Considering so much has gone on over the last few days in regards to the Florida Gators, the OGGOA Week In Review returns for its third edition. (Yes, it is just covering a four-day period, but let’s just all agree to ignore that.) Be sure to check out all of the posts in case you happened to miss a thing or two.

FOOTBALL RECRUITING / FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
» The day before Friday Night Lights was set to commence, Florida received a commitment from 2013 defensive back Vernon Hargreaves III (Tampa, FL), who vaulted the program five spots from 10th to 5th in the Rivals team recruiting rankings and immediately became the Gators’ highest-rated player of the cycle.

» Florida doubled up on commitments before FNL even began as three-star defensive end Antonio Riles (Lawrenceville, GA) chose UF over Georgia and committed even though he could not make it to campus for the event.

» There were rumblings all week that the Gators would receive a commitment from another highly-rated defensive prospect, but FNL came and went without him announcing his pledge. Four-star DE Jordan Sherit (Tampa, FL) remained in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, however, and made his verbal commitment public.

» Florida received its fourth commitment in as many days on Sunday when 2014 defensive tackle Travonte Valentine (Palm Bay, FL), expected to be one of the top players at his position when recruiting rankings are released for his class, ended his recruitment early and decided that he wanted to play for the Gators, too.

» More rumblings on Sunday indicated that Florida could go five-for-five in commitments and bring in a talented but underrated offensive playmaker on Monday though it remains to be seen if head coach Will Muschamp will give him a commitable offer and the opportunity to join the Gators.

2012 LONDON OLYMPICS
OGGOA has been offering full coverage of the Olympics all event long on this dedicated page, which includes a Gator Nation vs. The World medal count, daily schedule and direct LIVE streaming links to each event as it takes place. Below are some notes in case you have not visited it yet and want a quick refresher.

» Ryan Lochte (United States) won two medals over the weekend including a gold in the Men’s 400 Meter Individual Medley, the fourth such medal of his Olympic career. Lochte also swam the final leg of the Men’s 4×100 Meter Freestyle Relay but got caught from behind over the final 50 meters; the team finished with a silver. He will compete in the Men’s 200 Meter Freestyle finals on Monday afternoon.

» Junior Elizabeth Beisel (United States) took silver in the Women’s 400 Meter Individual Medley, the first Olympic medal of her young career. She nearly won the gold but was bested over the last 150 meters.

» Thirteen other Gators (as well as one incoming freshman) competed in Olympic action over the four-day span though none of them were able to join Lochte and Beisel in bringing home medals as of yet. Striker Abby Wambach was dominant once again in soccer and got a black eye in her match on Saturday, though she scored a goal in retaliation and mocked her assailant during her celebration.

» “Gator Nation” is currently eighth in the Olympic medal standings with one gold and two silver. You can view the full medal breakdown on OGGOA‘s dedicated Olympics page.

FORMER PLAYERS SPEAK OUT
» Florida quarterback Shane Matthews praised Muschamp and the current Gators coaching staff while noting that he was frustrated with the way former head coach Urban Meyer and his staff developed play callers and recruited in his waning years.

» Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah said he definitely had more fun at Florida than QB Tim Tebow did and provided an interesting answer when he was asked how much class he attended during his junior season when he was helping the Gators win the second of their back-to-back basketball national championships.

Tags: Abby Wambach, Antonio Riles, Chicago Bulls, Elizabeth Beisel, Friday Night Lights, Joakim Noah, Jordan Sherit, Olympics, Ryan Lochte, Shane Matthews, soccer, swimming, Tim Tebow, Travonte Valentine, Urban Meyer, Vernon Hargreaves, Will Muschamp

Nearly done with their 2013 recruiting class, the Florida Gators received their second 2014 commitment on Sunday when defensive tackle Travonte Valentine (Palm Bay, FL) gave a verbal pledge to head coach Will Muschamp.

Valentine, despite previously being committed to Louisville and more recently having a top three of Alabama, Auburn and Florida according to Rivals’ Chris Nee, decommitted on July 15 and claimed five days later that Florida State was his new leader after spending three days on campus. He quickly changed that stance over the weekend after attending Friday Night Lights in Gainesville, FL.

“ITS OFFICIAL IM A GATOR I FEEL PROUD ABT IT TOOO #CHOMP CHOMP,” Valentine posted on Facebook though he had not yet spoken to Muschamp. Scout.com confirmed minutes later that he got in touch with Muschamp, who accepted his commitment.

Valentine is the second 2014 player to commit to the Gators; wide receiver Ryeshene Bronson (Fort Myers, FL) became the team’s first pledge on June 14. Both are expected to be at least four-star prospects when rankings are released.

He is the fourth high school football player commit to Florida in as many days following in the footsteps of 2013 five-star defensive back Vernon Hargreaves (Tampa, FL) on Thursday, three-star defensive end Antonio Riles (Lawrenceville, GA) on Friday and four-star defensive end Jordan Sherit (Tampa, FL) on Saturday.

