Jones, like Metcalf, is from Mississippi. Both have developed reputations for their physical playing styles and similar attributes.

Jones is 6-foot-3 and 228 pounds. Metcalf is 6-4 and 235.

“I’m very physical,” said Jones. “I’m a big guy who likes to establish his presence. I feel like I’m raising the standard by being physical and bringing a new presence into the receiver room.”

Jones’ journey to UCF from Ohio University wasn’t as straight as the drive from Athens to Orlando on Interstate 75. There were plenty of challenges during his football career.

He spent three seasons at Northwest Mississippi Community College, appearing in 29 games (63 receptions, 929 yards, 5 TDs). Jones signed with Ohio in 2022, finishing second on the team in receiving yards (777) and touchdowns (6).

The following season, he started strong with 8 catches for 147 yards through the first three games but broke his right leg on Sept. 23 during the Bobcats’ 38-7 road win against Bowling Green. After the season, Jones entered the transfer portal on April 15 before committing to UCF two weeks later.

“I always figured that I could play at a higher level,” he said. “UCF is transitioning into the Big 12 and, coming in, I want to make an impact. I feel like God brought me here.”

It took Jones three months to return to the field, and it wasn’t until spring that he could start running routes.

“Physically, it took a while, and mentally, the biggest thing was trusting myself to be able to put my foot on the ground and go against other people and other competition,” said Jones.

He credits receivers coach Tim Harris Jr., who also is the Knights’ offensive coordinator, for helping him get over “the mental hump.”

UCF players, staff issue thumbs-up to electronic tablets on sidelines

“Coach Harris has been pushing me, and that’s what I wanted,” said Jones. “I wanted to be somewhere where I’d be strained. I would be pushed to be the best player I could be.”

Harris saw that potential while he was recruiting Jones in the transfer portal.

“He was under the radar in the transfer portal, but if you go back and watch that tape, you see the physical evidence of what he did that season,” Harris said. “He’s done an excellent job every day of being coachable. I’m very pleased with him and happy for the early success that he’s having, but continuing to push him because he still has some things to clean up in this game.”

Before his injury, Jones was the top-graded receiver in the Mid-American Conference in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus. The wideout caught 73% of the passes thrown his way (44 of 60) and was fourth in yards after catch (347).

UCF athletes receive hand up to enter workforce and succeed

He’s also worked hard on other aspects of his game, such as blocking.

“We have a great running back room with RJ Harvey, Peny Boone, Myles Montgomery and Johnny Richardson, so those guys can break loose at any moment,” Jones said. “To make a difference on our guy, we can help turn a 15-yard run into an 80-yard touchdown.”

Jones had two touchdowns in the Knights’ first scrimmage Aug. 4, earning praise from teammates.

“The first thing I ever saw him do was run a stop route and he killed the guy,” said tight end Randy Pittman, “how he moves and sells his route with such a big frame. He’s been explosive in the scrimmage.”

Said fifth-year quarterback KJ Jefferson: “He’s coming along well, grasping and learning the offense.”

UCF fans better start appreciating Gus Malzahn — or else | Commentary

The fifth-year senior is among several receivers to join this offseason, along with Auburn transfer Ja’Varrius Johnson and freshmen Bredell Richardson, Kason Stokes and Jordyn Bridgewater.

While the group is talented and led by veterans Kobe Hudson, Xavier Townsend, Chauncey Magwood, Trent Whittemore and Jarrad Baker, Jones believes he has more to offer.

“I feel like I’m a jack-of-all-trades. I’m very big and many guys think I’m just a blocker, but I can utilize my size,” he said. “I’m very quick and shifty, too.”

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

Coach Billy Napier planned to elevate the competition among his players during Week 3 as UF prepared for its second scrimmage Saturday in the Swamp. The Gators will be off Thursday and return to the field Friday.

UF provided a 12-minute window for reporters to observe individual drills.

Top takeaway: While his teammates practiced, senior tailback Montrell Johnson Jr. ran on the treadmill as he pushes to return from a minor right knee injury.

Johnson wore his black non-contact No. 1 jersey and full equipment, toting a football as he ran at a good clip.

The 5-foot-11 ¼, 216-pound Louisiana native led UF in rushing yards the past two seasons. Johnson’s absence has allowed a deep yet inexperienced stable of running backs make their case for touches.

