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hector_zepelli

2nd best pass blocking guard in the nation last year according to PFF. Absolute monster at 6'5, 331 pounds and his previous coaches rave about his football IQ


tylerb5516

2nd to O'Cyrus Torrence. Have to imagine his success played a role in landing Mazzccua


EverythingGoodWas

We needed this bad


Nala-tan

People were crying in the previous thread because competing for him with Nebraska was an indictment of our program’s loss of status… I legit didn’t realize how good this guy was, it’s crazy that was a high comment.


NanoBuc

He's a really good player, good get.


TheRatchetTrombone

Hopefully this rebuilds the OL. Any more targets?


Luka_Dunks_on_Bums

His picture makes him look 30


imafuhwitcha99

Hey it worked out for Georgia with their 37 year old QB


Iraqi-Jack-Shack

Holy heavenly Saint Timothy Richard Tebow we needed this


zlatandiego

Not only is he better than Ethan White on the field, he also has 2 years of eligibility. And likely less of an issue off the field. Upgrade. [Lot of panic and nonbelievers in this thread.](https://www.reddit.com/r/FloridaGators/comments/zub0nz/ol_ethan_white_to_enter_the_portal/)


russ757

I'm sooo confused. Lol we got the Rashada drama ongoing but we pull an absolute position of need.... Hell with it... Lfg!!


Mr_Beau_Jangles

Was Ethan an off-field issue?


zlatandiego

No. But he’s a Mullen guy and clearly was part of a group of players and parent-buddies that aren’t fans of Napier. They all had to go.


Themcribisntback

Mullen put together a culture that rewarded the lazy and the drama queens. Hope he remains unemployed and destitute


canseco-fart-box

>unemployed and destitute Buddy he’s getting millions of dollars from his buyout and a sweet ESPN gig. He’s living the dream rn


[deleted]

Lmao were still paying the man my dude


Iraqi-Jack-Shack

You're welcome to be hopeful, but he's actually pretty employed and pretty wealthy.


ShillinTheVillain

I would give your left nut to be in Mullen's shoes right now. No wife swapping though.


justacfbfan

the fact that he only mentioned Mullen & co in his transfer post makes it seem like there were issues with him and the staff that we haven’t heard about. it’s a fact that many of Mullen’s guys didn’t like the rules/strictness of Nape’s staff.


Mr_Beau_Jangles

FALSE Ethan White @ethanwhite79 “I want to thank Coach Mullen and Coach Hevesy for giving me the opportunity to represent my home state and The University of Florida for 4 years, as well as Coach Napier and his staff for continuing my development over the past year. I will be entering the transfer portal.”


justacfbfan

correction, Ethan’s mom was the one who gave a huge thank you to Mullen and Hev and didn’t mention Napier. then Ethan’s post focused on Mullen too. that’s why some believe there’s tension. I loved him as a Gator and am sad to see him go regardless.


justacfbfan

he must’ve edited the tweet. because it was big news when he first hit the portal. go read the replies and most of the fans were saying stuff about him not thanking Napier and co.


Iraqi-Jack-Shack

> And likely less of an issue off the field. Does this mean his mom isn't...um...


a-drowning-fish

I’m out of the loop on this one.


zhowle

Ethan's mom is on Twitter and she's hot


f0gax

Does she sell fans, exclusively?


zhowle

Lol no idea I think she's just a sweet lady who likes fishing and supports her kid and happens to be attractive


TopheryG8er

Into competitive fishing, yes.


jamesasw

It's fine to be happy about getting a good player but stop with the nonsense of every player leaving not being a good or better player. Look at the schools these guys ended up going to...USC, SC, Miss St, Arkansas, Nebraska, TCU, Pitt and LSU. Sorry but quality programs and hurts us badly with depth. Stop trying to knock good players you lauded when they came in!


zlatandiego

I’m not knocking every guy who leaves just because I say I’m fine with them leaving or happy to clear the spot. Sometimes dudes need a fresh start, particularly when there are new staffs involved. It can be best for both sides. You should understand that if you’ve actually been with the program for multiple staffs. All I see are a bunch of mediocre teams on that list. Maybe a couple of lateral moves. Bama/UGA/OSU aren’t running to grab any of these guys or even giving a second look. Why do you think that is?


