During the summer, GatorNation will analyze each of the scholarship players on the Florida roster -- excluding the Gators’ 2013 recruiting class -- in our Gator Breakdown series. Starting with No. 1 Quinton Dunbar, we will go through the roster numerically, finishing with No. 97 Brad Phillips.
No. 17 Skyler Mornhinweg
Redshirt freshman quarterback
Expectations for 2013: Mornhinweg’s situation is similar to that of Tyler Murphy: Nobody wants to see him on the field except for the final minutes of a blowout. Any other playing time would mean that starter Jeff Driskel and Murphy are hurt. The 6-foot-2, 208-pound Mornhinweg and Murphy battled in the spring to be the No. 2 quarterback and while both struggled, Murphy earned a slight edge heading into August practices.
Best-case scenario in 2013: Mornhinweg isn’t as mobile as Murphy and doesn’t have a very strong arm, but he is a coach’s son and has a good football IQ. He’s just not as consistent as he needs to be. Solve that and he can overtake Murphy to be Driskel’s top backup.
Worst-case scenario in 2013: Driskel has missed a game in each of his first two seasons because of ankle injuries and his style of play puts him at higher risk of sustaining another injury. A long-term injury to Driskel would be devastating to the offense. Neither Murphy nor Mornhinweg is starter material.
Future impact: Every program has a player like Mornhinweg. He’s never going to see the field – except in a real emergency – but he’s intelligent, stays out of trouble, is good in the locker room and meeting room, and is willing to help younger players.
No. 17 Skyler Mornhinweg
Redshirt freshman quarterback
Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY SportsSkyler Mornhinweg will likely be the Gators' No. 3 quarterback in 2013.
Best-case scenario in 2013: Mornhinweg isn’t as mobile as Murphy and doesn’t have a very strong arm, but he is a coach’s son and has a good football IQ. He’s just not as consistent as he needs to be. Solve that and he can overtake Murphy to be Driskel’s top backup.
Worst-case scenario in 2013: Driskel has missed a game in each of his first two seasons because of ankle injuries and his style of play puts him at higher risk of sustaining another injury. A long-term injury to Driskel would be devastating to the offense. Neither Murphy nor Mornhinweg is starter material.
Future impact: Every program has a player like Mornhinweg. He’s never going to see the field – except in a real emergency – but he’s intelligent, stays out of trouble, is good in the locker room and meeting room, and is willing to help younger players.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Like many a northerner, Thomas Holley is soaking up some sun on a summer visit to the state of Florida.
But there aren't any beaches on Holley's itinerary. No, this is a fact-finding mission for the ESPN 150 prospect from Brooklyn (N.Y.) Lincoln.
Holley visited Florida State on Wednesday, Florida on Thursday and plans to be on Miami's campus on Friday.
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound defensive tackle, rated No. 8 in the nation at his position, found the first two stops to be a lot alike.
But there aren't any beaches on Holley's itinerary. No, this is a fact-finding mission for the ESPN 150 prospect from Brooklyn (N.Y.) Lincoln.
Holley visited Florida State on Wednesday, Florida on Thursday and plans to be on Miami's campus on Friday.
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound defensive tackle, rated No. 8 in the nation at his position, found the first two stops to be a lot alike.
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During the summer, GatorNation will analyze each of the scholarship players on the Florida roster -- excluding the Gators’ 2013 recruiting class -- in our Gator Breakdown series. Starting with No. 1 Quinton Dunbar, we will go through the roster numerically, finishing with No. 97 Brad Phillips.
No. 16 Austin Hardin
Redshirt freshman kicker
No. 16 Austin Hardin
Redshirt freshman kicker
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During the summer, GatorNation will analyze each of the scholarship players on the Florida roster -- excluding the Gators’ 2013 recruiting class -- in our Gator Breakdown series. Starting with No. 1 Quinton Dunbar, we will go through the roster numerically, finishing with No. 97 Brad Phillips.
No. 15 Loucheiz Purifoy
Junior cornerback/wide receiver
No. 15 Loucheiz Purifoy
Junior cornerback/wide receiver
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Top-rated defensive end Da'Shawn Hand (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge) has kept his recruitment under control and organized. He had narrowed his list down to five schools but has since shaken up that group and trimmed his list to three.
Alabama, Florida and Michigan, listed in alphabetical order, make up the final schools he will consider. The No. 4 player in the ESPN 150 said these are the final three, with two more still having an outside shot.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- After landing a commitment from defensive end Taven Bryan (Casper, Wyo./Natrona) on Monday night, the second pledge during Florida's camp, the Tuesday camp sessions were relatively uneventful.
The group of attendees was headlined by 2015 quarterback prospect Tyler Queen (Kennessaw, Ga./North Cobb). The 6-foot-2, 237-pound signal-caller was hoping to earn an offer from the Gators with an impressive performance.
The group of attendees was headlined by 2015 quarterback prospect Tyler Queen (Kennessaw, Ga./North Cobb). The 6-foot-2, 237-pound signal-caller was hoping to earn an offer from the Gators with an impressive performance.
