented and coached teams in the country. No SEC title game revenge. Alabama 34 Florida 27.
Sept 25 vs Tennessee: Tennessee is in total rebuild mode. Josh Heupel will have an up-tempo offense but the lack of talent will be apparent. Florida 49 Tennessee 20.
Oct 2 at Kentucky: The Cats have been a thorn in the side of the Gators for the last few years, but they have only won once against UF. This game is always close (other than last year’s blowout) but Florida will sneak out a win on the road. Florida 34 Kentucky 28.
Oct 9 vs Vanderbilt: Vandy is going to be bad, and I mean really bad. This may be the worst Vandy team in the last 10 years. New coach has the same results. Florida 58 Vandy 3.
Oct 16 at LSU: Everyone remembers the last year when an LSU’s player shoe was tossed and a flag followed. This event led to a game winning field goal. Florida wants revenge, but I think the Tigers are going to be much better than they were last season. In my opinion, revenge is Sweet this year for the Gators! Florida 27 LSU 24.
Oct 30 vs Georgia: I’m calling this the “What If Game.” All offseason. Georgia fans have been saying “What If JT Daniels was healthy?” Daniels will be full go this season, but who will he throw the ball to?
That answer is hard to find with the SEC’s best wide receiver George Pickens recovering from an ACL injury and Arik Gilbert leaving the team.
The winner of this game represents the SEC in the Championship. Gators’ defense gets a late sack from Georgia transfer Brenton Cox. Florida 34 Georgia 27.
Nov 6 at South Carolina: Trap game after an emotional win in Jacksonville, the Gamecocks will keep it close until the fourth quarter. Florida 27 South Carolina 17.
Nov 13 vs Samford: Another win over the Bulldogs. Florida 51 Samford 7.
Nov 20 at Missouri: Eli Drinkwitz is building a program in Columbia but the Tigers are not at the same level as the Gators. Florida 31 Missouri 21.
Nov 27 vs FSU: FSU hasn’t been relevant since Jimbo was in town. After not playing their instate rival in 2020, the Gators win big. Florida 48 FSU 13.
Mullen gets the Gators back to Atlanta with an 11-1 record.
Shining Knights
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Despite finishing with a 6-4 record last season, UCF has had the most exciting offseason in program history.
First, Josh Heupel took the Tennessee job, then UCF hired Gus Malzahn.
Malzahn has brought excitement in the transfer portal and high school recruiting to UCF’s fan base.
The question is, can Gus Malzahn take the pieces around him and make UCF an AAC Championship contender?
Watching tape of Malzahn’s offense at Auburn, he did not incorporate the vertical passing game, and when his offense was most successful, he had a running quarterback (Cam Newton and Nick Marshall).
So, I dug a little deeper, I watched tape from Arkansas State, Tulsa and Arkansas (offensive coordinator). At these programs, Malzahn did utilize the vertical passing game. At Tulsa, Malzahn’s offense ranked second in the nation in scoring and first in passing offense.
The reason for the research is Malzahn’s offense at UCF will revolve around Junior quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Gabriel is one of the most prolific passers in college football; in two seasons he has thrown for 7,223 yards, 61 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while maintaining a quarterback rating of 156.6.
UCF returns all five starters on the offensive line, but they do need to be a bit stronger in pass protection. The passing attack will be the spotlight of the offense again in 2021, but the ground game will also have to be productive if the Knights want the AAC Championship.
UCF has weapons at wide receiver with Jaylon Robinson, Ryan O’Keefe, Nate Craig Myer (Colorado State transfer), Brandon Johnson (Tennessee transfer) and Jordan Johnson (Notre Dame transfer). Speed, Speed and more Speed!
UCF’s running back roster is crowded and unproven. Running backs coach Tim Harris Jr and Malzahn will have to find a solid rotation. Look for one of the following players to emerge as the starter: Mark Anthony Richards, RJ Harvey, Johnny Richardson, or Isaiah Bowser.
UCF’s defense was a big problem last season, allowing almost 500 yards and 33 points per game. The Knights are counting on some transfers to improve on last season’s struggles.
Former Auburn Tiger Big Kat Bryant and Ricky Barber from WKU should be quick improvements for the Knights on a roster-personnel standpoint.
Eriq Gilyard (LB), Derek Gainous (S), Tatum Bethune (LB), Cam Goode (DT) and Corey Thornton (CB) will join the other new transfers to create more big plays. UCF’s defense will tighten up and help the Knights get back to Championship contention.
