MyValleySports.com is reporting that Stanford Cardinal defensive ends and special teams coach D.J. Durkin has been hired to coach linebackers and special teams for the Florida Gators. Durkin, who has coached at Stanford for the last three seasons, previously worked as linebackers and special teams coach with the Bowling Green Falcons from 2005-06.

A four-year starter for Bowling Green from 1997-2000, Durkin served as a graduate assistant and defensive specialist on the Falcons coaching staff while he pursued a master’s degree in educational administration and supervision. Florida head coach Urban Meyer, who led Bowling Green from 2001-2002, hired Durkin as one of his GAs during his tenure. After Meyer left, Durkin spent two years with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish where he was a GA for the entire defensive staff but worked closely with defensive ends.

An interesting twist to this story is that Meyer has always coached the Gators’ special teams unit, so hiring Durkin for the job may very well indicate that he is choosing to lessen some duties or drop them all-together. OGGOA will have more on this story as additional information is made available.

ESPN spent a day with Durkin during Stanford football practice:

1 » If his touchdown celebration against the Florida State Seminoles, winning of the 2009 John Mackey Award and outstanding performances throughout the season were not enough for you to believe that Florida Gators junior tight end Aaron Hernandez was planning to declare for the 2010 NFL Draft, perhaps this piece of news will. Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel is reporting that Hernandez has been telling teammates and coaches that he will be leaving school for the draft in April. Junior cornerback Joe Haden has already declared and as many as five other juniors could join them.

2 » We here at OGGOA were excited to report on Dec. 16 that former Florida associate head coach, safeties coach and recruiting coordinator Doc Holliday had accepted the head coaching gig with the Marshall Thundering Heard. Now responsible for building his own staff, he has reached out to his roots for some assistance. Holliday has hired Florida graduate assistant Zach Smith as his wide receivers coach. Smith, a five-year assistant with the Gators, worked mostly with the offense and special teams while also doing quality control work and recruiting evaluation. “Zach is an outstanding young football coach who has a tremendous background and a bright future,” Holliday said. “He has spent the last five years working closely with Urban Meyer and has been heavily involved with their special teams and their great success.” Congratulations to Smith on his first coaching job.

Extra Bit » The NFL has announced that Minnesota Vikings rookie wide receiver/kick returner Percy Harvin has been added to the NFC‘s Pro Bowl roster as a kickoff return specialist. Harvin was added because Philadelphia Eagles WR/KR DeSean Jackson earned selections at both positions. Jackson received the most votes at WR, opening up the KR slot for the second-leading vote getter. “I feel blessed to make it to the Pro Bowl,” Harvin said Monday. “It is a great honor and humbling to be recognized by the other players and coaches in the NFC. I also want to thank all the fans who voted for me. But the biggest thanks goes to my teammates. I can’t do much of anything without the ten other guys blocking, so really it’s like a special teams honor for all of us.”

1 » At the end of this his Monday Morning QB column this week, Sports Illustrated‘s Peter King spoke at great length about Florida Gators senior quarterback Tim Tebow. Here is an excerpt from his diatribe on NFL scouts’ opinions of Tebow: “The NFL team that can’t find a spot for Tebow to help it win games is close-minded,” King writes. “I don’t know if he can be an every-down quarterback, but I do know 28 teams passed on Joe Montana through two rounds because he was too small, 31 teams passed on Tom Brady through five rounds because he was just another guy, and Kurt Warner went undrafted and twice went knocking on doors as an unwanted free-agent even after he won a Super Bowl in the NFL. [I would pick Tebow and] pop the champagne corks.”

2 » Mark Wheeler of Rivals is reporting that Florida cornerbacks coach Vance Bedford is indeed down in Miami, FL, recruiting today just as he said he would be last week. Bedford’s comments were met with skepticism as it is widely held that he will eventually become Charlie Strong‘s defensive coordinator with the Louisville Cardinals.

Extra Bit » Though rumors that he might decommit flurried over the weekend, four-star running back commitment Mack Brown (Lithonia, GA) has reaffirmed his decision to numerous sources. Five-star defensive end recruit Ronald Powell, who is expected to announce his commitment soon, is still leaning toward joining the Gators.

1 » The Dallas Morning News is reporting that the Texas Rangers are worried about Florida Gators senior wide receiver Riley Cooper reneging on the contract he signed after being drafted by the team in the 25th round of the 2009 MLB Draft. Though Cooper will not earn the bonus unless he plays baseball, he is supposed to attend minor league camp in Arizona in early March. However, Cooper will be building muscle and speed over the next few months, plans to participate in the NFL combine and could wait until after the 2010 NFL Draft to give the Rangers an answer.

