Foley: "Very good chance" Florida-Miami meet in Orlando in 2019

GAINESVILLE -- Last October, reports surfaced that the Florida-Miami rivalry would likely be renewed in 2019. 

But after six months of radio silence, Gators athletics director Jeremy Foley essentially confirmed the rumors on Wednesday. 

Florida and Miami are close to reaching an agreement to play in football in Orlando in 2019, UF athletic director Jeremy Foley said.

— Robbie Andreu (@RobbieAndreu) April 13, 2016

Foley said renewing the UF-UM football rivalry on a regular basis is not on the agenda.

— Robbie Andreu (@RobbieAndreu) April 13, 2016

Foley said he's confident the game in Orlando will become official in a couple of months. Just a matter of doting some i's, crossing t's.

— Robbie Andreu (@RobbieAndreu) April 13, 2016

The Gators and Hurricanes would meet in Orlando in the newly renovated Citrus Bowl.  

Foley told the Sun, “There’s a very good chance it will happen, but that’s not final yet.”

He later added, “I’m confident it will happen. Hopefully we’ll know something in the next couple of months.”

Florida and Miami have played just six times since the annual series was discontinued in 1987. The Hurricane beat the Gators 21-16 in 2013 -- the most recent meeting in the rivalry. 

The timing on Foley’s statement comes just one day after Florida head coach Jim McElwain was asked about playing Miami at a campus event Tuesday.

“It’s something we’ve talked about,” McElwain said. 

“There might be some things in the works, and yet, I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag there at al. It’s definitely not one of those things that we’re dodging them, I’ll say that.”

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Q&A: A six-pack of questions for LB coach Randy Shannon

GAINESVILLE -- Gators co-defensive coordinator and linebackers assistant Randy Shannon recently met with reporters and discussed replacing Florida’s leading tackler the last two seasons (Antonio Morrison), Jarrad Davis’ development into a star and what he expects from Alex Anzalone next season. The former Miami Hurricanes alum and head coach also identified exactly where linebackers need to improve and how Miami Norland linebacker Rayshad Jackson fits into the mix.

What exactly do you lose with Morrison off to the NFL?

 "A senior who played a lot. But it's time for other guys to step up. Daniel McMillian played a lot last year for us, there's opportunity for him to come up.” 

Are you looking for Anzalone to fill that leadership void?

“Tonio' [brought] a lot to the table. He's very energetic. We always say Tone' gets guys going. He's going to shoot guys straight. Players understood if Tone' say something to you and he didn't think it was right, it wasn't right. So you lose that aspect, but then you're gaining things with Anzalone coming back, because Anzalone played a lot last year in the early part of the season. But he's that same type of guy. … Anzalone's been practicing a little bit non-contact, but he's been going through the seven-on-seven drills, been going over the things where it's not banging. So that's where a lot of leadership comes back also.”

What makes Davis a such a productive player?

“He’s competitive like Jon Vilma was. Vilma, you couldn’t, if you played cards he’d play all night until he beat you. That’s how Jarrad is: He’ll never quit. He’s going to have to win. If you want to keep competing at dominos or a game you’re gonna be up all night with it until you let him win. Very competitive in that aspect, he takes a lot of pride in himself. Athletically he has like Jon Beason-ness, the speed and the power and stuff like that and then the knowledge like Ray [Lewis] was. He has the game. He knows what to do. He knows how to get the guys lined up, and he knows how to protect certain guys on the defense with a call or something like that.”

As a whole, where do the linebackers need to improve the most?

“Just got to get better as a unit with communicating. That’s one that we’re going to continue to stress, is communication. We always have a saying, 'If we’re all wrong, then that means we’re all right.' We all on the same defensive call, the wrong defense, that means we’re going to execute it. When you’ve got guys playing two different defenses, bad things happen. So the communication factor, we want to be on point with that.”

How you do see Jackson fitting into the mix?

“He's coming along. It’s still a learning process. But like anything, he’s going to get better if he just keeps the reps. The way we practice, Rayshad’s probably averaging about 35-40 snaps in practice, so he’s getting opportunities to get better.”

Has McMillian made a jump this offseason?

“We moved him. We moved him to strong-side linebacker. He’s doing well, phenomenal. Sometimes the secondary, it’s not, maybe have an angle of something like that. We moved him at the nickel position, we’ve played him at outside linebacker, the strong-side position. He’s adapted. He’s done well at it. We’re kind of excited about the progress, the way he’s learning. Great things ahead for us and for him, because him learning the weak-side and now he’s able to play the strong-side, now we gain two positions out of one. That’s how you build depth.”

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Gators add three commits including heralded QB Felipe Franks

#ChompChomp!!!!! #16ATORS

— Jim McElwain (@CoachMcElwain) November 29, 2015

GAINESVILLE -- Florida’s offense was shutout in its humbling 27-2 loss to Florida State, so the Gators went out and secured some future help. 

UF continued its recent momentum on the recruiting trail over the weekend, adding three verbal commits headlined by four-star quarterback Felipe Franks. 

It's great to be a Florida Gator! #Committed 🐊

— Feleipe Franks (@18franks) November 30, 2015

Franks (Wakulla High) decommited from LSU last week and has long been rumored to flip to Florida. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound prospect is the No. 5 quarterback recruit in the country. With Florida’s issues and uncertainty at the position next season, securing Franks, an early enrollee, was a must for Jim McElwain & Co. 

