Who is the Gator rookie of the year?

[Escambia94]

We complained all this season about not seeing enough of these highly touted rookies from the #1 recruiting class. Who do you think deserves to be the ROY? In alphabetical order:

Trey Burton, #8, QB. 4/5 passing for 80 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 179.44 RAT; 73 rushing attempts for 347 yards (4.8 YPA), 11 TD; 30 REC for 188 yards (6.3 YPC), 1 TD; 0 FUM. Leads the Gators in scoring with 12 TD (1 passing, 11 receiving), and is second in rushing yards. Played QB, RB, TE, and some kind of WR-TE hybrid. Called plays for Jordan Reed in the 3-headed QB monster. Broke Tim Tebow's UF record by scoring 6 TDs against Kentucky.

Andre Debose, #4, WR. 10 REC for 96 YDS, 0 TDs; 2 Punt Returns for 4 YDS, 0 TD; 20 Kick Returns for 564 YDS, 2 TD, with a long of 99 YDS; 1 rushing attempt for 9 yards. Boy, I really thought this kid was going to light up the score boards against South Carolina. I blame the coaches for not using this kid more. Easily the most exciting, explosive player we have.

Matt Elam, #22, S. 22 tackles, 16 solo. 1 sack. 1 fumble recovery. He had a good game against Alabama. If I had to pick a shining star out of that fiasco, it would be Elam. I wish I knew why he is not playing more.

Shariff Floyd, #73, DT. 9 solo tackles, 12 assisted. 5.5 tackles for loss for 15 yards. 1 QB hurry. To put this in perspective, only Sr DE Justin Trattou (34 solo tackles, 22 assisted, 10 TFL/20 yds, 1.5 sacks) and Jr DT Jaye Howard (14 solo, 9 assisted, 9 TFL/36 yds, 2.5 sacks) are ahead of Floyd.

Ronald Powell, #7, DE. 15 solo tackles, 9 assisted, 2.5 TFL/ 7 yds, 1 sack, 1 pass broken up. This guy is a freak and should have been used more often. Shame on the coaches for not exploiting this kid's talent.

Jordan Reed, #11, QB. NOTE: Reed redshirted last year and had zero plays. 18/33 passing for 192 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 127.36 RAT; 53 rushing attempts for 260 yards (4.9 YPA), 5 TD; 6 REC for 79 YDS, 1 TD. This guy was built for the Urban Meyer offense. I do not believe the reports of his low football IQ. He got his first "real game" at QB against Vanderbilt and went 11/19 for 120 yards and ran for 84 yards. We know he can play QB. His high school stats from his junior year in 2007 are 122/202 (60.3%), 1706 YDS, 28 TD, 2 INT (175.1 RAT) and 73 rush attempts for 570 yards for 8 TD. He is fan favorite at QB, and the offense certainly seems to move forward more with him than with the Other Guy.

 

[GatorfanMustangowner]

We def did not see enough of Floyd!

 

[Escambia94]

Exactly. We wasted some talent this year by "keeping it on the shelf". On top of that, we were fed vague statements about the players not learning the 2-page playbook or "miscellaneous disciplinary infractions". All this while getting second- and third-hand reports that many of the disciplinary problems were due to rifts between the veterans and the rookies. The rookies want to play--many came from out-of-state and could have easily chosen a rival school. The veterans strike me as prima donnas who think they earned the right to play.

Case in point (albeit only one data point): during the Gator Walk, most of the young players were good about high-fiving the fans that came out to watch. Some of the veterans were downright snobs. If I wanted snobby players, I'd go watch the NFL games! My 11-year old and my 15-year old got high fives from most of the rookies, but Brantley and Pouncey were atop the hands-off list. Also hands-off: Urban Meyer and Steve Addazio. Nary a nod, wink, or high-five.

Now, watch the kids on the field and think of the players that LOOK fired up: Debose, Floyd, Powell, Demps, Black, J. Jenkins and most notably, Burton. Most of the fired up kids with the exception of Demps, Jenkins and Black are youngsters, rookies.

