Having narrowed his choices down to Maryland, Auburn, Florida and Ohio State, Diggs decided to hold off on making his destination known on National Signing Day (Feb. 1) in order to see more campuses and allow himself additional time to consider his options.

He took an official visit to OSU two weeks ago and checked out his hometown school last weekend before sitting down with his friends and family to make a final decision.

The Gators were happy to wait for his answer, knowing that landing a player of Diggs’s caliber at a position of need was of paramount importance, especially seeing as the team had already lost five-star WR Nelson Agholor (Tampa, FL) to USC.

The No. 8 player in the nation and second-best at his position according to Rivals.com, Diggs possesses a great combination of size and speed and would have been the third wide receiver in UF’s 2012 recruiting class.

Florida already has four-star Latroy Pittman (Citra, FL) and three-star Raphael Andrades (Tallahassee, FL) committed for 2012, though the former may be moved to the secondary and the latter is a candidate to redshirt his freshman season.

Click to expand and read the remainder of this story.

1 » Former Florida Gators forward/center David Lee posted the second triple-double of his career Tuesday night, scoring 25 points (on 9-of-19 shooting) with 11 rebounds and 10 assists for the Golden State Warriors in a heartbreaking loss to Oklahoma City. Lee’s triple-double and Monta Ellis’s career-high 48 points were simply not enough to propel the Warriors to victory. In 21 games this year with Golden State, Lee is already playing better than he did a year ago, averaging 18.7 points (+2.2) and 10.0 rebounds while shooting 50.8 percent from the field.

2 » No. 1 Florida women’s tennis (4-0) swept the South Florida Bulls (3-2) 7-0 on Tuesday, winning their 98th consecutive home match at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville, FL. Junior Allie Will (No. 3), senior Joanna Mather (No. 4) and sophomores Sofie Oyen (No. 34) and Alexandra Cercone (No. 41) each won their singles matches in straight sets while junior Lauren Embree (No. 25) took three sets to win her singles tilt. The No. 10-ranked team of Oyne/Will and No. 15 duo of Embree/Mather each won their doubles matches handily. The Gators will travel to California over the weekend for back-to-back contests on Friday and Sunday against Pepperdine and Stanford. Florida topped Stanford 4-3 for the 2011 NCAA Championship on May 24.

Check our two more BITS (including a video)…after the break!

3 » Two of the Gators’ four current 2013 verbal commitments have been placed on the initial Rivals100 released on Wednesday. Linebacker Daniel McMillian (Jacksonville, FL) and defensive tackle Caleb Brantley (Crescent City, FL) were each given four-star designations by the site and have been ranked at No. 53 overall and No. 82 overall, respectively. McMillian is listed as the No. 10 player both at his position and in the state of Florida, while Brantley is considered the No. 7 defensive tackle and the No. 15 player in the state. You can check out the entire list, for free, by clicking here.

4 » Currently training for the trials for the 2012 London Olympics, former Florida swimmers Ryan Lochte and Conor Dwyer have been working out extensively with Gators assistant director of strength and conditioning “Mad Dog” Matt DeLancey. Below is a video from GatorVision.com showing some of the workouts he is having them do in the rough-and-tumble streets of Gainesville.

A second-year Florida Gators assistant whose position groups shined in the 2012 Gator Bowl in January, linebackers/special teams coach D.J. Durkin was named Rivals.com’s Recruiter of the Year on Monday.

Assigned to the state of North Carolina, Durkin landed four of the area’s top 13 players including five-stars offensive tackle D.J. Humphries and defensive end Jonathan Bullard. He was also the lead recruiter for seven of Florida’s 23 total commitments.

“I am very, very fortunate to be recruiting at a place like Florida because I think the place almost sells itself,” Durkin told Rivals. “It is a great academic institution and there is obviously great football tradition here. We play in a great football stadium in the best conference in the world. I think the place really sells itself.

“When you have a head coach like Coach [Will] Muschamp, who does a great job with the players and has a great knowledge of the game and really recruits as hard as anyone, it makes my job kind of easy.”

Durkin is the second Gators coach in three years to earn Recruiter of the Year honors. Former Florida offensive coordinator (now Temple head coach) Steve Addazio won the award from ESPN in 2010.

Rivals also named Gators tight ends coach Derek Lewis one of the top 25 recruiters in the nation for the 2012 cycle. Lewis reeled in arguably the country’s top two tight ends in four-stars Kent Taylor and Colin Thompson.

Another player who took part in Florida’s Junior Day last weekend, Hearns is the second Lincoln High School player to commit to the Gators in as many days. His teammate and three-star wide receiver Raphael Andrades (Tallahassee, FL) was a surprise addition to Florida’s 2012 signing class on Wednesday.

At 6’3” and 230 lbs., Hearns was one of two Lincoln players – the other being WR Reggie Davis (Tallahassee, FL) – to visit the Gators last weekend. Both took a number of tours and met with the coaching staff, which told Hearns they were fond of his athleticism but wanted to look over his film early in the week after he missed most of the 2011 season due to a knee injury.