Meanwhile, the Gators also added a playmaker and someone to protect their future quarterback.  

Junior college athelte Dre Massey, a four-star prospect from Holmes C.C. in Mississippi, committed to Florida following his official visit over the weekend. 

Sorry for the wait!! Blessed to commit to the University Of Florida!! Go Gators!! pic.twitter.com/gDqvX5Cviu

— Drè Massey1⃣ (@D1Masseyy) November 29, 2015

Later, the Gators added mammoth three-star offensive guard Jawaan Taylor (Cocoa), who flipped from Miami on Sunday night. Taylor, a 6-5, 330-pounder, is teammates with UF commit Chauncey Gardner. 

Blessed & honored to say that I am officially Committed to The University of Florida! 🐊🏈 #Chomp #Chomp #GatorNation pic.twitter.com/GxspGyUn9v

— Jawaan M. Taylor7⃣4⃣ (@jawaan_taylor74) November 29, 2015

Finally, Florida’s class did take a hit with the decommitment of Pasco cornerback Jayvaughn Myers. The three-star athlete is considered a bit of a project, but he is also the half-brother of five-star receiver Nate Craig-Myers -- a key UF target. 

This is a huge decision in my life for the next 3-4 years. I just want to make sure I'm making the right choice🙏 pic.twitter.com/Yo1EUmD6Iy

— Jayvaughn myers (@jayvaughn_myers) November 30, 2015

Craig-Myers (Tampa Catholic) is rumored to be a Florida lean, but his half-brother’s decommitment could potentially throw a wrench in his recruitment. We’ll see. 

The Gators’ 2016 class now has 25 commits and is ranked No. 10 nationally by 247Sports. 

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Gators add four-star DE, recruiting mojo continues

GAINESVILLE -- On Monday, Florida coach Jim McElwain joked he no longer needs to show his ID when he visits prospective recruits at high schools. 

With the No. 11 Gators leading the SEC East and positioned for a possible playoff run, the recruiting trail has been a lot friendlier to McElwain recently.

"Before you'd roll into a school and they really say, 'You've got to show your ID,' because they didn't know who the heck you were," McElwain said.

"And they thought I was kidding when I said I was the head coach at Florida. Now there's a couple more people that know, which is a good thing for us.

"The reception was outstanding. We’re making some inroads and still need to obviously in a lot of areas, but recruiting is your lifeline. We’ve got to get better at it.” 

Florida picked up another elite prospect Wednesday, adding consensus four-star defensive end Antonneous Clayton. 

Clayton verbally committed to UF on Twitter.

had a great ride and I wanna thank all coaches for recruiting, but I decided to commit to university of Florida

— antonneous clayton (@antonneousc) October 28, 2015

The Gators reportedly beat out Auburn and Florida State for the 6-3, 218-pound speed rusher. They now have 21 prospects pledged to their 2016 class and rank 12th nationally in 247Sports’ rankings. 

Clayton’s commitment could be the first of several big dominos to fall in the next couple months. According to 247Sports Crystal Ball projections, Florida leads for top prospects Nate Craig-Myers (five-star wideout), Dexter Lawrence (five-star defensive tackle) and Binjimen Victor (four-star wideout) and could potentially flip wideout Sam Bruce (Miami commit) and defensive end Janarius Robinson (Florida State commit). 

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Report: Florida, Miami closing on deal to renew series

GAINESVILLE -- Rivalry renewed? 

The Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes are close to agreeing to a deal to open the 2019 season at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, according to the Orlando Sentinel.  

"Although the deal has not yet been signed and a last-minute snag in negotiations is always a possibility, it certainly appears the Gators and Hurricanes will renew their once-annual rivalry for the first time since 2013.

Florida-Miami would also be another premier neutral site game for the Citrus Bowl, which will host Florida State-Ole Miss next season and Alabama-Louisville in 2018. Florida Citrus Sports is also apparently in negotiations to bring a marquee college football match-up to the Citrus Bowl in 2017.

“While we won’t comment on this report, we’re always exploring future scheduling options,” UF spokesperson Steve McClain told the Orlando Sentinel."

However, Hurricanes athletics director Blake James told the Miami Herald, “I wouldn’t say we’re close because I don’t even have a contract.

“Is there interest in playing Florida? There is. Is it something that I think is right for us from a fans’ standpoint, from a financial standpoint and right for our program? Those are all things I’m interested in evaluating. And do I think there’s a possibility we play them there? Yeah. But until we have a contract I wouldn’t say we’re close.”

Blake added, “I have an interest in seeing if we can have our football program play Florida. I think it’s good for college football and good for our fans. We’re interested in that. And if it works out that we can play them in Orlando in ’19, I think that’s great.’’

Florida and Miami played annually until 1987, when the rivalry was discontinued.

The two schools have met another six times since then, including a 21-16 win by the Hurricanes in 2013. 

Gators athletics director Jeremy Foley has insisted over the years Florida is only interested in renewing the series if the games are hosted at a neutral site, with James telling the Miami Herald in May 2014 that Foley was “receptive” to the idea.

“I would have to think about Orlando,” James said. 

“That’s not real neutral, but it’s an easy distance to our campus.”

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Monday Musings: Florida's recruiting after FNL

GAINESVILLE -- Florida wrapped up its annual recruiting extravaganza over the weekend, and the success of this year’s Friday Night Lights has recruits looking at the Gators like...