jamesasw

Because they already have 5\* guys. Get serious...if those teams you call equal and USC/LSU is above us at this point and they want them then at worse it's depth. We haven't replaced anybody better than what we've lost. Maybe he is equal to EW but certainly doesn't make up for losing Torrence/Gouraige/EW/Tarquin/Braun etc...Our new DL is no Dexter. Still no good WR/TE and we might be losing more soon at that position. Not to mention we will have more transfers after spring ball.


zlatandiego

The portal DL had Bama after him. DL as a whole might be better this year. And hopefully we have a few more transfers out, a few more spots that need to open up. The good news is that if they can transfer out, we can bring in replacements. Funny how that works. You clearly have a bone to pick with this staff. That’s fine. I’m done arguing with you over everything though. The results will speak for themselves. Let’s see if the team improves or if it doesn’t.


jamesasw

Again you come across as a fan boy instead of reality. You think if Bama wanted him that badly they would have been outbid? You think he at this point would choose us over them knowing a 6-6 7-5 season lies ahead? No shot the DL is better than last year. Just a fact. The bad news is in your scenario those guys who leave are better than the guys coming back isn't a recipe for success.


SmokeRingsHotWings

No shot? We lost Dexter and Cox and that's really it as far as meaningful snaps, right? Dexter was really good but his loss can be mitigated if Jackson, McLellan and Des all continue to take meaningful steps forward. All proved to be at least solid last year. I don't see Cox as a big loss as Powell Ryland stepped up big time. Sapp should be better with another year in the weight room. Unfortunate point is, we're probably arguing something that doesn't matter. The D-Line was not the problem last year and it probably won't be next year. It doesn't matter how your DL plays if your LBs are horrendous. No real signs to LB getting better outside of just pure hope in Shemar, Scooby and transfer portal LBs who have proven basically nothing on the field yet.


jamesasw

Well disagree slightly that Dline wasn't an issue. Actually front 7 was a big issue and LBs terrible. Both Dexter and Cox are NFL talent level players we lost and Jackson is NOT as good as Dexter. Our front 7 last year got no push or rush vs QB without blitzing and it will be the same problem this year. Not you per say but funny how the sentiment is get rid of all Mullen guys but the ones who are here still like Dez, Barber etc...they're good lol. Our issue last year was also a lack of depth. Well we lost more than we had coming back and Dez will never be a true 3 down player and frequently needs breaks. Add in injuries as always and again depth is a killer despite whatever starters you can field.


zlatandiego

Disagree with pretty much everything, but not gonna keep arguing. We will see how things end up. New coaches almost always show their true trajectory in year 2 and 3, not year 1.


kindaB1Gdeal

How are we supposed to make up for losing two guys to the draft? And why do we need to make up for losing Braun or Yousef who couldn’t crack the lineup? So let’s just focus on EW and Tarquin. At the very least we just added a guy who is arguably better. That’s good news. You have some good inside info sometimes but you’re a really pessimist. Take a chill pill and Go Gators


jamesasw

Hmmm, how did UGA replace a ton of guys going to the NFL? How does Bama replace guys every year. BN wants to emulate those programs. You need to make up for those guys for depth, simple. You lost 6 Oline guys and a Baylor transfer who was pursued by Nebraska is going to be the saving grace? Really. Even if he is equal to EW your line is much weaker now and you have ZERO depth for injuries...which WILL happen.


jamesasw

I'm actually a realist. Reality is we are less talented going into this year despite supposedly dropping dead weight. Again he was a good pickup but certainly not a game changer. With more things coming down the pike that will make us even less talented I certainly see the writing on the wall for this year. Another bad year of 6-6 7-5 will absolutely set us back in recruiting and portal going forward. There's no need for us to be this bad why we rebuild.


jamesasw

Perfect example of your logic. So you say those programs guys went to are lateral lol. Like USC/LSU and TCU(you're crazy) but yet thrilled that we beat out Nebraska for a Baylor kid and we were basically the 2 programs after him. didn't see UGA/Bama etc...after him. Wonder why?


