Four-star wide receiver Kenny Stills (Carlsbad, CA) made his commitment official Friday evening, choosing to play football beginning next season in Norman, OK, for the Oklahoma Sooners. Stills, whose other final school was the Florida Gators, has been considered a heavy Oklahoma lean for some time, and many recruiting analysts believe the Gators’ loss of wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Billy Gonzales sealed what was already thought to be an inevitable decision.

Stills, 6’2″ 175 lbs., was one of three California recruits that Florida head coach Urban Meyer has been hot after for his 2010 class. Four-star cornerback Joshua Shaw (Palmdale, CA) committed to the Gators on Nov. 17, and five-star defensive end Ronald Powell (Moreno Valley, CA), declared Florida his leader Thursday night. Powell is rumored to be ready to make his commitment at any time.

Chris Dunkley, a four-star wide receiver from Pahokee, FL, who the Gators have at the very top of their recruiting big board next to Powell, becomes an even more important signing now that Stills has decided not to attend the University of Florida. Like Powell, Dunkley is considered a heavy Florida lean who is also rumored to be a silent commit.

Source: OU Insider

Tags: Billy Gonzales, Chris Dunkley, Joshua Shaw, Kenny Stills, Oklahoma Sooners, Ronald Powell, University of Florida, Urban Meyer

OGGOA reported Tuesday evening that Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer was absent from his team’s first practice since its 2009 SEC Championship loss because he was in California on a recruiting trip likely visiting four-star cornerback commit Joshua Shaw (Palmdale, CA) and recruits five-star defensive end Ronald Powell (Moreno Valley, CA) and four-star wide receiver Kenny Stills (Carlsbad, CA).

Though the other team Powell is considering is the local USC Trojans, he has been leaning toward the Gators for some time according to recruiting analysts and has even gone out of his way to take numerous unofficial visits to Gainesville, FL, on his family’s own dime. Sports Illustrated recruiting reporter Kristian Dyer believes Powell is “most likely a silent verbal to Florida, as players have noted that he lobbied hard for them to join him in Gainesville when he took his official visit in September.”

When Shaw committed to the Gators exactly a month ago, he told reporters to expect others from his home state to join him across the country. “I’ll say this, there’s definitley more to come for the 2010 class,” Shaw said at the time. He also mentioned that he and Powell have made plans to attend the same school and room together as freshmen. Powell is considered to be the No. 1 available recruit on Florida’s board with four-star WR Chris Dunkley (Pahokee, FL) a close second.

UPDATE: Scouts, Inc. is reporting that Powell is indeed ready to make his college commitment official. He apparently tried to set up an announcement that would air on the ESPNU Recruiting Insider show this week but requested the time in too short of notice for the producers to make it to happen. OGGOA will keep you updated on Powell’s announcement as information regarding its occurrence is made available.

Tags: Chris Dunkley, Joshua Shaw, Kenny Stills, Ronald Powell, SEC Championship, Urban Meyer, USC Trojans

1 » A common thought among Florida Gators players returning for their first practice since UF’s devastating loss in the 2009 SEC Championship game was expressed quite well by senior quarterback Tim Tebow on Tuesday. “I don’t think you’re over a loss,” he said. “It’s probably going to hurt a while. I guess we’re over the point where we’re feeling sorry for ourselves.” Tebow also spoke to the media about the elation that his crying brought to non-Gators fans. “I don’t think I’ve really been irritated by it too much, except for when people give my family a hard time or when they’re saying stuff to my mom,” he said. “I’m used to hearing everything from fans, and so you know what, if they enjoy seeing me cry, I have bigger things to worry about.”

2 » Running backs coach Kenny Carter shot down rumors that he has plans to join former defensive coordinator Charlie Strong’s staff at the Louisville Cardinals. “I’m not looking for anything and have not been approached with anything,” Carter said. He then pulled a line from cornerbacks coach Vance Bedford’s book, saying: “I’m a Gator.” He continued, “The good thing about it is if you’re doing your job, there are going to be rumors. If you didn’t have the rumors then you’d be worried.”

3 » Carter also denied any talk that redshirt sophomore running back Chris Rainey would be declaring for the 2010 NFL Draft, calling it a “non-issue.” Bruce Black, the father of junior strong safety Ahmad Black, speculated that his son, Rainey and the Pouncey twins would all declare after the 2010 Sugar Bowl. “When [Rainey] exhausts his eligibility, then he can think about it,” he said. “I know when he and I had that conversation, we weren’t thinking about anything else but playing and next year.”

4 » Head coach Urban Meyer missed his team’s first practice in more than a week as he is across the country doing recruiting work in the state of California. Likely visiting five-star defensive end Ronald Powell (Moreno Valley, CA) and four-star wide receiver Kenny Stills (Carlsbad, CA), Meyer hopes to return to Gainesville, FL, with their commitments or at least increased interest in the Gators.

