Spring practice for the Florida Gators football program begins on Wednesday, March 13 and lasts for 15 practices concluding with the 2013 Orange & Blue Debut spring game on Saturday, April 6 at 1 p.m. Below is the second half of OGGOA‘s new two-part series that takes a look at the team on a position-by-position basis.

PART ONE: Offense

DEFENSIVE TACKLES
Returning starters (0/2): None
Fresh faces: Junior Darious Cummings, redshirt freshman Quinteze Williams

The Gators have plenty of holes to fill on the defensive side of the ball and it will be up to new defensive line coach Brad Lawing and assistant defensive line coach Bryant Young to figure out how to plug up the middle. With Sharrif Floyd set to become a top-five pick in the 2013 NFL Draft and Omar Hunter finally graduating after five years at the school, Florida will be looking to replace both of its starters. Senior Damien Jacobs, a junior college transfer who played in 12 games during his first season with the Gators, likely has the edge for one of the jobs but will still go up against Cummings (a 2013 JUCO transfer from the same school as Jacobs), Williams and redshirt junior Leon Orr, all of whom will compete for the two positions.

DEFENSIVE ENDS
Returning starters (1/2): Senior Dominique Easley
Fresh faces: Redshirt freshman Bryan Cox, Jr., redshirt freshman Alex McCalister, freshman Joey Ivie

Easley started all 12 regular season games at defensive tackle in 2011 and will be used inside some in 2013 despite starting 11 games at defensive end last season. His flexibility leaves the door open for a number of other players to make an impact. Sophomore Jonathan Bullard earned a pair of starts in 2012 and got rave reviews from the coaching staff; he is next in line to start and/or see major field time as a pure defensive end. McCalister, who won three Scout Team Player of the Week awards and was named Most Valuable Defensive Scout Team Member at the team banquet in Dec. 2012, was praised by head coach Will Muschamp at the end of the season.

Florida’s defense also features a Buck, which can line up with his hand in the dirt as a defensive end or upright as a linebacker. (For the purpose of this feature, Buck has been included in this position group.) Redshirt junior Ronald Powell was praised as much as any member of the team in the 2012 offseason but wound up missing the entire campaign with consecutive ACL tears. Lerentee McCray started in his place but graduated after his redshirt senior season. Though Powell will not participate in spring practice, he will retake his role as starter in the summer assuming he is medically cleared. He will be joined by sophomore Dante Fowler, Jr. – Powell’s heir apparent – and McCalister.

Continue Reading » Gators 2013 Spring Football Preview: Defense

Tags: Alex Anzalone, Alex McCalister, Andre Debose, Antonio Morrison, Austin Hardin, Brad Lawing, Brad Phillips, Brian Poole, Bryan Cox, Bryant Young, Cody Riggs, Damien Jacobs, Daniel McMillian, Dante Fowler, Darious Cummings, Darrin Kitchens, Dominique Easley, Drew Ferris, Jabari Gorman, Jaylen Watkins, Jeremi Powell, Jeremy Brown, Joey Ivie, Jonathan Bullard, Kyle Christy, Kyle Crofoot, Leon Orr, Loucheiz Purifoy, Marcus Maye, Marcus Roberson, Matt Rolin, Michael Taylor, Neiron Ball, Quinteze Williams, Rhaheim Ledbetter, Ronald Powell, Valdez Showers, Will Muschamp

Athletes care about their uniform numbers and now that Florida Gators football team is a month away from beginning spring practice, it was time for the eight 2013 early enrollees to choose theirs. Below is the list according to the school’s spring roster:

TRANSFERS
» No. 55 – Darious Cummings (Titusville, FL), junior defensive lineman
» No. 73 – Tyler Moore (Clearwater, FL), redshirt sophomore offensive lineman

FRESHMEN
» No. 9 – Matt Rolin (Ashburn, VA), freshman linebacker
» No. 11 – Demarcus Robinson (Fort Valley, GA), freshman wide receiver
» No. 13 – Daniel McMillian (Jacksonville, FL), freshman linebacker
» No. 21 – Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glade, FL), freshman running back*
» No. 34 – Alex Anzalone (Wyomissing, PA), freshman linebacker
» No. 91 – Joey Ivie (Dade City, FL), freshman defensive lineman

* Kelvin Taylor’s father, Fred Taylor, also wore No. 21 at Florida.

