LB Shemar James out and other takeaways from Florida football practice.

Florida football held its fourth fall practice at The Sanders Practice Fields on Friday afternoon.
In all, the Florida Gators will practice 15 times over a three-week period to prepare for their season opener Aug. 31 at Utah. The Gators will look to sweep the two-game series with the Utes after beating Utah 29-26 in The Swamp a year ago.
Several position battles are still taking place, including at quarterback, cornerback and inside linebacker. So far, Napier has been pleased with the work ethic in practice.
"I respect their approach to accountability," Napier said. "We talked about telling each other the truth, being consistent in that, living the truth, telling the truth and being able to take the truth and ultimately this group is in a good place. We’ve got some leadership that has developed, and I think the personality of this group is in a good place."
Here are three takeaways from Friday's 15-minute open portion of practice:
Florida linebacker Shemar James not at practice
Florida linebacker Shemar James was not at practice, a day after Napier confirmed he was being evaluated for a lower body injury. With James out, Teradja Mitchell and Derek Wingo led linebacker drills, followed by Mannie Nunnery and Scooby Williams.
Freshman defensive lineman Andre Morris and freshman wide receiver Brian Green Jr. worked out to the side in non-contact jerseys.
Florida freshman wide receiver Eugene Wilson III and sophomore wide receiver Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman were out of non-contact jerseys and took part in live passing drills for the first time on Friday. Wilson, a borderline four/five star recruit from Tampa, displayed quickness getting in and out of breaks on routes.
Napier has been pleased with the competition at wide receiver in camp, noting that early enrollee freshman Andy Jean has made "a big jump" over the summer.
Tight End, Safety still areas of concern from Billy Napier
The tight end and safety position groups remain areas of concern for Napier, due to lack of experience. The addition of safety R.J. Moten, a transfer from Michigan. has brought some experience to the back end of the secondary.
"Tight end and safety are very similar in a lot of regards in terms of we’re going to be depending on young players who don’t have significant experience - maybe we have a veteran or two," Napier said. "But I like that room. There’s a growth that needs to take place there. It’s one of the more challenging positions on our team - safety would be in the same category."