Gators Football Preview: Quarterbacks

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel have 73 combined attempts between them in live game action.

That’s just seven more attempts than former Gators quarterback John Reaves (33 of 66) had against Auburn in 1969 when he set the school record for a single game.

The quarterback position has always been a headliner for the Gators. All three of Florida’s Heisman Trophy winners (Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel and Tim Tebow) played quarterback, and former UF gunslinger Rex Grossman finished second in 2001.

While the position has produced much success over the years, it’s a big question mark going into the 2012 season.

Brissett and Driskel both played as true freshmen a year ago when fifth-year senior John Brantley suffered a midseason ankle injury. Neither stood out significantly above the other and that continued through spring practice.

“Both guys are talented, qualified for the position,’’ Gators coach Will Muschamp said at SEC Football Media Days. “If you saw our spring game, you saw what I saw for 14 practices. Two guys that are very even in their competition. They're even going into fall camp. They'll get equal reps. I would like to name a starter before the season, but I'm not going to put a timetable on that.”

Muschamp has not ruled out playing both during the season if that is best for the team.

“Both guys have a similar skill set,’’ Muschamp said. “So it's not like there's one offense we run with one and one with another, and there's a possibility you could see both in the game at the same time. But they're both guys that can contribute to our football team. Jeff and Jacoby have handled the competition very well. Their competition has made our football team better.”

The Brissett-Driskel battle will be watched closely once fall camp officially opens on Friday. The way it plays out will help set the tone entering the season opener Sept. 1 against Bowling Green.

Brissett and Driskel aren’t the only Florida quarterbacks on scholarship. They are joined by redshirt sophomore Tyler Murphy and true freshman Skyler Mornhinweg.

With camp quickly approaching, GatorZone.com is taking a look at each position group this week, starting with the quarterbacks:

No. 6 Jeff Driskel (Soph., 6-2, 232)

At a glance: Driskel played in five games as a true freshman and completed 16 of 34 passes for 148 yards and two interceptions.

The Gatorade Player of the Year in Florida coming out of Oviedo’s Hagerty High, Driskel looked overwhelmed at times as a freshman. Driskel is the Gators’ most athletic option at quarterback and is a dangerous runner as well as passer.

Driskel’s best performance last year was at Auburn when he took over in the second half and went 9-for-18 for 75 yards.

No. 12 Jacoby Brissett (Soph., 6-3, 229)

At a glance: Brissett played in eight games as a true freshman, completing 18 of 39 passes for 206 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.

Brissett became the first true freshman quarterback in UF history to take the first snap of his college career as the starting quarterback in the Gators’ loss at LSU. Brissett handled his emergency duty about as well as could be expected and showed a steady presence in the pocket for such a young quarterback.

A former basketball standout at Palm Beach Dwyer High, Brissett is not as athletic as Driskel but showed the ability to make plays and gained valuable experience in his two starts.

No. 10 Tyler Murphy (RS Soph., 6-2, 204)

At a glance: Murphy is a valuable player on special teams and has yet to throw a pass during his UF career. He looked capable in the Orange and Blue Debut spring game and provides Florida insurance should Driskel and Brissett both get hurt.

No. 17 Skyler Mornhinweg (Fr., 6-3, 190)

At a glance: Mornhinweg signed with the Gators out of Saint Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, where his father, Marty, is offensive coordinator of the Eagles. Mornhinweg is likely to be redshirted if Brissett and Driskel stay healthy and hold down the job.