“It’s almost a blessing in disguise to some degree that they’re getting meaningful reps,” Napier said Aug. 7.

Johnson’s availability is yet to be determined for the Gators’ Aug. 31 season opener against Miami in the Swamp.

Step forward: No running back has emerged more than Jakobi Jackson, a redshirt junior from Pensacola who transferred in 2023 from Coahoma Junior College in Mississippi.

Jackson was a spring transfer portal signing who was fifth on the depth chart until Tulane transfer Cam Carroll suffered a season-ending knee injury. The 5-foot-10 ½, 209-pound Jackson, who compiled 1,390 yards on 276 carries for 14 touchdowns in 20 games in junior college, is pushing for touches in a crowded running back room.

Meanwhile, Carroll practiced hard Wednesday, making hard cuts and participating fully. Some believed he might not be able to play again after his second serious injury. A sixth-year player, the 6-foot, 230-pound Carroll’s 2022 season ended in the first game of Tulane’s magical 12-win campaign.

Step back: Sophomore Treyaun Webb enters camp as Johnson’s backup but has faced stiff competition from Jackson and true freshmen Jadan Baugh and KD Daniels.

On Wednesday, Webb left practice and did not return during the open window.

Trainer’s room: Offensive lineman Bryce Lovett and safety Bryce Thornton wore non-contact jerseys.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Hours spent on the field, in the training room, watching film or taking time to rest and recover blend together during fall camp. Through it all, Mertz knows exactly how many days until an Aug. 31 visit from Miami.

At 6:37 a.m. Monday in Kansas City, Justin Hoover’s screen read, “19.”

The next day at 7 a.m., Mertz’s longtime quarterbacks coach replied, “18.”

“We’ve got a couple little things going that lets us know what’s next, trying to keep the main thing, the main thing, and stay connected to and grounded to the day and maximizing it,” Hoover told the Orlando Sentinel. “We just stay on top of that and push him a little bit to stay in the moment and focus on that one thing: what you got today.”

The countdown has begun to the Gators’ opener, Mertz’s final college season and his last chance to put it all together.

While Mertz exceeded expectations after transferring from Wisconsin, his season ended with a broken collarbone Nov. 19 at Missouri and a 5-7 finish by the Gators a week later against Florida State.

Mertz, who turns 24 in December, put his NFL dreams on hold.

“I came back to win,” he said Tuesday evening. “That’s why I’m here right now. That’s why I’m standing up here. That’s why I was just on the practice field for two hours in some serious heat — because I want to win.

“That’s why we’re all here right now.”

Mertz pushes to set the tone.

“His leadership has taken tremendous strides,” redshirt sophomore tight end Arlis Boardingham said. “Just making sure we’re going all the time, all the time. Even today at practice, it’s getting hot — very hot — and he’s talking, ‘It’s about us. It’s about us.’

“Just letting us know as we’re getting closer to the end of practice, we’ve got to be the ones to finish.”

Hoover also notices a different Mertz.

The two have worked together since Mertz was a seventh-grader from Overland Park, Kan., a dozen miles southwest of Kansas City, site of Hoover’s Spin It Quarterback Academy.

Daily text exchanges, FaceTiming from Florida’s football facility and more than 20 days of training this offseason back home have revealed a 23-year-old on a mission and, Hoover believes, in the right place at the right time.

“Through the ups and downs and the things that he’s dealt with, his approach has gotten even more dialed in and more detailed,” he said. “His passion for that school and that coaching staff and that locker room full of teammates has just continued to grow based off what I believe is his investment in them.”

UF coach Billy Napier went all in on Mertz, too.

Mertz’s inconsistency at Wisconsin, where he threw 38 touchdowns and 26 interceptions during three seasons, did not dissuade Napier as he sought a replacement for first-round draft pick Anthony Richardson.

Mertz responded with an SEC-leading 72.9% completion rate and a 20-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio while displaying the intangibles UF’s coach covets.

“He’s just got great energy about himself and affects other people in a positive way,” Napier said. “Extremely detailed. Great note-taker. Great in the position meetings.

“He’s a pro.”

Mertz enjoys the spoils of playing quarterback at Florida in the age of NIL.

