Category: Florida Gators

This Gators quarterback makes top 25 for Golden Arm Award

Emory Jones makes the latest cut for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

Florida’s Emory Jones is one of four quarterbacks from the Southeastern Conference to make the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 25.

A selection committee of journalists, commentators, announcers and former players narrowed things down from an initial watchlist of 63 quarterbacks on Friday. Jones is joined by JT Daniels (Georgia), Connor Bazelak (Mizzou) and Matt Corrall (Ole Miss) in the top 25.

“The Golden Arm Award recognizes the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set graduate with their class,” according to the foundation’s website.

Alabama‘s Bryce Young will almost certainly be on this list as an upperclassman but other SEC quarterbacks get the spotlight this year. Tennessee‘s Hendon Hooker and Auburn‘s Bo Nix were on the initial watchlist, but aren’t listed in the latest cut.

Jones had thrown two interceptions in his first two starts for the Gators this year, but he picked things up against Alabama and Tennessee. He brought home SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against the Volunteers and seemingly put an end to the so-called quarterback controversy in Gainesville.

Danny Wuerfel is Florida’s only Golden Arm winner to date and Kyle Trask placed second last year.

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Anthony Richardson at ‘100 percent’ ahead of Kentucky matchup

After two weeks of playing it safe with Anthony Richardson, Dan Mullen says the backup quarterback is at full strength once again.

Anthony Richardson was medically cleared to play against Alabama two weeks ago, but he’s just now getting back to full strength. Florida head coach Dan Mullen confirmed Richardson’s progress on Wednesday.

“He’s ready to go,” Mullen said at this week’s SEC coaches teleconference. “100 percent, ready to go. We’re excited to have him back and ready to play. He’s a dynamic player.”

Richardson was electric against USF before coming up lame on an 80-yard touchdown run — one of his three big touchdown plays on the day. Despite only throwing three passes in the game, AR-15 threw for 152 yards and two touchdowns.

Fans began to call for an end to the so-called quarterback controversy with Richardson looking like a 2021 model of Tim Tebow, but the injury allowed starter Emory Jones to find his footing against Alabama and Tennessee.

Richardson’s return isn’t an invitation to start that conversation back up, though. Both quarterbacks have been vocal supporters of one another, and the offense is at its best when Jones and Richardson can play off one another to keep the defense guessing. The two-quarterback rotation should be lethal for the Gators with Jones getting some backup just as he figures things out.

“I’m definitely excited to get Anthony back,” Jones said Monday. “Last week he was mad he didn’t get in because he thought he was going to play. I told him we need him 100 percent when he comes back.”

Richardson wasn’t the only one eager for him to get back on the field against Tennessee, but there’s no denying Jones’ point. A healthy Richardson could mean everything for Florida, especially with a tricky Georgia defense on the horizon.

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WATCH: Gators score on trick play to open half against Tennessee

The Gators got the second half started with some trickery.

The Florida Gators started the second half off with a touchdown pass from receiver Trent Whittemore to tight end Kemore Gamble. Emory Jones passed the ball to Whittemore across the backfield, and Tennessee was caught completely off guard.

The 13-yard double pass capped off a great drive for the Gators. Starting on the 22, Jones and Malik Davis rushed to get the initial first down. Then, Jones hit Justin Shorter, Kemore Gamble and Jacob Copeland for respective gains of 33, 13 and 4 yards. That’s when the trickery came and Florida went up by 10.

Whittemore attempted 150 passes in high school, according to Maxpreps, so this isn’t a new thing for him. It is new for Gators fans though, especially the ones asking when Anthony Richardson might get to throw a ball.

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WATCH: Gators within two on Dameon Pierce’s fourth quarter TD

The drive was another of the 75-yard variety and once again relied heavily on the ground game and a couple of key passes by Jones.

What has transpired so far in Gainesville between the Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide defies everything the pundits predicted ahead of today’s grueling matchup between two Southeastern Conference heavyweights.

After a first quarter performance by the visiting team that had many thinking this game was going to be a runaway loss, the Orange and Blue has refused to back down against the top-ranked team in the nation and fought back within two thanks to a late fourth-quarter drive culminated by another Dameon Pierce touchdown. Here is a look at the crucial score by the Gators running back.