Lochte wins gold in 400 IM in blowout

LONDON — Former University of Florida standout Ryan Lochte strolled the deck of the Olympic Aquatics Centre wearing diamonds in his mouth and lime-green sneakers on the feet that powered him through the water faster than anyone else. Beaming, he chomped playfully on his gold medal while Bruce Springsteen's “Born in the USA” blared throughout the massive arena.
Michael Phelps?
He was nowhere to be found.
Not during the race.
Not when it came time to hand out the medals.
On a stunner of an opening night at the pool in London, Phelps was routed by his American rival in the 400-meter individual medley, losing to Lochte by more than 4 seconds Saturday. That's not all: The winningest Olympian ever didn't win any medal at all, the first time that's happened in a race of this magnitude since he was a 15-year-old kid competing in just one event at the Sydney Games, a dozen years ago.
“It was horrible,” Phelps told coach Bob Bowman when he climbed out.
Bowman's reply: “It was.”
Lochte turned the much-anticipated duel with Phelps into a blowout, raising serious questions about whether the guy who has won 14 gold medals and 16 medals overall has anything left in the tank for his Olympic farewell.
Phelps is planning to retire as soon as he finishes the last of his seven races in London, but he looked ready to call it a career while struggling just to pull himself from the water when his first event was done.
He was totally spent.
He was thoroughly beaten, perhaps signaling a changing of the guard at the pool.
“This is my year,” said Lochte, who popped in his grillz — diamond-studded mouth jewelry — for the victory ceremony. “I know it and I feel it, because I've put in hard work. I've trained my butt off for four years ... and there's no better way to start this Olympics off than getting gold.”
For Phelps, the start of these games couldn't have been more out of character.
He barely qualified for the evening final, a performance that hinted at trouble ahead. Trouble indeed. Phelps struggled to a fourth-place finish, blown out by Lochte and beaten by Brazil's Thiago Pereira and Japan's Kosuke Hagino.
“It was just a crappy race,” Phelps said. “I felt fine the first 200, then I don't know. They just swam a better race than me, a smarter race than me, and were better prepared than me. That's why they're on the medal stand.”
Lochte took the gold with a time of 4 minutes, 5.18 seconds. Pereira (4:08.86) and Hagino (4:08.94) were well back but ahead of Phelps, who touched fourth in 4:09.28 — nearly 5 1-2 seconds off his world record from the Beijing Olympics and not nearly as fast as he went during the U.S. trials last month.
Since finishing fifth in his lone event at Sydney, the 200 butterfly, Phelps was 16-of-16 when it came to winning medals at the Olympics — 14 golds and two bronzes. That run is over.
Lochte climbed out of the pool with a big smile, waving to the crowd and looking about as fresh as he did at the start. He had predicted this would be his year and, for the first race of the Olympics at least, he was right on the mark.
“I think I'm kind of in shock right now,” he said. As for Phelps, “I know he gave it everything he had. That's all you can ask for.”
Phelps was trying to become the first male swimmer to win the same individual event at three straight Olympics. He'll have three more chances at a threepeat before he's done in London, having also won the 200 individual medley, plus the 100 and 200 butterfly, at Athens and Beijing.
But he'll need a major comeback. After one race, he looks nothing like the swimmer who won six gold medals in Athens, then a record eight in Beijing to break Mark Spitz's Olympic record.
“I'm surprised, and not pleasantly,” Bowman said. “I expected he'd be in the 4:06 range.”
With first lady Michelle Obama in the house waving a small U.S. flag, everyone expected a duel between the two American stars.
Only Lochte showed up.
Phelps fell behind right from the start in the butterfly, his trademark stroke. From there, it was all Lochte. He stretched his margin in the backstroke and breaststroke, then cruised to the gold in the freestyle, a good three body lengths ahead of the rest of the field.
“It's frustrating, that's all I can say. It's pretty upsetting,” Phelps said. “The biggest thing now is to try to look forward. I have a bunch of other races, and hopefully we can finish a lot better than how we started.”
China had a big night, claiming a couple of gold medals.
Sixteen-year-old Ye Shiwen set a world record in the women's 400 individual medley — only the third mark to fall since high-tech bodysuits were banned at the end of 2009. She won in 4:28.43, breaking the mark of 4:29.45 by Australia's Stephanie Rice at the 2008 Beijing Games. American Elizabeth Beisel, a University of Florida standout, took silver and China's Li Xuanxu grabbed the bronze.
Sun Yang flirted with a world record in the men's 400 freestyle. He took gold in 3:40.14, just off the mark of 3:40.07 by Germany's Paul Biedermann in a rubberized suit three years ago. When it was done, Sun propped himself on the lane rope, pumping his fist and splashing the water.
South Korea's Park Tae-hwan won silver in 3:42.06, fortunate even to take part after initially being disqualified for a false start in the prelims. The ruling was overturned by governing body FINA a couple of hours later on appeal. Peter Vanderkaay of the U.S. won the bronze. Florida alum Conor Dwyer placed fifth.
Australia captured gold in the women's 400 freestyle relay with an Olympic record of 3:33.15, rallying to pass the Americans and hold off the fast-charging Netherlands.
The U.S. got off to a blistering start with Missy Franklin swimming leadoff under world-record pace, and the Americans were still ahead after Jessica Hardy went next. But the Australians rallied behind Brittany Elmslie on the third 100, and Melanie Schlanger held on at the end, with Ranomi Kromowidjojo closing fast to give the Netherlands a silver in 3:33.79.
The other members of the winning team were Alicia Coutts and Cate Campbell.
The Americans slipped to the bronze in 3:34.24, but that was still good enough to give Natalie Coughlin the 12th medal of her career, tying former Gator Dara Torres and Jenny Thompson as the most decorated U.S. female Olympians in any sport.
Coughlin swam in the morning prelims, then was reduced to the role of cheerleader in the evening as the Americans went with Franklin, Hardy, Lia Neal and Allison Schmitt. Everyone who swims on a relay gets a medal, though.
“I really have no idea what to think of it so far,” Coughlin said. “I'll have to take it all in tonight. I'm very proud of it, but I've never been on a morning relay before.”
There was no medal for Phelps.
His close call in the morning prelims put him in an already uncustomary position — swimming on the outside in the No. 8 lane. He only had one swimmer next to him and no idea what Lochte and the others in the middle of the pool were doing.
Not that it would have mattered.
“I don't think the lane had anything to do with it,” Phelps said. “I just couldn't really put myself in a good spot for that race. It's frustrating for sure. ... It's just really frustrating to start off on a bad note like this.”
Phelps still has six more events to swim in London, plenty of time to make up for his dismal start. He remains two behind the most medals won by any Olympian — Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina's mark of 18 — nine gold, five silver, four bronze.
Phelps put himself in position to swim another eight events with his performance at the U.S. trials, but he decided to drop the 200-meter freestyle, feeling one less race would give his body a better chance to recover and improve his performance in the other events.
Now, he may be regretting that decision.
The 400 IM was an event he has dominated, winning gold at the last two Olympics and holding the world record for a full decade. But, tired of putting his body through such a grind, he dropped it from his program after setting a world record in Beijing four years ago (4:03.84), vowing never to swim it again.
He should have stuck with that pledge. Clearly, Phelps didn't leave himself enough time to get back in the kind of shape he needed to win the brutal race, having only brought it back earlier this year.
“I was lucky to get in,” he said, referring to his slow time in the morning. “I had a chance to put myself in a spot to start off on a good note and didn't do it.”
Lochte gave the Americans their first gold medal of the London Games and put himself in position to fulfill the promise he showed at last year's world championships, where he won five golds and beat Phelps in their two head-to-head meetings.
The friendly rivals have one more showdown in London, in the 200 individual medley. Phelps edged Lochte in that race during the U.S. Olympics trials, but Lochte appears to be on top of his game when it really counts.
They might be working together on Sunday, when both are in the mix to compete for the U.S. in the 4x100 free relay.
There appear to be no hard feelings.
“Congrats to (at)RyanLochte,” Phelps tweeted afterward. “Way to keep that title in the country where it belongs!!”
“Thanks,” Lochte replied: “I couldn't do it without you.”