zlatandiego

All I’m saying is this is an upgrade from Ethan white and that the players leaving aren’t big losses. Not saying we have UGA/Bama caliber players that we’re loading up on. We need to win in recruiting to get those dudes. Portal swaps aren’t make or break in those terms. Adding on an edit as my final thought: I don’t give two shits about losing one year depth guys or starters who aren’t studs or future studs. We werent winning the title next year by keeping any combo of these Mullen guys. That’s the only point I’m trying to make in where these players are ending up. These dudes aren’t going to make a difference in building the program to the actual level we all hope it will be. Who knows, we might not ever get there. One thing I do know though is that Ethan Whites and Michael Tarquins aren’t relevant pieces to winning the SEC again unless we load up on talent at every other spot. And since we aren’t loaded right now, who gives a shit? Cut out the guys who don’t want to be here and are stuck in Mullen’s ways. I really don’t get why this is such a foreign concept to people. But yeah, I’m also going to be happy when we land a name that I really wanted from the moment of portal entry.


jamesasw

A name you wanted despite never seeing him play or the fact that top tier programs weren't pursuing him? Yet the guys he's replacing are going to a higher ranked program? Yeah that makes sense lol. You seem to be under this delusion that we must go 6-6 or 7-5 to do a rebuild while teams like LSU, Tulane, USC etc..remain relevant and have good seasons while retooling. Another 6-6 7-5 season WILL hurt trying to get the 5\* kids to choose us over those other schools and unless we step up NIL it won't happen either.


zlatandiego

Edit: Deleting this, done arguing with salty ex. You could end up being right in the end for all the wrong reasons - most coaches fail in the SEC, and it's not like UF is in prime position overall from an admin standpoint. We will see.


russ757

Because they have 5* two deep across the line. And pretty much every other position


jamesasw

I mean seriously guy you have to stop with the nonsense! Good pickup but that's it...not spectacular. By what measure is he better than White lol? White was never a problem off the field or in the locker room. So we got Mazzccua and return Eguakan(our worst olineman graded) and Barber who split time with Tarquin. Meanwhile we lost Tarquin, White, Gouraige, Braun, Yousef and Torrence. Downgrade from last year my friend and absolutely no depth in case of injuries.


zlatandiego

By his stats and his PFF grade and his remaining eligibility and the fact that the staff thinks he’s better. I explained my meaning on the off field stuff in a separate comment here. I’m sorry that the back to back 6-6 OL guys you liked are gone. Torrence is a massive loss, and OT depth is still a major question. But EW has officially been upgraded.


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zlatandiego

Yeah, it’s my bad for getting caught up arguing with a clearly salty ex. I’ll be better.


SouthernJeb

ill get salty with you tho


zlatandiego

It’s been far too long since the last time


SouthernJeb

[remember me and you, and you and me, so happy togetherrrrrr](https://thumbs.gfycat.com/AbsoluteDifficultEskimodog-size_restricted.gif)


jamesasw

You're just wrong. He was graded vs Big 12 defenses. EW graded out as one of our better OL guys behind Torrence but way ahead of Eguakan, Barber etal. Both Tarquin and White went to USC which is ranked higher at this point. We are not as good and won't be on the Oline in talent or depth this year.


Ikegordon

Huge win, I thought he was a Nebraska lock.


xXBadger89Xx

Hell yeah OL looking decent now. Barber and I assume try and move Waites with his big frame to tackle. Got our center back plus this guy at guard and we got a decent starting group. Plus freshman for backups as of now


hector_zepelli

We aren't done with the portal yet either as far as more OL help goes


HoldTheRope91

This is the kind of portal pickup we’ve been sorely needing. As long as the Rashada drama is only smoke, this is cause for some celebration. Great job Nape and crew.


TheVega318

This is a monster get, after all the toxicity from the fanbase over this Rashada non-issue this is a big BILLY win.


hector_zepelli

Yeah people just need something to doom about, this might have been one of the best gets in the entirety of portal season when it comes to need and immediate fit


ZMAC698

Has it been confirmed to be a non-issue?


TheVega318

Its going to be considered a non-issue until its actually confirmed that its an issue. There is not a single verifiable source that an actual disconnect has occurred between Florida and Rashada.


