In the order of your questions: No.
Yes. We get him although we are out of scholarship offers. A. Leon Polhill, Gator "I was gratified to be able to answer promptly, and I did. I said I didn't know." - Mark Twain ________________________________ From: Helen Huntley <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Mon, January 25, 2010 12:34:30 PM Subject: [gatortalk] Re: [gatornews] [SUN]: McFarland will grayshirt this Fall [Aschoff] I'd never heard this term before. So under these circumstances, does he still count as one of the scholarships in the current class? Does this leave him with the option of redshirting after he gets to UF? If not, what really is the advantage here? On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 11:06 AM, Shane Ford <[email protected]> wrote: McFarland will grayshirt this Fall > >By Edward Aschoff >Gainesville SUN Recruiting Beat Writer >Published: Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 7:45 p.m. >Last Modified: Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 7:45 p.m. > > >When Michael McFarland was first approached more than a week ago by Florida's >coaches with the possibility of grayshirting this fall, he was very >apprehensive about it. >For the Tampa Blake tight end, playing major college football had been a goal >of his since his pee-wee football days and grayshirting would just delay that >goal. Instead of reporting to Gainesville in July and participating in summer >practices, McFarland would have to stay in Tampa before enrolling at Florida >next January. >McFarland wasn't comfortable with the situation until Florida's staff informed >him that this was completely up to him. With the power of choice now in his >hands, McFarland said he took the week before his official visit to Florida to >think over his decision. >After meeting with the coaches extensively over the weekend, McFarland decided >it would be best to take time off to add some bulk to his 6-foot-6, 230-pound >frame. >"I'm just going to wait until my time comes," said McFarland, who Rivals.com >ranks as a three-star prospect and the 24th-best tight end in the country. >"Patience is a virtue. I've never been a patient kid, but I've had to work for >everything anyway. I was used to working hard and getting something quick. I >had to wait 12 years (to play college football) and now I have to wait >(longer). >"Patience, I just have to have it and go hard in the weight room and work on >everything I need to work on, which is speed and quickness, so I can go up >there in January and everything will be good to go." >Accepting the grayshirt means that McFarland can still sign his Letter of >Intent on National Signing Day on Feb. 3. >McFarland said grades had no influence on his decision, but he plans to take >classes at Hillsborough Community College this fall.. >Grades weren't a problem, but his appearance was. A thigh injury sidelined >McFarland for three games during his senior year and McFarland said Florida's >coaches didn't think he was physically ready to compete at Florida, yet. To >get his body in the proper shape, McFarland said he's planning to use the rest >of the year to add muscle and increase his speed. His goal is to get into the >270-275-pound range before next January. >One of the factors that influenced McFarland's decision to delay his >enrollment was his involvement with his high school basketball team. McFarland >said he loses too much muscle mass during the season and would now have more >time to regain and add to that. >"I want to add up there to what I already have," he said. "I wouldn't want to >go up there all stripped of everything and then start from scratch again. >"This is a great opportunity for me to take these next six months and run with >them and then go there and blow everybody's mind." >McFarland said he also used his visit to develop better relationships with his >future teammates and coaches. The family atmosphere coach Urban Meyer and his >players have created at Florida helped McFarland get over his disappointment >of pushing back his arrival in Gainesville. >He also learned that Florida's coaching staff will be working him through this >entire process. >"I've got to put those people more in my life because if there's anything I >need, they wanted me to know that I can go to them for anything," he said. > -- >GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! >1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions >2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions >2008 National Football Champions | >Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), >Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
