Tag: University of Florida

2023 Bowerman women’s finalists announced

The Bowerman is “given each year to the most outstanding male and female NCAA track & field athletes.”

The finalists for the women’s 2023 Bowerman Award were announced and three athletes made the list. The Bowerman is “given each year to the most outstanding male and female NCAA track & field athletes.” The award debuted in 2009 and was named after the legendary track and field coach and co-founder of Nike, Bill Bowerman. Bowerman coached 24 NCAA individual champs, 33 Olympians and 64 All-Americans, and coached the 1972 Olympic Team.

The 2023 finalists include:

Julien Alfred | Sprints | Texas

Alfred is the fourth female University of Texas to be named a Bowerman finalist. The only female Longhorn to take home the award was Courtney Okolo in 2016. This season Alfred broke her own 60-meter collegiate record six times before taking home the NCAA title. Alfred also added a collegiate record during the indoor 200 meters.

During the outdoor season, she set three collegiate records in the 4×100, 4×200, and sprint medley relays. She also set the standing record in the DI championship semifinals.

Alfred ran the fastest all-conditions times in NCAA history to win the outdoor 100 and 200-meter crowns. She also scored 22.5 total points at the NCAA championships and led Texas to a National Championship, the first for the Longhorns in 18 years.

Jasmine Moore | Jumps | Florida

This season, Moore swept the indoor long jump and triple jump titles at SEC and NCAA championships and set the indoor collegiate records in the long jump and triple jump at NCAA championships.

Moore also swept the SEC outdoor long jump and triple jump during the spring season. Moore won the outdoor triple jump and set an NCAA record. If Moore wins the award, she will be the first woman to win in Florida history.

Britton Wilson | Sprints/Hurdles | Arkansas

Wilson specializes in 400-meter hurdles and this season at the DI indoor championships she won the indoor “400-meter title with the first sub-50 second finish in collegiate history.”

During the outdoor season, she set the collegiate record in the 400 flat at the SEC outdoor championships. This performance helped Arkansas win the team title, sweeping the SEC crowns for the calendar year.

The finalists for the 2023 award will be announced December 14, at the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Convention.

2023 NFL draft: Seahawks met with Florida LB Ventrell Miller

It seems the Seahawks are not quite done with improving the linebacker position

When the Seattle Seahawks lost linebacker Jordyn Brooks late in the year to an ACL injury, it became immediately evident this position needed to be addressed in the offseason. The quality linebacker depth Seattle – and the 12th Man – has been accustomed to in the Pete Carroll era was just not there.

The Seahawks did make moves in free agency, by signing Devin Bush and bringing back Bobby Wagner. However, it would appear Seattle is not going to be satisfied with just these transactions, and will likely further add to the position during the 2023 NFL Draft.

Seattle recently met with Florida linebacker Ventrell Miller, per Ryan Fowler at the Draft Network.

According to his draft profile, Miller is likely slated to be a backup and/or special teams caliber player. Quite frankly, there is nothing wrong with this. True contenders are built with legitimate depth, and solid players in all three phases of the game.

For the last few years, the Seahawks have been rather “top heavy” with playmakers and stars headlining the act, but not much of a supporting cast behind them. To get back to where they want to be, Seattle needs to build a more complete team that can withstand losing a player or two.

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Giants’ Bryan Cox ran DL drills at Florida pro day

New York Giants assistant Bryan Cox ran the defensive line drills at the Florida pro day on Thursday.

While New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll attended the TCU pro day on Thursday, the team had other scouts and assistants spread out around the country.

One of those assistants was Bryan Cox, who ran the defensive line drills at the Florida pro day.

Among those participating was his son, Brenton Cox Jr., the 6-foot-3, 251-pound outside linebacker prospect who is widely expected to be a late-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Other prospects who participated in pro day drills on Thursday include linebacker Amari Burney, defensive lineman Gervon Dexter Sr., wide receivers Jordan Pouncey and Justin Shorter, and quarterback Anthony Richardson, among others.

Although Cox was trained on the defensive linemen, there’s no way he missed the performance of Richardson, who absolutely stole the show.

Having so many Giants assistants run pro day drills this offseason is going to greatly benefit Schoen and the team come draft time.

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Does UDFA Malik Davis have what it takes to weave his way into Cowboys RB room?

The Cowboys depth chart at running back is iron-clad at the top. What happens behind them is up to the offseason. Can Davis break through? Tyler Browning (@DiabeticTyler) dives into the tape.