Beisel claims silver in women's 400 IM

LONDON — Elizabeth Beisel was favored for gold, but she's quite satisfied with silver.

The rising Florida junior entered the 400-meter individual medley Olympic final as the reigning world champion with the fastest time in the world each of the last two years and the No. 1 seed from Saturday morning's prelims.

She swam another personal best Saturday night, but was beaten by China's Ye Shiwen, who set the first women's world record since the controversial high-tech swimsuits were banned two years ago.
“It's finally a medal for me at the Olympics,” Beisel said. “A gold is obviously something that would be a little bit cooler, but I really can't complain about anything that I've done tonight.”

Beisel led after 300 meters, but Ye, 16, swam the final 100 freestyle more than three seconds faster to win by 2.84 seconds in 4:28.43. Ye's last 50 was faster than Ryan Lochte's last 50 in winning the men's 400 IM.

“She had the race of her life,” Beisel said. “Congratulations to her a million times over. It's definitely hard getting second, but I can't complain at all.”

It's the first Olympic medal for Beisel, the youngest member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic swim team who placed fourth and fifth in two events in Beijing. After those Olympics, she chose Florida over fellow pool powerhouses Cal and Texas, earned 2011 SEC Female Freshman of the Year and 2012 SEC Female Swimmer of the Year and won the 2012 NCAA title in the 200-yard backstroke.

She'll swim the 200-meter backstroke at the Olympic Aquatics Centre on Wednesday and Thursday. She placed second at the U.S. trials in the event and is ranked seventh in the world this year.
 
“I don't really expect too much from that,” Beisel said. “I'm just going into it with an open mind and hoping for the best. A medal of any color would be great.”

UF adds 20th commit on heels of FNL

Florida's recruiting momentum kept rolling Saturday when UF coach Will Muschamp gained a verbal commitment for the third consecutive day, this one from four-star defensive end Jordan Sherit (Tampa/Hillsborough).

 The 6-foot-5, 235-pounder visited Gainesville on Thursday with five-star cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III — his close friend who pledged to the Gators during their trip — and then returned the following day for Friday Night Lights.

Sherit confirmed his intentions on Twitter on Saturday evening: "So blessed and privileged to announce that today I have committed to The University of Florida. Go Gators!"

Sherit chose the Gators over Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Stanford. Sherit was sold on Florida's honors program, closeness to home and “true college environment.”

“It's just a beautiful place,” Sherit said of UF after his April 28 visit. “In my opinion, it's one of the top universities in the country. Athletically and academically, there's a great combination there.”
 
Florida now has 20 members in its 2013 class and thirteen ranked in the ESPN300. Verbal commitments are not binding until prospects sign their national letters of intent the first Wednesday in February.

Five-star cornerback commits to Gators

Florida got some early recruiting momentum going for Friday Night Lights with the verbal commitment of five-star cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III on Thursday. 

The Tampa Wharton standout broke the news on Twitter following his unofficial visit to UF.

“I can officially say I am committed to THE University of Florida,” Hargreaves tweeted.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Hargreaves chose the Gators over Clemson, Vanderbilt, Miami and Notre Dame. ESPN ranks him as the top player at his position and No. 4 overall recruit in the nation.

Corey Long, ESPN's recruiting coordinator for the state of Florida, said Hargreaves showed this summer that he's worthy of his five-star billing.

“He's proven it this offseason over the last three months by being unstoppable at various camps and All-Star competitions,” Long said. “He's very difficult to beat one-on-one, has tremendous ball skills and just a tremendous skill-set. He's fast, good catch-up speed in coverage, smart player and a coach's son.”

Hargreaves' father, Vernon II, is the defensive ends coach and special teams coordinator at South Florida, which was once a serious contender for the coveted cornerback. The elder Hargreaves said his coaching career, which began in 1985, helped spark his son's interest in football.