In a three day span, UF netted five commitments -- (in order): 2016 defensive back Quincy Lenton, 2017 wideout Daquon Green, 2016 center Brent Hegie, 2016 linebacker Jeremiah Moon and 2016 quarterback Kyle Trask -- and generated exciting buzz with a number of other top-100 prospects. 

The Gators nabbed some recruiting momentum, but can they keep it during a transition season? 

In February, first-year coach Jim McElwain capped his inaugural recruiting class with a pair of five-star standouts (Martez Ivey, CeCe Jefferson). He proved he could fill out a class quickly, but nearly as important, he planted the Gators flag back in South Florida.

UF closed with a number of key prospects from the area (wideout Antonio Callaway and tailbacks Jordan Scarlett and Jordan Cronkrite), reopening a pipeline with former Miami coach Randy Shannon leading the pillaging.  

With fall camp just around the corner (August 6), the summer evaluation/camp period is over. A couple of takeaways following Florida’s fruitful FNL. 

1. FORTIFYING A PIPELINE 

The Gators continue to strengthen their position in South Florida. Case in point:

Before the run of commitments, Florida had 9 of their pledges on campus Friday. UF also had 8 Miami commits on campus too.

— Luke Stampini (@LukeStampini) July 27, 2015

Not only is UF targeting uncommitted South Florida prospects, the Gators are openly aiming to poach a number of Miami Hurricane commits. 

Florida’s 2016 class already includes six prospects from South Florida, including wideout Joshua Hammond, linebacker Vosean Joseph and wideout Isaiah Johnson. 

Three of UF’s four 2017 verbal commitments -- highlighted by top 2017 quarterback Jake Allen -- hail from Miami-Dade or Broward County. 

McElwain's plan is taking shape. 

The state is stocked with playmakers (especially receivers in the 2016 and 2017 classes) and the Gators have (seemingly) positioned themselves well with South Florida wideouts Binjimen Victor and Sam Bruce (a Miami commit) -- both players who traveled to FNL with Allen. Florida is also surging (per 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions) with four-star wideout Calvin Ridley (Deerfield Beach). 

Meanwhile, UF hosted a bevy of other prospects from the area, including 2017 wideout Jerry Jeudy (Deerfield Beach) and 2016 defensive target McArthur Burnett (Pahokee).

Florida's is building its foundation for the future almost exclusively from the fertile area.

2. AN INTERESTING BLUEPRINT 

Make no mistake, Florida’s 2016 class is critical in resuscitating the program. UF can ill-afford failing further behind the rest of the SEC, especially as rivals Tennessee, Georgia and LSU continue to recruit as well as any school in the country. 

Florida currently ranks 14th nationally -- fifth in the SEC -- according to 247Sports.

If the Gators can snag a commitment from any of the aforementioned South Florida studs, as well as four-star defensive end Antonneous Clayton or even five-star defensive end Shavar Manuel (who surprisingly named UF in his top 3), their rankings will undoubtably rise. 

But UF is in an interesting position heading to the fall because of its early strategy in the 2016 class: mining for diamonds in the rough.

Florida turned heads this spring hauling unheralded (or unknown) after unheralded prospect. Recruiting rankings are an inexact science, but they continue to get better and UF appears to be betting big on its staff’s developmental potential.

That’s not necessarily the wrong approach, just an interesting one for Florida.

Considering UF's current position in the league, can it afford to gamble on so many projects (like signing a quarterback who doesn’t even start in high school)? We'll see. 

Depending on some roster gymnastics (normal attrition, early NFL departures, early enrollees counting backwards, etc.), Florida probably has room to sign around 25 guys in 2016. Obviously, McElwain & Co. will nail down an exact number, but it’s a fluid process and semi-complicated by the fact UF already has 18 commits -- 15 rated three-stars or lower. 

The Gators exit the summer with lots of recruiting mojo, so it bears watching how many of their early commits actually end up in Gainesville or if they’re processed for new highly targeted prospects.  

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Fireworks: UF's homer barrage sends UM packing

GAINESVILLE -- Florida’s bats were held quiet against Virginia, but the Gators brought the thunder Tuesday night, ending Miami’s season with a bang to stave off elimination at the College World Series. 

The Miami Herald’s George Richards wrote the gamer from UF’s 10-2 win in TD Ameritrade Park.

The highlights: 

* UF smashed four dingers, including the three longest homers ever in the stadium. Peter Alonso's blast traveled 421-feet to straightaway center. 

WOWOWOWOWOW!!! Peter Alonso SMASHES Florida's 4th HR of the night! #CWS http://t.co/q5dUPHozTU

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 18, 2015

 * The four long balls were the most in a CWS game at TD Ameritrade Park. 

* Florida left fielder Harrison Bader became the first player since 2008 to leadoff a CWS game with a home run. 

* The Gators outscored the Hurricanes 25-5 in two games in Omaha. 

* UF has won 21-of-26 over UM, including eight consecutive postseason matchups. In a related note, Florida coach Kevin O’Sullivan has never lost to the Canes in the NCAA Tournament. 

* Florida ended Miami’s season for the fourth time since 2009. 

UF is now set for a rematch with Virginia on Friday (3 p.m., ESPN2). UF must beat UVA twice to advance to the CWS Finals after losing to the Cavaliers 1-0 on Monday evening.