Former Gators running back Malik Davis was quite accomplished coming out of high school, where he ran for a county-best 2,469 yards and 33 touchdowns during his senior season and led his high school to a state championship game appearance. He then committed to the University of Florida but was unable to ever find consistent playing time.

His first two seasons at Florida were hindered by injuries, playing in 7 games in his freshman year before suffering a season-ending injury, and playing in just three his sophomore year before suffering yet another. He returned in 2020 as a redshirt sophomore and appeared in 12 games, followed by 12 more the following year earning his first two starts. In his last year at Florida he earned the starting role but still was used in a heavy rotation. As an undrafted free agent, the odds are stacked against him in making the Cowboys final roster, but does Davis have what it takes to become a find instead of a camp body?

Should Cowboys be interested in Kaiir Elam despite slew of recent early round CBs?

The Cowboys have been CB happy in the last two drafts, but as the old edict goes, a team can never have enough corners. @DiabeticTyler looks into the Gators’ star defender.

The Dallas Cowboys’ secondary has long been an issue, but it looked much improved this past season under new defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn. Cornerback Trevon Diggs had a vastly improved year following his rookie campaign, leading the league in interceptions with 11. The Cowboys’ cornerback depth chart reads as follows: Diggs, Anthony Brown, Jourdan Lewis, Kelvin Joseph, Nahshon Wright, and special teamer CJ Goodwin. Diggs, Joseph and Wright are all still on their rookie deals and look to be in Dallas at least for the next few years. Brown’s deal ends after 2022 and Lewis’ deal following the 2023 season.

A team can never have enough cornerbacks, and this looks to be especially true in Dallas this year. Diggs ascent is going to lead to a huge payday, limiting the amount of resources that can be allocated elsewhere, so a slew of young talent to take over for the veterans is a necessity. If the right fight comes along, they need to be fully prepared to pull the trigger on the position, but is there anyone at the top-end of the draft class worthy of bypassing bigger needs? Could University of Florida’s Kaiir Elam be that enticing?

 

Florida releases guidelines for its student-athletes regarding NIL

The student-athletes wait to be paid is finally over with NIL laws going into effect Thursday. Florida released guidelines regarding NIL.

Florida’s name, image and likeness bill will finally be enacted Thursday after a year of waiting since the legislation was passed. With the swift arrival of July 1, Florida’s University Athletic Associated released its guidelines on June 27 for student-athletes and their endorsements and compensation.

These guidelines will not interfere with the bill the state of Florida passed, and it will allow student-athletes to profit off third-party endorsement deals using their name, image and likeness separate from the university.

The first bullet point states what these student-athletes can be compensated for, according to FloridaGators.com.

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The second one reads: “The University of Florida, the athletic department, staff members or boosters may not compensate or arrange compensation to a current or prospective intercollegiate athlete for her or his name, image, likeness.”

Some restrictions that the Gators laid out involving NIL compensation deals is that none of them can interfere with team or class schedules or events. Athletes are only allowed to use university- or athletic-related marks and logos. The UAA said facilities from the school can be used with prior approval and waiver forms handled by the operations department. Florida athletes can’t enter agreements that extend beyond their time with the school or agreements with gambling, sports wagering and performance-enhancing drug vendors.

Finally, all name, image and likeness agreements must be disclosed to the UAA within four days. Student-athletes are also only allowed to use Florida state-licensed lawyers and members in good standing of The Florida Bar as legal representation for name, image and likeness matters only.

49ers add another offensive weapon in mock draft

The San Francisco 49ers scoop up Florida TE Kyle Pitts in Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft.

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The 49ers’ list of draft needs is relatively long with more than 40 players set to hit free agency and a salary cap crunch that could keep San Francisco from retaining some key contributors. While they could go into the draft aiming to fill specific holes on the roster, they may also go the route of simply adding another good player, even at a position that might not be a high priority. That’s the strategy they utilized in a mock draft by NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah.

San Francisco with the No. 12 selection in Jeremiah’s mock scoop up Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.

It seems like the kind of choice that wouldn’t behoove a 49ers club that needs a couple starters in the secondary, another edge rusher, some offensive lineman, and maybe a quarterback.

However, versatile tight ends can cause huge matchup problems for defenses. Adding another effective wide-receiver-type pass catcher to the 49ers’ growing list of weapons could make them even more difficult to defend.

Pitts is a massive 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, but runs routes like a much smaller player. Florida utilized him as an in-line tight end, in the slot, and split out wide, and he’s effective at all three spots. He was a favorite target of quarterback Kyle Trask in 2020 and hauled in 43 catches for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns in just eight games as a junior. That came after a strong sophomore campaign where he posted 54 receptions, 649 yards and five touchdowns.

