GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Dan Mullen is still searching for high quality leadership at Florida.

Florida did have a few players try to step into that role of leader, but they just did not understand how to lead.

"I don’t know if they even understood it, what it was to be that way," the Gators head coach told reporters on Tuesday.

As Mullen enters his second season as head coach, he is still searching for the 'Alpha Dog.'

"We have guys that talk. We have guys that really go hard and do things by example. We need some alpha dogs that are both," explained Mullen. "When they talk, it's impactful. When they talk it's the right thing. When they talk it's pushing. When they talk, everything they say is to make the team perform at a higher level and they also back it up with their performance on the field."

Mullen told reporters, he is unsure if members of his team have even seen that type of leadership. A reporter quickly replied, "Jarrad Davis."

"That's the name. Down there in the locker room -- and I don't know Jarrad that well -- but they said 'Jarrad Davis was an alpha dog," said Mullen. "And he's the only example that they've seen as an alpha dog, that a lot of guys who have been here throughout their career have seen as a true alpha."

Many in that Florida locker room never witnessed Davis' leadership. He was a man well respected by everyone in the program. Mullen is hoping he has an 'Alpha Dog' or two already in the program.

"That's great to have those guys. Those come few and far between," said Mullen. "There's guys that have the opportunity to do it. Now they might not be as great as the guy that it's just a pure, natural thing. But they can be good enough to go do it."

Mullen and his staff's job is to help those guys along.

"We've just got to continue to help show them how to, if that makes sense," he explained. "We've got to show them how to be that alpha dog. 'Hey, you do it right this way.' And even be verbal in these ways. Either guys that a really loud but make sure 'this is the right way to be loud and make sure your actions back it up,' or guys that do everything the right way, how to be a little bit (louder), when to talk and when to get your point across."

Mullen has coached a few players that he would consider 'alpha dogs.' Dak Prescott, Brandon Spikes and Major Wright were all guys the head coach would describe as good examples.

"You look at them and the Pouncey brothers, you don’t win two national championships in three years -- I mean, trust me, we had a lot of talent -- but there was some alpha dogs that were making sure that the level of play was at an extremely high level. There were a bunch on those teams."

The good news for Florida is that Mullen is hoping to cultivate that alpha dog mentality on some of his players, like redshirt junior quarterback, Feleipe Franks.

"We have guys that would like to," Mullen said. "We have guys that are trying; there are so few that it’s natural, you know what I mean. That it’s just, they don’t have to think about it. There’s others that want to do it and want to do things the right way and they do sometimes but... They want to learn how to do it all the time and we have more of those guys."

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Solid Scrimmage

In addition to fine tuning his leadership skills, Mullen hopes Franks continues to improve on his consistency.

"Leadership is one thing I'm constantly working on with him, is how he's playing. His performance, I think he has a much better grasp of the offense, he made some really good throws," said Mullen. "But just his constant, his leadership, is he making everyone around him better? Not just by the plays that he makes, just his presence, how he talks to guys, how he leads them between series, all those things. That's the constant things that we work on."

Franks had shown tremendous progress since his arrival to Gainesville, particularly in his mental game. It's that growth that has Mullen confident in the signal caller's ability to weather the ups and the downs.

"When you talk to him, he listens," said Mullen. "He’s a competitor and he’s emotional, but he wants to get better at those things. It’s one thing if I’m like, ‘Hey, you’ve got to keep your poise here, I need you to lead in this way here.’ And you don’t listen or you don’t try to do it or you don’t pay attention to it. Like, ‘I know what I’m doing, did you see me throw throw the ball 70 yards in the air. I can do this, I can do that.’ The guys that buy in and listen and understand they need to get better. I

"f you’re trying to improve and you’re trying to pay attention how to make yourself better you have a chance to do it. That’s what’s always going to give him a chance to weather the pressures of the year. He’s been through it, too. He’s been through it once. I guess, with me. He’s been through it a couple of times before I got here. That will allow him to go through the ups and downs and handle it better.”

