FOUR BITS: Thompson, buzz, Green, Lawrence

By Adam Silverstein
August 8, 2010

1 » Florida Gators redshirt junior wide receiver Deonte Thompson is looking to quiet the doubters from last season – especially those who said he had bad hands. “I don’t know where that came from, but it came,” Thompson said according to the Florida Times-Union. “I guess because I dropped the ball against Charleston Southern the first game. People started saying I couldn’t catch.” WR coach Zach Azzanni agrees. “Deonte doesn’t have bad hands,” he said. “Maybe he didn’t make a couple plays he should have last year, but he’s got fantastic hands. […] Catching the ball is a learned skill. He can certainly catch the ball. There are some details he was lacking last year that we’re going to try to improve and hopefully it helps him and improves him.”

Three more BITS on basketball’s buzz, Green-Beckham and Lawrence’s future…

2 » Florida basketball is garnering a lot of buzz this summer, and LaRue Cook of ESPN Insider (subscription required) took a look at the team in a piece that was published on Aug. 6. Cook mostly spoke with assistant coach Larry Shyatt, who gave his thoughts on some of his players. “If [Patric Young] has the stamina to start the season, then he’ll be a big lift,” Shyatt said of the big man. “Casey [Prather]’s walking into an ideal situation in terms of numbers,” he added. “No team could have had less in terms of depth in the backcourt than we did last year.”

3 » On July 16, OGGOA reported that five-star 2012 WR recruit Dorial Green-Beckham (Springfield, MO) is one of the head coach Urban Meyer’s top targets next year and, because he has interest in playing basketball as well, was able to meet with Gators head coach Billy Donovan as well during a recent visit. The Springfield News-Leader wrote a profile piece on Green-Beckham on Saturday, confirming that the meeting took place. Green-Beckham has also visited Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas, according to the paper, but is trying to lessen the pressure to make a decision by keeping personal information (like his phone number) private.

4 » Though Florida did release redshirt sophomore wide receiver T.J. Lawrence from his football scholarship, the school has restricted which universities he may transfer to, according to the player. Having already received interest from South Florida, South Alabama, Washington State, Eastern Kentucky and Pearl River Community College, Lawrence says he believes the Gators are putting “barriers on all SEC schools, rival schools and schools Florida plays in the next two years.” Lawrence plans to make a decision “around Monday or Tuesday” so he can move on with his football career.

6 Comments

  1. Mr2Bits says:

    Deonte nailed it as to why he was labeled to have bad hands. It was the wide open streak route he dropped against CS and then another TD pass where Tebow hit him on a crossing route against Troy. I can’t recall but think he had one or two more wide open drops after that as well. I do remember all my buddies and I excessively celebrating when he actually held onto the ball for a TD.

  2. Gatorbuc15 says:

    I believe Deonte is a very talented wide reciever. Though, I do believe that he under achieved last year and could have done a lot better. He has a bit to prove in this upcoming season, and I hope he does great because we really need him to.

  3. Daniel M. says:

    Didn’t Deonte drop a pass that was a perfectly thrown bomb against Cincy? Maybe it was Rainey but I do remember DT dropping a free six bomb late in the year. Regardless, would love to see him take charge in 2010. I see no reason why he won’t.

    There are a lot of very talented WR’s on the roster who have yet to do anything. I”m excited as ever to see who will break free from the others. You know the ball will be sprayed around with by JoBra. Nobody will be able to say they didn’t get a chance because the QB was running it all day.

  4. GatorDynasty says:

    I’m really excited about Frankie Hammond Jr. (if he gets his scholarship back). But Adam, I have news on running back Mike Bellamy.

  5. STEVEN says:

    WHAT’S THE NEWS ON BELLAMY??????

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