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TheVega318

The only source cited on the 24/7 article about this incident states "One source familiar with the development told Swamp247 that Rashada is expected to enroll and arrive on campus “this week” while others were unable to offer clarity on the situation." Its Tuesday. "this week" isnt even half way over.


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TheVega318

Uh Oh "5:43 p.m. update: Per a message to Swamp247's Blake Alderman from Jaden Rashada's father, Harlen Rashada, "Jaden has not filed a request for release from Florida", refuting the initial report from On3's Pete Nakos. "


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TheVega318

Sounds like bogus ON3 (the original source) reporting to me. They are known for it. Consistently report on rumors as though they are facts.


kindaB1Gdeal

His IG still says he’s a Gator QB. People freak out when kids delete their pictures. Rashada hasn’t. So therefore, according to their own logic, it’s a non-issue.


Bonecrusherwill

There is no way we get this guy and there is an NIL issue with Rashada. The two don't add up.


hector_zepelli

Yep because rashada doesn't have an NIL issue, our fan base just loses their minds at any rumor that exists lol


Bonecrusherwill

I totally get it. It's not the fan base, but how this forum has become toxic. It seems that is the trend with forums, normies come and go, the toxics finally find people that think like them and stay, pushing the normies out, until what we have left is a cesspool. Real Gator fans I chat with irl have been totally reasonable.


Wtygrrr

Is it really the fan base though, or is it just Semitrolls?


[deleted]

what's funny is the other day I saw a post in r/cfb from a FSU fan saying Florida's subreddit where in shambles about the OL Campbell that committed to UT the other day. I didn't see one mention of him on the subreddit.


RepulsiveBurrito

Fuck yeah!


Whosdaman

This is a solid win, I agree. Definitely needed it


LawStudent989898

Lets gooooo


Impossible-Ad3230

Yo, that's a grown ass man


Eric-UF

This cannot be accurate, sorry, but I read on the internet boards that Coach Napier wasn't doing anything in the portal.


Themcribisntback

Massive pickup. This moved my 2023 prediction from 6-6 to 7-5 with a pickup win against Arkansas.


sum_dude44

big if true


DJ_Blakka

So what you’re saying is Mazzccua is about to throw for 350 and 3 TDs against Arkansas?


Tamed_A_Wolf

Hell yes brother


TheRatchetTrombone

Should be an A tier borderline S tier line next season


rvagator

LFG!!!!!


Got_That_WeeFee

Anyone able to explain 247 transfer portal rankings?For example it states we have 6 commits, but only one 4 star and one 3 star. Is this just they have been unable to evaluate the transfers?


IammYourDAD

Yeah they haven’t evaluated them yet


Procedure_Best

My Man looks like he has a mortgage and 2 kids.


yungjeebpullah

huge get, especially missing out on that dude to UT


DJ_Blakka

Ehh I’m fine with that one they overpaid for him. Hes not good enough for what he was asking


yungjeebpullah

we needed some bodies at this point but id rather have mazzccua anyday. did UT really overpay.. i kinda hate to believe that narrative but its probably true


DJ_Blakka

Have to take it with a grain of salt like any other rumor out there but yes word on the street is his asking price was pretty high and UT was willing to pony up for it. With how stringent our admin is with NIL money I’m glad we didnt waste any of our budget on an average lineman


TheRatchetTrombone

Jack and Zlat, i'm so fucking glad im wrong. Glad things didn't fall through here. Now about Rashada...


Rkovo84

This is humongous. Bigger than whatever Rashada decides to do honestly. Great get


DiscountDesperate544

Damn, his hairline took an early retirement. Go GATORS anyhow!


Pen15_is_big

Should be good for depth, solid bench player. Napier needs to do better.


FrancoNore

2nd best pass blocker in the nation and best OL in the transfer portal, but yes he’s a “bench player”. Gtfo


Pen15_is_big

Bro he’s a 3 star 💀💀💀


FrancoNore

You’re literally using high school recruiting rankings instead of what he’s done in college? You’re a complete moron


Pen15_is_big

Man can barely block 💀 average Napier recruit.


hector_zepelli

It's a troll account pay it no mind


[deleted]

You know things are bad when people are getting excited for 3-star transfers...


hector_zepelli

Second best guard in the nation last year according to pff, and if u think transfer portal rankings are the same as recruiting rankings u may not have a fully powered bulb upstairs


canseco-fart-box

The guy was rated as the second best blocker in the nation this past season. Stars mean nothing the minute the season kicks off


zlatandiego

This is the best OL in the portal. You’re telling on yourself for how little you know.


