Football News

Despite his ties to the Lone Star State, as a result of his tenure as the defensive coordinator at the University of Texas from 2008-10, Florida coach Will Muschamp hasn't pressed the issue too much as it relates to recruiting the region now that he is running the show in Gainesville. When the Gators have extended an offer to a prospect to Texas, typically there has been a smart reason. In the case of Belton, Texas, tight end Durham Smythe, it appears that UF's coaches simply figure the kid was too perfect of a fit not to offer.

St. Louis, Miss., offensive lineman Jack Kurzu has been to Florida many times, but Saturday was a little different. “The visit was a great visit for me,” said, Kurzu, who’s father suited up for the Gators. “I finally got the opportunity to meet coach (Tim) Davis, the new offensive line coach at Florida.” The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Kurzu was impressed with Davis, and for a lot of reasons.

As it relates to the recruiting process, afternoons don't get much better than the one which Bloomfield, N.J. offensive lineman Marcell Lazard experienced on Tuesday.

James Wilson Florida guard James Wilson is seeking a sixth year of eligibility, UF spokesman Dan Apple confirmed. The school has sent its appeal to the NCAA and hopes to hear back before the start of spring practice. The St. Augustine native has played in only 38 career games and had six starts after suffering numerous injuries throughout his career. He redshirted as a freshman in 2007 and then broke both feet as a sophomore. Wilson missed most of 2010, his redshirt junior season, with a knee injury. He has had four knee surgeries in his career, including one last spring. Should Wilson receive a sixth year, he would be the most veteran player on the offensive line. While he was expected to compete for a starting job this year, the Gators primarily used Dan Wenger and Jon Halapio. Without Wenger – who himself was on his sixth year in 2011 after concussions forced him to transfer from Notre Dame – has graduated. The team’s only other loss on the line is guard David Young, a redshirt junior who played in 29 career games. He has a year of eligibility remaining but will graduate in May and has chosen to forgo his final season.

Brady Quinn is apologizing to Tim Tebow for unflattering comments Quinn made about the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback in a GQ article.

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While most Florida Gators fans were marveling at the impressive recruiting haul corralled by head football coach Will Muschamp and his staff, there were plenty of other big things that happened in Gainesville, FL over the weekend.

Filling in holes along the offensive line is a huge area of need for the Florida Gators in the Class of 2013. On Saturday UF offered one of the top linemen in the Mid-Atlantic region and he says he will visit the Gators this summer.

Buford, Ga., offensive lineman Josh Cardiello came away impressed after his first trip to Florida on Saturday. “It went very well. This was my first time to Gainesville,” Cardiello said. “I really enjoyed it a lot. My dad and my grandpa came on the visit with me. My dad loved it … He grew up a big Gator fan but my grandpa is a Florida State fan. But he was really impressed by everything and told me he loved the visit.” With recently hired offensive line coach Tim Davis just arriving in Florida last week this was the first time for Cardiello to speak with him.

The Gators get off to a hot start, pulling in a half-dozen commitments during their second junior day event of the year in Gainesville on Saturday. With somewhere in the range of 50 prospects on campus for the second junior day event of the year for the University of Florida, there was bound to be some action taking place inside of the Bill Heavener Complex – housed in the southwest wing of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville on Saturday. For Will Muschamp and his coaching staff — along with all the reporters covering the recruiting beat for the Gators — it proved to be an insanely crazy morning and afternoon. Here's a blow-by-blow review of how Florida's best day of recruiting in recent memory unfolded:

Florida left guard James Wilson, a former standout at Nease, is seeking a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA, a school spokesman confirmed Monday night. The 6-foot-4, 334-pound Wilson has played in 37 games with five starts in his career for the Gators. As a prep player, Rivals.com ranked him as a five-star recruit and the nation's 12th-overall prospect. read more

With the way Florida is stacking up on commitments from prospects in the Class of 2013 it is easy to forget that the Gators are still very much in the picture for a much needed offensive lineman who is part of the Class of 2012.

When UCF defeated Florida in men's basketball in 2010, it was the first-ever victory for the Golden Knights over the Gators. Years from now, it may not show up in the record books.  UCF has proposed vacating its men’s basketball victories from 2010-11, 2009-10 and 2008-09 under self-imposed sanctions submitted to the NCAA today as part of its response to allegations of NCAA violations in its football and men's basketball programs. The school's administration has also proposed reductions in financial aid for men's basketball and a reduction in recruiting days for football and men's basketball. UCF upset then No. 18 Florida, 57-54, on Dec. 1, 2010 at the new Amway Center.  

When the St. John’s women’s basketball team upset No. 2 Connecticut this past weekend, it snapped the Huskies’ 99-game home court winning streak, which had been the longest active home win streak of any NCAA Division I women’s sport.  Now the new streak belongs to the Gators. The UF women’s tennis team currently has a 98-match home winning streak - the longest in the nation. The Gators will put that streak on the line on Feb. 25. Here’s a list of the longest active home win streaks in all sports: Ohio State men’s tennis - 135 (next home match on Feb. 25 vs. Kentucky) Florida women’s tennis - 98 (next home match on Feb. 25); Stanford women’s basketball – 50 (next home game on Feb. 23 vs. Colorado) Kentucky men’s basketball – 50 (next home game on Feb. 25 vs. Vanderbilt) Texas A&M softball – 32 (next home game on March 2) Maryland lacrosse – 33 (as of Feb. 6) Texas volleyball – 30 (entering 2012 season) BYU softball – 21 (as of Feb. 7) LSU football – 17 (next home game on Sept. 1 vs. North Texas).  

Junior Day at Florida has yielded six commitments, as Kelvin Taylor, Rodney Adams, Quinton Powell, Nick Washington, Dillan Lawson and Keanu Neal have all verbally committed. The addition of those three in-state players brings Florida’s 2013 class to 10 players. Of the Gators’ commits – who all hail from the state of Florida – there are now two running backs, four linebackers, two safeties, a receiver and a defensive tackle. Here’s a look at where the class stands: Player School Hometown Position Height Weight Adam Lane Winter Haven Winter Haven RB 5-7 207 Caleb Brantley Crescent City Crescent City DT 6-5 285 Daniel McMillian First Coast Jacksonville LB 6-3 220 James Hearns Lincoln Tallahassee LB 6-3 230 Kelvin Taylor Glades Day Belle Glade RB 5-10 190 Rodney Adams Lakewood St. Petersburg WR 6-1 166 Quinton Powell Mainland Daytona Beach LB 6-3 220 Nick Washington Trinity Christian Jacksonville S 6-0 180 Dillan Lawson Crestview Crestview LB 6-4 215 Keanu Neal South Sumter Bushnell S 6-0 204

Though he may not have been a household name to begin with, the more those in the Gator Nation find out about Crestview (Fla.) linebacker, and new Gator commitment, Dillan Lawson the more they like him.

Though he may not have been a household name to begin with, the more those in the Gator Nation find out about Crestview (Fla.) linebacker, and new Gator commitment, Dillan Lawson the more they like him.

Unlike several of Saturday's visitors, for offensive guard Jack Kurzu his visit to Florida for Junior Day was not the first time he has set foot on campus at the University of Florida.

Bushnell (Fla.) South Sumter four-star safety Keanu Neal made his way to the University of Florida on Saturday for their Junior Day event. He said it was made abundantly clear to him during his time on campus that the Gators want him as part of their team.

Rivals100 safety Marcell Harris hit the road on Saturday to check out Florida's Junior Day. UF is a football program that Harris is very familiar with, as his father played there and he has been around the football program multiple times in recent years. On Saturday though, Harris was able to learn more about the academic-side of Florida.