“Folks probably figure I got him out in the backyard doing drills everyday,” he said. “It wasn't like that at all. But obviously just being around the locker room and coming out to practice influenced him growing up. And his mother did a great job of keeping him active and he played all kinds of sports as a youngster. So I don't know if there was one thing that put him in the position he's in. 

Maybe it's just in him.”

That “it” factor resulted in more than 40 scholarship offers from schools across the country. And after a 10-day college tour this month — which consisted of visits to Oregon, Stanford, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Georgia, Clemson and Alabama — Hargreaves' dad is proud of how his son reached his decision to go to Florida.

“You have a tremendous amount of pride when your son is a guy that people want to have around,” Hargreaves said. “And not just because he's a good player, but because they think he's a good kid. And I think that's probably more important than anything. We're obviously excited about (his UF commitment), and I think he just wanted to make sure that he made an educated decision on what direction he was going to go in. It's not a four-year decision, it's a lifetime decision and it's something he took seriously. He handled the process like a professional.”

Like UF sophomore cornerback Marcus Roberson and former first-round draft pick Joe Haden, Long thinks Hargreaves has the potential to start as a freshman for the Gators. He will also make up for the top-ranked corner they missed on in 2012 — Miramar five-star Tracy Howard.

“Looking at the youth on their roster, Florida is still very much unsettled at cornerback and they need that quality depth,” Long said. “They didn't get Tracy Howard last year, so I don't see any reason why he won't come in and make a very early impact.”

 
With Hargreaves' pledge to UF, the Gators now have 18 commits and eight ESPN150 members. Verbal commitments are not binding until prospects sign their national letters of intent.

Florida men's track sweeps all-academic honors

The University of Florida men’s track & field team was named the Scholar Team of the Year in Division I for the 2012 indoor and outdoor seasons by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The Gators earned the distinction as a result of being the highest-placing teams with at least a 3.00-cumulative GPA at the most recent NCAA indoor and outdoor championship, respectively.

Florida swept NCAA Division I men’s track & field titles for the first time in school history in 2012. The indoor national title was the Gators’ third-straight while the outdoor crown was the squad’s first ever. Florida is the first to sweep Scholar Team of the Year honors since Stanford in 2007. UF has a cumulative team GPA of 3.06. The Gator men were one of three SEC teams to earn All-Academic distinction.

At the indoor championships, the Gators scored 52 points and had three event champions to top the field, besting SEC rival Arkansas’ 47 for the team crown. At the NCAA Outdoor Championships, UF managed 50 points for the team title and beat out LSU in the final event, the 4x400-meter relay, for the two-point victory over the Tigers.

Squad members Tyler Cardillo, Hugh Graham, Jr., Mark Parrish and David Triassi claimed All-Academic honors earlier in the week. Graham was the second leg of the Gators’ 4x400-meter relay that won the national crown and pushed the squad to the top of the team podium.

 
The Florida women also earned All-Academic distinction as a squad for the second-consecutive season, earning a cumulative team GPA of 3.16. The Gator women were one of seven SEC teams to earn All-Academic distinction. The University of Florida was one of just two Southeastern Conference institutions to receive All-Academic nods for both men’s and women’s programs, along with the University of South Carolina.

UF swimmers abound in London

The University of Florida's strong Olympic tradition in swimming will continue at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Of the 36 former, current and future Gator athletes who have qualified for this year's games, 23 of them will be competing in London's beautiful new Aquatics Centre, this year's site for swimming.

Five of those athletes — ex-Gators Ryan Lochte, Conor Dwyer, Clark Burckle and Dana Vollmer and current standout Elizabeth Beisel — will don the red, white and blue of Team USA, as will UF coach Gregg Troy, the head coach for the U. S. men's team.

While most of the focus understandably has been on the anticipated pool duels between Lochte and teammate Michael Phelps, Beisel will be one of the top medal threats for the U. S. women. The rising junior from North Kingstown, R.I., just missed a medal in Beijing in 2008 as a wide-eyed 15-year-old, finishing fourth in the 200-meter individual medley and fifth in the 200-meter backstroke.

Now the reigning world champion in the 400-meter IM, Beisel, the 2012 SEC Female Swimmer of the Year, is coming off an impressive win in that event at the U. S. Olympic Trials. She also qualified for the 200 back by finishing second behind teenage sensation Missy Franklin.

“I think last time I was just so young and so focused on ‘Oh my God, I'm here at the Olympics and this is my dream come true,' that I didn't really have any goals,” Beisel said. “I mean, I was excited if I got a medal or made a final, but this year I know what I can do. I've been through it before.”

Dwyer, the 2010 and 2011 SEC Male Swimmer of the Year, is headed to his first Olympics by virtue of finishing runner-up in the 400 freestyle at the U. S. Trials to fellow Gator Swim Club member and winner Peter Vanderkaay, a Michigan alum who has been training alongside Lochte and Dwyer.

Dwyer also will swim a leg of the 4x200 freestyle relay.

“This is something I've been striving for my entire career,” Dwyer said. “I've been training with Ryan and Peter, who both are going to their third Olympics, and I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life. I'm very excited.”

