Notebook: Gators will be versatile at linebacker, ready for various looks
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If the style of Saturday’s game were up to Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, it might be an old school, “three yards and a cloud of dust” slugfest. Florida linebackers coach Tim Skipper, however, knows to prepare for everything.
“I think he would love to have it that way; smash mouth, get it over in two hours and go home,” Skipper said. “I think that’s kind of his philosophy. I think the biggest misconception is that (he’s not versatile). He has a lot of formations and they’ll try to trick you, they like to run naked and bootlegs and trick plays and those type of things. He has a little imagination to him too. I don’t think he’s just a self-centered guy that is going to run straight down hill for two hours.”
Skipper is also aware that the Gators linebackers may have to cover some of Michigan’s athletic wide receivers.
"You know, if you look at both teams,” Skipper said, “there are a lot of names that make you go 'OK. This is new. He hasn't played that much' and those type of things, so I think going into this game, both teams are going to let their guys play and challenge each other and see who the better team is and who had the better summer.
“We're not so much afraid that we have to scheme a certain way or anything like that. We're going to do what we need to do, keep it simple and go play hard."
Different look on defense
The previous two seasons with Geoff Collins as defensive coordinator, Florida frequently played nickel defense (five defensive backs) with only two linebackers. With Randy Shannon now leading the way, the Gators will have some different looks, according to Skipper.
“It’s kind of going to go how the game goes,” Skipper said. “It’s a personnel-based deal, what we’re seeing, what type of plays we’re seeing. There could be even times we could go with four linebackers, there could be times there’s two, there could times there’s one. It’s just going to all depend on what we’re seeing and how we need to attack.”
A big part of that versatility is redshirt freshman linebacker Jeremiah Moon. Listed at 6-6, 228 pounds on the roster, the athletic Moon can do a little bit of everything.
“Moon’s one of those guys that has the body type that makes him real versatile,” Skipper said. “He can play outside backer, he can slide inside, he can also rush the passer from a linebacker spot or a hand down in the dirt type of guy. Very excited, just like you, to watch him play out there because we can use him in multiple ways.
“He can handle it, he’s a mentally sharp kid for being a young kid. It’s going to be fun to see him do some things. He’s really good in coverage also. That allows us the ability to go to those three linebacker sets and things like that with certain personnels and formations.”
Coaches ready for Johnson to play or not
Redshirt sophomore linebacker Kylan Johnson is one of the few returning linebackers on the team with game experience (13 games played, six starts last season). Johnson has dealt with hamstring issues and missed most of fall camp, but is practicing now. Skipper says he’s prepared either on way on Johnson, whose status is up in the air for Saturday.
“You kind of have two plans,” Skipper said. “You’re either subbing him in and out or you’re not. We have that already built in. we’ll get to game day and see which direction we need to go.”
Skipper would not call Johnson an “automatic” go for Saturday, but noted that he does not look like a player who has been injured.
“He started up this week,” Skipper said. “That’s when he came back and been working. If you went to practice you wouldn’t know something is wrong with him, he’s full gear when we’re full gear, he’s in shoulder pads, however the dress for the day is and he goes through the indo and everything and going through the team periods and all that stuff. So he’s working.”
Under-the-radar freshman impressing
Freshman Lacredrick Brunson was only rated a two-star recruit by Rivals, but the linebacker many expected to redshirt is in the mix for playing time in game one due to injuries and suspensions.
"You know, stars are stars,” Skipper said. “Most of the time when I talk about stars, I'm talking about the sky, not so much recruiting rankings. We do our own deal, and with our recruiting rankings, it's funny. We have no stars. It's all numbers, so I have to remember star rankings and stuff, but we recruited him. We signed him.
“Obviously if you do that, you like him, so him getting out here, I would say it took a little while to get used to the speed of it, but you can see a big difference now that we're in camp and getting things done and now that we're starting to hone in on the game plan and things get a little more simple. That's when with the young guys, you can see the speed and they start triggering a lot faster."
Update on injured, suspended linebackers
Skipper said that it has not been decided whether freshman Nicholas Smith, who had knee surgery in July, plays or redshirts this season.
“You know right now he’s still rehabbing and trying to get right,” Skipper said. “That’s a hard question for me. I’m not a doctor by any means. I’m more of a coach. I make sure he’s getting his treatment and when he gets back I’ll be ready to go and get him up to speed. But, same limitation we just talked about. Coming from high school we have to get him up to speed with that.
“He’s been working at that. He’s in the meetings and those type of things. But it will be good to get him out there and see what he can do. Like I told him, he kind of controls all that. He’s ready to go, he’s going to play.”
As for suspended freshmen linebackers James Houston and Ventrell Miller, football is not the primary concern right now.
"You know, with those guys, I don't even talk football with them right now,” Skipper said. “Anytime you get an opportunity to talk to those guys, it's about 'Look, you're here for a reason and the No. 1 reason is to get this education. In order to do that, don't mess it up.' That's basically the talk that it is right now. When those guys come back — if and when — we'll go from there, but for right now, it's not about football with them."
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