“He always liked Florida. He always liked 3-4 teams like Florida and Alabama,” former UF receiver and Lincoln’s offensive coordinator Jacquez Green told OGGOA. “When I took him down to Junior Day Saturday, he got a chance to really see [Will] Muschamp, and he sat with Coach [D.J.] Durkin at the game and got a chance to talk to him.

“It was the one-on-ones, the attention he got and the fact that Florida is down and [he and Andrades] feel they can help get Florida back up to where it used to be.”

Like McMillian who also committed Thursday, Hearns has an impressive offer list with Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, South Carolina and Tennessee as some of the standout schools.

Read the rest of this story and watch a highlight tape of Hearns after the break.

“They told me they really liked my highlight tape,” Hearns told InsidetheGators.com after the visit. “They really liked my size and not just that but how physical I play and the passion I play with when I’m on the field. We just talked about thing like that.

“At our school our coaches give us the true understanding of what a commitment is. When you commit to something, there’s no going back on your word. This is done so right now I can focus on my team and me. I want to help make the team the best it can be and make myself the best player I can be.

He will likely be looked at as a Sam or Will linebacker for the Gators, which are putting a premium on the position after only signing three linebackers in the past two cycles.

“Hearns is big, he’s physical, he’s a great linebacker to play in a 3-4 scheme,” Green explained. “He started as a true freshman, which is hard to do at Lincoln. He played outside linebacker his first two years. Last year he played inside linebacker, but he’s played and can play all four positions. We run the 3-4 basically like Florida on defense.”

Though Hearns is not yet rated by either Rivals or ESPNU, he is expected to receive a four-star grade when the first official rankings are revealed. He is Florida’s fourth 2013 commitment joining ESPNU-ranked four-star McMillian, five-star defensive tackle Caleb Brantley (Crescent City, FL) and four-star running back Adam Lane (Winter Haven, FL). McMillian, Brantley and Lane are ESPNU 150 watch list players.

Hearns’s commitment was first reported by Gator Country’s Andrew Spivey.

McMillian is listed on ESPNU’s recently released “top 100 prospects of 2013” and is considered by the recruiting service to be a four-star player. He was originally planning on announcing his commitment during the 2013 U.S. Army All-American Game but wanted to make his plans official now instead.

Florida did not host 2012 recruits on the final weekend before the dark period but instead brought a number of extremely talented juniors to campus.

McMillian was one of those juniors and has reportedly decided to make his call for the Gators despite carrying a number of other impressive offers from schools like Alabama, Arkansas, Clemson, Florida State, Ohio State and South Carolina.

Read the rest of this story and watch a highlight tape of Hearns after the break.

At 6’3” and 220 lbs., his size, strength and speed will make him a great addition to Florida’s linebacking corps. McMillian, who had 12 sacks and nine forced fumbles as a junior, played Mike linebacker in 2011 for First Coast High School, but he could also play Will, Sam or Buck linebacker for the Gators.

“I play inside now, but I plan on, when I get to college, playing outside [linebacker], a hybrid,” he told TideSports.com in January.

“I describe myself as a playmaker. I’ll bring the hits and stuff, but I’m more of a playmaker. If you need a play made, I’m the one for it. I’m good at using my hands and my agility, and I have speed and quickness for a linebacker.”

McMillian joins ESPNU-ranked four-star running back Adam Lane (Winter Haven, FL) and five-star defensive tackle Caleb Brantley (Crescent City, FL) as Florida’s three current 2013 commitments. All three are ESPNU 150 watch list players.

1 » Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow was a guest on NBC‘s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Wednesday night/Thursday morning and sat down with the host to talk about the Tebowing phenomenon, Fallon’s parody of Tebow and David Bowie – “Tebowie,” and the charitable work he is doing. Tebow was introduced by The Roots playing “On Bended Knee” by Boyz II Men and concluded his segment by shooting a signed jersey into the crowd with at T-shirt gun.

2 » Speaking of television clips of Tebow, ESPN2‘s First Take has continued to make him a topic of conversation long after Denver’s season ended. This week the show featured singer/songwriter John Legend remixing one of his own tunes to create a song called “Extra-Ordinary Tebow.”

3 » Though National Signing Day is in the books (more on that later), the Florida Gators are still holding out hopes that one more recruit, five-star wide receiver Stefon Diggs (Olney, MD), will commit to the team when he announces his decision on Friday, Feb. 10. In order to get Florida’s collective mouth watering (and those of the other teams still recruiting him, Diggs released the following highlight video Wednesday night.

4 » Sun Sports will air its second edition of the new program Here Comes the Gators on Friday night at 10 p.m. This installment once again features on a current Miami Heat player by taking a look at former Gators guard/forward Mike Miller. In addition to the first showing on Friday, the program will repeat statewide on Feb. 5 at 9 a.m., Feb. 6 at 2 p.m., Feb. 7 at 11 p.m. and Feb. 13 at 2 p.m. The first edition, featuring Miami power forward Udonis Haslem has already premiered but will re-air on Feb. 1 at 11 p.m., Feb. 7 at 11:30 p.m. and Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. According to the University of Florida, the remaining Here Come the Gators episodes set to debut feature San Antonio’s Matt Bonner, Atlanta’s Al Horford and Chicago’s Joakim Noah.