Competition wise, UCF should receive a few challenging tests throughout the 2021 season, including a few heated and strong rivals in their conference.
Their out of conference schedule isn’t a given, as matchups with Boise State and Louisville, will prove to be important early season tests.
Before I waste any more time, here’s the UCF schedule and my predictions.
Layup wins: Bethune-Cookman, East Carolina, Temple, UConn and South Florida
Tough games but wins: Boise State, Louisville, Navy, Memphis, Tulane and SMU
Marquee Matchup: at Cincinnati, the Bearcats home field advantage proves to act too much for the Knights. Rematch December 4th for the AAC Championship Game.
To end the 2021-22 season, Gus Malzahn and the UCF Knights will finish with an 11-1 record. Heard it here first, folks.
Sharpened Spear?
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After a very rough first year under Mike Norvell, the Florida State Seminoles looks to rebound behind UCF transfer quarterback McKenzie Milton.
Coach Norvell had a year to replenish the Noles’ roster with high profile transfers, and the Seminoles are hopeful for a substantial improvement over last year’s 3-6 record.
The transfer of star quarterback McKenzie Milton was the story of this offseason and it is a foregone conclusion that he’ll be the starter.
Milton was a Heisman contender at UCF, but he hasn’t played a game since sustaining a career threatening leg injury in 2018. A star in status may not return with star-level skill after something like that.
Due to some disastrous games in the 2020 season, Vegas does not think very highly of FSU, giving them just a 15.5% chance to win 6 games. With those odds, let’s take a look at their schedule:
Sept 6 vs Notre Dame: The Noles open the season on prime-time TV versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Sunday night at 7:30. The home crowd should help the Noles play with a lot of energy, but the Fighting Irish have too much talent and will leave Tallahassee with a big win. ND 48 FSU 24.
Sept 11 vs Jacksonville State: The FCS Jacksonville State Gamecocks should be a win for FSU. Florida State has 3 games they must win if they want to be bowl eligible. This should be a walk in the park for the Noles. FSU 56 JS 13.
Sept 18 at Wake Forest: First road game of the season and FSU has more talent than Wake Forest. This is the first of a few toss up games for the Seminoles and should be a battle between McKenzie Milton and Sam Hartman, I anticipate a high scoring affair. FSU 48 Wake Forest 42
Sept 25 vs Louisville: The second of four total toss up games and a must win for the Noles. This was a tough outing for FSU last year, ending in a 32-point blowout. FSU should look at this as a revenge game. FSU 38 Louisville 23
Oct 2 vs Syracuse: If this was basketball, then there’s a need to be worried. This is football and this should be an easy win for the Noles. FSU 36 Syracuse 17
Oct 9 at North Carolina: Last year FSU shocked the Tar Heels at Doak Campbell Stadium, but either way I look at this game, it is not good for the Seminoles.
Sam Howell leads a high-powered North Carolina offense and the game will be played at Kenan Memorial Stadium.
This will be a respectful L for FSU, one that hopefully welcomes them back as a competitor in the ACC. North Carolina 44 FSU 20
Oct 23 vs UMass: The Seminoles face their second FBS team, UMass happened to go 0-4 last season. This will be a blowout Homecoming special. FSU 64 UMass 13
Oct 30 at Clemson: Oh-NO!! After last season’s COVID canceled game, Dabo will take it out on Norvell. The Noles will wish this year’s game was also canceled hours before kickoff. Clemson has too much Champion-tier talent and it will trash FSU’s game plan from start to end. Clemson 52 FSU 13
Nov 6 vs NC State: Another toss up game. Thayer Thomas and the Wolfpack travel to Tallahassee and hand the Seminoles another home loss. NC State 38 FSU 24
Nov 13 vs Miami: The Hurricanes have dominated the Seminoles in the last four seasons, and the trend will continue this season. The U comes to town and leaves with another no doubt victory. Miami 57 FSU 27
Nov 20 at Boston College: Game four of the four toss up games. Milton and the Noles are too much for the Eagles. FSU 38 Boston College 16
Nov 27 at Florida: This is probably one of the biggest rivalry matchups of the season. The Gators have more talent on both sides of the ball and will show FSU no mercy. Florida 58 FSU 24
Record: 6-6
The 2021 season will be a turning point for FSU. Can they meet, or exceed expectations?
I believe the ceiling for FSU is 8 wins and the floor is 4. McKenzie Milton is the key to the season. If he stays healthy, FSU can reach their ceiling, if QB1 is QB done, expect 4-5 wins.
