ESPN College Football

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Some extra thoughts and notes on my time in Gainesville from last weekend:

• I'll start things off by talking about defensive end/Buck Ronald Powell, who will be out four to six months after tearing his ACL in the Orange and Blue Debut. Before the injury, most around Florida's program felt Powell was having the best spring of any of the defenders. After two seasons in which people expected more from Powell, he really turned it up this spring. He was more aggressive, tougher and caused more headaches for Florida's offense than he had during any other time. Coach Will Muschamp might have found that dangerous pass rushers he needs in his defense. Now, Muschamp must turn elsewhere and things will start with OLB Lerentee McCray. He was out with an injury this spring, but played the Buck in place of Powell at times last fall. He made his biggest jump as a player last season and is one player Muschamp and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn are especially excited about.
• True freshmen Dante Fowler Jr. and Jonathan Bullard will get chances to play at the Buck, too, but keep an eye on Neiron Ball. He didn't play last season because of the arteriovenous malformation found in his brain in February of 2011. There has been no word yet if Ball could resume playing for the Gators, but if he remains healthy and the SEC clears him, Ball could get a shot at play at the Buck.
• The quarterback situation was tight before the spring game and was even tougher afterward. Jacoby Brissett entered the spring with a little bit of an advantage, but Jeff Driskel played his way right back into it. I was told that he really has matured both on and off the field this spring. He's taking film more seriously and he's looking to be a real leader now. He wasn't sure how to operate at the college level last fall, but is getting much more comfortable, now. As for Brissett, he doesn't lack confidence at all. He was smiling, laughing and cracking jokes (one on me in front of everyone) during his news conference after the spring game. He fits a pro-style offense more than Driskel and that will help him in the long run. Athletically, Driskel has the edge, but this thing will come down to which one can take over this team during summer workouts.
• Tyler Murphy is a distant third in the quarterback race. He didn't get much time in the spring game and spent more time talking with offensive coordinator Brent Pease. But that doesn't mean he's not helping. He was relaying signals better than anyone and most there think he understands the offense the best, he's just not has gifted physically. He knows what to do the best of the three, but might not be able to do it the best. His role will be more of helper at this point, but he's valuable for the other QBs.
• Pease is much more hands-on with his quarterbacks and players. He was snatching players around during spring game warmups as they ran through plays and formations. He's making sure everyone knows exactly what they're doing and where they're supposed to be. It's especially helping the quarterbacks. Driskel said Pease's closer instruction has helped him learn the offense better than he did last fall. Driskel didn't have any bad words for former coordinator Charlie Weis, but said Pease's approach has been very helpful. "He's developed us into much better quarterbacks in the short time he's been here," Driskel said of Pease.
• This team is much closer than it was a year ago. Like I said in my coaching recap, the pregame locker room was electric. It wasn't like that last year, especially not for a spring game. Linebacker Michael Taylor told me this group really banded together after the Florida State loss. That one really hurt these guys. They were all called soft by their coach and made it a point to change Muschamp's opinion of his team. Something certainly is different. Players are stepping up and leading more than they did a year ago. "A team that's together is a team that's better," Taylor said.
• Two young players to keep an eye on are wide receiver Latroy Pittman and cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy. Pittman might have been Florida's best receiver this spring and while he's not the fastest guy out there, he's tough, physical and has solid hands. With Florida still lacking a true playmaker at receiver, Pittman will get his chance to play a lot this fall. Purifoy drew praise from Muschamp last season, but really came along this spring. With Marcus Roberson out for most of the spring, Purifoy got more reps at corner. He might be lining up opposite Roberson at the second starting corner spot this fall.
• Don't forget about corner Jeremy Brown. I talked to him briefly before the spring game and he said that his knee is much better than it was last fall. His career has been riddled with injuries (he's missed three seasons in four years), and he received a medical redshirt from the NCAA after missing all of last season. This is a guy who was ahead of Janoris Jenkins at one point in his career before a back injury sidelined him for two years. Having him back will definitely upgrade this secondary.
• The offensive line looked better, but time will tell how good this unit can be. Muschamp seems pretty happy with it, mainly because he has depth. He talked about only having six scholarship linemen at one point during the offseason because injury. The team had to take breaks in practice to keep those guys going. That wasn't the case this spring. For as bad as the quarterback play looked and for as much as Florida struggled to run up the middle, a lot of the Gators' shortcomings came because of an inefficient offensive line. "We're better offensively than we were at any time last year," he said. "We have everybody back and we have some talented guys."
• Jeff Dillman might have been Muschamp's biggest hire. Florida's new strength coach was with Muschamp at LSU when the Tigers won it all in 2003-04. He's focusing on more Olympic-style lifting and you can tell. The players are much bigger than last fall. Dillman's secret? Three moves: the power clean, the snatch and the split jerk. He's making sure they're hitting every muscle possible as efficiently as possible.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The adventure as a guest coach at Florida's spring game continues ...

