Debose will be just fine

By
Robbie Andreu
-
18
157

Over the past few weeks, I’ve received quite a few e-mails from people inquiring about the status of redshirt freshman wide receiver Andre Debose, whom Urban Meyer compared to Percy Harvin when he signed as part of the 2009 recruiting class.

Is Debose hurt?

Is he in the dog house?

Did he do something wrong?

Is he a bust?

Well, the answers to those questions are no, no, no and no.

Debose’s hamstring is completely healed and he’s 100 percent now. He’s doing fine in school and is in good standing with the coaching staff. And he has the same skill set and up side he did when he signed with the Gators 18 months ago.

Why isn’t Debose playing more and catching passes? He isn’t quite ready yet. As Meyer said on the SEC coaches’ teleconference Wednesday, he’s still behind the learning curve at wide receiver. And as we’ve seen in the past, receivers (all players for that matter) at Florida do not see the playing time until they’re ready.

Debose isn’t quite there yet, but he’s getting closer every week.

You have to remember that there is little difference between Debose and the true freshman wide receivers. The extent of his experience over them at UF is two days — one practice before the spring game; then the Spring game. Other than that, he’s right with the freshmen, who are not doing much yet, either (other than Robert Clark).

Not only did his hamstring injury basically cost him a year, now Debose is learning a new wide receiver position — out wide instead of in the slot. With UF going to more of a conventional offense, the coaches like Debose on the outside, where he’ll get more man-to-man coverage and be able to utilize his great quickness, speed and hands.

Debose played in the first half of the Tennessee game last Saturday, but did not catch a pass. The fact he even saw the field again means he’s making progress.

He’s coming along slower than many UF fans were expecting, but it’s time to show some patience. Debose will break out at some point this season, and I’m guessing the wait will have been worth it.

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18 COMMENTS

  1. Why isn’t DuBose ready to play yet? Did he forget his jock strap again? Are his shoes not tied? Don’t his pads fit?

    Or is Urban saying that he can’t block? Or he doesn’t know the playbook? Or he can’t run a decent route? What is it?

  2. I hope he does turn out alright for the Gators. Even his Youtube highschool highlights tape isn’t THAT impressive, considering the hype. Trey Burton’s 2008 highlight tape on Youtube is much more jaw dropping, in comparison.

    But hey dudes got speed and I’m all about it.

  3. Thanks for the update on Debose, Robbie. I respectfully disagree though with your statement that he is essentially only 2 days ahead of the true freshman. While that may be true of his actual, on field practice time, he has been part of the team for a full year, and much can and should be absorbed in terms of playbook, schemes, terminology and the physical expectations even while recovering from the injury he had. In this regard, he should be light years ahead of the new guys like Clark, yet obviously is not. However, glad to hear he is well and on the right track.

  4. I think Urban needs to stop comparing people to P. Harvin. When you do that everyone has higher expectation of the player, that he may not be able to live up to. I’m not taking anything for Debose, but P. Harvin is a once in a life time type of player. Not an every two years type of player.

  5. What Robbie is saying, I believe, is he is right with the other Freshmen at Wide Out, since he was just moved there and any/all time he had in the preseason was learning the slot position. If you have played ball, you will know that the difference between inside and out are like night and day. The blocking techniques, routes and changing plays at the line are different. It’s like taking a Orthopedic Doctor and moving him to ENT. Being a basic doctor is the same, but, the specialty differs drastically! You will see him emerge. I hope he is a deadly weapon waiting to be sprung loose on Bamer!

  7. I don’t like it.
    Why do we play only one set of WR’s the whole game? We need fresh guys out there.
    If we want to get separation for our WR’s part of that is having fresher WR’s than the DB’s, and that will never happen if we only trust 2-3 of the WR’s to be on the field.
    Why do we let 6-8 guys languish on the bench? If we are running a sweep to the right, have the WR on the left be a fresh guy running a fly pattern. The DB’s still have to run with them, which wears the DB’s out. If the DB’s stop running with them, you run the sweep with Burton and have him stop and throw the bomb. With the DB having left the WR, easy TD.
    Why have depth if you aren’t going to use it? Why bother recruiting a dozen 4-5 star WR’s to have them sit the pine all game? UF is winning games by sending out waves of defenders and dominating their tired opponents. Why won’t the offense do the same?

  8. I think this is one of the unfortunate side effects of having close games the first 2 weeks against Miami of Ohio and USF. If we were in control of those games by halftime, the younger guys would have gotten more reps and we’d have seen them more. Instead the starters had to play virtually the whole game both times. Hopefully we can get a huge lead on Kentucky and the young guys can get in there a bit more on Saturday.

  9. where has everyone been. meyer only trusts a very proven few. he uses same guys over and over even if it means defeat as in tebow-harvin against mich. its like earl campbell at oilers, great player but cant beat 2 linebackers and lineman at pittsburgh when they where he is coming.

  10. I am not buying this not ready argument….a guy as talented as Debose is a playmaker…and coaches find ways to use his talent….just as we did with Harvin..both are game changers…now its not to say Debose is a Harvin but does anyone think Harvin knew all the plays his freshmen year? no….jus use him where you can….you think if he were on another team he wouldn’t be playing…think again..

  11. Robbie,

    Really? He’s going to play this year? His next catch won’t come until App. State.

    You know as well as I do what happens to guys that Urban talks about like this…they never play. Never. All the guys that are “close”, never see the field for any meaningful PT.

  14. It’s amazing how many coaches there are sitting in the stands that have so much more experience and football knowledge than our staff. Let’s just throw a bunch of guys out on the field and see what happens. I have no problem questioning, but most of you think you should be wearing the headset on Saturday, despite the fact you are obviously clueless, instead of the coach who had won two national championships, produced two national championships and has had a ridiculous amount of players drafted by the NFL. Nothing is ever good enough. Dooley is right- nobody suffers winning like Gator fans.

  15. dubose situation is small potatoes compared to them still running demps on a dive up the middle. he cant break tackles and is going to get hurt. run gillislee and other bigger baks up the middle and save demps for off tackle and wider stuff. its the same poop as last year, just cause maybe he breaks one or two long runs up the middle all year a dazed dio thinks its a good play. stupid and if weve got much of a lead they better stop letting him return kicks or hes goin to get hurt on that also. what the hells wrong with pouncy and the continued poor snaps, its 100% ridiculous. if hes too worried about pulling to snap it right then u cant pull him, pretty simple. brantley needs to go deep more and thet #8 cb isnt ready and needs more help and jenkins needs to learn how to dodge a stiffarm so he doesnt get smoked like the ut bak did. he looked like he was tebowed. go gators beat the pussycats.

  16. Enough with the second guessing…Urban’s forgotten more about football than any of us know. If he says Debose isn’t quite ready, especially with the offense struggling, then I believe him…In Urban we trust!