Florida’s jack of all trades is going to become a master of one this offseason.
Sophomore Trey Burton has taken snaps at halfback, fullback, quarterback, tight end and wide receiver this year but will settle into one position after the season, offensive coordinator Charlie Weis said.
“We’ll probably play him at fullback and play him at halfback,” Weis said.
So far this season, Burton has 30 carries for 117 yards and three touchdowns, 17 catches for 145 yards and a touchdown, and he is 3-of-5 passing for 17 yards.
“There isn’t one guy that wants to be a jack of all trades, master of none,” Weis said. “They want to find a home and be the guy where they have an opportunity to help the team out however we see best.”
Evans improving: Junior safety Josh Evans said a preseason hamstring injury was the reason for his sluggish beginning of the year.
Evans was projected as one of UF’s top safeties coming into 2011, but he started just two of Florida’s first six games, recording only 16 tackles during that span.
“I kind of started off the season slow,” Evans said. “I was dealing with a hamstring toward the end of camp. Tried to keep it kind of quiet. It was bothering me pretty much. Now it’s feeling pretty good and I’ve been ready to go.”
Evans has started each of Florida’s last four games and recorded 24 tackles, including a career-high 11 Saturday against South Carolina.
He ranks fifth on the team with 40 stops this season.
Reed settling in: After bouncing between quarterback and tight end during his freshman season, sophomore tight end Jordan Reed has finally found a home as a pass catcher.
With his five-catch, 62-yard performance against South Carolina, he passed senior running back Chris Rainey as Florida’s leader in receptions.
“It feels good to get the ball in my hands and try and make some plays,” Reed said. “I got more comfortable playing tight end in the game and more comfortable in my role.”
Reed has 24 catches for 251 yards and a touchdown this season despite missing two September games with a lower-body injury.
“Jordan’s arrow has been pointed up for over a month now,” Weis said. “Jordan has got a very high ceiling that hasn’t even come close to being reached yet.”
Reed’s switch from pass thrower to pass catcher was not an easy one, as he had to learn blocking and route-running.
He said the hardest adjustment in making the permanent move has been running after the catch.
“It’s different than QB, because you see everything in front of you, and when you get the ball receiving you got your back turned to the defense,” Reed said.
Bostic performing well: Junior linebacker Jon Bostic leads UF with 77 tackles and is having a season coach Will Muschamp called “outstanding.”
Bostic has either led the team or tied for the team lead in tackles in six of the Gators’ last eight games. His totals in tackles, tackles for loss (six) and sacks (three) this season eclipse his combined totals from his first two years at UF.
He credited his improvement to understanding opponent tendencies based on down and distance and to the new scheme brought in by a fresh coaching staff, which has allowed the Gators to disguise what they’re doing defensively.
Contact Greg Luca at gluca@alligator.org.
Sophomore tight end Jordan Reed, who said he has become more comfortable in his new role, leads the team in receptions with 24.
