Robert Craft
College Football Free Agency
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The NCAA launched the transfer portal two years ago, and suddenly the transfer portal has made a major impact in the 2019 season. It’s paid off handsomely for three of the four teams in the College Football Playoffs.
Justin Fields (Ohio State), Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma) and Heisman Trophy winner and National Championship MVP Joe Burrow were all transfer quarterbacks. Many fans criticized these players decisions and made excuses for them leaving.
The most important offer a coach or program can make a player is an immediate chance to play.
Just look at Gardner Minshew after transferring from East Carolina, he was supposed to be a graduate assistant at Alabama before Coach Mike Leach offered him an opportunity to play at Washington State.
Not all transfers were as successful as Fields, Hurt or Burrow: just ask Tate Martell and Brandon Wimbush.
Has college football turned into a high stakes game of musical chairs?
So, who’s the next Joe Burrow or Garder Minshew?
Jamie Newman is a 6 foot 4, 230 pound quarterback who completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 2,869 yards and 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Newman made his decision to transfer to the University of Georgia. He provides the Bulldogs with a dual threat element after running for 574 yards and 6 touchdowns in 12 games in 2019.
Newman should have a chance to start next season. The Bulldogs currently have Stetson Bennett, D’Wan Mathis and 2020 signee Carson Beck to compete with Newman.
D’Eriq King is a 5 foot 11, 195 pound dual threat quarterback, who completed 52.7 percent of his passes for 663 yards and 6 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in four games with Houston in 2019.
King made his decision to transfer to the University of Miami as a graduate transfer, he is eligible to play in the 2020 season. King immediately becomes the favorite to start for the Hurricanes in new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee’s offense.
The Hurricanes have a very crowded quarterback room. Last season, starter Jarren Williams was a redshirt sophomore, N’Kosi Perry, a redshirt junior, Tate Martell, redshirt junior (transfer last season from Ohio State), Peyton Matocha is a redshirt freshman and Tyler Van Dyke is a true freshman in the 2020 class.
Feleipe Franks is a 6 foot 6 quarterback, who completed 76.1 percent of his passes for 698 yards and 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in 2 and a half game in 2019.
Franks, who enrolled immediately and is going through spring drills with the Razorbacks.
Franks has had an inconsistent career at the University of Florida. I’m unsure if he will find stability in his new transfer.
Arkansas was one of the worst Power Five teams in all of football last season. Arkansas has a long way to go before they’ll be competitive, but adding Franks is certainly a step in the right direction.
Under new offensive coordinator Kendall Briles, Franks, KJ Jefferson, Jack Lindsey and John Stephen Jones will compete for the starting job.
Here is a list of other transfer quarterbacks to keep your eyes on: Jake Bentley (Utah), Phil Jurkovec (Boston College), Joey Gatewood (Kentucky), Chase Brice, KJ Costello and some others.
The exciting part of the college football offseason the past two seasons has been the movement among quarterbacks in the transfer portal: College Football’s new free agency.
Ballin
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened the season with cautious optimism. The hiring of Bruce Arians and staff brought a renewal light to Buccaneers fans.
That light flickered all season with glimpses of future hopes.
The Buccaneers finished the season 7-9 record and 3rd place in the NFC South division. The Buc’s were awful at home with a 2-6 record compared to a 5-3 road record.
The Bucs’ season was capped off with a 28-22 overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons. This game was a microcosm of the Buc’s season.
The Buc’s took a 22-16 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Falcon tied the game late in the 4th quarter with a Younghoe Koo field goal to send the game into overtime.
On the first possession of overtime, Bucs’ quarterback Jameis Winston threw his league leading 30th interception, a pick 6 for the Falcons. Game over, season over.
Jameis Winston was the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Buccaneers fans cheered that they finally had a franchise quarterback. Winston was selected to his first Pro Bowl game making him the first rookie quarterback in Buccaneer history to be selected. Promising, right?
This season he led the NFL in passing yards with 5,109 and interceptions with 30. He is the first player in NFL history to throw 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in the same season.