Tags: Alex Anzalone, Daniel McMillian, Darious Cummings, Demarcus Robinson, Joey Ivie, Kelvin Taylor, Matt Rolin, Tyler Moore

P Johnny Townsend: commit No. 30 | OL/TE Trevon Young: commit No. 29 | JUCO DT Jarran Reed: commit No. 28 | DT Jay-nard Bostwick: commit No. 27 | Muschamp discusses class; assistants evaluate signees | Video interviews with coaches | “Closing”, quarterback situation

Courtesy of the University of Florida‘s University Athletic Association:

EARLY ENROLLEES (8)

Alex Anzalone • Linebacker
6’3″ • 220 • Wyomissing, PA (Wyomissing Area)
PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Helped Wyomissing High to its first Class AA state championship in 2012, finishing 16-0, a school single-season record for wins…Selected to the 2013 Under Armour All-American Game…Finished his senior year with over 1,000 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns from the fullback position and registered more than 100 tackles…Earned a spot on the 247Sports Class of 2013 All-America team…Named senior Class AA Player of the Year as part of the 2012 Pennsylvania Sports Writers All-State Team…As a junior, was named first team all-state, all-region and all-county…In 2011, ran for over 900 yards and scored 13 touchdowns and was named to the all-state team…Invited to “The Opening”, an all-star summer prospect camp held on the Nike Campus…Chose Florida over Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, USC, UCLA, Miami, Tennessee, Pitt, Stanford, Georgia and Florida State…Coached by Bob Wolfrum.

Darious Cummings • Defensive tackle
6’1″ • 310 • Titusville, FL (Astronaut/Florida St./East Mississippi CC)
PRIOR TO FLORIDA: Played in all 10 games during the 2012 season at EMCC, tallying 26 tackles (12 unassisted) with 4.0 TFL (12 yards), 3.0 sacks, two quarterback hurries and one forced fumble…EMCC finished 8-2 on the year and ranked 15th in the final NJCAA poll…Anchored a defense that allowed just 74.2 rushing yards per game…Notched a season-high four tackles twice during the season, against Pearl River CC and Itawamba CC…Played under head coach Buddy Stephens at EMCC…Spent two years at Florida State before transferring to EMCC…Played in three games as a true freshman and two games as a sophomore before suffering an injury that caused him to miss most of the 2011 season…Totaled seven tackles in five career games at FSU…Missed the spring of 2012 at FSU after arthroscopic knee surgery and then transferred to EMCC in the summer of 2012…Entered his senior year of high school with 159 tackles, including 22 for loss and 15 sacks…Was the first commit in FSU’s 2010 signing class…Was a Florida Super 75 selection by the Times-Union…Named to SunStateFootball.com all-state first team in 2009…Attended the same high school as former Gator football players LB Wilber Marshall, WR Cris Collinsworth and TE Aaron Walker…Chose Florida over offers from Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Mississippi State and Arkansas.

Continue Reading » Florida Gators 2013 National Signing Day bios

Tags: Adam Lane, Ahmad Fulwood, Alex Anzalone, Alvin Bailey, Antonio Riles, Caleb Brantley, Cameron Dillard, Chris Thompson, Daniel McMillian, Darious Cummings, Demarcus Robinson, Jarrad Davis, Jarran Reed, Jay-nard Bostwick, Joey Ivie, Jordan Sherit, Keanu Neal, Kelvin Taylor, Marcell Harris, Marqui Hawkins, Matt Rolin, Max Staver, Nick Washington, Octavius Jackson, Roderick Johnson, Trenton Brown, Tyler Moore, Vernon Hargreaves

Long-time 2013 linebacker commitment James Hearns (Tallahassee, FL) and the Florida Gators officially parted ways on Thursday.

