Omarius Hines didn’t know how to answer. Or didn’t want to. Or, well …
Q: Do you agree with me that you guys didn’t have that go-to receiver last year?A: I don’t know. I can’t speak about last year. Last year was the past, and we’re just moving forward.
Q: It’s not like you have a completely erased memory …A: Yeah. I don’t know.
Q: You’re not allowed to answer …A: Yeah.
If Hines had answered, he could have said many things. He could have said the Gators didn’t have a leader at the position, their 88th-ranked passing offense was direct evidence. He could have pointed to Deonte Thompson, who was a hot name during fall camp this time last year and who led the team in catches and receiving yards in 2010.
But Hines didn’t answer the question. He did, however, admit the team needs someone to step up and become the team’s No. 1 option.
Frankie Hammond Jr. added that this is the first time in his four seasons that the team didn’t head into a camp with a defined leader.
“The fact that there isn’t a go-to guy makes it that much more competitive,” he said.
“That’s going to make everybody elevate their game a little bit higher.
There’s less room for error. If I drop a pass, then somebody else moves in front of me.”
Hammond added that while the team felt Percy Harvin and Riley Cooper would be their leaders in preseasons past, those guys still had to prove themselves in camp; so while the No. 1 option remains a mystery, there is still plenty of time.
Q: Who is the go-to receiver?A: It’s pretty much all of us. Right now, it’s up in the air.
THE GO-TO GUYHow UF’s Best Receivers Affect the Offense
2008: Percy Harvin
40 catches, 644 yards, 7 TD’s
Passing Offense (SEC Rank): 213.9 yds./game (5)*
2009: Riley Cooper
51 catches, 961 yards, 9 TD’s
Passing Offense (SEC Rank): 236.1 yds./game (2)*
2010: Deonte Thompson
38 catches, 570 yards, 1 TD
Passing Offense (SEC Rank): 184.3 yds./game (10)*
Battling for the ball:
Stephen Alli, So.
Robert Clark, So.
Andre Debose, So.
Quinton Dunbar, R-Fr.
Frankie Hammond Jr., Jr.
Omarius Hines, Jr.
Solomon Patton, So.
Ja’Juan Story, Fr.
Deonte Thompson, R-Sr.
*Source: cfbstats.com
