The Bull Gator (3/18/10)
and the new and improved
Tim Tebow
was on display. Scouts believe Tebow has worked well on his release and his footwork and probably improved his draft stock. He keeps the ball higher when he drops back and is getting rid of it quicker, but Tebow still has a tendency to drop it before he makes a throw. He’s getting there though and a number of coaches were impressed with the former Gator quarterback. Two other former Florida defenders improved their draft stocks as well as both blazed through the 40-yard-dash. Cornerback
Joe Haden
may have solidified himself as a top 10 pick with times of 4.39 and 4.41. Many thought Haden would drop in the draft after posting a 4.57 at the NFL Combine, but that time doesn’t seem important now that he has shown what he can really do.
Carlos Dunlap
also impressed with times of 4.57 and 4.59. Great times for someone with his size. Dunlap warrants a good, long look from anyone picking in the first round. The only former Gator that didn’t seem to really help himself on Wednesday was
Brandon Spikes
. Spikes didn’t run very fast, although I’m not sure if many expected him to, but is still seen as a special talent. He could definitely be a case of someone who plays much faster than he runs in drills.
As expected, Urban Meyer is back as the head coach of the Florida Gators. After a vacation or leave of absence of sorts (we should really call it a scaling back of involvement), Meyer is back in the driver’s seat and feeling well. He won’t mention much about his health other than to say he’s doing fine. And we shouldn’t expect him to comment on it too much anytime soon. Meyer is tight-lipped about his health and he should be. At this point in spring practice, Meyer takes on more of an observatory role. This time of year gives him a chance to see how his assistant coaches interact with players and how all of the new faces get acclimated to the Gators’ system. Many seem to think 2010 will be a transition year for Florida, but Meyer believes there is still plenty of talent in Gainesville and the Gators will be ready to compete in the fall.
SI.com’s Andy Staples shared his thoughts on the upcoming season in the SEC. Among them was a belief that the East could be a little more open than the past few years. While I will admit Florida will be entering a period of adjustment, the level of talent and coaching staff should assure the Gators won’t exactly get off track either. One interesting point Staples makes about Florida is that the Gators need to find a way to get four – count ‘em, four – linebackers on the field at once. There were rumors of Florida converting to a 3-4 defense when George Edwards was the coordinator (Everyone remember that week? Fun times!). But Edwards left and was replaced – if you can call it that – by Teryl Austin who has mentioned there will be a few tweaks although he won’t overhaul the defense Charlie Strong perfected. With the talent at linebacker, he may have to change more than he planned though. Brandon Hicks and A.J. Jones have plenty of experience and should see the field a lot, but Austin won’t be able to keep Jon Bostic or Jelani Jenkins on the bench either. I can’t be the only one drooling at the thought of Bostic and Jenkins on the field at the same time.
B.J. Daniels’ recently repaired non-throwing shoulder won’t keep him out of spring practice after all. The USF quarterback will be doing pretty much everything during practice except taking hits. You probably don’t want your starting QB, and the only one with any substantial experience, taking too many hits this far ahead of the season anyway. Being able to do basically everything else will be extremely beneficial for Daniels as he learns the offense under new head coach Skip Holtz. Daniels is still developing as a quarterback and a leader and this spring is really his chance to step and take over the Bulls’ offense. Exciting things are coming and hopefully fans won’t have to wait too much longer for that first Big East championship season.
The List: I’ve given up attempting to come up with some catchy name for this. Sometimes simplicity is the way to go. So it’s The List. Nothing fancy or memorable. Sort of like the list itself. Today’s list focuses on that man who improved his throwing motion. Clip #1 is a quick shot of that new motion that’s all the rage. It’s just a glimpse, but maybe you X and O junkies can fully appreciate what has changed.
1. The new, improved Tim Tebow.
The Sixth Man: Despite losing to NC State in the first round of the NIT, we have to give a big round of applause to the USF men’s basketball team for the season they just completed. It’s easy to assume nothing out of the Bulls. Since the move to the Big East, they’re just not expected to compete. The size of the school should allow USF to build something over time and have a decent season now and then, but I’m not sure if anyone really saw this season as being the one in which they broke out. At times, there were serious talks about the Bulls possibly making the NCAA Tournament. As you know, they didn’t. But an NIT appearance shouldn’t be seen as a letdown. This program is headed in the right direction under Stan Heath and if Dominique Jones returns, the Big Dance could definitely be in sight for next season. Watching the Bulls improve over the course of this season was exciting and has fans actually looking forward to the future. Good job men, you should be proud.