The remaining 18 swimmers with UF ties will represent a variety of countries, led by the quartet of ex-Gators Marco Loughran, Gemma Spofforth, Jemma Lowe and Stephanie Proud for host Great Britain.

Troy, an assistant coach for the U.S. men in 2008, is just the second UF coach in history to be named a U.S. Olympic head coach, joining former track and field coach Jimmie Carnes (1980).

 
“This team has the potential to be very strong, but the reality is a lot depends on how Ryan and Michael perform,” Troy said. “If those two guys are on, we should be really good.”

Muschamp visits ESPN today

Florida football coach Will Muschamp returned to Bristol, Conn., today for what ESPN calls a "Car Wash," a daylong series of interviews on multiple ESPN platforms.

SEC coaches were at ESPN headquarters Monday and the others follow suit today.

Muschamp's live events today:

** 12:25 p.m.: ESPN.com chat (http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/44651/the-sec-coaches-chat)
** 1:40 p.m.: "SportsCenter" with Chris Fowler
** 1:50 p.m.: "SportsCenter" Twitter chat
 
The Gators report for preseason practice Aug. 3 for the first practice Aug. 4. The season starts Sept. 1 against Bowling Green at 3:30 p.m. at Florida Field.

Carlos Alvarez Enshrined Into College Football Hall of Fame

University of Florida Football alum Carlos Alvarez was honored as part of the 2012 College Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Class on Saturday night in South Bend, Ind.

Alvarez played three seasons (1969-71) for the University of Florida, making 172 receptions, totaling 2,563 receiving yards and scoring 19 touchdowns, all records at the time. His total yardage still stands as the most all-time for a Gator, with close to 200 yards separating him from second place.

The flanker made his mark on the Florida program from the very start of his career, as he scored on a 70-yard touchdown reception for quarterback John Reaves in his first career game to lead the Gators to a 59-34 upset of No. 7 Houston in the 1969 lid-lifter. The TD was his first of 172 career receptions, a Gator record that stood for 36 years.

As a sophomore in ’69, Alvarez caught 88 passes for 1,329 yards and 12 touchdowns, all marks that sat atop the UF record books for over 20 years, and his 88 receptions is still tied for the most all-time.

Alvarez and Reaves connected 15 times for 237 yards in Florida’s memorable 35-16 Homecoming victory of 1969, setting a single-game reception record that still stands today.

His impressive debut season made him the youngest player ever to become an AFCA First Team All-America selection, while also earning two All-SEC selections. In addition to his feats on the gridiron, Alvarez was a three-time Academic All-American and UF’s first ever three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll honoree. Additionally, he is a member of Florida’s All-Century Team, the Florida-Georgia Game Hall of Fame and the GTE Academic All-America Hall of Fame.

“Carlos is a great example of all that is good in college athletics,” Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said last fall when it was announced that Alvarez would be inducted. “His tireless work and commitment to excellence translated into success both on and off the field. He has maintained his level of commitment and success in his professional career as well.

“I’ve had the opportunity to see Carlos a number of times when he visits Gainesville and he remains a tremendous ambassador for our program. The honor is well-deserved.”

Alvarez joins five former UF players and eight overall members of the Florida football program as NFF College Football Hall of Fame inductees, including Ray Graves (1960-69, inducted 1990) and Doug Dickey (1970-78, inducted 2003), Alvarez’s two head coaches. Two of those Gators earned the honor in the past six years; Emmitt Smith (1987-89, inducted 2006) and Wilber Marshall (1980-83, inducted 2008). Other Gator Hall of Famers include players Dale Van Sickel (1927-29, inducted 1975), Steve Spurrier (1964-66, inducted 1986) and Jack Youngblood (1968-70, inducted 1992), and former UF Head Coach Charles Bachman (1928-32, inducted 1978).

After graduating from the University of Florida, Alvarez continued to excel, as he was awarded an NCAA Merit Post-Graduate Scholarship and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Duke Law School. He is now a practicing lawyer in Tallahassee. During his career, he has served on the U.S. District Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals, the U.S. Claims Court, the Florida Elections Commission and the Second Judicial Circuit Nominating Commission.  He was honored with Jose Marti Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Cuban Community from the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and was named the SMU School of Law’s Outstanding Professor in 1980. He has also received keys to the city from Miami and Tampa.

“What a tremendous honor for Carlos Alvarez and the University of Florida football family,’’ Florida head football coach Will Muschamp said after Alvarez was named as an inductee last fall. “Growing up a Gator fan, I was very aware of what Carlos accomplished, setting most of the receiving records in an era when you could only play three years and the seasons were only 11 games long. Carlos was equally successful in the classroom at UF and he has carried that success to his law practice.

“I had the pleasure of talking to Carlos shortly after I got the job at Florida and despite all of his success – I remember how humble he remains. He is very proud to be a Gator and today all Gators should be proud of him.’’

