The days of dues-paying and automatic redshirts may be rapidly on their way to the dust bins as more freshmen arrive on campus earlier and more prepared to play thanks to the proliferation of specialized camps, coaches and training programs for fledgling players. Joe Paterno notwithstanding, college coaches are also more open to getting their best athletes on the field as quickly as possible, especially when they could be on their way to the NFL in another two years, anyway.

But it is a brave new world indeed when an undisputed national power releases a Week One depth chart like the one Florida issued today for Saturday’s opener with Miami (Ohio), which includes 17 true freshmen who are likely to see the field for the Gators as part of the two-deep. Add four more redshirt freshmen who didn’t play at all last year, and there’s a noob in line to play immediately at every position except center, weakside linebacker and free safety.

Even in 2010, you don’t see that every day. In the first place, the Gators had plenty of open positions after losing nine multi-year starters to the draft (five of them as early entrants), more than any other team in the country. In the second, UF signed one the most ridiculous recruiting classes in recent memory in February, a chart-topping haul that included 11 members of Rivals’ top 100 overall players, including the No. 1 defensive end (Ronald Powell, right); the No. 1 and No. 2 defensive tackles (Sharrif Floyd and Domonique Easley); the No. 3 inside linebacker (Michael Taylor); the No. 3 and No. 4 cornerbacks (Joshua Shaw and Jaylen Watkins) and the No. 2 safety (Matt Elam). All seven are listed on the initial two-deep for the RedHawks, including Powell and Easley, who were both reportedly considering a transfer after taking some heat from veterans and missing a practice last week. If anything happens to new starter John Brantley, both of his backups (Tyler Murphy and Trey Burton) are true freshmen.

Notably, though, the Gators don’t list any of the frosh as projected starters –