In the latest edition of Zach’s Mail Stack, I look at which Florida football players could be opt-out candidates, fan attendance, most underrated recruits and more.
Which Florida players could potentially opt-out of the 2020 season? — Taylor
Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley opted out last week because of COVID-19, and a group of Pac-12 players have threatened to follow suit as well over health concerns and other demands.
Florida senior Kadarius Toney appears to be considering the option, tweeting Monday that opting out “just might be the better decision.” Fellow wide receiver Jacob Copeland responded to Toney’s post, suggesting he’s pondering it as well: “Thinking it over you honestly might be right.”
Copeland later tweeted, “Health over football.”
More Gators could possibly not play this fall over COVID-19 and/or to start the draft process for the NFL, though it’s simply speculation at this point. In addition to Toney, wide receiver Trevon Grimes and cornerback Marco Wilson contemplated leaving school last fall. In the event they opted out, both would still be able to turn pro in 2021.
Several other UF seniors will likely get drafted, and some of them could opt-out and start preparing early if they have COVID-19 concerns. Junior tight end Kyle Pitts, a projected first-rounder, also falls into that category along with redshirt sophomore defensive end Zachary Carter.
Carter reposted the letter from Pac-12 players Sunday and was very vocal about the issues on Twitter, though he didn’t hint at opting out. Beyond the draft candidates, it’s unknown which players may sit because of underlying health conditions or an at-risk family member.
“The safety of our student-athletes, staff and fans will remain the top priority as we navigate the return to collegiate athletic competition,” Florida athletics director Scott Stricklin said after the SEC announced a 10-game, conference-only schedule for 2020. “We will continue to lean on the advice of the SEC Medical Task Force, UF Health, CDC, Campus and state health officials as we develop safety protocols and stadium capacity guidelines.”
The SEC announced last month that players who choose to skip fall sports because of COVID-19 will have their scholarships honored.
If games are played, how many fans are allowed and who gets in the game? — @Clwatergator
UF’s decision on fan attendance and how tickets will be allocated is still to be determined, but Stricklin said his staff has looked at several scenarios and already have an estimate in mind.
In mid-July, he projected the Swamp would be able to seat between 15,000 and 25,000 fans. Stricklin said last week the SEC is still coming up with a uniform standard on stadium protocols for social distancing and face coverings, and the reduced capacity limits could be subject to change.
“The attendance piece is going to be something that could be fluid given circumstances on the ground,” Stricklin said. “A lot of that still needs to be ironed out along with what the exact protocols are going to be from week to week with the team, so we've got a lot of work to do between now and then.”
Sticklin and his staff also have to figure out who gets to attend the games. There’s no indication yet on how Florida will make that determination, but some schools have released their initial plans.
Ohio State announced it will accommodate as many season-ticket holders as possible with attendance capped at 20 percent, but noted that doing so “will require limiting the quantity of season tickets for each ticket holder.” Texas A&M AD Ross Bjork said plans are in place for 50 percent capacity with accommodations for “all of our season ticket holders” but a reduction in student tickets.
According to AL.com, one Power 5 school is leaning toward dividing the home schedule into different ticket packages so more fans can at least make it to some games. Stricklin didn’t offer a timeline on when UF will decide what to do, but said he wants to let people know as soon as possible.
“We want to be able to inform them what their opportunities are going to be,” Stricklin said. “That starts with we want to be able to have fans and we hope we're in a position to do that. But you see this in the NFL, their season starts earlier than ours and there's a lot of NFL teams that still haven't made determinations of what the crowds are going to look like. I just think where we are with the virus that may take a little time to work through.”
Who is the most underrated recruit in the 2020 class and 2021 class? — @Latsko
Florida coach Dan Mullen has already singled out Tre’vez Johnson as the “sleeper” of the 2020 class, but there’s another defender who was underrated in the last cycle.
The Gators had seven three-star signees, and Antwaun Powell has a chance to the best of the bunch. The WDE/OLB was personally recruited by UF defensive coordinator Todd Granthan to play BUCK in his scheme, which is the position he coaches.
