random and hate to derail a bit but I think not having a bruiser/Damien Pierce type at RB the last two seasons has costed us some games too. Whenever we did get the ball back with the lead late in games, we really couldn’t bleed the clock since AR was injury prone and was our QB to boot and we didn’t have a 220ish pound Scarlett/Pierce type
Candy, with all due respect, until I see our kickoff return execute anything successfully beyond a fair catch and/or block in the back Im not buying our return game improving with Tank. He will need to make his impact somewhere else...I think we spend a majority of the season making fair catches and taking it from the 25.
Don't quit your day job. Comparing scalability in management to a whole new coaching paradigm with far more moving parts is not the same thing.
I’ll take Jameer Grimsley. As a 6’3 rangy CB in the secondary, he’ll get his opportunities. The unit as a whole was underwhelming last season, so if he puts in the work, he’ll give us the length we need to deal with some of the taller pass catching TEs on our schedule. This is a guess based on zero insider information.
Jaden Baugh is that dude at 6'1 and 237lbs and moves like he is 175lbs. He is pretty shifty for a guy his size. He played snaps at QB, RB, WR and DB. Here is some senior year stats. He can definitely tote the ball phenomenally but Peep his DB stats as a 235lb+ DB. "Rushed for 1,583 yards on 113 carries (14.0 avg.) with 19 touchdowns this season... Had seven 100-yard rushing games his senior year and averaged 121.8 yards per game... Two-way player who saw snaps at running back, quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back... On defense in 2023, he had 54 tackles (37 solo), seven pass breakups and six interceptions" dude really can do it all like a Swiss army knife.
There’s some older guys ahead of him that are looking for snaps. It would be a pleasant surprise if he was all freshman but he has some guys to go through to get snaps.
There’s always a correlation between the youngest roster in the nation and looking like the youngest roster. It can’t be hidden. We will be exactly one year older this year. It should show and soon maybe we can be called a seasoned roster lead by all sec upper classmen.
That's a good sign becasue even though this class is every bit as good as the 2023 class many of that 2023 class were forced to play becasue of lack of experienced players and good depth. This year we have both experienced players and good depth. So ironically the (maybe) better class of recruits won't have as many freshman play meaningful minutes like last years freshman class did.
I would like to see him at wildcat. And him and DJ in the back field together along with. Carroll. Who no one is talking about.
Agreed, UF needs a legit pass rush and this guy has been built by God, with special DNA, to do just that. Perhaps with Boone returning and if LJ is as good as advertised, with the other guys (Collins, Searcy etc) having a year under the belt, an improved LB corp, maybe, just maybe, we can pressure the QB. It's been easy to criticise the back end, but when QB's have 6 - 8 seconds to throw, name me ANY secondary out there that can have a good statistical season?
Personally, after the spring game, on offense, I am looking at what Baugh brings to the Gators, young man really did himself proud and has emerged as the #2 behind Johnson? (I think) Lagway of course as well. I know many are kicking around the "use" for Lagway this coming season - Everythng from Red-Shirt to being the starter by the mid point. Myself I see no scenerio, outside Lagway getting hurt, that precludes his being featured, one way or another, in this offense. Lagway averaged what? 9.5 - 9.6 YPC his senior year? Young man can scoot with the ball. Clearly the kid is a running threat and hopefully durable at his size and weight (230). I know the (comparo flavor of the month) is Leak / Tebow. I don't think so, at least the Tebow role. Tim ran straight up the gut mostly, in 2006. Thats not Lagways style. I forsee him being even a more effective runner than Tebow's (Freshmen year), Tim rushed for 469 yards and 8 TD's. Not sure on TD's but I could see Lagway nearing that rushing mark if he plays enough. He is, after all, a "dual-threat" QB. Note I posted "Freshmen", I have not forgotten the Tebow (Sophmore) legendary rushing and Heisman year. Kids gotta play, one way or another, IMO, or Gator Nation will melt down, especially after that 3 TD spring game.
Out of curiosity I looked at the sizes.....Montrell, Webb and Pierce are all about the same size while Scarlett was smaller. Pierce seemed to get the most physical, but Webb showed that style as well....I might have used him more in short yardage last year but they may not have trusted him with ball security or assignments. Baugh having 20+ lbs on these guys as a high school kid is just crazy. Cam Carroll is a big body too
McCray, hands down. I'm excited about Hawkins down the line, but not as a freshman. I doubt he even makes the two-deep. Would love to see him make a splash this year returning kicks. My next picks after McCray are Baugh and Graham.
I like Abrams before Hawkins. Abrams and Andy Jean need to each be 25 catch receivers this year. Get their feet wet to take over next year.