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What’s the 2013 schedule look like for Will Muschamp and the Gators?:
Nonconference opponents (2012 records)
Aug. 31: Toledo (9-4)
Sept. 7: at Miami, Fla. (7-5)
Nov. 23: Georgia Southern (10-4)
Nov. 30: Florida State (12-2)
SEC home games
Sept. 21: Tennessee
Oct. 5: Arkansas
Nov. 2: Georgia, in Jacksonville
Nov. 9: Vanderbilt
SEC road games
Sept. 28: at Kentucky
Oct. 12: at LSU
Oct. 19: at Missouri
Nov. 16: at South Carolina
Gut-check time: It’s the date that jumps out there for all Florida players, coaches and fans -- Nov. 2. The annual showdown with Georgia in Jacksonville might as well be circled in blood this season. Georgia has won the past two in the series, and that’s after Florida dominated this rivalry for much of the past two decades. The Gators had won 18 of 21 prior to losing the past two. Florida also hasn’t played in the SEC championship game since 2009, and losing a third straight to Georgia would make getting back to Atlanta a long shot.
Trap game: It sounds like this could be the last time Florida and Miami play in the regular season for a long time. So when the Gators visit South Florida on Sept. 7, the Hurricanes will be fully aware of the stakes.
Snoozer: The Gators’ nonconference schedule is nothing to sneeze at in 2013. And while Georgia Southern’s option offense isn’t much fun to defend, the Gators should have more than enough firepower to send their FCS visitors packing on Nov. 23 in the Swamp.
Telltale stretch: The tail end of the SEC slate will put the Gators to the test. It’s a stretch that starts with the Georgia game in Jacksonville on Nov. 2, and then the Gators come back home to face Vanderbilt on Nov. 9 before hitting the road for their SEC finale against South Carolina on Nov. 16. Getting through that three-game swing unscathed would be a chore for any team in the country.
Final analysis: It helps that Florida doesn’t have to go to Texas A&M this season. Instead, the Gators get Arkansas at home. The nonconference slate features four teams that had winning records last season, and Florida is one of three SEC teams in 2013 that will face two nonconference opponents from BCS conferences. It’s going to be critical that the Gators play well away from home. After taking on Arkansas at home on Oct. 5, they will play just one more game in the Swamp until returning home on Nov. 23 to face Georgia Southern. It’s never easy when your toughest three SEC games are all away from home, and that’s exactly what the Gators face in 2013. They get LSU in Baton Rouge, Georgia in Jacksonville and South Carolina in Columbia.
Nonconference opponents (2012 records)
Aug. 31: Toledo (9-4)
Sept. 7: at Miami, Fla. (7-5)
Nov. 23: Georgia Southern (10-4)
Nov. 30: Florida State (12-2)
SEC home games
Sept. 21: Tennessee
Oct. 5: Arkansas
Nov. 2: Georgia, in Jacksonville
Nov. 9: Vanderbilt
SEC road games
Sept. 28: at Kentucky
Oct. 12: at LSU
Oct. 19: at Missouri
Nov. 16: at South Carolina
Gut-check time: It’s the date that jumps out there for all Florida players, coaches and fans -- Nov. 2. The annual showdown with Georgia in Jacksonville might as well be circled in blood this season. Georgia has won the past two in the series, and that’s after Florida dominated this rivalry for much of the past two decades. The Gators had won 18 of 21 prior to losing the past two. Florida also hasn’t played in the SEC championship game since 2009, and losing a third straight to Georgia would make getting back to Atlanta a long shot.
Trap game: It sounds like this could be the last time Florida and Miami play in the regular season for a long time. So when the Gators visit South Florida on Sept. 7, the Hurricanes will be fully aware of the stakes.
Snoozer: The Gators’ nonconference schedule is nothing to sneeze at in 2013. And while Georgia Southern’s option offense isn’t much fun to defend, the Gators should have more than enough firepower to send their FCS visitors packing on Nov. 23 in the Swamp.
Telltale stretch: The tail end of the SEC slate will put the Gators to the test. It’s a stretch that starts with the Georgia game in Jacksonville on Nov. 2, and then the Gators come back home to face Vanderbilt on Nov. 9 before hitting the road for their SEC finale against South Carolina on Nov. 16. Getting through that three-game swing unscathed would be a chore for any team in the country.
Final analysis: It helps that Florida doesn’t have to go to Texas A&M this season. Instead, the Gators get Arkansas at home. The nonconference slate features four teams that had winning records last season, and Florida is one of three SEC teams in 2013 that will face two nonconference opponents from BCS conferences. It’s going to be critical that the Gators play well away from home. After taking on Arkansas at home on Oct. 5, they will play just one more game in the Swamp until returning home on Nov. 23 to face Georgia Southern. It’s never easy when your toughest three SEC games are all away from home, and that’s exactly what the Gators face in 2013. They get LSU in Baton Rouge, Georgia in Jacksonville and South Carolina in Columbia.
