Gator Football Begins Practice Today

A long wait is finally over for a lot of college football fans, coaches and players today in and around Gainesville as the University of Florida football team officially begins practice today for the 2012 season.

Florida held its annual Media Day event yesterday with Gator coach Will Muschamp and several players speaking about the upcoming season.   There was not a lot of new information that came from the session but Muschamp did say the August 18th practice would be the only one open to the public and to the media and that will happen between 9 and 11am.

Muschamp did give some injury updates, saying that linebacker Ronald Powell was making good progress from his surgery and that he would play this year.   He said freshman tight end Colin Thompson (foot) and senior Nick Alajajian (back) will be “slowed” for the first 10 days or so of practice.   Wide receiver Stephen Alli (stress fracture) and freshman safety Marcus Maye (meniscus injury) should return by the middle of camp while defensive back Jeremy Brown should be cleared by September 1 after wrist surgery.

The USA Today Coaches Poll was released Thursday and the Gators are ranked at number 23, one of seven SEC teams ranked in the poll.   Five SEC schools are in the top ten with LSU and Alabama at number one and two respectively with Georgia at sixth, South Carolina ninth and Arkansas 10th.  Auburn is also ranked in the poll.