Orange & Blue Notes: Zuniga's Upside, Gymnastics Opener, Parsons, HBC, Ivey, Eckstein, More Gators Tidbits
Monday, January 7, 2019 | General, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- 'Tis the season of underclassmen declaring for the NFL draft.
As of Monday afternoon, the Gators were tied with Ohio State and Penn State for the most players who have announced they intend to enter April's NFL draft. Five Gators -- defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, offensive lineman Jawaan Taylor, defensive end Jachai Polite, linebacker Vosean Joseph and running back Jordan Scarlett -- have publicly declared they are forgoing their final season of eligibility. The deadline to declare for the draft is Jan. 14.
#Gators have matched program record with five players (Gardner-Johnson, Taylor, Polite, Joseph and Scarlett) declaring early for #NFL draft. Also had five leave early after 2016, 2015, 2009 and 2002 seasons.
While all five players contributed significantly to Florida's 10-3 season, their departures were softened over the weekend as six Gators eligible to enter the draft announced they are returning for their senior seasons: receivers Van Jefferson and Tyrie Cleveland, running back Lamical Perine, defensive end Jabari Zuniga, linebacker David Reese and defensive lineman Adam Shuler.
Defensive end Jabari Zuniga's return for his senior season provides the Gators with a proven pass rusher up front. (Photo: Jason Parkhurst/UAA Communications)
Zuniga was perhaps the biggest question mark of the group. A 6-foot-4, 257-pound redshirt junior who started 13 games, Zuniga finished second to Polite this season with 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Another season of development could make a big difference for Zuniga, who has steadily progressed since moving into the starting lineup for six games in 2017.
"I think he's a much better player today than he was game one,'' defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said prior to the Peach Bowl. "He does bring a physical presence in the run game. He's a guy that can shed blocks and make tackles in the run game. As a rusher, he can really rush outside or inside. He gives us flexibility to move him in or out to get our best four rushers on the field. I think that he can continue to develop to be an even more dominant player moving forward based upon on how he's progressed this year." PLAYOFF EXPANSION STALLS
UF Athletic Director Scott Stricklin has been in San Jose, Calif., the past few days awaiting tonight's national championship game between Alabama and Clemson. Stricklin is in the first year of a three-year term on the 13-member College Football Playoff Committee.
Stricklin is one of five active athletic directors on the committee, which made news Monday afternoon when Mississippi State president Mark Keenum, current chair of the CFB Playoff Board of Managers, refuted any thought the committee is ready to expand the playoff from four teams.
"As far as expanding the number of teams in the playoff, its way too soon -- much too soon -- to know if that is even a possibility,'' Keenum said. "It's fair to say the speculation about expansion has outdistanced the reality of what the commissioners and presidents have discussed." GATORS GYMNASTS RETURN
Florida's gymnastics team opens the season Friday night at home against Missouri and as usual, the Gators are expected to be among the nation's elite in 2019.
For the first time during her UF tenure, head coach Jenny Rowland enters a season with a roster that doesn't include Alex McMurtry, the most prominent member of last year's team connected to the program's three consecutive national titles from 2013-15. Still, don't expect the rest of the college gymnastics world to shed a tear for Rowland.
She signed the nation's No. 1-ranked recruiting class according to CollegeGymFans.com, a group that includes a pair of performers with U.S. National Team credentials in freshmen Trinity Thomas and Sydney Johnson-Sharpf.
Thomas became the fourth gymnast on a collegiate roster (and first since 2011) to earn an international medal when the U.S. took team gold at the 2018 Senior Pan American Championships in Lima, Peru. Meanwhile, Johnson-Sharpf was a member of the 2015-16 U.S. Senior National Team and represented the U.S. at two international assignments.
The Gators are eager to perform in front of their home fans, who showed up at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center a year ago in record numbers (8,304 per meet).
DON'T FREAK OUT - tickets to Friday's meet are still available!
The unlikely baseball journey of David Eckstein continues. Eckstein, the former Gators walk-on who went on to become World Series MVP with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006, has joined the Pittsburgh Pirates as a special assistant in the baseball operations department.
Eckstein joins his brother, Rick Eckstein, a former Gators assistant coach, with the Pirates. David has remained involved in baseball since retiring as a player in 2010 and earning his UF degree, most recently in a guest coach capacity with the Angels, Diamondbacks and USA Baseball. This is Ecktein's first front office role.
