Tag: bio

Meet the Team: Who is Saints WR Bryan Edwards, and what’s expected of him in 2023?

Meet the Team: Who is Saints WR Bryan Edwards, and what’s expected of him in 2023? One of Derek Carr’s favorite targets is hoping to bounce back:

The New Orleans Saints didn’t exactly move mountains to accommodate Derek Carr, but it’s tough to look at some of their free agent signings and not think that it was a move to help make him happy. Some of Carr’s favorite targets have followed him from the Las Vegas Raiders to New Orleans, and one of them is hoping to reestablish himself as a playmaker in the NFL.

But who is Bryan Edwards? He’s fallen far from a breakout 2021 season with Carr and the Raiders, and this might be it for his pro career if he can’t bounce back with the Saints. Let’s get to know him a little better now that he’ll be wearing black and gold:

Meet the Team: Who is Saints DT Khalen Saunders, and what’s expected of him in 2023?

Meet the Team: Who is Saints nose tackle Khalen Saunders, and what’s expected of him in 2023? The two-time Super Bowl champ is just hitting his stride:

The New Orleans Saints made some splashy free agent signings this year, and one player who quickly became a fan-favorite was Khalen Saunders. Active on social media and plenty charismatic, it didn’t take long for Saunders to connect with the fanbase — even if some supporters are putting lofty expectations on the two-time Super Bowl champ.

But Saunders is just hitting his stride as he reaches the peak of his athletic career. Let’s get to know him a little better now that he’ll be wearing black and gold on Sundays:

2021 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Desmond Watson

This is a prospect player profile for defensive tackle Desmond Watson of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2021.

Name: Desmond Watson

Position: Defensive Tackle

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 380 lbs

Hometown: Seffner, Fla.

High School: Armwood High School

Twitter: @DesmondWatson12

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

Successful in landing four-star running back/wide receiver Charles Montgomery’s commitment on May 24, the Florida Gators landed another Armwood High School Hawk, located in Seffner, about 130 miles south of Gainesville, in three-star Desmond Watson on July 30.

A massive defensive tackle at 6-foot-5 and 380 pounds, he is the No. 21 player at his position and a top-55 player in the state, per the 247Sports Composite.

The whirlwind life of a Power Five student-athlete is not unfamiliar to Watson, as his half-brother, Darrian McNeal, a three-star prospect in the 2017 class, played one season for then-head coach Willie Taggart’s Oregon Ducks, catching two passes for 10 yards (five avg.) and adding three rushing attempts for 21 yards (seven avg.).

Unfortunately, McNeal’s athletic career took a dark turn, as he left the Ducks in the spring of 2018 and was arrested and charged with first-degree theft and second-degree robbery in June 2020, following an incident at a Eugene apartment.

As for Watson, he originally picked up his Florida offer on January 17, 2019, and he attended two Junior Days in an approximately five-week span from February 1-to-March 7, 2020. Primarily recruited by defensive line coach David Turner and cornerbacks coach Torrian Gray, he chose the Gators over the Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida Atlantic Owls, South Florida Bulls, West Virginia Mountaineers and 16 reported others.

Andrew Ivins, a Miami Hurricanes insider for 247Sports, highlights Watson’s quick hands and effectiveness against double teams as some of his strengths and points to his weight as a possible concern.

Overall, he is the fourteenth-highest rated of the program’s 24 commits in the upcoming cycle and the eighth-highest on the defensive side of the football. Turner has picked up pledges from three defensive linemen in the class, with Fort Lauderdale’s Tyreak Sapp and Sumter, South Carolina’s Justus Boone, both four-stars, joining Watson.

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2020 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Jeremy Crawshaw

This is a prospect player profile for punter Jeremy Crawshaw of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2020.

Name: Jeremy Crawshaw

Position: Punter

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 190 lbs

Hometown: Sydney, Australia

High School: ProKick Australia

Twitter: @jeremy_crawshaw

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐

Overview:

For the first time since the 2012 season, the Florida Gators’ roster will not feature one of the Townsend brothers.

The older brother, Johnny, exhausted his eligibility in 2017, finishing as the program’s all-time leading punter with 11,090 yards on 240 punts (46.2 avg.). The younger Townsend, Tommy, joined the Gators in 2016 after spending his freshman year with another Southeastern Conference (SEC) East Division school, the Tennessee Volunteers, then-coached by Butch Jones.

Tommy was required to sit out his first season on-campus in accordance with National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) transfer guidelines and redshirted in 2017, but handled the punting duties each of the last two years, totaling 4,162 yards on 93 punts (44.8 avg.).

To fill the void left by Townsend’s departure, Florida is expected to utilize redshirt senior Jacob Finn, a Jacksonville native, this fall, but Australian Jeremy Crawshaw, a member of the 2020 class, will compete for the job, too.

