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Draft Scout College Football Player News: Florida

Previous 15 Notes

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10/23/20 - Graham Mertz, rSr/2025, Florida + More +

Graham Mertz threw five touchdown passes to match the Wisconsin record in a commanding first career start and the No. 14 Badgers beat Illinois 45-7 on Friday night to open the pandemic-delayed Big Ten football season. Mertz set a school record for completion percentage on 20-of-21 passing, finishing with 248 yards. The lone incompletion was a pass that running back Garrett Groshek dropped midway through the third quarter. The redshirt freshman quarterback delivered a buzzworthy performance during the Big Ten’s long-awaited opening night. The Big Ten announced Aug. 11 that it would postpone all fall sports until the spring due to the coronavirus pandemic, then reversed itself Sept. 16 by saying it would begin the season in mid-October.

While most other conferences began playing last month in front of partially filled stadiums, Wisconsin had cutouts in the stands and piped-in crowd noise Friday as it began its nine-game schedule. But his prime-time outburst still earned raves on social media from a wide range of players including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and former Wisconsin star J.J. Watt. Mertz became the first-team quarterback after returning starter Jack Coan underwent foot surgery on Oct. 7, leaving him out indefinitely. He wasted no time making the most of his opportunity. The only previous Wisconsin quarterbacks to throw five touchdown passes in a game are Darrell Bevell against Nevada in 1993 and Jim Sorgi against Michigan State in 2003. Mertz was 14 of 14 for 190 yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone as Wisconsin built a 28-7 halftime lead. Three of his five touchdown passes went to tight end Jake Ferguson, who had seven catches for 72 yards. - AP College/Wisconsin Football

rSr/2025

QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: AP College/Wisconsin Football
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10/15/20 - Kyle Trask, rSr/2021, Florida + More +

UF players say they win or lose as a team. That there is no finger-pointing following the loss at Texas A&M on Saturday. Florida quarterback Kyle Trask said the Gators aren't going to be playing the blame game in the wake of Saturday's loss to Texas A&M, a game where the defense melted down and the offense had a turnover that led to the winning field goal on the last play of the game. "The last thing you want to do is finger point," Trask said Monday. "You're still on the same team. The game on Saturday's was a game that we should have won. Just a few plays decided it. If we just play clean football there at the end, we're 3-0 right now. "We're just going to reflect on the game and how we can keep improving. It's just going to make us stronger and better."

Trask said there's no feeling among the offensive players that the Gators need to score on every possession in order to win games. "If that's how you feel, you end up pointing fingers at each other and that's not how our team is," he said. "It was either a win or a loss in the column as a team, together. "Our goal is to score on every single drive. It doesn't have anything to do with how (our defense) is performing. We don't want to just play good enough to win. We want to play to our standards. If we score on every single drive, we'll beat anybody we play." - Gainesville Sun

rSr/2021

QB Kyle Trask, Florida
News Source: Gainesville Sun
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10/13/20 - Jeremiah Moon, rSr/2022, Florida + More +

Florida's offense is potent enough to win championships. Its defense is porous enough to lose every game. The 10th-ranked Gators found out how little margin for error they have in last week's 41-38 loss at Texas A&M. With a defense giving up nearly 500 yards and five touchdowns a game, Florida's preseason title hopes are in jeopardy. Something will need to change for Florida to have a shot at running the table and winning the East Division for the first time since 2016. That was the goal coming into a season drastically altered because of COVID-19 concerns. The Gators missed out on spring practice and had just two days that included live tackling drills between the Orange Bowl in January and the opener last month. Rust was a convenient excuse for Week 1 woes, but the issues have now become a trend. "We got to get off the field, we got to wrap up, we got to tackle and we got to get to the quarterback and we got to cover," Moon said. "It's simple, and we're not doing that right now..."At the end of the day, it's up to that person to make their mind up if they want to be great. And that's all it is." - AP College Football

rSr/2022

OLB Jeremiah Moon, Florida
News Source: AP College Football
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10/09/20 - Amari Burney, rSr/2023, Florida + More +

Amari Burney is playing his third different position in three years at Florida, so if he looks a little confused or out of position at times at inside linebacker, that's probably to be expected. But he doesn't see it that way. "I like (inside linebacker), but I've got to step it up," Burney said. "These past two weeks have been unacceptable for me, personally. Just talking with the coaches, my parents, watching film, it's been unacceptable on my part just being a starter and not doing my job. "Just the plays I'm leaving on the field, not playing the plays that I want to make. Doing the wrong things on the field, not being physical, not getting off blocks, things like that."