The SEC Stable
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
SEC talent is always the top talent of college football. This year is no different, especially when it comes to running backs.
Despite losing talent such as Najee Harris, Larry Roundtree and Eric Gray, the SEC remains strong all around at the running back position in 2021.
Three out of the top five rushers are returning. Who will lead the rushing attacks for the SEC programs in 2021?
This list isn’t just about players’ statistical impact, but their overall impact on and off the field. Here are my top 5 running backs in the SEC for 2021.
- Brian Robinson, Alabama: Robinson doesn’t have the production numbers compared to the others on my list, partly because he was playing behind Najee Harris the past few seasons.
The Crimson Tide’s starting running backs have produced 1,000 plus yard seasons eight times in the past 10 years. Robinson will run behind one of the SEC’s most dominating offensive lines, so just pencil him in for 1,000 plus rushing and double digits touchdowns, not to take away from his incredible explosiveness and talent.
- Chris Rodriguez, Kentucky:Rodriguez just might be the most underrated backs in the country right now.
Rodriguez is a power runner with excellent footwork, and 2021 will be his breakout season. Last season he finished 6th in SEC rushing yards, and he only played in nine games.
Rodriguez piled up 11 rushing touchdowns (4th in the SEC) and averaged 6.6 yards per carry! He will share the backfield with Kavosiey Smoke this season.
- Kevin Harris, South Carolina:Harris finished 2020 with the most rushing yards per game.
Let’s be totally honest, Harris was the Gamecocks’ whole offense last year. A physical runner noted one of the league’s biggest surprises in the 2020 season.
Harris averaged 6.2 yards per carry behind one of the (measurably) worst offensive lines in the SEC. He is a human bowling ball. He rarely falls at first contact, and never falls backward.
Harris gives the Gamecocks reliable balls in the backfield. He’s a difference maker who will be heavily carrying Shane Beamer’s first season.
- Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M: Spiller has become Jimbo Fisher’s featured back in the Texas A&M offense. This past season, he totaled 1,229 yards of total offense (1,036 rushing and 193 receiving) in only 10 games.
When the Aggies needed a big play or key third down conversion, they dialed up Spiller. With a new signal caller in College Station this season, Spiller will man the new controls in the offense.
I expect Spiller to team up with Devon Achane and Anias Smith (Mr. Do it All) to give Jimbo Fisher plenty of weapons to choose from, but Spiller will be the focal point of this Texas A&M offense.
1.Tank Bigsby, Auburn: Bigsby is the best running back going into the 2021 season.
Despite being 6 foot and weighing 208 pounds, he is built like his first name and plays like one too.
First year coach, Bryan Harson’s offense will thrive through Bigsby. He is capable of carrying the ball 20 plus times a game this year.
As long as Bigsby can stay healthy, he should emerge as one of the elite running backs in the SEC in 2021. Considering the production at running back at Boise State during Harson’s reign, Bigsby has to be excited about being the bell cow of the Auburn offense.
Honorable Mentions Outside of the Top 5: Trelon Smith, Arkansas; James Cook, Georgia; Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss; Zamir White, Georgia; Ainias Smith, Texas A&M; Tyrion Davis Price, LSU; Trey Sanders, Alabama; Nay’Quan Wright, Florida
Breakout Player This Year: Tiyon Evans, Tennessee
Looks Like Me
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
College athletes across the country began raking in money for their name, image and likeness (NIL) July 1st.
Who’s set to earn the most money? We may never know as some players are keeping the details of their deals with companies entirely private.
Most fans assume the biggest earners will be college football players, but that may not be the case. Social media outlets like TikTok and Instagram may be a determining factor in the marketability of a player in other college sports.
Local businesses in sports-crazy college towns will contribute heavily and if a player secures multiple deals from companies big and small, they will become a presence in their city, and still scrape in some decent royalty cash. Let’s take a look at some of the early winners in NIL.
- Olivia Dunne, LSU Gymnast: Dunne, an All-American gymnast is a social media BEAST. She has 5.1 million Twitter followers, 400,000 TikTok followers and 1.2 Instagram followers. Dunne is projected to make over one million dollars a year off NIL.
- Hanna and Haley Cavinder (twins) Fresno State Basketball: The Cavinders have over four million followers on TikTok and Instagram. The estimated annual gross income for social media influencers is about 80 cents per follower, you do the math, this is a sports magazine.
- D’Eriq King, Miami Football: King signed a couple deals with College Hunks Hauling Junk and Murphy Auto Group that total around $200,000. King and McKenzie Milton partnered on a NIL platform called Dreamfield as well, whose contributions are unknown.
