With Steve Spurrier leaving the University of Florida, you still never know if any underclassmen will use his departure as a reason to leave the Gators for the NFL.
The Gators have four top underclassmen who could turn pro early -- receivers Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell, cornerback Lito Sheppard and offensive tackle Mike Pearson. If any of them were to declare for the NFL draft by next Friday, the deadline for underclassmen, Gaffney and Caldwell figure to be possibile draft picks in the first or second round, Pearson would project as a second-round possibility, and Sheppard could go in the second- to fourth-round range.
As a third-year sophomore, Rex Grossman could leave for the NFL, but I think he would benefit greatly from another year in school. He is still a young, developing quarterback. While he has a strong arm, he doesn't have prototypical NFL size for a quarterback. He needs another year in the system, regardless of who the coach is.
Other than Grossman, I wouldn't be surprised if any of the other four players left for the NFL, even if Spurrier had remained as coach. However, Florida's choice as the next head coach could have an impact on their decisions to stay in school. Sometimes, players feel more comfortable when head coach is hired from within in order to maintain the program's continuity.
The most recent example is Miami (Fla.). When Larry Coker was hired after Butch Davis left for the NFL, no prominent players left the program early, and the Hurricanes proceeded to win a national championship. In fact, offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie had a chance to leave after his junior season, but he decided to stay.
Along with the current players, the choice as Spurrier's successor will also have to satisfy the recruits who have already commited to Florida. Every year the Gators have to battle Miami and Florida State as well as other programs both inside and outside of Florida for the best athletes.
Florida wasn't a dominant program until Spurrier took over in 1990. Spurrier has taken the program to an extraordinary level. The Gators won 10-plus games in nine of 12 seasons. Every year they were considered a possible national-championship team. He produced a Heisman Trophy winner (Danny Wuerffel) and several high draft picks. The next coach has the awesome task of continuing Spurrier's success.