According to InsidetheGators.com’s Blake Alderman, Hearns and Florida decided an amicable split would be best for both parties as the player’s grades and ability to eventually qualify for admission were a continued concern for the school.

Hearns, who originally committed to the Gators on Feb. 2, 2012 as the team’s fourth 2013 pledge, is a unanimous four-star prospect who Rivals ranks as the 197th-best player in the nation.

At the time of his Florida pledge, Hearns boasted an impressive offer list that included teams like Alabama, Florida State, Georgia and LSU. Due to academic concerns, his list of potential destinations will be much more limited this time around.

Though losing a player of Hearns’s talent is not a positive for any recruiting class, the Gators have four other linebackers already committed for 2013 including five-star Alex Anzalone (Wyomissing, PA), four-star Daniel McMillian (Jacksonville, FL), four-star Matt Rolin (Ashburn, VA) and three-star Jarrad Davis (Kingsland, GA).

Landing Anzalone as an early enrollee came as a surprise for Florida, meaning Herans’s departure is even less impactful in the long run. The Gators are also still involved in the recruitment of four-star Quinton Powell (Daytona Beach, FL), who is set to decide on National Signing Day between UF or USC.

Tags: Alex Anzalone, Daniel McMillian, James Hearns, Jarrad Davis, Matt Rolin, Quinton Powell

Released Tuesday, the fifth and final edition of the Rivals250 for the class of 2013 is filled with players verbally committed to play for the Florida Gators next season. Though seven Florida commits are part of the top 100 players in the group (list released Monday), seven more are ranked among the top 250 recruits in the nation.

Below is a breakdown of where the Gators’ commits are ranked:

2 7 – DB Vernon Hargreaves (Tampa, FL)
28 22 – LB Alex Anzalone^ (Wyomissing, PA)
38 2 – RB Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glade, FL)
52 4 – WR Demarcus Robinson^ (Belle Glade, FL)
63 38 – WR Alvin Bailey (Seffner, FL)
64 17 – DB Keanu Neal (Bushnell, FL)
67 10 – DB Marcell Harris (Orlando, FL)
123 30 – LB Daniel McMillian (Jacksonville, FL)
132 29 – DT Caleb Brantley (Crescent City, FL)
136 19 – WR Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, FL)
164 36 – DB Nick Washington (Jacksonville, FL)
197 2 – LB James Hearns (Tallahassee, FL)
198 3 – DE Joey Ivie (Dade City, FL)
224 6 – DE Jordan Sherit (Tampa, FL)

^ New commitment since last update.

Notes:

» Florida has received a commitment from a top-five player in three of the last four recruiting cycles. The Gators have also picked up the No. 2-ranked prospect in each of the last two years (offensive tackle D.J. Humphries, 2012).
» Anzalone added a fifth star and is Florida’s second five-star pledge.
» 10 of 14 players dropped an average of 14 spots in the rankings.

Expand: Full list of Florida's 2013 commitments as of Jan. 22, 2013:

Commitment	Pos.	Rivals	ESPN	Overall
V. Hargreaves	DB			2/3
Alex Anzalone*	LB			28/97
Kelvin Taylor*	RB			38/8
D. Robinson*	WR			52/53
Alvin Bailey	WR			63/77
Keanu Neal	DB			64/65
Marcell Harris	DB			67/68
Daniel McMillian*	LB			123/33
Caleb Brantley	DT			132/42
Ahmad Fulwood	WR			136/110
N. Washington	DB			164/154
Joey Ivie*	DE			198/-
Jordan Sherit	DE			224/-
Matt Rolin*	LB			-/80
Jay. Bostwick	DT			-/286
Adam Lane	RB			-/175
Marqui Hawkins	WR			-/199
Max Staver	QB			-/263
Cam Dillard	OL			-/-
Antonio Riles	DE			-/-
Rod Johnson	OL			-/-
Ch. Thompson	WR			-/-
Oct. Jackson	DT			-/-
Jarrad Davis	LB			-/-
Trevon Young	TE			-/-
John Townsend	PK			-/-
Dar. Cummings*	DT			JUCO
Jarran Reed	DT			JUCO
Trenton Brown	OL		NR	JUCO
Tyler Moore*	OL			CC

* Early enrollee (spring 2013)

Tags: Ahmad Fulwood, Alex Anzalone, Alvin Bailey, Caleb Brantley, Daniel McMillian, Demarcus Robinson, James Hearns, Joey Ivie, Jordan Sherit, KeanuNeal, Kelvin Taylor, Marcell Harris, Nick Washington, Vernon Hargreaves

1 » Practices for the 2013 East-West Shrine Game began on Tuesday with only two – rather than three – former Florida Gators showing up on rosters. Safety Josh Evans and kicker Caleb Sturgis were both listed on the rosters Tuesday while linebacker Lerentee McCray mysteriously had his name removed. Though not much can be taken from the first day of practices, Evans and Sturgis each got measured as part of the standard first-day procedure. Evans checked in at 6’1 1/8” and 205 lbs. with 10-inch hands, a 31 ¼-inch arm length and 77-inch wingspan. Sturgis was listed at 5’9 7/8” and 186 lbs. with 8 ¾-inch hands, a 29 ¾-inch arm length and 71 5/8-inch wingspan.

2 » Florida announced eight early enrollees on Tuesday, all of whom are four-star prospects according to Rivals, including LB Alex Anzalone (Wyomissing, PA), JUCO defensive tackle Darious Cummings (Scooba, MS), four-star defensive end Joey Ivie (Dade City, FL), LB Daniel McMillian (Jacksonville, FL), transfer offensive lineman Tyler Moore (Clearwater, FL), wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (Fort Valley, GA), LB Matt Rolin (Ashburn, VA) and running back Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glade). Among those early enrollees, Anzalone and Robinson were last-minute additions with the former player’s defection from Notre Dame coming as a surprise to UF. Furthermore, Cummings has chosen to be referred to on the Gators roster as “Bear Cummings,” using a nickname he has had since childhood.

3 » A pair of now-former Florida players have released statements thanking the school, coaches and fans for their support during their careers with the Gators. The first comes from junior defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, who took out an ad in Wednesday’s The Independent Florida Alligator (picture via sports editor Joe Morgan).

4 » On Monday, redshirt junior Will linebacker Jelani Jenkins sent an extra-long message out via his Twitter account expressing a similar sentiment.

I am truly grateful to the University of Florida, Faculty and Administrators, Coach Muschamp and the entire Coaching Staff, my Brothers on the Gators Football Team and GATOR NATION for all the love and support you have shown me throughout the years. All of my future aspirations will reflect the proud tradition of GATOR PRIDE AND GREATNESS

Tags: Alex Anzalone, Caleb Sturgis, Daniel McMillian, Darious Cummings, Demarcus Robinson, East-West Shrine Game, Jelani Jenkins, Joey Ivie, Josh Evans, Kelvin Taylor, Lerentee McCray, Matt Rolin, Sharrif Floyd, Tyler Moore

The Florida Gators added a surprise eighth early enrollee on Thursday as four-star 2013 linebacker Alex Anzalone (Wyomissing, PA) rescinded his pledge from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and plans to arrive in Gainesville, FL on Friday.

According to InsidetheGators.com’s Blake Alderman and Rivals.com recruiting analyst Mike Farrell, who first reported Anzalone’s flip, the player decommitted from the Fighting Irish after head coach Brian Kelly interviewed with the Philadelphia Eagles before heading out on vacation following the 2013 BCS National Championship Game.