12:00 p.m.: A host of former players get together for a flag football game dubbed the "Battle of the Decades," with players from the 1980s, '90s and 2000s participating. Thankfully, none of the old guys is hurt from all that running.

12:10: The quarterbacks come out and SI.com's Andy Staples and I try to meticulously dissect every single part of Jeff Driskel's and Jacoby Brissett's games to figure out which one is better. Like everyone around Florida's program, we're unable to.

12:20: I walk over to punt-return drills, nearly getting clocked by a ball the wind carried over toward me. Marcus Roberson, Trey Burton, Loucheiz Purifoy and De'Ante "Pop" Saunders are taking reps.

12:29: One-on-ones between receivers and defensive backs begin. It's light, but it's something to look at and we still can't figure out which quarterback is better, but tight end Jordan Reed impresses with a one-handed catch and true freshman receiver Latroy Pittman out-muscles his opponents for a few tough catches.

12:35: The offensive line goes through drills which incorporate a lot of spinning, slapping, pulling and pushing. It's humorous, until you realize how much bigger they are than you. Then you just think it's dangerous. Offensive line coach Tim Davis screams "Spin, spin, spin," until he's blue in the face and his voice is hoarser than before.

12:49: After watching the offensive line go at the defensive line, headlined by a rough battle between Sharrif Floyd and Xavier Nixon, the team jogs to the middle of the field for one last huddle before hitting the locker room.

12:51: We're in the locker room and the fun begins. After the team splits up by position, the coaches start going over last-minute game plans and emphasizing technique. "Stay under control!" running backs coach Brian White yells. "Let's get this crowd jacked up! Have people leave this (game) knowing we're going to flat-out dominate up front!" Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn preaches mental toughness in loud, quick bursts. He doesn't want to see any walking around or hands on hips. He wants energy and aggression on the field. "Ball Out U!" he screams. "Put out great (expletive) tape! When we turn on the tape I want to make sure I can't wait to watch you."

12:57: The excitement is growing inside the locker room. An animal is waiting to be unleashed. Players are hyped, as White walks around with a smile on his face saying, "Lotta nervous faces in here today," over and over. He's followed by verbose defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson, who constantly taunts the receivers and pretty much every offensive player. "Let's get to those quarterbacks today and get in their faces!"

12:59: Floyd sits and stares at the floor, like he's ready to destroy it. The person giving bear hugs and high-fives at the Gator Walk is ready to rip someone apart like a bear. He sits in silence as a coach tosses him smelling salt. He sniffs and doesn't flinch. He's ready.

1:04: Defensive end/Buck Ronald Powell shoots up out of his chair and starts dancing around, yelling inaudible words of encouragement to his teammates. He's pushing guys and slapping their pads. "Play yo game, baby! It's just practice! Everything you do, you've done before!"

1:05: Floyd stands and walks to the center of the locker room. His teammates huddle around him. Players go silent when he speaks. "Do your job, not the man next to you!" His voice is deep, loud and haunting. He keeps shouting "aggressive" over and over, which fuels his teammates even more and incites a frenzy before head coach Will Muschamp arrives.

1:07: Following the Lord's Prayer, Muschamp delivers a short pregame speech. "Fast and physical. Offense, run the ball down their throats!" The place explodes as players exit the locker room, tapping the orange "GRIND" sign above the locker room door on the way out.

1:10: Kickoff.

We didn't get to actually coach or call plays, but here are some observations from the sideline:

• Davis was very hands-on with linemen when they made mistakes. He made them verbally repeat their mistakes and asked them what they had to do to correct them. He was extremely thorough with players and took time to teach between plays.
• Offensive coordinator Brent Pease was really concerned with clock management. He was constantly telling the quarterbacks not on the field to make sure that the one in the game knew about the clock and knew when it was running out, even though there was no delay-of-game penalty. That communication failed early in the scrimmage.
• Even though Pittman had a pretty impressive day, receivers coach Aubrey Hill and receiver Andre Debose were coaching him on his routes, helping him get out of his breaks faster on the sideline.
• Driskel and Brissett looked like old fishing buddies out there. They were joking with each other after plays and helping each other when they made mistakes. Competition didn't stop them from cooperating.
• Tyler Murphy appears out of the quarterback race, but he showed some excellent coaching skills. He was spouting terminology and trying to help as much as he could. He was by Pease's side almost the whole time and was able to find a lot of the little things the other QBs missed. He might know the offense the best, but isn't as skilled as the others.

Quick quotes:

• Running back Mack Brown after getting popped during his touchdown run: "He picked me good. He Goldberged me."
• Receiver Solomon Patton after Chris Johnson's 15-yard run in the fourth quarter: "Man, we got some backs."
• Debose to walk-on Michael McNeely after his 52-yard catch: "I bet you thought that ball was in the air forever, huh?"