It’s easy to see how a big, explosive, versatile tight end would add a new layer of difficulty for defending the 49ers’ offense. On the other hand, it may be wiser to locate some explosive athletes later in the draft and focus on some of the more pressing needs in the early rounds.

Report: Jets to interview Florida HC Dan Mullen

The Jets will interview University of Florida head coach Dan Mullen in the coming days for their open head coaching position.

The Jets’ will extend their head-coaching search to the college ranks.

Dan Mullen, the University of Florida head coach, is set to interview for the Jets’ head-coaching position within the next few days according to WCJB’s Claudia Bellofatto.

NFL Network first mentioned Mullen as a possible name to consider for New York’s head coach opening at the end of the regular season. Just last week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Mullen was looking to go to the pro level.

Joe Douglas made it clear that that NFL coaching experience was not a requirement in the Jets’ search.

“If there’s a college coach that has these critical factors,” Douglas said on ESPN’s The Michael Kay Show, “… it’s not gonna matter whether they’re a college or a pro coach.”

Mullen, 48, has never coached at the NFL level. Mullen took his first head-coaching job at Mississippi State, where he was in charge of the Bulldogs from 2009-17. He then left for Florida, where he’s held his current post for the past three seasons. Overall, Mullen has a 98-54 record as a college head coach.

Before getting the Mississippi State job, Mullen served as the Gators offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2005-08. Previously, he was Utah’s quarterbacks coach from 2003-04 but followed Urban Meyer to Gainesville. Mullen also has experience as an assistant coach, paying his dues with stops at Wagner, Columbia, Syracuse, Bowling Green and Notre Dame.

Not only is Mullen a CEO-type head coach, but he’s been lauded for his work with quarterbacks at the collegiate level, from Alex Smith to Tim Tebow to Dak Prescott. Recently, he helped turn outgoing Gators quarterback Kyle Trask into a Heisman candidate and likely high draft pick.

Mullen has been in hot water with the NCAA. Florida was recently placed on probation while Mullen was sanctioned for committing recruiting violations.

The Jets’ current roster includes several former Florida Gators, but Mullen has only coached two of them: La’Mical Perine and Jabari Zuniga.

Jets sign Jabari Zuniga to rookie contract

The Jets have signed Jabari Zuniga to his rookie contract.

When Jabari Zuniga arrives for Jets training camp on Tuesday, he’ll officially be a member of the team.

The Jets announced Monday that Zuniga has signed his rookie contract. The deal is for four years and just under $5 million. Mekhi Becton is now the lone Jets rookie that remains unsigned.

New York picked Zuniga out of Florida in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He was one of two players picked by the Jets out of the University of Florida. The other was running back La’Mical Perine.

At Florida, Zuniga recorded 18.5 sacks in 39 games. He also had 116 total tackles (33 for loss), one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. Zuniga’s senior year was limited to five games due to a high ankle sprain.

The Jets view Zuniga as a guy who can bring pressure off the edge with both his speed and strength. He ran a solid 40-yard dash at 4.64 seconds and did well in the bench press, putting up 29 reps at the NFL Combine back in February.

At the moment, Zuniga will be a backup defensive end. Based on what we saw in Gregg Williams’ defense last year, though, Zuniga should find his way rotating in and out of the lineup. If he has an impressive training camp, he could see plenty of snaps come the regular season.

Report: Former Lions’ DC Paul Pasqualoni to be special assistant at Florida

Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel is reporting that former Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni is taking a special assistant position at the University of Florida.

Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel is reporting that former Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni is taking a special assistant to the head coach position at the University of Florida.

Thamel mentions in the piece that Pasqualoni’s job with the Gators will be much different than the ones he previously held. “Pasqualoni is expected to take an off-field role… He’ll be working with the offense at Florida in a role where he helps the offensive staff break down opposing defenses and also helping head coach Dan Mullen evaluate the program from a macro view.”

Like Lions’ coach Matt Patricia, Mullen is a former pupil of Pasqualoni — he was a graduate assistant at Syracuse in 1998 — and will be leaning on his former mentor to help improve the program.

It’s an interesting move for Pasqualoni, as his departure from Detroit was explained as him “stepping away from the Lions to be closer to his family” who live in Connecticut. But as the Athletic’s Chris Burke pointed out on Twitter, “Whenever he spoke to the media last year, Pasqualoni did not sound like someone ready to hang ‘em up.”