Winston made history on his final throw of the year with his seventh pick 6 of the season. Winston’s first and last pass as a Buc were both pick 6’s.
His five years in Tampa Bay have been nothing short of a nauseating roller coaster, with captivating highs and head scratching lows.
Don’t get me wrong, the Buccaneers have many holes to fill on their roster. Coach Bruce Arians and General Manager Jason Licht have a difficult decision at the game’s most important position this offseason, as quarterback Jameis Winston’s contract has expired.
The Buccaneers should have hope for Winston, despite his shortcomings at quarterback. He had a career year in his first season under Bruce Arians. Turnovers have plagued him throughout his NFL career, as Winston has thrown 88 interceptions and had 50 fumbles in 72 games.
Coach Bruce Arians’ season ending press conference addressed Jameis Winston’s pick 6 to end the season, “It smells as bad as it could possibly smell and it’ll smell that way for a long time.”
Here is the question Buccaneers fans: Is a 5,000 yard quarterback still worth 30 million a year if he can’t consistently win?
The Buccaneers must make a decision about Winston quickly so they can focus on other possible free agents.
Jason Pierre-Paul, Carl Nassib, Shaq Barrett, Ndamukong Suh, Demar Dotson and Breshard Perriman are all potential free agents that the Bucs must resign.
Offensive line and secondary must be addressed in the draft and free agency.
The Bucs offensive line was nowhere near NFL caliber. They ranked 24th in rushing yards per game and gave up 47 sacks this season.
After the Bucs released former first round draft pick Vernon Hargreaves, the trio of Jamel Dean, Carlton Davis, and Sean Murphy-Bunting began to produce some nice numbers with 31 pass deflections, 3 forced fumbles and 4 interceptions. In a pass happy NFL, you cannot have enough quality defensive backs.
The Bucs have not made the playoffs since 2008. Will 2020 be the year?
Low Tide On Jags In River City
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As the NFL playoff’s kick into high gear, let’s take a look at what went wrong in Duval. The Jacksonville Jaguars had a rocky season.
It started when Jalen Ramsey showed up to OTAs in a security truck (armored bank truck) and the downhill slope started.
Hopes were high when the Jaguars signed Nick Foles to a four year, 88 million dollar deal with 50-million guaranteed. In Week 1 of the season, Foles suffered a shoulder injury and was placed on the injury reserve.
On November 5, Foles was activated and returned as the Jaguars starter against the Indianapolis Colts. He had a respectable day throwing for 296 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception in a 33-13 loss.
In Week 13 against the Tampa Bay Bucs, Foles was benched due to poor performance. He was 7 of 14 for 93 yards, one interception no touchdowns and two fumbles.
After the game, head coach Doug Marrone announced that Foles would be benched and Gardner Minshew would retake the starting job.
Minshew was drafted by the Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Minshew may be the lone plateau in the Jaguars downhill tumble.
Gardner Minshew or Minshew Mania was the topic on every sport station in Jacksonville. As a starter, Minshew lead the Jaguars to 6 wins, throwing 21 touchdowns, 6 interceptions and 3,271 yards.
In a Week 2 loss against the Houston Texans, Jalen Ramsey was involved in a verbal altercation with Head Coach Doug Marrone. Ramsey and Marrone had to be physically restrained from each other. Ramsey, the Jaguars best player, demanded a trade the next day.
On October 15, Ramsey was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for a 2020 first round pick, a 2021 first round pick and a 2021 fourth round pick.
On December 16, the NFL Players Association warned players of signing with Jacksonville because of excessive fines and player grievances.
On December 18, Jaguars owner Shad Khan fired executive vice president of football operations, Tom Coughlin. In the grievance letter, former player Dante Fowler was fined more than $700,000 for missing rehab during the 2018 offseason.
After the Coughlin firing, surely nobody would survive after Black Monday (the Monday following the final game). I was wrong. Head Coach Doug Marrone and General Manager Dave Caldwell hang on for another season.
