Tag: Princely Umanmielen

LJ McCray will make his mark per ESPN’s freshman football predictions

It might take a couple of games but expect to see Florida’s LJ McCray getting regular action by the middle of the season.

The Florida Gators have put a lot of stock in their recruiting efforts as [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. continue to rebuild a once-proud college football program and it appears that their work off the field is beginning to yield positive results.

The Orange and Blue saw a good deal of attrition through the NCAA transfer portal this past offseason but also reloaded its roster with some of the top prep prospects in the nation. Among them was [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag], a five-star defensive end from the Sunshine State in the 2024 cycle.

ESPN’s Eli Lederman and Adam Rittenberg recently took on the task of predicting freshman roles for college football’s top 10 recruits which included Florida’s top-rated defensive lineman.

Florida’s DE position outlook

“Florida lost sacks leader [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] to Ole Miss, but the Gators bring back the rest of their production at the position from last fall.

“Between veteran [autotag]Tyreak Sapp[/autotag] and sophomores [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag] and [autotag]TJ Searcy[/autotag], Florida returns 73 total tackles and four sacks from a year ago, while redshirt junior [autotag]Justus Boone[/autotag] rejoins the Gators’ pass-rushing depth after missing last season with an ACL injury.

“Northern Illinois transfer [autotag]George Gumbs Jr[/autotag]. and sophomore [autotag]Kamran James[/autotag] present reserve options with experience.”

ESPN’s projection for McCray

“McCray signed with the Gators as one of the most physically impressive high school prospects in the 2024 cycle,” the authors note. “In his seven-plus months at Florida, McCray’s physical development has only bolstered confidence within the program that the five-star freshman can contribute this fall.”

That physical development appears to be elite and will be his ticket to success if he can connect all of the dots.

“He already has the body and the frame and the athletic ability and the tools and all that to allow him to be able to be considered to play early,” a team source told ESPN. “But he’s just worked hard over the summer and gotten stronger, developing his upper body. It takes a little bit of time at this level, but he’s physically far ahead of where a typical freshman would be coming in.”

The Gators have sufficient depth on the defensive line this season despite some losses, but there are also a lot of moving parts as well.

“Despite the blow of Umanmielen’s departure, Florida enters the season with capable depth on the edge,” they continue. “However, the Gators are already reshuffling on the defensive line following a preseason injury to defensive tackle Jamari Lyons, and McCray’s size and talent could make him difficult to keep on the sideline by the latter stages of his freshman season.”

While McCray might appear to be lower on the depth chart to start the season, do not be surprised if he quickly climbs in the early weeks.

“It’ll start off slow, but by midseason I think he’ll be out there,” a team source said. “He’ll be (used) sparingly early and then I would think he gets in there a lot. He’s a real guy.”

Florida’s season opener for 2024

The Florida Gators and No. 19 Miami Hurricanes square off on Aug. 31 in Gainesville, Florida to open their schedule for the 2024 season. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

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247Sports includes trio of Gators in top-50 transfers list

With the 2024 college football season just over a month away, 247Sports has updated its transfer portal rankings one more time.

Bringing in a strong transfer portal haul is necessary for most college football teams these days, and [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has the Floride Gators poised to bring in one of the nation’s best transfer classes in 2024.

Three of Florida’s new players made 247Sports’ recent list of the top 50 transfers heading into 2024, but the Gators also lost a considerable amount of talent to the portal.

Former USC Trojan [autotag]Jason Zandamela[/autotag] is the highest-ranked of the trio at No. 7, followed by former Colorado cornerback [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] (No. 21) and former Penn defensive lineman [autotag]Joey Slackman[/autotag] (No. 49).

Zandamela should compete for a starting spot on Florida’s offensive line, which struggled last year. Kamryn Waites recently moved back to the offensive guards’ room following the addition of Zandamela.

Slackman should also start, while McClain works his way into the cornerbacks rotation. Senior[autotag] Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and junior [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag] should be the starters with sophomore [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] also in the mix.

The two ranked players who left the program this offseason are defensive end [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] (Ole Miss, No. 18) and running back [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] (Georgia, No. 35).

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Where The Athletic ranks Florida football among in-state FBS programs

Florida finds itself in the middle of the pack among in-state FBS competition ahead of the 2024 season.

The Sunshine State has long been one of the epicenters of college football but in recent years, the in-state programs have not been quite as impressive as in years past.

Nonetheless, Florida boasts a robust rotation of seven Football Bowl Subdivision schools traditionally headlined by the Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles and Miami Hurricanes. However, the collegiate gridiron landscape is in constant flux and this triumvirate of teams does not have the stranglehold it once held over the rest of the state.