Alvarez was honored along with his 15 classmates in the Hall of Fame: Chris Bisaillon (Illinois Wesleyan); Doug English (Texas) (1972-74); Bill Enyart (Oregon State); Eddie George (Ohio State); Marty Lyons (Alabama); Russell Maryland (Miami, Fla.); Richard McGeorge (Elon); Rex Mirich (Northern Arizona); Deion Sanders (Florida State); Jake Scott (Georgia); Will Shields (Nebraska); Darryl Talley (West Virginia); Clendon Thomas (Oklahoma); Rob Waldrop (Arizona); Gene Washington (Michigan State). Coaches Lloyd Carr (Michigan); Fisher DeBerry (Air Force); and Ron Harms (Concordia [Neb.], Adams State [Colo.], Texas A&M - Kingsville).

The deceased members of the class, Jim Holder (Oklahoma Panhandle State); Sandy Stephens (Minnesota); and coaches Gene Carpenter (Adams State [Colo.], Millersville [Pa.]); and William “Lone Star” Dietz (Washington State, Purdue, Louisiana Tech, Wyoming, Haskell Indian Institute [Kan.], Albright [Pa.]), were represented at the events by family members.

UF picked 3rd in SEC East

HOOVER, Ala. — The preseason lack of love continues for the Florida Gators.
A week after the league coaches put no Gators on their first team offense or defense in their preseason All-SEC team, the media did the same at SEC Media Days on Thursday.

The only first-team Florida player on the media's preseason All-SEC team is senior place-kicker Caleb Sturgis.

The media also apparently does not consider Florida a serious contender in the SEC race. The Gators are picked to finish a distant third to Georgia and South Carolina in the Eastern Division.

LSU is the pick to win the West — and defeat Georgia in the SEC Championship Game.

The Gators did receive 12 first-place votes in the East, and one media member picked UF to win the 
SEC. Georgia received 132 first-place votes in the East and South Carolina 72. Missouri is picked fourth and Tennessee fifth in the division.

UF did not place any offensive players on the first two teams. The only Gator named on offense is tackle Xavier Nixon, who is on the third team.

The Gators are more represented on the defense, where safety Matt Elam is on the second team and tackle Sharrif Floyd, tackle Dominique Easley and middle linebacker Jon Bostic are on the third team.

Junior wide receiver Andre Debose is on the third team as a return specialist.
 
LSU has 13 players on the team, the second-most in the history of the media team. Alabama had 16 on last year's team. LSU is the pick to win the SEC for only the second time by the media. The last time was in 2007, when the Tigers went on to win the SEC and the national championship.

First 3 Gator games will be televised on ESPN

Brace yourselves, Florida fans. UF’s football season opener against Bowling Green is likely going to be a hot, muggy one.

Florida’s kickoff time for its Sept. 1 game against Bowling Green is at 3:30 p.m. at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, the Southeastern Conference announced Monday.

Television is the reason for the afternoon start time. The Florida-Bowling Green game will air on ESPN, as will the next two games on UF's schedule.

The SEC announced the kickoff times of the first three games for all teams on Monday. Florida will face Texas A&M at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 8 on ESPN and play Tennessee at 6 p.m. Sept. 15 on ESPN.

The Florida-Tennessee game has shifted from its traditional 3:30 p.m. time slot on CBS. It was replaced this season by Alabama-Arkansas, which will air at 3:30 p.m. on CBS on Sept. 15.

Hall Captures Gold in 4x400 at IAAF World Junior Championships

Incoming freshman Arman Hall (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) teamed up with the U.S. men’s 4x400 to bring home the Gold on the final day of the 2012 IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships at Montjuïc Olympic Stadium.

Hall ran a 45.78 split on the anchor leg of the relay, crossing the finish in 3:03.99 to set a new junior-world-leading time for the top spot on the medal stand.

    

The U.S. men’s 4x400 has now won the last six and all but two golds in World Junior Championships history.

“It’s great to finally get on the medal stand with a gold medal,” Hall said. “It’s a great feeling being around all of these talented guys. It was a lot of fun. I wish I could do this again soon. It was a great experience to come overseas again. Great environment, great experience, and great people – I loved it.”

Incoming freshman Robin Reynolds (Miami, Fla.) participated in a runoff as a member of the women’s 4x400-meter relay, finishing in 3:34.25 for a world-junior-leading time in the semifinals. Reynolds was an alternate for the finals of the event.

Vogel Victorious at the 87th U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship

University of Florida senior men’s golfer T.J. Vogel (Cooper City, Fla.) defeated Kevin Aylwin 12 & 10 to win the 2012 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Soldier Hollow Golf Course in Midway, Utah on July 14. With the victory, the 2012 NCAA Division I Second Team All-American will likely receive an invitation to the 2013 Masters Tournament.

Currently ranked 33rd in the Men’s World Amateur Rankings, Vogel did not lose one hole to Aylwin en route to the Public Links Championship. In 26 holes, Vogel recorded 10 birdies and no bogeys. On his 24th hole, he had the opportunity to match the USGA 36-hole final margin-of-victory record of 12 & 11, but halved the hole.

Vogel also received a 10-year exemption from qualifying for the U.S. Amateur Public Links, exemptions from qualifying for the next two U.S. Amateurs, and exemptions from local qualifying for the next three U.S. Opens, provided he is still an amateur.