I hope Powell and Floyd get playing time tomorrow. I doubt it, since Meyer will likely play seniors and favorites. Sounds like the 2010 season, right?

 

[crmixon]

Can we just vote YES for all of them? Man that bites about the Gatorwalk. Brantley was probably afraid to get hit with a high five.

 

[Escambia94]

Can we just vote YES for all of them? Man that bites about the Gatorwalk. Brantley was probably afraid to get hit with a high five.

Nice! Afraid to get hit with a high five...line of the day!

I wish I could change the poll for multiples. I just threw that together this morning when I could not sleep.

 

[DRU2012]

Yeah, the lack-of-play factor messes with the poll, clouds the MVP-issue.
As for the high-five line, I laughed, but MY response was "He knew he'd MISS!"...

 

[DRU2012]

...Oh yeah, and that comment about Meyer, who he'd play and why, and how it encapsulated the whole season is so true--and very much a sore spot with me still, one I have to just set aside if I don't want to get angry all over again. I know there's no point to that; it's time to let it go, wave a fond farewell and move on.

 

[GainesvillebornNraised]

nobody. this thread should be NFL rookies atleast some of those guys had real breakout years

 

[The Zooker]

I'm going to base my opinion on future potential, but I think Floyd is the man. He will be an All American soon. A first round NFL draft pick afterward.

 

[Leakfan12]

Trey mostly because he's the one who played a lot and everywhere (well expect for O-Lineman and on Defense though could have been Linebacker or D-End.)

 

[DRU2012]

Interesting. Y'all just hit my two "if-I HAD-to-pick-one" choices, Floyd on defense and Reed on offense.

 

[QuinnRichmond]

hummmmmm

 

[Gatorfan24]

I think Trey Burton was it because he did so many things for them. Not many guys can play multiple positions, and play them well.

 

[sumguy]

I voted floyd but the correct answer would be Jelani Jenkins. Dude is pretty awesome.

 

[GatorfanMustangowner]

Id also just like to say Omarius Hines is going to be a beast! along with Debose!

 

[DRU2012]

Hey, ya know what? We gotta LOT of hot young players. Those are the ones we're just finding out about; there are a few more 'bout to take off the "redshirt", and we can count on at LEAST a few more than the ones we already know something about coming in with the NEXT recruiting class--INCLUDING the consensus best highschool QB in the nation!
Considering the observed lack of enthusiasm and/or attention-to-detail displayed at times this past season by both the OC and the Head Coach in developing young players, AND their related penchant for automatically choosing to play seniors over these often talented underclassmen, it appears that maybe our wholesale coaching change has come just in time.
Watching our Bowl game, one of the things that struck me was that we aren't as far along in developing that talent as we should be, as we COULD HAVE BEEN--that we missed an opportunity to take advantage of the true situation we found ourselves in this year: the lowered expectations of what was ALWAYS going to be at best a transitional season offered the chance to get lots of game-experience for the talented newcomers on BOTH sides of the ball. I doubt the practical outcome, measured in wins and losses, would have been much different.
No use belaboring this idea; things went the way they went, and it all may be turning out for the best after all. In fact, referring back to my first statement, timing and circumstance appear to be coinciding in an extremely fortunate manner for Gator Nation. Think of it: Here it is the start of a new year, the beginning of a new Gator era and coaching regime, and these are the right people at the right time to maximize the potential inherent in those either already here or about to be. Completely disparate pieces are nonetheless "falling into place".
I'm normally not much of an optimist, more a "half-empty" sort-of-guy, but I'm getting more and more excited at our future, fellow Gators, for we may very well be about to witness the kind of blossoming resurgence over the next few years that even 6 or 8 weeks ago I could only dimly, wistfully imagine.
Enjoy the ride, Gator Nation...Happy New Year, and EAT 'EM UP IN 2011!!!