Five Gators Practices Down, Five Random Nuggets

Gators quarterback Graham Mertz eyes a receiver during preseason camp. (Photo: Mallory Peak/UAA Communications)

Five Gators Practices Down, Five Random Nuggets

Sunday, August 6, 2023 | Football, Scott Carter

By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gators flew under the radar during the first week of preseason camp. Then again, you could say that about every team across the country.

The latest round of conference realignment dominated the college football headlines last week as the Pac-12 essentially crumbled, losing five more football programs as Oregon and Washington bolted for the Big 10, and Utah, Arizona and Arizona State will join the Big 12 in 2024.

That leaves Stanford, Cal, Washington State and Oregon State – Florida's opponent in the Las Vegas Bowl eight months ago – as Pac-12 leftovers.

Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes understandably voiced strong concerns over being left out in the cold and some of the apparent knee-jerk moves of his colleagues.

"I've never seen so many last-minute decisions and twists and turns as I have through this process,'' Barnes told The Oregonian newspaper. "The sooner we get back to football and who's starting at quarterback and who we're playing next is better, right?"

No argument here, Mr. Barnes. And the Gators fit the bill as quarterbacks Graham Mertz and Jack Miller III compete for the starter's job entering UF head coach Billy Napier's second season in Gainesville.

Great to be back in The Swamp 🐊#GoGators | #jOURney pic.twitter.com/FF4Ma5GsjE
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) August 5, 2023

The Gators held their fifth practice of camp on Saturday afternoon, which was held at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in front of approximately 2,000 fans who turned out for a rare open practice. They watched a lot of players who were not with the Gators a season ago when they lost 31-3 to Oregon State in Las Vegas.

As the Gators get deeper into the preseason, we'll take a closer look at each position group and what the rotations might look like on Aug. 31 when Florida opens the season on the road at Utah.

For now, here are five random observations from the first week of camp:

QB1 OUTLOOK

Mertz is the leader of the pack and there's no indication he is not the front-runner to start in 25 days when the Gators and Utes square off in Salt Lake City. That has been the prevailing storyline since Mertz arrived from Wisconsin in January and immediately hunkered down in the team's Heavener Football Training Center to acclimate to his new home. The Mertz-Miller battle reminds me of the Austin Appleby-Luke Del Rio days of the Jim McElwain era. Neither has the physical talent of an Anthony Richardson or Jeff Driskel, for example, but in the right system and with high-quality coaching, one could be a reliable game manager and make the plays that are there. The good news is that based on early returns, Mertz's upside is higher than Appleby, Del Rio and several other UF quarterbacks who have come and gone in the post-Tebow era. To my eye, Mertz is throwing a better ball than he did in the spring. There's never been a question about his leadership ability. He impressed in that role the day he got to UF.

QB ON RISE

Speaking of quarterbacks, redshirt freshman Max Brown caught my eye on Saturday. Brown made some nice throws and received more meaningful reps than last preseason when he was a fresh-faced rookie out of Lincoln Christian High in Tulsa, Okla. My last memory of Brown before Saturday was watching him in the bullpen at Condron Ballpark early this summer while serving as the bullpen catcher. Brown is listed at 6-foot-1.5 and 212 pounds on the preseason roster. He looks bigger than that, but what is obvious is that he is growing into his frame and developing as a quarterback. Some knowledgeable observers have him ahead of Miller on their depth charts. Napier has the only depth chart that matters, but he is pleased with Brown's progress. "Max has made improvement,'' Napier said Thursday. "I think he's a classic example of a really good athlete and just started playing quarterback a couple of years ago in high school. The guy can run. He's gained like eight or nine pounds, and lean muscle, too. There's no doubt his accuracy is improved. I think he's cleaned up his footwork, his stroke is much more consistent. And again, I think there's some knowledge that contributes to that table in terms of understanding the system, so I think Max has come along pretty nicely. He's got to catch up mentally. But his work ethic this summer has impressed the staff and impressed the players. He's kind of got right in there in Graham's hip pocket and he's worked the way that you would want a quarterback to work."

during the Gators' practice on Monday, July 31, 2023 at the Sanders football practice fields in Gainesville, FL / UAA Communications photo by Mallory Peak — UF coach **Billy Napier** continues to evaluate his team with the sixth practice of preseason camp scheduled for Sunday. (Photo: **Mallory Peak**/UAA Communications)

QUICK PLAYER, QUICK TAKE

Freshman receiver Eugene Wilson III from Tampa was limited at the start of camp but participated throughout practice on Saturday. Wilson is a wide-eyed newcomer who gets called over by Napier and receivers coach Billy Gonzales regularly for extra coaching. Wilson is part of a freshmen group of receivers that must contribute in 2023 for the Gators to not have to depend on running backs Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne to do all the heavy lifting. Wilson arrived over the summer and is listed at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds. He is small but quick, armed with the classic skill-set of a slot receiver or scat-back. As I posted on Twitter, I'm no expert on quick-twitch muscles, but it's obvious Wilson has a very athletic lower half. Wilson also worked on kickoff return and punt return, spots ideally suited for his quick-cutting style and ability to make people miss in open space. It will be interesting to see if Wilson can work his way into the rotation or if this is strictly a developmental season for him. The door is open for playing time with such a young team.

INJURY BUG

The Gators practiced without linebacker Shemar James on Saturday. James suffered a lower-body injury according to Napier and was seen Saturday walking with a brace on his left knee. A sophomore from Mobile, Ala., the quicker James can return the better. Linebackers Derek Wingo and Scooby Williams are veteran returnees picking up slack with James sidelined. Meanwhile, receiver Ricky Pearsall (undisclosed illness), cornerback Devin Moore (upper body) did not practice. Freshman wideout Aidan Mizell made perhaps the best catch Saturday when he hauled in a pass on the home sideline with one hand. Mizell's play drew the loudest roar of the day from the crowd according to my ears. Mizell is part of the trio of young receivers with Wilson and freshman Andy Jean from Miami Northwestern vying for playing time. Jean continues to impress and is ahead of the curve physically at 6-1, 198 out of Miami Northwestern.

WIDE OPEN

Last but not least, a hat tip to Napier and his staff for giving fans an opportunity to watch a preseason camp practice for the first time since Will Muschamp's tenure. They saw Napier's army at work. From an operational standpoint the Gators run a smooth and efficient practice. Coincidentally, Alabama held its only open practice of preseason camp on Saturday. Napier, like Muschamp and McElwain before him, is relying on some lessons learned from his former mentor Nick Saban to build his program at Florida. There is a sense of stability entering Napier's second year that has been missing in recent years. The won-less record will ultimately determine Napier's success with the Gators, but for my two cents, the Gators appear headed in a better direction than they have in quite some time. Don't expect miracles in 2023, but I personally find it intriguing to enter a season when expectations range from three wins to nine wins.