Jim McElwain had little of importance to say following Florida’s first day of Spring practice, but he still said plenty when reporters asked him questions on Tuesday.
He started by remarking that the practice was competitive, and that players showed progress from last season to this season. He added that the team “attacked it” and “helped each other get better.”
Then he addressed the area everyone was sure to ask about: quarterbacks.
He said all three signal callers — redshirt freshmen Feleipe Franks and Kyle Trask and true freshman Kadarius Toney — played well for the most part and took “a bunch of reps,” though he wasn’t entirely positive.
“(They) threw it to our guys most of the time,” he said. “Occasionally threw it to the other guys.”
Overall, though, McElwain said he was impressed, noting that he could tell Trask and Franks put in work in the offseason.
He also talked about improvement along the offensive line, saying the unit played with quickness. He didn’t sound concerned when asked about junior Martez Ivey moving from guard to left tackle, saying that he was more worried about developing depth at guard.
“The thing we gotta do is really solidify a couple of those inside spots,” he said. “Brett Heggie had a good day today and Nick Buchanan, I’m proud of him. He played hard in there too.”
Jeremiah Moon didn’t get a flu shot
If you haven’t heard of Jeremiah Moon, it’s because he barely played last season. The then-freshman linebacker was sidelined early with a thumb injury and never came back.
He was supposed to return Tuesday but was out with a “sickness.”
McElwain didn’t elaborate on what he was sick with specifically, but he did give a strong hint.
“He was one guy who didn’t take his flu shot … So there’s the lesson,” he said. “The lesson to be learned.”
The Gators were also missing offensive lineman Kavaris Harkless and wideout Rick Wells, who both “had a leg.”
Josh Hammond loves hot sauce
Hammond, a sophomore wideout, said he keeps a bottle of Crystal in his locker for his favorite food: chicken wings. But in addition to talking about food, he also talked about his position group, which is severely depleted to start the Spring.
In addition to Hammond, the only other healthy receivers on Tuesday were Tyrie Cleveland, Antonio Callaway and Brandon Powell. Dre Massey, who missed the 2016 season with a torn ACL, was also available in non-contact drills.
Despite the low numbers, McElwain was still impressed with what the group was able to do.
“There’s some guys out there that, you know, we were pressing the field pretty good and they were getting up the field,” he said. “That’s good to see.”
“We’ve got Florida speed.”
Contact Ethan Bauer at ebauer@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @ebaueri.
Coach Jim McElwain speaks during a press conference on Aug. 3.
