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Florida's Jim McElwain 'has great respect' for predecessor Will Muschamp

At the annual Southeastern Conference Spring Meeting at the Hilton Sandestin Resort, McElwain was asked about remarks made last month by Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp when the former Florida coach asked, in jest, whether McElwain liked his dog better than he liked his own players in Gainesville.

“I missed all that,” McElwain said Tuesday. “I just know what a great coach he is. I’ve known him a little bit through people. We had conversations. He was very helpful in this job. I’ve got nothing but great respect for him.”

Of course, Muschamp’s remarks weren’t unsolicited. McElwain was quoted in March saying that the Gators were “really insufficient” at some positions on the field, namely along the offensive line, where the team had only seven players on scholarship and was relying on some walk-ons to fill out the two-deep depth chart.