December 9, 2005
Report: Josh Portis to Leave UF
The Gainesville Sun is reporting that true freshman backup QB Josh Portis, Urban Meyer's first UF recruit, will transfer to another school, although it's not clear where Portis is looking to go. Portis' mother told the Sun that her son "needs to be at an institution where all his talents can be taken care of. He needs to grow. He needs to be in a situation where they will develop him and not put him in one play and take him out the next. They would only let him run the ball and if he made one mistake and they would take him out." Portis did not play at all during UF's 34-7 win over Florida State and had gotten only sporadic playing time during the season, rushing for 163 yards on 29 carries and completing six of 12 passes for 81 yards, with one interception. If Portis goes, that would leave UF with two scholarship QBs: Chris Leak and redshirt freshman Cornelius Ingram, although former QB Gavin Dickey played receiver this season.
Comments:
The Lama said:
posted on December 9, 2005 5:40 PM — 71.1.202.66 — link — abuse?
Old Urban runs his ship like boot camp or something. Urban drove that kid off, and will squander his remaining talent if he doesn't wise up and quit treating his kids like trash. This "earn your privilages" crap might work in little league baseball and military academies but it won't work for the gators.
Mooresville NC Gator said:
posted on December 9, 2005 8:54 PM — 71.28.109.68 — link — abuse?
A freshman leaving because of a lack of playing time? Give me a break. What did he expect? Read the other online articles.... seems like mommy thinks her little prince isn't getting enough time on the field, so she's yanking him out. I have no doubt that Portis has tons of talent, but if he or his mom are gonna be prima donnas about it, then the Gators may be better off without him. Don't let the door hit ya...
jeffrx said:
posted on December 9, 2005 10:28 PM — 207.200.116.133 — link — abuse?
I wonder why some coaches leave their first string players in the 4th quarter when the game is a rout. Many times a first string player gets hurt later in the season and the replacement player doesn't have much experience. Josh was 2 nd string and got very little playing time. They put him in for 1 play and everyone knew it was going to be a run. I think he is going to be better than Chris Leak someday.
cware said:
posted on December 10, 2005 1:14 AM — 68.59.109.33 — link — abuse?
I agree with mooresville. The guy is a freshman for heaven's sake. Lack of playing time? Chris Leak, a well established and experienced quaterback is above him. What does he expect? What did he expect when hen went to Florida? The guy sounds like a momma's boy. Let's see how he handles adversity whenever it happens wherever he may go.
Jay said:
posted on December 10, 2005 8:46 AM — 24.197.9.142 — link — abuse?
Meyer did a great job at Bowling Green before Utah. He wasn't a one-year wonder. Now, he isn't a god of coaching either...but the guy has been succesful. And the 2005 Gators wasn't all that bad either.
I agree about his mother. Upset that her true freshman son didn't get more playing time? Heck, I think they should have redshirted him to begin with and just used Dickey as the 2nd QB. If Leak had been really hurt, they could have taken the redshirt off in an emergency.
PTC Gator said:
posted on December 10, 2005 11:06 AM — 24.99.166.185 — link — abuse?
I agree with the comments about freshman playing time give me a break. I was also surprised that he was not redshirted. Does Momma know that he will have to go down a division now or sit out a year? What will that do to his playing time. So he goes to Middle Tenn State now, come on Momma let your son learn. The kid has a lot of talent and could beat out Leak nextyear. If not play the two following. You never know what can happen but this could ruin his career.
gatorkgb said:
posted on December 10, 2005 4:45 PM — 71.56.108.150 — link — abuse?
Dickey has a much better arm and a snappy release. Portis would have been 3rd string if Dickey hadn't missed spring practice playing baseball (he was starting CF on the #2 UF team)and was thus unavailable until early summer. Portis definitely has wheels, he's typically the fastest player on the field, and it would have been interesting to see how he developed, but we're gonna get Tim Tebow, and it's likely Portis never would have played at QB.
He's an exciting player, through probably not a QB, I wish him luck when he pops up at USC or UCLA.
Mike said:
posted on December 10, 2005 5:49 PM — 70.146.108.79 — link — abuse?
listen...i hope with all the trash talking some of you are doing to urban meyer that you aren't gator fans...josh portis is leaving because he probably recognizes UF is about to sign two better QBs...maybe u guys remember Brent Schafer formerly of UT is most probably going to UF next year and he is rated #2 Dual Threat QB in the nation on Rivals....oh and by the way Tim Tebow, the #1 dual threat QB may sign with UF as well this tuesday..so Portis probably recognized he'll never play for the Gators if this goes down
posted on December 10, 2005 6:32 PM — 68.35.231.61 — link — abuse?Mike Boone said:
Why would Tebow come to Florida and sit behind Leak for a year when he could start at Alabama as soon as he set foot on the field?
cware said:
posted on December 10, 2005 9:55 PM — 68.59.109.33 — link — abuse?
Portis transferring because he is afraid of competition from some unproven quarterbacks? That isn't what his mom stated or suggested. The statement suggests he wants more playing time, at quarterback. He is a freshman behind an all american type quarterback complaining about playing time (or his mom is). He is a whiner and besides that he may not be good enough anyway to play quarterback. That may be his real reason for leaving. He isn't good enough to play quarterback at Florida and needs to drop down a level to play that position. Baby.
Female said:
posted on December 11, 2005 12:03 PM — 69.230.211.72 — link — abuse?
It is actually funny that most of you are blaming this on Josh Portis. Well, I know for a fact that this kids is bright, respectful and a hard worker. I was a parent at Taft when he played QB (Mind you the best in the Country and the Top Recruit). It is his mother it has nothing to do with Josh; trust me Josh is not a complainer, nor a whiner. He wants to have friends and he wants to be far away from Mommy Dearest, but she just won't let him go. And he (Josh) may feel that he is obligated to her. Hell she is a single mother and all that he knows and trust is his mother. Don't blame the kid, look at the bigger picture his mom. JOSH I AM SORRY THAT IT HAS COME DOWN TO THIS
Foodman53 said:
posted on December 12, 2005 2:05 PM — 150.176.165.5 — link — abuse?
Unfortunatly...this sounds like a kid(and his Mom) who either were promised too much, or assumed too much about his athletic future and playing time. Having had a son go through the recruiting process, and later play college football.....you find out very quickly that "recruiting" and actually being a participating part of the team are two unrelated concepts!!
Bottom-line, a coach's job depends on winning games, and, secondarily...recruiting kids to your program....and, a coach will say, or do, darn near anything in order to keep his job.
I do have some sympathy for the kid....some just can't deal with the "comedownence" from high school recruit to freshman squad filler!! Mom Portis should have known better!! From what has been previously written, the Portis' "shopped" 3 or 4 different high schools in order to find the "best situation".
When my son played, it was both amusing and annoying to have to deal with the "re-living my life vicariously through my kid" crowd. Sadly, it seems like that group grows exponentally every year!
Michael E. Burgess said:
posted on December 14, 2005 9:48 AM — 67.180.69.98 — link — abuse?
I can support Josh Portis leaving UF for another school so he can get playing time, if he's that good a player. But is he? The other thing is, he's coming to another team as a backup true freshman and the worst of it all is, the new school, whichever one it will be, is going to know ahead of time that he comes with a case of mommy-itis. His mother transferred him around between not one but SEVERAL high schools in California so he could get the playing time she felt he deserved. She is doing the same thing now. I can't blame her for wanting to see her son get the best opportunity. But this is a case where they will have to announce over the loudspeakers, "...and at quarterback, Josh Portis...and his mom". This, at his fourth university in four years--if she lets him go four years before declaring.
gomez3247 said:
posted on December 20, 2005 9:32 PM — 68.156.6.130 — link — abuse?
