1 » Two former Florida Gators players had strong showings in the NFL on Sunday, and both are recent alumni from the defensive side of the ball. Second-year defensive end Derrick Harvey of the Jacksonville Jaguars recorded a sack in his second straight game even though his team fell to the Miami Dolphins while third-year linebacker Brandon Siler dominated the middle for the San Diego Chargers against the Dallas Cowboys. Siler recorded five tackles on the day (two for a loss) and one sack. He was also instrumental on a number of goal-line and fourth-down stands. Other Gators who contributed this weekend were LB Mike Peterson of the Atlanta Falcons (eight tackles), wide receiver Jabar Gaffney of the Denver Broncos (three receptions for 48 yards) and Andre “Bubba” Caldwell of the Cincinnati Bengals (four catches for 25 yards).

2 » Looking to nab a trifecta of players from Dwyer High School in West Palm Beach, FL, Florida set their sights on bringing three-star cornerback Robert Clark into the fold during his official visit this weekend. Clark, who said prior to his visit that he was leaning towards the Gators until the loss of recruiting coordinator Billy Gonzales had him open up the process again, met new wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni and came away impressed. “[Azzanni] was great,” Clark told Rivals. “I already knew him from camp because he worked the camp [in Gainesville]. He’s a great guy. He taught me a lot of things so it was good to meet him again. [The coaches] didn’t really talk about [Gonzales] much [this weekend]. It was kind of sad that he left but at the same time they had to move on and stuff and get a new coach. He’s pretty energetic. He likes to hop around a lot. He was hyped up.” Though he is not considered “solid,” Clark is currently committed to the West Virginia Mountaineers; even so, he has decided to make his decision official before the Class 4A championship game this Saturday.

UPDATE: “Florida['s visit] is the best visit I’ve been on by far. I’m not gonna lie,” Clark told The Gainesville Sun. “It’s hard because I’m kind of committed to West Virginia, right now, but I love Florida more than I love West Virginia.” Clark also told The Sun that the shorter distance and better weather are much more appealing to him.

Tags: Andre Caldwell, Atlanta Falcons, Billy Gonzales, Brandon Siler, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Derrick Harvey, Dwyer, Florida Gators, Jabar Gaffney, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Mike Peterson, NFL, Robert Clark, San Diego Chargers, West Virginia Mountaineers, Zach Azzanni

Five-star safety recruit Matt Elam has been a Florida Gators commitment for more than a year. Yet over that period of time, questions regarding the solidity of that promise have been many, not assisted by Elam’s repeated statements that he wanted to go on other recruiting trips and was considering a handful of other universities as he remained committed to the University of Florida. During Elam’s official visit to Gainesville, FL, this weekend, he donned a No. 22 blue Gators jersey in the Florida locker room and looks to be as committed as ever with a huge smile on his face. Elam has already filled out his admissions paperwork, but he must wait to submit it until he is officially graduated from Dwyer High School. He has planned to be on campus in January for spring practice in order to get a leg up on next season.

UPDATE: If that wasn’t enough, the picture above is now Elam’s facebook profile photo.

UPDATE II: On the WPTV late local news Sunday night, Elam and his brother Abram (Cleveland Browns safety) were interviewed. Elam did a Gator Chomp and reaffirmed his commitment to the Gators yet again. “I saw a lot of great things at all the places I’ve visited, but I made a commitment for a reason,” Elam said.

Tags: Abram Elam, Cleveland Browns, Dwyer, Matt Elam, University of Florida

1 » Florida Gators cornerbacks coach Vance Bedford visited the home of four-star CB recruit Cody Riggs (Fort Lauderdale, FL) Thursday night and earned the St. Thomas Aquinas High School product’s commitment, according to a report from Rivals. Bedford still taking visits and bringing back commitments is a strong indication that he may not leave the Gators as was previously reported by other sources.

2 » Former Cincinnati Bearcats head coach Brian Kelly, who has now accepted the same job with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, will not coach his former team in the 2010 Sugar Bowl against Florida, according to university administrators. In the few hours since Kelly’s announcement, Cincinnati players have already begun bashing him in the press. “I didn’t want to hear it,” star wide receiver Mardy Gilyard said. “I’m fairly disgusted with the situation – him letting it last this long. Hopefully he’ll pack his things up and get to South Bend in a hurry.”