The Athletic’s Manny Navarro took a look at the seven Florida FBS programs and ranked them from best to worst ahead of the 2024 campaign. FSU came out on top, while Miami is right on its tail followed by the UCF Knights.

In fourth lands the Gators, who have posted three-straight losing seasons and missed out on a bowl game last winter for the first time since 2017.

“Billy Napier faces an incredibly tough schedule, and his program is reeling after five consecutive losses to end the 2023 campaign,” Navarro notes.

“The Gators lost eight quality players via the portal: running back [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] (Georgia), left guard [autotag]Richie Leonard IV[/autotag] (Florida State), right guard [autotag]Micah Mazzccua[/autotag] (Nebraska), edge rusher [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] (Ole Miss), outside linebacker [autotag]Scooby Williams[/autotag] (Texas A&M), cornerback [autotag]Jalen Kimber[/autotag] (Penn State) and safeties [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] (Texas A&M) and [autotag]Miguel Mitchell[/autotag] (Arkansas).

“Florida, though, did add the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year in defensive lineman [autotag]Joey Slackman[/autotag], a quality veteran safety in [autotag]Asa Turner[/autotag] from Washington and beefed up at receiver with Arizona State’s [autotag]Elijhah Badger[/autotag],” he continued.

“Getting back to a bowl game is going to come down to whether or not the offensive and defensive lines have improved. Right now, it’s fair to be skeptical.”

Navarro lists the passing game and experience in the secondary as the Gators’ strengths while pointing to the run defense and the pass rush coaching as their Achilles heels. He also noted four key games on Florida’s schedule: vs Miami, at the Tennessee Volunteers, vs the Georgia Bulldogs, at the Texas Longhorns, at FSU.

Florida’s 2024 season opener

Florida opens up its 2024 regular-season schedule in the Swamp against the Hurricanes on Aug. 31. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

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Where Florida football ranks among SEC schools in 2024 transfer portal

The Gators had a solid transfer portal showing this offseason but their conference peers were also very busy.

The NCAA transfer portal has become a significant part of college football roster building over the past few years and this current offseason has been no exception. Ostensibly a de facto free agency system, players are now able to seek greener pastures if they are unhappy with their current environments.

Brandon Marcello of 247Sports recently ranked the Southeastern Conference from top to bottom based on his publication’s data for transfer students, with the Florida Gators landing at No. 10 out of 16 member schools.

The Orange and Blue saw 24 departures worth an 87.81 average player rating while bringing in 15 at an 89.27 average — good enough for a plus-1.46 net gain.

“Things were actually pretty good in the portal for Florida despite all the negativity around the program and [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag], and the departures of two starting offensive linemen, elite edge pass rusher [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] (Ole Miss) and running back [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] (Georgia),” Marcello begins.

“Yes, that’s quite the mouthful to swallow, but perhaps the Gators actually improved the roster via the portal this offseason? Six of the 15 additions are blue chips, though USC offensive tackle [autotag]Jason Zandamela[/autotag] is likely a year away from development. Colorado transfer [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] will grab headlines, and if he can come close to the hype out of high school he’ll be worth the risk.”

Marcello is particularly optimistic about what a particular pair of players bring to the team this season.

“The players we love in the haul include Arizona State receiver [autotag]Elijhah Badger[/autotag], who caught 135 passes for more than 1,500 yards over the last two seasons, and Penn defensive lineman [autotag]Joey Slackman[/autotag], the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year. Slackman recorded 12 tackles for loss as a tackle last season.”

Florida’s 2024 season opener

Florida opens up its 2024 regular-season schedule in the Swamp against the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 31. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

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2025 NFL Draft first impression: Princely Umanmielen, EDGE, Ole Miss

Early 2025 NFL Draft scouting profile on Ole Miss EDGE Princely Umanmielen ahead of the 2024 college football season

Next up in the summer scouting series is Princely Umanmielen, an EDGE from the SEC who has changed schools this offseason.

Umanmielen is another player that many expected to turn pro after the 2023 season. Instead, he opted to transfer from Florida to SEC rival Ole Miss. The 22-year-old played four seasons in Gainesville and is coming off a season where he racked up 39 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks and forced two fumbles.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 256 pounds, Umanmielen has played both stand-up OLB and from the three-point stance inline, and he attacks from either side of the defensive formation. He’s got long arms and wraps well when he gets a paw on a target.

He’s got a nice spin move, one that isn’t as sudden as more twitchy players. Instead, Umanmielen uses his length to leverage off the blocker and clear himself a lot of space with his spin, and he can go either inside or outside with the spin.

