Defensive end recruit Quinteze Williams (Tyrone, GA) committed to the Florida Gators on Wednesday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“I felt like it was time,” he told Rivals. “I wanted to get my commitment in before any other defensive ends of my caliber dropped in and took that spot.”

Williams, at 6’4” 255 lbs., can play either defensive end or defensive tackle, though he and his father maintain that he is being recruited the play the former position.

Visiting Florida during Junior Day in February, Williams was thrilled at what the school and city had to offer. With so many options to choose from, it was believed that he would not make a verbal commitment until later in the process, but the Gators’ coaching staff may have swayed him with their extensive experience.

He chose Florida over offers from Auburn, Florida State, Georgia and Tennessee, among other schools. Though Williams had not previously named a leader, it was thought that UGA – the in-state school – had the best chance to gain his services.

Tags: Junior Day, Quinteze Williams

1 » It is quite obvious that former Florida Gators guard Carl Johnson is a large man. Florida fans have known this for quite some time and NFL folks got to see it for themselves during the 2011 NFL Scouting Combine when he weighed in at an event-high 361 lbs. However, Johnson’s size is not solely due to eating habits or not working out but rather the medicine he takes to combat his Crohn’s Disease. “[It’s] like arthritis in your intestines,” he told the Palm Beach Post’s Ben Volin. “Crohn’s patients are known for dropping massive amounts of weight, like 20 pounds in a week. So [the medicine] makes me gain weight. It makes me retain water. But it also keeps me alive, so it’s a double-edged sword.” Luckily for Johnson, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard (who also has the disease) has been there for him from the beginning. Read more about his struggles with the disease and preparation for the 2011 NFL Draft.

2 » He may be a bit biased due to his son being an assistant on the team and the fact that he coached Florida head coach Billy Donovan while both were at Providence, but Louisville Cardinals head coach Rick Pitino tabbed the Gators as his dark horse candidate for a national title during a recent appearance on the Colin Cowherd show on ESPN Radio. “Everybody overlooks Florida,” he said. “Obviously Billy Donovan played for me, but I think Florida’s the type of team with three seniors in the front court with a very quick backcourt. They’re a team that could beat anyone on a given night. I look at Florida. Although they are ranked [12th] in the nation, nobody talks about them as a potential national champion. But they have the experience in their head coach, they have the experience in the frontcourt, the returning backcourt.”

3 » You have to be strong in order to play fullback and linebacker. You have to be even stronger to carry your family on your back when your mother suffers a cerebral aneurysm, undergoes multiple surgeries and has years of recovery ahead of her. Florida freshman FB Hunter Joyer is both after helping his family survive the frightening near-loss of his mom. “To have her there to be able to share in that moment was amazing,” Hunter said of his mom joining him on National Signing Day. “I couldn’t imagine how upset I would be if she wasn’t there. Signing with Florida was one of my lifelong dreams, and she was there to share it and take pictures with me.”

4 » Four-star tackle Jessamen Dunker (Boynton Beach, FL) looks to be one of the top offensive lineman available in the 2012 recruiting class, and the Gators are already making a strong push for him. Having visited Florida for Junior Day already, Dunker was impressed with head coach Will Muschamp, the campus and town; he hopes to learn more about the school as he goes through the recruiting process. “I had a good time while they were showing me around,” Dunker told the Post. “I was driving through [Gainesville] and it seems like a place I could live.”

Tags: Billy Donovan, Carl Johnson, combine, Draft, Hunter Joyer, Jessamen Dunker, Junior Day, Louisville Cardinals, NFL, Rick Pitino, Will Muschamp

Less than 10 days after 2011 National Signing Day concluded, Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp has made his first splash for the 2012 cycle, earning a verbal commitment from four-star running back Matt Jones (Seffner, FL) over the weekend.

Jones, a member of the Rivals250 who is considered by many to be the best rusher in the state of Florida, was thrilled to hear about the Gators’ pro-style offense when he sat down with Muschamp and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis during Florida’s Junior Day. Though he gave them his verbal pledge over the weekend, he wanted to make his decision public in order to avoid dealing with the stresses that come with recruiting.