2:53: Blue defeats Orange 21-20 and I debut with a victory. As Muschamp jogs to meet Florida's band director, he stops to congratulate me on my win and I announce my retirement from the coaching profession.

Schedule: Florida opens spring practice Wednesday afternoon and concludes on April 7 with the Orange & Blue Debut, presented by Sunniland, at 1 p.m. ET in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. In conjunction with Florida Football's Annual Coaches Clinic, practice will open to the public twice -- March 16 and March 17.

What's new: Florida welcomes in new offensive coordinator Brent Pease, who left Boise State, as its new offensive coordinator after Charlie Weis left to become the head coach at Kansas. Florida also hired former Utah offensive line coach Tim Davis to replace Frank Verducci, while Jeff Dillman replaces Mickey Marrotti as the Gators' strength and conditioning coach.

On the mend: Florida will be down a few players this spring. Defensive tackle Dominique Easley is out while he recovers from an ACL injury he suffered at the end of the regular season. Cornerback Jeremy Brown is out with a knee injury that kept him out all of the 2011 season. Offensive linemen Ian Silberman, Tommy Jordan, Kyle Koehne and Cole Gilliam, along with linebacker Lerentee McCray and defensive end Kedric Johnson, are all out with shoulder injuries. Cornerback Marcus Roberson (neck) was cleared for non-contact drills. Linebacker Neiron Ball, who was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation after a blood vessel burst in his head before the 2011 season, has been cleared to resume physical activity, but not for practice.

On the move: Redshirt senior Omarius Hines is moving from wide receiver to cross train at running back and tight end. Hines has always been some sort of a hybrid player, recording 41 career receptions for 559 yards and two touchdowns and carrying the ball 13 times for 164 rushing yards and two more scores. Nick Alajajian is moving from offensive tackle to defensive tackle to provide depth with Easley out.

Questions: The major question on the minds of fans in Gainesville is what will happen at the quarterback spot. Now that John Brantley is gone, Florida will be working with rising sophomores Jacoby Brissett, Jeff Driskel and Tyler Murphy this spring. One of those three will be Florida's starter this fall, and after what people saw last year from Brissett and Driskel, there's a bit of an uneasy feeling in Gainesville. Florida is also looking to replace running backs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps. Senior-to-be Mike Gillislee enters the spring No. 1 on the depth chart, with Mack Brown behind him. Gillislee has played some in the past, while Brown has barely seen the field as a running back. Wide receiver and the offense line also have their own issues. Florida returns four starters up front, but this group struggled significantly last season. Keep an eye on early enrollees D.J. Humphries and Jessamen Dunker. Florida has a handful of receivers, but none are proven and none return with more than 16 catches from last season.

Key battle: If Florida's offense wants to take any steps forward, the Gators have to figure out their quarterback situation. Brissett enters spring with the most experience of the trio, but people around Florida believe he and Driskel are pretty even when it comes to physical ability. The difference right now seems to be that Brissett has more of an edge to him and more confidence. And he did pass Driskel on the depth chart last year. Murphy is pretty athletic, but in his two years on campus he has yet to take a collegiate snap, so he is clearly behind the other two. Pease is a quarterbacks coach, so one of his biggest jobs will be improving the play of all three of these players. One needs to step up and separate himself as both a player and a leader heading into summer workouts.

Don't forget about: Safety Matt Elam might be Florida's best defensive player and he's talented enough to put himself in the conversation as one of the top defensive backs in the SEC. In his first year as a starter at strong safety, Elam was second on the team with 78 tackles and was first with 11 tackles for loss. He also had two sacks, broke up seven passes and recorded two interceptions. Elam plays both the run and the deep ball well. He's turning into a true leader of Florida's defense and is primed for a real breakout season in 2012.

Breaking out: Tight end Jordan Reed was supposed to be one of Florida's top offensive weapons last season, but injuries and poor offensive execution hurt him in 2011. Now that he's healthy and he has young quarterbacks lining up, Reed could get a lot of attention this spring. Don't expect these quarterbacks to go deep much, so they'll have to rely on Reed underneath. Gillislee has shown flashes here and there, but has yet to put everything together. One moment he's running over players, the next he's yanked for poor blocking. Now, he enters spring as the guy at running back and with a bulk of the reps coming his way, Gillislee should be able to do a little more this time around.

All eyes on: Pease has a lot to do in such a short amount of time this spring. He'll be adding a few of his own wrinkles to Florida's offense, but don't expect him to change too much of the offensive terminology. Making things easy will be crucial as he attempts to fix Florida's offensive issues, starting with the quarterback position. The good news is that younger players tend to take to coaching a little better than vets. This is a chance for some reinvention on offense for the Gators, but it will start with Pease's coaching. Weis seemed to struggle a lot last season with communicating his messages to Florida's offensive players. Pease can't have that issue this spring. Everything has to clear and concise for Florida's offense.