- Hercy Miller, Tennessee State, Basketball: Miller is the son of rapper Master P. Hercy Miller signed a two-million-dollar deal with Web Apps America, and that’s just for right now.
- Brock Vandagriff, Georgia Football: Vandagriff signed a big money deal with Onward Reserve, a men’s apparel company. Vandagriff was one of five players to sign with Onward Reserve, the identities of the other four are yet to be known.
- Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma Football: Rattler signed a deal with Raising Cane’s, a Louisiana based restaurant franchise with locations across the country. Rattler promised to share his NIL profits with underprivileged communities this season.
- Lexi Sun, Nebraska Volleyball: Sun signed an undisclosed deal with Ren, a volleyball apparel company.
- Trey Knox and Blue, Arkansas, Football: Knox and Blue (a Siberian Husky) signed a deal with PetSmart, which operates 1,650 stores in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Also, notably, more than 4,000 college athletes have partnered with Yoke Gaming, an app that allows fans to pay to play video games with them on stream.
Welcome to the new world of college athletics. It’s going to be hard (actually impossible) to enforce NIL violations, but it is about time that young athletes get the chance to earn money for themselves and their families!
Another interesting benefit to explore is that college athletes will be granted direct work experience in the line of a professional athlete, and isn’t that a great reason to go to college?
This will avoid athletes from signing predatory marketing deals their first year in the bigs and allow them to strategize marketing platforms for their NIL alongside their playmaker marketability.
In my opinion, it’s going to be crazy unsettling and it will take a couple years to get a handle on all this in the leagues. I wonder why this step in the right direction took so long for the NCAA to make.
Foundation Rebuilding
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Florida State ended a hectic month of June with supreme style, landing four public commitments from the final weekend of official visits before the Dead Period began.
The Seminoles moved to number 3 in some recruiting rankings and that’s top in the ACC.
Most fans pay attention to the details of their own team, and look at rival teams with a broad stroke. Assuming the worst for their rivals, fans don’t get into the details of why or how very often.
So… Florida State: they hired Mike Norvell from Memphis, who went 3-6 last season. Fans ignore the state of the roster and lack of coaching time mostly due to COVID, meanwhile Gator and Cane fans have laughed about “Memphis Mac” for about a year now.
If you watch video from his time with the Tigers, you will see a dynamic offense. Most Florida State fans assumed that would translate immediately to their program, and they were left hopeful after the North Carolina game.
FSU fans ignored the roster and lineup changes during the season and any improvement on the offensive line. All they saw was three wins! That only reinforced FSU’s rivals on social media that Norvell can’t coach or recruit.
Norvell is building his FSU team inside out. He currently has 14 total commits and 7 are offensive and defensive linemen. The class is led by the number 2 player in the country Travis Hunter from Suwanee, GA and Sam McCall is the other five-star commit from Lake Gibson, FL.
Now the inside players, FSU currently has 4 offensive linemen committed. Antavious Woody a 6-3, 291 guard out of Lafayette, AL, Qae’shon Sapp a 6-5 320 tackle out of Leesburg, GA, Aliou Bah a 6-6, 325 tackle out of Memphis, TN and Kanaya Charlton 6-5, 351 guard out of Brunswick, GA.
Norvell and staff are currently addressing their need on the o-line and I think FSU will try to add two or three more linemen to this class, Norvell has his sights on Elijah Pritchett, Julian Armella, and Daughtry Richardson.
With the way things are going, it’s probably safe to say the Seminoles will land a top class of offensive linemen, in pursuit of rebuilding. One of many steps in multiple recruiting cycles to acquire competent depth; sounds like a good coach.
As Florida State gets closer to the start of fall football practice, the offensive line may be the most intriguing unit. They weren’t great by any means this past season, but there was notable growth. With the entire group returning, there’s cause for optimism in the depth chart’s rotation.
Norvell must win more than 5 games this year, or these recruits will portal to another, more successful campus to call their home.
Expansion
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
If you’ve been living off the grid, you missed the big news last week.
College football is headed towards expanding the Playoffs to 12 teams. Let’s break down which programs are going to benefit the most on the field.
1.UCF: Through the past five years, the Knights have been widely regarded as the most capable Group-of-5 program.
Add Cincinnati and Boise State to that mix, and with expansion, there is now a seat at the table for really talented and fun to watch teams that may come once every few years for a program.
These types of teams have historically been an afterthought to the committee for the College Football Playoffs.