EARLY ENROLLEES

Willie Bailey • Safety
6-1 • 167
Hallandale, FL • Hallandale H.S.

Enrolled at UF in January of 2012… PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Three-star recruit…Attended Hallandale High School…Rated the No. 24 cornerback in the country by ESPN…Selected as the No. 77 high school player in the state of Florida by Rivals.com…Selected to the AP Class 5A All-State Second Team as a defensive back…Talented defensive back with good size…Led Hallandale to a 6-4 record as a senior…Chose Florida over Miami, North Carolina and USF…Coached by Dameon Jones.

Jessamen Dunker • Offensive Line
6-4 • 320
Boynton Beach, FL • Boynton Beach Community H.S.

Enrolled at UF in January 2012… PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Consensus four-star recruit…Selected as the No. 46 recruit in the ESPN 150…Ranked the No. 4 offensive guard in the country by ESPN…Listed as the No. 20 recruit in the state of Florida by Rivals.com…Named a PARADE High School All-American and 2011 Under Armour All-American…Named to the Press-Register’s 120 List…Selected to play in the 2011 FACA All-State Game…Selected to the AP Class 5A All-State First Team…Transferred to Boynton Beach High School as a junior after moving to Florida from Georgia…Did not play football until his junior year of high school…Began playing football as a high school junior…Chose Florida over Auburn, LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, South Carolina, Baylor, Florida State and Notre Dame…Coached by Rick Swain.

D.J. Humphries • Offensive Line
6-6 • 271
Charlotte, NC • Mallard Creek H.S.

Enrolled at UF in January 2012… PRIOR TO FLORIDA: A consensus five-star and top-20 recruit…Rated as the No. 2 prospect by Rivals.com, the No. 7 prospect by ESPN and the No. 11 prospect by Scout.com…The No. 1 recruit out of the state of North Carolina according to Rivals.com…Named a first-team high school All-American by USA Today, ESPN, Rivals.com, MaxPreps and Sports Illustrated…Has started since his freshman season and hasn’t allowed a sack since his freshman season…Led Mallard Creek to a 13-1 record and berth in the NCHSAA Class 4AA State Semifinals…Mallard Creek finished No. 47 in the nation in the final POWERADE FAB 50 rankings…An AP All-State first team selection…Selected to participate in the 2012 U.S. Army All-America Bowl…Coached by Michael Palmieri…Father, D.J., played football at Presbyterian College and in the Arena Football League.

Damien Jacobs • Defensive Tackle
6-3 • 310
Scooba, MS • East Mississippi CC
Enrolled at UF in January 2012… PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Rated a four-star JUCO prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com…Rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com coming out of HS in 2009…Originally committed to Florida State… Spent the 2010 and 2011 playing at East Mississippi Community College, where the Lions won the 2011 NJCAA Football National Championship…In 2011, Jacobs recorded 47 total tackles, eight TFLs, two sacks, four quarterback hurries and two fumble recoveries for the undefeated EMCC Lions…Coached by Buddy Stephens at EMCC.

Antonio Morrison • Linebacker
6-1 • 209
Bolingbrook, IL • Bolingbrook H.S.

Enrolled at UF in January 2012… PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Rated a four-star prospect, the No. 5 recruit in Illinois and the No. 10 inside linebacker nationally by Rivals.com…Ranked the top linebacker prospect in the Midwest by Tom Lemming and No. 204 player overall in the nation by Rivals.com…Named a high school All-American by USA Today (2nd Team LB), ESPN (3rd Team LB) and Sports Illustrated (Honorable Mention LB)…Selected to the ESPN HS Illinois All-State team…Led Bolingbrook to a 13-1 record and IHSA Class 8A State Championship as a senior, the school’s first-ever state title…Had to miss the title game due to injury…Bolingbrook finished No. 36 in the nation in the final POWERADE FAB 50 rankings…Had 101 tackles, seven sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception as a junior at Bolingbrook…Selected to the 2011 Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl…Chose Florida over Alabama, Tennessee, Arizona and Purdue, among others…Coached by John Ivlow.

Latroy Pittman • Wide Receiver
6-0 • 195
Citra, FL • North Marion H.S.

Enrolled at UF in January 2012… PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Rated a four-star recruit by ESPN and Rivals.com…Listed as the 24th-ranked WR in the nation by ESPN…Participated in the 2012 Under Armour All-American Game…Caught 25 passes for 481 yards (19.24 average) with eight touchdowns as a senior…Also recorded 38 tackles and five interceptions on defense…Helped North Marion to the 5A Regional Semifinals and a 9-3 record during his senior season…Selected to the AP Class 5A All-State Third Team as a defensive back…Will be the first member of his family to attend college…Chose Florida over Notre Dame, Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, South Florida and Auburn…Coached by Craig Damon.

SIGNED NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT

Raphael Andrades • Wide Receiver
6-0 • 190
Tallahassee, FL • Lincoln H.S.

