Preseason Primer: Need-to-Know Info as Gators Report to Camp
Tuesday, August 4, 2015 | Football, Scott Carter
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Wednesday marks the day when the offseason officially morphs into the preseason for the Florida football team.
The Gators report for the start of training camp in the morning and then appear at media day in the afternoon.
The 2015 season beckons.
There is renewed energy and hope around the program, which is the case any time a new head coach arrives.
Jim McElwain enters his first season following a three-year stint as head coach at Colorado State. The former Alabama offensive coordinator is familiar with the Southeastern Conference, so he understands the challenge ahead as Florida attempts to rejoin the league's elite after going 11-13 the past two seasons.
Is a quick turnaround in store for the Gators, or is this a project that will take time?
By the end of November we should have a better idea of that answer. For now, here's a Gators preseason primer to get you ready from some football:
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MEDIA DAY: McElwain and the team's coordinators will speak to the assembled group of reporters starting at 2 p.m. Wednesday. The players follow the coaches as the upperclassmen split into two groups – offense on one side of the large banquet room inside the Touchdown Terrace at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, and the defense on the other side. GatorVision has a live stream of McElwain's press conference via YouTube.com. In addition, you can follow @GatorsScott and @GatorsChris on Twitter for real-time quotes and notes.
FIRST PRACTICE: The Gators open preseason camp on Thursday, the first of 29 practice sessions allotted by the NCAA prior to the season opener. Teams are permitted to wear full pads starting with the fifth practice.
FAN DAY: Florida Football Fan Day is Saturday, Aug. 15 at the O'Connell Center. Check this out for more information about the event.
SEASON OPENER: Florida hosts New Mexico State on Sept. 5 in McElwain's first game. The schools have met once previously, a 70-21 Gators victory on Sept. 3, 1994.
PRESEASON POLLS: The Gators open the season unranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll, receiving two votes. A look at the final AP Top 25 Poll from last season.
LAST SEASON: Florida finished 7-5, 4-4 in the SEC. The Gators clinched a winning season with a 28-20 victory over East Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl.
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PLAYER TO WATCH (OFFENSE): Sophomore Brandon Powell is a player that immediately jumps out on the practice field when healthy. Powell is quick, athletic and dangerous with the ball in his hands. While Powell played in 11 games as a freshman and started twice, he had just 16 rushes and 15 receptions. Powell has moved from running back to receiver and should play a much bigger role in the offense.
PLAYER TO WATCH (DEFENSE): Sophomore defensive tackle Caleb Brantley developed into a productive player by the end of his first season. He finished with 21 tackles and four tackles-for-loss. Brantley has the skills and size (6-2, 314) to be a consistent disruption at the line of scrimmage.
POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH (OFFENSE): Redshirt freshman Will Grier and sophomore Treon Harris staged Round 1 of their battle to start at quarterback in spring camp. Grier moved ahead in the race when Harris missed several days of practice due to the death of a cousin. Both are back and have some company in graduate transfer Josh Grady, who arrived from Vanderbilt over the summer and has one season of eligibility remaining.
POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH (DEFENSE): With starting middle linebacker Antonio Morrison limited at the start of camp due to an injury in the Birmingham Bowl, the group of Jarrad Davis, Alex Anzalone, Daniel McMillian, Jeremi Powell and Matt Rolin has an opportunity to make an impact and build stability at a position that lost starters Michael Taylor and Neiron Ball.
NEWCOMER TO WATCH: Freshman offensive lineman Martez Ivey was ranked the No. 1 tackle prospect in the 2015 recruiting class and arrives on campus at a perfect time. The Gators need help up front and Ivey has a chance to start immediately.
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PRESEASON PREVIEWS
We're finally at the point where all the preseason speculation starts to give way to actual events. Two words come to mind: Thank goodness. But before we move on, a few more preseason links on the Gators for your perusal:
--McElwain is the right fit for Florida, but the former Colorado State coach could have his share of ups and downs in year one writes Steven Lassan of AthlonSports.com.
--A rebuilding offense will keep expectations down in McElwain's first season, but the Gators' defense will make them a major wildcard writes Bill Connelly of SBNation.com in this in-depth season preview.
--Gators beat writer Thomas Goldkamp of 247Sports.com takes a deeper dive into Florida's quarterback battle.
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HYPE VIDEO
Sean Crawford, Florida's video production coordinator, does a nice job promoting the program to recruits and fans via occasional hype videos. “Florida Football: A New Regime” was released Tuesday to much fanfare on the Internet.
Check it out:
