With one spot remaining, the wide receiver battle is on between Florida juniors Riley Cooper and Carl Moore. Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy are locked in as starters with Deonte Thompson running with the two in the "z" position designated for quick playmakers.
Wide receivers coach Billy Gonzalez said, "We're waiting for someone to step up and take the position." With that in mind, Cooper or Moore must show some impressive work before August 30.
Cooper had some shining moments against Western Carolina in 2006 and Western Kentucky and Tennessee in 2007. The Clearwater native has 6 receiving touchdowns on 12 receptions and averages 22 yards per carry. Not bad for just 2 starts and for a guy who spends the majority of Spring and Summer on the baseball field.
And then there's Carl Moore. The California junior college transfer is eyeing the remaining position just as much as Cooper. During his sophomore year at Sierra Community College, Moore raked in 1,068 yards on 73 receptions with 16 touchdowns.
Now I'm no football expert, well yes, for a chick, I pretty much am...it doesn't take much sense to know junior college competition is a far cry from the bloodbath known as the SEC. So a comparison by numbers is pretty much child's play in these two distant worlds. Gonzalez says Cooper is as talented as any receiver across the country with other coaches saying Moore reacts naturally on the field instead of methodically running routes.
Just 11 days remains for these two to battle it out for that coveted starting position. So what's my opinion you ask? My vote is for Cooper. He has two years of Gator football under his belt and despite a few injuries along the way, he's shown some very impressive play. Plus he's Tebow's roommate now. I just don't think you could ask for much more.