3 » Gators players, including redshirt junior left guard Carl Johnson, are making sure the team is up and ready for the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1. “Winning [22] straight games in a row is not much of a letdown,” he said. “We had the nation’s [longest] win streak there for a while. We’ve still got a BCS bowl game. We’ve still got another opponent. It’s not much of a letdown.”

4 » Golfer Greg Norman will host a 12-team golf tournament on Friday at the Tiburon Golf Club and two of the main competitors in the contest are former Florida players. Mark Calcavecchia and Brian Gay will pair together in the $3 million tournament.

Tags: Brian Gay, Brian Kelly, Carl Johnson, Cincinnati Bearcats, Cody Riggs, golf, Greg Norman, Mardy Gilyard, Mark Calcavecchia, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, St. Thomas Aquinas, Sugar Bowl, Tiburon Golf Club, Vance Bedford

1 » The Florida Gators‘ two commitments from Dwyer High School, five-star safety Matt Elam and four-star tight end Gerald Christian, got a visit from recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales on Tuesday, who also took time to meet with their teammate and three-star cornerback Robert Clark. [OGGOA Exclusive:] It is expected that Meyer will pay a visit to Dwyer in the coming days and offer Clark a scholarship (if he has not been offered one already), especially after learning that both Lane and Monte Kiffin of the Tennessee Volunteers attended Dwyer practice on Tuesday pushing hard for Clark in hopes that he could sway Elam.

2 » Over the last few days, Florida has lost out on two of the top 2010 recruits in the country to the Florida State Seminoles. First, it was four-star linebacker Jeff Luc (Port St. Lucie, FL) who liked the transition from Bobby Bowden to head coach Jimbo Fisher. According to reports Wednesday morning, five-star cornerback Lamarcus Joyner (Fort Lauderdale, FL) has also committed to FSU. Joyner, considered the No. 1 overall CB recruit in the country, and Luc were both highly regarded prospects by Gators, though neither were strong leans to Florida.

3 » Four-star wide receiver Kenny Stills (Carlsbad, CA) has narrowed his list to two schools: the Gators and the Oklahoma Sooners. Stills, who will announce on Dec. 18, said the Miami Hurricanes still have a shot but not a great one. The Gators have already pulled one recruit from California for 2010, four-star CB Joshua Shaw (Palmdale, CA), and many believe that head coach Urban Meyer is looking for the trifecta with Stills and five-star defensive end Ronald Powell (Moreno Valley, CA).

4 » Florida is the early leader for Sterling Bailey (Gainesville, GA), a 2011 defensive end who is expected to be rated a four-star prior to his senior year of high school. “I could say [the Gators are out in front],” Bailey told JC Shurburtt of ESPN. “It was a surprising offer at first because they were not sending me much in the mail. My coach called me up and told me that Florida had offered. At first, I didn’t believe him. Then, I called and got on the phone with Urban Meyer. He told me that they were glad to offer me a scholarship and that when they saw me on film, it was a no-brainer.”

Tags: Billy Gonzales, Bobby Bowden, Dwyer, Florida State Seminoles, Gerald Christian, Jeff Luc, Jimbo Fisher, Joshua Shaw, Kenny Stills, Lamarcus Joyner, Lane Kiffin, Matt Elam, Miami Hurricanes, Monte Kiffin, Oklahoma Sooners, Robert Clark, Ronald Powell, Sterling Bailey, Tennessee Volunteers, Urban Meyer

High school sports reporter Jason Lieser over at the Palm Beach Post was able to pull a plethora of information from five-star Florida Gators safety commitment Matt Elam on Tuesday night at the 2009 Lou Groza Award banquet regarding his status with the school and future in college football. (He won the award for the second consecutive season.) Elam, who committed to the Gators in October 2008, has wavered the last two months about whether or not he would actually attend Florida when he enrolls early after this semester. It is a widely held belief that Elam is doing this simply for the buzz and attention as his high school career comes to a close, though some Gators fans are legitimately concerned that he could bolt for another program before officially signing.

