|
|
Post by tapsgator on Feb 14, 2023 13:04:37 GMT -5
For a long time I've subscribed to the theory of "if you want to know what you've got in your coach don't ask your fans, ask your rivals' fans," but the one flaw has always been a lack of objectivity.
In looking at mock drafts (which I do way too much of) I've got a new one that is more objective. If you want to know how well your coaches and especially coordinators develop and utilize talent look at their on-field performance versus where they get drafted. If the NFL values a guy higher (or lower) than the stats say they should that speaks to both development and usage. Too early to speak on Napier in my opinion, but there is a clear and stark divide for Mullen with and without Brian Johnson. Most glaring example I can think of is Trask going in the second with top 5 caliber stats (and apparently he's underwhelmed as a 2nd rounder) to Richardson sitting behind Jones for a year and then showing flashes of talent where he's a lock for 1st round and most seem to think he's going top 10.
Probably chicken or the egg because I think Mullen had also decided "my work here is done" and started daydreaming of his NFL gigs and which one he was going to take when the phone started ringing but still that's wild and gross negligence. Why anybody likes that weirdo, and some people seem to given the media still circulating his name and him getting TV gigs, is beyond me.
|
|
|
|
Post by bimigator on Feb 25, 2023 22:22:40 GMT -5
So was Trask's draft number an indictment of Mullen or did it show that Mullen was a good QB coach? If AR goes in the high first round after underwhelming on the field, does that mean Napier's staff did a poor job with him? It seems like those two examples are mutually exclusive, so I'm not sure I follow your metric.
|
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Feb 26, 2023 0:49:36 GMT -5
So was Trask's draft number an indictment of Mullen or did it show that Mullen was a good QB coach? If AR goes in the high first round after underwhelming on the field, does that mean Napier's staff did a poor job with him? It seems like those two examples are mutually exclusive, so I'm not sure I follow your metric. Trask was extremely well coached in college by Mullen. Richardson was extremely poorly coached in college by Mullen and then Napier, but more of it is on Mullen in my opinion. While that may seem contradictory it actually isn’t. When franks (who only really performed for Mullen and parlayed it into being drafted) and Trask (who was a 2nd round pick with top 10 numbers and it doesn’t look like is going to get a sniff in the NFL) were at UF Brian Johnson was there. Richardson only had one year with Johnson and he was redshirting and the 3rd string QB behind a heisman finalist and a higher rated, older recruit. By the time anybody would have seriously started coaching up AR Johnson was performing miracles with Jalen Hurts and Mullen lost his damn mind and was doing really weird shit. That’s the rule not the exception if you look at Mullen with and without Johnson. Now Napier didn’t do much right with Richardson last year. Playcalling was bad and didn’t play to ARs strength, had him afraid of getting hurt and/or turning the ball over, and didn’t design runs with a guy who immediately becomes one of the top 3 running QBs if not number 1 the day he signs. Not really a huge surprise if you look at his (non-existent) history of developing QBs and calling plays outside the Sunbelt. I knew that NFL teams would fall in love with Richardson’s physical talent, nobody in this (or really any) draft approaches it. Nobody wants to say it because they don’t want to look foolish but AR is a little shorter, faster josh Allen. What I didn’t expect was that film study has scouts liking Richardson’s manipulation of the pocket and using his eyes to move people. I only saw it on the long TD against UGA but evidently it’s there. They think they can fix his mechanics to fix his accuracy with better coaching. You’re talking about a guy who a significant portion of the fan base thought wouldn’t get drafted being talked about as 1/1. If he had his stats at Ohio State or Bama or Clemson or anywhere that the League had real confidence that he’d been coached up the NFL guys would be telling him to change positions. |
|
|
|
Post by Mojave Gator on Feb 26, 2023 20:43:21 GMT -5
Before I'm too hard on Napier, I take into account that he was simultaneously putting in a new offense and trying to develop the quarterback to run it (because his predecessor didn't bother). I can also understand a significant degree of caution in how much that he cut AR loose, because one only needs to look at the Las Vegas Bowl to know what the offense would have been like without AR. When Mullen was canned, he left his successor with zero developed quarterbacks, and since he didn't recruit, only one who could be counted upon for anything in the way of production.
