James ready to do his part

[TheTodd]

The expanded role of Brandon James will be one of the more intriguing aspects of the 2008 Florida offense. With the loss of tight end Cornelius Ingram and the slow recovery from heel surgery by playmaker extraordinaire Percy Harvin, the Gators have had to find some other playmakers. James is already the most feared kick returner in the nation. This season he might have a chance to become every bit as feared as a wide receiver.

Over the past two years, James has lined-up at running back and a few times at wide receiver. Starting in the spring, he was moved to the inside slot where he is primarily a pass receiver.

James is a mismatch nightmare for defenses and this is in an offense with weapons like Louis Murphy, Riley Cooper, Deonte Thompson, Emmanuel Moody, Chris Rainey and Aaron Hernandez. He has that elusive, make you miss quality which has allowed Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen to find new ways for the offense to attack defenses.

James has enjoyed the transition to the new position and he likes the possibilities of an expanded role in the offense.

“It’s been a lot of fun being around the receivers and learning the technique things and ways to get open,” James stated. “Like I said, if I can get the ball more and be on the field a little bit more --- that’s fun.

“I feel like after the spring and pre-season that I’m having that I’ve kind of established myself as a big time playmaker in this offense. I feel like I’m being used in the right situations and we’re doing what’s best for the team.”

Closed practice sessions have prohibited us from seeing the action. James said that he is getting the necessary reps and made the most of that time.

“I’ve had my share of plays,” he stated. “In the scrimmage I made a few good catches and a few touchdowns and things like that.”

What areas does James need to emphasize as camp closes out and the Gators game plan for Hawaii?

“Just technique things, mostly blocking on the perimeter that’s the main thing, because you’ve got to protect your guy,” he said. “My route running, getting the right depth, and just coming out of my breaks, and everything like that.”

James has worked in the slot for the Gators, but after spending more time as a wide out begs the question about his ability to effectively get off the line of scrimmage without being jammed.

“With me being kind of short with my quickness it’s kind of tough for guys to get a hand on me and jam me and things like that,” James said. “So, I don’t feel like there’s nothing in particular, but I’m kind of a tougher target for the quarterbacks so they have to be very accurate.

“I want to be involved, but I want to be involved in the offense period at receiver and running the ball. If I can help the team by touching the ball a little bit more and make plays I’d be willing to do it.”

It seems that James opportunities for touches are directly related to the absence of Percy Harvin and the hard truth is that’s exactly the case for several of the Florida players. James knows that he must make the most of these opportunities.

“Just to step-up,” James said when asked what he must do. “With Percy being out there’s nothing different. I think that he may only be out for one or two games if that with the ankle injury. So, just step up and learn the offense a little bit more- basically at receiver and with the running back thing just pick that up a little bit more and make plays.”

Harvin’s exact status is unknown, but the players understand the possibility that he could miss a portion of the early schedule.

“He’s day-by-day with his ankle,” James said. “He’s getting healthier, getting a lot of treatment. We’ll see when the season starts. I’m just hitting it hard. If he’s out, I’ll just have to step my game up. Of course with a guy like P [Percy Harvin] you want him to be out there on the field. But, I feel like we have a lot of good athletes and playmakers. If he does sit out a game or two, we’ll be fine. We have some guys that can step-up and fill in.”

James will already have a prominent place in Florida’s game plan even if he doesn’t become a go-to guy at wide receiver. He’s on pace to finish his Florida career with all the records for punt and kickoff returns. Most preseason magazines had him either first or second team All-American as a return specialist.

No matter what role he plays, James wants to what’s best for the team. He doesn’t mind if he’s remembered most as a special teams playmaker. He just wants to be remembered as a player that was always willing to help his team.

“Yes, that’s the way that I established myself my freshman year,” James said. “I just have to take everything in stride. It kind of goes with what we need. If I’m not needed too much in the offense, then I have to make my impact known on the special teams and that’s what I try to do game-by-game.”