Tag: Emory Jones

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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Don’t sleep on Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson this fall

Florida fans should be thrilled that coach Dan Mullen is comfortable with Emory Jones or Anthony Richardson under center this season.

Dan Mullen likes to treat his quarterbacks delicately. He lets them soak up information from the sideline and gives them glimpses of action through their first couple of years on campus. Quarterback Anthony Richardson may only be a redshirt freshman, but Mullen has spent a good amount of time hyping up his play during fall camp. He went out of his way to point out that the local Gainesville native played well during the first scrimmage.

“They’re different,” he said about the quarterbacks after the first scrimmage. “Nobody asked about Anthony. Anthony is doing an unbelievable job. Anthony had a huge night last night. Did really well, made a lot of great decisions. Very accurate. I think he threw three touchdown passes. Obviously is a dynamic runner as well, making good decisions. I feel very comfortable with both guys, which is a good thing.”

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The other quarterback he is referring to is redshirt junior quarterback Emory Jones. He is still considered a virtual lock to be the starter this season. However, Florida fans should be thrilled that Mullen feels comfortable throwing him in there if Jones struggles or get hurts.

“I think he looks great. I think he’s prepared himself to be the starter, which is what you want, you know?” Mullen said Monday, according to Swamp247. “He’s going to be ready to get on the field in just about any situation that it is. Now it’s our job to kind of put him in the different situations so that he has that experience in every different possible scenario for when he is on the field.”

Regardless though, Richardson should see some snaps this season because Mullen gave Jones some snaps throughout his first three years on campus.

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Gators QB on Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List

Kyle Trask was a finalist last year and now Emory Jones begins his quest for the Golden Arm Award.

Florida redshirt junior quarterback Emory Jones is on the watchlist for the 2021 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

Upperclassmen set to graduate are eligible for the award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Foundation released a watchlist of 63 players on Thursday.

After three years in the reserve role, Jones is getting the starting nod in 2021. He completed 18 passes on 32 attempts for 221 yards and two touchdowns last season in appearances across nine games. He added 217 yards on the ground on 32 attempts.

Jones is one of six SEC quarterbacks on the list, joining Georgia‘s J.T. Daniels, Missouri’s Connor Bazelak, Tennessee‘s Hendon Hooker, Auburn’s Bo Nix and Matt Corral from Ole Miss.

Florida has had one Golden Arm winner since its inception in 1987. Danny Wuerffel won the award in 1996 and more recently Kyle Trask was a finalist just last year.

A committee of journalists, commentators, announcers and former players will decide the semi-finalists, finalists and winner. The award will be presented this year on Dec. 10 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore by Johnny Unitas Jr.

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How likely a Heisman candidate is Emory Jones heading into 2021?

ESPN says Jones is Florida’s most likely Heisman candidate.

For a large chunk of the 2020 season, it appeared as though UF quarterback Kyle Trask was on his way to a Heisman Trophy. His season set practically every single-season passing record for the program, but he couldn’t keep the momentum in his favor, and eventually, the trophy went to Alabama receiver Devonta Smith.

Trask is gone now, and taking his place is redshirt junior Emory Jones. Jones has never started a game, but he’s seen quite a good bit of action throughout his college career. Now, it’s his team.

And according to ESPN’s Andrea Adelson, he’s Florida’s most likely Heisman candidate.

The Gators had two Heisman candidates last year in Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts, but both of them are gone. With such a young offense returning for this season, the most logical candidate would be quarterback Emory Jones, who has waited three years for this opportunity. He is a different quarterback than Trask because he is a true dual threat. But Jones, who has seen situational work mostly on quarterback runs, can do more than that. Coach Dan Mullen has repeatedly praised his arm strength. Mullen also recruited and signed Jones specifically for the offense he wants to run. Expect the Florida offense to look different and the potential for Jones to take off.

Despite Jones’ inexperience, one thing we’ve seen demonstrated time and time again is that Mullen knows how to coach offense (and quarterbacks specifically). Though he may not be as productive as Trask was through the air, the offense should find success taking advantage of Jones’ mobility.

Jones has waited a long time for this opportunity, and a productive season could possibly lead to a dark horse Heisman candidacy, though he may not be on the radar too much at the moment.

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Dan Mullen pleased with Emory Jones’ retention from spring

Mullen said that he’s pleased with Jones’ grasp of the offense.