Powell is a natural pass rusher with his get-off and explosiveness on the edge, while possessing the athleticism and versatility to drop into coverage. He was a tweener at one point and weighed under 215, but bulked up at least 30 pounds in the last year.
Powell hasn’t been able to showcase that added weight yet, missing all but three games last season with a shoulder injury. He also wasn’t able to practice or play during Under Armour All-America week, which would’ve provided him an opportunity to rise in the rankings.
But the 6-foot-3, 244-pound Powell has the frame and skill set to thrive at BUCK, especially once he gets stronger and develops under Grantham. Expect him to redshirt this season with Florida’s depth at the position, but he’s a name to look out for in the future.
As for the 2021 class, Gators commit Dakota Mitchell certainly fits the bill as an underrated recruit. He has a consensus three-star rating, but holds more than two dozen scholarship offers. In addition to UF, Mitchell’s list included the likes of Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU and Oklahoma. The 6-foot, 185-pound defensive back was previously pledged to the defending national champs, so he’s been deemed DBU-worthy by both the Gators and Tigers.
Mitchell is rated as a safety, but will play the STAR spot in Grantham’s defense. The Winter Park wide receiver has great ball skills and a knack for reading the quarterback, along with the ability to make open-field tackles and deliver the boom.
Rivals spotlighted Mitchell as one of 10 three-stars to watch who could potentially make an immediate impact in the SEC. He may also receive a bump in the rankings before it’s all said and done.
Should we be nervous about DT position after this season? — @CBTgator4
Elijah Conliffe’s medical exemption shouldn’t hurt Florida in the short term, as we outlined in our latest GT Roundtable.
But there could be cause for concern after this season.
Had Conliffe fully recovered, he could’ve received a medical redshirt for his season-ending foot injury last August and had one more year of eligibility in 2021. Instead, no upperclassmen will return at defensive tackle after the departures of seniors Kyree Campbell, T.J. Slaton and Marlon Dunlap.
Florida will bring back Jaelin Humphries, who redshirted in 2019, as well as current true freshmen Gervon Dexter, Lamar Goods and Jalen Lee. The position will have six players with the addition of 2021 commits Christopher Thomas Jr. and Desmond Watson, but that’s a lot of youth and not enough proven depth.
The Gators need to land at least one more defensive tackle to replace the trio of seniors from a numbers standpoint, whether it’s one of their top remaining HS targets or a transfer. The staff could look to the portal or JUCO ranks for a player with some experience on the collegiate level.
If Humphries emerges this season, Dexter cracks the rotation and Goods or Lee can get some playing time, the position will be in much better shape next year.
Will QB Emory Jones be allowed to start and finish an offensive series against a highly-ranked opponent this year? — @JMUTT12
That’s certainly the next step in the evolution of Emory Jones and his involvement in Florida’s offense.
He’s had his number called for scripted plays, down-and-distance situations and mop-up duty over the past two years. His leash should get longer this season as a redshirt sophomore, and I expect him to get more opportunities to have entire drives to himself rather than a few snaps or a specific package.
However, it should be noted that those opportunities have come his way before.
Jones was given a series at LSU after the Tigers took a 35-28 lead in the third quarter, but the Gators went three-and-out. He received a handful of snaps on UF’s second scoring possession, capping it off with a touchdown pass to Lamical Perine.
Jones also produced points against Auburn, taking over for starter Kyle Trask after his knee injury and leading the offense on a field-goal drive. FSU wasn’t a highly-ranked opponent, but Jones checked into the game on Florida’s second series and was the quarterback for two red-zone touchdowns, including his scoring strike to Van Jefferson.
So Jones has been exposed to some high-pressure moments and made plays against defenses of Auburn and LSU’s caliber. He’ll get a chance to operate more in 2020, but the goal will be not needing Trask to pick up the initial first down or bail him out on third-and-long.
