Over 11 months ago, four-star wide receiver Ryeshene Bronson (Fort Myers, FL) became the first 2014 prospect to commit to the Florida Gators. On Tuesday, Bronson decided to rescind his pledge and reopen his recruitment, becoming the second prospect to part ways with Florida in the last five days.

Bronson (6’3”, 182 lbs.), ranked No. 125 overall on the newest Rivals250 released Tuesday, first committed to the Gators on June 14, 2012, after visiting Florida and participating in a football camp.

He committed to the Gators nearly 19 months before his National Signing Day, choosing Florida at the time over Auburn, Florida State and South Carolina, among others.

“I wanted to lock it in and get it all out of the way,” he told InsidetheGators.com last June. “I didn’t want to have the stress of recruiting on me.”

Bronson joins four-star linebacker Christian Miller (Jacksonville, FL) on the decommitment list. Miller, a Rivals100 prospect, backed off from his pledge on Friday but maintained that the Gators remain in the mix for his services.

Bronson, whose decision was first reported by Michael Langston of Rivals, spoke about the situation Tuesday afternoon. ITG‘s Blake Alderman notes that Bronson splitting ways with UF was “a mutual decision by both parties.” ($)

“My recruitment is officially open I’m not committed to university of Florida any more,” he wrote on Twitter. “Uf is not out of the.picture tho,” he added.

Florida is down to seven 2014 commitments including two offensive playmakers – four-stars running back Dalvin Cook (Miami, FL) and quarterback Will Grier (Davidson, NC). Cook (No. 24) and Grier (No. 29) are both ranked in the new Rivals100.

Tags: Christian Miller, Dalvin Cook, Ryeshene Bronson, Will Grier

The Florida Gators football program has now flipped two offensive commitments from the Clemson Tigers in the last four months after learning Saturday following its final spring practice that four-star 2014 running back Dalvin Cook (Miami, FL) has changed his mind and decided to play college football in Gainesville, FL.

The No. 22 player in the nation originally committed the Tigers on June 13, 2012, but has long had interest in playing for the Gators. Cook visited Florida one week ago and spent two days in Gainesville. He decided to return on Saturday for the 2013 Orange & Blue Debut and made his intentions known that evening.

“It was really great up there and I had a blast,” he told Rivals last week.

Defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson is Cook’s main recruiter and has apparently showed him a great time on consecutive visits. Head coach Will Muscahmp has also been gung-ho on signing the playmaker.

Cook called himself “solid” to Clemson one week ago but is now fully invested at Florida. He also has offers from Alabama, Florida State and Miami, among others.

He is the ninth member of the Gators’ 2014 recruiting class and the team’s second-highest rated player behind four-star quarterback Will Grier (Davidson, NC). Florida now has six Rivals250 pledges as well as five total on the offensive side of the ball and six from the state of Florida.

Cook’s flip was first reported by FOX Sports‘ Amy Campbell.

Tags: Dalvin Cook, Travaris Robinson, Will Grier, Will Muschamp

Four-star linebacker Christian Miller (Columbia, SC), a member of the Rivals100 for the 2014 recruiting cycle, became the third player to commit to the Florida Gators at Junior Day in Gainesville, FL on Saturday.

Miller, who registered 14 sacks during his junior campaign at Spring Valley High School, joined offensive linemen Travaris Dorsey (Jacksonville, FL) and Benjamin Knox (Deland, FL) as the newest members of Florida’s recruiting class. The Gators now have six pledges for 2014 with Miller on board as just the second defensive player.

The son of former South Carolina starter and nine-year NFL veteran LB Corey Miller, he undoubtedly took his father’s advice when making his pledge. The older Miller was coached by new Florida defensive line coach Brad Lawing when both were at USC.

The Gators gained and lost a Rivals100 member on Saturday. Prior to adding Miller (ranked No. 91 overall), Florida lost four-star defensive tackle Travonte Valentine (Palm Bay, FL). The No. 46-ranked prospect decommitted from the Gators in order to open up his recruitment, a move that was expected and certainly not a surprise.

Florida’s other 2014 pledges include four-star quarterback Will Grier (Davidson, NC), four-star wide receiver Ryeshene Bronson (Fort Myers, FL) and four-star cornerback Duke Dawson (Cross City, FL). All three are ranked on the Rivals250 at No. 18, No. 119 and No. 219, respectively.

Miller’s commitment was first reported by ESPN‘s Kipp Adams.

Tags: Benjamin Knox, Brad Lawing, Christian Miller, Duke Dawson, NFL, Ryeshene Bronson, Travaris Dorsey, Travonte Valentine, Will Grier

Not all recruitments are filled with back-and-forth battles and down-to-the-wire decisions, which is why it was relatively easy process for long-time lean and four-star 2014 defensive back Duke Dawson (Cross City, FL) to pull the trigger and commit to the Florida Gators on Tuesday.