- Georgia: Georgia has made the Playoffs in the past, but now the Bulldogs aren’t at the mercy of Alabama.
Kirby has built an elite level roster; and instead of making it once every ten years, Georgia is going to make it every. single. year.
- Every Second Tier Big 12, Big 10, ACC, and SEC teams.These programs will no longer have to conquer the powerhouse programs in their conference to make the Playoffs.
When the Playoff expansion hit, the first person I thought about was Tennessee coach Josh Heupel. Given his troubles surrounding Tennessee, I’d make a strong case that UCF is a better job than dealing with the SEC.
Most fans don’t view the Group of 5 as worthy of a playoff spot because they don’t play a Power 5 schedule, and/or they don’t recruit at the same level. The Best G5 teams every year still end up very, very good.
Now some of these G5 programs UCF, Cincinnati, SMU and Boise State (to name a few) actually have something to sell. These teams have better resources and support than most of their peers at the same level, and they suddenly have a fighting chance of making the Playoffs on an annual basis, more so than middle tier Power 5 teams.
If the Playoff expansion is approved, UCF, SMU, Cincinnati and Boise State are the real winners in terms of how this will help the schools improve their recruiting.
The losers in this expansion are Notre Dame and the Pac 12. The PAC 12 commissioner and athletic directors want automatic bids for conference winners. Unfortunately, they are likely not alone in this discussion.
Notre Dame cannot receive a playoff bid due to no conference affiliation. Look for the Irish to join the ACC in the near future.
While the College Football Playoff expansion to 12 is expected to be formally approved as soon as August, it’s not going to take effect immediately. The earliest it could take effect is 2023.
When there is more money available, that usually leads to more business opportunities. For college football, more opportunities usually leads to realignment and expansion among conferences.
My question is, will expansion kill the hype around the mid-level bowls games?
Game Changer
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Recruiting at all levels is very important, but programs still need to recruit the high priority positions to recruit real game changers.
The most important game changing recruit is the quarterback, for example. And if your team does not have a great quarterback, then your team will be at a huge disadvantage no matter how many blue chips you have on the rest of the roster.
I saw an article where the “Blue Chip” ratio was given for schools and the top schools were as follows: Alabama 84%, Georgia 80%, Ohio State 79%, Clemson 67%, LSU 66%, Oklahoma 66%, Texas 66%, Florida 66%, Texas A&M 61%.
The SEC led the way with six schools, followed by the Big Ten (3), Big 12, Pac 12 and ACC with two each.
The article defined Blue Chip using the composite star ranking and four and five-star count. The article counted transfers and high school recruits.
For the first time since 2018, the Florida State Seminoles did not make the top ten in Blue-Chip Ratio. Once a recruiting juggernaut, Florida State ratio has fallen below 40%.
The Seminoles currently have 91 players on scholarship and 34 are Blue-Chips. That includes 33 guys who were four or five stars out of high school and UCF transfer McKenzie Milton.
Florida State still has more blue chip talent than most of the ACC (North Carolina State, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Boston College, Louisville, Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia, and Virginia Tech).
FSU has recruited a lot of Blue Chips since 2018 but they haven’t lived up to their billing, that’s about the same with every other school as well.
The Seminoles haven’t had a game changer at quarterback since Jameis Winston in 2014, however that will change if McKenzie Milton can stay healthy.
Coach Mike Norvell targeted Milton for several reasons, and his in-game experience was the top of the list.
Milton was the first quarterback commit under Scott Frost and earned the starting job as a true freshman. Milton’s freshman season was a rocky road amassing a 6-7 record.
After that season, Milton and UCF blazed through their schedule, and Milton did not lose another game as quarterback for the Knights.
Milton’s play can help cover up some of the issues the offensive line may have. Milton’s quick release and pre-snap reads of the defense would be two noteworthy traits that make him a difference maker.
I expect Jordan Travis to get snaps because he’s very dynamic running the football to keep Milton off the field.
However, I’m curious to see how Coach Norvell uses his two quarterbacks to their best individual abilities. Let’s hope Norvell is creative with the talent he’s given
There’s an old football cliche that states, “IF YOU HAVE TWO QUARTERBACKS, YOU HAVE NO QUARTERBACK.”
It has been a long time since FSU’s Blue-Chip Ratio has been this low but the Seminoles have a game changer at quarterback, who goes by the name McKenzie Milton.
Offensive Flow
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
During Dan Mullen’s three years as head coach and play caller, Florida has climbed from sixth, to fourth, to third in the SEC total offense.