The coaches have spoken with their own SEC All-Freshman team, so we here at the SEC blog decided to come up with our own team.

We couldn't fit all of the youngsters on the list, and some tough cuts had to be made.

Honestly, our list wasn't much different from the coaches' list. There were a couple of changes, but nothing extreme.

One tough cut we made was Vanderbilt wide receiver Chris Boyd. He was Vandy's second wide receiver, catching 29 passes for 404 yards and seven touchdowns. He had a very solid first year in Nashville, Tenn., but we decided to go with LSU's Odell Beckham, who caught seven more passes and had 33 more yards. Although, Boyd had five more touchdowns. In the end, we felt he was more valuable to LSU's offense this season.

LSU also led the way with five selections, while Tennessee was second with four selections.

Here's our freshman team:

OFFENSE

QB -- Maxwell Smith, Kentucky
RB -- Kenny Hilliard, LSU
RB -- Isaiah Crowell, Georgia
WR -- Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia
WR -- Odell Beckham, Jr., LSU
TE -- Malcolm Johnson, Mississippi State
OL -- Chaz Green, Florida
OL -- Marcus Jackson, Tennessee
OL - A.J. Cann, South Carolina
OL -- Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama
C -- Reese Dismukes, Auburn

DEFENSE

DL -- Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina
DL -- Anthony Johnson, LSU
DL -- Kelcy Quarles, South Carolina
DL -- Trey Flowers, Arkansas
LB -- A.J. Johnson, Tennessee
LB -- Curt Maggitt, Tennessee
LB -- Serderius Bryant, Ole Miss
CB -- Marcus Roberson, Florida
CB -- Tevin Mitchel, Arkansas
S -- Brian Randolph, Tennessee
S -- Vinnie Sunseri, Alabama

SPECIAL TEAMS

K -- James Hairston, LSU (He handled kickoff duties for the Tigers.)
P -- Brad Wing, LSU
RS -- Tre Mason, Auburn

It was a big year for freshmen in the SEC, and some of the most hyped newcomers turned out to be the most productive.

Here’s our ranking of the top 15 true freshmen this season based on their productivity and overall impact on their teams:

1. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina: The nation's No. 1 prospect coming into the season made a big splash with six sacks and 10 tackles for loss, leading all SEC freshmen in both categories. His five forced fumbles tied him for second in the league among all players.

2. Isaiah Crowell, RB, Georgia: Had it not been for injuries and durability issues, Crowell was on his way to a 1,000-yard season. He had only 36 carries in his past five games but still managed 837 rushing yards and had 100-yard games against four SEC opponents -- Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and South Carolina.

3. A.J. Johnson, LB, Tennessee: He started in 10 of the Vols’ 12 games and led all SEC freshmen with 80 tackles, which was second on Tennessee’s team. He had his best games against the best teams with 11 tackles against LSU, 12 against South Carolina and 13 against Alabama.

4. Malcolm Mitchell, WR, Georgia: One of the most explosive players on Georgia's team, Mitchell emerged as the Bulldogs' top deep threat, catching 38 passes for 614 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 16.2 yards per catch.

5. Reese Dismukes, C, Auburn: A mainstay on Auburn's offensive line, Dismukes started all 12 games at center and helped pave the way for the Tigers to rush for 2,097 yards this season, ranking them fourth in the SEC.

6. Curt Maggitt, LB, Tennessee: One of the more promising big-play defenders in the league, Maggitt tied for third on Tennessee’s team with 56 total tackles, including 5.5 tackles for loss. He started in eight games.

7. Anthony Johnson, DT, LSU: His numbers weren't eye-popping, but part of that is because the Tigers rotate so many defensive linemen. Johnson was a force in the middle and has three tackles for loss heading into the national title game.

8. Brian Randolph, S, Tennessee: He started in eight games and led all Tennessee defensive backs with 55 total tackles. Randolph was a safety for most of the season but started at cornerback against Alabama.

9. Donte Moncrief, WR, Ole Miss: One of the Rebels' top playmakers, Moncrief led the team in catches (31), receiving yards (454) and touchdown receptions (4). He averaged 14.6 yards per catch.

10. Kenny Hilliard, RB, LSU: The Tigers didn't really unleash Hilliard until the Auburn game on Oct. 22, but he's been LSU's best power back since. He has nine touchdowns and is averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

11. Trey Flowers, DE, Arkansas: With Jake Bequette and Tenarius Wright both suffering through injuries, Flowers stepped up in a big way with 5.5 tackles for loss, including a sack.

