Hunter ready to perform for Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - As Florida wide receiver Andre Debose has battled a hamstring injury for months, chances to meet Gator-sized expectations this season might be diminishing.

Defensive tackle Omar Hunter says that may not be such a bad thing for Debose. Most Gators fans remember coach Urban Meyer placing the same overhype on Hunter before last season that Debose received in February as the heir apparent to Percy Harvin.

Hunter, a former star at Buford, was expected to bolster a sluggish defensive line, but instead he showed up to camp out of shape and far from contributing.

"I know coach Meyer hyped me up a little bit," said Hunter, laughing.

The positive: A redshirt season helped Hunter lose more than 20 pounds and crack the rotation as Lawrence Marsh's backup.

Upon meeting Debose over the summer, Hunter relayed simple advice.

"With how much he was recruited, don't let everything get you down," Hunter said about his conversation with Debose. "Just play your game."

High-profile recruits often need at least a year to adjust to the college game. The Gators even have an Omar Hunter 2.0 on their hands with freshman defensive tackle Gary Brown, a five-star recruit who will probably redshirt this year after reporting to camp out of shape.

Hunter was 6-foot and more than 320 pounds, but he has slimmed to around 302. Hanging out with defensive end Will Green, also in his second year, helped keep Hunter accountable, he said.

Hunter initially struggled with pass rushing, beating a run block and footwork. But if anybody thought he didn't play because he wasn't any good, Hunter's injury situation was worse than first expected.

A back injury lingered throughout the fall, followed by ankle and elbow problems. Dating back to last summer, this created a 9-month span of ineffectiveness. As if it wasn't bad enough that he needed shots to kill the pain from the bulging disc in his back.

That overhype has vaporized for the most part. Hunter is just one of the guys now - until h

Comment on "Hunter ready to perform for Gators"