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Pipeline continues: Two SoFla recruits commit to UF

GAINESVILLE -- The Gators’ new football staff continues to make inroads in South Florida, landing a pair of unknown 2016 defensive prospects Wednesday. 

Miami Norland linebacker Vosean Joseph -- a three-star recruit according to 247Sports -- verbally committed to Florida via Twitter.

Later, Joseph’s former teammate and current Miami Central defensive end/outside linebacker Eric Mitchell, an unrated prospect, also pledged his oral commitment to the Gators.

Both prospects played at Norland High last season and were personally recruited by Randy Shannon, a former Vikings alum.

After landing just a single linebacker commit during the 2015 cycle (Norland standout Rayshad Jackson), the Gators must stock up on the position in 2016 with five upperclassmen ready to graduate in the next two seasons. 

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Scarlett, Williamson commit to Florida

GAINESVILLE -- Florida finally reeled in some offensive firepower.

Four-star tailback Jordan Scarlett -- a star at St. Thomas Aquinas -- committed to UF over Miami and Florida State on Monday night.

The Army All-American instantly becomes the crown jewel of Florida’s class, as Scarlett is (currently) ranked as its highest prospect after scoring 79 touchdowns and leading the Raiders to a state title in 2014. 

The 5-foot-10, 205-pound back actually verbally pledged to Miami in July of last year, but he decommitted from the Hurricanes over the weekend following an official visit to FSU. 

With a number of other commitments (highlighted by three-star athlete Chris Williamson) in the last two days, UF’s class now has 16 members and is ranked 42nd nationally, per 247Sports. 

2015 VERBAL COMMITMENTS 

*** Daniel Imatorbhebhe – TE – North Gwinnett (Ga.) – 6-4, 227

*** Kalif Jackson – WR - Duncan U. Fletcher – 6-5, 200

**** Derrick Dillion – WR – Pine (La.) – 5-11, 173

*** Tyler Jordan – OL – Bishop Kenny – 6-4, 280

*** Brandon Sandifer – OL – Northside (Ga.) – 6-4, 335

*** Camrin Knight – TE – Lincoln – 6-4, 225

*** Andrew Ivie – DT – Pasco – 6-1, 265

*** Jabari Zuniga – DE – Sparyberry (Ga.) – 6-3, 255

*** Rayshad Jackson – LB – Norland – 6-2, 215

**** Jordan Scarlett – RB – St. Thomas Aquinas – 5-10, 222

*** Mike Horton – OT – Lakeside (Ga.) – 6-4, 310

*** Richerd Desir-Jones – DT – St. Thomas Aquinas – 6-4, 285

*** Kylan Johnson – S – Skyline (Texas) – 6-3, 202

*** Fredrick Johnson – OT – Royal Palm Beach – 6-6, 301

*** Luke Ancrum – DE – Sebring – 6-5, 230

*** Chris Williamson – CB – Gainesville (Ga.) – 6-1, 190 

Where Things Stand: Week+ before NSD

GAINESVILLE -- Jim McElwain said, “I didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday. … We’ve got a lot of ground to make up. When we took the job, we knew that there would be some [challenges.] It’s going to take a while.”

The “it” is rebuilding Florida, and based on the school’s 2015 recruiting class the foundation for the future might not come from its current crop of pledges.  

With National Signing Day rapidly approaching, the Gators have just 10 verbal commitments. They will sign their smallest class in years, and Monday, 247Sports reported that UF has its fewest commitments in a decade with just a week before NSD.

The Gators’ class is ranked last in the SEC by every recruiting service.

It gets worse. 

Florida has just 58 scholarship players for next season, and a 2015 class low in quantity (and quality at the moment) isn’t going to help the team’s numbers issue.  

But all is not dire, yet.

Florida should get a NSD bump -- UF is among the “leaders” for a trio of consensus 5-star prospects and a number of other recruits -- even though the Gators won't sign a real ballyhooed group. 

Over the weekend, they hosted top-ranked defensive end Byron Cowart and No. 1 offensive tackle Martez Ivey, as well as a number of other key targets. 

They picked up a verbal pledge from three-star linebacker Rayshad Jackson (a Miami Norland High standout) and flipped three-star defensive end Jabari Zuniga, hoping to make a final surge over the next week. 

But it’s late in the process, and UF is reportedly losing ground on Cowart (who favors Auburn) and five-star DL CeCe Jefferson (who favors Ole Miss). It would be a major blow to swing and miss on such talented in-state prospects, but thus is the hand McElwain has been dealt. 

With staff turnover and the school’s recent win/loss struggles, it’s no mystery why McElwain is fighting an uphill battle. 

Transition classes are traditionally weaker anyways, and UF’s struggles have been magnified due to McElwain’s lack of developed relationships, few Southern ties and little name recognition. 

The Gators are trying to salvage their class over the next nine days, but 2016 has already become a more important priority.

McElwain knows he must sign and deliver a monster class next season. Otherwise, the transition (or transformation) won’t truly take shape. 

Florida can sign upwards of 30 prospects next season (depending on normal attrition and the NFL Draft). 

UF has just eight seniors, but it could lose a number of players to the league (namely Vernon Hargreaves III, Demarcus Robinson, Alex McCalister and Keanu Neal) for the second straight year. 