“He is a great kid and player and has worked very hard to do what he has done,” UF head coach Buddy Alexander said. “He will be fulfilling every young player’s dream by going to the Masters Tournament. It is a good day for him and Gator golf.”

Set at the longest course in U.S. Amateur Public Links history, the championship began on Monday, July 9 with two rounds of stroke play. After the two rounds, the starting field was cut from 156 golfers to the low 64 scorers. Vogel finished stroke play with the second-lowest score, recording a 6-under-par for 36 holes.

The Cooper City, Fla. native earned the second seed and advanced to match play. In match play, Vogel defeated Paul Misko (1 up), Greg Condon (1 up), Anton Arboleda (3 & 2), 2012 U.S. Open-qualifier Alberto Sanchez (1 up), and 2011 runner-up Derek Ernst (4 & 3) to earn a spot in the 36-hole final match.

The U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship has an unqualified success since its inception in 1922, giving exposure to many public-course players who otherwise might not have an opportunity to compete in a national championship.

Florida's Shayla Sanders Anchors U.S. 4x100 to Gold at World Junior Championships

Incoming freshman Shayla Sanders (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.) brought home the Gold as a member of the U.S. women’s 4x100-meter relay on the fifth day of the 2012 IAAF World Junior Track & Field Championships at Montjuïc Olympic Stadium.

Sanders, the Gatorade Florida Girls’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year, ran the anchor leg of the race and crossed the finish in a world-junior-leading 43.89.

The Red, White and Blue bested their semifinal time of 43.95 to help the U.S. women win their fifth straight gold medal and 12th medal out of 14 possible in World Junior Championships history.

    

Incoming freshman Arman Hall (Pembroke Pines, Fla.), who already captured silver in the men’s 400 meters Thursday, ran the anchor leg for the U.S. men’s 4x400-meter relay in the heats of the event on Saturday.

Hall and the men’s 4x400-meter relay won their heat and finished first overall in 3:06.26, a new season’s best, and advanced to Sunday’s final at 2:10 p.m. ET. The U.S. men’s 4x400 has won the last five and all but two golds in World Junior Championships history.

Incoming freshman Robin Reynolds (Miami, Fla.) will participate in a runoff as a member of the women’s 4x400-meter relay. The U.S. women were originally named the winners of the first heat in 3:34.12 and then were disqualified and called for a violation of IAAF rule 170.7 (exchanging outside of zone), as were the Romanian women.

Both teams filed a protest because the track officials placed the second-leg runners, which was Reynolds for the U.S., in the wrong position, near the end of the exchange zone.

After both teams’ protests were denied, both the U.S. and Romanian squads appealed their decision and the jury offered them both an opportunity for a rerun. Romania rejected the offer, but the U.S. will go ahead with the race that is slated for 5 a.m. ET. Should the U.S. run 3:39.44, they will advance to Sunday’s final at 1:45 p.m. ET.

Sunday is the final day of competition at the World Junior Championships in Barcelona. Montjuïc Olympic Stadium in Barcelona was the site of the 1992 Olympic Games, where Team USA brought home 32 medals in track & field, the second-most in American history.

Brissett vs. Driskel: A tale of the tape

In less than a month, the heavyweight bout begins on the Florida practice field.

Jacoby Brissett vs. Jeff Driskel.

This is the most talked about, most anticipated quarterback battle at Florida in quite some time.

Both were highly decorated high school players. Both saw playing time as true freshmen in 2011. Neither separated themselves from the other in the spring, where they shared reps with the No. 1 offense from start to spring game.

Brissett and Driskel will enter preseason camp on the first weekend in August dead-even in the competition for the starting role. UF coach Will Muschamp has said the Gators can win with both quarterbacks and both could end up playing in the fall, but he also said the No. 1 goal is to establish who the starter is before the Sept. 1 opener against Bowling Green.

A titanic battle looms.

Here is the tale of the tape for the two quarterbacks:

JACOBY BRISSETT

Year: Sophomore

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 229 pounds

High school: Palm Beach Dwyer

Rivals rating: Four stars

Rivals ranking: No. 3 dual-threat QB

Overall ranking: No. 75 nationally

Also considered: Miami, Wisconsin

Sr. season passing: 2,743 yards, 32 TDs

Sr. season rushing: 368 yards, 7 TDs

Games played at UF: Eight

Games started: Two

2011 passing: 18-39, 4 ints., 206 yards, 2 TDs

2011 rushing: 13 carries, 7 yards, 2 TDs

Spring game passing: 9-16-0, 233 yards, 2 TDs

Positives: Big-time arm, composed

Negatives: Tends to force some throws

JEFF DRISKEL

Year: Sophomore

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 232 pounds

High school: Oviedo Hagerty

Rivals rating: Five stars

Rivals ranking: No. 1 pro-style QB

Overall ranking: No. 32 nationally

Also considered: Alabama, LSU, Tennessee

Sr. season passing: 1,819 yards, 15 TDs

Sr. season rushing: 1,333 yards, 20 TDs

Games played at UF: Five

Games started: None

2011 passing: 16-34, 2 ints, 148 yards, 0 TDs

2011 rushing: 16 carries, 18 yards, 0 TDs

Spring game passing: 12-14-0, 147 yards, 0TDs

Positives: Strong arm, very athletic

Negatives: At times, leaves the pocket too soon

What they're saying

Brissett: “It's great. I love it. Coming out every day competing against the No. 1 quarterback in the country a couple of years ago. … It don't get no better.”