2 » The 2010 Sugar Bowl on FOX earned an 8.5 “fast national rating” and 15 share, according to the Associated Press. This is up 9 percent from the 2009 game featuring the Alabama Crimson Tide and Utah Utes and up 57 percent from last year’s Jan. 1 evening game, the Orange Bowl between the Virginia Tech Hokies and Cincinnati Bearcats. FOX can thank senior quarterback Tim Tebow, head coach Urban Meyer and Gator Nation for the ratings boost.

With the regular season wrapping up Sunday night, the participants in the 2009 NFL Playoffs have now been determined. There are seven Florida Gators with roles on their squad’s active rosters among the 12 teams competing to appear in Super Bowl XLIV. OGGOA has put together a comprehensive list of these players.

Continue Reading » Florida Gators in the 2009 NFL Playoffs

Over the past two weeks, OGGOA asked you to participate in six polls. Ranging from how senior quarterback Tim Tebow will fare in the NFL to what present you wanted for the holidays, your responses were quite varied and interesting. 1,753 combined votes (292 average – our highest ever) were cast, and the results are in. Here is a quick review:

How will Tim Tebow fare in the NFL?
Starting QB (42%, 137 votes)
Starter at different position (28%, 92 votes)
Bust (16%, 52 votes)
Pro Bowl QB (14%, 47 votes)

Which SI All-Decade honors should Florida Gators basketball also have been awarded? (May pick one or more.)
School of the Decade (55%, 95 votes)
Best Single-Season Team (47%, 82 votes)
Coach of the Decade (30%, 52 votes)
None of the above. (6%, 10 votes)

What present do you want for the holidays?
No. 1 football recruiting class (48%, 101 votes)
2010 Sugar Bowl victory (37%, 77 votes)
March Madness appearance (8%, 17 votes)
No more UF legal issues (7%, 14 votes)

Things were obviously light-hearted before last week, with Florida fans most concerned about Tebow’s future, where the SI All-Decade lists (basketball | football | overall) overlooked the basketball team and what gift would best be suited for Gator Nation over the holidays. To see that 84 percent of respondents believe Tebow will be a successful NFL player was interesting, especially the 28 percent who think he will play a different position. Also surprising was that fans would have preferred a No. 1 football recruiting class to a win in the 2010 Sugar Bowl. Looks like the Gators have a great shot at both.

How does coach Urban Meyer’s resignation amid health concerns make you feel?
Concerned (31%, 96 votes)
F***ed (27%, 83 votes)
Sad (23%, 73 votes)
Depressed (19%, 60 votes)

Urban Meyer is taking a leave instead of resigning. Did he make the right decision?
Yes – glad he’s back! (73%, 350 votes)
No – decision puts UF in limbo. (19%, 92 votes)
No – shouldn’t risk his health. (8%, 39 votes)

Sweetest 2010 Sugar Bowl moment…
Tebow’s performance (52%, 132 votes)
Overall team effort (36%, 91 votes)
Saying goodbye to seniors (6%, 16 votes)
Meyer’s hope to return (6%, 14 votes)

Last weekend brought two polls to OGGOA concerning Meyer. A total of almost 800 votes were cast, the vast majority over a 48-hour period. Emotions were obviously split across the board when Meyer first resigned, but the response was overwhelmingly positive when he changed his mind just 12 hours later. After the Sugar Bowl, it was all smiles and few frowns for Gators fans, as evidenced by the 88 percent who thought the sweetest moment was Tebow’s performance and the overall team effort.

On a side note, OGGOA purposely did not hold a poll for Sugar Bowl MVP. We have automatically awarded it to Tebow for obvious reasons.

1 » Known as “The Future” and “The Next Tom Brady” by redshirt junior guard Carl Johnson and many of his Florida Gators teammates, redshirt sophomore quarterback John Brantley’s time is now. “He’s going to be really good,” Johnson said when asked about Brantley by the Orlando Sentinel. With everyone focusing on who is departing Gainesville, FL, perhaps it is time to focus on the bright future ahead for some younger Gators. Though he will likely never match what senior QB Tim Tebow has done, Brantley doesn’t have to in order to be successful in Orange and Blue. “I’m not really trying to match [Tebow’s legacy],” Brantley said. “I just want to come out and not miss a beat when my number’s called and hopefully win championships as a starter if I get that opportunity. I don’t have to go in there thinking I have to do everything and make every play.”