The Jaguars have many questions to answer leading into the 2020 season: Is Doug Marrone the coach to lead to the playoffs? Who will be the starting quarterback in 2020? Who will Dave Caldwell draft with extra picks? Can the Jaguars trade Leonard Fournette? Where is the defense?
Tom Coughlin was definitely a huge problem, but it is unfair to put the entire blame on him? Jacksonville is a total rebuild from the roster to franchise culture.
The biggest question heading into this offseason: What have the Jaguars learned from the 2019 season?
Expansion
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We need to expand the College Football Playoffs to eight teams, they say. We need to acknowledge the conference champions and provide access to more deserving teams.
Maybe it is time to relax and ask the important question: Do we want to expand?
The Oklahoma – LSU game looks bad and has many armed chair quarterbacks questioning the teams that deserve to be in the playoffs.
Oklahoma earned the spot during the regular season and with the Big 12 championship. Oklahoma had the best resume.
It is certainly possible that the Playoff Committee made a mistake in selecting the Sooners this year.
Could Alabama or Georgia put up a better fight against LSU? LSU beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa on November 9th 46-41. Then Alabama suffered their second loss of the season in the Iron Bowl 48-45 to Auburn.
Georgia was boat raced out of the Georgia Dome by LSU in the SEC championship game 37-10. Plus, Georgia had a huge wart on their resume with a 20-17 loss to a four-win South Carolina team.
This is not an argument for expansion, because expanding to six or eight teams would increase the blowouts.
This season there were 3 elite teams in college football: Ohio State, Clemson and LSU.
Since the playoffs have started, we have experienced some classic National Championship games, but only a couple semifinals have lived up to expectations.
The four team playoff is an improvement over the BCS. I know today’s society wants everything bigger and better. Expanding to eight teams would open things up for each of the Power 5 Conferences to be represented.
The hunger to expand to an eight team playoff is slowly, but surely taking over the sport and when it happens, many will cheer. An expanded playoff means the gap between the quality of opponents is going to get even bigger not smaller.
If the goal is to get better games then surely expansion is not the answer. If the goal is to increase revenue to the Power 5 Conferences than expansion will happen. “Follow the Money”
There is no ideal way to determine a national champion in college football. Limit the field and you run the risk of not seeing the best teams compete for a title.
Expand the field and fans are watching more watered down games. As a college football fan, who may complain now with 4 teams, will complaints stop after we add another 4?
College football fans love watching classic games. The Clemson 29-23 win over Ohio State, which sent the Tigers to the College Football Playoff Championship game was one. This game was an instant classic and drama at the highest level.
It was a grueling battle between two elite college football teams filled with comebacks, instant replay overturned and late game, gut wrenching drama.
In many cases, more college football is a good thing, but blowouts are not good for anyone.
Expanding the playoffs is a way that makes more money for the Elite Power 5 Conferences, whose only priority is to increase revenue. Expanding the playoff will dilute the quality of the games.
That is why the upcoming Championship game is so attractive.
Happy Anniversary
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Happy Holidays everyone, as we approach 2020, let’s take a sleigh ride down memory lane. 2020 happens to be a huge anniversary year for the University of Georgia.
It is the 40th Anniversary of the Bulldogs last national championship. The 40th Anniversary is the Rudy Anniversary. Wow-it has been that long!
Let’s take a look at the 1980 Georgia Bulldog season. We will look at three key games that led to the National Championship.
Georgia opened the season in Knoxville, this was the Herschel Walker’s coming out party.
After falling behind 15-0, Herschel put the Bulldogs on his back. The key play was a simple pitch play, Walker took the pitch and proceeded to run over Bill Bates on his way to the end zone.
November 8th, according to most, is the most memorable football play in Georgia football history. “Run, Lindsay, Run” as the Bulldogs beat the Gators 26-21.
January 1, 1981, The Bulldogs jumped on Herschel Walker’s back to capture the National Championship. I remember the players carrying Vince Dooley off the field on their shoulders, Georgia fans storming the field and the smiling face of Herschel.
