Congratulations!

[Valid Atom 1.0] This is a valid Atom 1.0 feed.

Recommendations

This feed is valid, but interoperability with the widest range of feed readers could be improved by implementing the following recommendations.

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/sportsblogs/alligatorarmy.xml

  1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  2. <feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xml:lang="en">
  3.  <title>Alligator Army -  All Posts</title>
  4.  <subtitle>Championship Mode: It's when we thrive.</subtitle>
  5.  <icon>https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46671/ali_army_fave.png</icon>
  6.  <updated>2023-06-08T11:00:00-04:00</updated>
  7.  <id>http://www.alligatorarmy.com/rss/current/</id>
  8.  <link type="text/html" href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/" rel="alternate"/>
  9.  <entry>
  10.    <published>2023-06-08T11:00:00-04:00</published>
  11.    <updated>2023-06-08T11:00:00-04:00</updated>
  12.    <title>One simple switch to save Florida football</title>
  13.    <content type="html">  
  14.  
  15.    &lt;figure&gt;
  16.      &lt;img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/s_4atwCDMcLPYBznnmiewLoE9cA=/0x0:1800x1200/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72351849/Florida_coke__1_.0.png" /&gt;
  17.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  18.  
  19.  &lt;p&gt;There’s only one thing to blame for the Gators’ gridiron woes. And a new kind of Pepsi Challenge could fix them.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="Tia0IY"&gt;Late in my seventh grade year, my school welcomed a new student from the state of Indiana. I had just attended the Final Four in Indianapolis, where the &lt;a href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com"&gt;Florida Gators&lt;/a&gt; had triumphed over the &lt;a href="https://www.tarheelblog.com"&gt;North Carolina Tar Heels&lt;/a&gt; and succumbed to the dirty trickery of Tom Izzo and the &lt;a href="https://www.theonlycolors.com"&gt;Michigan State Spartans&lt;/a&gt; in the NCAA Tournament final. Much like George Costanza and George Peppard having the same first name, this trip gave us a commonality to talk about. As we discussed the beauty of Indiana — read: Rex Grossman — I realized that this new friend was also the only person in the school that liked sports as much as I did. &lt;/p&gt;
  20. &lt;p id="CkEu3w"&gt;We quickly became friends, and I had to show him the ropes and teach him a little bit about the Palmetto dialect. One of the most important lessons that I taught him centered around the word “pop.” Initially, I thought he was just a big fan of the 1960s Batman television series and was yelling out an onomatopoeia for effect. As it turns out, he was actually referring to a refreshing carbonated beverage. &lt;/p&gt;
  21. &lt;p id="aCQGLs"&gt;I informed him that these were known as Coke. &lt;/p&gt;
  22. &lt;p id="KxbGgt"&gt;“Well, what if I want a regular pop?” “That’s a Coke”. “What if I want an orange pop?” “That’s an orange coke.” “What about Dr. Pepper?” “That’s just Coke that thinks he’s better than us.” It took a while, but he finally understood that in the South, Coke is king.&lt;/p&gt;
  23. &lt;p id="oAQ4Qu"&gt;What my young friend Zechariah learned way back then seems to be a lesson that the University of Florida has forgotten. I believe that this hypomnesia regarding the official soft drink of the Florida Gators has led to the downfall of the Florida football program.&lt;/p&gt;
  24. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="qdkuyb"&gt;
  25. &lt;p id="jIad41"&gt;In 2005, Florida signed &lt;a href="https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/2005/05/19/coca-cola-drinkers-out-of-luck-on-uf-campus/31693208007/"&gt;an exclusive agreement with Pepsi for 10 years&lt;/a&gt;. This agreement would extend to the entire campus, all of Shands properties, P.K. Yonge, and the various stadia. Sure, the deal was for $27 million, but at what cost?&lt;/p&gt;
  26. &lt;div class="c-float-right"&gt;&lt;aside id="12nQmO"&gt;&lt;q&gt;Coca-Cola, which has been on sale at UF for at least &lt;strong&gt;40&lt;/strong&gt; years and has been the only line of soft drinks available for the past six years, will disappear from drink machines on campus and other university-affiliated facilities after Aug. 15&lt;/q&gt;&lt;/aside&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
  27. &lt;p id="LDXFhY"&gt;College football, much like Coke, was perfected in the South. In 2005, the University of Florida decided to turn its back on tradition and serve their fans Yankee swill water every week.&lt;/p&gt;
  28. &lt;p id="3vGCIH"&gt;You may be saying to yourself: “Yankee? Pepsi originated in the Carolinas.” Yeah, &lt;em&gt;North &lt;/em&gt;Carolina. How many SEC championships have schools in that state won? Hint: It’s the same number of Pepsis I have enjoyed in my life.&lt;/p&gt;
  29.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  30.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JaQyNXH-erBo2X_mxOuimDDBNkU=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24707528/IMG_5580.jpg"&gt;
  31.      &lt;figcaption&gt;First Official SEC Championship Cokes&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  32.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  33. &lt;p id="bZnVh8"&gt;Now, maybe you’re thinking that Pepsi &lt;em&gt;was&lt;/em&gt; the official drink for two national championships in football and basketball, so how can that be a bad thing? Sadly, you are misinformed, because the foundation for those championships was established before the Tyrannical Reign of Pepsi (TROP). In basketball, the foundation of the back-to-back championship teams were a group of recruits known as the “Oh-Fours,” whose enrollment predated TROP. &lt;/p&gt;
  34. &lt;p id="bLf7FD"&gt;In fact, while I don’t believe he would admit it publicly, I believe the exclusive Pepsi agreement is likely what led Joakim Noah to ask Billy Donovan if he should transfer after his freshman season. And who can prove me wrong, or argue definitively against the idea that TROP could have unraveled one of the greatest college basketball teams of all time?&lt;/p&gt;
  35. &lt;p id="S3foLi"&gt;On the football side of things, Urban Meyer was hired pre-TROP and the foundation of the 2006 national championship team was recruited before TROP. Luckily for Florida, Tim Tebow grew up a Gators fan when the Coca-Cola was flowing like wine, and other star players flocked to him like the salmon of Capistrano.&lt;/p&gt;
  36.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  37.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yfgblBgyNhYASb_w97zRsmq5jHI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24707535/IMG_5579.jpg"&gt;
  38.      &lt;figcaption&gt;The Proper Way To Celebrate A National Championship&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  39.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  40. &lt;p id="TDF58q"&gt;Regardless, national championships aren’t the best way to judge overall success. Florida has finished in the top five of the AP Poll just times during the TROP (2005-2022), and has only won two SEC championships. During the booming Coca-Cola days (1987-2004), Florida had six top-five finishes and seven — 1990 counts — SEC championships. Imagine there being a four-team playoff back then! We may be having a different conversation about the national championship figures, and maybe also Powerade baths. &lt;/p&gt;
  41. &lt;p id="u4lmNt"&gt;Additionally, Florida only missed a bowl game due to probation during the Coke days, while the Gators have missed a bowl game twice in the last decade&lt;/p&gt;
  42. &lt;p id="VFv2zi"&gt;The solution, dear reader, is simple. We rise up and take all the Pepsi on campus and pour it into Lake Alice as our forefathers did with that disgusting tea in Boston Harbor all those years ago, except there were no literal alligators in Boston Harbor, so we might need to be more careful. Instead of sneaking an adult beverage into the stadium this year, fill your flask with some Coca-Cola. Your wallet, your body, and the Gators will thank you.&lt;/p&gt;
  43. &lt;p id="k2XEfr"&gt;And If you think I’m crazy, check the date on &lt;a href="https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/story/news/2008/05/18/ua-to-make-coca-cola-its-official-soft-drink-for-athletics/27752173007/"&gt;this article&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;
  44.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  45.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lrtyMEBOeaiIEBwwIdNiNlPFjk0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24707543/Screen_Shot_2023_06_06_at_6.07.18_PM.png"&gt;
  46.      &lt;figcaption&gt;Coincidence? I Think Not&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  47.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  48.  
  49.  
  50. </content>
  51.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/6/8/23751716/florida-gators-football-coke-pepsi"/>
  52.    <id>https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/6/8/23751716/florida-gators-football-coke-pepsi</id>
  53.    <author>
  54.      <name>SethVarnadore</name>
  55.    </author>
  56.  </entry>
  57.  <entry>
  58.    <published>2023-04-27T10:00:00-04:00</published>
  59.    <updated>2023-04-27T10:00:00-04:00</updated>
  60.    <title>2023 NFL Draft: Where the Florida Gators will go — and where they would best fit</title>
  61.    <content type="html">  
  62.  
  63.    &lt;figure&gt;
  64.      &lt;img alt="Georgia v Florida" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VB9jMDoaHWcAKcn_4egSYa1l_ck=/0x0:4987x3325/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72222858/1437611293.0.jpg" /&gt;
  65.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  66.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  67.  
  68.  &lt;p&gt;Predicting the NFL Draft is a fool’s errand. Projecting where players would thrive is more fun.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="QjgP6S"&gt;The only thing more prevalent on the Internet right now than NFL mock drafts are jokes about blue checkmarks. There are hundreds — thousands? — of mocks out there. The most prolific &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft"&gt;NFL draft&lt;/a&gt; pundits are on mock draft 7.0 by now, and every top prospect has been projected to just about every NFL team. &lt;/p&gt;
  69. &lt;p id="VHoe2b"&gt;That said, I’m joining the party with my own mock draft, one specific to the Gators and the 11 former players hoping to hear their names announced on the draft stage in Kansas City starting Thursday. With each player, I’ll offer a best fit prediction as well. &lt;/p&gt;
  70. &lt;p id="Q1qr4X"&gt;After covering the NFL Scouting Combine and Florida’s Pro Day, I have had the opportunity to see all 11 in action in front of hordes of scouts, coaches, and general managers. I’ve spoken to some of those talent evaluators as well as the reporters and analysts I work with. &lt;/p&gt;
  71. &lt;p id="IZYmfm"&gt;I think a realistic over/under on Gators draft picks is 5.5. Anthony Richardson, Cyrus O’Torrence, and Gervon Dexter are locks — and likely in the first three rounds Thursday and Friday. In a worst-case scenario, those three are the only former Gators selected, matching the same number of picks used on Florida players in the 2022 draft. Best-case, the Florida contingent might come close to equaling the most Gators ever taken in one draft — nine, last done in 2010. &lt;/p&gt;
  72. &lt;h2 id="vjWiNf"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Anthony Richardson&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  73. &lt;p id="1ZTUea"&gt;Richardson will become the fifth Florida quarterback drafted in the first round, following in the footsteps of Tim Tebow, Rex Grossman, John Reaves, and Steve Spurrier. Spurrier was the highest selection at third overall, and there is some thought Richardson could match that if a team trades up to grab him.&lt;/p&gt;
  74. &lt;p id="YeEkZn"&gt;The consensus is that Richardson is headed to the &lt;a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/"&gt;Indianapolis Colts&lt;/a&gt; with either the fourth pick or via trade at number three. Richardson visited Indy two weeks ago and then met with the team virtually again last week. He’s also worked out with Colts current projected starter Gardner Minshew in the run-up to the draft. &lt;/p&gt;
  75. &lt;p id="QmaRjB"&gt;One team that could slide in front of the Colts? The &lt;a href="https://www.musiccitymiracles.com/"&gt;Tennessee Titans&lt;/a&gt;. They hosted Richardson and followed up with a virtual visit as well. Imagine AR and Derrick Henry in the same backfield! &lt;/p&gt;
  76. &lt;p id="L8DQvY"&gt;The &lt;a href="https://www.fieldgulls.com/"&gt;Seahawks&lt;/a&gt;, Raiders, Falcons, and Ravens have all shown extensive interest in Richardson as well.&lt;/p&gt;
  77. &lt;p id="TjVV03"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BEST FIT:&lt;/strong&gt; Baltimore&lt;/p&gt;
  78. &lt;p id="PPfNb7"&gt;The Ravens are one of the most stable, well-run franchises in the NFL. Under John Harbaugh, they’ve made the playoffs in 10 of 15 seasons including four of the past five, and were &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl"&gt;Super Bowl&lt;/a&gt; 47 champs.&lt;/p&gt;
  79. &lt;p id="gBrk9h"&gt;If they feel they cannot get a deal done with Lamar Jackson, they should move on and use the extra draft capital to come up and get Richardson. Harbaugh proved with Jackson that he’ll build an offense completely around the talents of his quarterback. New offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s recent track record speaks for itself, as he molded Stetson Bennett from a walk-on into a Heisman finalist and two-time national champion. &lt;/p&gt;
  80. &lt;p id="9a5ayf"&gt;On paper, the Colts are a pretty good fit, too. New head coach Shane Steichen developed Jalen Hurts into an MVP contender with an offense built around a physical running attack. He could do the same with Richardson, but I worry about a franchise that has only made the playoffs twice in eight seasons.&lt;/p&gt;
  81. &lt;p id="YiFatk"&gt;Ultimately, I trust the Ravens more with Richardson’s growth and development. But I also think it’s going to be Indy landing him.&lt;/p&gt;