A player’s NIL compensation is not public, but arguably the nicest car in the parking lot outside the Heavener Football Complex belongs to Mertz — a new Mercedes-Benz coupe through his partnership with the Gainesville dealership.

“I said, ‘Hey, you get a deal on those things, or is this just the one they give you?’” Hoover, 43, joked.

Mertz aims to earn his keep against a taxing schedule featuring eight teams ranked in the Associated Press preseason Top 25.

He will lead an offense with plenty of potential, beginning with sophomore rising star Eugene Wilson III, but also without 2023 leading receiver Ricky Pearsall — an NFL first-round draft pick. Top rusher Montrell Johnson Jr.’s minor knee injury leaves UF to rely on an inexperienced backfield as the Gators prepare for Miami. The offensive line returns just two starters and remains a work in progress, featuring a collection of inexperienced underclassmen and transfers.

Napier left last Saturday’s scrimmage encouraged by his offense’s explosiveness but wants to see more this weekend during the Gators’ final tune-up before Week 1.

“We were a little short of our goal,” he said Monday. “That’s an area where we’re trying to put an emphasis this week.”

Tight end Hayden Hansen said Napier told the team Tuesday that 75% of games are won by the team with more explosive plays. The redshirt sophomore also said not every team has a quarterback like Mertz.

“It helps a lot, Mertz coming back — a great game manager, got a lot of trust,” Hansen said. “That’s really the key word to this whole thing: trust. We all trust each other, trust the communication.

“It overall speeds up the process.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

This past weekend, the Big 12 allowed UCF to utilize Microsoft Surface tablets during its second preseason scrimmage at FBC Mortgage Stadium. The devices, which can be used on the sidelines, in locker rooms and the coaches’ boxes, allow coaches and players to review instant replays of in-game video footage.

While it was on a limited basis, the reviews were primarily positive.

“The quality of coaching is going to be better, a lot better,” said coach Gus Malzahn. “A lot of times, if you’re not completely coordinated with eyes in the sky, you won’t know until Sunday. You’ll look up and say, ‘Ah, man. Why didn’t we see that?’ Those days are over. So, the quality of football and coaching should be up across the country.”

UCF athletes receive hand up to enter workforce and succeed

This is the first year the NCAA has allowed tablets and wireless helmet communication.

The Big 12 is one of several conferences that signed an agreement with Microsoft, while the SEC is among a select group choosing Apple iPads.

The NFL has been using Microsoft tablets for more than a decade.

“A lot of times you have guys up in the booth, and they’re charting the looks we’re getting, but the game moves so fast and sometimes you can be a little bit off,” said offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. “What the tablet does is it cleans all that up. We know exactly what we’re seeing from the coach’s standpoint from the press box down to the sidelines and we know it’s accurate information.

“Those guys on the sidelines should be able to sit with the players between series to show them exactly what the looks are and how coverages are rolling. For the players, there are no maybes. They’re getting exactly what is happening. I think it’s going to be good for all offenses.”

The players were impressed with what they saw on the sidelines.

UCF linemen putting martial arts and MMA techniques to good use

“It shows us how the defense is moving, how the tackles are moving,” said running back Peny Boone. “It’s better because it lets me see the game differently. It’s going to help me with my runs.”

Added fifth-year offensive lineman Adrian Medley: “It helped us see where the linebackers were lining up and what kind of stunts they were running. So, next time we see it, we can pick it up quicker and call different plays.”

“It’s nice to have it on the sidelines because you’re able to get immediate feedback right then and there,” said fellow lineman Amari Kight. “It’s a real game-changer and something that can help us down the line.”

Defenders also took to the new technology as well.

“It helped us see the secondary move around,” fifth-year linebacker Deshawn Pace said. “How they had a fit and how the linebackers had a fit. We got to see what players weren’t being disciplined. We must be disciplined this year and keep our eyes on our keys.”

“Being able to see it rather than just hear it is going to be a huge help,” said sophomore safety Braeden Marshall. “A lot of guys are visual learners, so being a visual learner and being able to see a mistake or what the offense is doing will help a lot.”

New defensive coordinator Ted Roof wasn’t immediately sold on the tablets.

“I’ve always prided myself on a guy that could dissect something during game day and figure out what took place along with the rest of our staff,” he said. “Let me just say we’re still navigating those [tablets].”