12. Vinnie Sunseri, DB, Alabama: He jumped right in as a valuable cog in an Alabama secondary that was one of the best in the country. Sunseri ranks eighth overall on the team with 31 total tackles.

13. Marcus Roberson, CB, Florida: He suffered an injury late in the season but held down one of the Gators' starting cornerback jobs up until that point. Roberson has all the tools to be a great one in this league.

14. Tevin Mitchel, CB, Arkansas: He emerged as one of the Hogs’ starters at cornerback late in the season and wound up sixth on the team with 53 total tackles. He had 13 in the comeback win over Texas A&M.

15. De'Ante Saunders, S, Florida: One of two true freshmen in the Gators' starting secondary, Saunders intercepted two passes and broke up two passes this season from his safety position.

Here's a look at the second half of the 2011 ESPNU 150 and those players who signed with SEC schools:

76. Damian Swann, ATH, Georgia: Swann is a reserve cornerback who played in 10 games and started one for the Bulldogs. He recorded five tackles and one tackle for loss.

78. Da'Ante Saunders, ATH, Florida: Saunders has made an impact during his freshman season, leading the team in interceptions as well as being a valuable member of the punt return team. As a safety, he had 22 tackles and two interceptions.

79. Demetrius Hart, RB, Alabama: Listed as "Dee" on the official roster, Hart is one of several running backs pushing for game time on a very talented unit. An injury prior to the season forced him to redshirt.

82. Malcolm Faciane, TE, Alabama: Faciane is a part of a competitive tight end crew that includes nine players, three of whom are freshmen. Look for Faciane to be more of a blocking and pass-catching option in the 2012 season.

86. Jabari Gorman, S, Florida: Lining up as a safety, Gorman played in 11 games for the Gators, recording eight tackles, including seven unassisted, and a forced fumble.

88. Brey Cook, OG, Arkansas: Cook is 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds, but even as the tallest and one of the biggest players on the Arkansas roster, he is waiting his turn on the offensive line. Cook played some as a freshman, but is expected to compete for a full-time starting job next season.

94. Brandon Fulse, TE, Auburn: Fulse, playing H-back, is the immediate backup to junior Philip Lutzenkirchen. Fulse is used more as a primary blocker, but in 12 games, he caught two passes for 12 yards.

100. Christian LeMay, QB, Georgia: There are six quarterbacks on Georgia's roster, and LeMay is one of two true freshmen. He has yet to throw a pass in a college game.

105. Antonio Richardson, OT, Tennessee: Richardson played in all 12 Tennessee games in a backup role. He even had a few snaps playing fullback late in the season against Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

112. Marcus Roberson, S, Florida: Roberson started the first 10 games for Florida at cornerback before suffering a season-ending neck injury against South Carolina. He had 22 tackles, two pass breakups, one interception and a fumble recovery in 2011.

118. A.J. Johnson, LB, Tennessee: Johnson was the Vols' second-leading tackler and started 10 of Tennessee's 12 games. He finished with 80 tackles, most by any freshman in the SEC. Johnson also had 4.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

120. Kenny Hilliard, RB, LSU: In a loaded Tigers backfield, Hilliard finished as the team's fifth-leading rusher with 320 yards and eight touchdowns. He played in 11 games and scored all eight of his touchdowns over the final six games. In the regular-season finale, he rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown against the Razorbacks, and he added 72 yards and two scores against Georgia in the SEC championship game.

121. Mickey Johnson, DT, LSU: Johnson, who didn't get cleared to play until just before the season started, redshirted this season.

126. Jerrard Randall, QB, LSU: Randall originally committed to Oregon, but switched to LSU after national signing day. He redshirted this season.

128. Tobias Singleton, WR, Ole Miss: Singleton was Ole Miss' primary kick returner and averaged 24.6 yards on 21 returns. He also caught two passes for 12 yards.

134. Marlin Lane, RB, Tennessee: Lane played in all 12 regular-season games, rushing for 280 yards and adding another 161 receiving yards. He scored four touchdowns.

136. Lonnie Gosha, DE, Arkansas: Gosha played early in the season and recorded a sack against Auburn, but left the program in early November.

137. Danny Woodson Jr., WR, Alabama: Due to "roster management issues" Woodson was supposed to be a grayshirt, but joined the team days before the season opener and redshirted.

140. Brent Calloway, ATH, Alabama: Calloway redshirted this season. On Oct. 21, he was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana.

145. Thomas O'Reilly, OG, Auburn: O'Reilly dealt with injuries most of summer camp and redshirted.

The SEC coaches announced their selections for the 2011 SEC All-Freshman Team Thursday.

LSU led the way with five selections, while Tennessee and Arkansas both had four selections.

The coaches also made Arkansas tight end Garrett Uekman, who died suddenly last month, Honorary Captain.

South Carolina placed three on the team, including SEC Freshman of the Year Jadeveon Clowney.