Florida has the herculean task of replacing the most prolific passer in school history (statistically speaking) in Kyle Trask. Likely new starter Emory Jones has never started a game with UF, but he’s seen a healthy amount of action during the last two seasons as Trask’s backup, including extended time in the Cotton Bowl loss to Oklahoma.

There are certainly still some things Jones needs to pick up, but coach Dan Mullen said he’s been pleased with his approach toward learning, according to 247Sports’ Thomas Goldkamp.

“As you go through different things with him, I just think he’s approached everything very well,” Mullen said. “But he’s approached things great since he’s been here. Always been a guy that’s open, learning, willing to adapt, learn how to adjust to the role he’s in, learn how to grow and continue to grow through different roles. I think he’s been able to do a really good job of that.”

Mullen said he’s been pleased with how much Jones has retained from spring practice. The focus now is on Jones comfort with the complexity of the offense and getting him to the point where he can run it freely.

“He obviously has a really good grasp of the offense, been around a couple of years,” Mullen said. “I think it’s really getting into more of how to function, how to use the offense, constantly on accuracy, balance, making all his different types of throws that he needs to make and then his comfort level of how to make plays and when to make plays.

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“We limit some of that in practice. You have the freedom to scramble today. There will be days where I won’t give him that freedom, you have got to stand in the pocket. Then you actually got to coach beyond that and say, ‘Hey, I hope you would have scrambled in that situation, because there was a huge running lane and go take advantage of it. We give him a lot of different things.”

Mullen again reiterated that he’s pleased with Jones grasp of the offense, which is certainly encouraging for Gators fans. The redshirt junior quarterback has appeared in 24 games, going 55 of 86 passing for 613 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception. On the ground, he has 514 yards and six touchdowns on 92 carries.

Jones has been productive when given the opportunity, but now he’ll have to do it with a level of consistency he hasn’t previously been asked to reach. But it seems Mullen is confident that his fourth-year quarterback is prepared for the challenge.

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Six Florida players feeling the pressure as fall camp gets started

Here are six Florida players The Athletic believes face the most pressure this season.

Coach Dan Mullen and the Florida football team kicked off their fall camp Friday to prepare for the 2021 season. The Gators’ first game is versus FAU on Sept. 4 in the Swamp. Heading into the new season, Florida enters as a heavy underdog. Only seven out of the 134 voters at SEC Media Days picked the Orange and Blue to repeat as the East Division winner and only one pegged the program to become SEC Champions.

As fall camp kicked off Friday, there are a handful of players trying to cling to their starting spot or prove they deserve to be the No. 1 running back or wide receiver. Here are six players The Athletic believes are feeling the most pressure heading into fall camp.

2022 NFL draft: 3 QB prospects with breakout potential

Breaking down a trio of quarterback prospects who could improve their stock for the 2022 NFL draft with a strong showing in 2021

The 2021 NFL draft is only two months in the rearview mirror, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to prepare for next year’s draft.

Five quarterbacks were taken in the first round, marking just the second time the feat has been accomplished in the 21st century. While the 2022 draft may not be as highly-touted at the position heading into the upcoming season, there is not shortage of quarterback talent.

The likes of Spencer Rattler and Sam Howell have been consistently ranked among the top returning quarterbacks in college football. Kedon Slovis, JT Daniels and Matt Corral have also seen plenty of hype as gifted, Power 5 signal-callers. Outside of the Power 5, Malik Willis, Carson Strong and Desmond Ridder have made their fair shares of appearances in the first rounds of early 2022 mock drafts.

However, there’s always a quarterback or two that breaks out with a stellar season and shoots up draft boards. While it’s difficult to predict said breakout candidates with incredible precision, there are a handful of quarterbacks with major sleeper potential.

Here are three quarterbacks who could shoot up boards in the 2022 NFL draft:

Check out where Emory Jones ranks in this quarterback tiers list

CBS Sports believes UF quarterback Emory Jones is primed for a breakout season. He made the tier players who are likely to emerge as stars.

Florida quarterback Emory Jones will finally have his chance to shine as the Gators starter. He has spent his first three seasons patiently waiting behind former quarterbacks Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask. But when Florida runs out of the tunnel in the Swamp on Sept. 4 versus FAU, Jones will be the unquestioned starter.

However, Gators fans and the college football world have seen glimpses of what Jones can do. He stepped in for Trask after he went to the locker room with an injury in 2019 versus Auburn and led the offense to a field goal. Trask would return and help Florida win the game, but it was an impressive moment for the young quarterback in a top-10 matchup.