Tags: Antonio Riles, Friday Night Lights, Jordan Sherit, Ryeshene Bronson, Travonte Valentine, Vernon Hargreaves, Will Muschamp

Just two days after five-star cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III verbally committed to the Florida Gators his close friend and fellow Tampa, FL native four-star defensive end Jordan Sherit did the same, informing head coach Will Muschamp of his decision the day after he attended Friday Night Lights.

Sherit, a member of the Rivals100 (No. 94) and ESPN 300 (No. 254), is 6’5” and 234 lbs. with impressive speed for a big man. He’s quick off the snap, strong at the point of attack and steadily improving as a pass rusher according to recruiting analysts who have watched him over the last two years.

Sherit chose Florida primarily over Notre Dame, Stanford and Vanderbilt (all schools with solid football and academics) but had a top 11 that also included Clemson, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and South Florida.

He is the eighth defensive front seven player and 14th Floridian (out of 20 pledges) to commit to the Gators as part of the 2013 recruiting cycle.

Sherit’s commitment was first reported by ESPN.

Tags: Friday Night Lights, Jordan Sherit, Vernon Hargreaves, Will Muschamp

He may not have been in Gainesville, FL for Friday Night Lights but that did not stop three-star defensive end Antonio Riles from pulling the trigger and officially announcing his commitment to the Florida Gators on Friday afternoon.

Though he may not be a highly-ranked prospect according to Rivals, Riles (6’4” 262 lbs.) is solid, can play inside or outside and has a reputation for being a stout and athletic run stopper. He is considered a four-star recruit by ESPN and both services have him rated as a top-30 defensive end this recruiting cycle.

It has long been believed that Riles recruitment would come down to a Florida-Georgia battle, and it looks like the Gators have come out on top for the talented prospect. He also claimed offers from Alabama, Clemson and South Carolina among others.

Riles is the 19th player to commit to Florida for 2013, 10th overall defensive commitment and third from the state of Georgia. He is just the third defensive lineman to pledge this cycle after the Gators hauled in seven as part of their 2012 class.

Riles is the second player to make a pledge for Florida in as many days after the Gators scooped up five-star defensive back Vernon Hargreaves III on Thursday.

Tags: Antonio Riles, Friday Night Lights, Vernon Hargreaves

Mixing pomp and circumstance with football drills and relationship building, the Florida Gators use their annual Friday Night Lights camp at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium as both a recruiting tool and means of evaluating some of the best high school football players in the country. The Gators often pull in some recruits over the FNL weekend but also find diamonds in the rough as recruits get coached up while getting to know each other.

The Swamp will once again filled with some of the top young talent in the nation on July 27, so much so that covering every player that plans to step on the field is a near impossibility. Below are a list of 10 players (in no particular order) to keep an eye on either because of their talent or high level of interest in attending Florida.

DB Marcell Harris (Orlando, FL) –
The No. 6 player at his position and ranked No. 54 overall in the 2013 class, Harris is a UF legacy (though that probably will not play much of a role in his decision) and will likely choose either Florida or Texas when all is said and done. The Gators got a big commitment from five-star defensive back Vernon Hargreaves III (Tampa, FL) on Thursday, so impressing or even adding Harris could go a long way to giving Florida an absolutely dominant secondary in the near future. His father is former safety Mike Harris, who played on the 1996 national championship team.

DE Jordan Sherit (Tampa, FL) –
Close friends with Hargreaves (the two actually arrived in Gainesville together on Thursday), Sherit is himself highly rated (No. 94 overall, No. 9 at his position) and could be yet another answer to the Gators pressing needs at Buck linebacker. He has long had Florida in his top 10 list and recently said it is one of four schools (Notre Dame, Stanford, Vanderbilt) he is looking at seriously despite having plenty of other offers (Clemson, Florida State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, etc.).

DE DeMarcus Walker (Jacksonville, FL) –
Another extremely talented player out of Jacksonville, Walker has his choice of any school in the country and will likely be picking between UF and Alabama when it comes down to the wire. Though some believe he is leaning towards the Crimson Tide, he has a lot of Gators commitments (including a handful from his hometown) in his ear and a trip to UF is the last visit he’s taking before his ceremony on Aug. 24.

Read up on seven more players attending Friday Night Lights…after the break!
Continue Reading » Previewing Florida’s 2012 Friday Night Lights

Tags: Alvin Bailey, Antonio Riles, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Brendan Langley, Brent Pease, Brian White, Bryan Cox, Demarcus Walker, Friday Night Lights, Joe Fennell, Jordan Sherit, Keith Kelsey, Kelsey Griffin, Marcell Harris, Matt Jones, Mike Harris, Nadir Barnwell, Raphael Andrades, The Swamp, Vernon Hargreaves, Will Muschamp

Three-star linebacker Dillan Lawson (Crestview, FL) and the Florida Gators parted ways on Wednesday evening in a move that was initially seen as a decommitment but is actually a mutual decision between the parties.