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Three-star recruit…Rated the No. 99 wide receiver in the country by Rivals.com…Receiver with good size and athleticism and has speed and leaping ability…Helped lead Lincoln to a 9-2 record as a senior…Selected to the AP Class 7A All State Second Team as a wide receiver…Totaled 37 catches for 750 yards (20.27 average) with 10 touchdowns as a senior…As a junior, helped the Lincoln Trojans win the FHSAA Class 4A State Championship…Chose Florida over Arkansas, Illinois, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt…Coached by Yusuf Shakir.

Jonathan Bullard • Defensive End
6-3 • 263
Shelby, NC • Crest Senior H.S.

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: A five-star prospect according to Scout.com and Rivals.com…Rated the No. 6 overall prospect by Rivals.com and the No. 2 prospect in the state of North Carolina, behind fellow signee D.J. Humphries…Also ranked the No. 1 strongside defensive end recruit in the nation by Rivals.com and the No. 4 Defensive End overall by ESPN and Scout.com…Ranked No. 37 on the ESPN 150…Named an Honorable Mention All-American by Sports Illustrated…Participated in the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Bowl…Selected to the AP All-State First Team as a senior…Recorded 82 tackles and 16 sacks during his senior season…Helped lead Crest to a 12-4 record his senior season and finished as the NCHSAA Class 3AA Runner-Up…Chose Florida over Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, South Carolina and Nebraska…Coached by Mark Barnes.

Bryan Cox Jr. • Defensive End
6-3 • 247
Fort Lauderdale, FL • St. Thomas Aquinas H.S.

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: A three-star prospect according to ESPN, Scout.com and Rivals.com…Rated the No. 66 player in the state of Florida and the No. 37 strongside defensive end in the country by Rivals.com…Suffered a wrist injury early in his senior season and missed significant time…St. Thomas finished with a 10-3 record in 2011…Son of former NFL linebacker Bryan Cox, who played 12 seasons with the Dolphins, Bears, Jets, Patriots and Saints…Chose Florida over Louisville, Miami (FL) and Michigan State…Coached by Rocco Casullo.

Dante Fowler, Jr. • Linebacker
6-3 • 261
St. Petersburg, FL • Lakewood Senior H.S.

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: A five-star prospect ranked the No. 3 weakside defensive end and No. 28 recruit overall by Rivals.com…The No. 5 prospect in the state of Florida according to Rivals.com…Ranked in the Rivals100 (No. 28) national list as well as the ESPN 150 (No. 71) national list…Named an Honorable Mention All-American by Sports Illustrated…Competed in the 2012 Under Armour All-American Game…Helped Lakewood to a 7-4 record as a senior…Chose Florida over Florida State, Southern Cal, Auburn, Georgia, LSU and Ohio State among others…Coached by Cory Moore.

Austin Hardin • Kicker
5-10 • 204
Atlanta, GA • Marist School

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: A three-star prospect according to ESPN and Scout.com…Rated the No. 1 kicking prospect in the nation by ESPN…Kicked at the Under Armour All-America game…Named to the Georgia Sportswriters Association Class 4A All-State Team…Went 13-of-20 on field goals, including a 59-yard game-winner, and converted all of his extra-point attempts…Helped Marist to a 9-3 record as a senior…All seven of his misses came from over 50 yards…Chose Florida over Auburn and Tennessee…Coached by Alan Chadwick.

Matt Jones, Running Back
6-2 • 213
Seffner, FL • Armwood H.S.

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Rated a four-star prospect by ESPN, Scout.com and Rivals.com…Rated the 11th-best running back prospect by ESPN…The No. 137 player overall according to Scout.com…Rated the No. 32 player in the state of Florida by Rivals.com…Earned Honorable Mention All-State honors as a senior despite missing four games with a knee injury…Helped lead Armwood to a 15-0 record and the FHSAA Class 6A Championship his senior year while rushing for 896 yards (6.49 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns despite missing four games…Also had nine catches for 197 yards and three touchdowns…Armwood finished No. 2 in the nation in the final POWERADE FAB 50 rankings and No. 3 in the nation in the final USA Today Super 25 rankings…Chose Florida over Alabama, Auburn and Clemson…Coached by Sean Callahan.

Rhaheim Ledbetter • Safety
5-11 • 195
Shelby, NC • Crest Senior H.S.

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: A four-star prospect according to ESPN and Scout.com…Rated the No. 9 Safety in the nation by ESPN and the No. 12 player out of the state of North Carolina by Rivals.com…Ranked No. 150 overall nationally by Scout.com…Selected to the AP All-State First Team as a senior…Helped lead Crest to a 12-4 record his senior season and finished as the NCHSAA Class 3AA Runner-Up…Chose Florida over Auburn, Clemson and South Carolina…Cousin is former Gator and current New England Patriot linebacker Brandon Spikes…Coached by Mark Barnes.

JaFar Mann • Defensive Tackle
6-4 • 293
Stone Mountain, GA • Stephenson H.S.