Leaving Florida because of a lack of playing time huh? Well he was a true freshman was he not. Not too many damn freshman come straight in and take over the reings right off the bat much less get 10-15 snaps a season. Now corresct me if i'm wrong and I very well may be but if you leave a school to go to a different school dont you have to sit for a year???? and if thats true when it comes to no playing he aint seen nothing yet....................no pun intended
Notre Dame Fan 444 said:
posted on December 22, 2005 1:23 PM — 199.208.239.140 — link — abuse?
If you transfer from one divsion 1-A school to another, you must sit out a year. If you transfer to a division 1-aa or less you can play the next year. 18 year old, kids are just that, they are kids. Sometimes they make the wrong decision.
Kid from Taft said:
posted on December 30, 2005 12:26 AM — 66.75.78.245 — link — abuse?
I seriously think Josh is making a mistake on this one. I go to Taft and I've went to every single game the kid plays and let me tell you, it was a whole new ball game once he stepped out onto that field. He was treated like a god here at Taft and everyone was babbling on about how he was the Vick of the California H.S. realm. I really thought that he was in good hands in Florida. I just think that he's listening to bad advise from the wrong people. Portis is good, but still has a lot of room to grow under Meyer and Leak. His mom needs to chill just a little to. She made sure that his name was well known by the time he graduated from taft and helped Josh to get into UF. I really don't think she'll be ablle to do that again in college.
I'm sure that Meyer didn't go out of his way to fly over to Josh's house and personally recruit him to Utah if he didn't respect him and his talent. His mom trusted Meyer w/ Portis and followed him over to Florida and when he didn't get "enough playing time" she turns her back. He's a freshman under the expirienced Chris Leak. No matter the talent (and i've seen him single-handedly make defensive coords pull out their hair along the visters' side lines many a times) he was bound to spend most of the time on the sideline. I'm surprised his mom expected more. If he stays it's a locked starting position as a junior...
Utahmansir said:
posted on May 20, 2006 12:59 AM — 67.166.118.195 — link — abuse?
Josh Portis is a talent. He was a recruit at Utah and followed Meyer to FU. He is the type of QB that fits the Meyer offense and was a top five kid in the country when he came out. Maybe he couldn't hack it in the bigs. FU is not small-time college football. What I don't understand is why he would leave a perenial power on it's way back to the top. Meyer will not settle for another season like last year at FU. Portis missed out on a huge exposure opportunity. Who's to say he even gets PT at Maryland?
GI JOE said:
posted on June 20, 2006 2:45 AM — 138.163.160.41 — link — abuse?
Why do we criticize the kids? It was also said that Kobe Bryant, or Labron James could not play in the NBA right out of high school. From what I understand, the player with the most talent should play, regardless, if they are a freshman, junior, or senior. If Josh felt as if he did not get the chance to compete against Chris equally, just because he was a freshmen, then that is wrong. At the beginning of every season, every player should be competing for the starting job, it should not be a given, not even for Chris. Josh leaving UF could be a blessing, UF have a history of QB flops going to the NFL anyway,,,oops. I am a die hard gator, but it is Josh and moms decision, and thiers alone. A few years ago, another QB left UF under Steve S, and went to Maimi, but was not criticized. Josh follow your mind, NFL coaches will reconize talent regardless of the team, even Steve Mcnair came from a small college.
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Tommie Trojan said:
posted on December 9, 2005 5:13 PM — 208.57.130.196 — link — abuse?I never did get the thing with Urban Meyer. Guy has one good year at a "Mid Major" and everybody thought that he was God or something even greater. I guess the guy who should be the "most intelligent" of the recruits doesn't think he is so muckenfuch. The teams play was sporadic at best. Sure, they had good players left around and could put up a good game now and then, but I never could understand what all the hoopla was about. Alex Smith is why Utah won games - just like Matt Leinart is the reason that USC wins games. I think that some coaches get way too much credit. Looks like the kid Portis put up some pretty decent numbers while he was in there - pretty good for a true freshman QB. Hope he has good luck wherever he ends up. I think that something must be really wrong when Leak is probably going to enter the draft and this kid just ups and quits. Strange.
Tommie Trojan