This update was written by Doug Gillett, on the scene in Birmingham.
Entering his senior season with the Florida Gators, QB John Brantley is now under his third different offensive coordinator and learning his third new offensive scheme. Probably not what he expected when he signed on to be Tim Tebow's heir apparent, but he still talks as though the third time -- now under ex-New England Patriots OC and Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis -- might be the charm.
"The coaches have made the transition real easy," he said, having gone from Dan Mullen's spread to Steve Addazio's quasi-spread and now to Weis' pro-style setup. "I've gotta get used to taking snaps from under center again -- under center you can't see the field as well." But the new scheme "definitely suits us a little better. It helps me out a lot because I'm not a runner. I try not to take too many hits."
The hardest part of picking up Weis' playbook, he said, was the verbiage: "You look at it the first day and you're like, 'I'm never gonna get this.' But it definitely gets easier."
Brantley praised wide receiver Deonte Thompson ("That's my boy") and an offensive line he said has done a great job of bouncing back from injuries suffered during the spring. Though he confessed to a "bitter taste in my mouth" from last year's disappointing 8-5 campaign, he said he was grateful for the unflappable demeanor of Will Muschamp and the rest of the coaching staff, who've played many big games in many big stadiums before. "When you see your head coach go into places like this and not get rattled, that really motivates the rest of us," he said.
For more SEC, head to Team Speed Kills. For more on SEC Media Days, stay tuned to SBNation.com's streaming coverage, plus SB Nation Atlanta's as well. Here's the complete 2011 SEC Media Days TV schedule.