Solomon Patton sees one major difference with Florida this year: “The swag is back.”
Patton, a sophomore wide receiver, said he is more excited about the team now than he was at this point last year, when he enrolled a semester early to participate in spring practices. The most important reason for this enthusiasm, he said, is the attitude of the team’s new coaching staff.
“Our generation, we call it ‘swag,’ and I feel like the whole coaching staff has got swag,” he said. “They bring swag to us. That just makes us play with a good, swagged-out attitude.”
In particular, Patton is eager to work with Aubrey Hill, his new position coach. Hill, who played at Florida from 1991-94, comes to Gainesville after three seasons with Miami.
Last year, the Hurricanes’ two leading receivers, Leonard Hankerson and Travis Benjamin, caught 115 passes for 1,899 yards. The Gators’ most prolific pass-catchers, Deonte Thompson and Trey Burton, combined for 70 catches for 780 yards.
Patton noticed Miami’s receivers looked relaxed on the field, something his team struggled with, he said, because former receivers coach Zach Azzani micromanaged his players. Last August, several receivers praised Azzani for being so detail-oriented, but their feelings soured as the season progressed.
“Coach [Azzani] was on top of you the whole time,” Patton said. “Everything you did, he was on top of you the whole time. Coach Hill, he backs off a little bit. He’s more laid-back. He lets you be who you are.”
THOMPSON NOT IN THE SLOT: On the preliminary depth charts handed out to the media Monday, Thompson was listed as the team’s slot receiver. With new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis relying more on two-receiver packages, putting Thompson in the slot would imply his playing time could decrease significantly next season.
“I think that was a misprint,” he said Thursday. “I haven’t been in the slot yet.”
Instead, Thompson said he has been working at the two standard receiving spots while Frankie Hammond Jr. lined up in the slot during the team’s first practice Wednesday.