  82. &lt;p id="IlCnCt"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PROJECTED PICK:&lt;/strong&gt; Third overall to the Colts&lt;/p&gt;
  83. &lt;h2 id="dp3KKC"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;O’Cyrus Torrence&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  84. &lt;p id="vJiBvN"&gt;I wouldn’t say Torrence is sliding, but I’ve definitely noticed an uptick in mocks with him falling into the second round. As I’ve written for months, that’s more about perceived positional value than anything Torrence has done in workouts.&lt;/p&gt;
  85. &lt;p id="dn2MB4"&gt;He should be the first guard off the board and will be a day one starter. But as teams value skill positions more and more, it’s looking like he isn’t going to join Richardson in the first round.&lt;/p&gt;
  86. &lt;p id="FYRzJE"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BEST FIT:&lt;/strong&gt; Tennessee&lt;/p&gt;
  87. &lt;p id="yA1E3x"&gt;Fellow Gator and current Tennessee general manager Ran Carthon and the Titans took Torrence out to dinner the night before Florida’s Pro Day. They know their power-rushing attack is a perfect fit for Torrence’s mauling style.&lt;/p&gt;
  88. &lt;p id="6KTlON"&gt;Tennessee’s offensive line is in shambles after consistently being one of the best in the league. They need to rebuild it in order to get the most out of the remaining years of Derrick Henry’s prime. I don’t think they’ll reach for a guard with their first round pick at No. 11, but if they trade down in the first round or if Torrence slides, he could be an option at No. 41.&lt;/p&gt;
  89. &lt;p id="NTfm2u"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PROJECTED PICK:&lt;/strong&gt; Second round, 32nd overall to the &lt;a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/"&gt;Steelers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  90. &lt;h2 id="xfnNoV"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gervon Dexter&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  91. &lt;p id="6R1zhs"&gt;Dexter’s range is anywhere from mid-second round through the third round as one of the 10 best interior defensive linemen in the draft.&lt;/p&gt;
  92. &lt;p id="HgELj7"&gt;He has been one of the busiest draft prospects, with reported visits with Cleveland, Buffalo, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Chicago. &lt;/p&gt;
  93. &lt;p id="yax7LP"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BEST FIT:&lt;/strong&gt; Kansas City&lt;/p&gt;
  94. &lt;p id="S9Xd5H"&gt;Frankly, who isn’t a great fit for the Super Bowl champs, right? Playing for Andy Reid and alongside Patrick Mahomes means you’re going to win a lot. &lt;/p&gt;
  95. &lt;p id="FTNB17"&gt;But the reason I’d love to see Dexter in KC is because of what he could learn from Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones. Lining up next to one of the most dominant defenders in football wouldn’t be a bad way to start a career.&lt;/p&gt;
  96. &lt;p id="XL6Naj"&gt;Dexter is 6’6” and 310 pounds, the same height and weight Jones measured at coming out of &lt;a href="https://www.forwhomthecowbelltolls.com"&gt;Mississippi State&lt;/a&gt;. And Dexter has bested Jones’s numbers in the 40, vertical jump, and broad jump.&lt;/p&gt;
  97. &lt;p id="J4Mp1m"&gt;Sadly, defensive tackle isn’t a priority for the Chiefs, so I don’t see him landing there.&lt;/p&gt;
  98. &lt;p id="kZY0aC"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PROJECTED PICK:&lt;/strong&gt; Third round, 64th overall to Chicago&lt;/p&gt;
  99. &lt;h2 id="MwewBF"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ventrell Miller&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  100. &lt;p id="13noVb"&gt;Miller is on track in his recovery from foot surgery and is expected to be ready for rookie minicamps in May. He’s reportedly met with Seattle, Denver, and Jacksonville, among others. &lt;/p&gt;
  101. &lt;p id="9ox2zL"&gt;Because he’s been unable to work out, Miller’s draft stock rests solely on the impressive tape compiled at Florida. He’s a run-stopping thumper despite being undersized. Miller’s heart is what will get him drafted.&lt;/p&gt;
  102. &lt;p id="oNjiNI"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BEST FIT:&lt;/strong&gt; Tampa&lt;/p&gt;
  103. &lt;p id="lkWVxV"&gt;For the same reasons as Dexter to KC, I’d love to see Miller end up in Tampa. Lavonte David has been one of the best off-ball linebackers in the game for a decade and he’s nearing the end of his career. Learning from him would speed Miller’s transition to the NFL.&lt;/p&gt;
  104. &lt;p id="agVwRR"&gt;Playing behind Vita Vea, the Bucs’ massive and dominant nose tackle, would free Miller to play fast and free against the run and provide space for his effective gap blitzing.&lt;/p&gt;
  105. &lt;p id="kgrcTy"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PROJECTED PICK:&lt;/strong&gt; Sixth round, 181st overall to Tampa&lt;/p&gt;
  106. &lt;h2 id="rl83Mg"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Brenton Cox, Jr.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  107. &lt;p id="l1VIOX"&gt;Cox has an NFL body and has plenty of NFL plays on his game tape. Unfortunately for him, the vast majority of that game tape shows massive inconsistency and disappointment. &lt;/p&gt;
  108. &lt;p id="uApFWT"&gt;Cox returning to Gainesville for Florida’s Pro Day was a huge factor in helping teams get over his dismissal from both the Gators and Georgia. But in the end, it’s the reason his draft prospects are so cloudy. &lt;/p&gt;
  109. &lt;p id="xwQrnk"&gt;I think his potential and five-star pedigree will convince someone to give him a chance. &lt;/p&gt;
  110. &lt;p id="YWMjoo"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BEST FIT:&lt;/strong&gt; Miami&lt;/p&gt;
  111. &lt;p id="QvuY1O"&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/"&gt;Dolphins&lt;/a&gt; defensive coordinator Vic Fangio uses a 3-4 front that allows the outside linebackers to attack off the edge. That’s Cox’s strength, and as a rotational pass rusher in Miami, he could find a role behind Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips. &lt;/p&gt;
  112. &lt;p id="8Ji4En"&gt;He’s a high-risk, high-reward pick — and the kind of player a team like Miami should take a chance on.&lt;/p&gt;
  113. &lt;p id="MGfMTT"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PROJECTED PICK:&lt;/strong&gt; Seventh round, 238th overall to Miami&lt;/p&gt;
  114. &lt;h2 id="4vJ96f"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Justin Shorter&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  115. &lt;p id="F7KSuH"&gt;There isn’t a lot of buzz around Shorter, but I think at the end of the day he’ll find his way into the draft. He has enough flash on tape, combined with his frame and good speed, to find a home.&lt;/p&gt;
  116. &lt;p id="d7SXXf"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BEST FIT:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/"&gt;Los Angeles Chargers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  117. &lt;p id="5VUT2b"&gt;My pattern for these fits is pretty easy to decipher. Pair up with a star player similar in size, learn as much as you can from him, develop and find your own path. Mike Williams is more than just a big receiver who is a deep threat. Shorter has to prove he can be that as well. &lt;/p&gt;
  118. &lt;p id="JnvcpR"&gt;That said, I keep coming back to my original comp for Shorter in Allen Lazard. The former Packer — now a New York Jet, seemingly as part of the enticement for landing Aaron Rodgers — measured and tested almost identically to Shorter coming into the league. I think Green Bay uses a late-round pick in hopes of replacing Lazard.&lt;/p&gt;
  119. &lt;p id="Lm9Zrs"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PROJECTED PICK:&lt;/strong&gt; Seventh round, 242nd overall to Green Bay&lt;/p&gt;
  120. &lt;h2 id="cgzPyf"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Richard Gouraige&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  121. &lt;p id="RNfp4m"&gt;Everyone needs tackles. Gouraige had a nice senior season with enough good tape against some of the best pass rushers in the SEC to find himself a home on day three of the draft. &lt;/p&gt;
  122. &lt;p id="CcZZJJ"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;BEST FIT:&lt;/strong&gt; San Francisco&lt;/p&gt;
  123. &lt;p id="uunO54"&gt;Back in 2015, the &lt;a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/"&gt;49ers&lt;/a&gt; selected a raw Florida tackle in the seventh round. Eight years later, Trent Brown has made a lot of money, made a &lt;a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-pro-bowl"&gt;Pro Bowl&lt;/a&gt;, and won a Super Bowl. I think Gouraige would take that.&lt;/p&gt;
  124. &lt;p id="5o49cI"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;PROJECTED PICK:&lt;/strong&gt; Seventh round, 253rd overall to San Francisco&lt;/p&gt;
  125. &lt;h2 id="bJudeL"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Trey Dean III&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  126. &lt;p id="g8Ows4"&gt;Dean’s physical gifts — well, apart from the one thing — are immense, but the production just never lived up to the expectations. Ultimately, that inconsistency is likely to keep him out of the draft. His disappointing 40 time won’t help either, obviously. &lt;/p&gt;
  127. &lt;p id="On1cCc"&gt;There is still a chance someone takes a flyer on him late, but I’d expect a team to make him a preferred undrafted free agent signing with a decent signing bonus and a chance to make a roster as a special-teams ace and backup box safety. &lt;/p&gt;
  128. &lt;h2 id="3vcT9V"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rashad Torrence II&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  129. &lt;p id="a8PyVH"&gt;Torrence’s awful 40 times really hurt his draft chances. His impressive tape — especially from 2021 — could entice a team to select him in the final round. More likely, he’ll get a chance to latch on as an undrafted free agent. &lt;/p&gt;
  130. &lt;h2 id="AVSHNe"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Amari Burney&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  131. &lt;p id="7bhYLD"&gt;Burney made a good impression at Florida’s Pro Day, but it probably wasn’t enough to climb into the draft. He’ll get a camp invite and will need to earn his way into the league on special teams.&lt;/p&gt;
  132. &lt;h2 id="3LgJzV"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jordan Pouncey&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  133. &lt;p id="PvqjtF"&gt;Pouncey is not going to be drafted and is a long shot to get signed as an undrafted free agent.&lt;/p&gt;
  134.  
  135. </content>
  136.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/4/27/23700484/2023-nfl-draft-florida-gators-projected-picks-best-fit"/>
  137.    <id>https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/4/27/23700484/2023-nfl-draft-florida-gators-projected-picks-best-fit</id>
  138.    <author>
  139.      <name>skopelakis</name>
  140.    </author>
  141.  </entry>
  142.  <entry>
  143.    <published>2023-04-13T19:30:33-04:00</published>
  144.    <updated>2023-04-13T19:30:33-04:00</updated>
  145.    <title>2023 Orange and Blue Game open thread: A glimpse of the Gators</title>
  146.    <content type="html">  
  147.  
  148.    &lt;figure&gt;
  149.      &lt;img alt="Syndication: Gator Sports" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/isNTW7uPUAt1WD_ks3W4QKgYoCs=/0x0:5472x3648/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72178458/usa_today_20456117.0.jpg" /&gt;
  150.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Matt Pendleton / USA TODAY NETWORK&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  151.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  152.  
  153.  &lt;p&gt;Our first look at the 2023 Gators comes on a Thursday night.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="039dMn"&gt;I really don’t need to do a full-blown preview for this one, do I? I already wrote out &lt;a href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/4/13/23681751/florida-gators-2023-spring-game-orange-and-blue-debut"&gt;a bunch of predictions for Florida’s spring game&lt;/a&gt; earlier this afternoon, and while I’m as excited as you are — give or take — to &lt;s&gt;endure&lt;/s&gt; enjoy an SEC Network+ broadcast &lt;a href="https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/c740ab15-a0ef-4609-b6d0-74d5ad7ec6c9"&gt;over on ESPN+&lt;/a&gt;, I think we all know the stakes of this Thursday night.&lt;/p&gt;
  154. &lt;p id="gUCc4o"&gt;And, additionally: Florida’s gymnastics team living through an all-time thriller of an NCAA semifinal in Dallas on this day &lt;em&gt;kind of &lt;/em&gt;puts the staging of an exhibition football game in perspective. Sure, this is the dawning of the Graham Mertz era; the sunset of Trinity Thomas’s amazing career feels a bit more important, especially given the coda that will now be written on Saturday.&lt;/p&gt;
  155. &lt;p id="791zW8"&gt;So I will be leaning back and taking this in from the comfort of my customary seat, and hope that you, too, will receive this as the fun diversion it can and should be.&lt;/p&gt;
  156. &lt;p id="oYczYt"&gt;Alternately, we can start worrying about whether the Gators can beat Utah tonight, I guess! There’s no time for panic like the present!&lt;/p&gt;
  157.  
  158. </content>
  159.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/4/13/23682716/2023-orange-and-blue-game-open-thread"/>
  160.    <id>https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/4/13/23682716/2023-orange-and-blue-game-open-thread</id>
  161.    <author>
  162.      <name>Andy Hutchins</name>
  163.    </author>
  164.  </entry>
  165.  <entry>
  166.    <published>2023-04-13T12:00:28-04:00</published>
  167.    <updated>2023-04-13T12:00:28-04:00</updated>
  168.    <title>Seven predictions for Florida’s 2023 Orange and Blue Debut</title>
  169.    <content type="html">  
  170.  
  171.    &lt;figure&gt;
  172.      &lt;img alt="Syndication: Gator Sports" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LNzCCY14x2DrM6uH2HmNKQe_SJA=/0x0:1726x1151/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72177093/usa_today_20442406.0.jpg" /&gt;
  173.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Doug Engle / USA TODAY NETWORK&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  174.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  175.  