To be fair, Mullen wants consistency from everyone on his team. Although he told reporters that Monday's scrimmage was solid, the head coach still wants to see his player perform on every play.

"I love to see good quality football," said Mullen. "I think we had guys make a lot of great plays. We have guys that are making great plays, but I want to see it on a consistent basis across the board instead of guys making spectacular plays. A two-play sequence – and I know he’s just in a scrimmage – but Josh Hammond, who wins, gets open and kind of drops a ball. And then the next play leaps over two guys and makes a spectacular touchdown catch. I want the consistency.

"Make the first one. I mean, I love that we’re making the second one, but make the first one. And I think that’s just something as we continue, as our guys get going and get more closer to game week, we start to do that."

Mullen would like to see several improvements in the weeks ahead, but he is happy at the progress his team has made over the last week.

"I think we're OK," he said. "There are some guys that are probably behind, the positions that are behind we're really young because you're asking guys to develop faster than we'd normally need them to develop if that makes sense.

"We have some young O-linemen that are going to have to develop faster than normal. So when you look at it, there are certain ones. Like we're way ahead at the receiver position of where you want to be. But it is, it's kind of subjective throughout the team with guys. So overall I'm not like concerned that we're behind. It's just at positions and then what we have to do is make sure we're accelerating guys. There's guys that are probably going to have to play sooner than you'd normally want them to have to play. We have to accelerate and make sure those guys are ready to go."

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Gator Chomps Scrimmage Edition

Florida safety Shawn Davis impresses

“I thought Shawn did a really good job in the scrimmage. That was a real big positive. Jeawon should be back practicing. By the end of the week he should be full go. I thought Shawn had a really good scrimmage, made some really, good solid plays. He made some explosive plays, made some open field tackles. I thought (he) played pretty well.”

Whats next?

"Today is an off day – watch-the-film review. And then tomorrow afternoon we’ll install. So there’s this long stretch right now of guys to see now, ‘who has it?’ There’s a couple of things, kind of outliers, that you start to install and a lot more situational football moving forward, but to see how fast everybody has it, because if they have it, that’s going to put them in a position to contribute more and create the depth we need for this season moving forward. So it’s interesting now, through the scrimmage, you’ve got to have it, you’ve got to absorb it all, ‘who’s got it and who’s ready to take those steps and be ready to play.’ ’’

Working in more explosive plays

“One, explosive playmakers. I think we have some of those guys now. Guys that understand the offensive scheme better gives you the opportunity to go do it. The other thing is having multiple guys that are playmakers. Especially look at the perimeter at the receiver position. You have to get-it-to plays, but you also have plays where you have three and four receivers out there and all four of them can make an explosive play and do what you need them to do. It allows you to take advantage of what the defense is giving you. I think that leads to more explosive plays.”

Best play of the scrimmage

"It would probably bore you. It was probably like a counter that we ran for like 6 yards. We blocked it perfectly and the defense fit perfectly and made a good tackle in the open field. For me, that's what I want to see: great football from all 22 guys on the field executing at a high level more than guys making a great catch or a great, individual coverage play, all of that stuff. There's a lot good to me. You know me, too, I don't know if there were any good plays in the scrimmage to my level. I want it so high."

On the freshmen

“You look at some freshmen – like our three freshmen corners. They’re all gonna play. There’s opportunities for them to play, and they’re getting moved up to play. It’s crazy. If you take a freshman and put him with the 1s, he’s going to play better than if he’s with the 3s. One, you’ve got better guys around you. Two, that sense of urgency — I’m up here, I better not screw this up. Those different opportunities defensively. You look at Bogle. I think he’s doing a good job. You look at Mohamoud, he’s going to have the opportunity to play as a freshman. You look at Michael Tarquin and Ethan White. Ethan got some reps with the 1s. Not that it always looks pretty, but that standard of play has to be raised. Some of that stuff…Trent Whittemore, I thought did, did some really good things and Nay’Quan did some good things, but the pressure’s not on them to go perform right now. So I think that’s…even though it’s a real positive that they’re doing those things, I think the sense of urgency for the other guys, you pay more attention to."