Tags: Ahmad Black, Bruce Black, Charlie Strong, Chris Rainey, Draft, Kenny Carter, Kenny Stills, Louisville Cardinals, NFL, Ronald Powell, SEC Championship, Sugar Bowl, Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Vance Bedford

Covering the Florida Gators as close as I do every day, I often find the need to vent regarding some of the coverage, news, opinions and general sentiments surrounding the program. In those instances, OGGOA presents CHOMPING On:

You are the wide receivers coach at one of the best programs in college football. You are a respected recruiter. You have known the head coach for almost two decades and have coached under him for the last eight seasons. You are passed over for an offensive coordinator position by said coach who, instead, gave it to an offensive line coach even though you were a successful red zone playcaller the previous season. Your name is Billy Gonzales, and you have just left the Florida Gators and head coach Urban Meyer to become the “passing game coordinator” for the LSU Tigers.

Was Gonzales’ departure really that surprising? Is it truly a big deal in the long-run? The answer to both of these questions is “No,” and I am here to tell you exactly why.
Continue Reading » CHOMPING On: Effect of Billy Gonzales’ departure

Tags: Billy Gonzales, Central Michigan Chippewas, Charlie Strong, Colorado State Rams, Dan Mullen, Jeremy Foley, Kenny Stills, LSU Tigers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Steve Addazio, Urban Meyer, Zach Azzanni

1 » The Florida Gators‘ two commitments from Dwyer High School, five-star safety Matt Elam and four-star tight end Gerald Christian, got a visit from recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales on Tuesday, who also took time to meet with their teammate and three-star cornerback Robert Clark. [OGGOA Exclusive:] It is expected that Meyer will pay a visit to Dwyer in the coming days and offer Clark a scholarship (if he has not been offered one already), especially after learning that both Lane and Monte Kiffin of the Tennessee Volunteers attended Dwyer practice on Tuesday pushing hard for Clark in hopes that he could sway Elam.

2 » Over the last few days, Florida has lost out on two of the top 2010 recruits in the country to the Florida State Seminoles. First, it was four-star linebacker Jeff Luc (Port St. Lucie, FL) who liked the transition from Bobby Bowden to head coach Jimbo Fisher. According to reports Wednesday morning, five-star cornerback Lamarcus Joyner (Fort Lauderdale, FL) has also committed to FSU. Joyner, considered the No. 1 overall CB recruit in the country, and Luc were both highly regarded prospects by Gators, though neither were strong leans to Florida.

3 » Four-star wide receiver Kenny Stills (Carlsbad, CA) has narrowed his list to two schools: the Gators and the Oklahoma Sooners. Stills, who will announce on Dec. 18, said the Miami Hurricanes still have a shot but not a great one. The Gators have already pulled one recruit from California for 2010, four-star CB Joshua Shaw (Palmdale, CA), and many believe that head coach Urban Meyer is looking for the trifecta with Stills and five-star defensive end Ronald Powell (Moreno Valley, CA).

4 » Florida is the early leader for Sterling Bailey (Gainesville, GA), a 2011 defensive end who is expected to be rated a four-star prior to his senior year of high school. “I could say [the Gators are out in front],” Bailey told JC Shurburtt of ESPN. “It was a surprising offer at first because they were not sending me much in the mail. My coach called me up and told me that Florida had offered. At first, I didn’t believe him. Then, I called and got on the phone with Urban Meyer. He told me that they were glad to offer me a scholarship and that when they saw me on film, it was a no-brainer.”

Tags: Billy Gonzales, Bobby Bowden, Dwyer, Florida State Seminoles, Gerald Christian, Jeff Luc, Jimbo Fisher, Joshua Shaw, Kenny Stills, Lamarcus Joyner, Lane Kiffin, Matt Elam, Miami Hurricanes, Monte Kiffin, Oklahoma Sooners, Robert Clark, Ronald Powell, Sterling Bailey, Tennessee Volunteers, Urban Meyer

From time to time, OGGOA will come across tidbits and small news items we want to share with our readers. In those instances, we present a special post: Gator Bites. Enjoy.

- Florida Gators basketball has officially announced the commitments of four-star recruits power forward Patric Young (Jacksonville, FL) and small forward Casey Prather (Jackson, TN). This was merely a formality as both had committed previously but sent in their National Letters of Intent on Tuesday.

- Senior quarterback Tim Tebow has been named to the “Players to Watch” list for the 2009 Walter Camp Player of the Year award.

- Junior tight end Aaron Hernandez was announced as one of eight semifinalists for the 2009 John Mackey Award. Hernandez is first on the team is receptions and second in receiving yards and average yards per game. He is first among Southeastern Conference TEs in receiving yards, average yards per game and receptions.

- The father of former Florida quarterback Rex Grossman denounced the Chicago Bears coaching staff Tuesday, saying that the offense is “a self-perpetuating problem that is not Jay Cutler’s fault.” Grossman was selected by the Bears in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft and started for Chicago in their most recent Super Bowl appearance.

- Four-star wide receiver recruit Kenny Stills (Carlsbad, CA) has made plans to visit the Gators in two weeks. Florida safeties coach Chuck Heater has an in with Stills as he coached his father while both were with the Wisconsin Badgers.

Tags: Aaron Hernandez, Casey Prather, Chicago Bears, Chuck Heater, John Mackey Award, Kenny Stills, NFL, Patric Young, Rex Grossman, SEC, Tim Tebow, Walter Camp Award