Lawson, who was one of six players to commit to Florida at the team’s Junior Day on Feb. 18, was relatively unknown in recruiting circles at the time of his pledge. At 6’4” and 215 lbs., he also claimed offers from Florida State, Louisville and North Carolina and began being noticed more following his commitment.

According to InsidetheGators.com ($), Lawson transferred from Crestview High School “to an alternative school in order to improve his academic standing” just two months after making his pledge for the Gators. He was forced to miss spring practice due to his grades but “though his academic situation is clearing up – for the better – it is still an issue with UF.”

Lawson told ESPN ($), which first reported the change in his commitment status, that Florida did not withdraw his scholarship though he hinted to the situation being murky, which is why he has opened his recruitment.

“I’d love to go to Florida, don’t get me wrong. I’d still love to go to Florida,” Lawson said.

His Crestview High School coach, Kevin Pettis, told The Gainesville Sun that the decision was mutual but that the Gators would offer Lawson again once his academics improved.

“He’s back at Crestview now and doing all the things academically that he’s supposed to be doing. But we’re still trying to make up core classes to boast his GPA and ACT,” Pettis told the paper. “This didn’t happen because he’s not interested in Florida. Coach [Will] Muschamp and the staff did a great job with him. I just think Dillan realized he needed to look at some other places, and I told him if you’re going to do that you have to decommit so that Florida can go out there and recruit another player.

“There is no way that I’m going to let a kid be committed to somewhere and then go look somewhere else. I just don’t believe in that.”

Lawson is waiting to hear back from Florida linebackers coach D.J. Durkin before deciding whether or not to attend Friday Night Lights in late July, according to ITG. He is unranked by Rivals but a four-star prospect and 285th overall player per ESPN.

Tags: D.J. Durkin, Dillan Lawson, Friday Night Lights, Junior Day, Will Muschamp

Seemingly anxious to pull the trigger for the Florida Gators for months now, four-star safety Nick Washington (Jacksonville, FL) verbally committed to head coach Will Muschamp on Saturday, becoming the eighth member of the team’s 2013 recruiting class and fourth player to decide to don the orange and blue on Junior Day.

One of the top performers at Florida’s Friday Night Lights camp over the summer, Washington has long favored the Gators and has now finally made his intentions public.

The No. 94 ranked player on the recently released Rivals100 and a five-star recruit listed as one of ESPNU‘s top 100 prospects of 2013, Washington had a top six also including Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State and South Carolina.

“I grew up a Florida fan. Both my parents are Florida fans and that’s how I grew up,” he said when discussing his options over the summer.

An assistant coach at Trinity High School, former Gators safety Guss Scott told ESPN – which was first to report Washington’s commitment – that he can play either safety or cornerback for UF in 2013.

“I think he’s one of the smartest kids I’ve ever coached,” Scott said. “One thing you know about a lot of kids, when they get to the next level the mental part is a problem. But he’s one of the smartest kids probably in his age group. He’s a guy that can recognize formations and do everything. That’s his biggest plus, and he’s a disciplined kid. He’s a great kid to coach.”

Also an avid and versatile baseball player, Washington has met with Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan and was told he will be able to join the team if he chooses to participate in both sports in college. He has said previously that he “definitely” wants to play football and baseball at the next level and three of his final six schools (Florida, Florida State, Clemson) were recruiting him for both sports.

Washington (6’0″ 180 lbs.), who will be a four-year starter at Trinity Christian High School as a senior next year, is now the Gators’ fifth commitment on the defensive side of the ball. He is the first secondary player to pledge for Florida in 2013.

Six of the Gators’ eight commitments are listed on the initial Rivals250 and seven can be found on the ESPNU150 watch list. ESPNU also has three of Florida’s pledges ranked as five-star recruits, while all eight come from within the state.

RELATED: 2013 LB Powell chooses the Gators at Junior Day | WR Rodney Adams makes the call for Florida | Legacy Kelvin Taylor commits to Florida Gators

Tags: baseball, Friday Night Lights, Guss Scott, Junior Day, Kevin O'Sullivan, Nick Washington, Will Muschamp

Many believed the Florida Gators failed to close the 2012 recruiting cycle strong by not securing an uncommitted prospect on National Signing Day, but the potential to add a five-star player a position of need remained a strong possibility heading into Friday evening. Unfortunately for Florida, wide receiver Stefon Diggs (Olney, MD) announced that he would not be travelling down to Gainesville, FL to play college football and would instead stay in his home state and play for the Maryland Terrapins next fall.

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.

Tags: Avery Johnson, Brent Pease, Charlie Weis, Courtney Gardner, Fehoko Fanaika, Friday Night Lights, Latroy Pittman, Maryland Terrapins, National Signing Day, Nelson Agholor, Raphael Andrades, Stefon Diggs, Wes Brown