Florida Gators

Editor’s note: Each day between now and Florida’s Allstate Sugar Bowl date with Louisville, GatorNation will review the season for a key Gators player and attempt to project what’s next. Today we’ll look at TE Jordan Reed.

TE Jordan Reed
Redshirt junior
44 catches, 552 yards, 3 TDs

Role in 2012: Reed was Florida’s only consistent playmaker in the passing game. He led the Gators in receptions and receiving yards in just his second full season as a tight end.

The good: Reed’s size (6-foot-3, 239 pounds), speed and athleticism made him a matchup nightmare for defenses: too big for a defensive back to handle and too fast for a linebacker to cover. He was a first-down machine, too. Half of his catches went for first downs, by far the most of any player. He has gotten better as a blocker, which was the thing he struggled with the most during his transition from quarterback.

The bad: It got better toward the end of the season, but Reed has a tendency to jump whenever he makes a catch -- regardless of where the ball is thrown. Several times he jumped too early and either missed the ball or was forced to make a tougher catch because of his body position. He also needs to be more physical as a runner instead of always trying to leap over tacklers. He’s still learning the position.

Crystal ball: Reed is roughly the same size as Aaron Hernandez and could end up having a similar career in the NFL. It’d be interesting to see the kind of numbers he could put up at Florida if the Gators were able to find any kind of outside threat. Hernandez caught 68 passes his final season at Florida, and Reed could have similar success. He really needs another year to continue to develop, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he left early for the NFL.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- We've had the Tebow edition and the Coaching Carousel edition and now we've got a little bit of both. Let's see what ESPN.com has to offer Gator fans today.

The perfect coach ...
Gene Wojciechowski says it must be hiring season in college football because athletic directors are acting over the top in their coaching hires. Gator fans will recognize the fawning over Urban Meyer and Charlie Weis, and perhaps notice the absence of any love for Will Muschamp. A 6-6 record in your first season can have a tendency to rip some of the luster off a shiny, new hire.

Weigh in on Weis
We've got an outlet for Florida fans wanting to vent some frustration over this season's offense -- a SportsNation poll. Check out some of the comments already posted and throw in your own two cents.

College hoops No. 1s
Can you name all 14 schools that were ranked No. 1 in men's college basketball at some point in the past five seasons? You get two minutes and no hints about Florida.

DAILY TEBOW
Not sure how I missed this one on Saturday, but it's strong enough to lead the list of your daily reading on Tim Tebow ...

Noah supports fellow Gator Tebow
Joakim Noah certainly can relate to being hated for a variety of reasons, one of which has got to be because of success.

The improbability of Tebow's streak
Stats & Info: Tebow’s effect on Denver’s six-game win streak is debatable and incalculable, but the sheer improbability of the Broncos’ tear with Tebow is not.

Here are a few videos from our city sites, ESPNBoston, ESPNChicago and ESPNDallas ...

Hernandez Weighs In On Argument
Aaron Hernandez joins the Patriots.com Postgame Show to discuss Tom Brady's sideline argument with Bill O'Brien and to praise former teammate Tim Tebow.

Brady-Tebow Matchup Looms
Tom Brady and Tim Tebow are set to meet Sunday afternoon when the Denver Broncos host the New England Patriots.

Bears Trying to Keep Heads Up
Brian Urlacher, Julius Peppers, and Lance Briggs say the loss to the Broncos hurts.

Griffin III Following Tebow's Footsteps
Robert Griffin III goes on The Herd to talk about the Tim Tebow comparisons, winning the Heisman, and his NFL Draft prospects.

RECRUITING
Five-star DE Spence stays humble (Insider story)
Dave Hooker brings you tremendous insight on one of Florida's top targets, a pass-rushing specialist from Pennsylvania. Will Muschamp can't be happy that Urban Meyer has joined the fray.

New baseball draft rules could impact prep prospects
Jason A. Churchill drops some knowledge on how the MLB's new rules could mean more prospects going the college route. That's good news for Florida coach Kevin O'Sullivan, an excellent recruiter.