Jim McElwain walked onto the podium at Southeastern Conference Media Days, turned to the rows of reporters in front of him and began at the end.
“Very disappointed in how we finished,” McElwain said on Monday. “Not something that we’re proud of and not something that I take very lightly.”
Seven months ago, McElwain and his players drove back from Orlando defeated.
Their Citrus Bowl appearance ended in a 41-7 blowout loss to Michigan, undoing an air of success that surrounded the UF program after the Gators made it to the SEC Championship game just 27 days before.
“It’ll be interesting to see how this year’s team responds,” McElwain said.
The second-year UF coach spent much of his appearance at the SEC’s annual Media Days in Hoover, Alabama, discussing his roster’s turnover. Florida lost 11 significant contributors after the end of last year, including NFL Draft picks Vernon Hargreaves, Keanu Neal and Jonathan Bullard, all of who played roles as part of a Florida team that won the SEC East.
“I’m looking forward to seeing what this team is all about,” McElwain said. “I’ve been excited the way our older guys have grabbed these younger guys.”
The area that McElwain may be the most excited about is the quarterbacks room. Two transfers (Luke Del Rio and Austin Appleby) and two freshmen (Kyle Trask and Feleipe Franks) figure to vie for playing time, although anyone other than Del Rio winning the starting job would be seen as an upset.
The redshirt sophomore was the clear standout in Florida’s Spring scrimmage on April 8, going 10-for-11 for 176 yards and two touchdowns. The second-most impressive quarterback was Appleby, who went 8-for-11 for 80 yards.
“All four guys we have in that quarterback room, I’m really excited about. Luke being one of them who obviously was here with us last year, so he has familiarity with kind of what we’re doing,” McElwain said. “The way Luke and Austin both have kind of elevated the guys around them, it’ll be fun here in two-a-days to try to see who takes that step.”
McElwain addresses Callaway, Harris:
After Florida announced on March 8 that Treon Harris and Antonio Callaway were indefinitely suspended prior to the start of Spring practice, McElwain addressed the status of both on Monday, but didn’t give reasons for their suspensions.
The coach said that both players are on campus and using UF’s workout facilities, but didn’t give any more information.
“Nothing has been resolved yet and there really isn’t a timetable on it,” McElwain said of their suspensions. “That’s about what it is right now.”
Contact Ian Cohen at icohen@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @icohenb.
UF coach Jim McElwain talks with his team following the Orange & Blue Debut on April 8, 2016, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
