Carolina Panthers coach John Fox confirmed rampant speculation without saying a word.
Multiple mock drafts - including Mel Kiper Jr.'s - have the Panthers selecting UF defensive end Derrick Harvey with the 13th pick next month.
On cue, Fox flew in and was one of the few recognizable scouts at UF's Pro Day workout at The Swamp on Tuesday.
"It's always good when you see a head coach out here," said Harvey, who could provide a suitable replacement for free agent Mike Rucker opposite Julius Peppers on Carolina's defensive line. "That means they show a lot of interest. I was talking to him all day and working out with the D-line coach from Carolina."
Fox denied interview requests, which added to the intrigue.
An NFL head coach attended the Gators' Pro Day for the second straight year.
Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio eyed Reggie Nelson last year and even had dinner with the prized safety.
Del Rio nabbed Nelson in the draft a month later.
Like Nelson, Harvey is a definite first-round talent.
"Hearing top-15 pick," Harvey said. "But I'm just trying to get picked up."
Harvey, a 6-foot-4, 262-pound pass rusher, declared for the draft following his junior season for the Gators.
He earned defensive MVP honors at the 2007 BCS Championship Game and racked up 19.5 sacks the last two seasons.
He will undoubtedly be the first Gator taken in the draft and likely the only one grabbed in the first round.
Harvey and wide receiver Andre Caldwell, the two main attractions, did not run the 40-yard dash Tuesday but did so at the combine last month.
Harvey ran a 4.8-second 40 in Indianapolis, while Caldwell helped his stock tremendously by clocking in at faster than 4.4 seconds.
Despite not running, Harvey still turned heads at Pro Day when he crashed into Jaguars defensive line coach Ted Monachino during a position drill.
Monachino took the hit better than Troy Smith and stayed on his feet but still said he hoped it didn't end up on YouTube.
Other Gators that worked out included safeties Tony Joiner and Kyle Jackson, center Drew Miller and offensive tackle Carlton Medder.
But the two big names drew the crowds.
"I think Harvey and Bubba (Caldwell) are the two guys that everybody seems to be really jacked about," UF coach Urban Meyer said.
RUTLEDGE A NO-GO: While his ex-teammates and friends ran in cleats on the field, Eric Rutledge stood in flip-flops on the bleachers and continued serving his punishment.
Rutledge, a former UF fullback, said he was suspended for his final game as a senior, the Capital One Bowl, for failing a drug test.
The consequences continued at Pro Day, as Rutledge was not allowed to work out for NFL scouts and coaches.
Rutledge admitted that he made a mistake and should pay for it, but still felt slighted.
"People in the same situation have been allowed out here," he said. "I'm not allowed to. I don't know why. It's been puzzling me."
Jarvis Moss was allowed to perform at UF's Pro Day last year after failing a drug test that led to his suspension for a game against Western Carolina.
Meyer has never said that Moss failed a drug test, but Moss admitted to it at the combine.
Meyer would not comment on Rutledge.
Assistant athletics director Steve McClain called Rutledge's absence an administrative decision.
Rutledge, who is a long shot to be drafted, said he would try to get in at Central Florida's Pro Day on Thursday.
BACK TO WORK: UF opens its spring schedule with the first of 14 open practices Wednesday leading up to the Orange and Blue spring game on April 12.
The key position to watch is running back, where Southern California transfer Emmanuel Moody hopes to supplant Kestahn Moore as the starter and give UF a go-to back for the first time in the Meyer era.