Presented annually to college football’s most outstanding punter and first gifted in 2000, the Ray Guy Award has seen five of Crawshaw’s countrymen capture the honors, the Memphis Tigers’ Tom Hornsey in 2013, Tom Hackett of the Utah Utes in 2014-15, Mitch Wishnowsky, another Ute, in 2016, Michael Dickson of the Texas Longhorns in 2017, and the Kentucky Wildcats’ Max Duffy in 2019.

The long-term hope in Gainesville is Crawshaw can add another name to this list.

Listed at 6-foot-3-inches and 190 pounds, the Australian took his official visit to campus on September 20, 2019 and committed three days later. Interestingly, he holds the distinction of being the earliest enrollee in program history, faxing his Letter of Intent (LOI) to the school’s compliance office on Tuesday, December 17, 2019.

How is this possible with last winter’s Early Signing Period not beginning until December 18? Crawshaw’s hometown is 14 hours ahead of Gainesville, meaning it was Wednesday there.

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2020 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Jonathan Odom

This is a prospect player profile for tight end Jonathan Odom of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2020.

Name: Jonathan Odom

Position: Tight End

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 250 lbs

Hometown: Tampa, Fla.

High School: Jesuit High School

Twitter: @Odom_87

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

Jonathan Odom is a three-star tight end from Jesuit High School in Tampa. He was the No. 32 overall tight end in the 2020 recruiting class and the No. 768 player in the nation.

The son of former UF offensive lineman Jason Odom, who was a two-time First Team All-SEC selection and a one-time All-American who played four seasons in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jonathan committed to play for coach Dan Mullen back in May 2019 despite offers from other SEC powerhouses like Alabama and LSU.

He signed with Florida during the early signing period in December, and he enrolled at UF in June.

At 6-foot-5, 250-pounds, Odom possesses ideal size for a tight end. He has demonstrated blocking ability throughout his high school career, but the bulk of his contributions at the position came in the passing game. His junior season in 2018, he had 20 catches for 275 yards and nine touchdowns.

With returning tight end Kyle Pitts poised for a breakout season this year and players like Kemore Gamble and Keon Zipperer still on the roster, it’s likely that Odom will redshirt in 2020 while possibly seeing action on special teams or in reserve situations.

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2020 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Fenley Graham

This is a prospect player profile for cornerback Fenley Graham of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2020.

Name: Fenley Graham

Position: Cornerback

Height: 5’8.5″

Weight: 171 lbs

Hometown: Lakeland, Fla.

High School: Lakeland High School

Twitter: @FenleyG11

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

Fenley Graham is a three-star recruit from Lakeland High School, according to the 247Sports Composite. The No. 474 player nationally and the No. 34 cornerback, Graham received an offer from the Gators in December of 2018 before he eventually committed the following June. He also had offers from Miami, West Virginia and more.

He signed with Florida during the early signing period in December, and he enrolled on campus on July 2.

Though he’s undersized for a corner at 5-foot-8.5, he makes up for it with tremendous athleticism and solid ball skills. His speed makes him a threat to return an interception to the house, and he could even see some time as a kick returner in Gainesville.

Graham finds himself a bit overshadowed as the fifth-highest rated corner in coach Dan Mullen’s 2020 recruiting class, but his athleticism should help him see the field in some capacity sooner rather than later.

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2020 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Richard Leonard

This is a prospect player profile for offensive guard Richard Leonard of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2020.

Name: Richard Leonard

Position: Offensive Lineman

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 320 lbs

Hometown: Cocoa, Fla.

High School: Cocoa High School

Twitter: @trey4six

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

A product of Cocoa High School, Leonard possesses great size for the guard position at 6-foot-2 and 320 pounds.

He is more than simply a big body, however, as he showcased his footwork and athleticism by also playing for the Tigers’ baseball team.

Like in classmate Mordecai McDaniel’s case, Leonard originally committed to a different Southeastern Conference (SEC) East Division program. While the former first pledged to Jeremy Pruitt’s Tennessee Volunteers, the latter chose Mark Stoops’ Kentucky Wildcats.

Recruited by co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw, Leonard committed to the Lexington-based program on October 21, 2018. Kentucky had the advantage of connecting with the three-star guard early, as they were just the second Power Five school to extend him an offer, behind only the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, then-still coached by Chris Ash.

This verbal bond lasted less than six months, however, as he re-opened his recruitment on April 19, 2019. Slightly more than one month later, on May 29, he chose to pursue life in Gainesville, committing to co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach John Hevesy and running backs coach Greg Knox.

Signing his National Letter of Intent (LOI) during the Early Signing Period on December 18, Leonard enrolled the same day and participated in practices leading up to the Gators’ Capital One Orange Bowl victory over the Virginia Cavaliers.