The emphasis on 2016 starts now. McElwain can’t afford to have two subpar classes in a row -- especially one without a quarterback, elite skill position players and quality offensive linemen -- so if Florida is struggling with top prospects in the next recruiting cycle then the Gator Nation will really start worrying.

UF already has three verbal commitments for 2016, including Jacksonville Raines wideout Rick Wells, who committed Monday night. 

2015 VERBAL COMMITMENTS 

TE Daniel Imatorbhebhe - North Gwinnett (Ga.) ***

WR Kalif Jackson - Duncan U. Fletcher ***

WR Derrick Dillion - Pine (La.) ****

OL Tyler Jordan - Bishop Kenny ***

OL Brandon Sandifer - Norhside (Ga.) ***

TE Camrin Knight - Lincoln ***

DT Andrew Ivie - Pasco ***

DE Jabari Zuniga - Sparyberry (Ga.) ***

Rayshad Jackson - Norland ***

(Imatorbhebhe and Jackson are early enrollees)

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About that summer optimism: Gators unranked in preseason coaches' poll

GAINESVILLE -- For the first time since 1991, Florida will open the season unranked in the USA TODAY preseason Amway coaches' poll. 

The poll, released Thursday, included seven Southeastern Conference teams -- four (No. 2 Alabama, No. 9 South Carolina, No. 12 Georgia, No. 13 LSU) on UF's schedule. 

In all, the Gators will square off against five teams in the top 15, most notably a year-end trip to No. 1 Florida State, the defending national champions. 

Florida received the second-most "others" votes (tallying 122), just barely missing being named a ranked team despite coming off its worst season since 1979. 

Also: Miami received 45 "others" votes, while Central Florida, fresh off a 12-1 year, tallied 102 votes. For the complete poll, including the coaches who participate, click the link. 

For those unaware: The coaches poll is merely for entertainment purposes only this season, as the poll will not be (at least officially) utilized by the new playoff selection committee. 

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UConn, Kansas highlight UF's non-conference hoops schedule

GAINESVILLE -- Florida released its 2014-15 men’s basketball non-conference schedule Wednesday, with a rematch against reigning national champion Connecticut highlighting the strong slate. 

The Gators close out their non-conference schedule hosting the Huskies on Jan. 3. UConn ended UF’s season with a 63-53 victory in the Final Four, snapping Florida’s school-record 30-game winning streak. 

"You learn a lot about yourselves as a team when you are challenged early in the season," coach Billy Donovan said in a statement. 

"Those experiences have really helped us in the NCAA Tournament the past several seasons."

The Gators, who will play at least three games against 2014 NCAA Tournament teams, open at home against a stout William & Mary squad (Nov. 14) before hosting in-state rival Miami later in the week (Nov. 17). Florida will also play at Florida State a day before New Years Eve (Dec. 30). 

As previously announced, UF is participating in the Battle 4 Atlantis, a Thanksgiving week trip to the Bahamas with potential matchups against powerhouses North Carolina, Georgetown, UCLA, Wisconsin and others. 

UF will also visit Kansas on Dec. 5 as part of a return trip in the SEC/BIG 12 Challenge. 

FLORIDA'S 2014-15 NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE 

Nov. 6 - Barry (exhibition)

Nov. 14 - William & Mary

Nov. 17 - Miami 

Nov. 21 - Louisiana-Monroe

Nov. 26-28 - Battle 4 Atlantis (UCLA, UAB, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Georgetown, Wisconsin, Butler), Paradise Island, Bahamas

Dec. 5 - at Kansas 

Dec. 8 - Yale

Dec. 12 - Texas Southern 

Dec. 14 - Jacksonville 

Dec. 20 - Wake Forest (Orange Bowl Classic), Sunrise, Fla. 

Dec. 30 - at Florida State

Jan. 3 - Connecticut 

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Brown commits using live prop, Friday Night Lights set to start

GAINESVILLE -- Florida’s annual recruiting extravaganza Friday Night Lights kicks off later today, but before the festivities even begin the Gators received some early good news. 

Cincinnati (OH) offensive lineman George Brown, Jr. verbally pledged his commitment to Florida -- and I’ve purposely buried the lede here -- announcing his decision by taking out a live baby gator during a ceremony at his high school. 

 

Brown, a four-star prospect according to Rivals, chose UF over finalists Kentucky and Alabama and is the Gators' ninth commit in their 2015 class. 

Meanwhile, Florida could receive a flurry of other commitments tonight, as (according to multiple reports) the Gators will host top prospects from the 2015 and 2016 classes including 2015 notables four-star wideout George Campbell (East Lake), four-star tailback Dexter Williams (West Orange; also a Miami commit), four-star tailback Ray-Ray McCloud III (Sickles) and four-star linebacker Jeffery Holland (Trinity Christian). Five-star defensive end Byron Cowart (Armwood) is among others rumored to attend. 

********** Again, I am not a recruiting expert/analyst/writer, but I will update the blog anytime news breaks of a new Gators commit. ********** 

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Gators-Hurricans renew rivalry

GAINESVILLE -- The Gators and Hurricanes will square off after all in 2014 -- just on the hardwood.

Florida and Miami will play on Nov. 17 in Gainesville to kickstart a home-and-home series with its in-state rival, UF announced Tuesday.

Although a return date in Coral Gables has yet to be scheduled, the two schools are likely to square off again in South Florida sometime in November 2015. 

The last time to two teams met, the Gators trumped the Hurricanes 74-60 at home in the second round of the 2009 NIT. 