While it doesn’t always show, Umanmielen can flatten around the edge to close on the quarterback. This is a combination of exploiting a bad pass-pro set by the left tackle but also finishing with a great tack to pop Spencer Rattler with controlled authority.

Umanmielen has good-not-great initial burst on the edge, but he does understand how to use his quickness off the snap inside nicely. There’s a nice perceptiveness to his game that allows Umanmielen to quickly react to a blocking set or a zone block that works better when he’s inside than outside. The ability to knife between the guard and tackle on run plays and play-action passes is probably his best attribute at the moment.

In run defense, he’s been largely boom-or-bust. The disruptiveness to get behind the line and wreak havoc on the timing and gap fits can be great. Alas, there’s a lot of Umanmielen opting to attack the block instead of the ball, akin to a younger Preston Smith. The ability to shed blocks is still a work in progress, though it seems more of a technical issue than an effort one. It will be interesting to see if transferring to Ole Miss and a different staff helps Umanmielen here.

Overall, Princely Umanmielen is a very appealing draft prospect entering his final college season. The length, quickness and ability to bend the edge should have him very prominent in preseason mock drafts and give Umanmielen the potential to come off the board very early in the 2025 NFL Draft.

 

The Athletic reviews SEC’s most important moves of the offseason

Florida lost almost two dozen players from last year’s roster, but there are several newcomers in Gainesville ready to right the ship.

The transfer portal era has established a constant sense of change in the SEC as players move around and teams take on new identities year after year.

The end of spring practices coincides with the spring portal period, which is the last chance for players to switch schools before summer workouts begin — however, in-conference transfers are not permitted unlike during the winter. That rule was made by the SEC to discourage players from jumping around the conference at will and has slowed the pace of incoming players during spring.

So, the folks at The Athletic are diving into the most important roster moves made (and not made) by each team this offseason.

Best Additions/Worst Departure

Florida saw 23 players leave the team this offseason. The most impactful loss from the group is senior defensive end [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag], who was among the top edge rushers in the conference a year ago. Umanmielen will play his last year of college ball at Ole Miss, leaving a hole to fill in Florida’s front seven.

The Athletic makes a distinction between the most important overall newcomer and the most important spring addition, but it’s clear where the Gators needed the most help with both being offensive linemen.

San Diego State tackle [autotag]Brandon Crenshaw-Jackson[/autotag] should get the chance to start in Gainesville after taking the field for the Aztecs at kickoff 35 times and is the “best overall addition” to the team, according to The Athletic.

Freshman lineman Jason Zandamela is the best spring addition so far; although, Florida only has two spring transfer commitments. He’s young but the Gators need big bodies in the trenches after an ugly 2023 up front. Adding an interior lineman with four years of eligibility left can only help Florida’s O-line.

Best Returnee

Despite a heavy focus on the change going on across the conference, The Athletic made sure to highlight the most important returning player for each team. For Florida, it’s quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] who ended 2023 injured after an accurate and efficient season that didn’t result in wins.

Mertz did everything they said he couldn’t after leaving Wisconsin. He lowered his turnover ratio, finished the season with a completion percentage over 70 and led an SEC program. Now comfortable in his new digs, Mertz is the unquestioned leader of the Florida offense heading into 2024.

If Billy Napier has to turn the ball over to former five-star recruit [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag], Florida won’t come close to a winning season.

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Top photos from Princely Umanmielen’s career with Florida football

Take a look at some of the top highlights from game days and practice sessions for the former Gators EDGE.

Florida football saw the departure of one of its top defensive ends this offseason through the NCAA transfer portal as edge defender [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] sought greener pastures with the Ole Miss Rebels to wrap up his collegiate career.

Nonetheless, the junior had a fine tenure in Gainsville over the past four season, first seeing action in six games his freshman year during the COVID campaign followed by three-straight seasons appearing in every game the Gators played. In 2023, he earned Coaches All-SEC Second Team, AP All-SEC Second Team and USA Today Sports Network All-SEC Team honors.

Over his career with the Orange and Blue, he recorded 99 total tackles (48 solo, 51 assisted) with 24.5 tackles for a loss (134 yards) of which 15 were sacks (111 yards); Umanmielen also forced three fumbles.

Former Gators running back, EDGE among The Athletic’s top transfers

It’s pretty clear that the Gators are losing some top talent to the transfer portal this year.

A handful of former Florida Gators have entered the college football transfer portal with a few still looking to find their new homes. Some of these players are among the top available athletes in this year’s edition of the sport’s de facto free agency system.