Here is the 2011 SEC All-Freshman Team:

OFFENSE

HONORARY CAPTAIN
Garrett Uekman, Tight End, Arkansas

TE - Malcolm Johnson, Mississippi State
OL - A.J. Cann, South Carolina
OL - Marcus Jackson, Tennessee
OL - Cyrus Kouandjio, Alabama
OL - Chaz Green, Florida
C - Reese Dismukes, Auburn
WR - Malcolm Mitchell, Georgia
WR - Odell Beckham Jr., LSU
QB – Maxwell Smith, Kentucky
RB – Isaiah Crowell, Georgia
RB – Kenny Hilliard, LSU
AP - Bruce Ellington, South Carolina

DEFENSE

DL - Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina
DL - Trey Flowers, Arkansas
DL - Anthony Johnson, LSU
DL - Kaleb Eulls, Mississippi State
LB - A.J. Johnson, Tennessee
LB - Curt Maggitt, Tennessee
LB - Serderius Bryant, Ole Miss
DB - Brian Randolph, Tennessee
DB - Vinnie Sunseri, Alabama
DB - De'Ante Saunders, Florida
DB - Tevin Mitchel, Arkansas

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK - James Hairston, LSU
P - Brad Wing, LSU
RS – Marquel Wade, Arkansas

• I'm actually surprised to see Saunders get the nod over teammate Marcus Roberson. Roberson was easily Florida's best cornerback this season. He has the makings of being a talented cover corner, but he did get overly aggressive throughout the season. I guess coaches paid attention to flags he earned.
• It had to be tough when the coaches looked at the quarterback position. Smith was probably the best of the bunch, and even he threw just four touchdowns to four interceptions. Still, Kentucky's offense moved down the field much better when he was on the field.
• Remember when all the talk in Oxford, Miss., before the season centered around how great true freshman linebacker C.J. Johnson was going to be? Well, he had a solid first year, but it was Bryant who really came on as one of the young guys on defense. He saw tremendous playing time and was fourth on the team with 61 tackles.

Florida suffered a pretty big loss to its defense over the weekend.

Coach Will Muschamp said during his Monday news conference that true freshman cornerback Marcus Roberson will miss the rest of the season after straining his neck in Florida's 17-12 loss to South Carolina Saturday.

Roberson had started each of Florida's 10 games this season and recorded 18 tackles, one interception and one pass break-up. Muschamp said he expects to get Roberson back in time for spring practice.

Roberson had his hiccups here and there this season, but there was no question he was Florida's best cornerback. He was rangy, fast and physical in Florida's defensive backfield. He was sometimes overly aggressive in his coverage, making him susceptible to pass interference calls, but he rarely got beat for big plays and was Florida's most consistent corner.

The loss of Roberson means Florida takes yet another hit to its corner depth. First it was the dismissal of Janoris Jenkins that hurt this secondary, then a knee injury has kept junior Jeremy Brown off the field this season. Florida will now turn to sophomores Cody Riggs and Jaylen Watkins. Riggs has started 10 games, while Watkins has started five. Both has shown flashes, but have been prone to giving up big plays in one-on-one coverage.

Freshman Louchiez Purifoy and redshirt senior Moses Jenkins will both get more opportunities on the field as well. Purifoy is one to watch here. He is still pretty raw, but his speed and athleticism have caught the eye of his head coach. With more reps in practice, we could see more of him outside of just special teams.

Making the rounds on a Friday:

• His small hometown of Eufaula, Ala., has played a big role in Courtney Upshaw's journey to football stardom.
• During his tenure at Alabama, Nick Saban has had mixed results in his recruiting battles with LSU. (subscription required)
• Alabama has no response to LSU tight end Deangelo Peterson's comments that the Crimson Tide linebackers are too slow to cover him.
• South Carolina spur linebacker Antonio Allen is expected to play Saturday against Arkansas after missing practice time this week with a sore neck.
• Arkansas defensive end Tenarius Wright remains out with a broken arm, but is getting closer to returning to the lineup.
• Freshman Gabe Wright steps up in Auburn's defensive line.
• A 4-4 record has different meanings for Vanderbilt's James Franklin and Florida's Will Muschamp.
• Tennessee freshman cornerback Justin Coleman gets another shot as a starter.
• UT Martin's Jason Simpson relishes his Mississippi State return.
• Kentucky coach Joker Phillips thinks Ole Miss is playing its best football.
• Florida freshman cornerback Marcus Roberson accepts deferred prosecution for underrage drinking charge.
• Georgia's in the minority when it comes to special-teams coaches.

It was another late lunch for us on the blog. It happens to the best of us.