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Ben Kercheval of CBS Sports categorized most of the FBS quarterbacks into tiers ahead of the 2021 season in a recent article. He established five tiers in which he ranked the signal callers from Heisman Trophy candidates to ones who are primed for a breakout season and those who need to be more consistent. When generating this list, he valued experience over potential and efficiency over raw numbers.

Jones entered Kercheval’s list in Tier IV of quarterbacks to keep an eye on because he believes they are headed for college football stardom. He made the list with other young gunslingers like Clemson’s D.J. Uiagalelei, Alabama‘s Bryce Young and Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa.

The LaGrange, Georgia, native fits well on this list because of his strong stats despite limited sample size, averaging two touchdowns for every interception he throws. Jones’ completions have also gone for a first down 31.3% of the time, and he has collected a passer rating of 128.6.

These numbers are impressive because his rushing efficiency wasn’t really accounted for. He proved he was one of the most effective quarterbacks in this area last season.

Look for Jones to flourish when he finally takes the reins of Florida’s and coach Dan Mullen‘s offense.

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These two Gators taken in the top 10 of PFF’s 2022 mock NFL draft

Fall is still far away and a lot can happen between now and then—but for the time being, this should make Gator Nation feel pretty good. 

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Did you get enough of the 2021 NFL draft to hold you over until next season? Of course you did not, that is why the sports media has already started publishing their way-too-early predictions for next year’s draft. The good news for fans of Florida football is that one of their boys has received a great deal of acclaim early on.

So far, pretty much every mock out there has Gators defensive back Kaiir Elam among the first 32 players taken next spring. A vast majority have the incoming junior from Riviera Beach, Florida, in the top half of the draft — and still, some have him in their top 10. Pro Football Focus’s Mike Renner is one of the latter, predicting that he will be taken with the No. 8 pick by the Las Vegas Raiders.

But wait a minute… who is that taken by the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of him at No. 6? Yes, that is quarterback Emory Jones, who Renner believes will be the third QB taken in 2022 behind Oklahoma Sooner Spencer Rattler and North Carolina Tar Heel Sam Howell. That is quite a lofty projection.

Every Florida fan on the planet hopes that Jones and Elam perform up to Renner’s expectations, given that fielding a superstar on both offense and defense is often the recipe for team success. But fall is still far away and a lot can happen between now and then — but for the time being, this should make Gator Nation feel pretty good.

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Emory Jones has waited his turn. Now, 2021 is his year.

After three years of seeing spot duty, Jones’ time to lead Florida’s offense under center has finally come in 2021. It’s sink or swim time.

Name: Emory Jones

Number: 5

Position: Quarterback

Class: Redshirt junior

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 210 lbs

Hometown: LaGrange, Georgia

High School: Heard County

Twitter: @eXjones6

2020 statistics:

CMP ATT CMP% YDS AVG TD INT LNG RTG
18 32 56.3 221 6.9 2 1 30 128.6

Overview:

Florida quarterback Emory Jones has seen limited time over the last two seasons as the backup quarterback to Kyle Trask. A four-star recruit in 2018, he was one of coach Dan Mullen’s first big recruiting gets after he was hired by the Gators in December 2017. He closed late with Jones and convinced him to go back on his pledge to Ohio State. He signed with the Gators as the No. 5 dual-threat quarterback in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite.

He redshirted his first year on campus, appearing in just four games. He mostly saw designed packages for him, but against Charleston Southern and Idaho, he saw extended action in blowouts. Over his four appearances, he was 12-of-16 passing for 125 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also had 41 yards on 18 carries.

As a redshirt freshman in 2019, he appeared in 11 games, becoming the backup after the injury to Feleipe Franks. He saw a lot more playing time in his second season, attempting 38 passes (of which he completed 25) for 267 yards and three touchdowns. Additionally, he finished third on the team in rushing with 256 yards.

With the emergence of Trask in 2020, Jones saw his role diminish a bit. He still appeared in nine games, going just 18-of-32 for 221 yards, two touchdowns and his first career interceptions. He was also less productive on the ground, totaling 217 yards on 32 attempts with two touchdowns. Now entering his redshirt junior season in 2021, he’s expected to replace Trask as Florida’s starter. The offense will likely look much different this season, but Mullen will hope Jones is the guy to keep up the high-scoring ways.

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