Florida Gators

ESPN’s GatorNation is previewing each position leading up to the start of the season with a short video. Each Friday until the season kicks off, Michael DiRocco and Jeff Barlis will analyze a position group, tell you who is starting and why, and provide a breakdown of the depth at the position. This week it’s receivers/tight ends.

The starters: WR Andre Debose (RJr.), WR Frankie Hammond, Jr. (RSr.), WR Quinton Dunbar (RSo.), TE Jordan Reed (RJr.)

The backups: WR Latroy Pittman (Fr.), WR Solomon Patton (Jr.), WR Stephen Alli (RJr.), WR Raphael Andrades (Fr.), TE Clay Burton (RFr.), TE Kent Taylor (Fr.), TE Colin Thompson (Fr.), TE Tevin Westbrook (RFr.)

Comment: Hammond is UF’s most experienced receiver (41 catches). Debose has proven big-play ability (27.0 yards per catch and 4 TDs of at least 60 yards in 2011). But neither has been very consistent. Dunbar had a solid spring. The star of the spring, though, was Pittman, an early enrollee who was easily the most impressive receiver. He’ll get the start on opening day if he continues to progress. A.C. Leonard was Florida's most talented tight end but transferred after an arrest and suspension. Reed is still working through the transition from quarterback. Taylor is intriguing because he’s not an inline tight end and could be used as a wide receiver if needed.

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Former ESPN 150 wide receiver Ja'Juan Story will transfer to TCU immediately according to Brooksville (Fla.) Nature Coast assistant coach Rob Kazmier said.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound receiver was at the school on a visit and posted his intentions on his Facebook page.

"I've been getting blown up all morning about it and I finally got a hold of Ja'Juan and he said it was happening," Kazmier said. "I talked to him on late Thursday too and he said he was having a great time there. It's going to be a good situation because Jaime Byrd is there and they grew up together."

Kazmier said that Story never felt comfortable with the offense at Florida. When he committed to the program, Urban Meyer was head coach. During the offseason, Meyer resigned from his position and head coach Will Muschamp came in with then-offensive coordinator Charlie Weis in late December. Weis left Florida after the 2011 season to take the head coaching job at Kansas.

"When Ja'Juan committed there, Coach Meyer knew he was going to be a project and he was excited to work with him," Kazmier said. "But the offense changed when coach Weis came in and things just never worked out.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida has lost a pair of reserve defensive linemen to knee injuries this week, and at least one is definitely out for the season.

UF coach Will Muschamp said Friday that senior defensive tackle Nick Alajajian suffered a fractured right knee and will miss the 2012 season and redshirt junior defensive end Kedric Johnson suffered a dislocated left knee and will miss a significant period of time. Both players were involved in special teams and haven't made any impact on defense, but losing those two does hurt the Gators in terms of veteran depth.

Alajajian (6-foot-4, 285 pounds) was a reserve offensive lineman for his first three seasons but was moved to defensive tackle in the spring. Johnson has just nine tackles and one sack in 25 career games.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Redshirt freshman wide receiver Ja'Juan Story is transferring, Florida announced Friday morning.

The 6-foot-3, 206-pounder was a four-star recruit and the No. 6 receiver in ESPN's rankings when he signed with the Gators in 2011 out of Brooksville, Fla./Nature Coast Technical. He never saw the field and told UF coach Will Muschamp on Thursday afternoon that he wanted to leave the program.

"I had a great experience here and met a bunch of great people," Story said. "It is a great football program with great players and coaches. It just wasn't the right fit for me."

Story played quarterback and receiver in high school and struggled with the transition of becoming a full-time receiver.

ESPN’s GatorNation brings you the 30 things you need to know about Florida’s upcoming 2012 season. For 30 weekdays we’ll preview games, talk about trends, spotlight players and positions, and give you pretty much everything you need to know to be ready for the season before the Sept. 1 opener against Bowling Green.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida is one of only five SEC programs to make the top 25 in ESPN’s team recruiting rankings in each of the past five seasons.

In fact, the Gators finished in the top five in four of those five years. But somehow that hasn’t translated to consistent on-field success.

Florida lost just two games combined in 2008 and 2009, but very few of the members of those signing classes contributed significantly -- which shows how good UF’s roster was in those two seasons. Since then, however, the Gators are a combined 15-11, and while some of those highly touted signees have turned into very good players, UF has slipped from its spot among the national elite.

But things are looking brighter entering 2012. The core of this year’s team is comprised of members of the 2009 and 2010 classes, and several members of the 2011 class appear to be ready to become significant contributors or are on the verge of being elite players.

Here’s a look at those signing classes (see chart below):

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida's first scrimmage will be business as usual for the defense, but things are going to be a lot different for the offense.

UF's defensive staff will handle the scrimmage as if it's game day, with most of the staff up in the Florida Field press box. The offensive staff, however, will be on the field because of injuries and unfamiliarity with the new offense and new coaches Brent Pease and Tim Davis.

"Offensively we're still working through some things, so obviously they'll be involved as far as getting some guys aligned in some situations, make sure the huddle procedure is right, the quarterbacks are managing the huddle and managing our football team," Muschamp said. "I told Brent this morning, if you gotta get out there and get 'em lined up, let's just get a functional play off, let's not be uncertain about where we are, where we're lining up and what we're doing."

The Gators will be without three receivers because of injury -- Stephen Alli (groin), Solomon Patton (groin) and Ja'Juan Story (ankle) -- and the players have had only six practices in Pease's offense. Muschamp said the plan is to have most of the offensive staff in the press box for next Saturday's scrimmage.

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