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Rated a three-star prospect by ESPN, Scout.com and Rivals.com…The No. 30 Defensive Tackle in the nation according to ESPN…Ranked No. 54 out of the state of Georgia according to Scout.com…Helped lead Stephenson to a 9-2 record his senior season…Chose Florida over Auburn, Georgia and Tennessee…Coached by Ron Gartrell.

Marcus Maye • Safety
5-11 • 200
Melbourne, FL • Holy Trinity Episcopal School

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Rated a four-star prospect by ESPN, Scout.com and Rivals.com…The No. 5 Safety in the country and the No. 70 player overall by Rivals.com…Ranked the No. 13 player in the state of Florida by Rivals.com…Competed in the Under Armour All-America Game…Recorded four interceptions and 45 tackles during his senior season at Holy Trinity…Also played running back for the Tigers, rushing for 712 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior…Against Heritage, Maye went 3-for-3 passing for 63 yards and two touchdowns, his only passing attempts of the season…Chose Florida over Alabama, Auburn, Florida State and LSU…Coached by Mark Ainsley.

Alex McCalister • Defensive End
6-7 • 225
Clemmons, NC • West Forsyth H.S.

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: A four-star prospect by ESPN.com…The No. 14 prospect in the state of North Carolina according to Rivals.com…Also rated the No. 26 Weakside Defensive End in the nation by Rivals.com…Selected to the AP All-State First Team as a senior…West Forsyth finished with a 4-6 record during his senior season…Chose Florida over Georgia Tech, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina among others…Coached by Adrian Snow.

Skyler Mornhinweg • Quarterback
6-3 • 190
Philadelphia, PA • Saint Joseph’s Prep

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Rated a four-star recruit, the No. 6 player in Pennsylvania and the No. 19 quarterback nationally by ESPN.com…Went 110-for-229 for 1,546 passing yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior…Finished his career as the all-time leading passer at Saint Joe’s Prep and is fifth all-time in Philadelphia city history…Totaled 4,912 passing yards, 1,243 rushing yards and 71 total touchdowns (52 passing, 17 rushing, 2 interception returns) in his high school career…Engineered six fourth-quarter comebacks playing for Saint Joe’s…Was a four-year starter at QB and three-year starter at defensive back for Saint Joseph’s…Named the MVP of the Catholic League and was three-time First Team All Catholic (QB and DB)…First team all league, all city and all region selection…Won the Leroy Kelly Award, given to Southeast Pennsylvania’s Player of the Year…Named to the 2012 Pennsylvania Big 33 team…Played in the 2012 U.S. Semper Fidelis All-American game…Chose Florida over Penn State, Stanford and Tennessee…Coached by Gabe Infante…Son of Marty Mornhinweg, the Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Coordinator and former Head Coach of the Detroit Lions…Also played baseball in high school.

Dante Phillips • Defensive Tackle
6-6 • 270
Venice, FL • Venice Senior H.S.

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: A consensus four-star recruit…Rated the No. 9 defensive tackle in the nation and the No. 24 player in the state of Florida according to Rivals.com…Ranked No. 120 on the Rivals250 national list…Ranked No. 110 on the ESPN Top 150 national list…Participated in the 2012 U.S. Army All-American Bowl…Helped Venice Senior to the regional semifinals and a 9-2 record as a senior…Chose Florida over Auburn, Miami, USF, Alabama and Florida State among others…Coached by John Peacock.

Brian Poole • Cornerback
5-10 • 202
Bradenton, FL • Southeast H.S.

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: A five-star recruit by Scout.com who is also rated the No. 2 cornerback in the nation…Ranked as the No. 25 player in the country by Scout.com…Rated the No. 16 player in the state of Florida…Ranked No. 82 on ESPN’s Top 150 national list and ranked No. 80 on the Rivals100 national list…Participant in the 2012 Under Armour All-American Game…Selected to the AP Class 5A All-State First Team…Led Southeast to the regional finals and a 7-3 record as a senior…Chose Florida over Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Auburn and Miami among others…Coached by Paul Maechtle.

Jeremi Powell • Linebacker
6-1 • 193
Largo, FL • Pinellas Park H.S.

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: A consensus four-star recruit…Ranked the No. 17 outside linebacker and the No. 35 player in the state of Florida by Rivals.com…Rated No. 220 on the Rivals250 national list…Also played running back and wide receiver in high school…Selected to the AP Class 7A All-State First Team…Recorded 15 sacks as a senior…Caught a game-winning touchdown pass with 21 seconds left in the game to beat St. Pete High School in 2011…Helped Pinellas Park to the regional quarterfinals and a 7-4 record as a senior…Will be the first member of his family to attend college…Chose Florida over Alabama, South Carolina, USF, Purdue and Iowa State…Coached by Ken Crawford.

Kent Taylor • Tight End
6-5 • 225
Land O’Lakes, FL • Land O’Lakes H.S.

