With the shock of the resignation of Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer still ringing through the ears of Gator Nation, one of the major questions arising is a simple one: “Who will replace him?” OGGOA has complied a list of the most likely and most rumored candidates that could replace Meyer:
Check out the full list of potential replacements after the jump!!!
Continue Reading » Who will replace Urban Meyer as head coach?
Sports Illustrated completed its All-Decade lists Tuesday covering everything from the top male athletes of the 2000s to the decade’s biggest flops. Florida Gators teams, players and alumni earned their way toward eight more notable distinctions.
Because the honors are many, you must view them all after the jump!
Continue Reading » More Gators honored on SI All-Decade lists
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.
1 » Speculation surrounded Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer’s future this week, forcing him to (for the third time in six months) declare he has no intention of coaching the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and plans to remain in Gainesville, FL. Would that declaration stop the talk of Meyer leaving? Of course not. Now we have Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com telling Gators fans that Meyer’s next destination will be the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys – as soon as next year. While we here at OGGOA do believe the NFL is in Meyer’s future, we see him as the future successor to New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick…half a decade from now.
2 » While on the subject of coaching, plenty is being said about Florida State Seminoles head coach Bobby Bowden this week. One article focuses on the fact that Saturday’s game will probably be Bowden’s last trip to The Swamp. “[I’ve thought about it] a little bit,” Bowden said. “Not enough to distract me. But I’ve thought about it, yeah. Thought about how this might even be the last time I’m ever in Gainesville.” Another explains how Bowden never had a chance in recruiting Florida senior quarterback Tim Tebow. “We never had a chance,” he said. “Mom and dad went there, and I remember Bob Tebow saying that since Tim was little, that he wanted to play at Florida. To me, it was cut and dried.”
3 » With Tebow closing out his career, there are four years of memories and accomplishments to look back on. The Palm Beach Post writes that Tebow will leave a strong impression on Gator Nation and the state of Florida long after he has graduated. Everyone from teammates, coaches, teachers and school officials to analysts, ministers, mothers and even Governor Charlie Christ seems to agree. For a guy’s whose career is already unparalleled, Tebow will have success in life even if it is not in the NFL.
4 » Following up on our BIT from Thursday about the massive success of the 2006 recruiting class, the Gainesville Sun has gone as far as to declare it “the greatest recruiting class in school history – and one of the greatest in the history of college football.” One member of that class is redshirt junior offensive lineman Corey Hobbs, a four-star recruit who has only seen action in 11 games in his Florida career. The Orlando Sentinel is reporting Hobbs has decided to quit the football team following this season. Hobbs, who will be honored on Senior Day along with some of his other teammates, has decided to begin law school next semester.
Taurean Green (@TaureanJGreen):
"Yes yes....my #GatorBoys in the Elite 8. All u jive time turkeys that thought Marquette was gonna win can sit down and go to sleep!"
The Silver Lining is an exclusive column written by Adam Silverstein of OnlyGators.com for Yahoo! Sports and Rivals.com affiliate InsideTheGators.com. OGGOA readers can receive a special discount on a subscription to InsideTheGators, which can be accessed by clicking the image above!