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

Top takeaway: With so many new faces on the roster, UCF’s coaching staff has emphasized building chemistry.

“Coach [Ted] Roof had all the guys in the defense room tell their stories, where they came from, and their backgrounds,” said senior cornerback Brandon Adams. “Knowing those little things will help us out there on the field when it’s crunch time.

“The other day, I told [freshman defensive back] Chasen [Johnson], ‘Hey, man. You’re doing this for your pops, so keep going.’ When I’m tired, they approach me and say, ‘BJ, you’re doing this for your mom and dad.’ They say keep going.”

UCF athletes receive hand up to enter workforce and succeed

“To be honest with you, that’s probably the best thing we’ve done,” added sophomore safety Braeden Marshall. “It’s different when you get to know the real person, your teammate, their background. It’s brought everybody together and makes everybody go harder for their brother.”

Roof, who took on the role as defensive coordinator in mid-January, said they’ll continue to do this at night during team meetings.

“That’s an ongoing process that we do,” said Roof. “I want and coach [Gus] Malzahn wants every player to have the opportunity to tell their story. It’s not like you only have 25 new guys per year, like in the old days when you signed 25 players. Now there are 50 new guys, and that’s half of your football team and the race to connect — when you understand a guy’s story, it brings that to another level.

“Way back when this game was started, it was all about playing for each other, playing for your brother, fighting with him. That’s what this game was founded on. To be able to fight together. We’ve got to make sure we adapt to the new age of college football so that piece doesn’t get dismissed or taken for granted.”

Peny Boone plus RJ Harvey could give UCF the best backfield in the country

Step forward: Keegan Smith, a midyear transfer offensive lineman from Central Michigan, has been working at various positions on the interior line, including center. “I’ve been playing three positions on the interior, but mainly at right guard,” he said. “I feel comfortable, but I’m trying to learn more at center because it’s a new offense. I feel good; I must understand the offense and the footwork that comes with it.” Smith is one of three offensive linemen to join the Knights as a transfer, along with Jabari Brooks (Samford) and Wes Dorsey (Western Kentucky).

Step back: Stopping the run has been another focus for UCF after finishing last in the Big 12 in rush defense last season. The defensive players have noticed a difference throughout the unit in that approach this fall, particularly in the tackling, where the Knights had 106 missed tackles. “We’re doing more tackling drills and getting comfortable tackling, tackling and tackling,” said Marshall. “The more you tackle, the better you’ll get.”

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

The 6-foot-6 Ingram played during the summer with Orlando powerhouse Oak Ridge High for two summer basketball tournaments.

Ingram averaged 24 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 21 games in 2023-24. He is ranked No. 73 overall and the No. 11 small forward in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports.

With his father as head coach, Ingram threw for 38 touchdowns, 2,618 yards and completed 64.3% of his throws to lead Hawthorne to an unbeaten season and a second straight 1A state title. Offered a scholarship by Billy Napier to play receiver, Ingram recently decided to focus on basketball.

Ingram has yet to decide where he will play high school basketball in 2024-25.

“I’m here at Hawthorne now,” he told the Orlando Sentinel. “I could be at Oak Ridge [for the basketball season], but most likely I’ll stay at Hawthorne.”

Ingram’s father faced a similar decision upon his 2004 arrival to UF. Cornelius Ingram did initially suit up for the Billy Donovan’s basketball team, but switched full time to football and moved from quarterback to tight end.

He caught 64 passes for 888 yards and 8 touchdowns but tore his ACL during fall camp in ’08. He played four NFL seasons after the Philadelphia Eagles selected in the 2009 draft (fifth round).

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com. Varsity sports editor Buddy Collings contributed to this report.

Scott wanted to go to Miami, but the Chicago native’s mother wanted him to stay closer to home. When Scott made his initial decision on July 2, 2023, he committed to Ohio State. 

“Originally, I wanted to commit to Miami first before (Ohio) State, but my mom wasn’t really rocking with it,” Scott said at Miami’s media day on July 30. “Just being that far from home was a big thing from her, and just the city may have seemed intimidating, but it’s really not. That was really a big thing.”

Ultimately, through conversations with the Miami staff, Scott’s mother came around to the idea of her son heading south. On Nov. 29, Scott flipped his commitment from the Buckeyes to the Hurricanes. 