Burney has missed some tackles, missed some assignments in the first two games, but he's not using the fact that he's been moved to a new position yet again as an excuse. "It's different," he said. "No excuses, though. This is mainly my first year actually being out there on the field for first and second down, I usually come in on third down. But nothing new, just got to get more physical, get more aggressive. Learn from Ventrell (Miller), learn from James (Houston), people that have been playing the position for all their life, and get better every week." Burney started his UF career at safety, but was quickly moved to the star/nickel position during his freshman season. - Gainesville Sun

rSr/2023

OLB Amari Burney, Florida
News Source: Gainesville Sun
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10/07/20 - Kyle Trask, rSr/2021, Florida + More +

Quarterback Kyle Trask had four more touchdown passes against South Carolina, which is a good thing. He also had two turnovers - a fumble and an interception - and that's not a good thing. Those turnovers have caught his attention. "Definitely, I can't put the ball on the ground. It's unacceptable. Just eliminating those, you know, those little things, those little small plays, turnovers, things like that. Just to play as consistent as I possibly can, it's just my goal every week." Both of his turnovers were turned into touchdowns by the Gamecocks. - Gainesville Sun

rSr/2021

QB Kyle Trask, Florida
News Source: Gainesville Sun
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10/07/20 - Zachary Carter, rSr/2022, Florida + More +

Junior defensive tackle Zachary Carter was named the SEC defensive lineman of the week for his performance in the Gators' 38-24 victory over South Carolina. A dominant force in the middle, Carter had eight tackles (tying for the team lead), 1.5 sacks and two quarterback hurries against the Gamecocks. Carter was a four-star defensive end coming out of high school who now has settled in at defensive tackle, although he can still play end if needed. "He's a guy that has bought into our program more or as much as any of the d-linemen that we've had since we've been here in what we expect from him, with the effort from him we expect to play, and how we expect him to do it," Mullen said. "He's done an amazing job of buying into all of that. Part of that is you look at self-evaluation.

"You've seen him look at what his strengths are and then play to his strengths and buy into his strengths, and you see the success he's having now. He's not going to be a big 340-pound inside guy, but he's really quick. He's big enough to be quick inside, and he's not this twitch edge guy, but he's a big edge guy that has athletic ability. So, that helps him create those different matchups where we can move him around on the field." - Gainesville Sun

rSr/2022

DT Zachary Carter, Florida
News Source: Gainesville Sun
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10/06/20 - *Kyle Pitts, Jr/2021, Florida + More +

Florida quarterback Kyle Trask threw six touchdown passes in the Gators' season-opening win last week against Ole Miss. And people took notice. The performance vaulted Trask into the thick of the Heisman Trophy discussion, with ESPN listing him No. 5 in its Heisman Watch this week (he wasn't even listed among others the week before). Trask completed 21 of 29 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns Saturday in No. 3-ranked Florida's 38-24 win over South Carolina, surely strengthening his candidacy. Overlooked in all this is the player making Trask look so good: Gators tight end Kyle Pitts. No surprise there. Getting Heisman voters to consider a player who doesn't have QB or RB next to his name is next to impossible. ESPN's 14 Heisman panelists - as well as the more than 900 Heisman voters - should sit up and pay attention to Pitts, who caught four TD passes from Trask against Ole Miss and two more against South Carolina. That means six of his 12 catches (for 227 yards) this season have gone for scores. Most of the others have come when Florida needs a big play. A tight end has never won the Heisman Trophy. - San Diego Union Tribune