Florida leads the all-time series 45-22, winning 15 of the last 17 showdowns. 

Meanwhile, Florida also announced official plans for renovating the O’Connell Center, with Davis Architects, CPPI Construction Management and TLC Engineering green lighting the $45-50 million project.  

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Friday Fodder: Game times set, recruiting news, UF-UM update

GAINESVILLE -- Florida fans will receive a brief reprieve from the heat this fall, as the Southeastern Conference announced the Gators’ season opener against Idaho (Aug. 30) will be a 7 p.m. kickoff on ESPNU. 

Earlier in the week, CBS announced the annual Florida-Georgia game in Jacksonville (Nov. 1) will be televised on the network for the 12th straight year with a 3:30 p.m. kickoff. 

The Gators now have four game times set, as UF’s home tilts against Eastern Michigan (Sept. 6) and Kentucky (Sept. 13) are scheduled for 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively, with both games airing on the SEC Network. 

FAMILY CONNECTION

Three-star defensive tackle Andrew Ivie, younger brother of Florida sophomore defensive end Joey, committed to the Gators Thursday, per multiple recruiting services. 

The 6-foot-3, 288-pound Pasco product chose Florida over Ole Miss, Mississippi State and UCF. 

Ivie is the eighth prospect verbally pledged to UF’s 2015 class. 

UF-UM UPDATE

The SEC Spring Meetings concluded Friday, and while league commission Mike Slive announced several major tidbits from the week’s worth of discussions, the Florida-Miami series was a minor noteworthy topic early in the week. 

According to Associated Press reporter Mark Long, Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said there’s “mutual interest” in renewing the Miami-Florida football series, but only as a “one-game deal at a neutral site.”

Foley’s quote on the matter hardly makes a potential showdown a reality (in the near or distant future), but it does clear up exactly how “receptive” Florida is in “renewing the series.”

The rub moving forward is how much cash can/will a neutral contest generate and what exactly constitutes a neutral site?

FILTHY RICH

The league announced record revenue in 2013, as $309.6 million will be distributed amongst the 14 schools -- an average of $20.9 million per university. With the league introducing its own TV network this summer, that number could double next season. 

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Scheduling: SEC rotation set; UM-UF to renew rivalry???

GAINESVILLE -- The Southeastern Conference announced a 12-year rotation (2014-2025) of non-divisional opponents Monday, as the Gators now know their league schedule for the next dozen seasons. 

Earlier this month, league presidents voted to stick with the status quo -- maintaining its eight-game conference schedule under the 6 (division games) – 1 (one permanent cross-division opponent) – 1 (a rotating cross-division opponent) format. 

The 12-year rotation starts this fall, as Florida travels to Alabama in late September. 

The Gators won’t see the Crimson Tide again until 2021 and coach Will Muschamp can only hope to still be around to see one of his favorite non-traditional rivalries: Florida-Auburn (2019).

With Texas A&M on the docket in 2017, the Gators will travel to Texas to play Michigan to open the season and host the Aggies later in the year. 

Florida's future cross-division foes...

YEAR	OPPONENT
2014	at Alabama
2015	Ole Miss
2016	at Arkansas
2017	Texas A&M
2018	at Mississippi State
2019	Auburn
2020	at Ole Miss
2021	Alabama
2022	at Texas A&M
2023	Arkansas
2024	at Auburn
2025	Mississippi State

Meanwhile…

UM-UF RIVALRY BACK ON?

Possibly.

According to the Miami Herald’s own Barry Jackson, UM athletic director Blake James said Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley was “receptive” when recently discussing renewing the in-state series.

Due to financial reasons (see: seven home games), Florida has stipulated the series must continue at neutral-sites only -- an idea James is currently juggling.

“I would have to think about Orlando,” James said. “That’s not real neutral but it’s an easy distance to our campus.”

Not two days after the Hurricanes’ upset victory over the Gators last fall -- a game many presumed would be the final game in the series for the foreseeable futures -- James made a brilliant PR move suggesting the two teams continue the rivalry. It was empty posturing, but now UM appears to be open to a neutral site contest.

So what say you: Do you want the two schools to renew a rich rivalry -- even solely at neutral sites Thoughts on Florida's future SEC schedule?

Pop off.   

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Notebook: Gators on the mend

It's been a rather slow week in Gainesville. Florida's bye week coupled with a media lockout has meant a dearth of content on the blog. We'll be back to a normal schedule starting Monday.  

Meanwhile, ICYMI: A couple of notes on Quinton Dunbar and Loucheiz Purifoy. 

And here's yesterday's injury update...

GAINESVILLE -- The No. 18 Gators didn’t just lose to No. 15 Miami last weekend. They limped home.

The Gators are the in the middle of their earliest bye week since 2008, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Coach Will Muschamp, on the SEC teleconference Wednesday, updated the status of several injured players, including a number of starters.

Quarterback Jeff Driskel (sprained knee), right tackle Tyler Moore (ankle), left tackle D.J. Humphries (knee), cornerback Marcus Roberson (sprained knee), defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. (hip contusion) and safety Marcus Maye (shoulder) were all hurt in the loss to the Hurricanes, but Muschamp expects everyone “to be fine” and play against Tennessee next weekend (Sept. 21).

Muschamp also said right guard Jon Halapio (torn pectoral) has been officially cleared for contact, but freshman cornerback Nick Washington is done for the season after injuring his shoulder in practice Monday.

