Three Gators enter draft
Two days after suspended quarterback Will Grier left Florida, the Gators have more players on the move. Coach Jim McElwain said Monday that running back Kelvin
Taylor, receiver Demarcus Robinson and defensive end Alex McCalister have decided to forgo their senior seasons and enter the NFL Draft. They join All-American cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, who declared his intentions to turn pro after the SEC Championship Game earlier this month. The decisions mean the No. 19 Gators will lose their leading rusher, leading receiver, best defensive back and one of their top pass rushers from this season. Taylor, Robinson and Hargreaves will stick around for the bowl game. McCalister is dealing with a foot injury and won’t practice or play. The Gators (10-3) face No.
14 Michigan (9-3) in the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day. Taylor ran for 985 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. Robinson caught a teamhigh 47 passes for 505 yards and two scores. He was demoted twice this season and suspended for Florida’s regular-season finale against Florida State. It was his fourth suspension in three years. He was reinstated for the SEC title game, after the team’s seniors voted to let him play. McCalister had 18½ tackles for loss, including 6½ sacks, in nine games.
Kalani Sitake has been preparing for this moment since he was 8 years old. The new BYU coach reminisced Monday about watching games as a child and criticizing the coaching staff. “I grew up a BYU fan, so I was voicing my opinion from Day 1,” Sitake said. “Everyone that bleeds blue, that’s how you live. Whether you’re a football player or not you want to be involved with it. Sitake, 40, was introduced at a news conference Monday afternoon that doubled as a homecoming party. He lived in Laie, Hawaii, and Provo, Utah, as a child and played fullback for Hall of Fame coach LaVell
Edwards. Family, friends, former players and Edwards packed the studio inside the BYU Broadcasting building to say welcome back. Sitake is the first FBS head coach of Tongan descent.