The Florida Gators have experienced one of the most controversial off-seasons in the FBS. They have had their good share of moments, bad moments, and some ugly parts in between. It definitely seems that they have caused trouble, as recently seven of their players have been suspended for the season opener vs Michigan. With that piece of news brought up, I have decided to look back on their off-season and look at their best, and not so best moments. I will give the ugly news to start off, just to get it out of the way.
THE UGLY
-With every good NCAA program, there is always an eye watching out for potential infractions. Did I say potential? By that I mean guaranteed. Almost every program has in some way, shape, or form, cheated to gain an advantage. Its inevitable. Don't believe me? History shows; just ask Alabama, FSU, SMU, UNC, Ole Miss.. you get the point. On August 13th, seven Gator athletes were suspended for credit card fraud. These aforementioned players were given credit cards owned by the University of Florida, and were able to use it to buy school supplies and other necessary materials used for school purposes. These players spent $1500 on items that did not meet guidelines and regulations, and because of that these players were suspended. Jim McElwain announced that these players were suspended for the Week 1 matchup at Arlington, Texas:
WR Antonio Callaway (Junior)
OL Kadeem Telfort (Freshman)
OL Richerd Desir-Jones (Sophomore)
LB James Houston (Freshman)
LB Ventrell Miller (Freshman)
DL Keivonnis Davis (Junior)
DL Jordan Smith (Sophomore)
-Without debate, Antonio Callaway is a HUGE blow to the Gators offense for this tough matchup. An offense that was already in a shaky situation doesn't get any better. He amassed 1400 receiving yards the last two years and is the clear cut WR1. However, this isn't his first time situation, as he can't stay out of trouble. On May 18th, he was cited for marijuana possesion in the midst of large traffic. Last year, Callaway was accused of sexual assault, in which the University of Florida faced Title IX investigations for its poor handling of the case. It is one of the oddest investigations that the University is going through, and it is still ongoing. Add a suspension to this, and you see that Callaway is going through some rough patches in his life. He can easily bounce back from this, but for Florida, things don't look bright.
Why is this an ugly thing for Florida you ask?
For one, they will start the year with a blowout loss that doesn't look good for their Playoff chances.
In addition, it has garnered NCAA interest. They will likely keep a close eye on the Gators for this coming year, and if UF somehow doesn't handle this Title IX case well, and you couple this with other factors, then the NCAA could possibly investigate the Gators of any possible infractions or violations. Which is not good. They could find some violations, and the program could take a step back. Now it doesn't seem likely that you would find any infractions, as McElwain has had good control of this team. But you never know what could happen. One thing is for sure, the NCAA will have a close eye on this athletics program, more than most programs in the FBS. That's for sure.
THE BAD
-The Gators losing Marcell Harris was not beneficial, moving them back instead of forward. Three weeks ago, Harris suffered an ACL tear, effectively ending his season. The safety was huge for them last year in the run game, as he took over Keanu Neal's spot and did pretty well last year. With the Gators being known as CBU, they like to get as many corners out as possible. Playing a lot of nickel meant that they would have two linebackers out, requiring the safeties to be vital in run support. Harris was vital, but now he looks towards rehab. It isn't devastating for the Gators season, as they have talented players to take over and play that spot, and with great players like Duke Dawson and Chauncey Gardner at corner, the injury wont be devastating. But they lost a lot of bodies, and another injury at this stage of the off-season doesn't help.
THE GOOD
We are finally here. See it wasn't so bad now was it?
As for the good news, there is plenty. The Gators look to move forward from a 9-4 season that also resulted in a bowl win and being the champions of their division. To move forward, you need to get recruits that will get you to the next level. It's been a rocky road, but the Gators have excelled in that aspect.
-After the 2016 season was over, the Gators had a strong year, but issues to deal with. A lot of their defense would be gone for the 2017 year, and they needed bodies to replace them. Enter the Gators: 31st ranked class, and National Signing Day soon come. What will the Gators do? Any ranking lower than 15 would feel like a disappointment. Right at the end is when Coach McElwain decides to rev the engine and go full throttle, as in the matter of days this class finished TOP 10. He was only able to get Top 100 players in Chris Henderson (as a Miami fan I felt some type of way), James Robinson (a lot of schools backed off after his incident, smart grab by Florida if you ask me), and TJ Slaton (played OT, looks to play DT). A great finish on NSD provides hope for the Gator nation, and started off the off-season with excitement and high expectation. To add on to this story, James Robinson enrolled into Florida last week, which is good news since the team now needs as much WR as possible. The trio of Tyrie Cleveland, Antonio Callaway, and James Robinson looks quite intriguing.
-But recruitment never ends. It never ends. Fast forward a couple months. Its May. The Miami Hurricanes have the #1 recruiting class (aye), and stole many prospects Florida was looking to have in their 2018 class. Once Lorenzo Lingard committed, the dominoes started to fall. The Hurricanes even got Cleveland Reed from Lakeland, a Florida pipeline for the past decade. Fans started to get worried, ranting on recruiting boards and doubting McElwain's ability to recruit. Only for Jim to lean into the ears of the Gators fans and tell them "shush," as he was able to pick up 11 commits in 11 days. Friday Night Lights, a Florida camp for premier recruits, had a big role in that. Simply put, the Gators turned their recruiting fortunes around. In the matter of 3 weeks, the Gators went from the "Load More" section to #7 of the 247sports Team Recruiting Rankings. It doesn't look like they will slow down any time soon, as newly acquired 5-star Matt Corral took the role of recruiting ambassador, and has gotten several players to join. The fans have started a slogan called "The Corral Effect" after FNL, since Mr. Corral was able to get some of those many commitments. They are red hot, and look to get some more players before ending their class. Good for them (Just stop recruiting Miami commits, you're not getting them).
OVERALL LOOK
The Gators have their set of issues, and can easily bounce back from their set backs. Some look to be harder than others. But knowing the talent of this team, and the level of coaching, they will figure out something. Without Antonio Callaway, the Gators should tend to give the ball heavily to junior RB Jordan Scarlett. With an unproven QB, no WR1, and a shaky offense to start, go with Scarlett and hope he can carry you to victory. With the suspension, I see the Gators now definitely losing Week 1, but not so much after that. If they reach their potential, a New Years Six bowl and possible top 10 finish is in store for them.
And with that, there would be no good, bad, or ugly; but great in Gainesville.
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