Chat highlights: Top questions and answers
Here are some highlights. You can also check out the complete transcript here.
secrocks2000: Who has been the biggest surprise of the spring so far in all three of your guys' opinions?
Tyson: I think the emergence of Latroy Pittman has been the most surprising thing thus far to me. Not a whole lot was expected out of him, but now it sounds like he could have a big impact next year.
DiRocco: I think that speaks to not only how impressive Pittman has been this spring, but also to how unimpressive the receivers have been as a group. Muschamp said Pittman is blowing by guys on the depth chart.
Barlis: One of the biggest surprises of the spring (certainly in the two open practices we did see) had to be true freshman early enrollee Latroy Pittman, who could be earning playing time at wide receiver this fall. Florida is thin at that position, and he stands out with his physical style.
PensacolaGator96: Who are going after the hardest (i.e. want the most) at QB for the 2013 class?
Tyson: Honestly I don't think the UF coaches even know that. They want to bring a bunch of guys in to compete at camp and start narrowing down options after that. Cooper Bateman is high on the list. He will be visiting UF on Thursday and leaving on Friday. Connor Mitch will be here with his dad this weekend. Kohl Stewart and Cody Thomas are other solid options.
GN: What number will you wear next season?
Mann: When I went down there for my official visit, they gave me my old high school number -- 55. But I want a single digit number at Florida. A lot of them are taken, so maybe a number like 11 or 12.
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Tre' Bell set to be at Florida's spring game 
"These two are unbelievable offers," Bell wrote in a text message.
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound junior sits at 19 offers with programs such as Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame and Wisconsin among them.
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UF offers OL Tyrone Crowder, will get visit
“Miami offered me,” Crowder said. “That was the latest one and it was very surprising to me. I hadn’t been in the contact with them. They were one of the teams I grew up liking. But I have to admit I don’t know too much about them. I would like to visit and get down there for sure.”
Florida and Wake Forest have also offered the offensive line prospect over the past few weeks. The 6-foot-2, 310-pound guard said he also has offers from teams like Florida State, Georgia, Maryland, Duke, NC State, North Carolina, Clemson, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee and Auburn.
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RB Ryan Green to visit UF on Saturday
On Notre Dame: “It’s an up-and-coming program. They have a great coaching staff, great facilities. It’s a great place to be, and it’s a fantastic school. I just feel like that could be a good fit for me because I go to a school similar to that right now.”
On Florida State: “I’ve always been a huge fan of Florida State since I was a child growing up because my sister and my aunt went there, and I just love the tradition they have as a football team. I like the staff as well.”
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Last summer, Brandon Kublanow (Marietta, Ga./Walton) mentioned the University of Georgia as a dream school, discussing the strong likelihood of playing for the Bulldogs if they were to offer. Although Georgia did offer in October, 10 other programs have, clouding what Kublanow thought might be an easy decision. As he continues to evaluate each program, Georgia took the opportunity to host one of the most dominating interior linemen in the Southeast over the weekend.
Kublanow spent two days in Athens, and the focus of this trip was getting to know what life would be like as an offensive lineman at Georgia.
"My favorite part was just getting to hang out with the guys, and getting to see more of the campus like ECV (East Campus Village)," Kublanow said. "It was a lot of fun and I had a great time. I got to hang out with the guys on the offensive line, Hunter Long, Watts Dantzler, Nathan Theus and David Andrews so that was different. They are all pretty funny.
"I learned from them that it is a great experience, it is something that you will always have, and that there is nothing else like playing at UGA."
For Kublanow, playing for Georgia would mean playing under offensive line coach Will Friend. With a thin depth chart, Friend could have an easy sell on his hands. But Kublanow, known as an aggressive, mauling style of play, says the pitch is unneeded.
"I like Coach Friend a lot and we have a great relationship," Kublanow said. "We watched a lot of film and talked about where I would fit in and just got to hang out. He sees me playing center and as the next Ben Jones. They really only have one true center in David Andrews, but I am not looking for a school that is going to tell me I can start right away, because that is something I can work for by myself and earn by myself."
Kublanow mentioned Florida and Vanderbilt as two programs that have mentioned coming in and playing immediately, and he also has a couple other trips coming up.
"I am going to see UNC next weekend, and possibly Clemson and South Carolina, but I am going to trim it down to a top four or five after that," Kublanow said. "I know my mom really likes some schools, so we will go over things and cut it down."
Whether or not Georgia makes the cut, Kublanow says future trips to Athens are not needed at this point.
"I still really like Georgia and it is a good program that is only going up from here,” Kublanow said. “I do not really need to go back up there because they have answered every question for me."
Other programs trying to sneak in with an offer and make the cut might be out of luck.
"I normally just let Coach (Rocky) Hidalgo deal with schools, because at this point he will tell the schools that it is pretty much just too late," Kublanow said.
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Though McNeil remains wide open, he says the Florida offer will put the Gators in his list of top schools when he narrows things down.
"Coach [D.J.] Durkin was in contact with me earlier in the year," McNeil said. "Then they lost contact, but now I'm talking with them again, and they offered like a week ago or so. I haven't had a chance to look much at Florida like as far as their depth chart and things like that yet, but when I start to narrow things down I know they would be in my top 10."