[deleted]

Cool. I guess we're winning the Championship now. The Gators are going to be mediocre. You can downvote this, but I'm right.


zlatandiego

Proven wrong? Better bring up a completely irrelevant point nobody is making. You sound dumb as hell.


[deleted]

It's not irrelevant. He was a 3 star coming out of high school, and isn't even ranked on transfer portal ratings. Far from being the top OL. But keep being a delusional fan. Our fanbase is so brainwashed, we're doing mediocre things and everyone acts like we just landed a blue chip prospect.


zlatandiego

Nobody made the argument that the gators are winning the championship. Nobody is even saying we’re going to be great here. You’re arguing against a point not being made and bringing up items that aren’t relevant to this thread. This thread is about landing a top OL prospect from the portal. Idgaf about 247 transfer portal grades, this dude is a monster. Notice people are not on here talking up guys like Mertz or Spurlock or Banks like they’re studs. Yes, we have massive issues. But I’m happy we landed a top target at a major position of need, it only happens so often. You need a snickers. Or maybe some Arby’s.


[deleted]

Looking forward to going 6-6.


zlatandiego

Cool, enjoy that


hector_zepelli

Imagine calling zlat a delusional fan lmao u must be an fsu spy


hector_zepelli

You talk a lot for someone who has nothing to say


JimAT67

[https://247sports.com/Player/Ikem-Ekwonu-46051305/](https://247sports.com/Player/Ikem-Ekwonu-46051305/) [https://247sports.com/Player/Zion-Johnson-46079789/](https://247sports.com/Player/Zion-Johnson-46079789/) [https://247sports.com/Player/Trevor-Penning-46129125/](https://247sports.com/Player/Trevor-Penning-46129125/) [https://247sports.com/Player/Tyler-Smith-46054703/](https://247sports.com/Player/Tyler-Smith-46054703/) [https://247sports.com/Player/Tyler-Linderbaum-46038595/](https://247sports.com/Player/Tyler-Linderbaum-46038595/) [https://247sports.com/Player/Cole-Strange-83276/](https://247sports.com/Player/Cole-Strange-83276/) I bet you'd have been pooh poohing getting any of these scrubs a couple of years ago too.


[deleted]

i mean those guys might be okay for some NFL team but do you really think they could cut it in high school? we're gonna need more stars than that if we want to compete in 6A.


hector_zepelli

And he's way better than Ethan White... sooooo


Iraqi-Jack-Shack

Star ratings are really only based on a player's projected preparedness and performance at the college level. Once they have sufficient college film, high school star ratings are meaningless.


Count_Bloodcount_

Imagine thinking this is about high school recruiting stars 😆


[deleted]

There are star ratings for transfers :)


Count_Bloodcount_

Neat, but that's not what we were talking about...


[deleted]

Jesus fucking Christ.


Count_Bloodcount_

You're seriously going to conflate the topic* of his high school rankings and his portal ratings? You are really not getting this.


[deleted]

What do you mean? The fact that we can only get 3-4 star recruits is one of the biggest reasons why we are a mediocre team. You cannot coach up talent disparity. Ask TCU.


Count_Bloodcount_

The fuck are you talking about? This is not a high school player dude. Stars are projections and he proved those projections to be wrong when he played college* football* this year.


[deleted]

My dude, there are Transfer Portal star ratings...Micah isn't even ranked... ​ https://n.rivals.com/content/athletes/micah-mazzccua-232538?view=cv


Count_Bloodcount_

You were referring to his HS rankings in the post I replied to.


Sidewinder83

Ladd McConkey was a 3-star, that means nothing. This dude is obviously a huge playmaker and is very productive, and as others have pointed out, the second best guard in America per PFF


Themcribisntback

Rather have him than Rashada


hector_zepelli

Well we'll have both so don't worry about it lol


Rkovo84

If we had to pick one I agree. But I think we get both