|
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Feb 26, 2023 22:27:32 GMT -5
Before I'm too hard on Napier, I take into account that he was simultaneously putting in a new offense and trying to develop the quarterback to run it (because his predecessor didn't bother). I can also understand a significant degree of caution in how much that he cut AR loose, because one only needs to look at the Las Vegas Bowl to know what the offense would have been like without AR. When Mullen was canned, he left his successor with zero developed quarterbacks, and since he didn't recruit, only one who could be counted upon for anything in the way of production. Yeah that’s why I put most of AR on Mullen. Growing pains are unavoidable when you take a lower ranked prospect who turns out to be the king of all freaks when he gets on campus. Mullen sucks with QBs when he’s invested without Johnson, maybe sucks is too strong but he’s mediocre at best. When he’s butthurt that he didn’t get an nfl job (Nevermind that he’s never been a real candidate) he’s completely derelict in all his duties but especially recruiting and development. He delayed richardson by at least a year and probably completely ruined Emory jones who didn’t have richardson tools but was not a slouch physically and showed signs of being a superstar when Johnson was on staff. That said my main issues/concern with Napier has nothing to do with last year’s performance per se. It’s that we got worse as the year went on and even with myriad opportunities to adjust he doesn’t seem inclined to do so. I don’t think a couple sunbelt titles earn you the benefit of the doubt. So I think he needs to at least show signs of being up to the task this year. It is odd that we’re expected to be 4th or even 5th in the East yet not supposed to say the word “hot seat.” Most of all though Scott stricklin and Jeremy Foley should not be in the building when that decision is made and a replacement is chosen. Forcibly remove them if you have to. Stricklin has proven that he cannot do the job. He’s a joke |
|
|
|
Post by Rock Gator on Feb 27, 2023 12:58:15 GMT -5
Before I'm too hard on Napier, I take into account that he was simultaneously putting in a new offense and trying to develop the quarterback to run it (because his predecessor didn't bother). I can also understand a significant degree of caution in how much that he cut AR loose, because one only needs to look at the Las Vegas Bowl to know what the offense would have been like without AR. When Mullen was canned, he left his successor with zero developed quarterbacks, and since he didn't recruit, only one who could be counted upon for anything in the way of production. One more tiny bit of support for Napier, if you could call it that. Maybe it's just an excuse, but remember Jalen Kitna? I'd like to forget him, but he might have been a legit backup to AR, alleviating some of what you describe. But of course, Napier and every coach has to play the hand they're dealt and this kid dealt some real crap to himself and everyone around him. RG |
|
|
|
Post by Rock Gator on Feb 27, 2023 12:59:31 GMT -5
And there was another kid, don't remember his name, who sang the words to a rap song that included *the word* a white person should never utter. Gone, just like that.
|
|
|
|
Post by g8rfan on Feb 27, 2023 13:10:03 GMT -5
And there was another kid, don't remember his name, who sang the words to a rap song that included *the word* a white person should never utter. Gone, just like that. And then he signed with an HBCU. The irony. |
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Feb 28, 2023 0:48:59 GMT -5
Before I'm too hard on Napier, I take into account that he was simultaneously putting in a new offense and trying to develop the quarterback to run it (because his predecessor didn't bother). I can also understand a significant degree of caution in how much that he cut AR loose, because one only needs to look at the Las Vegas Bowl to know what the offense would have been like without AR. When Mullen was canned, he left his successor with zero developed quarterbacks, and since he didn't recruit, only one who could be counted upon for anything in the way of production. One more tiny bit of support for Napier, if you could call it that. Maybe it's just an excuse, but remember Jalen Kitna? I'd like to forget him, but he might have been a legit backup to AR, alleviating some of what you describe. But of course, Napier and every coach has to play the hand they're dealt and this kid dealt some real crap to himself and everyone around him. RG I hear you but if anything that’s a reason napier should have been more bold in his coaching and playcalling. Remember kitna was active all year while richardson was still on the team. He got in trouble before the bowl game. Unless the staff knew that there was trouble brewing which is a rabbit hole I’m not inclined to go down. And there was another kid, don't remember his name, who sang the words to a rap song that included *the word* a white person should never utter. Gone, just like that. True, but tiktok does strange things to young people. That said I think it’s fair to wonder if stokes scholarship would have been pulled quite so quickly had we not flipped rashada from Miami. I don’t remember the exact timing but it feels like those two things happened within a week of each other. Pretty sure we’d still have pulled the offer, especially since his stock had dropped based on his performance on the field prior to being cancelled for rapping. |
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Feb 28, 2023 13:33:50 GMT -5
www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq/ncaa-football-rankings/college-football-rankings-2023-nfl-combine-invitesThis is concerning. Our guys are not bottom of the barrel guys either. In addition to AR (1st round/possible top 10) and O'Cyrus (mid 1st-Early 2nd), I've seen mocks where everybody except Shorter goes in the first 4 rounds. We will have significantly less talent on the roster next year, so the coaching improvement needs to be even more significant than the talent attrition. Let's hope that Napier figures it out on offense, Austin Armstrong is on the rocket ship to the stars that Napier seems to believe, Graham Mertz makes a big leap in year 5, when they rerank our composite (transfers plus recruits) class in a couple years it goes from 13 to top 5, and maybe some of our bigguns that we seem to love round into fighting shape and step up against better competition like O'Cyrus did.