  176.  &lt;p&gt;This should be fun — little more, nothing less.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="4qeTQd"&gt;With another spring practice cycle successfully put behind us without mention — I’m sure I missed some of the best action that’s ever happened during the series of practices that the players care even less about than the fall camp that they cannot wait to have end because of the sweltering Gainesville heat and humidity — it is, of course, time for a spring game exhibition that will serve as much of the basis for the hyperbole, anxiety, and outright lying that marks off-season discourse in college football fandom.&lt;/p&gt;
  177. &lt;p id="5pi6wq"&gt;Here are seven predictions — some educated, some entertaining — that I have for Florida’s Orange and Blue Debut, set to kick this Thursday night, and for the months to come.&lt;/p&gt;
  178. &lt;h2 id="Vlzp2s"&gt;It’ll be fun&lt;/h2&gt;
  179. &lt;p id="s3TvTE"&gt;There are spring games that are meant to be competitive affairs that solve quandaries for the coaches of their teams. There are spring games that are meant to be fan service and little more. And in between those two poles is a wide spectrum that just reads “fun.”&lt;/p&gt;
  180. &lt;p id="zIkqtE"&gt;I have a hard time thinking that Florida is likely to screw up that “fun” part with a night game on a weekday, which seems like most of the setting for a simulation of the cool night games that will happen in the fall, barring inclement weather. With rain from the late morning set to be gone well before an evening kickoff — and probably keeping temperatures in the 70s — I think that the Gators are going to get rather good weather, in fact.&lt;/p&gt;
  181. &lt;p id="pm4Dnq"&gt;So it should be fun — regardless of what actually transpires. That’s most of the point.&lt;/p&gt;
  182. &lt;h2 id="lRLWeF"&gt;The QBs will be fine, not outstanding…&lt;/h2&gt;
  183. &lt;p id="sbuL1R"&gt;We have seen Jack Miller III in a spring game before; he was not particularly impressive. He was also bad — do you remember that, of his 13-for-22, 180-yard line in the Las Vegas Bowl, five of the completions and 108 of the yards came on Florida’s final two drives, with the Gators down 30-0? — in a forgettable, forgivable bowl game loss. We — college football fans, if not Florida fans — have also seen plenty of Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz, whose Badgers career could be fairly described as largely unspectacular or uneven.&lt;/p&gt;
  184. &lt;p id="giACKP"&gt;Their chances of producing performances in this spring game that change our perceptions of them would seem small. Maybe very small.&lt;/p&gt;
  185. &lt;p id="uovZPQ"&gt;But I think that they could also acquit themselves nicely, do things that provide hope for down-to-down competence that might actually exceed the high-variance brilliance and bafflement that Anthony Richardson generated, and still not end up standing out. In fact, I think that’s the most likely outcome.&lt;/p&gt;
  186. &lt;h2 id="hp5qLo"&gt;…which will allow for worry, and maybe a transfer&lt;/h2&gt;
  187. &lt;p id="BDCxlF"&gt;And if that outcome is what we get, I think that there is a very good chance that the narrative of Florida’s season has a “Are these really the QBs?” preface that gets written all summer.&lt;/p&gt;
  188. &lt;p id="F3TPx1"&gt;Mertz — whom I think is likely to win the QB1 role … if no additions are made — and Miller are not just not as exciting as Richardson; they are also not as exciting as Emory Jones or Kyle Trask or Feleipe Franks all were as prospective Florida helmsmen.&lt;/p&gt;
  189. &lt;p id="g8VVYT"&gt;If you count &lt;a href="https://www.onefootdown.com"&gt;Notre Dame&lt;/a&gt; transfer Malik Zaire as a more enticing and/or endearing prospect at QB than Mertz and Miller, I think we have to reach all the way back to 2016 and the immortal battery of Luke Del Rio and Austin Appleby for a Florida QB situation that inspired more genuine worry than good feeling and wonder. And back then, fans were still optimistic for Del Rio and Appleby because, well, they were not Treon Harris, whose play approximated Richardson’s — in the senses that he would often have days as bad as Richardson’s worst and occasionally have plays as good as Richardson’s worst miscues on his good days.&lt;/p&gt;
  190. &lt;p id="6VZBJ5"&gt;To my mind, that means that Florida is still in the market for another QB who could play in 2023 — or should still be, anyway. And I don’t think it is &lt;em&gt;that &lt;/em&gt;outrageous to believe that the Gators will have their ears to the ground, listening for the thump of a QB falling out of a completion elsewhere, or that there won’t be such players entering or re-entering the transfer portal at the conclusion of spring semesters.&lt;/p&gt;
  191. &lt;p id="7n3OPi"&gt;Who, exactly, fits this bill as a potential stalking horse? I don’t know. My pet theory is that someone of Jaxson Dart, Walker Howard, and Spencer Sanders won’t actually want to be the third-stringer at &lt;a href="https://www.redcuprebellion.com"&gt;Ole Miss&lt;/a&gt; this fall, no matter how fun riding the bench in Oxford during a 7-5 season occluded by speculation about whether Lane Kiffin should have bolted for Auburn might (not) be, but that’s really just conjecture.&lt;/p&gt;
  192. &lt;p id="5lurau"&gt;But Florida’s personnel division is paid to figure out if such a player might exist and to recruit that hypothetical player to Gainesville. And its head coach is paid handsomely to win games, a task that would perhaps be easier if those games featured a quarterback whose ceiling exceeds what we can reasonably expect of Mertz and Miller.&lt;/p&gt;
  193. &lt;p id="kXlr9D"&gt;Unless one or both of them is surprisingly sharp on this night, I will be entirely unsurprised if Florida is still looking for another QB in the portal late this spring and all summer.&lt;/p&gt;
  194. &lt;h2 id="ZeRNFS"&gt;The standout will be a skill player&lt;/h2&gt;
  195. &lt;p id="kH31mu"&gt;If there were bingo cards for spring games, “a skill position player on offense does something cool” would be the free center square.&lt;/p&gt;
  196. &lt;p id="ZyYiv1"&gt;Most recently and memorably, that was Kadarius Toney showing a glimpse as a freshman of the terror he would become as an upperclassman. But I would bet that the most memorable part of many, many spring games at Florida and elsewhere is one ooh-eliciting big play from a running back or wide receiver — whether it happens organically or is orchestrated by the coaches as a treat for the player and/or the fans.&lt;/p&gt;
  197. &lt;p id="bZJo5f"&gt;Tonight’s prime candidate for such a showy play or performance has to be Trevor Etienne, the most electrifying returnee from last fall’s offense, and Ricky Pearsall has to be close behind. But Xzavier Henderson purportedly had a big day during one of Florida’s scrimmages, and true freshman Andy Jean’s name has been mentioned far too often in practice reports for me not to think that he’s got a legitimate chance to shine brightest under the lights.&lt;/p&gt;
  198. &lt;p id="hbAxxc"&gt;In any case: Someone’s going to win the hearts of those paying attention.&lt;/p&gt;
  199. &lt;h2 id="su3ZED"&gt;The offense will stay ahead of the defense&lt;/h2&gt;
  200. &lt;p id="piVD3C"&gt;Bluntly: Florida’s offense was often good and frequently explosive in 2022, continuing a trend begun under Dan Mullen that has transferred to the Napier years even if there were plenty of criticisms of that offense to be leveled … but Florida’s defense being execrable at its duties and excruciating to watch nullified much of the value and joy of the offensive excellence, also continuing a trend begun under Dan Mullen that has transferred to the Napier years.&lt;/p&gt;
  201. &lt;p id="9JqMoG"&gt;I think that Florida’s building a strong foundation on defense, improving its talent at most positions and its depth on the line. I also think Patrick Toney was not really the problem last season, and that Austin Armstrong — the first coordinator-level coach younger than me that Florida has employed in my lifetime — strikes me as a sharp mind who will not really be the problem this fall. But most importantly, I think that Florida’s defense fell to a level that may take two or three years to fully fix — “fix”? — and I would count reducing the 40-point strafings to 31-point showings that allow for 35-31 wins as progress.&lt;/p&gt;
  202. &lt;p id="rgHuNL"&gt;Florida’s offense may have two QBs I do not trust to be better than average more often than not, but it also has a deep and talented line, a slew of reliable running backs, and promising youth at pass-catching positions. It should be better than Florida’s defense even if we factor in the conventional wisdom that defenses are often ahead of offenses during spring and fall practices because of familiarity and shorter installation periods. If that isn’t the case, I’ll be surprised — pleasantly, perhaps.&lt;/p&gt;
  203. &lt;h2 id="w5Ydrm"&gt;We will not remember this game in six months&lt;/h2&gt;
  204. &lt;p id="KJ50O3"&gt;Quick: Who caught the touchdown passes that were thrown on those gimmick plays in the first couple of spring games under Mullen?&lt;/p&gt;
  205. &lt;p id="182zjF"&gt;Oh, you didn’t know? You had to look it up? That’s what I thought.&lt;/p&gt;
  206. &lt;p id="rN9cgI"&gt;The IDEA of a spring game may be that it’s a dress rehearsal for the fall. I think it’s more like homecoming before prom: Maybe you get asked out by your crush, and maybe you go to the dance and have a good time, but the REALevent is the bigger one later on. (In this metaphor, I think the inevitable 40-yard Etienne scamper is the DJ dropping Lil Uzi Vert’s “I Wanna Rock”?)&lt;/p&gt;
  207. &lt;p id="XtNy5v"&gt;That’s not to say that you can’t or shouldn’t glean as much joy — and maybe even insight — from a spring game as possible. This is the closest thing to a real college football game featuring Florida that we get between the first days of January and the last of August.&lt;/p&gt;
  208. &lt;p id="ISRKe3"&gt;But the significance of what happens in a spring game rarely lingers longer than a week, and the conclusions drawn can be foolhardy at best. And I cannot call out any spring game that mattered more in Florida history than the 2006 edition, in which Tim Tebow “outplayed” Chris Leak, fomenting a quarterback controversy that wasn’t prior to a season in which Leak started every game and Tebow cameoed extensively and effectively en route to a national title.&lt;/p&gt;
  209. &lt;p id="WCZ6N4"&gt;Extrapolating “Tebow might be better than Leak” from that game was easy. And it was arguably right, ultimately. But Leak was always going to be that team’s steady senior leader, Tebow was always going to be its fiery freshman spark plug, and Tebow having a better spring game than the cemented senior was not going to be a factor in a theoretical benching come the fall; Tebow being better on a day in the spring would not have even been fourth or fifth on the list of reasons that Urban Meyer and Mullen would have replaced Leak with him by October.&lt;/p&gt;
  210. &lt;p id="WFGxrb"&gt;And I think that might be the MOST consequential spring game in program history.&lt;/p&gt;
  211. &lt;p id="WR4Dkh"&gt;So take this for what it is. Maybe don’t take it too seriously.&lt;/p&gt;
  212. &lt;h2 id="QzjKIW"&gt;Desmond Watson will score a touchdown&lt;/h2&gt;
  213. &lt;p id="wbSiqD"&gt;All that said: Some things just need to happen.&lt;/p&gt;
  214.  
  215. </content>
  216.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/4/13/23681751/florida-gators-2023-spring-game-orange-and-blue-debut"/>
  217.    <id>https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/4/13/23681751/florida-gators-2023-spring-game-orange-and-blue-debut</id>
  218.    <author>
  219.      <name>Andy Hutchins</name>
  220.    </author>
  221.  </entry>
  222.  <entry>
  223.    <published>2023-04-08T13:03:30-04:00</published>
  224.    <updated>2023-04-08T13:03:30-04:00</updated>
  225.    <title>Anthony Richardson leads the way — again — at Florida’s Pro Day</title>
  226.    <content type="html">  
  227.  
  228.    &lt;figure&gt;
  229.      &lt;img alt="Syndication: USA TODAY" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/n4szw-rJL_DZ0XXYFgTgkgVu488=/60x0:1589x1019/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72161259/usa_today_20380349.0.jpg" /&gt;
  230.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Doug Engle / USA TODAY NETWORK&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  231.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  232.  
  233.  &lt;p&gt;One last performance in Gainesville for the hometown star...&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="XLpWYH"&gt;Last week, representatives from all 32 NFL teams were in Gainesville for Florida Pro Day. They pilled into the Heavener Football Training Center and the Condron Family Indoor Practice Facility to get an up close look at 11 former Gators football players — and one track star looking to get back on the gridiron.&lt;/p&gt;
  234. &lt;p id="Vfg1zg"&gt;Draft season is a long and winding process for prospects hoping to impress scouts, coaches, and general managers. The first step were the college all-star games. The Combine followed. Team meetings have been sprinkled in. And Pro Day is one of the last opportunities to impress on the field.&lt;/p&gt;
  235. &lt;p id="yospqc"&gt;Among the NFL scouts and personnel in Gainesville were three head coaches: Carolina’s Frank Reich, Jacksonville’s Doug Pederson, and Seattle’s Pete Carroll. The Panthers hold the first overall pick, the &lt;a href="https://www.fieldgulls.com/"&gt;Seahawks&lt;/a&gt; are fifth, and the Jags are 24th. &lt;/p&gt;
  236. &lt;div id="EsNttd"&gt;
  237. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  238. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Also watching closely are Gators head coach Billy Napier, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, and Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. Seattle has the fifth pick. &lt;a href="https://t.co/I42Jy8P0Os"&gt;pic.twitter.com/I42Jy8P0Os&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Shawn Kopelakis (@shawn_kopelakis) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/shawn_kopelakis/status/1641463313925132288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  239. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  240. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  241. &lt;/div&gt;
  242. &lt;p id="8cvk6m"&gt;Pete Carroll has repeatedly said Seattle is doing a thorough dive on the quarterbacks in this class despite re-signing Geno Smith this offseason. Carolina is desperate to find its QB1 of the future and sent its entire offensive staff to watch Anthony Richardson. &lt;/p&gt;
  243. &lt;div id="qi0uSF"&gt;
  244. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  245. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Panthers sent everyone to evaluate Richardson in person. Frank Reich, Scott Fitterer, Josh McCown, and Jim Caldwell all watching him throw. &lt;a href="https://t.co/PNB4mtkBse"&gt;pic.twitter.com/PNB4mtkBse&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Shawn Kopelakis (@shawn_kopelakis) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/shawn_kopelakis/status/1641474901906190338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  246. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  247. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  248. &lt;/div&gt;
  249. &lt;p id="YP5xdc"&gt;Jacksonville doesn’t need a quarterback — obviously — but could use help along both lines, and Jaguars personnel were there to check out O’Cyrus Torrence and Gervon Dexter.&lt;/p&gt;
  250. &lt;p id="b4qsTq"&gt;I was there as well, as part of NFL Network’s coverage of Richardson’s throwing session. It was my first time back in Gainesville since the new facility opened. It is as impressive a training and practice center as I’ve seen in my travels across college campuses for various Pro Days — in fact, it’s better than the vast majority of NFL practice facilities. &lt;/p&gt;
  251. &lt;p id="V469aC"&gt;The Gators football program has a crown jewel that should help close the recruiting gap with Georgia and Alabama. Add in Florida’s ability to put many players in the league year after year and there is ample reason for Billy Napier to have this program back among the nation’s elite in the next couple of years. When I spoke with Napier after he finished NFL Network’s on-set interview, he told me it’s a process, but that he’s hopeful they can win a few more of the close ones in 2023.&lt;/p&gt;
  252. &lt;p id="M8W1uf"&gt;Without these 11 players, that’s going to be a tall order. Here’s a recap of each player’s performance at Pro Day.&lt;/p&gt;
  253. &lt;h2 id="yPxnLk"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Anthony Richardson&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  254. &lt;h3 id="c9aCje"&gt;QB / 6’4 1/4”, 246 pounds / Projected draft slot: Top 10&lt;/h3&gt;