The Athletic’s Max Olson put together a ranked list of the top 25 student-athletes in the portal which included a pair of ex-Orange and Blue players in the top 10. First on the list is running back [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag], who was Florida’s second-most productive offensive backfield player in 2023.

“Etienne lived up to the hype as an instant difference-maker for the Gators, with 1,710 yards from scrimmage and 15 total touchdowns in his first two seasons,” Olson begins. “The younger brother of Jaguars star Travis Etienne Jr. has forced 70 missed tackles as a rusher and gained 987 yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus.

“Georgia is the reported frontrunner for Etienne as the missing piece their offense needed this season,” he continued. “Whether Etienne goes to Athens or anywhere else, he can be as impactful as anybody in this cycle.”

Also included on the list was edge defender [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] who came in at No. 8 on the list and recently committed to the Ole Miss Rebels.

“The 6-foot-4 1/2, 255-pound edge defender developed into a two-year starter for the Gators and was one of the most disruptive pass rushers in the SEC this season with 46 pressures, 11.5 TFLs and seven sacks according to PFF. Umanmielen has one more season of eligibility, and Ole Miss has reportedly emerged as a frontrunner for his pledge.”

It seems Olson’s prediction came to fruition on Umanmielen’s destination. Hopefully, the noted projection for Etienne is way off base… for the sake of the Gator Nation.

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Former Florida EDGE finds new home at fellow SEC school

The Ole Miss Rebels are the recipient of this former Gators EDGE rusher’s talents.

Florida football’s standout edge rusher announced his return to college football on Dec. 6 after pondering his chances in the NFL draft. However, his decision to re-join the collegiate ranks came with a twist — he would also be entering the NCAA transfer portal.

On Friday, Princely Umanmielen announced his commitment to one of the Gators’ Southeastern Conference rivals, the Ole Miss Rebels.

The 6-foot-5-inch, 255-pound defender finished 2023 with 7.0 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss — both good enough to crack the top 10 in the SEC. He was named to the Second Team All-SEC as a defensive end, making him the only member of the Orange and Blue to make the all-conference team.

Umanmielen’s best game came against the Arkansas Razorbacks, in which he logged 2.5 sacks along with a season second-best of six total tackles (three solo, three assisted). His season and career-best for tackles in a game came a week prior against the Georgia Bulldogs, in which he amassed nine (six solo, three assisted) plus 1.5 sacks.

Advanced analytics like Umanmielen a lot. His 88.9 PFF pass-rush grade was the third-highest among SEC edge rushers, and his pass-rush win rate of 20.8% was the best mark in the conference among defensive linemen with at least 300 snaps played.

A four-star prospect out of high school, Umanmielen spent the past four seasons with the Gators, racking up 15.0 career sacks in Gainesville. He joins a Rebels defensive line that recorded 34.0 sacks in 2023 — fifth-most in the conference — and pairs him alongside All-SEC Freshman Team linebacker Suntarine Perkins on next year’s defensive corps.

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Two Florida transfers ranked among ESPN’s top 10 portal players

Two Florida Gators that have entered the transfer portal are among the 10 best available, according to ESPN’s latest player rankings update

Two Florida Gators that have entered the transfer portal are among the 10 best available, according to ESPN’s latest rankings update.

The transfer portal has turned into college football’s version of free agency, with high-profile players hitting the open market. Name, image and likeness deals play a big part in many decisions, but at the end of the day it’s all about talent.

ESPN says that Florida is losing to extremely talented players, especially compared to the rest of the crop. Edge rusher [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] is ranked No. 7 overall by the industry leader, and running back [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] checks in at No. 9 on the list. Both are the first players mentioned at their respective positions.

“Umanmielen played in all 13 games during the 2022 season and had 39 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks,” staff writer Tom VanHaaren wrote.

“This season, he led the team this season in tackles for loss with 11.5, and also led the team in sacks with seven. He was mentioned as a possible selection in the upcoming NFL draft if he were to declare, but made a surprising decision to enter the transfer portal with a year of eligibility. He has been productive within the SEC and has the size and experience to make a big impact on a new team.”

Players in the transfer portal don’t have to leave the team, though. Umanmielen has publicly stated that he would consider staying based on the new defensive line coach hire, but he’s still expected to transfer out at this point.

Etienne is a different story. There’s little hope for a return there, and he could end up at Georgia. Talk about rubbing salt in the wound.

The Gators are mentioned among a long list of suitors for Penn defensive tackle Joey Slackman, who checks in at No. 8 between the two Gators mentioned above.

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