|
|
|
|
Post by bimigator on Feb 28, 2023 19:19:10 GMT -5
Thanks for the clarification @taps. I love AR and hope he does really well at the next level, but I'm sorry we won't get another shot with him next year.
|
|
|
|
Post by g8rfan on Feb 28, 2023 19:30:04 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by Mojave Gator on Feb 28, 2023 21:04:45 GMT -5
Came across this article about the state of the football and basketball programs at UF. Pretty good read. I was not aware that UF is the only D1 school with multiple titles in both sports. That’s kinda cool. To date, they are the only school to simultaneously hold the national title in football and men's basketball. What made it doubly sweet was beating Ohio State for both. A Florida alum living in Ohio bought a personalized plate that said "UF OWNS" above the Ohio State logo. Another referred to it as the University of Florida at Columbus. |
|
|
|
Post by tapsgator on Mar 1, 2023 13:00:30 GMT -5
The article is spot on as to where we are. I think the way that he expects a fanbase to react is unrealistic and counter-productive at best, and pretty damn delusional. This is not about being "spoiled," I cannot name one school that has ever won a national title in any major sport (throw baseball, softball, women's soccer, hockey, even gymnastics) where this performance and scenario would justify calls for patience, much less the only school in recent history that was a blue blood/contender in both sports within 5 years of each other, much less holding 3 of 4 money NCs simultaneously. I'll parse it out since my OCD is fully engaged: "At least, not since head coaches Steve Spurrier and Billy Donovan spoiled them so badly, they get antsy at the first sign of a possible program rebuild." Ummmmmmm, name me one contender in football or basketball where a 5 year stint of under-performing the program standard has been tolerated in the last 20 years. Me and Willie Taggart, Gene Chizik, Gus Malzahn, Brian Harsin, Matt Doherty, Will Muschamp (x2), Ed Orgeron, Lovie Smith, Herm Edwards, Lane Kiffin, Al Golden, Rick Barnes, Mark Helfrich, Mike Davis, Kelvin Sampson, Jim Tressel, Kevin Sumlin, Charlie Strong, Tom Herman and countless others will be waiting. We've been in the same wash cycle since Meyer and Donovan left, hire new coach, he says the program is "broken' and we need to rebuild, little success and then fall off a cliff, same guys who finally admit their mistake make a new mistake, that coach says the program is broken and we need to rebuild, and so on and so forth. We're knocking on the door of 15 years of the same shitty cycle. The answer is not more patience, it's accountability. It's not "spoiled" to get sick of same shit different day. This isn't Iowa State where every once in awhile they see their name in lights, put down their corn, and celebrate great victory. It's the University of Florida. Coaches and ADs are paid accordingly, so guess what? You have to perform up to the standard. We have not had a basketball or football coach do that in 14 years. "But until Napier and Golden can acquire more talent and establish a winning culture, the reality is the Gators are stuck being average for the moment." 1) We aren't average in either sport. We're bad right now. That would be okay if we were trending the right direction. That's patience. 2) Whose job is it to bring in talent and establish a winning culture? Silly me I thought that was part of the job. If they don't do that I guess fans should wait for the talent fairy to waive her wand and make us more better at sports? Because God forbid there's any accountability. "That’s not what athletic director Scott Stricklin, whose own job security will likely become an issue if Napier and Golden don’t pan out, expects from UF’s highest profile sports." Poor Scotty, I remember the days when a guy could get every hire wrong, have 2 sexual harassment scandals, have the most public NIL fuckup to date, and keep your job forever, you've got to give the guy some time. I mean he came from the hotbed of administrative and general efficiency that is Starkville Mississippi. If you can ring a cowbell you should be able to run a multimillion dollar corporation. "This isn’t the same football landscape as the 1990s or mid-2000s. Most years, it’s realistic to think the SEC will get three or four schools into a 12-team playoff, but Florida being one of them in the next decade is a crapshoot." Did you seriously just write that? A decade? A fucking decade? We really need to start focusing on the kids that are in second grade this year, if we get in there now our class of 2033 is going to be incredible. A decade. Jeebus take the wheel. |
|