The drive was another of the 75-yard variety and once again relied heavily on the ground game, though quarterback Emory Jones was able to find receiver Trent Whittemore for a pair of big catches between the hashes to push the Gators downfield.

With less than three minutes remaining, the Gators still trail the Crimson Tide, 31-29.

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WATCH: Emory Jones finishes off 99-yard touchdown drive

Emory Jones and the Florida Gators are putting up a fight against Alabama.

Emory Jones barreled into the endzone for a 5-yard rushing touchdown that brought Florida within one score of Alabama to end the third quarter.

The drive started off badly after a muffed kick return set the Gators up on their own 1-yard line. Things got worse after Jones struggled to complete short passes and create distance. Then, Nay’Quan Wright hauled in an 18-yard catch to jumpstart the offense.

Wright followed up with four more rushes for 61 yards and Xzavier Henderson hauled in an 18-yard pass to bring Florida to the opposing 5-yard mark. That’s when Jones closed out the drive by crashing into the pile and stretching into the endzone.

Wright’s performance on the drive would’ve been solid for an entire night, but Florida might not have made it all the way across the field if not for his efforts.

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Here’s where Florida stands in CBS Sports’ latest rankings

CBS Sports followed suit with the AP keeping the Gators out of the top 10.

The Florida Gators stayed at No. 12 in the latest CBS Sports college football rankings update.

Although the Gators jumped up two spots to No. 9 of the USA Today Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, both the AP and CBS Sports have Florida staying outside the top 10 for now. The Gators never looked in trouble during the team’s 35-14 victory over the Florida Atlantic Owls, but it wasn’t the dominant win most expected.

Alabama and Georgia top the list with Texas A&M jumping into the top five behind Ohio State and Oklahoma. The Coaches Poll and AP Poll both have the same exact top five. Ole Miss checks in at No. 17 and Kentucky at No. 23 for CBS Sports.

USF is ranked No. 123, nearly 30 spots lower than FAU, so Florida should have a chance to impress once again. If Emory Jones can establish a real passing game this week, the Gators could move up the rankings next week.

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Florida’s student-athletes have plenty of NIL opportunities

Official jerseys were once just a pipe dream. Florida took a major step into making it a reality on Thursday.

Student-athletes can profit off their name image and likeness without penalty for the first time this year, and Florida is looking to capitalize. The Gators partnered with The Brandr Group on Thursday to establish group licensing for student-athletes across all 21 sports.

The partnership means that players can use the school logo in their personal endorsement deals. Three or more athletes from a team or six or more athletes from multiple sports can join the program and TBG will facilitate the licensing.

“The Florida Gators have one of the strongest brands in all of college athletics, and this agreement with The Brandr Group provides great value to our student-athletes in expanding their NIL opportunities,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said. “This is a win for Florida student-athletes and Gators fans, who will be able to represent their favorite players like never before.”

The big news here for Gators fans is that the door is now open to merchandise with players’ names and numbers. Fans have long desired official team jerseys but only now has that dream become a reality.

Florida fans will have more to look forward to with the launch of the Gator Collective, a fan platform founded by former Gators pitcher Eddie Rojas. The Gator Collective offers fans access to players through interviews and video conferences, and there are plans for raffles and giveaways.

Rojas lived the struggle of a student-athlete and wanted to give back to his school after hearing about the NIL changes.

Five Gators have signed with the Gator Collective: linebacker Mohamoud Diabate, linebacker Diwun Black, defensive end Zachary Carter, offensive lineman Gerald Mincey and tight end Keon Zipperer. While all are on the football team, the goal is to branch out to other sports. The group licensing agreement extending across all sports should help with that.

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Gators receiving core still at the top of SEC despite losses from last year

Different isn’t always worse. Florida’s receiving core is still at the top of the conference despite losing Pitts and Toney to the NFL.

Most people are quick to mention that Florida’s offense will be different this year without Kyle Trask, Kyle Pitts and Kadarius Toney. Different doesn’t mean taking a giant step back though, and The Athletic projects the Gators receivers and tight ends to be the best group in the Southeastern Conference this year.

Replacing Toney, and wearing the coveted No. 1 on his chest, is Jacob Copeland, whose mother famously walked away from the decision table when her son chose UF over Alabama. Copeland has played in 27 games over three years with the team and hauled in 45 receptions for 724 yards and five touchdowns. He could eclipse those numbers this season if he can lower his drop rate and click with new starting quarterback Emory Jones.