• Auburn coach Gene Chizik says Clint Moseley is "up for the task" of making his first start at LSU this weekend.
• Florida freshman cornerback Marcus Roberson is facing an underage drinking charge.
• Arkansas has plans for a new scoreboard for the 2012 season.
• Vanderbilt is giving extra attention to Army's triple-option offense.
• Georgia defensive tackle Kwame Geathers' father is upset about his son's half-game suspension.
• Tennessee is pumping in crowd noise to prepare for Alabama's environment.
• Kentucky linebacker Danny Trevathan is thriving despite the Wildcats' struggles.
• Ole Miss' Brandon Bolden shows remorse after his suspension.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida tried its hardest to give Tennessee a touchdown and have the Volunteers cut the deficit to 10 points. But even after an ugly 22-yard shank of a punt and a questionable pass interference call, all the Vols could do after starting a drive at Florida's 31 was kick a field goal to make it a 30-16 game.

Tennessee got bailed out by a pass interference call on Florida cornerback Marcus Roberson and then eventually got down to Florida's 11-yard line with three downs to work with. But a loss of 13 on a bad snap and a false start pushed the Vols back to the 29.

Tennessee took the ball to the 3-yard line before kicking a field goal. The Vols have to punch it in when they get to the red zone because Florida's defense hasn't given them much to work with here in the second half.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Greetings from The Swamp!

The weather is perfect down here. It's a little overcast, but it feels like any football Saturday should feel in the South.

My first indication that it was game day was this morning when I went down for a little continental breakfast in my hotel and saw some people wearing orange and blue shirts with Dominique Easley's name and number on the back crushing the complementary breakfast. They came out in full force to support Easley, but started the day by dismantling that food. Well done.

Tennessee's football team walked out onto Florida Field around two hours before game time to check out the surroundings. Decked out in their finest suits, the Vols soaked it all in, walking over the big orange "F" in the middle of the field, calling people on their cell phones and bobbing their heads to the beat of the music blaring in their headphones.

You could tell who the freshmen were by the way they stopped and starred at "This is ... Gator Country" painted on a wall near the north end zone. Still, you could sense the business-like attitude coming from the Vols.

As for Florida, it looks like the Gators are going with the blue tops this afternoon. As they should. One player who won't be wearing his pads today is junior cornerback Jeremy Brown. Brown has yet to play this season because of a knee injury and has been left off the dress roster again. Freshman Marcus Roberson or sophomore Jaylen Watkins will start opposite senior Moses Jenkins or sophomore Cody Riggs.

We'll see how Florida's young secondary holds up against Tyler Bray and his nice duo of tall, fast wide receivers in Justin Hunter and Da'Rick Rogers. Hunter stands 6-foot-4, while Rogers is 6-3. Jenkins is Florida's tallest corner at 6-3, but after him Roberson and Watkins are both 6-foot.

It should be a fun one inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, but my eyes are hurting from all that orange down there and all the orange I've seen since last night.

Get your sunglasses ready!

Tennessee’s players are tired of hearing about how young they are and insist that their youth won’t be an excuse this season.

Well, they’re facing a team on Saturday in the Swamp that’s even younger.

According to Florida’s depth chart, the Gators have 29 freshmen and sophomores among the 44 position players in their two deep.

That’s one more than Tennessee, which according to its most recent depth chart, has 28 freshmen and sophomores listed among its 44 starters and backups.

Auburn’s running a close race with both teams in terms of being the youngest team in the league. The Tigers have 27 freshmen and sophomores listed in their two deep.

Auburn played 13 true freshmen in the season opener, which was the second most nationally behind Texas’ 18. Tennessee played 12 true freshmen, which was tied for third nationally.

Florida played 16 freshmen overall, including nine true freshmen.

Against the Vols, the Gators are slated to start four freshmen -- redshirt freshman receiver Quinton Dunbar, redshirt right offensive tackle Chaz Green, true freshman safety Pop Saunders and true freshman cornerback Marcus Roberson.

The Vols will counter with three true freshmen starters on defense -- outside linebackers A.J. Johnson and Curt Maggitt and cornerback Justin Coleman.

Tennessee coach Derek Dooley has been pleased with the way his younger guys have gone about their business in the first two games. They've played with confidence and have been loose. But he's also the first to admit that going up against Florida in the Swamp is a whole different ballgame.

“They are not going to back down and they want to be good," Dooley said. "They expect to be good, but they also are like most young players and don’t have a lot of scars on them. It’s hard to really be good consistently without getting some scars, having some bad moments, some screw-ups. That’s what always concerns you. What I don’t want to do is put my own scars on them and it kind of breaks their spirit.

"But at the same time, I don’t want to tell them they’re great, because they’re going to get their tales whipped. So far, they’ve been doing pretty well. I don’t want to mess them up. I’m more nervous than those guys are. Sometimes I wonder if they even know we’re not in the backyard, with a lot of people watching and depending on them.

