The Florida Gators added a fourth highly-rated and top-ranked defensive back to their 2013 recruiting class after receiving a solid verbal commitment from four-star safety Marcell Harris (Orlando, FL) during a ceremony on Thursday.

The 49th ranked player nationally according to Rivals, Harris joins a stellar group of players including five-star Vernon Hargreaves III (Tampa, FL) and four-stars Keanu Neal (Bushnell, FL) and Nick Washington (Jacksonville, FL). Hargreaves (No. 7), Neal (No. 108) and Washington (No. 118) are also members of the Rivals250.

Harris chose Florida over Florida State, Oklahoma and Texas after making numerous visits to Gainesville, FL throughout the year. He was long considered a Gators lean and made that decision official on Thursday.

At 6’1” and 207 lbs., Harris possesses great physicality and enough range to perform as a run stopper and coverage safety. His varied skill set should allow him to get on the field early and play at both safety positions.

He is now the third-highest-ranked player to commit to Florida for 2013 behind Hargreaves and four-star running back Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glade, FL), who is ranked No. 47. Harris is the 21st member of the Gators’ recruiting class, which includes 12 defensive players and 15 prospects from the state of Florida.

Harris’s father, Mike Harris, was a safety at Florida under Steve Spurrier from 1994-97.

Tags: Keanu Neal, Kelvin Taylor, Marcell Harris, Nick Washington, Vernon Hargreaves

Released Tuesday afternoon, the third edition of the Rivals250 for the class of 2013 is filled with players verbally committed to play for the Florida Gators next season. Though five Florida commits are part of the top 100 players in the group (which was released Tuesday), five more are listed among the top 250 recruits in the nation.

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

7 2 – DB Vernon Hargreaves* (Tampa, FL)
47 45 – RB Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glade, FL)
82 16 – LB Daniel McMillian (Jacksonville, FL)
86 17 – WR Ahmad Fulwood (Jacksonville, FL)
90 19 – DT Caleb Brantley (Crescent City, FL)
108 142 – DB Keanu Neal (Bushnell, FL)
110 16 – DE Jordan Sherit* (Tampa, FL)
118 19 – DB Nick Washington (Jacksonville, FL)
183 9 – LB James Hearns (Tallahassee, FL)
199 26 – LB Quinton Powell (Daytona Beach, FL)

* Added to list.

Florida’s 2013 commitments as of August 21, 2012:

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

Tags: Ahmad Fulwood, Caleb Brantley, Daniel McMillian, James Hearns, Jordan Sherit, Keanu Neal, Kelvin Taylor, Nick Washington, Quinton Powell, Vernon Hargreaves

Whether he switched his pledge to the Vanderbilt Commodores or the Florida Gators first decided to move on remains a point of contention. Either way three-star defensive back Tre Bell (Jersey City, NJ), who committed to Florida in early April, has instead committed to Vanderbilt as first reported by 247Sports.com early Saturday morning.

According to The Gainesville Sun:

A source close to the situation told The Sun that UF’s coaches wanted to see Bell in action this summer so they could critique his play, something several of Florida’s commits were required to do. But Bell never attended any of Florida’s camps in June and didn’t work out when he came down for Friday Nights Lights on July 27. [...] With many more highly rated corner prospects still left on the board, the Gators decided to part ways with the 5-foot-11, 170-pounder during his unofficial visit to UF on Aug. 2.

One of three prospects to commit to the Gators on April 7 while on his first-ever visit to the University of Florida for the 2012 Orange & Blue Debut, Bell was the 13th player to join the 2013 class at the time of his commitment.

His departure leaves Florida with 21 current 2013 commitments though the team will undoubtedly attempt to fill his spot with another defensive back.

Bell was the lowest-rated of the Gators’ four 2013 defensive back pledges, well behind five-star Vernon Hargreaves (Tampa, FL) and four-stars Nick Washington (Jacksonville, FL) and Keanu Neal (Bushnell, FL).

He is the second player in the last two months who was committed to Florida but wound up decommitting or getting dropped by the team for one reason or another.

Three-star linebacker Dillan Lawson (Crestview, FL), one of six players to commit to the Gators at the team’s Junior Day on Feb. 18, reportedly had academic issues and decided to look for greener pastures after a conversation with the coaches.

Two other Florida’s commitments – four-star wide receiver Rodney Adams (St. Petersburg, FL) and three-star offensive lineman Roderick Johnson (Delray Beach, FL) – recently told InsidetheGators.com that the level of their commitment to the Gators is murky after the resignation of wide receivers coach Aubrey Hill.

Both players, who remain committed but have opened up their recruitments, had both reportedly been told by Florida that their academic standings must improve.

Tags: Aubrey Hill, Dillan Lawson, Keanu Neal, Nick Washington, Roderick Johnson, Rodney Adams, Tre Bell, Vernon Hargreaves

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