  255. &lt;p id="XDQqMz"&gt;After putting on an all-time performance at the Combine, Richardson’s status as a top-10 pick is pretty much cemented. Most mock drafts have him no farther down the draft board than fourth or fifth overall. Knowing that, Richardson stood pat on all his testing numbers but decided to throw again.&lt;/p&gt;
  256. &lt;p id="OaCZxb"&gt;Richardson is the quarterback prospect with the highest ceiling in this draft. You maybe can’t say the same thing about Florida’s indoor practice facility. &lt;/p&gt;
  257. &lt;div id="GIRq2J"&gt;
  258. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  259. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Anthony Richardson hit the damn roof at Florida's pro day &lt;a href="https://t.co/VH9PuhxhiW"&gt;pic.twitter.com/VH9PuhxhiW&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/cjzero/status/1641476194062282755?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  260. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  261. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  262. &lt;/div&gt;
  263. &lt;p id="P8NF6n"&gt;Including that throw off the roof — one that was deliberate, as Richardson laughed after the heave, later admitting he meant to do it to a la Kentucky’s Will Levis, who also threw a moonball to the roof during his pro day — Gainesville’s very own put on another show with his arm. Richardson threw 45 passes from a script that included long, short, and intermediate throws, including many off-platform and outside the pocket.&lt;/p&gt;
  264. &lt;div id="zHuoIy"&gt;
  265. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  266. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Anthony Richardson is launching footballs right now.  &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GVOaant?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@GVOaant&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GatorsFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@GatorsFB&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; : NFL Pro Days Live on NFL+ &lt;a href="https://t.co/btRyV5Q4Ok"&gt;https://t.co/btRyV5Q4Ok&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/89eRL3DpNp"&gt;pic.twitter.com/89eRL3DpNp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— NFL (@NFL) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1641475139450617864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  267. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  268. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  269. &lt;/div&gt;
  270. &lt;p id="naYmdu"&gt;I thought you could see progress with his mechanics and footwork on the shorter throws. He still wasn’t perfect, but there is clear improvement from the season — and even from his Combine throwing session.&lt;/p&gt;
  271. &lt;div id="Glgazg"&gt;
  272. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  273. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Anthony Richardson’s Pro Day workout is underway. &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gators?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Gators&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/pVI12qPwRr"&gt;pic.twitter.com/pVI12qPwRr&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Zach Abolverdi (@ZachAbolverdi) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/ZachAbolverdi/status/1641467630295891974?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  274. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  275. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  276. &lt;/div&gt;
  277. &lt;p id="D9ft4G"&gt;Richardson concluded a spectacular day with a ho-hum 70-yarder to Justin Shorter in stride, followed by his patented back flip as he celebrated with his teammates.&lt;/p&gt;
  278. &lt;div id="vuga6b"&gt;
  279. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  280. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;And this is how Anthony Richardson closed his pro day throwing session. He’ll join us shortly on NFL+ &lt;a href="https://t.co/DVQVFzYQkg"&gt;pic.twitter.com/DVQVFzYQkg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1641475477339529217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  281. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  282. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  283. &lt;/div&gt;
  284. &lt;p id="Jqz99g"&gt;Richardson told us after the workout that he has been laser-focused on being more consistent as a passer. He said he wants to be the best quarterback in the world and that even though he knows he’ll never be perfect, he’s working toward perfection every day.&lt;/p&gt;
  285. &lt;div id="niqX3z"&gt;
  286. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  287. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;“Lord knows what’s going to happen April 27th. I’m just ready to get there and just live in the moment.”&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Florida QB Anthony Richardson joined &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/SteveSmithSr89?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@SteveSmithSr89&lt;/a&gt; and me after his pro day show in Gainesville: &lt;a href="https://t.co/i8bLwt6z2l"&gt;pic.twitter.com/i8bLwt6z2l&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1641492940731105280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  288. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  289. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  290. &lt;/div&gt;
  291. &lt;p id="sRAVBI"&gt;Back in March at the Combine, Richardson met with around 20 teams including all the teams in the top 10 and those looking for a quarterback. The night before Florida’s pro day, Richardson met with Vegas and Carolina for a second time. In the next week or so, Richardson will visit the Raiders and Panthers yet again, and will also take trips to Tennessee, Atlanta, Indianapolis, and Baltimore.&lt;/p&gt;
  292. &lt;p id="W8jpvG"&gt;Whoever ends up drafting Richardson is getting one of the biggest unknowns ever. Richardson has been called a unicorn, but that’s not accurate; everyone knows what a unicorn looks like. Instead, he is such a mythically talented football player that I’m not sure our brains are capable of processing exactly what he can eventually be if he maxes out. &lt;/p&gt;
  293. &lt;p id="H0ZxcW"&gt;Put simply: There has never been a quarterback prospect like him.&lt;/p&gt;
  294. &lt;div id="S6scGf"&gt;
  295. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  296. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Florida QB Anthony Richardson at the 2023 NFL Combine:&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Height: 6'4 1/4" (taller than George Kittle)&lt;br&gt;Weight: 244 lbs (heavier than Haason Reddick)&lt;br&gt;Hand: 10 1/2" (bigger than DeAndre Hopkins)&lt;br&gt;Vert: 40.5” (higher than Davante Adams)&lt;br&gt;Broad jump: 10’9” (longer than Odell Beckham Jr)&lt;/p&gt;— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/NFLResearch/status/1632118832352608256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 4, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  297. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  298. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  299. &lt;/div&gt;
  300. &lt;p id="WnEgyz"&gt;In three weeks, Richardson will walk across the stage in Kansas City as the fifth quarterback in &lt;a href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com"&gt;Florida Gators&lt;/a&gt; history selected in the first round of the &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft"&gt;NFL Draft&lt;/a&gt;. The names preceding him on that list are a who’s who of Gators football royalty: Tim Tebow, Rex Grossman, John Reaves, and Steve Spurrier.&lt;/p&gt;
  301. &lt;p id="VeIgoN"&gt;If Richardson goes first or second, unlikely but possible, he’ll become the highest drafted Florida quarterback ever — Spurrier went third overall in 1967. And if he goes first overall, he’ll be the first Gator ever to do so: The current highest selection is running back/corner Paul Duhart, selected second overall in 1945. (Duhart also went second &lt;em&gt;after &lt;/em&gt;a season with the &lt;a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/"&gt;Green Bay Packers&lt;/a&gt; — three years after last playing for Florida, and two years after serving in World War II — because that was just how the whole world war thing played havoc with sports.)&lt;/p&gt;
  302. &lt;p id="kwhR82"&gt;Wherever he lands, Richardson is going to be successful in the NFL. I’m as sure of it as I’ve ever been of any prospect. &lt;em&gt;How&lt;/em&gt; successful — and how quickly he attains the success —depends on the system and coaching. I don’t think he’s a long-term project who needs development either. He’ll benefit from sitting for a while — every quarterback who has ever entered the league does — but the workouts, combined with a hard review of his game tape, show a quarterback who can already do so much ... and, eventually, so much more.&lt;/p&gt;
  303. &lt;div id="uwKNbh"&gt;
  304. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  305. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;zero fat on the dropback footwork and throws it with anticipation to an outside spot just before the WR is breaking.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;and somehow he’s a project. &lt;a href="https://t.co/tkUtLpd6ZN"&gt;https://t.co/tkUtLpd6ZN&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Nate_Tice/status/1641146479656960002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 29, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  306. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  307. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  308. &lt;/div&gt;
  309. &lt;h2 id="MRIRzM"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;O’Cyrus Torrence&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  310. &lt;h3 id="ztyS8Y"&gt;OL / 6’5 3/8”, 331 pounds / Projected draft slot: Late 1st round or 2nd round&lt;/h3&gt;
  311. &lt;p id="sN132T"&gt;Much like Richardson, Torrence’s draft evaluation is pretty much cemented. The only question as to how high he is picked is the appetite of NFL teams to take an interior lineman in the first round. &lt;/p&gt;
  312. &lt;p id="0vJBvb"&gt;Torrence ran the three cone drill in 8.13 seconds and did a positional workout at Pro Day. He aced the workout just as he did at the Combine. He told us after the workout that he wanted to show that even at his size, he’s not just quick but also fluid. &lt;/p&gt;
  313. &lt;p id="RJMv7p"&gt;In addition to Combine meetings with most teams, Torrence met with the Titans, Saints, Falcons, Bills, and Rams around Pro Day. He has upcoming meetings with the &lt;a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/"&gt;Steelers&lt;/a&gt; and Commanders.&lt;/p&gt;
  314. &lt;p id="HqQgDH"&gt;Torrence told us he is just trying to enjoy the whole draft process, as not many people get to go through it. As to the jump in competition after transferring to Florida, he said it was great for him to put on film doing the things he was doing in the SEC. He got a pretty good challenge, but he never wanted to lose a rep at all — and he hardly ever did.&lt;/p&gt;
  315. &lt;div id="d9LmP9"&gt;
  316. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  317. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;“I came out here and put on a good show.”    &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GatorsFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@GatorsFB&lt;/a&gt; Guard O’Cyrus Torrence is ready to seize the opportunities ahead. &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/78_KingBo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@78_KingBo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; : 2023 &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLDraft?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#NFLDraft&lt;/a&gt; – April 27-29 on NFLN/ESPN/ABC &lt;a href="https://t.co/LwcqaMaJyC"&gt;pic.twitter.com/LwcqaMaJyC&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/nflnetwork/status/1641914731794513920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 31, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  318. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  319. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  320. &lt;/div&gt;
  321. &lt;h2 id="p4bcmV"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gervon Dexter&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  322. &lt;h3 id="BT7Coy"&gt;DL / 6’5 5/8”, 318 pounds / Projected draft slot: 2nd or 3rd round&lt;/h3&gt;
  323. &lt;p id="19QdZv"&gt;Dexter looked good in the positional workout and is going to be a day two selection — possibly as high as the early second round. He was eight pounds heavier at Pro Day than when he weighed in at the Combine, but it might be mostly muscle, because he didn’t look slower or less explosive.&lt;/p&gt;
  324. &lt;div id="1q8tef"&gt;
  325. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  326. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Gervon Dexter running through DL drills on Pro Day &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/InsideTheGators?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@InsideTheGators&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GervonDexter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@GervonDexter&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ProDay2023?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#ProDay2023&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/OAE9YCYQox"&gt;pic.twitter.com/OAE9YCYQox&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Ellie Shreve (@ellie_shreve) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/ellie_shreve/status/1641461150062632961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  327. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  328. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  329. &lt;/div&gt;
  330. &lt;p id="ZIFigP"&gt;In addition to the positional workout, Dexter ran the three-cone in 7.5 seconds. Combined with his good 40 from Indy and his impressive size, he is one of the most athletic defensive tackles to enter the draft in recent history.&lt;/p&gt;
  331. &lt;div id="ZYf7fB"&gt;
  332. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  333. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Gervon Dexter is a DT prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.69 RAS out of a possible 10.00 after his pro day. This ranked 49 out of 1570 DT from 1987 to 2023. &lt;a href="https://t.co/g6uXQ3RCpx"&gt;https://t.co/g6uXQ3RCpx&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RAS?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#RAS&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/Eots4Gq9tb"&gt;pic.twitter.com/Eots4Gq9tb&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/MathBomb/status/1641594091522621443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 31, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  334. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  335. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  336. &lt;/div&gt;
  337. &lt;p id="K28mRS"&gt;Dexter said he has met with over 20 teams throughout the process so really it’s wide open as to where he could land. &lt;a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/"&gt;Browns&lt;/a&gt; general manager Andrew Berry was watching the defensive line workout closely and Cleveland needs help alongside superstar edge Myles Garrett after former Gator Taven Bryan signed with the Colts. He has upcoming visits with the Eagles, Bills, Ravens, and Bears planned. &lt;/p&gt;
  338. &lt;h2 id="q0stcz"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Brenton Cox, Jr.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  339. &lt;h3 id="sF8jMB"&gt;OLB/Edge / 6’3 7/8”, 250 pounds / Projected draft slot: 4th to 7th round&lt;/h3&gt;
  340. &lt;p id="41uyQ5"&gt;In my recap of the Combine, I wondered about the relationship between Cox and UF. He was dismissed from the program after the Georgia game, and yet throughout the draft process, Florida’s social media accounts and website have included him among the rest of the draft prospects.&lt;/p&gt;
  341. &lt;p id="WvQQbA"&gt;It says a great deal about Napier that Cox was back in the facility competing with his former teammates for Pro Day. Napier told the media he’s hopeful Cox is growing as a person and that he’ll get another opportunity in the NFL and make the most of it. &lt;/p&gt;
  342. &lt;p id="fCW9ci"&gt;Cox certainly made the most of the Pro Day workout by starting the day with 29 reps on the bench press — a huge leap from the 24 he put up in Indy. He added a couple of inches to his broad jump but didn’t improve his 40 time. Once again he looked quick and explosive in positional drills with good bend and agility. &lt;/p&gt;