He plans to make a “solid commitment” (the words of his high school head coach) to UF on Wednesday at 7 p.m., according to The Tampa Tribune.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Muschamp and Weis told Jones he was their No. 1 target at his position and that he is unlike any other back currently on the roster. At approximately 6’2″ and 210 lbs., Jones rushed for 1,447 yards and accounted for 29 total touchdowns as a junior at Armwood High School.

“When I was at Florida [on] Saturday, I knew that is what I wanted. I love the staff and coach Muschamp is great. I knew I was going to do it but I did not tell them until later in the day,” Jones told Scout.com. “I felt great up there and the Gator Nation better be ready. When I told coach Muschamp, he was real jacked up and I made his day. He told me they needed a guy like me and great players want to play with other great players. I just want to go up there and compete. I plan on rocking the entire Gator Nation.”

Jones joins four-stars defensive tackle Omari Phillips (Venice, FL) and wide receiver LaTroy Pittman (Citra, FL) as the Gators’ third 2012 commitment.

Photo Credit: Chris Zuppa/St. Petersburg Times

Tags: Charlie Weis, Junior Day, Latroy Pittman, Matt Jones, Omari Phillips, Will Muschamp

1 » Former Florida Gators All-American center and NBA first-round draft pick Dwayne Schintzius is in the middle of an extensive battle with leukemia. Schintzius, 41, is the Gators’ fifth all-time leading scorer (1,624 points); the team’s career blocks leader; the only player in SEC history with more than 1,000 points, 800 rebounds, 250 assists and 250 blocks; and a nine-year NBA veteran who was drafted No. 24 overall by the San Antonio Spurs in 1990. He received a bone marrow transplant on Jan. 12 from his brother Travis, and his family prays each day that his condition will improve. You can read more about his past career and present condition here and here.

2 » Florida sophomore running back Jeff Demps, a freshman as a track and field sprinter, was awarded his second SEC Male Freshman of the Week award by the conference on Tuesday. Demps, who won the men’s 60-meter dash at the Tyson Invitational last week, set a NCAA automatic-qualifying time of 6.59, tying teammate Terrell Wilks for the school record. His time in the 60 is the fastest in the nation so far this season and ranks 15th in the world.

Two more BITS on Erving Walker and Steve Addazio after the jump!
Continue Reading » FOUR BITS: Schintzius, Demps, Walker, Addazio

Tags: Dwayne Schintzius, Erving Walker, Jeff Demps, Jeff Driskel, Junior Day, NBA, NCAA, San Antonio Spurs, SEC, Steve Addazio, Terrell Wilks, Urban Meyer

Recruiting contributor Zach Abolverdi takes a look at Junior Day for OGGOA…

The Florida Gators’ first Junior Day of the 2011 recruiting cycle was a successful start to the season, despite the absence of head coach Urban Meyer. By all accounts, interim head coach and offensive coordinator Steve Addazio was firing on all cylinders, doing a good job selling the program to the prospects in attendance. He emphasized how coaches, players and recruits united when uncertainty surrounded the program just over a month ago and claimed it was a testament to the resiliency of Gator Nation.

Recruiting requires many crucial components and qualities, one of which is developing relationships early in the process. Addazio and the coaching staff got that chance this past Saturday, when they saw familiar faces mixed with some brand new ones. There were no drills, workouts or whistles, just an opportunity for prospects to take in the city, campus and everything the University of Florida has to offer.

Find out who visited and what their impressions were of the Gators after the jump!
Continue Reading » Florida impresses recruits at first Junior Day

Tags: A.C. Leonard, Anthony Chickillo, Brian Randolph, Chuck Heater, D.J. Durkin, Dan McCarney, De'Ante Saunders, Florida State Seminoles, Garrett Clark, Gator Nation, James Vaughters, Jeff Driskel, Junior Day, LaMichael Fanning, Louisville Cardinals, Miami Hurricanes, Steve Addazio, Troy Pettis, University of Florida, Urban Meyer, Vance Bedford

1 » Though he had to postpone his leave of absence due to former defensive coordinator George Edwards departing for the Buffalo Bills, Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer has finally taken a step back, according to Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel. Interim head coach and offensive coordinator Steve Addazio took the lead at UF’s Junior Day on Saturday as dozens of high school juniors visited Gainesville, FL, to learn about the football team. Meyer was nowhere to be found and has “a couple of getaways planned” before spring practice begins on March 17.