The in-state prospect figures to compete for playing time at left guard at the collegiate level. Entering the 2020 season, redshirt sophomores Richard Gouraige and Griffin McDowell project to appear above him on the depth chart.

Overall, Leonard is the 20th-highest of Florida’s 21 enrollees in the cycle, slotting in above two-star Australian punter Jeremy Crawshaw.

The 247Sports Composite ranked Leonard as the No. 768 player nationally, a top-50 guard in the class, and the No. 101 player in the Sunshine State.

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2020 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Mordecai McDaniel

This is a prospect player profile for safety Mordecai McDaniel of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2020.

Name: Mordecai McDaniel

Position: Safety

Height: 6’1″

Weight: 195 lbs

Hometown: Washington, D.C.

High School: St. John’s College High School

Twitter: @HunnitBandCai

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

A four-star product of St. John’s College High School in Washington, D.C., which was established in 1851, McDaniel originally committed to a different Southeastern Conference (SEC) East Division program, Jeremy Pruitt’s Tennessee Volunteers.

Courted by defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley and defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, he pledged to the Knoxville-based outfit on August 21, 2019. Slightly less than four months later, on December 13, he flipped to the Gators, thanks, in large part, to the efforts of cornerbacks coach Torrian Gray and safeties coach Ron English.

Signing his National Letter of Intent (LOI) just five days after flipping, McDaniel’s speed jumps off the screen while watching his film. Also a member of the track and field team during his days as a St. John’s Cadet in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC), he won the District of Columbia State Athletic Association (DCSAA) 55-meter dash with a blazing time of 6.54 seconds.

McDaniel played both cornerback and safety during his prep career, and is listed as a cornerback on 247Sports, but many around Florida’s program project him to focus on the safety position in Gainesville.

With Shawn Davis and Brad Stewart, both seniors, projected to start at the safety positions for defensive coordinator Todd Grantham in 2020 and two more seniors, Quincy Lenton and Donovan Stiner, listed on the two-deep depth chart, there appears to be a path to significant playing time for McDaniel beginning in 2021.

As a true freshman, it is likely we will see him contribute on special teams.

Overall, McDaniel is the thirteenth-highest rated of the Gators’ 21 enrollees in the 2020 cycle and the ninth-highest on the defensive side of the football.

Video:

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2020 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Gerald Mincey

This is a prospect player profile for offensive tackle Gerald Mincey of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2020.

Name: Gerald Mincey

Position: Offensive Tackle

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 320 lbs

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

High School: Cardinal Gibbons High School

Twitter: @GeraldMincey

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

Gerald Mincey is a three-star offensive tackle signee from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale. The No. 48 offensive tackle in the nation and the No. 655 player overall according to the 247Sports Composite, Mincey had a wide range of offers despite his relatively low recruiting ranking. He saw late coaching visits from staffs at Georgia and Miami, in addition to fielding offers from schools like FSU and Penn State, but he eventually committed to Florida in June 2019 and held firm on that commitment, signing in December.

A physical force at 6-foot-5, 320 pounds, Mincey has strong footwork and movement given his size. He’s a bruising pass blocker and could develop into quite a force up front for the Gators in the coming years.

Though he likely needs some time to develop and get in playing shape for an offensive lineman, Mincey is an important get a position of huge need for UF. The offensive line struggled tremendously in 2019 and is lacking in depth, especially at the tackle positions. Though he may not see the field in 2020, Mincey could be a key part of Florida’s o-line plan later on in his career.

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2020 Gators Football Recruiting Profile: Tre’Vez Johnson

This is a prospect player profile for safety Tre’Vez Johnson of the Florida Gators football recruiting class of 2020.

Name: Tre’Vez Johnson

Position: Safety

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 175 lbs

Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.

High School: Bartram Trail High School

Twitter: @tjohnson__22

247Sports Composite: ⭐⭐⭐

Rivals.com: ⭐⭐⭐

Overview:

Tre’Vez Johnson is a three-star recruit from Jacksonville who attended Bartram Trail High School. Rated as the No. 41 safety in the 2020 class according to the 247Sports Composite, he committed to Florida in June 2019 over offers from schools like Boston College, North Carolina and Appalachian State. He signed on Dec. 18 and enrolled this past June.

The 5-foot-11-inch, 175-pound defensive back most played as an outside corner at Bartram Trail, but due to his being slightly undersized for an outside corner, he will likely play at the STAR nickel corner position.

Johnson has great physicality and speed. He’s aggressive when making plays on the ball in coverage and with a 4.50 verified 40-yard dash time, he has the speed to keep up with most receivers in the secondary.

Though he finds himself a bit buried in the defensive backfield starting off, Johnson could see playing time sooner rather than later on a unit looking for new playmakers.

Video:

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