  343. &lt;div id="dZ5Pkb"&gt;
  344. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  345. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Brenton Cox &lt;a href="https://t.co/3HVrDLr4bN"&gt;pic.twitter.com/3HVrDLr4bN&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Nick de la Torre (@delatorre) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/delatorre/status/1641452182309589001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  346. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  347. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  348. &lt;/div&gt;
  349. &lt;p id="9uBX0k"&gt;The fact that Napier welcomed Cox back should help assuage some of the worries NFL teams have about Cox’s off-the-field issues. I watched Napier walk over to Cox and his family following the workout. Napier told Cox he looked good out there and wished him well. It was a great moment to see between a coach and former player.&lt;/p&gt;
  350. &lt;p id="HLdBiu"&gt;That said, being dismissed twice in three years from Georgia and Florida certainly limits Cox’s ability to move any higher than a possible day three selection. &lt;/p&gt;
  351. &lt;h2 id="TBpxtK"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rashad Torrence II&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  352. &lt;h3 id="tk2I83"&gt;S / 6’0”, 193 pounds / Projected draft slot: 4th to 7th round&lt;/h3&gt;
  353. &lt;p id="cH3zYY"&gt;Torrence really needed to improve his 40 time at Pro Day, but unfortunately posted a slower 4.75. That will definitely be a factor in pushing him down draft boards. At this point, I’d be surprised if he comes off the board before the fifth round, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t selected at all.&lt;/p&gt;
  354. &lt;p id="5cyIP0"&gt;It wasn’t all doom and gloom, though, as Torrence posted an excellent three-cone time of 6.75 seconds. That shows off excellent quickness and agility, which is also on display in his positional workouts. &lt;/p&gt;
  355. &lt;div id="EKrUAt"&gt;
  356. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  357. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Safety Rashad Torrence &lt;a href="https://t.co/SNVjGXGXXy"&gt;pic.twitter.com/SNVjGXGXXy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— GatorCountry.com (@GatorCountry) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GatorCountry/status/1641460595722428417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  358. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  359. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  360. &lt;/div&gt;
  361. &lt;p id="NdFpib"&gt;Torrence said he had met with the Bills and was going to meet with Tampa and Atlanta. Even if he falls out of the draft, Torrence will sign somewhere and have a shot to play in the league. &lt;/p&gt;
  362. &lt;h2 id="9ZoWYc"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Justin Shorter&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  363. &lt;p id="XLrT3p"&gt;WR / 6’4”, 234 pounds / Projected draft slot: 6th to UDFA&lt;/p&gt;
  364. &lt;p id="r8hH5R"&gt;While all eyes were on Richardson, Shorter made the most of his work with his former quarterback, showing off excellent hands by catching everything that came his way, including several deep passes. &lt;/p&gt;
  365. &lt;div id="mKL2Ug"&gt;
  366. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  367. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;AR ——&amp;gt; Justin Shorter &lt;a href="https://t.co/JY0XapkT97"&gt;pic.twitter.com/JY0XapkT97&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Brandon Carroll (@itsbcarroll) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/itsbcarroll/status/1641471345103077377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  368. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  369. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  370. &lt;/div&gt;
  371. &lt;p id="iXwDhh"&gt;Shorter weighed in five pounds heavier than he did in Indy, which may accelerate the talk of a move to a tight end/hybrid role. But I don’t think he has the route-running skills or quickness to work the middle of the field consistently. He worked off a very limited route tree at Florida.&lt;/p&gt;
  372. &lt;p id="YMHcci"&gt;I like Shorter as more of a pure X with deceptive speed and very good ball-tracking skills. I think evaluators are sleeping on him and he could find a home as a valuable third or fourth receiver late in the draft.&lt;/p&gt;
  373. &lt;h2 id="GkbrP3"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Trey Dean III&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  374. &lt;p id="5LarAP"&gt;DB / 6’2”, 200 pounds / Projected draft slot: 5th to UDFA&lt;/p&gt;
  375. &lt;p id="UKRzNG"&gt;After running the slowest 40 of any defensive back at the Combine, Dean had to do better at Pro Day. Sure enough, he improved his time to 4.69, shaving off over a half second. It’s still not great, but it’ll play. And maybe more importantly, it shows he worked hard over the past month and made progress.&lt;/p&gt;
  376. &lt;p id="riGsqB"&gt;Dean really impressed in the three-cone with a time of 6.58 seconds. That’s elite and added to his DB-best 25 reps on the bench press shows top-end athleticism. I’m almost certain he’ll be drafted and could go as high as the fifth round.&lt;/p&gt;
  377. &lt;h2 id="RNFhTY"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ventrell Miller&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  378. &lt;p id="PJmcXR"&gt;LB /  6’0 1/2”, 235 pounds / Projected draft slot: 4th to 7th round&lt;/p&gt;
  379. &lt;p id="FfONxU"&gt;Miller is still recovering from foot surgery and did not work out. He measured in and was actively watching and cheering on his teammates throughout. He had no boot or brace on his foot and no visible limp or discomfort. &lt;/p&gt;
  380. &lt;p id="XeO8lx"&gt;Miller has told teams he’ll be ready for rookie minicamps which are the first and second weekends in May. He’s meeting with teams and is likely a day three pick. &lt;/p&gt;
  381. &lt;div id="eP8ke2"&gt;
  382. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  383. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Florida LB Ventrell Miller will meet w/ Titans &amp;amp; Jets coaches in Gainesville tomorrow, per source.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Miller is in final steps recovering from bone graft surgery/Jones fracture so no workout at Florida’s pro day next week but still expected on field for rookie minicamp, per source.&lt;/p&gt;— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/CameronWolfe/status/1639000630063779864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 23, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  384. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  385. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  386. &lt;/div&gt;
  387. &lt;h2 id="qDPUGg"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Richard Gouraige&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  388. &lt;h3 id="71vbX2"&gt;OL / 6’5”, 306 pounds / Projected draft slot: 5th to UDFA&lt;/h3&gt;
  389. &lt;p id="tnvULn"&gt;Gouriage didn’t get to work out at the Combine after suffering an injury in preliminary strength testing. I’m sure that disappointment helped motivate him through training leading up to Pro Day. &lt;/p&gt;
  390. &lt;p id="bthqGO"&gt;Gouraige put up 24 reps on the bench, which is decent. The rest of his numbers were below average, but that didn’t stop him from getting the biggest reaction out of his teammates during his 40.&lt;/p&gt;
  391. &lt;div id="W4zHUj"&gt;
  392. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  393. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Richard Gouraige’s first attempt at the 40-yard dash: &lt;a href="https://t.co/M3yq7ZaHXo"&gt;pic.twitter.com/M3yq7ZaHXo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Kyle Bumpers (@BumpersKyle) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/BumpersKyle/status/1641448636499505153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  394. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  395. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  396. &lt;/div&gt;
  397. &lt;p id="hby4jC"&gt;Gouraige’s best attribute is going to be experience and durability. He has quick feet and good bend. Tackles are always in need so he’s going to be drafted and should land on a roster at some point in 2023. &lt;/p&gt;
  398. &lt;h2 id="UQYMQW"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Amari Burney&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  399. &lt;h3 id="KM7vaz"&gt;LB/S / 6’2”, 228 pounds / Projected draft slot: 6th to UDFA&lt;/h3&gt;
  400. &lt;p id="0vm63N"&gt;Burney was Pro Day’s big winner in my book. After being snubbed without a Combine invite, he had a lot of pressure to perform. While his numbers weren’t elite, they show a tremendously athletic linebacker/defensive back hybrid with speed, quickness, agility, and strength.&lt;/p&gt;
  401. &lt;p id="3zhU7c"&gt;40: 4.54&lt;/p&gt;
  402. &lt;div id="R35kVh"&gt;
  403. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  404. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Watch him go!  &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;  &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/amari_burney?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@amari_burney&lt;/a&gt; runs a 4.54u 40 at Pro Day. &lt;a href="https://t.co/sqZ3vXPSH9"&gt;pic.twitter.com/sqZ3vXPSH9&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GatorsFB/status/1641534741206671387?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  405. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  406. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  407. &lt;/div&gt;
  408. &lt;p id="qxYfsg"&gt;Vert: 33”&lt;/p&gt;
  409. &lt;div id="hlEpcY"&gt;
  410. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  411. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;33” vert for Amari Burney &lt;a href="https://t.co/4BTI3RmvS8"&gt;pic.twitter.com/4BTI3RmvS8&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Nick de la Torre (@delatorre) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/delatorre/status/1641429565951320066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  412. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  413. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  414. &lt;/div&gt;
  415. &lt;p id="dB4y48"&gt;Bench: 22 reps&lt;/p&gt;
  416. &lt;div id="5YjaNY"&gt;
  417. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none"&gt;
  418. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Amari Burney hits 22 bench reps. &lt;a href="https://t.co/aTBkRc0yQT"&gt;pic.twitter.com/aTBkRc0yQT&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Kyle Bumpers (@BumpersKyle) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/BumpersKyle/status/1641425911114285058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  419. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  420. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  421. &lt;/div&gt;
  422. &lt;p id="lJHdEy"&gt;Broad: 10’&lt;/p&gt;
  423. &lt;div id="ClpSmD"&gt;
  424. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  425. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Amari Burney sticks the landing for 10 foot even on his broad jump &lt;a href="https://t.co/IroGJCgptF"&gt;pic.twitter.com/IroGJCgptF&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Julianna Reichenbach (@Julianna_Reich) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Julianna_Reich/status/1641440021055143936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  426. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  427. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  428. &lt;/div&gt;
  429. &lt;p id="Bec6f3"&gt;Burney still might not be drafted, but he’s going to get a chance one way or another. The biggest question mark will be what position he plays at the next level. He worked out with the defensive backs at Pro Day.&lt;/p&gt;
  430. &lt;div id="3s7HZT"&gt;
  431. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  432. &lt;p lang="tr" dir="ltr"&gt;Amari Burney &lt;a href="https://t.co/fwyAuj1TEQ"&gt;pic.twitter.com/fwyAuj1TEQ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— GatorCountry.com (@GatorCountry) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GatorCountry/status/1641462602856296448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 30, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  433. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  434. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  435. &lt;/div&gt;
  436. &lt;p id="xlWgeh"&gt;I think his best chance is as a box safety with the ability to play a lot in nickel and dime packages in coverage on tight ends.  &lt;/p&gt;
  437. &lt;h2 id="dGKivd"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jordan Pouncey&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  438. &lt;h3 id="4Gtb6w"&gt;WR / 6’1 1/8”, 210 pounds&lt;/h3&gt;
  439. &lt;p id="IT0V9k"&gt;Pouncey was never able to find more than a special teams role in Gainesville after transferring from Texas. But the beauty of Pro Day is that everyone gets a shot to shine in front of NFL scouts and coaches. &lt;/p&gt;
  440. &lt;p id="Vr7sFx"&gt;Pouncey’s numbers were okay. He clocked a 4.62 40, leapt 30 inches on vert, and posted a 7.40 second three-cone. He also ran routes for Richardson, but was mostly nondescript. &lt;/p&gt;
  441. &lt;p id="NnTs9D"&gt;Pouncey’s a longshot but, well, don’t ever tell anyone not to chase their dreams. &lt;/p&gt;
  442. &lt;h2 id="0XJZQ9"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dedrick Vanover&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  443. &lt;h3 id="kc6NSU"&gt;Sprinter transitioning to corner / 5’8 3/4”, 170 pounds&lt;/h3&gt;
  444. &lt;p id="XhQDsj"&gt;Vanover was an interesting addition to Florida’s Pro Day lineup. The sprinter was the 2022 SEC Indoor champion in the 60m and Outdoor champion as part of the 4x100 relay. He holds a spot in the top 10 in Gators history in three different events.&lt;/p&gt;
  445. &lt;p id="UNxySO"&gt;Vanover didn’t play football in Gainesville, though, and hasn’t played on the gridiron since 2019. He did have four interceptions for D-2 Morehouse College in that final year.&lt;/p&gt;
  446. &lt;p id="PO1BBc"&gt;Obviously expectations were high for the sprinter in the 40. Unfortunately, his unofficial time of 4.44 was one that probably produced more nods than turned heads: It was fast, yeah, but not nearly fast enough for a track star looking to make a splash in his return to football to get by on that alone.&lt;/p&gt;
  447. &lt;p id="vDctfI"&gt;It will be interesting to see if any team takes a UDFA flier on Vanover.&lt;/p&gt;
  448.  
  449. </content>
  450.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/4/8/23675382/anthony-richardson-florida-gators-pro-day-video"/>
  451.    <id>https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/4/8/23675382/anthony-richardson-florida-gators-pro-day-video</id>
  452.    <author>
  453.      <name>skopelakis</name>
  454.    </author>
  455.  </entry>
  456.  <entry>
  457.    <published>2023-03-31T13:30:00-04:00</published>
  458.    <updated>2023-03-31T13:30:00-04:00</updated>
  459.    <title>A Southern heirloom: Football and the Gators, from my grandfather to me</title>
  460.    <content type="html">  
  461.  
  462.    &lt;figure&gt;
  463.      &lt;img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KfeMPzGxqVTOYINLhwA3Kat5FXw=/0x11:828x563/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72135054/IMG_5001.0.jpg" /&gt;
  464.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  465.  
  466.  &lt;p&gt;The best things in life are passed down.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="nQWyeg"&gt;Football is the greatest sport. It’s the ultimate team game, and truly takes everyone working in unison to achieve success. And in my opinion, the greatest version of football is played at the college level. &lt;/p&gt;
  467. &lt;p id="rRpz6w"&gt;The quality of play in the NFL is obviously superior and the pro game is built to achieve a level of parity that is lacking in college football. However, the college game combines a high-level of play with a lot more variation of scheme than is seen on Sundays. At the college level, you could see an air raid team one week, a triple option team the next, and 12 personnel smashing mouths after that. This variation of scheme makes for a more fun product. &lt;/p&gt;
  468. &lt;p id="VvhY7Y"&gt;More important than what happens on the field, you also get the added elements of civic pride in a fandom passed down from generation to generation. In the South, college football fandom is sometimes the only heirloom that gets passed on when people die. It’s also an heirloom that transcends your means, one of the few things passed on by a rich man and a poor man alike. &lt;/p&gt;