Players like Buck Belue, Lindsay Scott, Amp Arnold, Eddie “Meat Cleaver” Weaver, Tim Crowe Scott Woemer, Freddie Gilbert and many others made the 1980 season a once in a lifetime championship run for the Georgia Bulldogs.
It’s nice to sit back and reminisce about the glory days of Georgia football. That memory has remained once in a lifetime, at least after 40 seasons.
Yes, Georgia has come close a couple times to capturing another National Championship. The most recent was January 8, 2018.
Georgia played Alabama in the College Football Playoff Championship game in Atlanta; this game was an instant classic. The Bulldogs dominated the first three quarters of the game and led 20-10 entering the final period.
Alabama forced overtime by scoring 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
Georgia’s offense stalled on their overtime possession and Rodrigo Blankenship kicked a 51-yard field goal to give the Bulldogs a 23-20 lead.
On the first play of overtime, Jonathan Ledbetter and Devin Bellamy sacked freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for a 16-yard loss. The Georgia fans were celebrating.
On the next play, Tagovailoa found freshman DeVonta Smith for a 41-yard touchdown. Alabama captured yet another National Championship.
The victory was an Alabama triumph as much as it was a Georgia collapse.
Let’s take a stroll down that 40 year memory lane: Star Wars V; The Empire Strikes Back was the box office smash, Dallas and “who shot JR” was TV’s most popular program, Kenny Rogers “Lady” and Blondie “Call Me” were chart toppers, Jimmy Carter was President and the chants of USA, USA and “do you believe in miracles” rang through home in America as the USA Olympic Hockey team won the gold medal.
Kirby Smart has raised the bar for Georgia and it doesn’t surprise me that Georgia should push for the playoffs every season.
Vince Dooley, Herschel Walker, Buck Belue and company, let’s get together and Celebrate Your 40th Anniversary!
The Sugar Bowl Disappointment
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Georgia Bulldogs didn’t get the SEC Championship win it was aiming for this season, but Georgia is the highest ranked two loss team and will make another trip to the Sugar Bowl.
It wasn’t supposed to end this way for the Bulldogs, a defensive minded team that believed they could control a high-powered LSU offense.
Instead, LSU had their way in Atlanta, running away with a convincing 37-10 victory.
Joe Burrow did it all in this game; throwing, running and even catching a pass. The entrenched force that was Georgia’s defense, which had only allowed more than 300 yards three times this season, was jumped by experience in LSU’s romp of 481 yards in total offense.
One play stuck out, Burrow’s 71-yard touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson. Burrow spoke about that play after the game. “It was all improvisation. Justin ran a six-yard hitch route and saw me scramble and Justin took off downfield.”
Joe Burrow picked apart the Georgia defense and the Bulldogs’ defensive backs looked lost. Georgia, who hasn’t played a quarterback close to Burrow’s stature this season, had their hopes on making the College Football Playoffs utterly crushed.
Go ahead and give Joe Burrow the Heisman. Burrow’s stats from the SEC Title Game were 347 yards passing, 4 touchdown passes, 46 yards rushing and 16 yards receiving (a pass from himself).
You do have to feel for Kirby Smart though, eight players left the game with injuries. Some returned and some were significantly hurt like Jake Fromm. Defensive back Tyrique Stevenson and wide receiver Dominick Blaylock were also carted off the field with leg injuries.
D’Andre Swift said, “We lost last year. We lost this year. They have to do a better job finishing in the future.”
Bulldog Nation, please step away from the ledge! Georgia’s future is still very bright with Kirby Smart at the helm. Smart is one of the top recruiters in the country and Georgia will have another top five recruiting class in 2020. The program is still looking upward, despite these downward turns on the roster.
Georgia fans, Kirby Smart is not Mark Richt or Nick Saban. Kirby won the SEC East, beat Florida (again) and is heading to the Sugar Bowl.
