UF playmaker really catches on
Kadarius Toney, always a threat with the football in his hands, is becoming a complete receiver.
GAINESVILLE – UF senior Kadarius Toney has always been a playmaker with the football in his hands.
Getting the ball to Toney often has been the issue.
When the electric, elusive Toney zigged, his teammates too often zagged. Big plays were common, but busted assignments gave coaches pause about calling Toney’s number too often.
His continued development at wide receiver now could mean more touches and a more reliable weapon for the Gators.
“What I’ve seen from him is just a real development as a wide receiver,” UF coach Dan Mullen said Tuesday. “Everybody knows he’s a playmaker. He’s a great playmaker with the ball in his hands. He’s taken such a huge step forward in becoming a wide receiver now.”
During the past two seasons, Toney averaged 10.6 yards on 97 touches from scrimmage, with just 50 of those receptions.
Getting him the ball more often in space would allow him to capitalize on his acceleration, vision and wiggle. The 5-foot-11, 194-pound Toney also might steer clear of a swarm of bodies and avoid injury. He missed six games last season and four in 2017.
Toney with the football in his hands is something the Gators could use more, especially after losing four receivers to the NFL.
Mullen said Toney’s quest to become a complete player has been nice to see.
“Every down, being a wide receiver, he’s taken some huge steps forward,” Mullen said. “I’m really excited about that. That’s what you want from those guys. It’s one thing, this utility athlete, get-it-go guy, but when you can become disciplined and a great technician at your position, that takes you to a whole other level.”
Gators inching toward Ole Miss
The start of Week 1 is less than two weeks away for the No. 8 Gators.
Mullen said his team has much work ahead to be ready for prime time.
Monday evening’s scrimmage — the team’s last full-contact football before the Sept. 26 opener at Ole Miss — was higher quality football than the first scrimmage, but still not good enough.
“It’s going to be a big mental grind for our guys over the last couple of weeks to get themselves prepared to play,” Mullen said Tuesday.
The elimination of nonconference games and reduction of hours due to the coronavirus pandemic has led to too many mental errors, undermining the Gators’ effort level.
“Overall, the sense of the 22 guys on the field playing at a
higher level was much higher than it was in Scrimmage 1, on a more consistent basis,” Mullen said. “But the mistakes, a lot of little mental things. It was much more consistent, but not consistent of where you want to be to go play an SEC game.”
QB Kyle Trask just ‘OK’
Mullen said quarterback Kyle Trask was not as sharp Monday evening as he’s been during the rest of camp.
“He was OK. I don’t think yesterday was his best day,” Mullen said. “But I think he has improved a lot. You’re always going to have little off days here and there.”
Yet, UF’s starting quarterback remains on track to build on his 2019 breakout season.
“I think he has really improved the speed of how he decides things and his knowledge of the game,” Mullen said.
Trask’s talent as a passer, experience level and football IQ will now allow Mullen and his staff to better craft a game plan for him.
“You’re going to start to simplify things,” Mullen said. “Instead of going from this massive installation of hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of play calls going against every defense known to mankind, you’re going to kind of get into, this is our specific game plan of how we want to attack this team.
“That’ll make it even easier on him and allow him even more comfort with a little bit smaller packages going forward with the details of how we want to check it to these plays, what we want to do, where we want to go with the ball.”
Pitts held out of scrimmage
Trask was unable to get the ball to his favorite target again Monday night.
All-SEC tight end Kyle Pitts sat out both scrimmages to avoid injury, given his value to the Gators and their lack of depth at his position.
“He’s had a great training camp,” Mullen said of Pitts. “He hadn’t missed a snap in training camp. He gets a lot of reps to him and we have a lot of depth at the tight end position. So, I didn’t see a need for him to go play in the scrimmage when I’ve seen what I’ve seen of him and what he’s been able to do so far every day on a consistent basis at practice.”