He originally committed to Ohio State in April but decommitted in May and named Florida and Notre Dame as his top two. The success of Manti Te’o led Anzalone to commit to the Fighting Irish in July, but he soon began reconsidering his choice.

His father, Salvatore Anzalone, received his medical degree from the University of Florida and other members of his extended family also live near Gainesville. Those facts made the Gators an attractive potential destination all along.

Anzalone had previously considered flipping from Notre Dame to Florida but reaffirmed his pledge to the Fighting Irish on Nov. 5. An early enrollee, his recruiting process was thought to be over at that point.

However, with Kelly’s reported NFL interest making news over the last few days, Anzalone apparently felt that the grass was greener in Gainesville.

He is expected to enroll in school on Friday and be the eighth player to join the Gators this spring along with four-star running back Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glade, FL), four-star LB Daniel McMillian (Jacksonville, FL), four-star wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (Jacksonville, FL), four-star defensive end Joey Ivie (Dade City, FL), four-star LB Matt Rolin (Jacksonville, FL), and four-star transfers offensive lineman Tyler Moore (Clearwater, FL) and defensive tackle Darious Cummings (Scooba, MS).

Anzalone is ranked as the 50th best player in the nation by Rivals and the No. 1 recruit from the state of Pennsylvania. He is considered the 97th best player in the nation by ESPN, which also lists him as a four-star prospect.

Florida’s newest recruiting class now consists of 27 total pledges including 26 that count as part of the 2013 cycle. Rivals and ESPN now unanimously list the Gators as having the No. 1 2013 recruiting class in the nation.

Tags: Alex Anzalone, Daniel McMillian, Darious Cummings, Demarcus Robinson, Joey Ivie, Kelvin Taylor, Matt Rolin, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Tyler Moore

Released Thursday afternoon, the final edition of the ESPN 300 for the class of 2013 is filled with players verbally committed to play for the Florida Gators next season. Eleven Florida commits are part of the top 150 players in the group and five more are listed among the top 300 recruits in the nation.

Three major changes to the list include running back Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glade, FL) adding a fifth star, four-star wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (Jacksonville, FL) moving up 104 spots and four-star defensive end Jordan Sherit (Tampa, FL) dropping out of the rankings due to his ACL injury.

Below is a breakdown of where the Gators’ commits are ranked:

3 EVEN – DB Vernon Hargreaves (Tampa, FL, FL)
8 7 – RB Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glade, FL)
33 13 – LB Daniel McMillian (Jacksonville, FL)
42 4 – DT Caleb Brantley (Crescent City, FL)
53 104 – WR Demarcus Robinson (Jacksonville, FL)
65 2 – DB Keanu Neal (Bushnell, FL)
68 2 – DB Marcell Harris (Orlando, FL)
77 6 – WR Alvin Bailey (Seffner, FL)
80 4 – LB Matt Rolin (Jacksonville, FL)
97 UNK. – LB Alex Anzalone (Wyomissing, PA)
110 61 – WR Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, FL)
154 19 – DB Nick Washington (Jacksonville, FL)
175 7 – RB Adam Lane (Winter Haven, FL)
199 19 – WR Marqui Hawkins (Columbus, GA)
263 3 – QB Max Staver (Brentwood, TN)
278 2 – LB James Hearns (Tallahassee, FL)

Florida’s 2013 commitments:
Continue Reading » Sixteen Gators ranked in final ESPN 300 for 2013

Tags: Adam Lane, Ahmad Fulwood, Alvin Bailey, Caleb Brantley, Daniel McMillian, Demarcus Robinson, James Hearns, Keanu Neal, Kelvin Taylor, Marcell Harris, Marqui Hawkins, Matt Rolin, Max Staver, Nick Washington, Vernon Hargreaves