This is one of the marquee bowl games in college football and it gives Georgia a chance to right their wrongs against Baylor. Let’s hope the Bulldogs have a better showing than last year’s 28-21 loss to Texas.
For the second straight year, the Bulldogs are not playing in the College Football Playoffs. I ask my Bulldogs Fans, is this season a disappointment?
The New Magic Show
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Orlando Magic continue to get glimpses of what they can be, but injuries and inconsistent play is making this season like a roller coaster.
With Nikola Vucevic being out for a minimum of 4 weeks with a high ankle sprain, I’m excited to see what player steps up in his place and how the team responds.
Vucevic is Orlando’s only All-Star player and last season he led the Magic to the playoffs. Vucevic led the team in 2018 in scoring (20.8 per game) and rebounding (12 per game). Vucevic left some big shoes to fill.
Magic forward Jonathan Isaac is now one of their featured players offensively and his main assignment is defending the opponent’s best player.
How Isaac responds to the additional responsibility could determine how the Magic fare over the next four to six weeks.
The Magic are pushing the ball more for Isaac and rely on him to accomplish more on the offensive end of the court.
In the absence of Vucevic, Isaac has become impossible to ignore. He is a dominating defender and has become a crucial offensive force. Isaac is average on the stat sheet, just under 15 points per game, 3 blocked shots per game, and 9 rebounds since the Vucevic injury.
Isaac’s play has created some room for Coach Clifford to trust him a little more on the offensive side of the court. Isaac has shown improvement in his 3-point shooting, ball handling, and footwork.
Markelle Fultz, the first pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, became the starting point guard for the Orlando Magic just six games into this season.
Fultz has only played 33 NBA games coming into the 2019-2020 season due to injuries. In case you don’t remember, Fultz was traded to the Magic in February 2019, in exchange for Jonathon Simmons and two second round draft picks.
Since Fultz’s addition to the starting lineup, the Magic’s offensive efficiency has ranked 18th in the league, scoring an average 108 points per game, which is a significant improvement from the first 6 games.
Fultz has been aggressive at getting to the paint, finishing at the rim, and finding guys open for easy baskets.
And on the defensive side of the ball, Fultz has been a disrupter. His 6’4” frame with a 6’9” wingspan has caused defections and steals.
Fultz needs to keep improving on his mid-range jumper and three-point shot. He’s shown flashes of why he was the number one pick in the draft. Due to injuries, this year has essentially been Fultz’s rookie season.
Fultz was diagnosed with the nerve condition Thoracic outlet syndrome. Many NBA experts did not think Fultz would ever play again. He has had plenty of doubters since he made it into the league, and he isn’t going to let them get to him.
Markelle Fultz, at the age of 21, and Jonathan Isaac, at the age of 22, are two young pieces stepping up for the Orlando Magic.
Both players have shown great instincts of both ends of the court. With time and effort both will start to get closer star-player-status in the NBA.
Sunshine Rivalry
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
This is the best week of the year for college football fans.
Rivalry week is finale week to yet another college football season.
The feast begins Friday night at the Bounce House with “The War on I-4”, and ends Saturday night with Florida vs. Florida State.
We have heard it so many times in our college football lives, “You can throw the record book out when these two teams get together.”
This year it may be different, both UCF and Florida are heavy favorites in their respective matchups.
“The War on I-4” is the end of the year battle between UCF and South Florida. The Knight’s open up as a 23-point favorite. These are two teams heading in polar opposite directions.
The Bulls lead all-time series 6-4, but the Knights have won the last two games of the “War on I-4.”
Take it from me, this game is going to be a blow out! The Bulls have lost three home games in a row against Temple, Cincinnati and Memphis. Coach Charlie Strong is on the “HOT SEAT.” We can call it a local rivalry game, but the Bulls are no match for the Knights in 2019.
UCF has been one of the best offensive teams in the country with the points to prove it. The Knights have 30 or more in 31 straight games, which is the longest streak in the AP poll era (1936).
On Friday night, the Knights will extend the 30 or more point streak as they boat race the Bulls.