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: A consensus four-star recruit…Rated as the No. 1 tight end in the nation by Rivals.com and Scout.com…Ranked the No. 10 player in the state of Florida by Rivals.com…The No. 54 prospect on the Rivals100 national list as well as No. 73 overall in the nation by Scout.com…Named an Honorable Mention All-American by Sports Illustrated…Competed in the 2012 U.S. Army All-American Bowl…Selected to the AP Class 6A All-State Third Team…As a senior, helped Land O’ Lakes HS to a 7-3 record…Recorded 30 catches for 480 yards with five touchdowns in his senior season despite missing the first month of the season with a broken left hand…Named first-team all-conference his senior season…Chose Florida over many schools including Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame Ohio State and Oregon…Coached by Brian Wachtel.

Colin Thompson • Tight End
6-4 • 252
Warminster, PA • Archbishop Wood H.S.

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: A consensus four-star recruit…Rated as the No. 2 tight end in the nation by ESPN.com and Scout.com…Ranked No. 117 in the ESPN 150 and No. 106 overall by Scout.com…The No. 5 prospect out of the state of Pennsylvania according to Rivals.com…Named an Honorable Mention All-American by Sports Illustrated…Participant in the 2012 Under Armour All-American Game…Selected to the Pennsylvania Sportswriters Class AAA All-State Team…Helped Archbishop Wood to a 14-1 record in his senior season…High school finished No. 19 in the final POWERADE FAB 50 rankings and No. 21 in the final USA Today Super 25 rankings…Archbishop Wood won the school’s first-ever title, winning the PIAA Class 3A State Championship Game 52-0…Had 13 catches for 208 yards and four touchdowns as a senior…Chose Florida over many schools, including Alabama, Penn State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee and Wisconsin…Coached by Steve Devlin.

Quinteze Williams • Defensive End
6-5 • 255
Tyrone, GA • Sandy Creek H.S.

PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Rated a four-star prospect by ESPN.com…Ranked the No. 37 recruit in Georgia by Rivals.com…The No. 22 Defensive Tackle in the nation according to ESPN…Selected to the Georgia Sportswriters Association’s Class 3A All-State First Team…Helped Sandy Creek win the GHSA 3A championship as a junior and led them to the quarterfinals as a senior with a 12-1 record…Chose Florida over Auburn, Florida State, Georgia and Tennessee among others…Coached by Chip Walker.

A Florida State Seminoles commitment since Dec. 5, 2010, five-star defensive end Dante Fowler, Jr. (St. Petersburg, FL) surprised many during National Signing Day on Wednesday by switching his pledge to the Florida Gators.

Expected to play Buck linebacker for the Gators, a position of high importance in the defensive system of head coach Will Muschamp and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Fowler was heavily pursued by Florida throughout the year and visited the school a half-a-dozen times unofficially.

Though he said he remained solid to Florida State following those visits, he admitted that he had some thinking to do after much of the coaching staff met him in his home last week (see picture above). One day later, Fowler again reiterated that he was “100 percent” going to commit to the Seminoles.

At 6’3” and 232 lbs., he is considered the No. 28 overall player in the nation and the third-best at his position according to Rivals. ESPNU ranks Fowler as a four-star recruit, the No. 71 player in the country and 10th-best defensive end.

He is the eighth defensive lineman to join the Gators’ 2012 class but is just the third expected to be in line for a shot at the Buck linebacker position with three-stars Bryan Cox, Jr. (Fort Lauderdale, FL) and Alex McCalister (Clemmons, NC) also vying for a spot on the depth chart.

Fowler becomes the 23rd member of the Gators’ 2012 signing class and is the second player to join the team on this year’s National Signing Day.

With offers from Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Stanford and Vanderbilt on the table, Andrades was not sure what his future would hold. In fact, he wanted to play for Florida so bad that he was considering walking on to the team.

Things became clearer when Gators head coach Will Muschamp called him on Tuesday evening and extended an official offer for him to join the program. His position coach at Lincoln High School (and former Florida WR) Jacquez Green explained to OGGOA on Wednesday how the situation unfolded.

“It was a maybe-type thing for a while, but he wanted to go to Florida,” Green said. “He even told me he would walk on at Florida because he knew he had something to bring to the school anyway. He turned down a lot of other offers out there. He just waited it out and was willing to go into signing day to see what would happen with [Nelson] Agholor.

“He was thinking about walking on and he was dead serious. He was like, ‘I want to play for Florida.’”

At 6’0” and 190 lbs., Andrades has a frame large enough to add additional size and strength. With a 40-yard-dash speed somewhere in the 4.5-4.7-second range, he can also improve his speed. Green believes those improvements will be easy for him to make because he already has the most important trait of a wide receiver.

“The way he catches the ball is something that can’t be taught. A lot of receivers just can’t catch. That’s one of his biggest strengths – just catching the football,” he explained. “He was a solid route runner in high school. He can get a little faster but he will get faster because now he only has to worry about football. I know he will get faster.

“His strength is overall size and the way he catches the football, and he understands the game. He’s a real smart guy. He understands route concepts. He understands why one receiver has to clear out in order to get another receiver open. Things like that are things guys in the pros understand, and he’s just in high school right now.”