  469. &lt;p id="YSs11y"&gt;There are many places where, if you’ve been a fan of a school, you’ve been a fan your whole life. Your father was a fan, your grandfather was a fan — so on and so forth. My family is included in this category. I was raised a Florida fan my entire life, as was my father. That fandom is probably the result of a night in the late 1940s.&lt;/p&gt;
  470. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="qda2T6"&gt;
  471. &lt;p id="zfAVEh"&gt;One night in 1949, a young boy and his parents were traveling down a rural road in the small town of Palmetto, Florida. They had a watermelon and some soda in the backseat; it was a special occasion, and they were gonna be celebrating that night. &lt;/p&gt;
  472. &lt;p id="6h81ep"&gt;On their way home they were hit and got into a pretty brutal accident. The first person on the scene came upon the car, a twisted ball with steel and saw the people inside. He saw quite a sight. &lt;/p&gt;
  473. &lt;p id="sAe3tO"&gt;It wasn’t quite as bad as he thought, however. What he thought he saw was somebody with blood and brains stuck all over them. In reality, it was the soda and watermelon that had kind of exploded upon impact. He proceeded to throw up on the side of the road. &lt;/p&gt;
  474. &lt;p id="IAbT5r"&gt;The injuries, while not as bad as they may have seemed to that initial onlooker, were still substantial. The young boy sustained significant damage to his lower body and had his teeth knocked loose. Thinking quickly, he decided to use it as an opportunity to straighten his teeth instead of opting for an expensive dental procedure, for which his parents did not have the money. However, there was not much that could be done immediately for his lower-body injuries.&lt;/p&gt;
  475. &lt;p id="OeVI29"&gt;That young boy was my grandfather, Norman Donald Varnadore. He was born into a family of two brothers and three sisters on December 21, 1936. He and his brothers are all big guys with large frames. His brother owned a gas station where he used to give away a free tank of gas every time someone could beat him in an arm wrestling match. He never had to.&lt;/p&gt;
  476. &lt;p id="4GKo8N"&gt;But my grandfather‘s athletic career was basically over before it could start. He was to attend Manatee High School, but the injuries would not allow him to play sports. He had to instead focus his energy on academics. He was always a smart boy, but I’m sure this focus helped him greatly in his academic career. Upon graduating from Manatee, he was accepted into the University of Florida, becoming the first person in his family to go to college, and made his way there in fall of 1954. It was then that a new family tradition began. He graduated in 1958 and was a Florida fan the rest of his life. He loved the Gators, and, despite not playing athletics due to his injury, he loved sports.&lt;/p&gt;
  477.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  478.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0Lu-5qO0uy2dG8W48KFFngaBzTY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24504549/papa_student.png"&gt;
  479.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  480. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="srSop6"&gt;
  481. &lt;p id="jaZXRr"&gt;He passed down both of these loves to his children, and, in turn, his grandchildren. When my father was growing up, he and his two brothers would play with the neighborhood kids in their front yard every day. Depending on the season, they would have either a baseball diamond or a football field out front. &lt;/p&gt;
  482. &lt;p id="NkRhhE"&gt;What they didn’t have, however, was a lush, well-manicured lawn. A daily pounding from small feet had beaten it to death. One day, a neighbor came to ask him about the issues on his lawn. As we all know, curb appeal helps resale value. My grandfather set him straight: “I’m not raising grass, I’m raising men.” &lt;/p&gt;
  483. &lt;p id="6zfWed"&gt;All three sons were involved in various sports through high school, including football, basketball, baseball, and even the marching band. In all those years and all those teams, he only missed one game. He would come into work at 5 a.m. to ensure that he could make those games. He wanted to make sure his sons knew that they had his support.&lt;/p&gt;
  484.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  485.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PZ9T2pLGmtg1qxWsY0zj4T2zHQ0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24504550/papa_front_yard.png"&gt;
  486.      &lt;figcaption&gt;It’s football season in the front yard&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  487.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  488. &lt;p id="lFH0Fz"&gt;His sons took that lesson to heart and raised their children in much the same way. As a result, my brother (now a successful pastor) and I both became football coaches. My cousin is a high school basketball head coach and just led his team to an upset of the No. 1 seed in the state playoffs.&lt;/p&gt;
  489.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  490.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/o1xIpM1w7l1chSRVRE7arG09ddA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24504551/Papa_Seth_Abel.png"&gt;
  491.      &lt;figcaption&gt;Two future coaches getting in the right play&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  492.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  493. &lt;p id="zjT0oc"&gt;In addition to raising those men to be involved in athletics, he also raised them to be Gators. My father remembers going to his first game in Tampa against Duke in 1971 and they went to many games after that. By the time I was born, my grandfather had already had season tickets for nearly 30 years, and he wasn’t missing many home games.&lt;/p&gt;
  494.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  495.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KX7RjincqcXtEr_4-nQ61brnpms=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24504557/papa_3_sons.jpg"&gt;
  496.      &lt;figcaption&gt;Don and sons heading to a game&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  497.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  498. &lt;p id="ThQaYe"&gt;Getting a chance to go to a game was obviously a big deal to a young kid. I got the chance to go to my first Florida game in 1993 against Vanderbilt. Florida won 52-0 and I was hooked. I have a ticket from that game up on the wall in my office; my dad has a ticket from the Duke game in a frame in his room. &lt;/p&gt;
  499. &lt;p id="HtG72g"&gt;As my grandfather got older, my dad was able to return the favor. I got to tag along on a lot of these trips, and they helped build my love for the game. I remember riding in the van with my grandfather to Knoxville in 1998 to see Tennessee beat the Gators in overtime and pull down the goalposts. We also went to &lt;a href="https://www.forwhomthecowbelltolls.com"&gt;Mississippi State&lt;/a&gt; and suffered a similar fate there. I traveled with my dad and my grandfather to every one of the old SEC stadiums except Kentucky and Georgia. When the Gators played between the hedges in 1995, my grandfather went with his three sons.&lt;/p&gt;
  500.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  501.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SJWqxemSLxUGNxivVRgQjAz0GGM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24504559/papa_vandy.jpg"&gt;
  502.      &lt;figcaption&gt;Three generations heading to see Florida play at Vandy.&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  503.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  504. &lt;p id="Bp5ujG"&gt;The really big games, however, were a two-man crew. My dad and grandfather attended a couple massive ones, just the two of them. Unfortunately, one of them was the 1996 &lt;a href="https://www.sbnation.com/fiesta-bowl"&gt;Fiesta Bowl&lt;/a&gt; against Nebraska. That wasn’t much of a fun memory. I’d imagine the next year made up for it: They went to New Orleans together and saw Florida win its first-ever national championship in style, defeating &lt;a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/"&gt;Florida State&lt;/a&gt; by that 52-20 count. &lt;/p&gt;
  505. &lt;p id="BkBGxa"&gt;My grandfather got to see a lot of winning later in his Gator fandom. He got to see three football national championships and was in attendance for each one. As somebody who graduated in 1958 — for a sense of perspective: the previous fall, Florida had returned from a victorious visit to &lt;a href="https://www.bruinsnation.com"&gt;UCLA&lt;/a&gt;, then gone four straight games without scoring 10 points — and sat through a lot of bad teams and a lot of poor games, that certainly seemed like a just reward.&lt;/p&gt;
  506.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  507.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KPoC2qG_lCASgR5Sl7-Sz2uMDmw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24504562/Papa_Sugar_bowl.jpg"&gt;
  508.      &lt;figcaption&gt;My grandfather’s view for Florida’s first national championship&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  509.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  510. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="WNV7gz"&gt;
  511. &lt;p id="miDg7x"&gt;One thing that always impressed me about my grandfather was his steadiness. He was never one to make rash decisions. He was always very thoughtful, often preferring to write someone a letter rather than verbalize his thoughts over the phone. &lt;/p&gt;
  512. &lt;p id="KsrBre"&gt;He was a kind man. He was a happy man. And he was a well respected man in the community. He won the citizen of the year for Palmetto in 1972, and then over 30 years later won the distinguished citizen for Manatee County in 2006. He was a CPA for most of his life and he used to opine to me that the tax code had gotten so much more strict and didn’t allow for as much creativity as it used to back when he first started. But he would never want to bend the rules or break the law. &lt;/p&gt;
  513. &lt;p id="qwaTZS"&gt;I never saw my grandfather drink a sip of alcohol, nor did I ever hear him curse. I don’t know if I ever even heard him raise his voice. He was a deacon at the First Baptist Church of Palmetto for the majority of his life and served many roles there at the church. He volunteered often and was on the boards of several local schools and nonprofits. He was known to many people for many different roles.&lt;/p&gt;
  514. &lt;p id="Zm695H"&gt;Everyone knew him as a Gator.&lt;/p&gt;
  515. &lt;p id="79WvaC"&gt;His fandom is one of the final things he held onto as he slipped into a mentally diminished state due to Alzheimer’s. It took a long time, but eventually he was robbed of that impressive mind of his, one that used to quiz me in the car riding home from Florida football games as we listened to the postgame radio broadcast. &lt;/p&gt;
  516. &lt;p id="3Xt8fA"&gt;Even after he started to lose a little bit, he would still want to talk about the Gators. You would see that more and more fleeting spark of recognition in his eyes when you mentioned Florida football. He was not one to follow recruiting. He never got upset about missing a five-star or not making somebody’s top-five. He followed his team for a long time through the ups and downs, the really good and the really bad.&lt;/p&gt;
  517. &lt;p id="WbtuoL"&gt;He was steady.&lt;/p&gt;
  518. &lt;p id="gYsYWB"&gt;He was in the stands to see Spurrier’s kick to beat Auburn. He was in the stands when Warrick Dunn took a pass 80 yards for a TD while the referees missed a blatant clip on Anthone Lott. He watched with equal excitement and interest during the national championship seasons as he did in 1979. &lt;/p&gt;
  519. &lt;p id="mHinXN"&gt;He just cheered for the Gators, whoever they were. He didn’t care where you came from. He didn’t care what you looked like. If you were a Gator, he was cheering for you. &lt;/p&gt;
  520. &lt;p id="XXP0O5"&gt;I’m sure he wanted the team to be better some years. I’m sure he wanted more wins. He went to the Florida-Georgia game every year with a group of friends that were Georgia fans. It was one of his traditions; he probably did it for over 40 years. The winner paid for the losers’ meals after the game. He said paying for those meals was some of the best money he has ever spent. I’m sure he would have liked to have paid for a few more dinners in the 70s and 80s, but that dinner basically became an annual budget item in the ‘90s and early 2000s. These things have a way of cycling in and out, and steadiness is the key to surviving through the wild world of college football.&lt;/p&gt;
  521.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  522.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TKCYqDgsegumZT6Nklk7fAEVR7E=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24504574/papa_dawgs.jpg"&gt;
  523.      &lt;figcaption&gt;In enemy territory&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  524.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  525. &lt;hr class="p-entry-hr" id="dDRvEn"&gt;
  526. &lt;p id="7yCoDy"&gt;My grandfather passed away on the morning of February 12, 2023. He had a Gators hat in his room and had a Gators blanket on his bed as he drifted off. I attended his funeral last month. My grandmother, who was married to my grandfather for 65 years and was the true love of his life, made sure to point out that she had orange and blue flowers on the casket. &lt;/p&gt;
  527. &lt;p id="kUYZPc"&gt;A photo slideshow played during the visitation, and it was amazing how many photos showed somebody in the family wearing Florida gear. The gear was all around, but there was one piece that only he had.&lt;/p&gt;
  528. &lt;p id="Z8S7PB"&gt;Growing up, I remember looking at his class ring in awe. He had what is known as &lt;a href="https://connect.ufalumni.ufl.edu/students/gator-pride/gator-wrap-ring"&gt;the Gator Wrap ring&lt;/a&gt;. It was just about the coolest thing in the world to a seven year old me. I was so proud to be able to become a fellow graduate from the University of Florida when I got my MBA in 2015. On that day, I finally got a ring of my own, and also one of my most treasured photos.&lt;/p&gt;
  529.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  530.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/99LoUM7NK901KJageUvacd38ZR8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24504577/Screenshot_2023_02_17_at_9.28.35_AM.jpeg"&gt;
  531.      &lt;figcaption&gt;A couple of UF graduates&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  532.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  533. &lt;p id="GtSZOs"&gt;College football fandom in the South is an heirloom. It’s my favorite thing about the sport, and why I love it so much. These connections last through generations and get spread as families grow. It’s something to congregate around every Saturday before many congregate again the following day. My grandfather passed that down to my father, who passed it down to me, and I’m sure I’ll be passing it on to my children as well. My faith tells me that I will be with him again, but that may not be for a long time. &lt;/p&gt;
  534. &lt;p id="OyoEjz"&gt;In the meantime, I know that every Saturday when I see a father and son — or a grandfather and grandson, or a mother and a daughter — all attending games together, I’ll see him then.&lt;/p&gt;
  535.  &lt;figure class="e-image"&gt;
  536.        &lt;img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/70mjbx5qRqSnDRftdj7O9J3Eejs=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24504581/papa_family.jpg"&gt;
  537.      &lt;figcaption&gt;Making our way to see Florida roll Southwestern Louisiana 55-21&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  538.  &lt;/figure&gt;
  539.  
  540.  
  541. </content>
  542.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/3/31/23638267/southern-heirloom-football-tradition-family-florida-gators"/>
  543.    <id>https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/3/31/23638267/southern-heirloom-football-tradition-family-florida-gators</id>
  544.    <author>
  545.      <name>SethVarnadore</name>
  546.    </author>
  547.  </entry>
  548.  <entry>
  549.    <published>2023-03-24T12:00:00-04:00</published>
  550.    <updated>2023-03-24T12:00:00-04:00</updated>
  551.    <title>How the Scouting Combine set up Florida Gators for the 2023 NFL Draft</title>
  552.    <content type="html">  
  553.  
  554.    &lt;figure&gt;
  555.      &lt;img alt="NFL Combine" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nhqco9Rssa5R-LxlnxyFtv5XsFo=/0x0:3852x2568/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72110677/1471290971.0.jpg" /&gt;
  556.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  557.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  558.  