My prediction is this game is going to be ugly if you are a South Florida Bull.
Like all UCF home games this season, the game will be over by half time.
UCF 56 South Florida 20
Florida versus Florida State: The sheer richness of noteworthy games, assures us some wild rides and crazy results.
The Gators haven’t beaten the Seminoles in Gainesville since 2009. Since 2000, Florida State holds a 10-9 advantage, despite how close the record is the games have not been close.
Just two short years ago, the Florida Gators were in the same boat as this Florida State team. Florida fired Jim McElwain mid-season and the Seminoles thumped the Gators 31-13.
Fast forward to 2019, Florida State has fired Coach Will Taggart. Florida State is 2 and 0 since Intern Coach Odell Haggins took over the reins. The Seminoles became bowl eligible with a convincing 49-12 victory over Alabama State.
Coach Haggins is 4 and 0 for his career as a head coach at Florida State. Saturday night in the Swamp Coach Haggins will take his first lost.
Florida State has been a dumpster fire since the day Willie Taggart was hired. Don’t get me wrong, the Seminoles have a lot of talented players on their roster. It’s just those players talent has not translated into wins for the Seminoles.
Quick fact: Florida State ranked 124 in the NCAA in pass defense (the lowest in School history). The Gators ranked 19 in the NCAA in pass offense.
Florida State will start the game with a lot of fire and desire but at the end of the day they are no match for this year’s Gator team.
The Gators are playing for a New Year’s 6 bowl, and they would like to send their senior class of 18 players off with a victory.
The Seminoles have given up 36 sacks and 102 hurries in 2019, whereas the Gators have sacked the quarterback 38 times and 134 hurries.
Side note: Florida State’s search for a new head coach has taken a few turns over the past few weeks.
First, FSU strikes out on Bob Stoops. Next, brother Mark Stoops tells FSU no thanks.
The hot names are Norvell, Campbell, Clawson and Haggins.
Also, a report surfaced that Willie Taggart did not sign his contract. This report is not correct Willie Taggart signed his contract, but FSU administration did not sign. Just like the regular season FSU cannot finish.
Final Score: Florida 45 Florida State 20
The Trask Train
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Gators started slow against Missouri in Columbia. Blame it on the coaching, the weather, or anything you want, but do NOT blame it on Kyle Trask.
After going into the locker room with a 6-3 lead, Gator Nation on Twitter was in meltdown mode. The major debate before, during, and after was: should Kyle Trask be the starting quarterback at Florida?
Kyle Trask was the backup quarterback after Feleipe Franks went down with a dislocated ankle. Trask stepped in and stepped up.
Trask has led the Gators to a great season and afforded a chance for a New Year’s Six Bowl Game.
The optimist on Twitter would look at Kyle Trask and say he holds the ball too long; he isn’t a running threat and he doesn’t fit Dan Mullen’s offense.
No one was paying attention when Trask lead a come from behind win against Kentucky. Nobody cared when he showed intestinal fortitude in the convincing win against Auburn. Trask had fans believing in his team in a shootout in Baton Rouge. As Birdman would say, put some “Respeck” on Kyle Trask’s name.
The loss to Georgia has some fans not caring about the 2020 season. The big question fans are asking, “Is Trask able to lead this team to a championship or would Florida be better off playing Emory Jones to gain experience for 2020?”
Let me throw another monkey wrench into the quarterback room. What happens if Feleipe Franks decides to return to the Gators next season?
I have seen a lot of fans questioning Dan Mullen on Emory Jones’s playing time. The reason is that Emory has not progressed enough in the passing games to allow him to take the QB1 job.
I think Kyle Trask won the backup quarterback job during camp and now give the Gators the best chance to win. He is completing 66.8% of his passes this season, a bit over 2/3.
Remember this is Trask’s first year playing as a starting quarterback since Junior High. Trask’s ability to make the correct reads and deliver the football on time in limited playing time has translated into wins.
Florida’s rushing attack has been non-existent this season. The offensive line can’t bust a grape and the running backs are averaging less than 4.1 yards per carry.
