Gators Notebook: Alpha Dogs Wanted, McWilliams Out, More Tidbits

Dan Mullen roams the field at a recent UF football practice. (Photo: Courtney Culbreath/UAA Communications)

Gators Notebook: Alpha Dogs Wanted, McWilliams Out, More Tidbits

Tuesday, August 6, 2019 | Football, Scott Carter

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The player who wears No. 40 for the Gators these days – long snapper Marco Ortiz – has notable credentials. He won a pair of state championships at Benedictine College Prep in Virginia prior to UF and at 6-foot-4, 232 pounds, is a formidable presence for a specialist.

Still, Ortiz is no Jarrad Davis. Then again, Gators head coach Dan Mullen said nobody on the current UF roster matches up to Davis' reputation as an alpha dog (i.e. leader or tone-setter).

Davis, the former UF linebacker who stood out in his No. 40 jersey for his fearless style of play, leadership and physique from 2013-16, never played for Mullen. He was recruited by Will Muschamp and finished his career on Florida's back-to-back SEC East-winning teams of 2015 and '16.

But Mullen knows what a player like Davis can mean to a team. He coached Dak Prescott and Fletcher Cox at Mississippi State and Tim Tebow and the Pouncey brothers at Florida. Great teams need players like Davis.

"What we're really looking for are who are alpha dogs in a really positive manner to go lead the team,'' Mullen said Tuesday. "We have guys that talk. We have guys that really go hard and do things by example. We need some alpha dogs that are both. That when they talk, it's impactful. When they talk it's the right thing. When they talk it's pushing. When they talk, everything they say is to make the team perform at a higher level and they also back it up with their performance on the field."

When a reporter mentioned Mullen's description sounded an awful lot like Davis, in his third season with the Detroit Lions, Mullen backed up the assertion.

"That's the name,'' he said. "He's the only example … that a lot of guys who have been here throughout their career have seen as a true alpha. Those come few and far between."

PRESS CONFERENCE

SECONDARY CONCERNS

Florida's secondary is considered one of the most talented in the country when everyone is available. Problem is, the Gators are missing some pieces to the puzzle.

Reserve defensive back C.J. McWilliams is the latest to exit the stage, suffering a season-ending ruptured Achilles tendon. McWilliams had been working at the nickelback position behind projected starter Trey Dean for much of camp. A redshirt junior from Miami, McWilliams started two games last season and played in nine, recording 16 tackles.

"That's a tough one, non-contact injury," Mullen said. "Early in practice, just planted and drove and felt the pop. It's a shame."

Safety Jeawon Taylor did not participate in Monday's scrimmage due to a lingering shoulder injury, but Mullen said Taylor, who has played in 33 games over the last three seasons, should be back in full-contact drills by the end of the week.

Meanwhile, John Huggins remains off the field for unspecified reasons. Huggins emerged in spring camp as a rising sophomore but has been absent due to what Mullen has termed "family" issues. Mullen said Tuesday an incident report that surfaced in the media recently involving Huggins and a tutor in October – he was accused by the tutor of choking her but no charges were filed – is not related to Huggins' current situation.

"No, that's all been handled,'' Mullen said.

Mullen provided no timetable on Huggins' return, which opens the door for three true freshmen to continue to get meaningful reps in the secondary: mid-year enrollee Jaydon Hill and newcomers Chester Kimbrough and Kaiir Elam. As for the position behind Dean minus McWilliams and Huggins, Mullen said sophomore Amari Burney, who worked at linebacker primarily in the spring, has the versatility to move back and forth if needed.

"There's a lot of different things you can do personnel-wise," Mullen said.

SCRIMMAGE REVIEW

On the 11th day of preseason camp, the Gators held their first scrimmage Monday night at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. The scrimmage was closed to the media.

Mullen called the scrimmage "solid" but wants to see more consistency overall the next time the Gators scrimmage. He used reliable receiver Josh Hammond as an example of what he meant in analyzing the team's performance.

"A two-play sequence – and I know he's just in a scrimmage – but Josh Hammond, who wins, gets open and kind of drops the ball. And then the next play he leaps over two guys and makes a spectacular touchdown catch. I want the consistency. I love that we're making the second one, but make the first one."

QUOTE OF NOTE

"Umm, it would probably bore you. It was probably like a counter that we ran for like six yards. We blocked it perfectly and the defense fit perfectly and made a good tackle in the open field." – Mullen when asked best play he saw during scrimmage

EXTRA POINTS

Junior safety Shawn Davis stood out in the scrimmage according to Mullen. Davis got extra reps with Taylor sidelined. "That was areal big positive," Mullen said. "He made some explosive plays, made some open-field tackles." … McWilliams is the second UF player this summer to be lost for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, joining redshirt freshman linebacker David Reese, who was hurt during summer workouts … Former Gators defensive back Brian Edwards, who left the program over the summer, is reportedly transferring to Central Michigan where former Gators coach Jim McElwain enters his first season … Former UF linebacker Kylan Johnson told TribLive.com in Pittsburgh that he chose Pittsburgh over Texas and UNLV to play his final season. "I was done. I wanted to relocate,'' Johnson said.