Florida Gators football season is upon us

By sportsfanwriter  |   Friday, September 11, 2009  |  Comments( 2 )

Florida Gators
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The 2009-2010 Florida Gator football season is upon us. Opening the page of any sports magazine or watching any college football prep show will present you with glowing reports of a Championship repeat for the Gators. These reports are filled with stories on Tim Tebow, Carlos Dunlap, or Brandon Spikes. These names are everywhere, but surely to be a repeat champion in the SEC-East division, then there must be more people vital to their success story. So, where are the untold stories?

With Florida, their recruiting for this season is not in an effort to rebuild but rather to reload it. A team cannot be rebuilding when most of the starters and backups have remained the same.

There are some clear gaps in the team this year. First, Percy Harvin, a 2008 starter, who played a hybrid position between receiver and running back was drafted to the NFL after the 2008-2009 season. While the stable of running backs are expected to be used and Janoris Jenkins coming over from the defensive side to add spice, what about Freshman Andre Debose? He does not have the size of Percy Harvin, but he is expected to be able to make plays with his speed. So, here is a freshman to watch for this season. Many believe that Coach Meyer would be well served to play him often because in addition to his speed he has shown talent to maneuver around his competitors at Seminole High School in Florida.

As for the 2009-2010 defensive season, there is some reloading that will occur within the defense as well. The linebacker position remains solid, though the suspension of Dustin Doe is cause for concern among some fans and followers. However, with up and coming freshmen like Jon Bostic, fears can be put to rest. If recent scouting and news reports are to be believed, then Bostic has already earned the respect of his coaches and fellow player. The Gators leader and quarterback, Tim Tebow, has acknowledged the talents of the incoming freshman class. And while Bostic may not be a starter, it is clear that he will get valuable playing time backing up some more experienced linebackers.

So, is every position so well stocked? No, just look to the tight ends. Aaron Hernandez is an outstanding athlete at the position, but there really has not been a player step up to be a strong back up. Enter Desmond Parks. This is the Gator's dark horse freshman. Because of Park's size and the team's need to relieve Hernandez, Parks will most likely see a fair amount of playing time this year. With Urban Meyer's record at recruiting and the Gator's habit of simply reloading, Parks could provide plenty of flash when he is in the game.

Of course, these are not the only freshman who may see playing time. So, while everyone else is watching for the Great Gator Repeat or who will replace Perscy, perhaps the real fun this year will be watching the new guys. Who will make a name for themselves this year, so that next year, all the big articles will be about them?


Heath Person is a sports writer for www.sportsfantreasures.com. He would like to invite you to check out their Florida Gators Merchandise and Florida Gators Gear online today!
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