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Copeland will have help from Justin Shorter, who is in his second season with the Gators after transferring from Penn State. The former five-star recruit was the top-ranked receiver in Copeland’s class, and the two could be scary for Florida together.

While there’s no replacing a player like Pitts, Kemore Gamble is looking to break out at tight end this season. Keon Zipperer has also seen action in the post-Pitts era, and freshman Nick Elksnis has impressed over fall camp. Tight ends coach Tim Brewster called his group “the most complete room in the country” in early August, and The Athletic agrees for at least the SEC.

Trent Whittemore, Rick Wells and Xzavier Henderson also look to play a role in the passing scheme for Florida, but Jones is expected to throw less often than Trask did.

The Gators own the top spot of The Athletic’s SEC receivers and tight ends rankings, beating out Alabama and Texas A&M. So the next time someone mentions the departures of the big three, remind them that there’s more to come from Florida’s offense.

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Which bowl game will the Gators play in?

The Florida Gators are projected to play in this bowl game for the first time since 2016, according to ESPN.

The Florida Gators have a good chance to play on New Year’s Day, according to ESPN’s recent preseason bowl projections. Both predictions listed for the Vrbo Citrus Bowl include Florida in the matchup, against either Penn State or Iowa.

Georgia and Alabama are pegged to make the College Football Playoff, leaving other SEC teams like Florida, LSU and Texas A&M in an unlikely position to fill the other two spots. The Gators would have to win the SEC to realistically have a shot at making it to the CFP.

The Gators haven’t appeared in a Citrus Bowl since a loss to Michigan on New Year’s Day 2016. Under Dan Mullen, Florida has made it to the Peach Bowl, Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl. While the Citrus Bowl isn’t one of the six major bowl games that rotate in the playoff, it is one of the oldest and most prestigious bowls.

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The University of Florida played in and hosted the 1973 Citrus Bowl at Florida Field. The temporary venue was used while the main one was under construction, and the 37,234 in attendance was a record at the time.

The Citrus Bowl will be played at 1 p.m. EDT on Jan. 1, 2022, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

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Linebacker EJ Lightsey breaks down commitment to Florida

Three-star linebacker EJ Lightsey became the 12th commit of Florida’s 2022 recruiting class. He spoke about why he chose the Gators.

Three-star linebacker EJ Lightsey became Florida’s 12th commit in its 2022 recruiting class when he chose the Gators Monday. He is the second linebacker to team up with Florida this cycle. Four-star linebacker Shemar James gave his pledge to the Orange and Blue back in June. After his commitment, he spoke with Swamp247 to explain his commitment.

He said his recruitment came down to Florida, Georgia Tech, Auburn, LSU and Georgia. The Gators gained an advantage over the others due to their great atmosphere.

“Just the people there made them stand out,” Lightsey said, according to Swamp247. “I feel like if I go there and do what I need to do, I can get on the field. When you talk about academics, they are in the top 10 for that plus a good football team. That is one of the things I really thought about too when I was committing.”

His relationship with linebackers coach Christian Robinson played a significant factor in his decision. Lightsey believes he can help him get to the next level if he heeds his coaching.

“It was a big thing getting there on the visits I took, but the love he showed me was something that helped us bond,” Lightsey said. “Ever since he offered me, he’s been in touch with me and reaching out to me and making sure we are good. He makes sure my family is alright and he gives me more of a family vibe than a coach. He talks to me about life and we talk almost every day. I feel like I can talk to him about anything and he is more than just a coach to me.”

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Lightsey said that he was a silent commit to Florida since June. He committed to the Gators back during Friday Night Lights. Coach Dan Mullen and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham were really excited when he gave them the news.

When projecting where he’ll play when he gets to Florida, Lightsey said the coaches told him that they believe he can play its three linebackers spot because of his versatility.

He added that he’ll come back to the Swamp when the Gators play Alabama.

“I really have seen everything, but now I just want to experience game day and all that,” Lightsey said. “I want to bond with the people and the school and people around the campus. I have seen everything, but just want to see a game day experience. It’s going to be rocking in there too with it being the Alabama game.”

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