A MISTAKE

After rewatching the tape, Muschamp said senior wideout Trey Burton ran the wrong route on Driskel’s second red zone interception. Burton admitted as much Saturday after the loss.

“When your anticipating a route breaking a certain way and it doesn't that way, it's hard on the quarterback,” Muschamp said.  

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Torched: Anatomy of a play

Each week, I’ll breakdown (in a simplified manner, hopefully) a pivotal play in Florida’s game. I decided against lots of arrows and pointers so as not to distract from the overall picture, but if you’d prefer that in the future, let me know.

Today's play is Stephen Morris' 52-yard touchdown strike to the speedy Phillip Dorsett. The Canes went up 14-6 on the long completion, and despite doing next to nothing offensively the rest of the game, never looked back. 

#1

The Gators actually played lots of 4-3 defense against the Hurricanes, but here UF is aligned in a 3-4 set, with Dante Fowler Jr. (top of the screen) as the fourth rusher. Note: Starters (DT) Dominique Easley and (DE) Jon Bullard are not in the game. Redshirt freshman Bryan Cox Jr. is the left end, while Damien Jacobs is the nose tackle. 

# 2

Off the snap, Dorsett (the blur) has a free release -- track speed engaged. Meanwhile, Jacobs -- 1-on-1 with the center -- has already beaten Shane Mcdermott to the inside. Florida's linebackers didn't bite on the play action fake, but Cox (No. 94) did. He's frozen. Look what happens just a split-second later... 

#3

Cox's indecisiveness allowed Miami's right guard (No. 75) to recover from double-teaming UF's nose tackle Leon Orr and give Morris a clean drop-back. Jacobs -- despite whipping McDermott -- also hesitated, allowing Morris to step up and throw a bomb just before getting walloped. 

#4

On the back-end, UF has perfect coverage everywhere except where Morris wants to throw the ball. Marcus Maye, the free safety, is already toast. Maye is desperately trying to get his hips turned fast enough to at least hold Dorsett, but ...

# 5

It's too late. Maye whiffs on the attempted pass inference and Dorsett cruises behind him. Morris take a shot, but the ball is already in the air. UM's quarterback didn't have a particularly strong game, but this was a man's throw and ultimately the touchdown that changed the game. 

Again, here's the pre-snap look...

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Rewind: UF-UM Further Review

This is a day late, but definitely not short.

Here’s a laundry list of thoughts, stats and highs & lows from Florida’s 21-16 defeat to Miami after rewatching the TV tape...

- The death of ‘Murderball.’ Where was the Gators’ physical rushing attack? Florida averaged just 2.8 y/c against last season’s No. 114 ranked rushing defense. The per carry average isn’t much better even if you discount the negative sack yardage. At times UF faced a stacked box (8), other times it didn’t. Florida’s offensive line simply failed to win the line of scrimmage on most running downs. Tailbacks Matt Jones and Mack Brown didn’t have a ton of holes to hit, but even when there was room they (both) failed to accumulate yards after contact.

- Speaking of Mr. Jones, UF’s sophomore back looked sluggish, tentative and indecisive. Jones rushed for nine yards -- behind Florida’s JUMOBO personnel -- on his first carry of 2013. He totaled just 38 yards on the ground on his next 17 carries. I counted just a single (1) YAC in the second half for Jones. Jones was also confused on multiple plays (see: running the wrong route, earlier turning the wrong way on Jeff Driskel’s first play action pass -- a 22-yard completion to Quinton Dunbar, ironically).

- Hunter Joyer had a rough afternoon. I don’t know if he’s still slowed by a strained hamstring -- the staff insists he’s not -- but the struggles of Florida’s fullback was a big reason why the running game never got going. Joyer whiffed on multiple blocks, while other times he just didn’t block anyone and went to the second level way too quickly.

(Joyer whiff)

- Florida’s offensive line was a mess at times, yet perfectly adept at others. Overall, it was an uneven performance. UF’s line got minimal push in the run game, but they pass protected fairly well until injuries shook up the whole unit. Left tackle D.J. Humphries exited the game late in the second quarter, moving Max Garcia over from left guard. The transition did not go well. Garcia had little rapport with new left guard Ian Silberman (who also struggled) and allowed at least two sacks -- McCord (sack fumble) and Chickillo (the game-ender). Right tackle Tyler Moore (Nebraska transfer) had a tough afternoon too -- mostly in the second half. Moore was called for two false starts and a pair of holding penalties.

- Resident pariah Quarterback Jeff Driskel has been dissected enough since the loss, so I won’t belabor all the junior’s issues. To me, it’s about confidence. Driskel has all the physical tools, he’s tough as nails and has a big, live arm. But he plays frazzled, afraid to make any mistakes. He has tunnel vision and is too mechanical. He needs to just cut it loose and play.  His best throw of the day was when he stood tall in pocket and delivered a 20-yard strike to Quinton Dunbar as he was tattooed by a UM blitzer. But his accuracy was hit-or-miss (see: missed TD pass to Dunbar one play before the red zone INT), as was his field awareness. Below is just one example of an open wideout, but Driskel never looks his way.