Also, at this time I’m morally obligated to remind everyone that the 2017 (pre-Mullen) Gator’s offense was ranked 13th in the conference, next to last.
Whether it’s Emory Jones or Anthony Richardson playing quarterback this fall, neither are as accurate as Kyle Trask, nor will they enjoy the luxury of throwing to Kyle Pitts or Kadarius Toney, so it’s imperative the running game is reestablished this season.
Florida has averaged 5+ yards per carry only once in the past 11 years. In 2018, when Lamical Perine, Jordan Scarlett and Dameon Pierce churned out more than 2,000 yards. Mullen was freely deploying quarterback Felipe Franks in the running game.
I think Florida returns to that style of offense this season with Pierce, Malik Davis, Nay’Quan Wright, Lorenzo Lingard and Demarkcus Bowman in a crowded running back room and Jones or Richardson taking 100 plus carries.
If Florida’s offense plays at a similar level as last season, Dan Mullen’s play book will rival Coach Klein’s from the Waterboy. Furthermore, my prediction of Georgia winning the SEC East should be flushed at the Florida Welcome Center on I-75.
It’s not that I think the Gators will stink offensively this year, it’s just that last year’s unit was exceptional, so I’m bracing for descent.
The 7.3 yards per play were the second most in school history behind the 7.4 average in 1995. The 1995 team did not play a SEC only schedule and had the luxury of facing two cupcake schools.
I believe Mullen will field a productive ball control offense. Of course, and as always, the offensive line will ultimately determine the production of this team’s offense.
After two seasons without a quarterback capable of running the ball, Jones and Richardson change the narrative with the verve that Mullen desires.
I’m intrigued to see whether Emory Jones commands the offense, executes the system efficiently, and becomes another of Mullen’s success stories. He’s certainly starting at a point with higher expectations than Kyle Trask.
Because Jones was Mullen’s first quarterback commit, and he has spent 3 years developing ahead of his starting job, I don’t expect Mullen to pull him at the very first sign of trouble.
Jones is such an electric runner with a strong arm that will flourish this fall. Understanding the variations of Mullen’s offense, which changes to fit personnel as well as any in the nation. Jones has the arm to stretch the field deep and the speed to make plays when things break down in the trenches.
The Gators still have a puncher’s chance of returning to Atlanta, and this year is one of those times, when the SEC crossover scheduling imbalance favors Georgia (Arkansas and Auburn). Plus, there’s the undeniable fact that on paper the Bulldogs are loaded!
Florida has yet to reach the College Football Playoffs through its first seven years and the odds of getting there in 2021 will be daunting.
Florida is currently +4000 odds to win the National Championship.
Extension
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There are stories out everywhere, on June 1, 2021 the dead-period was lifted.
For those who forgot about COVID-19 already, and all the restrictions around that, it means the return of camps on campus, unofficial/official visits and workouts on campus.
For the first time since January 2020, official visits return to college campuses. For the record, an official visit means the college is able to finance the trip for the recruit. Recruits and their families can take five visits total but only once per school.
The Florida Gators wasted little time getting recruits back in The Swamp, as they had their Summer Kick Off event on June 1st.
With all that pent up recruiting energy ready to be released, the plans for a return to “normal” are anything but, unfortunately. Florida Gators have official visits scheduled for every June weekend. Camps are already planned out and for the first time ever, players can work out for coaches.
Florida coach Dan Mullen said, “it will be waves upon waves upon waves upon waves of kids coming to visit.”
Throw in the transfer portal. And don’t forget the new one-time transfer rule. Did the waves just get larger?
All of it is another example of college football essentially coming down to a simple declarative statement: It’s all about recruiting.
The Gators have camps scheduled the entire month of June: June 7, Skills and Drills Camp; June 9, 16 & 23 7 vs 7 Gator Shootout and OLine/DLine Big man Challenge; June 14 Top Gun QB/WR Camp, In the Trenches Camp and Skills Academy for RB, DB & LB; June 25 Elite Individual Camp.
June 2021 is the biggest recruiting month in the history of recruiting.
Florida administration has been so impressed with the recruiting job; they have given Coach Dan Mullen a three-year contract extension that gives him a significant raise. Under the terms of Mullen’s new contract agreement, he will be the coach at Florida through the 2026 season.
The new extension will also raise Mullen’s annual compensation total to $7.6 million for each year remaining on his deal. With a raise of about $1.5 million per season, the financial breakdown varies by year.
USA Today shows Mullen is now the fourth highest paid coach in 2021.