Green said Andrades’s hand-eye coordination “is so high because of his baseball background;” he plays outfielder and was a highly-recruited baseball prospect.

Though he is a former player with the Gators, Green added that he did not have any influence on his Andrades’s decision-making process. In fact, he suggested he attend another institution before learning of Florida’s official offer on Tuesday.

“Ralph is a smart guy. He knows about football. He knows about teams and coaches. He’s very smart,” he said. “I never really had an influence on him. I let guys go wherever they want to. Actually during the recruiting process, I told him that I thought Arkansas was a good school for him. I don’t try to push them one way or another, I just try to help them make the best decision.”

The No. 99-ranked pass catcher by Rivals.com, Andrades is also considered a three-star recruit by ESPNU. He is Florida’s second wide receiver commitment of the 2012 cycle, joining four-star LaTroy Pittman (Citra, FL), and the Gators’ 22nd overall recruit.

Be sure to visit OGGOA’s live coverage of National Signing Day beginning Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. It will feature a live chat and be constantly updated throughout the day with every signed letter of intent (LOI) and new commitment.

Below OGGOA breaks down who the Gators are still waiting to hear from, when they will learn of their decision and some of the latest insights on each player.

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs (Olney, MD)
Accolades: Rivals – No. 8 overall (No. 2 WR); ESPNU – No. 13 overall (No. 3 WR)
Leaders: Florida, Ohio State
Contenders: Auburn, Maryland
Skinny: Diggs was favoring the Gators for quite some time until offensive coordinator Charlie Weis left for Kansas. However, when new OC Brent Pease took over, Florida was back in his good graces and stepped up to the top of the pack once again. The Gators desperately need a top wide receiver to fill out their 2012 class and Diggs is the primary target. Though he took a trip to Ohio State last weekend and enjoyed himself, it was his first time looking at the program and meeting head coach Urban Meyer. Diggs has said previously that he wants to play in a pro-style offense, and he has likely developed a much stronger relationship with Florida’s coaching staff.
Announcement: Friday, Feb. 10 (nine days after NSD)

Cornerback Tracy Howard (Miramar, FL)
Accolades: Rivals – No. 13 overall (No. 1 CB); ESPNU – No. 18 overall (No. 1 CB)
Leaders: Florida, Miami
Contenders: Florida State
Skinny: A long-time UF lean, Howard was all but signed, sealed and delivered to the Gators. That is until he took an official visit to Miami last weekend that may very well have flipped his recruitment on its heels. Closer to his home, family and good friends, Miami is an attractive destination for Howard and is believed to be the new leader for his services even though Florida’s coaching staff has been there for him all along. Whether he decides to stick with what he knows the best (the Gators) or stay closer to home is something only his family truly knows at this point.
Announcement: 9:35 a.m. live on ESPNU

Defensive lineman Leonard Williams (Daytona Beach, FL)
Accolades: Rivals – No. 53 overall (No. 5 DE); ESPNU – No. 50 overall (No. 5 DT)
Leaders: Florida, Southern California
Contenders: Auburn, Miami
Skinny: Having not cut his list down past four for most of his recruitment, Williams told Rivals this past week that UF and USC had made the cut and that he had eliminated Auburn (he chose not to show up for a visit to Miami). Having grown up a Florida fan, he is likely leaning toward the Gators, but Williams has kept his recruitment close to the vest and the truth is that no one truly knows where he will commit at this point.
Announcement: TBD on NSD

Wide receiver Nelson Agholor (Tampa, FL)
Accolades: Rivals – No. 18 overall (No. 3 WR); ESPNU – No. 47 overall (No. 6 WR)
Leaders: Florida, Southern California
Contenders: Florida State
Skinny: Like with Diggs, UF tried hard to land Agholor knowing that the team has issues at wide receiver. The original goal was for Florida to reel in both pass catchers but now the Gators are hoping that either signs on the dotted line before all is said and done. Agholor spent last weekend visiting USC and is considered by most to be leaning towards signing with the Trojans. However, more than perhaps any other recruit, Agholor has been mum when it comes to giving signals where he plans to commit. He has been standoffish with the media and has tried to keep his recruitment an in-house situation. As is the case with Howard, UF appears to have lost momentum (and probably a commitment, too) with Agholor.
Announcement: 12:05 p.m. live on ESPNU

Athlete Josh Harvey-Clemons (Valdosta, GA)
Accolades: Rivals – No. 31 overall (No. 2 ATH); ESPNU – No. 17 overall (No. 1 OLB)
Leader: Georgia
Contenders: Florida, Florida State
Skinny: Though the Gators have undoubtedly recruited Harvey-Clemons the longest and perhaps even the hardest, the sentiment surrounding him is that he will wind up staying in-state and playing for the Bulldogs. What was once a two-team race, however, became a three-way dance when the Seminoles got heavily involved two weeks ago. Harvey-Clemons actually spent his final recruiting weekend visiting Miami, but they are not looking like a true contender for his services.
Announcement: 9:15 a.m. live on ESPNU