  559.  &lt;p&gt;Anthony Richardson stole the show. But the Florida contingent in general excelled at the NFL Scouting Combine.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="Jc5HSW"&gt;I remember buying a suit from Express in the Oaks Mall. It was nice enough, a traditional black two-piece that could pair with a classic white collar and colorful tie. It didn’t break the bank for a soon-to-be college grad who still delivered pizzas to pay the bills, but I couldn’t afford to have it tailored. Putting it on ahead of attending a job fair at the O’Dome, I definitely felt like a bit of a schlub.&lt;/p&gt;
  560. &lt;p id="1bHboM"&gt;There is nothing like your first professional job interview as an adult. For most of us, it involves handing over a copy of our resume, perhaps showing off some clips or examples of our work, and answering mostly mundane and rote questions for maybe 15 minutes. We thank the interviewer and leave, knowing that even if we don’t get the job, we’ll eventually find one that will allow us to begin our careers.&lt;/p&gt;
  561. &lt;p id="RWuxdq"&gt;For elite athletes, the stakes are just a little bit higher. &lt;/p&gt;
  562. &lt;p id="eIyOZU"&gt;The annual NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long spectacle televised live every day. The days begin early and end late. Prospects meet with coaches, scouts, and evaluators from up to 32 teams. They are interviewed by writers, podcasters, radio and TV personalities. And most stressful of all, they are poked and prodded and measured and tested — physically and mentally, and in just about every way possible.&lt;/p&gt;
  563. &lt;p id="AouIux"&gt;As I covered the event for my first time earlier this month, many former players I worked with spoke about how nervous they were during their own Combine experience. Bills &lt;a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-pro-bowl"&gt;Pro Bowl&lt;/a&gt; tackle Dion Dawkins told me he had a dry mouth the whole week, making it hard to hold long conversations. &lt;a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/"&gt;Packers&lt;/a&gt; star running back Aaron Jones remembered being anxious in interviews — and on the field. &lt;/p&gt;
  564. &lt;p id="vMhjuw"&gt;Nine former Gators battled through those nerves in Indianapolis, looking to impress and improve their draft standing. Most of them had great experiences and did some things that boosted their profiles. &lt;/p&gt;
  565. &lt;p id="lqRQ3U"&gt;And the one with perhaps the most on the line had one of the greatest Combine weeks ever.&lt;/p&gt;
  566. &lt;h2 id="uuClaJ"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Anthony Richardson&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  567. &lt;p id="Ece02u"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;QB / 6’4 1/4”, 244 pounds&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  568. &lt;p id="Bep7mq"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;40: 4.43 / Vert: 40.5” / Broad: 10’9”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  569. &lt;p id="M5t3c2"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Projected Draft Slot: Top 10&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  570. &lt;p id="ynASig"&gt;The conventional wisdom surrounding the workouts and testing at the Combine is to avoid overemphasizing them, unless they are really bad or historically good. With enormous expectations and every eye in the football world on him, all Richardson did was grade out as the most athletic quarterback in the history of the process. &lt;/p&gt;
  571. &lt;div id="915CYd"&gt;
  572. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  573. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Anthony Richardson shattered quarterback records at the &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLCombine?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#NFLCombine&lt;/a&gt;, earning a maximum athleticism score of 99 (pending official numbers).&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;QB Combine Ranks (since 2003):&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;  40-Yard Dash: 4.44 (2nd)&lt;br&gt;  Broad Jump: 10'9" (1st)&lt;br&gt;  Vertical Jump: 40.5" (1st)&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Powered by &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/awscloud?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@awscloud&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/fywNpmnZF6"&gt;pic.twitter.com/fywNpmnZF6&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/NextGenStats/status/1632127812319563777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 4, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  574. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  575. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  576. &lt;/div&gt;
  577. &lt;p id="Sqa08I"&gt;You’ve no doubt seen and read a lot about Richardson’s week in Indianapolis. He was the buzz of the draft leading into the Combine and turned up the volume on that buzz every time he spoke to teams or the media — and practically grabbed a megaphone when he stepped on the field Saturday night.&lt;/p&gt;
  578. &lt;p id="KZgRJ0"&gt;Early in the week, as Richardson began meeting with teams — he says he met with around 20 — reports began to surface that he was captivating and charming. His leadership and acumen shined in conversations and at the white board.&lt;/p&gt;
  579. &lt;div id="26V0VO"&gt;
  580. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  581. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Who had the most impressive NFL Scouting Combine? Anthony Richardson. And it goes beyond the 40-yard dash too. From &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/gmfb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@GMFB&lt;/a&gt;: &lt;a href="https://t.co/5JwZaxcwxz"&gt;pic.twitter.com/5JwZaxcwxz&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/CameronWolfe/status/1632882733260087298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 6, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  582. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  583. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  584. &lt;/div&gt;
  585. &lt;p id="Y4ZRD4"&gt;&lt;a href="https://fb.watch/j7BVYVO0pr/"&gt;In this piece on NFL Network&lt;/a&gt;, Richardson showed off the charm with former NFL head coach Steve Mariucci, winning him over with his story, his personality, and his football IQ. &lt;/p&gt;
  586. &lt;p id="QN0yBc"&gt;When Richardson had to recall Mooch’s play, he nailed it perfectly — except he had the quarterback in shotgun. Mooch made a point to mention that Steve Young almost never was in shotgun, but you have to forgive Richardson for that considering the evolution of the game over the past 30 years ... and the fact that I don’t recall a single snap he took under center in Gainesville.&lt;/p&gt;
  587. &lt;p id="aX1b14"&gt;As his Saturday workout approached, the AR buzz was roaring. Everyone knew something special was going to take place, but even that didn’t prepare us for what we saw. First up was the broad jump. &lt;/p&gt;
  588. &lt;div id="Tbm2gW"&gt;
  589. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  590. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Anthony Richardson: back to back broad jumps. First was best at 10-9. &lt;a href="https://t.co/HmU08i2T2s"&gt;pic.twitter.com/HmU08i2T2s&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— StaceyDales (@StaceyDales) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/StaceyDales/status/1632104313500708866?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 4, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  591. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  592. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  593. &lt;/div&gt;
  594. &lt;p id="q3cxie"&gt;Tied for the longest broad by a quarterback ever. Next, the vertical jump.&lt;/p&gt;
  595. &lt;div id="fzwjC2"&gt;
  596. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  597. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Anthony Richardson just set a combine record for quarterbacks with a 40.5” vertical with this… &lt;a href="https://t.co/68muNURNwq"&gt;pic.twitter.com/68muNURNwq&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— StaceyDales (@StaceyDales) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/StaceyDales/status/1632109599586152455?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 4, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  598. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  599. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  600. &lt;/div&gt;
  601. &lt;p id="m1mDfT"&gt;Having set or equaled the all-time QB distances in both jumps, Richardson headed for the 40 with a shot at the triple crown of testing. &lt;/p&gt;
  602. &lt;div id="1vLFDt"&gt;
  603. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  604. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Anthony Richardson is having himself a day.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;4.44u on his first run.   &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GatorsFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@GatorsFB&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; : &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLCombine?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#NFLCombine&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/nflnetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@nflnetwork&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt; : Stream on NFL+ &lt;a href="https://t.co/G1Uv9cyPst"&gt;pic.twitter.com/G1Uv9cyPst&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— NFL (@NFL) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1632125931933384705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 4, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  605. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  606. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  607. &lt;/div&gt;
  608. &lt;p id="rn9iYt"&gt;The official time was revised to 4.43, far and away the best at this year’s Combine by a QB — but only the fourth-fastest since tracking began in 2003. &lt;/p&gt;
  609. &lt;p id="zE2tQN"&gt;Slacker. &lt;/p&gt;
  610. &lt;p id="7LMt64"&gt;As impressive as those record-setting performances were, what everyone inside Lucas Oil Stadium and watching on NFL Network wanted to see were the throwing drills. AR’s footwork, mechanics, and accuracy are what is actually in dispute about him as a player; those are the questions he needed to answer. And while he wasn’t perfect, he more than held his own with a display full of power, precision, and touch. &lt;/p&gt;
  611. &lt;div id="sSeb16"&gt;
  612. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  613. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Anthony Richardson PUT ON A SHOW at the Combine &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PMSLive?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#PMSLive&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/47Wr6gMT2z"&gt;pic.twitter.com/47Wr6gMT2z&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1632800855002075136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 6, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  614. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  615. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  616. &lt;/div&gt;
  617. &lt;p id="cwM18J"&gt;Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner told me Richardson looked better throwing the ball, especially on shorter and intermediary routes, than he expected. He was able to drive the ball outside the numbers with ease and not sacrifice any accuracy or touch. The couple of errant throws were caused by some balance and footwork issues that Warner said can be cleaned up. &lt;/p&gt;
  618. &lt;p id="xQevim"&gt;And the deep balls? Absolute things of beauty. &lt;/p&gt;
  619. &lt;div id="r481Kt"&gt;
  620. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  621. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Anthony Richardson letting it FLY. &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GatorsFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@GatorsFB&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; : &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLCombine?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#NFLCombine&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/nflnetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@nflnetwork&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt; : Stream on NFL+ &lt;a href="https://t.co/mRi0vkL7X6"&gt;pic.twitter.com/mRi0vkL7X6&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— NFL (@NFL) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1632151153411600384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 4, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  622. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  623. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  624. &lt;/div&gt;
  625. &lt;p id="fdE6uw"&gt;After one of the greatest weeks for a draft prospect in recent memory, Richardson has started to climb even higher in mock drafts. Three updated mocks on &lt;a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/draft2023/insider/story/_/id/35768669/2023-nfl-mock-draft-todd-mcshay-post-combine-predictions-31-first-round-picks-quarterback-landing-spots-workout-standouts-trades"&gt;ESPN&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/lance-zierlein-2023-nfl-mock-draft-2-1-raiders-go-up-for-c-j-stroud-colts-select"&gt;NFL.com&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&amp;amp;xs=1&amp;amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheathletic.com%2F4281118%2F2023%2F03%2F07%2Fnfl-mock-draft-cj-stroud-dane-brugler-combine%2F&amp;amp;referrer=sbnation.com&amp;amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alligatorarmy.com%2F2023%2F3%2F24%2F23655026%2Fanthony-richardson-scouting-combine-gervon-dexter-florida-gators-2023-nfl-draft" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"&gt;The Athletic&lt;/a&gt; had him slotted fourth overall. And after the Panthers traded up to the top spot, The Ringer had Richardson going first overall.&lt;/p&gt;
  626. &lt;div id="2NL0XS"&gt;
  627. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  628. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Will the Panthers draft Anthony Richardson no. 1 overall?&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;With Carolina trading up today for the top pick, &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/DannyBKelly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@DannyBKelly&lt;/a&gt; has them taking their QB of the future.   &lt;a href="https://t.co/fMXlDvNCHZ"&gt;pic.twitter.com/fMXlDvNCHZ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— The Ringer (@ringer) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/ringer/status/1634358016010256384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 11, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  629. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  630. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  631. &lt;/div&gt;
  632. &lt;p id="gxRCtI"&gt;Since I began writing about Richardson in December, I’ve been surprised at my own evaluation of him and the reactions from Gator Nation. I initially thought Richardson was a borderline first-rounder and should have returned to Florida, worked on fixing his obvious issues, and improved his tape. Once I talked to more experts and former players and rewatched many of his plays, I changed my mind and understood his talent was too great and there was enough good tape to push him into the upper half of the first round. &lt;/p&gt;
  633. &lt;p id="aIolsr"&gt;Now just about everyone has him going in the top five.&lt;/p&gt;
  634. &lt;p id="nBdmyn"&gt;Richardson knows his work is far from over. He has repeatedly admitted that footwork and accuracy are his biggest weaknesses. I’d add consistency and mental toughness to that list. He’ll have more meetings with teams as the draft approaches, and one more workout at Florida’s Pro Day on March 30. &lt;/p&gt;
  635. &lt;p id="hM7lAC"&gt;Spencer Hall — as he usually does — had one of the best lines I’ve heard about Richardson. He said Richardson is an amazing idea; the reality doesn’t live up to that just yet. For over two years, Gator Nation had an idea about what he could be and how he could lead Florida back to the promised land. For all his brilliance, the idea never came to fruition in Gainesville. &lt;/p&gt;
  636. &lt;p id="Tjxmcu"&gt;The million-dollar-question for NFL teams is whether they have the right system that can finally turn all that potential into something legendary.  &lt;/p&gt;
  637. &lt;div id="e7WJTO"&gt;
  638. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  639. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Here is how Anthony Richardson compares athletically to not only every QB, but every single prospect to participate in the NFL Combine and/or a recorded Pro Day since 1999, per &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/mockdraftable?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@mockdraftable&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;He's an 89.8% match with Khalil Mack lol &lt;a href="https://t.co/LisZpywzDJ"&gt;pic.twitter.com/LisZpywzDJ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Zach Goodall (@zach_goodall) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/zach_goodall/status/1633276613604376576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 8, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  640. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  641. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  642. &lt;/div&gt;
  643. &lt;h2 id="anm5uG"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;O’Cyrus Torrence&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  644. &lt;p id="QUFhWt"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;OL / 6’5 3/8”, 330 pounds&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  645. &lt;p id="WSLLQh"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bench: 23 reps (at 225) / 40: 5.31 / Vert: 23.5” / Broad: 8’5”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  646. &lt;p id="gsmciv"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Projected Draft Slot: Late 1st-early 2nd round&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  647. &lt;p id="ubAsMZ"&gt;Torrence might have been dinged just a little by a lack of great athleticism. His testing numbers were all pretty pedestrian. &lt;/p&gt;
  648. &lt;div id="kXMTvq"&gt;
  649. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  650. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;O'Cyrus Torrence is a OG prospect in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 6.43 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 468 out of 1309 OG from 1987 to 2023. &lt;a href="https://t.co/FuNYxWuBN7"&gt;https://t.co/FuNYxWuBN7&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RAS?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#RAS&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/HNwrAih5IK"&gt;pic.twitter.com/HNwrAih5IK&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/MathBomb/status/1632540058828849153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 6, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  651. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  652. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  653. &lt;/div&gt;
  654. &lt;p id="sO3AH8"&gt;That said, he is almost the diametric opposite of Richardson: His modest numbers are buttressed by elite tape and production in college. Despite the lack of foot speed, he might be the top interior lineman in the draft.&lt;/p&gt;
  655. &lt;div id="tSrkZR"&gt;
  656. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  657. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;O’Cyrus Torrence, &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/BuckyBrooks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@BuckyBrooks&lt;/a&gt;’ top interior OL, performs the wave drill  &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GatorsFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@GatorsFB&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/78_KingBo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@78_KingBo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; : &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLCombine?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#NFLCombine&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/nflnetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@nflnetwork&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt; : Stream on NFL+ &lt;a href="https://t.co/UUPYqo1DUe"&gt;pic.twitter.com/UUPYqo1DUe&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— NFL (@NFL) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1632483212835401731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 5, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  658. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  659. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  660. &lt;/div&gt;
  661. &lt;p id="B6za1Z"&gt;Unfortunately, that doesn’t always translate to being selected in the first round as the league values offensive tackles and skill position players much more.&lt;/p&gt;
  662. &lt;p id="RiQg3t"&gt;No matter where he’s selected, he’s the biggest sure thing to come out of Gainesville since the Pouncey twins. Pencil him for a 10-year career and multiple Pro Bowls. &lt;/p&gt;
  663. &lt;h2 id="qt7MZG"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Gervon Dexter&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  664. &lt;p id="L2bdu5"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DL / 6’5 5/8”, 310 pounds&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  665. &lt;p id="PBqU3v"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bench: 22 reps (at 225) / 40: 4.88 / Vert: 31.0” / Broad: 9’2”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  666. &lt;p id="Zl0QwK"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Projected Draft Slot: 2nd-4th round&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  667. &lt;p id="eZ2Vrv"&gt;After Richardson, Dexter had the best week of any Gator in Indianapolis. He impressed with his combination of size, speed, and strength. &lt;/p&gt;
  668. &lt;div id="zpf0pQ"&gt;
  669. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  670. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;.&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GervonDexter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@GervonDexter&lt;/a&gt; is a large man making this look easy. &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GatorsFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@GatorsFB&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; : &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLCombine?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#NFLCombine&lt;/a&gt; on &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/nflnetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@nflnetwork&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt; : Stream on NFL+ &lt;a href="https://t.co/IBSQvBjs06"&gt;pic.twitter.com/IBSQvBjs06&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— NFL (@NFL) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1631401023876079621?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 2, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  671. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  672. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  673. &lt;/div&gt;