Jr/2021

TE *Kyle Pitts, Florida
News Source: San Diego Union Tribune
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10/05/20 - Zachary Carter, rSr/2022, Florida + More +

OCT 5 SEC DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Zachary Carter, DL, Florida,...Carter registered eight total tackles (five assisted/three solo) along with 1.5 sacks (-12 yards) on Saturday in Florida's 38-24 win over South Carolina...Carter was an important disruption against the Gamecocks offense as Carter recorded more than a full sack for the first time in his career in the win...With his performance, Carter is tied for ninth in the SEC in sacks after two weeks. - SEC Football

rSr/2022

DT Zachary Carter, Florida
News Source: SEC Football
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10/05/20 - Kadarius Toney, Sr/2021, Florida + More +

Much of the discussion about Kadarius Toney's return to Florida this season centered around his need to improve as an all-around wide receiver. Saturday's showing against the Gamecocks furthered the notion Toney's been doing just that since returning to Gainesville. Toney hauled in a team-high six receptions for a career-high 86 yards in Florida's 38-24 victory, eclipsing his previous UF-best of 72 yards on Nov. 3, 2018 against Missouri. His 57-yard receiving touchdown, which saw Toney dash past several South Carolina defenders into the end zone, was Toney's second-longest reception to date behind last year's 66-yard touchdown against Miami. - Gainesville Sun

Sr/2021

WR Kadarius Toney, Florida
News Source: Gainesville Sun
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10/03/20 - Kyle Trask, rSr/2021, Florida + More +

Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts hooked up for two more touchdowns, continuing their hot start and leading No. 3 Florida to a 38-24 victory over South Carolina on Saturday. Trask completed 21 of 29 passes for 268 yards, with four touchdowns and an interception. His second-quarter fumble kept the Gamecocks (0-2) in the game early. Pitts finished with four receptions for 57 yards, commanding extra attention and beating South Carolina's top defenders. He nearly made a one-handed catch in the third quarter, but the ball slipped off his left fingertips. The K2K connection now has six touchdowns in two games, one more than it notched in 2019. The next performance comes at Kyle Field, where Texas A&M will try to become the first Southeastern Conference opponent to slow down Trask and Pitts in 2020.

Some thought former Florida coach Will Muschamp and his Gamecocks would find a way. But the Gators (2-0) had their way with South Carolina for three quarters in front of 15,120 socially distant fans in the Swamp. They finished with 347 yards and punted twice. Kadarius Toney put an exclamation point on the victory with a 57-yard touchdown catch late in the third. He somehow broke through three defenders, turning a 7-yard catch into Florida's biggest gain. He ended with six receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown to go along with 42 yards on two punt returns. - Florida/AP College Football

rSr/2021

QB Kyle Trask, Florida
News Source: Florida/AP College Football
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10/02/20 - Trevon Grimes, Sr/2021, Florida + More +

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the United States, altering American lives, Florida wide receiver Trevon Grimes didn't have to look far to understand the risks the virus posed. Grimes' mother, Leah Grimes, is a critical care nurse in South Florida, and hearing as his mother took precaution after precaution and wore piece after piece of protective gear - it didn't necessarily match up with what was happening around him. "Definitely, that was a factor. I have a little brother at home, I have a mom at home who's very well tied into the health organization," Grimes said, "so that was a little factor that played a role in it."

Testing was expensive initially, and the turnaround time sometimes took several weeks early in the pandemic, leading many to question whether or not athletics was even viable if the virus continued to run rampant. The prospect of playing football with limited testing available and no guarantee a test result could be returned prior to gameday had Grimes considering opting out of the 2020 season after making the difficult decision to return to Gainesville rather than enter the NFL draft. "Ultimately, I made my decision: I wanted to play football. I wanted to come back and finish this thing out with my brothers," he said. - Times Union

Sr/2021

WR Trevon Grimes, Florida
News Source: Times Union
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10/02/20 - Kyle Trask, rSr/2021, Florida + More +