Scheduled for an official visit to Gainesville, FL, this weekend, Elam has already signed his enrollment forms for Florida. They will be processed after he graduates from Dwyer High School in December (a semester early) so he can begin participating in spring practices in January…as long as he does not change his mind. “I’m committed to Florida,” Elam told the Post. “I’m still doing some thinking. I’ll do my official visit this weekend and I’ll make my decision after.”

Tennessee Volunteers head coach Lane Kiffin met with Elam at his school in October (OGGOA Exclusive) and returned for a second visit Tuesday. “I could go to Tennessee, but, no, I’m committed to Florida,” Elam said at the banquet.

Also visiting him on Tuesday was new Florida State Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher. If any team could pry Elam away from the Gators at this point, he says it would be Seminoles. Gaining the commitment of four-star linebacker Jeff Luc (Port St. Lucie, FL) last week, FSU has peaked Elam’s interest. “That got my attention,” he said.

Tags: Dwyer, Florida State Seminoles, Jeff Luc, Lane Kiffin, Lou Groza Award, Matt Elam, Tennessee Volunteers

The NCAA is conducting a “wide-ranging investigation” into the recruiting practices of the Tennessee Volunteers football program, according to an article published by The New York Times. The NCAA has interviewed recruits, their families, head coaches and school administrators about some methods the Volunteers have utilized while recruiting – most prominently the use of “recruiting hostesses.”

N.C.A.A. officials have visited four prospects and are scheduled to visit two others this week in an investigation covering at least three states. The inquiry is unusual in its scope and its timing. It is rare that the N.C.A.A. looks at this wide a swath of one university’s recruits before the players have signed with a program in February.

As the Times defines them, recruiting hostesses are “students who are part of a formal group at the university that hosts all manner of prospective students at campus visits.” Apparently, the NCAA has proof that these students were not only used on campus, but some even traveled to South Carolina (and perhaps other locations) to visit five-star running back Marcus Lattimore (Duncan, SC) at one of his games with signs reading: “Come to Tennessee.” Because these students represent the university, their recruiting of players off-campus would be a violation of NCAA rules.

Tennessee is also allegedly using recruiting hostesses to recruit players through social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, according to the Times. And on impressionable young athletes, the influence of beautiful women can be quite appealing. “You don’t want to go to a college where they ain’t pretty,” Lattimore said.

More relevant to the Florida Gators, one of the prospects visited by the NCAA was four-star wide receiver recruit Chris Dunkley (Pahokee, FL), considered by some to be a heavy Florida lean. Dunkley told the Times that the NCAA did indeed interview him but did not comment any further.

It is not common for the NCAA to hold this type of investigation before National Signing Day, though the Times speculates that head coach Lane Kiffin’s numerous secondary violations may have triggered a closer look into these allegations. For more on the story, please read the Times article linked above.

Tags: Chris Dunkley, Lane Kiffin, Marcus Lattimore, National Signing Day, NCAA, Tennessee Volunteers

1 » According to The Orlando Sentinel, the talks between Florida Gators defensive coordinator Charlie Strong and Louisville Cardinals athletic director Tom Jurich are ongoing. Jurich told the Sentinel that things are “proceeding great,” and the conversation between the two will continue Tuesday afternoon.

2 » On the subject of Strong, the University of Louisville announced that the school’s Personnel Committee of the Athletic Association Board of Directors will be meeting Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. FanHouse reports that the meeting has been scheduled to gain approval for Strong to be hired as the school’s next head football coach.

3 » The Gators have offered a football scholarship to highly touted 2011 inside linebacker recruit Anthony Wallace (Dallas, TX) according to ESPN. Florida’s offer is already Wallace’s 13th.

4 » KC Joyner, aka “The Football Scientist,” evaluated senior quarterback Tim Tebow in his ESPN Insider column on Tuesday. Joyner believes Tebow’s “intangibles are off the charts,” but his “metrics leave much to be desired.” Characteristics working against Tebow are his elongated throwing motion and tendency to lock onto receivers; he also does not read blitzes or pass-rushing tricks well, will not step forward on play-action fakes and is uncomfortable working in the pocket. “Tebow’s charisma and ticket-selling abilities may cause some team to draft him higher than his current skill set says he should be taken,” Joyner concludes.