Editor's note: This is excerpted from this week's Starting 5 column. Click here to read the rest of Dave Telep's weekly basketball recruiting column. 
If you recall, last year Julius Randle went out of his way to say how much he enjoyed playing U18 USA Basketball for Billy Donovan, the team's head coach. The pair won a FIBA Americas championship together and helped Team USA qualify for this year's U19 world championship.
Well, this year Donovan returns to coach the U19 team along with VCU's Shaka Smart and Virginia's Tony Bennett. Like Randle last year when he was the only recruitable player on the roster, rising seniors Justise Winslow and Jahlil Okafor are set to try out for the squad.
If you recall, last year Julius Randle went out of his way to say how much he enjoyed playing U18 USA Basketball for Billy Donovan, the team's head coach. The pair won a FIBA Americas championship together and helped Team USA qualify for this year's U19 world championship.
Well, this year Donovan returns to coach the U19 team along with VCU's Shaka Smart and Virginia's Tony Bennett. Like Randle last year when he was the only recruitable player on the roster, rising seniors Justise Winslow and Jahlil Okafor are set to try out for the squad.
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Four schools are standing out to four-star defensive tackle Daniel Cage (Cincinnati/Winton Woods), and he hopes to visit all four this summer.
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During the summer, GatorNation will analyze each of the scholarship players on the Florida roster -- excluding the Gators’ 2013 recruiting class -- in our Gator Breakdown series. Starting with No. 1 Quinton Dunbar, we will go through the roster numerically, finishing with No. 97 Brad Phillips.
No. 14 Jaylen Watkins
Senior cornerback/safety
No. 14 Jaylen Watkins
Senior cornerback/safety
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Gators picked up their second commitment of the Will Muschamp football camp on Monday night as defensive end Taven Bryan (Casper, Wyo./Natrona Co.) gave his verbal commitment to Florida.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound athlete, camped at Florida on Saturday and decided to make his decision late Monday night. Bryan announced his decision in a Facebook status update and changed his cover photo to a picture of the Florida logo.
"I have committed to play for the Florida Gators. Go Gators!!!!!," he wrote.
Bryan later confirmed his decision with GatorNation via text message.
Bryan, who as a junior was selected first team all-state as an offensive tackle and second team all-state as a defensive end, also held offers from California, Nebraska, Colorado, Oregon and Tennessee.
For Florida, the Gators now stand at 10 commitments including four in the ESPN 150. Bryan is the first defensive end and only the third defensive commit for the Gators.
Four-star athlete J.C. Jackson (Immokalee, Fla./Immokalee) attended camp with Bryan on Saturday and made his pledge to Florida the same day. The Gators currently have the No. 10-ranked class in the country.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound athlete, camped at Florida on Saturday and decided to make his decision late Monday night. Bryan announced his decision in a Facebook status update and changed his cover photo to a picture of the Florida logo.
"I have committed to play for the Florida Gators. Go Gators!!!!!," he wrote.
Bryan later confirmed his decision with GatorNation via text message.
Bryan, who as a junior was selected first team all-state as an offensive tackle and second team all-state as a defensive end, also held offers from California, Nebraska, Colorado, Oregon and Tennessee.
For Florida, the Gators now stand at 10 commitments including four in the ESPN 150. Bryan is the first defensive end and only the third defensive commit for the Gators.
Four-star athlete J.C. Jackson (Immokalee, Fla./Immokalee) attended camp with Bryan on Saturday and made his pledge to Florida the same day. The Gators currently have the No. 10-ranked class in the country.
During the summer, GatorNation will analyze each of the scholarship players on the Florida roster -- excluding the Gators’ 2013 recruiting class -- in our Gator Breakdown series. Starting with No. 1 Quinton Dunbar, we will go through the roster numerically, finishing with No. 97 Brad Phillips.
No. 13 Latroy Pittman
Sophomore wide receiver
No. 13 Latroy Pittman
Sophomore wide receiver
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Florida Gators brought in a host of prospects over the weekend for the annual Will Muschamp football camp. The Gators received good news on Day 1 as ESPN 150 athlete J.C. Jackson (Immokalee, Fla./Immokalee) pledged to play for the Gators. In addition to the Jackson news there were several other updates over the weekend.
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The newest Gator, athlete J.C. Jackson, has the potential to contribute immediately in the secondary, which will help a defense that lost quite a few players to the NFL in 2013.
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ABOUT GATOR NATION
Michael DiRocco
Michael DiRocco came to ESPN.com in 2011 after spending 10 and a half years covering UF for the Florida Times-Union. He lives in Middleburg, Fla., with his wife and two sons. Email him at espndirocco@gmail.com.
Derek Tyson
Derek Tyson joined ESPN.com in 2011. He worked as a football and recruiting analyst for GatorCountry.com before joining ESPN. He currently resides in Gainesville, Fla. Email him at derektysonespn@gmail.com.