Mullen believes in this coronavirus-impaired 2020, with no spring practice, offenses might get the jump this season. The opening SEC weekend featured a combined 4,204 passing yards in seven games, including Trask throwing for 416 yards and six touchdowns, a UF record in an SEC road game. "Kyle has improved from last year, his mechanics were beautiful the other day," Spurrier said of Trask. "I mean, three-quarter overhand [throws], almost a perfect spiral every ball, his footwork. Man, he looked good. Kyle is such a good, quiet leader, a lot like [1996 Heisman Trophy winner] Danny Wuerffel and quarterbacks that sort of lead by example. "Players really love the guy and that builds team chemistry because he gives credit to teammates and coaches. As a coach, he's the kind of guy you hope you have as a quarterback." It's not just Trask. The Gators, despite losing four receivers to the NFL, may have one of the more prolific offenses in college football because tight end Kyle Pitts (8 catches, 171 yards, 4 TDs) is a huge weapon. During his 12 seasons as the Gators' coach, Spurrier never had a tight end who was remotely close to Pitts as a matchup nightmare. - Gainesville Sun

rSr/2021

QB Kyle Trask, Florida
News Source: Gainesville Sun
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10/01/20 - Ventrell Miller, rSr/2023, Florida + More +

Former UF All-American middle linebacker Brandon Spikes paid quite a compliment to linebacker Ventrell Miller on Twitter after Saturday's win, posting that Miller is going to be a better No. 51 at Florida than he was. "Definitely honored," said Miller, who recorded 15 tackles against Ole Miss and was named the SEC defensive player of the week. "I know some of the guys sent it to me and what was said, definitely an honor that he felt that way. So, definitely good for me."

Miller said he met Spikes last season and has seen numerous highlights of his UF career, including his monster hit against Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno early in the 2008 UF-UGA game. "Yeah, he actually was coming to the games last year, so he used to coach us up on the sidelines and stuff like that," Miller said. "So it was definitely good for him to send that to me. Music to my ears. "That highlight reel play of him and Knowshon Moreno, I saw that's what they were comparing my hit to. That's something they have around The Swamp, just playing. They have those videos of the old Gator greats in the locker room just playing. You get a chance to see what the old Gator greats were doing." - Times Union

rSr/2023

ILB Ventrell Miller, Florida
News Source: Times Union
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10/01/20 - Daquan Newkirk, rSr/2022, Florida + More +

Newkirk came to Auburn as a highly-touted junior college transfer in 2018 only to tear his Achilles tendon in one leg before spring ball that year before tearing his Achilles in the other leg the following spring. Newkirk managed to find the field as a sophomore and a junior but was on the mend during both seasons, leaving him limited with what he could accomplish up front. Now, the senior is determined to prove that he can be a true menace for the Tigers. Newkirk showed he was up for the task Saturday by playing for 53 snaps - his most since coming to Auburn - and putting together a six-tackle, two-tackle for loss performance against the Wildcats. The goal is to keep that style of play up going forward. "It felt amazing honestly because that's something I haven't done since I've been here," Newkirk said about the sack. "I haven't been able to prove myself because I've been injured. It definitely felt good, just being out there, playing ball, doing what I love and making good plays." - Opelika-Auburn News

rSr/2022

DT Daquan Newkirk, Florida
News Source: Opelika-Auburn News
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10/01/20 - Trevon Grimes, Sr/2021, Florida + More +

Senior wide receiver Trevon Grimes was one of the players who opted out of the first week of preseason practice in August. He explained why after Tuesday's practice. "Being a leader of the receiver group, I felt like it was my duty to make sure that we were in the best situation, being put in the best situation," he said. "I felt like I wanted to make sure the protocols and everything were set up correctly for me to go back out there due to the fact that I didn't want to go out there in a situation where the unknown was unknown. "So, once the protocols were put in place and everything was put in order, me and the other two that sat out, we were back the next day and got rockin' and rollin' and now we have a game under our belt and we're excited about it." - Times Union

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