Tags: Anthony Wallace, Charlie Strong, KC Joyner, Louisville Cardinals, Tim Tebow, Tom Jurich, University of Louisville

From time to time, OGGOA will come across too many news items we want to share with our readers. In those instances, we present a special post: Gator Bites. Enjoy.

- Reports were released early Sunday that Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer was hospitalized late Saturday night with chest pains. However, Meyer actually checked himself into Shands hospital in Gainesville, FL, early Sunday morning. He was treated and released for dehydration. The Orlando Sentinel reports that Meyer “worked late recruiting Saturday night after the Southeastern Conference Championship game loss to Alabama, which may have contributed to his dehydration.” ESPN has the story:

- Four-star linebacker Jeff Luc (Port St. Lucie, FL), a recruit who was highly coveted by the Gators, committed to the Florida State Seminoles on Saturday according to Aaron Shepard, one of his high school coaches. “He said he’s been a fan since he’s been a little kid and it just felt like home since he went up there this weekend,” Shepard told The Orlando Sentinel on Sunday.

- Defensive coordinator Charlie Strong told reporters on Saturday that he has not yet spoken to the Louisville Cardinals and had no planned meeting with the school on Sunday. Sunday morning, the Cardinals spoke with Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley and received permission to speak with Strong about the job opening. According to ESPN’s Joe Schad on twitter, Strong and Louisville AD Tom Jurich have plans to meet Sunday night in Gainesville, FL.

- The Gators will likely face the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Sugar Bowl. Meyer played defensive back for the Bearcats from 1983-1986.

- Former Alabama Crimson Tide running back Shaun Alexander, a close friend of senior quarterback Tim Tebow for some time, was seen consoling him late after the game in the Georgia Dome.

– Prior to the Miami Dolphins game on Sunday, former middle linebacker Channing Crowder ran out of the tunnel and gave a huge Gator Chomp to the crowd (which received a surprising ovation). Crowder was responsible for the game-clinching interception with 0:35 left in the fourth quarter as the Dolphins defeated the New England Patriots.

- Also a huge day for former Florida wide receiver Louis Murphy with the Oakland Raiders. Murphy caught four balls for 128 yards and two fourth quarter touchdowns against the Pittsburgh Steelers to give his team a 27-24 win.

- Competing in the 2010 Under Armour All-American Game are the following Florida commitments: Joshua Shaw (CB; Palmdale, CA), Jonathan Dowling (S; Southeast, FL), Demar Dorsey (S; Boyd Anderson, FL), Solomon Patton (WR; Murphy, AL), Leon Orr (DT; Gulf, FL), Mack Brown (RB; Martin Luther King, GA), Ian Silberman (OT; Fleming Island, FL). These recruiting prospects (among others) will also be playing in the game: Chris Dunkley (WR; Pahokee, FL), Kadron Boone (WR; Trinity Catholic, FL), Lamarcus Joyner (CB; St. Thomas Aquinas, FL), Cody Riggs (CB; St. Thomas Aquinas, FL), Chaz Green (OT; Tampa Catholic, FL), Devin Gardner (QB; Inkster, MI), Eric Mack (OG; Calhoun County, SC). For the star ratings of the Gators commits found in this list, visit OGGOA‘s recruiting page.

OGGOA will continue to update you with news throughout the day, so stay tuned.

Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, Channing Crowder, Charlie Strong, Chaz Green, Chris Dunkley, Cincinnati Bearcats, Cody Riggs, Demar Dorsey, Devin Gardner, Eric Mack, Florida State Seminoles, Ian Silberman, Jeff Luc, Jonathan Dowling, Joshua Shaw, Kardon Boone, Lamarcus Joyner, Leon Orr, Louis Murphy, Louisville Cardinals, Mack Brown, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers, SEC Championship, Shands, Shaun Alexander, Solomon Patton, Sugar Bowl, Tim Tebow, Under Armour All-American Game, Urban Meyer