2 » Brand new Florida wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni has removed his name from the candidate list for the Central Michigan Chippewas head coach job. “I will be staying in Florida and coaching with the Gators next year,” Azzanni told the Morning Sun. Azzanni did not tell the paper if he was contacted for an interview or offered the position, “but there was a possibility for him to go to Cincinnati with Butch Jones following Urban Meyer’s retirement talk last week,” according to the paper. “We’re always staying busy,” Azzanni said. “There is never a day off in college football. [Winning the Sugar Bowl] felt good. There are so many talented players on the team and everyone really welcomed me in. It was a great experience.”

3 » Now that five-star safety Matt Elam has decommitted from the Gators and joined the Florida State Seminoles, Florida is putting the full court press on four-star defensive back recruit Dietrich Riley (La Canada, CA). Participating in the Under Armour All-America game, Riley heard from plenty of UF commitments that he was wanted in the Orange and Blue next year. “Coach Meyer is still recruiting me hard and they told me I’m their safety to get now after Elam,” Riley told Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel. “They’ve been recruiting me since October and they’ve been telling me to sit tight and be patient and we’ll let you know which guys to go the NFL.” Meyer’s recent announcements have not swayed Riley from including the Gators in his top three. “I understand that he has to take care of his health first […] that’s primary, his family and his health. He’s doing what’s best for the program,” he said. “I talked with him and he said he plans on returing to the school and he’s going to be a Florida Gator no matter what. He’s not going to go to any other school, so I’m happy about that.”

4 » Speaking of Tebow, he should retire and never play football again. Well, that’s the opinion of at least one man – CBSSports.com national columnist Gregg Doyel. Yup, Doyel believes Tebow will never reach a higher point in his career than he already has, is destined to fail in the NFL and should not even try to make it on the next level. Chomping: I guess I should have quit writing when I got my first article published by a major newspaper or when I won my first writing award, based on Doyel’s logic. At least there is one college football writer who refuses to bet against Tebow.

Down two with 2.6 seconds left on the clock in overtime and N.C. State Wolfpack guard Farnold Degand on the line ready to shoot his second free throw, the Florida Gators‘ hopes of winning a big out-of-conference game on the road looked dashed. Instead, Degand missed his shot, Florida junior forward Chandler Parsons grabbed the rebound, took two dribbles and threw up a 75-foot buzzer-beating, game-winning three-pointer to give the Gators (11-3) a much-needed 62-61 overtime victory in Raleigh, NC, at the RBC Center.

“It feels like a fantasy,” Parsons said while trying to gain perspective shortly after the game. “I’m waiting for someone to pinch me to wake me up. I’d by lying to you if I said I thought it was going to go in. It was pure luck. But I’m happy I was able to help my team and I was happy we were able to get out of here with the win. North Carolina State is a good team and they are going to have a great season. To be able to pull this out in front of their fans, with that crowd, it’s huge for us.”

One of Florida’s most consistent players this season, Parsons’ remarkable trey was his first made field goal of the game. The entire Gators squad struggled from beyond the arc yet again, shooting a combined 2-of-23 from three before Parsons’ final attempt. UF missed its first 13 three-point attempts and even rimmed out another that would have won the game in regulation.

Florida was within three numerous times at the end of overtime, but N.C. State (10-4) head coach Sidney Lowe directed his team to foul sophomore point guard Erving Walker before he could hoist up a three, limiting his ability to tie the game or take the lead. The Wolfpack missed four free throws in the final 38 seconds of overtime, allowing the Gators to stay in the game even with their poor shooting down the stretch.

Redshirt junior center Vernon Macklin led Florida with 14 points while Walker posted 13 of his own. Junior forward Alex Tyus added 11 points in the contest, his fifth-straight game with double-figure points. Tyus also led the Gators with seven rebounds, while Parsons and freshman guard Kenny Boynton each contributed six boards. For N.C. State, star F Tracy Smith scored 21 points and G Javier Gonzalez added 13 of his own, eight of which were in overtime.

Florida hopes to continue their lucky streak when they open Southeastern Conference play on Saturday, Jan. 9 at noon in Nashville, TN, against the Vanderbilt Commodores. The game will air live on ESPN.

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Women’s basketball (8-6) also took home a road win Sunday, toppling the Alabama Crimson Tide 59-53 in both teams’ conference opener. Senior G Lonnika Thompson and sophomore C Azania Stewart led the Gators with 12 points each.