"David Eckstein brings intelligence, intensity and a unique drive and energy to the Pirates organization,'' Pittsburgh general manager Neil Huntington said in a release. "David's strengths will be an asset for our Major League team and player development system as a teacher and mentor."
The Pirates today hired David Eckstein as a Special Assistant, Baseball Operations.
Eckstein, the younger brother of Pirates hitting coach Rick Eckstein, played in the big leagues for 10 seasons from 2001-10 with Anaheim, St. Louis, Toronto, Arizona and San Diego.
The 43-year-old Eckstein parlayed his college career into a shot in the big leagues, where he won a World Series with the Angels in 2002 and the Cardinals four years later. IVEY'S FINAL TEST
Gators offensive lineman Martez Ivey is slated to play in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 19 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. The game will be shown live at 3 p.m. on the NFL Network.
Ivey made his 46th career start for the Gators in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl win over Michigan on Dec. 29, serving as the team's lone captain. A former five-star recruit from Apopka (Fla.) High, Ivey started 10 games as a true freshman and returned for his senior season to finish his career in better fashion than a 4-7 record. Mission accomplished: Florida finished 10-3 in Dan Mullen's first season and Ivey started every game.
The East-West Shrine Game provides Ivey an opportunity to improve his stock in April's draft. He played guard and tackle during his college career and at 6-5, 306 pounds, has the size and athleticism scouts seek on the offensive line. GRIZZLY ENDING FOR PARSONS
The marriage between former Gators standout Chandler Parsons and the Memphis Grizzlies appears headed toward divorce. News broke Sunday that Parsons and Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace butted heads over Parsons' rehab assignment.
"Let me play!" Chandler Parsons shouted at Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace after hitting several 3s in a scrimmage 2 weeks ago. After another 3, Parsons pleaded: "Give a motherf---ing jersey!"
Wallace wouldn't -- only G League -- and now Parsons, Grizzlies are headed for divorce. https://t.co/aSQWX5MNiV
Too bad. It would have been fun to see if Parsons and former UF star Joakim Noah, who recently landed with the Grizzlies following his messy divorce from the Knicks, could have found new life at teammates in Memphis. The 30-year-old Parsons is owed $38 million on his original four-year, $94 million maximum contract, including $25.1 million for the 2019-20 season, which is why his separation agreement with the Grizzlies made noise around the league.
A second-round pick of the Rockets in 2011, Parsons became the first UF player to be named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year as a senior in 2011, helping the Gators advance to the Elite Eight. He started his career in Houston, making the NBA's All-Rookie team in 2012.
His best season came in his third year in the league when he averaged 16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4 assists for the Rockets. He signed with Dallas as a free agent in 2014 and with Memphis in 2016. However, knee injuries have limited Parsons to just 73 games with Memphis. THE HBC FOREVER
Steve Spurrier -- forever known as the Head Ball Coach -- returned to the sideline over the weekend in San Antonio, where he is conducting his first preseason camp as head coach of Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football.
The Apollos open the season on Feb. 9 against Atlanta at Spectrum Stadium on UCF's campus.
Spurrier, in his first head coaching job since returning to UF as ambassador in 2016, has more than a dozen former Gators in camp: QB Austin Appleby, WR Chris Thompson, TE DeAndre Goolsby, WR Frankie Hammond, RB Mark Herndon, WR Louis Murphy, DB Cody Riggs, DB Will Hill, LS Drew Ferris, DT Leon Orr, DE Earl Okine, DB Josh Evans and DL Ronald Powell.
Spurrier is taking a leave from his role at UF to coach the Apollos in their first season. The AAF season runs through April and continues Spurrier's lifelong affair with the game. He won a Heisman Trophy with the Gators, spent 10 seasons in the NFL with San Francisco and Tampa Bay, and later coached at Florida for 12 seasons. Spurrier has also served as head coach in the USFL (Tampa Bay Bandits), NFL (Washington Redskins) and at South Carolina.
One of Spurrier's assistants with the Apollos is former Gators receiver Willie Jackson, who is coaching the receivers.
As for one of Spurrier's newest players, Evans recently earned a special honor from Irvington (N.J.) High School. Evans is a member of the 2019 Irvington High Athletic Hall of Fame class. Evans is the only athlete in school history to be selected as first team all-state in football and win an individual state track championship. He later played football at UF and in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Washington Redskins.
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