Offensive tackle Avery Young (Palm Beach Gardens, FL)
Accolades: Rivals – No. 74 overall (No. 9 OT); ESPNU No. 61 overall (No. 8 OT)
Contenders: Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia
Skinny: Young’s recruitment is a mystery for many including his high school coaches, who told Rivals that they truly do not know where he is going. Though that same website has four-of-six analysts predicting he goes to UGA, many believe that UF and AU are his two finalists. Offensive line is a position of need for the Gators and though the unit is shallow, Young may not like the fact that five-star OT D.J. Humphries (Charlotte, NC) is already in the fold and enrolled early at Florida.
Announcement: 2 p.m. live on ESPNU

Defensive end Darius Hamilton (Ramsey, NJ)
Accolades: Rivals – No. 11 overall (No. 2 DE); ESPNU – No. 69 overall (No. 9 DE)
Committed: Rutgers
Skinny: Hamilton was said to be down to two schools – RU and UF – and after learning that head coach Greg Schiano left for the NFL, it was believed that the Gators would emerge as a favorite in his recruitment. However, a weekend trip to UM apparently put the Hurricanes in his final two and knocked Florida down a peg, according to his high school coach. Certainly a strange situation as far as the Gators are concerned considering Hamilton had not been to Miami previously and was thought to be heavily considering Florida even with Schiano in the fold at Rutgers.
Announcement: Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. on MSG Varsity

Defensive end Dante Fowler, Jr. (St. Petersburg, FL)
Accolades: Rivals – No. 28 overall (No. 3 DE); ESPNU – No. 71 overall (No. 10 DE)
Leader: Florida State
Contender: Florida
Skinny: A FSU commitment back on Dec. 5, 2010, Fowler’s father has long been pushing him towards his favorite school and not much was truly expected to change in his pledge. However, UF has been hot after Fowler throughout the whole recruitment process and the prospect has taken multiple unofficial visits to Gainesville, FL and spoken with the Gators’ coaching staff at length about coming in to play the featured Buck linebacker position. After Florida coaches visited his house recently, Fowler took a picture doing the Gator Chomp with his younger brother (a UF fan) that sent fans on both sides into a tizzy. That evening he said he had a decision to make about his future, but Fowler confirmed one day later that he was 100 percent going to commit to the Seminoles. That being said, there is still a glimmer of hope for the Gators, and the coaching staff will try to change his mind and flip him their way at the last minute.
Announcement: 10 a.m. on NSD

OTHER NAMES TO KEEP AN EYE ON

Linebacker Shyler Miles (Tampa, FL)
Skinny: Down to Florida, Kansas and West Virginia, Miles has actually already committed to the school of his choice but is staying silent and will announce on Wednesday. He is believed to be leaning toward KU, which means that UF could miss out on both Berkley Prep. teammates (Agholor).
Announcement: 12:05 p.m. live on ESPNU

Defensive end Junior Gnonkonde (Lakeland, GA)
Skinny: A former Georgia Tech commitment, Gnonkonde opened up his recruitment and wound up committing to North Carolina last weekend. However, prior to that, both Florida and Florida State were on his list and it was believed that an offer from either could get him to switch. Should the Gators lose out on any or all of Williams, Hamilton and Fowler, Gnonkonde could get a last-minute offer to join the Orange and Blue.
Announcement: N/A

Offensive lineman Jake Meador (Whiteland, IN)
Skinny: With Florida, Missouri and Wisconsin all hoping Meador picks them as his college destination, the big man is likely headed to one of the latter two schools that have been recruiting him the longest. He recently told Rivals that there are different things he likes about each team but that he will be meeting with his family and high school coach to discuss where he will eventually land.
Announcement: 10:10 a.m. on NSD

Defensive tackle Vincent Valentine (Edwardsville, IL)
Skinny: Although Florida is also in Valentine’s final three, Illinois and Nebraska have the lead for his services. In fact, the Gators did not even send coaches to visit him last week when he had in-home meetings with staffers from the Illini and Cornhuskers.
Announcement: 1 p.m. on NSD

Offensive lineman Kyron Samuels (Fairhope, AL)
Skinny: A project at guard and center, Samuels (like Gnonkonde) does not have a committable offer from Florida but did visit the school this past year and may be a prospect the school reaches out to at the last minute.
Announcement: TBD on NSD

OGGOA PREDICTIONS: After being a perfect 3-for-3 on our commitment projections in 2010, we faltered in 2011 and were only 1-of-3 even though the Gators wound up adding a pair of players. Unfortunately for you the reader, like it was in 2011, things are not as clear-cut with Florida as they were two years ago. With major pushes being made for the likes of Howard, who was once thought to be a shoe-in for the class, it is unknown who might or might not join the Gators by the time this process is over. As of press time, OGGOA prognosticates that Diggs and Fowler (a big flip) will be wearing Orange and Blue when the dust settles. Howard would be the most likely player to commit outside of the prediction, and the truth is that a top program like Florida should never be counted out for any player until all is said and done across the board.

Don’t forget to visit OGGOA’s live coverage of National Signing Day beginning Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. Check in and out or stick around for the entire day and participate in the live chat while viewing constant updates throughout the process.