  674. &lt;p id="5N8Z9k"&gt;Future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Calais Campbell could not stop talking about Dexter on our Thursday night broadcast. He must have mentioned Dexter close to 10 different times when talking about the best he was seeing on the field.&lt;/p&gt;
  675. &lt;div id="a1Cj2k"&gt;
  676. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  677. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Gervon Dexter is lighting it up on the field at the Combine during DL drills. As Calais Campbell just said on NFL+, he’s making himself some money moving around like this. &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GatorsFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@GatorsFB&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/MzDhL8GY9D"&gt;pic.twitter.com/MzDhL8GY9D&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Shawn Kopelakis (@shawn_kopelakis) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/shawn_kopelakis/status/1631397694533935108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 2, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  678. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  679. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  680. &lt;/div&gt;
  681. &lt;p id="qvOCoN"&gt;Because of Dexter’s uneven production, lack of explosiveness at the snap, and tape that didn’t always show the highest motor, I thought Dexter was at risk of falling into the fourth round. Now I think he’s going in the third at worst — and has a chance to climb even higher with a great Pro Day.&lt;/p&gt;
  682. &lt;p id="sFXtTb"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rashad Torrence II&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  683. &lt;p id="A1aKNw"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;S / 5’11 5/8”, 193 pounds&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  684. &lt;p id="YXGXZS"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bench: 20 reps (at 225) / 40: 4.72 / Vert: 33.5” / Broad: 9’11”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  685. &lt;p id="PdNQ4X"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Projected Draft Slot: 4th-7th&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  686. &lt;p id="AE0tmN"&gt;Torrence has probably spent most of this month working on speed training ahead of Florida’s Pro Day. His 4.72 40 was extremely disappointing for the undersized safety. If not for another Florida safety we’ll get to in a minute, it would have been the worst among all defensive backs.&lt;/p&gt;
  687. &lt;p id="fanwyK"&gt;Torrence did show good agility and hands during on-field drills, and his bench press was actually quite good for a smaller defensive back. That will match the tape that showed him as a willing, hard-nosed tackler. He remains a Day 3 pick.&lt;/p&gt;
  688. &lt;div id="pDbEUg"&gt;
  689. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  690. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Rashad Torrence II bench actually helped quite a bit, pulled him above 3.00.&lt;a href="https://t.co/06537DISV1"&gt;https://t.co/06537DISV1&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RAS?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#RAS&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/AZ9YUVby7e"&gt;pic.twitter.com/AZ9YUVby7e&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/MathBomb/status/1632061631273349124?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 4, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  691. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  692. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  693. &lt;/div&gt;
  694. &lt;h2 id="KAFyyf"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Brenton Cox, Jr.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  695. &lt;p id="5p9qhD"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;OLB/Edge / 6’3 7/8”, 250 pounds&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  696. &lt;p id="yPYyiX"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bench: 24 reps (at 225) / 40: 4.82 / Vert: 33” / Broad: 9’7”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  697. &lt;p id="7NvqZV"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Projected Draft Slot: 4th-7th&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  698. &lt;p id="SMSHEz"&gt;Cox didn’t light up Indianapolis like I thought he could. His 40 time was below average for an edge guy, especially given his weight. It led to his overall athletic score being middle of the pack.&lt;/p&gt;
  699. &lt;div id="0zObUo"&gt;
  700. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  701. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;I kind of expected more from Brenton Cox. A mid range &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RAS?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#RAS&lt;/a&gt; is quite a bit lower than what I was hoping to see from him. &lt;a href="https://t.co/i1Ruk7EJfH"&gt;pic.twitter.com/i1Ruk7EJfH&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/MathBomb/status/1631492157684031490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 3, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  702. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  703. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  704. &lt;/div&gt;
  705. &lt;p id="6wJen8"&gt;In on-field drills, Cox flashed more of his athleticism and strength. His explosion and power were evident in the pass rush drill. Colts legend Dwight Freeney and Patriots star Matthew Judon both pointed out Cox’s power when he hit the dummy bags and sent them all the way down to the turf each time.&lt;/p&gt;
  706. &lt;div id="0jpHix"&gt;
  707. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  708. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Brenton Cox Wave Drill &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLCombine2023?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#NFLCombine2023&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/7yQUwvSs8D"&gt;pic.twitter.com/7yQUwvSs8D&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— WalkTheMock (@WalkTheMock) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/WalkTheMock/status/1631428557166592002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 2, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  709. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  710. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  711. &lt;/div&gt;
  712. &lt;p id="QGBaLJ"&gt;Most surprising to me was the smoothness and agility Cox displayed in off-ball drills. If he’s asked to drop into coverage at the next level, he showed he’ll be serviceable.&lt;/p&gt;
  713. &lt;div id="RDitUq"&gt;
  714. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  715. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Florida EDGE Brenton Cox Jr. putting on a show, as always, at the NFL Combine. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Cox worked with hands on with Bill Belichick and the &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Patriots?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Patriots&lt;/a&gt; at the &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/ShrineBowl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@ShrineBowl&lt;/a&gt; last month. A NE target for sure. &lt;a href="https://t.co/253tpptmV5"&gt;pic.twitter.com/253tpptmV5&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/mikekadlick/status/1631432646201864192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 2, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  716. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  717. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  718. &lt;/div&gt;
  719. &lt;p id="s0DpQx"&gt;All in, he’s locked in as a day 3 pick.&lt;/p&gt;
  720. &lt;h2 id="P7AlOi"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Justin Shorter&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  721. &lt;p id="OCst5K"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;WR / 6’4”, 229 pounds&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  722. &lt;p id="mno9Jh"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bench: 18 reps (at 225) / 40: 4.55 / Vert: 35.5” / Broad: 10’6”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  723. &lt;p id="8SWFAP"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Projected Draft Slot: 6th-UDFA&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  724. &lt;p id="DIjFZB"&gt;Like Cox, I expected Shorter to put up better numbers than he did. His 40 wasn’t slow, especially for a big, physical receiver, but it was still in the bottom third of this class of wideouts. Shorter looked good on the field, though, displaying clean route-running and strong hands.&lt;/p&gt;
  725. &lt;div id="Zg9sVm"&gt;
  726. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  727. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Justin Shorter Gauntlet Drill &lt;a href="https://t.co/MpG4vHItZ4"&gt;pic.twitter.com/MpG4vHItZ4&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Receiver Life (@ReceiverLife_) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/ReceiverLife_/status/1632566321207472128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 6, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  728. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  729. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  730. &lt;/div&gt;
  731. &lt;p id="Sy9TP8"&gt;Overall I think Shorter slightly improved his draft stock for the week, but he’s still right on the cusp of being drafted or going undrafted. Here’s an interesting comp for Shorter — especially for Packers fans like the guy editing this piece — from Kyle Yates.&lt;/p&gt;
  732. &lt;div id="BbSHU1"&gt;
  733. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  734. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;I'm working on a massive Player Comps article with the NFL Combine data that will be out later this week. I had to share this comparison.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Justin Shorter &amp;amp; Allen Lazard.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Height: 6'4/6'4&lt;br&gt;Weight: 229/227&lt;br&gt;40-Yard Dash: 4.55/4.55&lt;br&gt;Vertical: 35.5/38&lt;br&gt;Broad Jump: 126/122&lt;/p&gt;— Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/KyleYNFL/status/1632749366283845633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 6, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  735. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  736. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  737. &lt;/div&gt;
  738. &lt;p id="P3lSgX"&gt;Of note, Lazard went undrafted. Of course, he’s had a pretty good career so far in Green Bay — and seems like enough of a favorite for Aaron Rodgers for the Jets signing him to be a sign of good will. If his NFL career is similar, Shorter would take it, I think.&lt;/p&gt;
  739. &lt;h2 id="d6mRbl"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Trey Dean III&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  740. &lt;p id="6PcIwh"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;DB / 6’2”, 200 pounds&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  741. &lt;p id="PpMQMU"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bench: 25 reps (at 225) / 40: 4.75 / Vert: 36.5” / Broad: 10’4”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  742. &lt;p id="cgeS09"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Projected Draft Slot: 5th-UDFA&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  743. &lt;p id="QelcGO"&gt;Much like his career at Florida, it was an up and down week for Dean. He ran the slowest 40 by a defensive back; then put up the most reps on the bench press — and fourth most all-time by a DB.&lt;/p&gt;
  744. &lt;div id="Yw9a3F"&gt;
  745. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  746. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;.&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/GatorsFB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@GatorsFB&lt;/a&gt; DB Trey Dean III is 200 pounds and just bench pressed 225 pounds 25 times.  &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;That's the most by any DB this year.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; : &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLCombine?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#NFLCombine&lt;/a&gt; continues today at 1pm ET on &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/nflnetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@nflnetwork&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt; : Stream on NFL+ &lt;a href="https://t.co/zAW5C5D9mD"&gt;pic.twitter.com/zAW5C5D9mD&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— NFL (@NFL) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1632058993181949952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 4, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  747. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  748. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  749. &lt;/div&gt;
  750. &lt;p id="kYsUmC"&gt;On the field, he had some good drill reps, showing off lateral movement, good hands, and better closing speed than top-end speed.&lt;/p&gt;
  751. &lt;div id="Ur1TAk"&gt;
  752. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  753. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;Trey Dean Backpedal and Break&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLCombine?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#NFLCombine&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href="https://t.co/NoOWomW80Z"&gt;pic.twitter.com/NoOWomW80Z&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— WalkTheMock (@WalkTheMock) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/WalkTheMock/status/1631814095736283137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 4, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  754. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  755. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  756. &lt;/div&gt;
  757. &lt;p id="ZrbacV"&gt;But that 40 time was a huge red flag. After the Combine, Dean tweeted — and subsequently deleted — that he had labral tears in both hips but still decided to run in Indy. That’s probably another red flag for NFL teams. &lt;/p&gt;
  758. &lt;p id="3S5nmA"&gt;The pressure will be on Dean to deliver at UF’s Pro Day if he’s hoping to salvage his draft prospects.&lt;/p&gt;
  759. &lt;h2 id="0GXXYm"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ventrell Miller&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  760. &lt;p id="QrB58Q"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;LB / 6’0”, 232 pounds&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  761. &lt;p id="grDG8g"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Projected Draft Slot: 4th-7th&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  762. &lt;p id="KpY0G9"&gt;Miller spent the week in Indianapolis but did not go through any workouts or testing. His recovery from foot surgery is going well, but he likely isn’t going to be healthy enough to work out at Pro Day. That’s going to leave a lot of questions for NFL personnel in their evaluation. The film will show a productive, running-stuff will linebacker. &lt;/p&gt;
  763. &lt;p id="YMcApG"&gt;I’ve seen some analysts suggest Miller could come off someone’s board as early as the third round, but I’d expect him to be available on day 3.&lt;/p&gt;
  764. &lt;div id="fObjMg"&gt;
  765. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  766. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt; &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Florida?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Florida&lt;/a&gt; standout linebacker Ventrell Miller has met with close to every team at the &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFL?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#NFL&lt;/a&gt; Combine in Indianapolis, league sources tell &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/_MLFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;@_MLFootball&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Per source, Miller who was the 2022 Florida Man of the Year and 2x Team Captain will be ready to go and participate in Rookie… &lt;a href="https://t.co/KSwkQiMxGS"&gt;pic.twitter.com/KSwkQiMxGS&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/_MLFootball/status/1631713367554678784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 3, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  767. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  768. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  769. &lt;/div&gt;
  770. &lt;h2 id="tKxeVc"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Richard Gouraige&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h2&gt;
  771. &lt;p id="ObiIXt"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;OL / 6’5”, 306 pounds&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  772. &lt;p id="KMxppH"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Projected Draft Slot: 5th/6th/7th/UDFA&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
  773. &lt;p id="DH0ViM"&gt;One of the stranger Combine stories involves Gouraige. He arrived in Indianapolis healthy, met with teams, and went through medical evaluations. When he woke up Sunday morning, though, his ankle was swollen.&lt;/p&gt;
  774. &lt;div id="cgbiAE"&gt;
  775. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  776. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Florida?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;#Florida&lt;/a&gt; OT Richard Gouraige came into the Combine healthy, but woke up with a swollen ankle after a pain tolerance test created an injury, sources say. He had been planning to do all drills, but now won’t be able to thanks to the situation caused during his medical exams.&lt;/p&gt;— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1632468909843521539?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 5, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  777. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  778. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  779. &lt;/div&gt;
  780. &lt;p id="NqhuFr"&gt;Prior to his injury, Gouraige was ready to go through all drills and testing, even walking the Lucas Oil Stadium field late on Friday night to get a feel for things.&lt;/p&gt;
  781. &lt;div id="fgvDUZ"&gt;
  782. &lt;blockquote class="twitter-tweet"&gt;
  783. &lt;p lang="en" dir="ltr"&gt;At around 9:20 pm, one player wandered onto an empty Lucas Oil field&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I believe it’s Florida OL Richard Gouraige &lt;a href="https://t.co/X95PVCWUgg"&gt;pic.twitter.com/X95PVCWUgg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Edholm/status/1631846492746002432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw"&gt;March 4, 2023&lt;/a&gt;
  784. &lt;/blockquote&gt;
  785. &lt;script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
  786. &lt;/div&gt;
  787. &lt;p id="IrA3i9"&gt;Most likely, the ankle swelling is a minor setback — and one shouldn’t impact his draft prospects at all. He remains a Day 3 guy and should be back to full health by Florida’s Pro Day on March 30. &lt;/p&gt;
  788.  
  789. </content>
  790.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/3/24/23655026/anthony-richardson-scouting-combine-gervon-dexter-florida-gators-2023-nfl-draft"/>
  791.    <id>https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/3/24/23655026/anthony-richardson-scouting-combine-gervon-dexter-florida-gators-2023-nfl-draft</id>
  792.    <author>
  793.      <name>skopelakis</name>
  794.    </author>
  795.  </entry>
  796.  <entry>
  797.    <published>2023-03-15T19:02:04-04:00</published>
  798.    <updated>2023-03-15T19:02:04-04:00</updated>
  799.    <title>Florida vs. UCF, Game Thread: Gators get in-state foe in 2023 NIT</title>
  800.    <content type="html">  
  801.  
  802.    &lt;figure&gt;
  803.      &lt;img alt="NCAA Basketball: SEC Conference Tournament Second Round - Mississippi State vs Florida" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ID6mD7-kVInv0URewcXNG4pHifg=/0x0:2695x1797/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72079360/usa_today_20181640.0.jpg" /&gt;
  804.        &lt;figcaption&gt;Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports&lt;/figcaption&gt;
  805.    &lt;/figure&gt;
  806.  
  807.  &lt;p&gt;Florida will look to avoid the black mark of a loss to the Knights.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="Uph4vH"&gt;If you have a hard time getting up for Florida hosting UCF in the NIT, you probably have at least some sense of how difficult Wednesday night’s game will be for the Gators.&lt;/p&gt;
  808. &lt;p id="jdOR7C"&gt;Before whatever subset of the fan base is coming out for a Wednesday night game against the Knights, Florida will try to avoid the ignominy of a first-round exit from the second-best postseason tournament of men’s college basketball being contested at that moment. &lt;/p&gt;
  809. &lt;p id="z3GZWr"&gt;It may well come down to how well Florida defends UCF from the perimeter. Do-everything freshman forward Taylor Hendricks and senior guard C.J. Kelly each shoot around 40 percent from three, and while neither shoots an enormous volume of threes every game, their barrages have not been infrequent.&lt;/p&gt;
  810. &lt;p id="0JZE4Y"&gt;The Gators can match Hendricks and Kelly with Will Richard and Riley Kugel, of course, and are taking on a team a lot like their own in that UCF has played a lot of better teams tough while still taking a bunch of tough losses. That’s probably a recipe for a close game — though that might be an excruciating experience for Gators fans.&lt;/p&gt;
  811.  
  812. </content>
  813.    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/3/15/23642247/florida-vs-ucf-game-thread-2023-nit"/>
  814.    <id>https://www.alligatorarmy.com/2023/3/15/23642247/florida-vs-ucf-game-thread-2023-nit</id>
  815.    <author>
  816.      <name>Andy Hutchins</name>
  817.    </author>
  818.  </entry>
  819. </feed>
  820.  

If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:

  1. Download the "valid Atom 1.0" banner.

  2. Upload the image to your own server. (This step is important. Please do not link directly to the image on this server.)

  3. Add this HTML to your page (change the image src attribute if necessary):

If you would like to create a text link instead, here is the URL you can use:

http://www.feedvalidator.org/check.cgi?url=http%3A//feeds.feedburner.com/sportsblogs/alligatorarmy.xml

Home · About · News · Docs · Terms

 
Copyright © 2002-9 Sam Ruby, Mark Pilgrim, Joseph Walton, and Phil Ringnalda