“Just building trust with the coaching staff,” Scott said. “Just through visits and through communications: phone, text, calls. Just building trust. … I would say just building the relationship.”

Scott signed with UM in December but did not get to campus until this summer. He has quickly gone to work; Scott said he gained 10 pounds of muscle in his first month on campus. He said he has adjusted quickly to being away from home.

“It’s been good,” Scott said. “Guys on the football team make me feel like family, so it feels like I’ve already got my family here. When it comes to being away from home, I feel OK.”

Scott, like other star freshmen, has had to adjust his mindset. In high school, he was a five-star prospect and a key starter for his team. Now he is working to carve out a role.

“Mentally, when it comes to being in college, you just leave all the high school stuff (in the past),” Scott said. “College is a fresh start. You’ve got to rebuild that name, basically re-get the stars.”

With a talented defensive line that is loaded with returning veterans and experienced transfers, Scott knows he will have to compete for playing time. But he said he is happy just to pitch in where he can.

“I’d say just coming in and just being used wherever they need me,” Scott said. “Just filling them holes that they need. Coming in, playing my game, being willing to learn.”

Scott has impressed the staff early in his Miami career, though. Coach Mario Cristobal said on the first day of fall practice that Scott received many reps.

“You can throw a lot at him,” Cristobal said. “He got a lot of reps (on the first day of practice). He’s really good.”

The former five-star prospect received one of Cristobal’s highest measures of praise, with the third-year coach describing him as a “real one.”

“He’s a real one, now,” Cristobal said. “(Six-foot-four), I think he’s now 300 (pounds) flat. Real athletic. You saw when he played basketball, when I watched him play basketball, he’s never on the ground. Very heavy-handed, light feet, knowledgeable, smart, plays with good leverage. That guy’s going to be special.”

Mauigoa on watch list

After his successful first season with the Hurricanes, linebacker Francisco Mauigoa has continued to earn attention entering the season.

Mauigoa was named to the Butkus Award preseason watch list on Tuesday, a day after he was selected for the Bednarik Award watch list.  

The Butkus Award is given to the top linebacker in the nation. Dan Morgan is the only Miami linebacker who has ever won the award, earning it in 2000.

Mauigoa had a team-leading 82 tackles and 18 tackles for loss last year and tied with defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. for the team lead in sacks.

With the season opener less than three weeks away and two scrimmages under their belts, the Knights can focus on more specific issues before hosting New Hampshire on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. (ESPN+).

“You’ve got enough information to start putting your pieces together,” said offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. “The next two weeks will focus on being specific and what we want certain guys doing.”

Top takeaway: When coach Gus Malzahn opened preseason camp a few weeks ago, he promised his team they would be tested. He guaranteed this fall camp would be unlike anything the Knights have experienced. So far, it has lived up to those expectations.

#UCF offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. breaks down last week’s scrimmage. pic.twitter.com/MGz6rjHdsq

— Matt Murschel (@osmattmurschel) August 12, 2024

“We’ve been straining a lot,” said fifth-year offensive tackle Amari Kight. “It’s been really hot outside and we’ve been going out there flying around and pushing each other every day.”

Malzahn believed applying pressure would help the team face adversity. The Knights will not honestly know if it works until they face someone other than themselves.

“We just haven’t played anybody else,” said Harris. “I would say that — just how we respond when we face real adversity against someone else, you won’t get that until you get to the season. We challenge our guys daily here, putting them in tough situations, and they’ve responded well.”

“It’s us against us,” added fifth-year linebacker Jesiah Pierre. “How we handle our mistakes on the field, how we handle hot conditions or when things don’t go our way when we have bad practices on defense. It’s how we respond and if we bend or we break.”

#UCF running back RJ Harvey describes this fall camp and how he’s improved over the last few weeks. pic.twitter.com/xFnxgolroi

— Matt Murschel (@osmattmurschel) August 12, 2024

“It’s about looking at ourselves, correcting our mistakes and attacking those situations in practice because what you are doing in practice you’re doing in a game.”

Step forward: Harris said redshirt junior running back Myles Montgomery, a transfer from Cincinnati, has had a strong showing during fall camp.