Coach Mullen was hired to win games. Florida’s new fun and gun offense put their talent in the best position to win. Kyle Trask as the starting quarterback also puts the Gators in the best position to win.
The answer to whether Trask can win a championship has proven to be “NO”, at least for the 2019 season. Trask is a redshirt Junior and has one year left at Florida.
The 2020 team will be different. Florida loses a lot of leadership and production players, but Coach Mullen has changed the direction of the program in two short years and has the Gators trajectory heading in the right direction.
Perhaps it would behoove Gator fans on Twitter and Facebook to be a little more patient with Kyle Trask. Just last year, LSU fans were having the same discussion with Joe Burrow. This season Burrow is lighting it up and is the favorite to win the Heisman.
I am not saying Trask will take the same path as Burrow, but you have to let the young man develop. Trask is going to have to take the right steps forward in a continually challenging SEC Conference, but his trajectory indicates success on the Swamp’s horizon.
Mullen, Gator Nation, and the players know that to win a championship, you have to beat Georgia. That is not an easy task, considering Georgia is an Elite, championship program.
To the fans questioning Coach Mullen’s decisions, I say “Trust The Process!
There is still work to be done. There is still time to jump on the Trask Train! Trask 2020, make the Gators Great Again!”
Improving The Gator Bite
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I have spent a lot less time writing about recruiting during the college football season. The season is short and I want to enjoy every Saturday while I have it.
After watching the Georgia-Florida game, I definitely see a talent difference between the two SEC programs.
Georgia has been recruiting at an elite level since Kirby Smart arrived in Athens. Florida’s recruiting classes under Mullen have been good, but not elite. If Mullen wants to compete with Georgia on the field, he must first start winning some battles off the field.
Georgia has four commits from the state of Florida, all five are top 50 players in Florida.
They are four-star QB Carson Beck out of Jacksonville, four-star DT Jalen Carter out of Apopka, four-star OL Joshua Braun out of Live Oak and four-star WR Marcus Rosemy. I do not count 4-star DT Warren Brinson from IMG Academy because he is from Savannah.
Three of the four commits live less than a two hour drive from Gainesville. Coach Mullen must do a better job keeping the in-state talent in state (this goes for Miami, FSU and UCF).
Georgia is currently ranked fifth nationally and third in the SEC with 16 commits. Florida is currently ranked 11th nationally and sixth in the SEC with 19 commits.
Mullen’s current staff does not have an Alpha on the recruiting trail. Mullen must add one or more to his staff and increase staff in the recruiting department.
Florida currently has 19 commits and can take as many as 30 this cycle. I believe the Gators will take right around 27 this cycle.
The Gators’ strong season and HBO special exposure is having a positive impact on recruiting. Also, Willie Taggart’s firing will provide positive ramifications due to lack of competition.
Florida recruiting class has one quarterback, three receivers, four offensive linemen, one tight end, four defensive linemen, one linebacker and five defensive backs. Florida appears to be done adding to this class.
The Gators need to address depth on the offensive line and defensive line. This class should have five or six players in the trenches.
Here are some of the top targets still in the noncommitted group.
St. Thomas Aquinas offensive tackle Marcus Dumervil is the Gators main target. Dumervil is a four star and this is going to be a Florida-LSU battle.
Miami Columbus wide receiver Xzavier Henderson is the top wide receiver on the board. Henderson has offers from Georgia, Clemson, Alabama, ect. This is a three-way battle between Clemson, Georgia and Florida.
Deerfield Beach running back Jaylan Knighton has turned his interest towards the Gators after decommitting from FSU.
This 2020 class is in the same shape as the 2019 class. If fans are relying on on-field performance to provide a significant bump in this class, the loss to Georgia certainly doesn’t help.
The early signing period is December 18th. National Signing Day always brings a few surprises, and this year will be no exception.
Who is flipping and who is delaying their signing until February? Can the Gators close the talent gap with Georgia and the other elite programs?