"They’re just playing, and that’s the way it should be.”

Things will look a lot different for the Gators this season.

There will be a new coaching staff, which will feature the coordinators alongside the head coach on the ground instead of the booth, and there are a ton of new faces out there.

Monday, Florida released its depth chart for Saturday's opener against Florida Atlantic and there were a few surprises.

The first thing that stands out is that the Gators could line up with two true freshmen starters in the secondary. If that were to happen, it would be first time in school history that two true freshmen started in the secondary for the Gators during the season opener.

Coach Will Muschamp currently has De'Ante Saunders penciled in as the starter at free safety and Marcus Roberson at one of the corner positions. If Saunders starts, he would be the first true freshman to start for the Gators at safety on opening day. Saunders is also listed as the starter at the nickel.

Junior cornerback Jeremy Brown is questionable with a knee injury, so Moses Jenkins or Cody Riggs could start opposite Roberson.

Sophomore Sharrif Floyd is listed as a starting defensive end. Floyd began his career as a defensive tackle, but Muschamp wants to get the best players on the field and Floyd is versatile and strong enough to play outside. Senior William Green is behind him on the depth chart.

Sophomore Dominique Easley is set to start next to Jaye Howard inside.

On offense, Matt Patchan is listed as the starting right tackle. He's dealt with a handful of injuries through the years, but if he's healthy, he could be the Gators' top lineman.

Notre Dame transfer Dan Wenger, who had his Irish career cut short by concussions, came in as a center, but is listed as the starting left guard. Former guard Jonotthan Harrison is the starting center.

Quinton Dunbar is listed as the starting receiver at the X position. Dunbar has been one of the coaches' favorite players to watch this year and the thought is he could be a big-time deep threat this fall.

One other interesting note is that tight end Jordan Reed is also listed as the backup punt returner behind Chris Rainey. Reed isn't the shiftiest player, but he's very athletic and tough to bring down. Still, you'd think Florida would want to get one of its faster, more elusive players in the open space.

Now that we are done looking at 10 true freshmen from the SEC West who could make impacts on their teams this fall, it’s time to look at the youngsters in the East.

FLORIDA

Marcus Roberson, CB/S: With Janoris Jenkins gone, Roberson could come right in this fall and compete for solid playing time. He’s a bigger corner at 6 feet, 170 pounds and could wind up at safety, where the Gators are pretty thin. He has great field instincts and will play somewhere this fall.

Ja’Juan Story, WR: Story was a raw athlete in high school and played more quarterback than receiver during his senior year, but at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, he will be one of Florida’s biggest receiving targets. He’ll need some time to develop, but should be a nice, lengthy weapon in Charlie Weis’ offense.

GEORGIA

Isaiah Crowell, RB: He arrives in Athens with a ton of hype. Georgia has yet to find its feature back and Crowell has all the talent to be that player. Some think he could start by the midpoint of the season. He was the nation’s top running back and in 2010 he rushed for 1,721 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Malcolm Mitchell, WR: Mitchell played both sides of the ball in high school, but Georgia’s staff really likes what he could do at receiver. He’s a tremendous athlete and will get a chance to earn playing time for the fall, especially with some unproven receivers already on Georgia’s roster.

KENTUCKY

Josh Clemons, RB: Raymond Sanders might have left spring as the starting running back for the Wildcats, but Kentucky is still looking for help at the position. Clemons will get a chance to get in the backfield rotation after rushing for more than 2,000 and have 25 touchdowns during his senior year of high school.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Jadeveon Clowney, DE: Clowney will enter preseason camp with a mound of expectations. He was the country’s top high school player last year, and even though there is a lot of talent on South Carolina’s defensive line, it will be hard to keep him off the field with his freakish ability. He recorded 162 tackles, including 29 tackles for loss, 29.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, six recovered fumbles and scored five touchdowns last fall.

TENNESSEE

A.J. Johnson, LB: He has the size and strength to play in the middle, but has the athleticism to play off the edge as well. With Tennessee needing a lot of help at linebacker, Johnson will get a shot at playing time. He registered 186 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, one sack and one interception during his senior year.

Curt Maggitt, LB: He’s another linebacker who will be in the mix for playing time this fall. He played outside in high school and has great speed coming off the edge. He’ll need to add some pounds, but should be one of the fun youngsters to watch this fall in Knoxville.

VANDERBILT

Jake Bernstein, OL: Bernstein was a solid tackle in high school, but with so many questions surrounding Vanderbilt’s offensive line, he could move around once preseason camp begins. He could line up at center or guard.

Josh Grady, QB: Vanderbilt coach James Franklin is very excited about getting Grady out on the practice field. He comes in as a quarterback, but he’s dynamic enough that he could play other positions as well. He accounted for 3,061 yards of offense and 26 touchdowns. He also had five interceptions.