I don't know what changes were made to our practices during the first bye week, but what gets me is that the coaching staff took too long to figure out who would be the first team players, first to see the field. And in the summer, I remember the coaches making a huge deal out of the one or two scrimmages that we had during summer workouts. I quipped that we should be scrimmaging all summer long, almost every day. However late, maybe we started scrimmaging more often during the off week... starting in the first bye week. Who knows, all I do know is for some reason we look more like an SEC football team than ever before in Napier's tenure, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Have you ever seen BN done that? If you watched TAM vs LSU last week, Mike Elko mid-game adjustments won the game, very impressive HC.
Check in three weeks past the bye: On the OL, so far so good. Again, the transition HS recruiting class from 2022 is all but gone. Williams is the only one left and he's been passed by the entire 2023 class. We'll see if he's around next year. Regardless, the 2023 classs has been excellent. The guys playing are Harris, Lovett and Kearney. All three are playing as well as advertised, especially Harris. He could be special. The intial reports on the 2024 class are positive; we'll see. For this year, the starting five continue to play well. The QB situation has stressed the OL and they've reponded. We could go into a lot of detail, but to sum up. They are much better than last year and have been plus in both run/pass sets. Yesterday was just another good game. Oddly, the one guy who struggled a little was Barber, who's been a rock. He started with a holding penalty and had some issues on the edge. Bad games happen. I'm betting he'll be excellent the rest of the year. The DL has been up and down. Way up right now after yesterday. Hopefully that's the start of continued success. Banks development has been the story. Simply, much improved over last year. Looking at next year there are a lot of questions. Two big ifs at DT. If Banks comes back for a 5th year and if Lyons comes back healthy, the DTs are in good shape with lots of young talent for depth. IF not, then CBN will be in the portal looking for ready talent and he will have to find production. Slackman was a miss this year. That can't happen next year. At edge, a lot to still sort out. So many young guys in postion to make for a dynamic group. Some have flashed, but no consistant performers yet. By the end of the year, have to feel good about four of them going into spring. If not, back to the portal. One guy we don't have questions about is Sapp. What a game aginst LSU! For his role next year, he's a hybrid edge/DT. I don't see him starting, but he'll have as many snaps as anyone at edge or at DT.
Good write-up. As far as Barber . . . he has been nursing a lingering issue as I understand it but is fighting through it and playing like a warrior. Since we don't know the extent and how much it bothers him, it may have really bothered him yesterday. Like you said, we'll watch the next 2 games and maybe know more.
That makes a lot of sense. He's toughing it out like he always does. Any word on Manuel? He'd be useful giving Barber a break.
I would say at DE/Edge Sapp and Pyburn have been solid with Sapp pretty good. Major surprise here as Sapp earning himself money and Pyburn quietly putting together a solid year. Pyburn at 50 tackles and that’s without Sapp and Pyburn? Both having excellent years.
Sapp and Pyburn have done a great job on the edge. Cannot forget about them. Seems like Pyburn is like J. Jackson at RB in that both have had excellent years yet Don’t get enough credit. O linemen hate Pyburn. Jackson our best downhill runner. He’s finally starting to get some credit thank goodness.
Never saw 7 sacks coming, but that's the beauty of college football and having to play backups. Our backup OL have been better than LSU's. James had a beautiful sack also.Sapp is an experienced GAM. He knows how to play, sniffs out screens, plays hard against rushing. Pyburn is great against rushing defenses with pure effort and desire.
Like Jackson a lot. He's an excellent compliment to Baugh at RB moving forward. Also like how he was the Gators lowest “rated” recruit in 2023, right below Lovett. Imagine not liking those two players because they weren’t given enough stars. No one has forgotten Sapp or Pyburn, love ‘em both. I just commented on how immersive Sapp has been and will be in 2025. The thing with him is most of his production comes from DE. He’s a run-base edge and a part time disruptive DE. Pyburn has been good and will play a lot, he’ll have a role. His issue is he’s not a pass rusher. I thought he had a couple sacks this year, but I was told he’s never had a sack at UF. I don’t know about that, but UF needs pass rushers. The full time edge pass rushers moving forward look to be 2023/24 recruits Kamran James, TJ Searcy, and LJ McCray. UF needs those three to be the playmaking edge playmakers they were recruited to be. James just got his first sack yesterday and Searcy has had sacks in the last two games. McCray is the freak talent that just needs to continue to develop. Then there’s 2025 5th SRs Boone, Gumbs and the aforementioned Pyburn. Gumbs looks like the best pass rusher from those three. With this group of young talent and 5th year SRs, UF should be good to go. It just has to happen.
How many backups were in for LSU? I thought it was one and the Gators pass rush was all over the line of scrimmage.
Sapp is a star now. Potential 2nd team all SEC next year. Pyburn will have more than a role. That’s why he’s a starter and 2nd in tackles. Like I said ask offensive lineman who they like blocking the least… 100% will say Pyburn. Sacks will come, but he will never be a double digit, sack guy, maybe three or four next year. One of the best in the southeastern conference at stopping the run at his position. Keep in mind he didn’t start two games or he would be close to 65/70 tackles
Yeah, Pyburn and Jackson are by far the most underrated players on the team and kids that you just have to love. If you look at productivity, no one has been better than these two.
At the local gator club meeting, zac aboraldi said Jackson was our best all around back. He said he just had the experience and did everything right like a veteran.
Are we losing Kelby Collins? It's really disappointing to see the fall off after promising freshman years from McLellan who transferred after a falloff sophomore year and now Kelly Collins disappearing in his sophomore year as well. Kelby posted a strange tweet about trials and tribulations and Napier gave some thinly veiled response when asked about him. Kelby was one of the most fervent gators throughout his recruitment and during his freshman year. Would hate to see him leave or be disgruntled.