Just 51 miles west of the University of Florida at Dixie County High School, Dawson sat down in front of family, friends and media and announced his decision to become the fourth member of the Gators’ already stellar 2014 recruiting class.

He chose Florida over Florida State and joins four-stars wide receiver Ryeshene Bronson (Fort Myers, FL), defensive tackle Travonte Valentine (Palm Bay, FL) and quarterback Will Grier (Davidson, NC) as prospects that have already decided to continue their football careers in Gainesville, FL.

Dawson, the cousin of Gators four-star 2013 DB pledge Marcell Harris (Orlando, FL), is the fourth member of the Rivals250 Watch List to commit to Florida. He is widely considered one of the best defensive backs in the 2014 class.

He told InsidetheGators.com‘s Blake Alderman on Monday ($) that the attention paid to him by the coaching staff and the ability to play early on in his career are what had him leaning towards the Gators.

“With Florida, I talk to them all the time. They have showed me love ever since the first time I went to their camp [over the summer], and they have five defensive backs leaving the year before I would come in so there’s opportunity,” he said.

Though his commitment is solid, Dawson will take recruiting visits as he still has a full year until he signs his National Letter of Intent.

Tags: Duke Dawson, Marcell Harris, Ryeshene Bronson, Travonte Valentine, Will Grier

Florida Gators sophomore quarterback Jacoby Brissett, embroiled in transfer rumors after losing the starting job to classmate Jeff Driskel in September, decided to leave the program immediately and transfer to another school.

Florida officially announced Brissett’s transfer on Sunday, confirming an initial report released Saturday evening by GatorCountry.com.

Brissett originally committed to the Gators late in the 2011 recruiting cycle after the team had already secured a pledge from Driskel. Then-offensive coordinator Charlie Weis went after Brissett personally and convinced him to commit to Florida over Miami, a move that went against his mother’s wishes.

Third on the team’s depth chart at the start of his freshman season as he enrolled in the summer and not early in the spring, Brissett was thrust into a starting role in 2011 after starter John Brantley and second-stringer Driskel both got injured against Alabama in the fifth week of the season. The following week, he became the first Gators freshman to start at quarterback since Chris Leak and went 18-of-39 for 206 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions in two consecutive starts.

Brissett and Driskel battled for the starting job over the spring and summer with both players earning the start (Driskel at wide receiver) in the 2012 season-opener against Bowling Green. Driskel took the majority of the snaps in the game and was named full-time starter after the contest, leaving Brissett in a back-up role. Coaches pointed to Driskel’s mobility as the tipping point in their decision-making process.

When Driskel injured his ankle against Louisiana-Lafayette on Nov. 10, Brissett came on to finish the game. He returned as starter the following week against Jacksonville State, combining to go 20-of-30 for 218 yards with one touchdown in the two contests.

It now appears that he will not see the field again until 2014 as he will likely transfer to another Division I program and use 2013 as an NCAA-mandated redshirt year.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Arkansas, Duke, Louisville, N.C. State and West Virginia are the five leading candidates for Brissett’s services. He has long considered WVU an option and had the school as part of his final four with UF, Miami and Wisconsin during his recruitment. Then-UW head coach Bret Bielema accepted the Arkansas job on Dec. 15, 2012.

With Brissett no longer in the fold, Florida is set to have four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster in 2013. Backing up Driskel will be redshirt sophomore Tyler Murphy, freshman Skyler Mornhinweg and incoming three-star Max Staver (Brentwood, TN). Murphy played sparingly in 2011 but has not thrown a pass in his collegiate career. Mornhinweg did not play in 2012 and will take a redshirt to preserve his full eligibility.

Likely fueled by Brissett’s decision, the Gators appear to have recently made an inquiry about four-star 2013 QB recruit Asiantii Woulard (Winter Park, FL). UF already has four-star QB Will Grier (Davidson, NC) committed for 2014.

Photo Credit: Jonathan Bachman/Associated Press

Tags: Asiantii Woulard, Charlie Weis, Jacoby Brissett, Jeff Driskel, Max Staver, Skyler Mornhinweg, Tyler Murphy, Will Grier

Sports Illustrated on Friday released “The 112 of ’12,” a list of its best sports moments, memes and memories of 2012. Four spots on the list have at least some connection to the Florida Gators. clicking here.

OGGOA will be releasing our annual “Top 12 for 2012″ lists on Dec. 30 and 31.