(Matt Jones will plenty of space. Ball was thrown to behind Demarcus Robinson on the crossing pattern)

- Against solid defenses (see: everyone aside from Tennessee and Kentucky) the WildGator plays are a waste of a down and do little for Driskel’s already waning confidence. Driskel tossed his first INT two plays after a failed Trey Burton run. I have no idea what Driskel saw/was thinking throwing into triple coverage. Upon further review, Trey Burton probably did run the wrong route on Driskel’s second INT, but it didn’t matter because the spot Driskel threw to certainly wasn’t where Burton was supposed to be. Driskel threw the ball too soon and high. 

- Defensively, the Gators played outstanding. Florida allowed just 212 yards to a potent offense -- 87 on two plays.  The Gators were definitely confused by Miami’s tempo in the first quarter. UM called lots of counters and boot-legs on its first couple of drives, but Florida eventually adjusted and played pretty flawlessly after the opening period. Dominique Easley was a monster Saturday and the offical stat sheet does no justice on his impact. The senior had a ridiculous series early in the second quarter: he blew up Duke Johnson (3-yard loss) and forced two straight holding calls. Also of note: This counters Will Muschamp’s postgame “We weren’t playing worth a dang…” and why he decided to go for it on fourth down the very next possession.

(Johnson's 3-yard loss)

- Antonio Morrison played mad (team-leading seven tackles) and had a strong game.

- UM had five consecutive three-and-outs before Stephen Morris’ 11-yard competition to Clive Walford in the third quarter -- a missed tackle by Marcus Maye.

- On Morris’ beautiful long TD pass to Dorsett: No Easley, Loucheiz Purifoy or Leon Orr (also solid most of the afternoon) in the game. Backup nose tackle Damien Jacobs hesitated on the play action fake, while end Bryon Cox Jr. was totally fooled.

QUICK HITTERS

- Marcus Maye had two missed tackles, had the bad blown coverage and was late on several blitzes.  

- Stephen Morris is no Teddy Bridgewater.

- Vernon Hargreaves III is good. Really good. The freshman outplayed senior Jaylen Watkins (who did nearly collect a pick-six on the goal line) and could be a starter sooner than later. 

- Denzel Perryman. BEAST.

(That's putting a hat on a ball)

- Driskel averaged 6.6 y/c on read option runs (40 yards and a touchdown on six carries). But only two of those carries came after halftime.

- Florida played Valdez Showers and Matt Jones together in the backfield a lot. Couple notable plays include the 46-yard bomb to Patton and Burton’s red zone fumble.

- Gators eat zebras. Penalties, penalties, penalties. Clay Burton’s late hit was two plays before Jones’ fumble. Easley’s roughing the passer negated a 3rd-and-long situation in the red zone -- aiding in UM’s first score. Speaking of…

- Safety Cody Riggs was slowed by Miami’s quick snap, and Herb Waters torched him outside, easily beating Riggs to the corner of the end zone for the game’s initial touchdown.

- Duke Johnson rushed for 12 yards on a play UF had 12 men on the field. No call. 

(See Orr (#44) run)

- UM punter Pat O’Donnell recovered really well after his first kick was blocked (more on that in a second). The senior averaged 49 yards (on eight punts), consistently flipping the field position in Miami’s favor.

- Florida’s blocked punt -- of course by special teams extraordinaire Loucheiz Purifoy -- was fantastically designed. I’ve long wondered why others don’t do exactly what UF did: Send two bruisers (in this case Morrison and Michael Taylor) and smash the diamond protectors, allowing your best athlete (i.e. Purifoy) to wiggle inside and block the punt. It worked beautifully.

- UF’s defense is super talented, but I bet it wishes Tyriq McCord wore orange and blue.

- UF’s botched two-point conversion was poorly blocked (see: Trenton Brown) but it wasn’t an audible at the line as the announcers suggested. K Austin Hardin and LS Kyle Crofoot weren’t even on the field. It was simply a funk formation and a play that wasn’t executed properly.

(No kicker. No holder)

- Freshman linebacker Jarrad Davis is around the ball a lot on special teams.

- Overall, UF’s receivers -- T. Burton, Q. Dunbar and Patton -- actually had a productive day. However, Florida’s lack of confidence (and rightfully so) in its tight ends is obvious with so many full house (or diamond) formations.

- Clay Burton is not a starting tight end in the SEC.

- Powell is back (and maybe improved), and Muschamp is already utilizing the junior’s versatility. Powell lined up at end, as a stand up edge rusher, a middle linebacker, a rusher over the nose and more. It was very similar to how UGA employed Jarvis Jones last season. Powell’s sack was an impressive display of athleticism, as he went spin-cycle and ate up Seantrel Henderson to the inside. Powell also disrupted a reverse. He finished the game with 3.0 TFL.

- No numbers. Florida’s failed 4th-and-short play was run 8 (Canes) on 6 (Gators). Kyle Koehne, at center, Trip Thurman and Humphries were all destroyed.  

(And actually, at the snap at ninth defender entered the box)

- Dorsett was actually open on Morris’ INT, but UM’s quarterback airmailed the throw -- despite little pressure.

- Dante Fowler Jr. Jekyll and Hyde. The sophomore was invisible during the first half, but was a disruptive force after halftime. 

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'Canes want to resume rivalry

Your move, Mr. Foley. 

(NOTE: Brilliant PR move by Blake. It's free, empty posturing and a smart public move. Florida won't continue the rivalry for financial reasons but this makes it seem -- especially after Saturday's upset loss -- like the Gators are scared to play the Hurricanes.)

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