“If you had to pick an MVP through these first two scrimmages, it would be Myles Montgomery,” Harris said. “Everything that he does has been 100 miles an hour. His effort level, the little details, how he works, how hard he runs, and how he finishes runs and breaks tackles. He’s done a good job putting himself in a good position.”

UCF athletes receive hand up to enter workforce and succeed

Step back: With a long season ahead, running back RJ Harvey has been limited in both of the team’s scrimmages.

“I wish I could go out there and compete with my teammates, but I understand everything,” Harvey said of the decision. “Once the 29th comes, I’m ready to get out there and start doing my thing.”

Trainer’s room: Offensive linemen Cam Kinnie and Waltclaire Flynn were banged up and didn’t play during Saturday’s scrimmage at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Their absence has allowed some other players to get much-needed reps at center.

“The big thing is, when those things do happen, it’s unfortunate, but it’s kind of a blessing in disguise,” said Harris. “Because you don’t get through an entire training camp without any of it [injuries]. That would be the perfect best-case scenario. But during a season, things happen.

“So for us to move some things around during training camp and get guys some work a little earlier than you normally would have to, it’s good for us.”

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

The Gators ran 122 plays this past Saturday in the Swamp, providing players a chance during a game-like environment to make their case for snaps and gave coaches a better idea of areas to address. Media was not allowed watch.

By the time UF stages its second scrimmage of fall camp this weekend, Napier hopes to see rapid progress.

“This is a big week for us,” he said Monday. “We started today. We’re seeking consistency. We’re seeking habits that will hold up on game day, and we’ve got to have urgency to get that done.”

Lineups, rotations and responsibilities remain in flux as the Gators prepare to host No. 19 Miami  on Aug. 31 — one of eight teams on UF’s demanding schedule ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 released Monday.

“We kind of reboot the computer and organize them in a way for this week,” Napier said. “Then we’ll scrimmage again next week, and ultimately that’s where we’ll start paring it down.”

Napier observed Saturday’s scrimmage from the field while he allowed his new co-coordinator Russ Callaway and the offensive staff to call plays. Despite the Gators’ offensive inconsistency the past two seasons, Napier retained playcalling duties, noting UF’s steady improvement in 2023, and promote Callaway.

The vantage point allowed Napier to witness some young playmakers make the explosive plays the Gators seek in 2024.

Speedy receiver Tank Hawkins, one of two Gators to run more than 23 mph this offseason, caught a long touchdown pass from fellow freshman DJ Lagway. Hawkins also scored from the red zone.

The fleet-footed first-year player from Bradenton’s IMG Academy is one of several unproven receivers competing for targets behind sophomore star Tre Wilson and veterans Chimere Dike, a Wisconsin transfer with a long history with quarterback Graham Mertz, and Kahleil Jackson, a former walk-on and son of former UF star Willie Jackson Jr.

“He’s definitely playing faster. His skill level’s improving,” Napier, a former receivers coach at Alabama, said of Hawkins. “He’s getting comfortable. That group as a whole, ton of competition.

“You talk about a big week in a competitive camp.”

Four tailbacks also are vying for roles expanded by a minor knee injury to starter Montrell Johnson Jr., who is week-to-week following arthroscopic surgery.

While Napier praised all four backs, he singled out KD Daniels, another true freshman, for a long run.

Named Mississippi Class 5A Mr. Football after he rushed for 2,737 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2023, the 5-foot-11 1/2, 197-pound Daniels displayed how much he’s matured since his January arrival.

“Everybody’s a little bit bigger, a little faster, the holes are a little smaller,” Napier said. “Their footwork, their eye discipline … those instincts come back. Just to see him, that thing just opened up just a little bit and his ability … I could see him.

“He saw it and he accelerated — and almost went to the house.”

Better perimeter blocking, Napier said, would have led to six points.

Improving small details is at a premium.

Napier said the Gators missed 20 tackles and did not play with the offensive tempo he’d like to see.

“We know what to do,” he said. “Let’s get lined up and play with a little more pace. We can buy back six, eight, 10 plays a game.”

Yet the Gators’ first scrimmage of Napier’s third fall camp showed marked improvement from the past two years.

“It was just much more intense, much faster, more physical, less loafs, the film’s cleaner — we’re just deeper,” he said. “You put the first and second group out there, it’s a good football play. Even the 3s played pretty clean in the scrimmage.”