No. 22 – TEBOW TIME IN OVERTIME
“Tim Tebow had an uncanny knack for lifting Denver to unexpected late victories over the course of the 2011 season. ‘Tebow Time’ hit its head-scratching crescendo in the playoffs. In his first postseason start, Tebow threw for a career-high 316 yards to lead the Broncos to an implausible 29-23 overtime win over Pittsburgh on Jan. 8 in the AFC wild-card round. After blowing a late 10-point lead, the Broncos won on the first play of OT when Tebow hit Demaryius Thomas for an 80-yard score. It was the shortest overtime game in NFL history (11 seconds).”

No. 42 – U.S. WOMEN WIN SOCCER GOLD
“It seemed unlikely the Olympic women’s soccer tournament would replicate the excitement of the 2011 World Cup. But the U.S. women made it a gold-medal run to remember. In the semifinals, aided by a controversial, rarely enforced six-second call on Canada’s goalkeeper, the Americans outlasted the Canadians 4-3 in one of the greatest matches in Olympic history. The U.S. rallied from 2-1 and 3-2 deficits in the second half to force extra time. Then Alex Morgan scored on a header in the waning seconds of added time to send the U.S. to the gold medal match, a 2011 World Cup final rematch with Japan. The U.S. exacted revenge, winning 2-1 for its third straight Olympic gold.”

No. 88 – THE FACES OF FLORIDA’S WILL MUSCHAMP
“Say this for Florida football coach Will Muschamp: He’s not afraid to express his emotions. They don’t call him “Coach Boom” for nothing. His facial expressions — starting with the intense death stare on his first Florida promotional poster — are a sight to behold. From the referees to his own players, it’s never a good idea to be on Muschamp’s bad side. But for the Gators, it’s working. After a disappointing 7-6 record in his first season in Gainesville, Muschamp has completely reshaped the 11-1 Gators in his own image: a tough, defensive-minded group that climbed to No. 3 in the final BCS standings and nearly found its way into the national title game.”

No. 98 – WILL GRIER THROWS FOR … 837 YARDS?!?
“This fact is indisputable: Will Grier, a junior quarterback for Davidson Day School in North Carolina, had the greatest passing day in high school football history in November when he threw for a ridiculous 837 yards and 10 touchdowns in a 104-80 playoff victory over Harrells Christian Academy. But his numbers won’t be recognized by the National High School Sports Record Book because of a confusing technicality, as Raleigh’s News and Observer explains. The recognized national record is 764 yards by David Koral in 2000. Either way, Grier was a top target of some of the nation’s premier college programs: the four-star 2014 recruit committed to Florida on Dec. 19.”

Tags: Denver Broncos, NFL, Olympics, soccer, Tim Tebow, USA, USA Soccer, Will Grier, Will Muschamp

Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp and offensive coordinator Brent Pease have made it a priority to sign at least one quarterback in each recruiting class. Forced to accept a fallback option for 2013, the Gators received word Wednesday that the centerpiece of their 2014 class is now in the fold as four-star signal caller Will Grier (Davidson, NC) officially committed to play for Florida.

“I am committed to the university of Florida!! If you ain’t a gator your gator bait!! #Gators #chompchomp #SWAMPLIFE,” he wrote on his personal Twitter account. (He also sent out this picture in a subsequent tweet.)

A dual-threat passer with a powerful arm and 4.8-second speed, Grier is the Gators’ top choice at his position and is seen by the coaching staff as an indispensable piece of its puzzle. He chose Florida over N.C. State, Tennessee and North Carolina, which also made him a top priority.

Grier had an outstanding junior season for Davidson Day High School, completing 78.3 percent of his passes for 5,785 yards and 69 touchdowns with just six interceptions. He also averaged 8.8 yards per carry and racked up 813 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground but did cough up five fumbles.

“He’s a dual-threat and can move, but I think he’s excellent in the pocket and will only need to run when rushed in college,” said Rivals recruiting analyst Mark Farrell of Grier. “He’s comfortable setting up and throwing unlike some other quarterbacks who put up impressive rushing stats in high school.”

In a playoff game against Harrells Christian Academy on Nov. 9, he put together the best game of his career and one of the most dominant high school football performances in history, completing 83.3 percent of his passes for 837 yards and 10 touchdowns and also carrying the ball six times for 45 yards and two more scores.

Though the record-setting yardage mark is unlikely to be recognized statewide or nationally, it did help him win Gatorade High School Football Player of the Year for North Carolina. He also led his high school team to an 11-2 record and a second-straight state championship.

The third member of the Gators’ 2014 class – joining four-star wide receiver Ryeshene Bronson (Fort Myers, FL) and four-star defensive tackle Travonte Valentine (Palm Bay, FL) – Grier will spend the next year recruiting other top offensive playmakers and trying to convince them to join him at Florida.

By the time he suits up for the Gators, Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett will be entering their senior seasons, should either or both remain with the team that long.

Tags: Brent Pease, Jacoby Brissett, Jeff Driskel, Ryshene Bronson, Travonte Valentine, Will Grier, Will Muschamp