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There are freshmen newcomers, junior college transfers and regular transfers. Regardless, they all come in with the expectations of playing immediately. JUCO standouts and transfers maybe more so than rookies, but the days of automatically redshirting true freshmen are over. Like, dead.
Last year, the SEC saw a few newcomers make immediate impacts. A great example is Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones, who transferred from USC back in 2010, but didn't play until last fall. All he did was lead the SEC in sacks and tackles for loss. There was Arkansas linebacker Alonzo Highsmith, who came from the JUCO ranks to be one of the Hogs' most productive linebackers.
Freshman Isaiah Crowell had an up-and-down season, but was sixth in the SEC rushing, and was named the SEC's freshman of the year. His classmate, wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell, wasn't too bad, either. You also can't forget about South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who was seventh in the SEC with eight sacks.
So, as spring practice begins to wind down around the conference, we're taking a look at five newcomers to keep an eye on in 2012. Some are on campuses, some aren't. Some are obvious choices, and you could be surprised by a couple. Top newcomers can be top league players, or players who will make big impacts on their teams at a position of need.
Starting QB may not be named until fall
Icon SMI, Getty ImagesFlorida may not name a starting QB between Jeff Driskel, left, and Jacoby Brissett until the week of the first game."Not much separation," Muschamp said. "[It] is becoming more and more evident every day that they’re both guys we can win with. Bottom line. That’s good for us. But both guys are competing at a high level in my opinion and they both have done outstanding things throughout spring. I’m very pleased with their progress, as much as anything, just managing our football team and getting in and out of the huddle and taking a command of the offense. And both of them are working extremely hard off the field. They’re always in the building watching film and doing things they’ve got to do to be successful."
Muschamp said both quarterbacks have done a good job with what he calls procedural issues, which is getting the team in and out of the huddle, shifting formations, getting the correct guys in motion, and recognizing that a called play won’t work against a certain formation and checking into one that will. Muschamp said they’ve also done a good job with the downfield passing game, each having hit some long touchdown passes throughout the spring and in scrimmages.
The biggest stage, however, will be Saturday at 1 p.m. If one plays well and the other does not, though, that doesn’t mean that the starting job will be decided. People shouldn’t place too much emphasis on one performance. It’s a game-like atmosphere, so it carries a little bit of weight, but Muschamp said he’s going weigh the 14 previous practices just as much.
GN: What number will you wear next season?
Poole: Next year I'll be wearing number 24. I know Josh Evans had 24 last year, but he switched to 9, so I will be able to get my old high school number.
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DE Antonio Riles takes in Georgia practice
ATHENS, Ga. -- Defensive end Antonio Riles is one of the first big stars to come out of Archer High School, a relatively new school in Lawrenceville, Ga. Riles has picked up offers from seven top programs including Georgia, Florida and Tennessee. Recently he was in Athens to check out the Bulldogs.
“I spoke with the coaches during their practice and after,” Riles said. “We got to talk on multiple occasions. I met with Coach [Mark] Richt, Coach [Rodney] Garner and my recruiting coordinator Coach [Bryan] McClendon. They said they were glad that I came up and want me to be up here as much as I can to see if I like it or not. They were recruiting me pretty hard.”
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Leonard status for spring game in question
Leonard, who practiced with the team on Monday, had been suspended since his Feb. 15 arrest on misdemeanor battery charges stemming from an altercation with his girlfriend at their Gainesville apartment.
"After six weeks of being suspended from our football team, I felt like he's done the things I've asked him to do from a standpoint of the measure that I took with him to this point," Muschamp said. "I've allowed him to practice only -- only. No decision on the fall has been made, no decision on playing has been made. He still has an awful lot of things to do in order to play for our football team.
"He's very remorseful about what happened. He made a mistake. But all he has been cleared to do is practice. I have not determined what I'm going to do with him for the spring game yet."
As a freshman Leonard totaled 99 yards on nine receptions in 2011.
Garcia would redshirt next season and be eligible to play for two years starting in 2013. He is visiting a number of schools to decide where he wants to continue his collegiate career. Garcia has already visited Ole Miss and recently visited Athens to take in a Georgia practice.
Garcia played his prep football at Norcross (Ga.) High School before enrolling at Maryland, and Georgia coaches have offered a logical landing spot for the 6-foot-4, 290-pound lineman. While in Athens, Garcia spoke with coach Mark Richt who tried to sell him on the Bulldogs.
“One thing that still remains with me until this day that Coach Richt said was that there's nothing more exciting and beneficial to playing for your state university,” Garcia said. “To hear of a local guy going to their state university really brings something out in the community and just keeps a great relationship between the university and high school which I love with a passion. I take a lot of pride from where I come from.”
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- Wide receiver Carlos Burse (Alpharetta, Ga/Alpharetta) is going to Mississippi State tomorrow then Florida for its spring game April 7.
- Offensive lineman Josh Cardiello (Buford, Ga./Buford) is visiting FSU tomorrow and Florida next weekend.
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College Football 411: Spring position battles
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.