2 » Those down in the dumps about Gators basketball recently have reason to look forward to next season as two four-star forwards, Patric Young (Jacksonville, FL, No. 14 ESPNU) and Casey Prather (Jackson, TN, No. 32 ESPNU), are headed to Gainesville. Prather erupted for 43 points Saturday as his North Side High School defeated crosstown rival Jackson Central-Merry High School. In fact, he scored all but two of his team’s 17 third-quarter points and consistently got his squad out of jams.

Tags: Casey Prather, Junior Day, North Side, Patric Young, Steve Addazio, Urban Meyer

1 » Just because National Signing Day ended the 2010 recruiting cycle on Feb. 3 does not mean the Florida Gators coaching staff is done recruiting. The University of Florida will host its first Junior Day for 2011 high school graduates Saturday as prospects from all over the state (and some from beyond) will travel to Gainesville, FL, to learn about the Gators. The majority of the outing includes a presentation about Florida football from a suite, a tour of The Swamp and a chance for the high schoolers to meet with some current players and pick their brains about the Gators. OGGOA will provide you with a full recap of the event early next week.

2 » In case you wanted or needed some data to explain why former Florida basketball player and current New York Knicks star forward/center David Lee deserved to be in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game all along, his hometown paper (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) has it together in a column for you.

Four more BITS on the Olympics, Jeff Demps, eye black, etc. after the jump!
Continue Reading » SIX BITS: Junior Day, Lee, Olympics, gym, track

Tags: Alabama Crimson Tide, All-Star, David Lee, field, Gator Chomp, gymnastics, Jeff Demps, Junior Day, NBA, NCAA Football Rules Committee, NCAA Indoor Championships, NCAA Player Rules Oversight Panel, New York Knicks, Olympics, SEC, Steve Mesler, Terrell Wilks, The Swamp, Tim Tebow, track, University of Florida, World Cup

Recruiting contributor Zach Abolverdi in his first submission to OGGOA…

Now that football recruiting for the 2010 term is in the books and Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer has assembled one of the best classes of all-time, OGGOA brings you a look ahead to the Gators’ (in our opinion) top 20 targets for 2011. These are prospects that the coaching staff has already targeted and is pursuing the hardest as of press time. Perhaps even more important, the 20 targets listed below have a mutually high level of interest in Florida. [Preliminary star ratings provided by Scout.com.]

1. DT Tim Jernigan (Lake City, FL) – 6’2” 275 lbs.
Nicknamed “Hercules” for his superior size and strength, Jernigan also runs a remarkable 4.6 in the forty yard dash. He received his very first scholarship offer from Florida as a ninth grader and has visited on several occasions including this past summer when he dominated at the Urban Meyer Football Camp. In an interview with The Gainesville Sun following National Signing Day, Jernigan revealed that if he had to sign his letter of intent now, the Gators would be the recipient of his highly sought after signature.

2. ATH James Wilder, Jr. (Tampa, FL) – 6’2” 223 lbs.
Rivals’ “Junior of the Year,” Wilder, Jr. is the 2011 version of Ronald Powell with the athletic ability to play running back, linebacker and defensive end at the next level. He favors the Miami Hurricanes at the moment because they are recruiting him at running back, the position his father played in the NFL and his position of choice. However, most recruiting analysts project Wilder as an outside linebacker, and Florida is his leader if he chooses to play on defense in college.

Check out 18 more 2011 recruits the Florida Gators are targeting after the jump!
Continue Reading » Twenty recruits the Gators are eyeing for 2011

Tags: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Bobby Hart, Brandon Fulse, Brian White, Charon Peake, Christian Lemay, Christian Westerman, Curt Maggitt, Dan McCarney, Friday Night Lights, Jack Nicklaus, James Vaughters, James Wilder, Jaylen Watkins, Jeff Driskel, Junior Day, Kelvin Benjamin, LaMichael Fanning, Lonnie Gosha, Mike Bellamy, Nick O'Leary, Nick Waisome, Sammy Watkins, Scot Loeffler, SEC, Stacey Lemay, Teddy Bridgewater, Tim Jernigan, Urban Meyer, Wayne Lyons, Zach Azzanni