UF football coach Jim McElwain
McElwain hopes his players learn from Florida’s Sweet 16 team
says he’s impressed by Gators’ NCAA run.
GAINESVILLE — Spring football is in full swing at UF, but coach Jim McElwain has March Madness on his mind.
“Can we talk hoops?” McElwain asked Monday. “Do we have to talk football?”
This time of year, McElwain burns through the midnight oil, juggling his football responsibilities and his love of college basketball.
The Gators’ run to the Sweet 16 under coach Mike White has upped the ante and been instructive for McElwain’s squad as it looks to return to college football’s upper echelon.
“My hat’s off to how our guys are playing,” McElwain said. “Mike’s got those guys playing unselfish. You don’t see a lot of guys calling for, ‘Me, me, me.’ I think it’s really a testament to see the team play and be concerned more about their teammates and getting them involved rather than how many points they score. “That’s fun to watch.” McElwain would be tuning into the Big Dance, either way.
The 55-year-old grew up in
Montana a Pete Maravich fan. McElwain fondly recalls his days as a 5-foot-10 point guard in high school.
But it can be exhausting keeping up with the day-today grind of spring football and the slew of games during the Big Dance.
“This time of year going in and watching practice, evaluating practice, evaluating personnel every single day, talking about every player on your team,” he said. “And yet making sure you get enough time to get in and watch basketball. It’s a great time of year.”
Bryan surges
Defensive tackle is one of the big question marks on a defense that lost eight starters.
Taven Bryan has seized his chance this spring as the Gators look to replace 2016 starters Caleb Brantley and Joey Ivie.
“He has been our most consistent player, day-to-day in all drills, which is something he kind of lacked,” McElwain said. “He has probably taken as big of steps of anybody on the team as far as consistency and performance. It doesn’t matter the drill.”
A native of Casper, Wyo., the 6-foot-5, 293-pound Bryan’s high motor and tenacity earned him the nickname Wyoming Wild Man from defensive line coach Chris Rumph.
Bryan said he needed to be tamed a bit, too, citing a lack of focus during his first two seasons. Bryan recorded 27 tackles as a reserve, including 14 a season ago. In the SEC title game, he was ejected for body slamming Alabama running back Joshua Jacobs.
“It just had mostly to do with my maturity,” he said. “I wasn’t mature enough, ready to play kind of deal.”
Bryan did show flashes. He ended the season with two impressive plays in the Outback Bowl, stopping an Iowa ball carrier for a twoyard loss and a one-yard gain.
“I mean, they’ve told me I’ve had tons of potential, but it doesn’t mean anything unless you use it,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re big, fast and strong. If you just stand there, you’re still going to be a bench warmer.”
McElwain believes Bryan is now ready to step into a starting role next to redshirt sophomore Khairi Clark.
“He and Khairi Clark have done a really good job inside,” McElwain said. “That’s huge for us.”
Sandifer exts
McElwain said reserve offensive lineman Brandon Sandifer is no longer with the program. The 6-foot-3, 323-pound redshirt sophomore appeared in just two games in 2016.