More jabs ahead of opener
Gators, Hurricanes players poke at each other days before opener in Orlando
GAINESVILLE — The 305 area code is popping up on UF tight end Kemore Gamble’s cell phone more and more these days.
A native of Miami, Gamble routinely fields calls from South Florida, just not this many.
It’s not every year Gamble’s Gators and the Miami Hurricanes square off.
When the teams meet at 7 p.m. Aug. 24 in Orlando’s Camping World Stadium, Gamble will line up on the opposite sideline from former Miami Southridge teammates Mark Pope, Dee Wiggins and DJ Scaife, along with a number of players from the area he knows.
“They call mostly every day. Mostly every day,” Gamble said. “I’m guessing they’re scared of us.”
Earlier this summer UF receiver Trevon Grimes, a former standout at Fort Lauderdale’s St. Thomas Aquinas, had been going back and forth with former teammate Mike Harley, who plays the same position for the ‘Canes.
“Now that the game is closer, I can’t give him those calls no more,” said Grimes, a redshirt sophomore. “I might find them in pregame, give them a little glare. Show them that we are coming out and we mean business.”
A lot is at stake during the two long-time rivals’ first meeting since 2013.
The Gators are ranked No. 8 in the preseason coaches’ poll and hope to challenge for the SEC title. The 2019 Hurricanes will look to establish themselves again just two seasons removed from a 10-win season and in their first season under coach Manny Diaz.
“Everybody thinks they run Florida,” said UF tight end Dante Lang, who grew up in Boca Raton. “It’s big for us. We can actually show that we run Florida.”
Add to that many players from both teams have crossed paths since their youth football days and all the ingredients are in place for an emotionally charged game to kick off the 150th season of college football.
“I think Gilbert [Frierson] called me yesterday saying, ‘12 days,’ ” Gamble said of the UM linebacker who played at Coral Gables High. “Every day he calls me to tell me that, that the game is getting closer.”
Friends and family from all over the state are expected to pack a sold-out stadium to witness a new chapter in a rivalry that used to be one of the biggest in the Southeast. With no future games between the schools on the schedule, the Gators and the Hurricanes will look to make the most out of this rare opportunity.
“It means a lot,” Grimes said. “Just showing we’re the best in the state, best in the country, going out there dominating. There’s going to be a lot of family and friends.
“We’ve just got to go out there and put on a show, so it’s a very big game for a lot of people on the team.”
Cox turning heads: Georgia transfer linebacker Brenton Cox Jr. just joined the Gators Friday, but he already has made a lasting impression.
“He’s phenomenal,” Grimes said Tuesday.
Slot receiver Freddie Swain was flabbergasted by Cox’s burst at the snap of the football.
“It’s the get-off. Gets off the ball so fast and kinda shocks you,” Swain marveled. “Really ain’t expecting it, then he comes off spinning. He moves kinda like a receiver.”
At 6-foot-4, 247 pounds, Cox is a special athlete and was rated the No. 2 outside linebacker nationally in the 2018 recruiting class. In one season at Georgia, the native of Stockbridge, Ga., established himself as a future starter, registering 20 tackles, three pass breakups and a sack.
But a citation for marijuana possession last spring and reported conflicts with his coaches led to Cox’s decision to enter the transfer portal Aug. 5. Four days later, he was on the practice field at UF, where he knows a number of players, including defensive back and fellow Atlanta area product Trey Dean.
UF is seeking an eligibility waiver to allow Cox to play this season rather than sit out a season per NCAA transfer rules. Whenever he is available, the Gators expect him to make an impact coming off the edge.
Cox’s reverse spin move had the athletic, 6-foot-5, 210-pound Grimes in awe.
“He actually has some move that I’ve never seen before,” Grimes said. “I feel like he’ll be a great add-on to our defense.”
Harvin heads 2019 Hall class: Former All-America wide receiver Percy Harvin headlines a nine-member class for that UF Athletic Hall of Fame that features a number of big-name Gators.
Harvin, one of the centerpieces of the 2006 and 2008 national champions, will be joined by golfer Billy Horschel, a UF All-American and five-time PGA Tour winner, and Taurean Green, the point guard for the 2006 and 2007 national champions.
The rest of the class will include Fred Weary (football), Stacey Nelson (softball), Greg Ouelette (tennis), Kisha Jett (track & field) and Becki Wells (track & field / cross country). Former swimming and diving coach Gregg Troy will be inducted as an Honorary Letterwinner.
The ceremony will take place on Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. on the eve of Auburn’s visit to the Swamp to face the Gators.