The Gators’ depth did suffer a hit when redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jamari Lyons broke his ankle. Lyons has the versatility to play nose tackle or end but will miss the season.

The entire team came onto the field as a show of support as medical trainers applied an air cast to the injury and carted Lyons off the field.

“I’ve never seen that in my entire coaching career,” Napier said. “That’s an indicator that these guys are doing something right — that there is that type of connection.”

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

Next up …

Florida vs. Miami

When: Aug. 31, at the Swamp, 3:30

TV: ABC

He also named Mishael “Meesh” Powell, a defensive back transfer from Washington who has ingrained himself in UM’s defense since arriving in the spring.

“He’s as good as any of the guys that I’ve been fortunate enough to be around, and it’s because he’s a professional about everything he does,” Cristobal said in an interview on The Joe Rose Show on Monday morning. “He wastes no time. There’s no BS to him. He’s all about the work. Tremendous human being. Super high IQ.”

Although Cristobal said the offense got the better of the defense in Saturday’s scrimmage, Rose said Powell had an interception during the practice.

“Brother, he just goes,” Cristobal said. “He knows one speed and one speed only, whether it be in walk-throughs, whether it be in live drills.”

Powell arrived from Washington in time for spring camp, and he brought a solid resume with him to Coral Gables. Powell had 92 tackles and three interceptions across three seasons with the Huskies (with all of the interceptions coming last season). Powell was a key player during Washington’s run to the national title game, starting 14 games. The versatile defensive back played safety, outside cornerback and slot cornerback.

Powell ultimately decided to leave the Huskies, who underwent major program changes after Alabama hired coach Kalen DeBoer to replace the retiring Nick Saban. Washington replaced DeBoer with Arizona coach Jedd Fisch.

Powell decided to take his talents to Coral Gables, and he thinks he found a team in a similar spot to the Huskies.

“This feels like looking into a mirror, honestly … Overall, I think this team is going to be great,” Powell said. “I think it’s going to be elite. I wouldn’t come here and be with this staff and this team if I didn’t think we have a shot to win it all, and I’m very confident in that.”

The Hurricanes needed safety help after Kam Kinchens and James Williams left early for the NFL, so the staff plans to use Powell primarily as a safety. He can lock down one of those two empty spots while younger and less experienced players compete for the second safety spot.

But Powell has proven to be a versatile defensive back throughout his career, playing outside cornerback, slot cornerback and safety. Powell said where he lines up will depend on the defensive package and what opposing offenses throw at UM. He believes that versatility is a strength for him.

“I’m still very back-and-forth with (the positions),” Powell said. “It’s dependent on what the offense gives to us will decide where I go. I’m not locked on a spot. If coach (Lance) Guidry said play defensive end, I’m going to play defensive end. Speaking on safety, I think my strength is being able to see everything. I’m smart. Being able to see things before it happens.

“I’ve talked to guys like Kam Kinchens — I talk to him all the time — and just ask for advice on what he thinks, how he does in the post. I think he has 10, 12 total career (interceptions). His name is up there. I’m trying to have my name up there, as well.”

Jaden Harris, a redshirt sophomore who will likely line up alongside Powell at safety, said he enjoys playing next to Powell

“It’s been a great experience working with Meesh,” Harris said. “He’s got a lot of experience, played in a lot of games. Kind of like that big brother vibe still. It’s been a great experience to go out there and play with him and learn from him.”

Helping younger players like Harris and freshman safety Zaquan Patterson (who Powell said he expects to be an All-American one day) is a key way he has shown his leadership, Cristobal said.

“He knows ball,” Cristobal said. “He knows how to leverage the ball. He knows how to play man-to-man. He knows and understands all of our defensive concepts. So not only is he a great player, he’s also a great teacher and example for the guys around him.”

Bain, Mauigoa make preseason watch list

Hurricanes defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. and linebacker Francisco Mauigoa earned spots on the Bednarik Award preseason watch list on Monday.

Former UM linebacker Dan Morgan won the award, which is given to the most outstanding defensive player in the nation, in 2000. He is the only Hurricane to ever win the award.

Bain, who was last year’s ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, had 44 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in his freshman year.

Mauigoa had a team-leading 82 tackles and 18 tackles for loss last year and tied with Bain for the team lead in sacks.