Tag: Gatorsports

Anthony Richardson should be ready to go on Saturday per Dan Mullen

Mullen spoke with the media Wednesday on the SEC coaches teleconference, providing an update on his electric redshirt freshman play-caller.

Florida’s backup quarterback Anthony Richardson has not taken a snap since that illustrious 80-yard touchdown run against the South Florida Bulls in which he tweaked his hamstring. The injury had the Gator Nation’s breath collectively bated ahead of the Alabama game, for which he was cleared to play but relegated to the bench until an emergency emerged.

Coach Dan Mullen spoke with the media Wednesday on the SEC coaches teleconference, providing an update on his electric redshirt freshman play-caller.

“He’s looking good,” Mullen said of Richardson. “We haven’t really opened him up a whole lot. It is a little bit similar to last week. We’re going to do a MRI and see where he’s at and do a full test on Friday to give him the maximum time to get to 100 percent.”

Ahead of the Crimson Tide game, Richardson had participated in all of the team practices that week but still was not 100% when game time rolled around, hence Mullen’s hesitancy to use him last weekend.

“We’ve done more at practice with him this week than we did last week, even opening him up some, but we haven’t gotten him on a full sprint yet,” Mullen said. “I would think he’ll be ready to go on Saturday.”

Florida’s skipper also added that Richardson was ahead of schedule in his recovery.

“We’ve done more at practice with him this week than we did last week, even opening him up some, but we haven’t gotten him on a full sprint yet,” Mullen said. “I would think he’ll be ready to go on Saturday.”

It would not be surprising to see the Gators’ backup quarterback get some reps this Saturday given that Tennessee is not quite the behemoth that Alabama is — plus the extra week of healing and coaching. On the other hand, there is no reason to risk further exacerbating the injury as the Georgia game gets closer and closer.

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Florida’s top recruit looks to make impact as a true freshman

Jason Marshall Jr. is competing for a starting job sooner than expected with Jaydon Hill’s season-ending injury

Florida’s top recruit of 2021, cornerback Jason Marshall Jr., has a chance to start as a true freshman with Jaydon Hill going down for the year.

Marshall was always going to see action as a freshman, but the presumption was that he would be behind Hill and preseason All-American Kaiir Elam. Instead, he’s fighting for a spot to lineup across from Elam on opening day and become the fifth true freshman to start at cornerback in Gators history.

Avery Helm, Elijah Blades, Ethan Pouncey and Jaddarius Perkins look to be Marshall’s main competition for the spot. Gators coach Dan Mullen said that the competitive spirit is ramping up in training camp with the starting spot up for grabs.

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Marshall is every coach’s dream from a teaching standpoint. He listens, observes and doesn’t talk back. Gators secondary coach Wesley McGriff raved about the five-star freshman.

“He’s eager to learn. He’s very, very coachable,” McGriff said, according to Gatorsports. “He’s one of those young men where if myself or Coach Jules tell him something, he’s going to go out and try to execute it. So you better tell him right because he’s going to go out and try to do everything that you ask him to do.”

The other aspect of Marshall’s game that stands out is his ability to move on to the next play after any outcome. Corners get beat from time to time, and the best don’t give up after a bad play.

“He has a tremendous demeanor. His body language is phenomenal,” McGriff said. “I mean, he can get an interception or can come up short on the play, and his demeanor doesn’t change at all. He’s truly the epitome of going to play the next play.

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Pro Day workout could propel Florida’s Kyle Pitts into top five of NFL draft

Florida’s Kyle Pitts was already projected as a top-10 pick in the 2021 NFL draft prior to his Pro Day; his stock rose even higher Wednesday

Editor’s note: This article was originally published by Gator Sports and has been republished in its entirety below. 

Florida’s Kyle Pitts was already projected as a top-10 pick in the 2021 NFL draft prior to his Pro Day.

Following his testing numbers Wednesday at UF, the 2020 Mackey Award winner could become just the second tight end to go in the top five in the common draft era (Riley Odoms, 1972).

“Kyle Pitts is my highest-graded tight end EVER,” ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. tweeted Wednesday.

Pitts wowed at his workout, running the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds at 6’5 5/8”, 245 pounds. Pitts also posted a longer wingspan  (83 3/8″) than any NFL receiver or tight end in the last 20 years, breaking DK Metcalf’s record.

“I wanted to show everybody my strength and my speed,” said Pitts, who also had a 33.5 vertical. “Getting out there and doing those bench numbers (22 reps), a lot of people didn’t expect me to do that. In the 40 I wanted to run sub 4.5, that was something I wanted to show. Just going out there being elusive, getting in and out of breaks, just playing football.”

NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah has Pitts ranked as the No. 2 prospect on his board, and sixth overall is the highest a tight end has been drafted since Odoms. The last player selected at that spot, Vernon Davis in 2006, was coached by Florida assistant Tim Brewster when he was with the San Diego Chargers.

Brewster doesn’t think Pitts will make it out of the top 10.

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“Kyle Pitts is not going to be around long,” Brewster said. “I’ve talked to all 32 teams about Kyle Pitts and I think he’s a generation player. He’s just absolutely different in his skill sets and the things that he can do. Antonio Gates I thought would be the absolute best player I’ve ever coached. He’ll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and I had him his first three years.

“I think there’s going to be some teams that trade up trying to get a shot at Kyle Pitts. There’s just no holes in the kid. The development that he made in the run game to make himself a more complete tight end I think just totally helped him in the eyes of the National Football League. I would certainly think that he would not get out of the first 10 for sure.”