Driskel: “We're friends. We won't let the rivalry ruin that.”

Muschamp: “Both those guys throw the ball extremely well. They're both really good athletes and both guys can create some off-tempo plays for us as a football team. As I've said before, we can win with both.”

Mike Zunino wins Golden Spikes Award

Former Florida catcher Mike Zunino made it a clean sweep of the major college baseball postseason honors Friday by being named the Golden Spikes Award winner.

Zunino, who led the Gators to their third straight College World Series last month and was the third overall pick of the Major League Baseball draft by the Seattle Mariners, beat out pitchers Mark Appel of Stanford and Carlos Rodon of North Carolina State for the award that recognizes the nation’s top amateur player.

“USA Baseball could not be more proud of the three Golden Spikes Award finalists, Mike Zunino, Mark Appel and Carlos Rodon,” said Paul Seiler, USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO. “Each athlete authored an incredible season on the diamond this year, and they carried themselves with class off the field as well. Mike’s performance in 2012 stood above the rest, however, and we are honored to present such a deserving player with the award.”

The prestigious award, now in its 35th year, was presented on MLB Network live from Secaucus, N.J. Zunino joined fellow catcher Buster Posey (2008) as the only player to collect the Golden Spikes Award, the Dick Howser Trophy and the Johnny Bench Award in the same season.

Zunino becomes the third catcher in five years to win the GSA, joining 2010 and 2008 recipients, Bryce Harper and Posey (Florida State), respectively. Jason Varitek (Georgia Tech, 1994) is the only other catcher to have won the award.

Zunino is the Florida baseball program’s first winner of the Golden Spikes Award, and the first finalist since Matt LaPorta in 2007.

Zunino already had been named a first-team Louisville Slugger All-American by Collegiate Baseball to go along with his other honors.

He will start his professional career in Everett, Wash., where he will play for Seattle’s Single A Everett AquaSox club of the Northwest League.

Zunino concluded the college season hitting .322 with 19 homers and 67 RBIs.

UF denies one, accepts another key freshman

The University of Florida football team received mixed news from the school’s admissions office over the past several days.

Four-star defensive tackle Dante Phillips has been denied admission to UF, according to his stepfather, Damon Wilson.

And on Monday afternoon, five-star defensive end signee Dante Fowler was accepted by UF admissions.


“We were kind of blindsided,” Wilson said Monday about Phillips’ status. “He did everything he needed to do to be cleared by the (NCAA) Clearing House, but now he’s been told he doesn’t have a scholarship to Florida.

“He’s been cleared by the NCAA. He’s academically eligible. But the admissions office says he can’t enroll at Florida. If he can’t get in there, we have to look at other places. He’s got some offers out there. He’s totally qualified (academically) to go to other schools.”

Wilson said Phillips is appealing the decision by the admissions office, but there is no appeals process once admission is denied.

UF officials could not comment on Phillips’ academic situation.

Phillips is the first UF recruit since defensive tackle Santonio Thomas in 2000 to be ruled academically eligible by the NCAA but failed to meet UF academic standards.

Phillips, who attended Venice High School, committed to the Gators more than two years ago and signed with UF in February after strongly considering Miami in the closing weeks of the recruiting season.

Wilson said Phillips always thought he was in good shape academically to enroll at Florida.

Phillips was in Gainesville last Thursday when UF informed him he had been denied admission.

“Something like this should never happen,” Wilson said.

Phillips said he has been in contact with coaches from some of the schools that offered him scholarships, including Miami. He said he would like to play in the SEC, though.

“Florida is a great program; I love the school, but it’s time to open my recruitment,” Phillips said. “I’m just ready to play football. I want to show Florida what they missed out on. I’d like to go to a school in the SEC. That’s my preference.”

Fowler’s status was held up due to the late submission of an online class he had to complete for enrollment, he said.

“Coach Muschamp called me and said I was cleared to enroll,” Fowler said. “He was real excited and told me to get ready. It’s time for me to get in shape and get the ball rolling.”

With the ACL injury to junior defensive end/buck linebacker Ronald Powell, Fowler is expected to compete for playing time at the hybrid position this season.

He left for Gainesville on Monday night and his one class for the Summer B semester will begin Tuesday morning. He is rooming with freshman running back Matt Jones.

“It feels real good to have this off my shoulders,” Fowler said. “I’m ready to put this behind me and start making contributions.”

Jonathan Bullard, another five-star defensive end, is still dealing with academic issues and has not been cleared by the UF admissions office to enroll. Bullard’s situation is similar to Fowler’s, as a source close to the situation told The Sun that Bullard has qualified academically, but his paperwork was turned in late. He has not been denied admission at this stage and there is a chance he could be cleared to enroll in classes. The deadline for students to register for the Summer B semester is Tuesday night at 11:59 p.m.