The Gators have landed yet another big fish in 2019 recruiting class! 5-star wing Scottie Lewis of Rainey School in New Jersey has committed to Mike White and the Florida staff he announced via Twitter, this coming just one day after 4-star C Omar Payne committed.
Ranked as the #11 recruit on 247sports, Lewis chose the Gators over Kentucky making him the fifth highest rated recruit in Florida Gator history per 247sports. Lewis ranks behind Bradley Beal (2011), Chris Walker and Kasey Hill (2013), and Nick Calathes (2007).
Florida’s recruiting class is one for the record books as Lewis joins five-star Tre Mann, top 40 big man Payne, and 3-star walk on Alex Klatsky.
Florida now has the #2 class in the country and the top class in the SEC, over Kentucky at #4.
Gainesville, FL –– Dan Mullen held his weekly press conference on Monday and touched on several topics, including Feleipe Franks’ progression, LSU’s defense, the stadium atmosphere, and the 2008 championship team. Mullen opened the day with an injury update.
“Nothing new to report. We had no injuries Saturday so whatever the status was last week, it’s the same as last week.”
SEC Nation has announced that they will be in Gainesville for the game between fifth ranked LSU and the twenty-second ranked Gators. Not only will Tim Tebow be in town for the show, he will also be joining the rest of the 2008 national championship team to celebrate the ten year anniversary of Florida’s last national football championship. During the ceremony, the university will also unveil the latest stadium renovation, Tebow’s name added to the ring of honor.
After last weekend’s statement win, Mullen was asked about the development of Florida’s defense. Mullen expressed, “I like the steps that we’re taking defensively, right now.”
“The scout offensive line has done a great job. Our scout team is giving better looks and our practice is getting more physical and you’re starting to see the results of that with our guys being able to be more physical out there on Saturday.”
“One of the areas [Franks has] grown the most is understanding the game plan from week to week.”
-Dan Mullen describes where QB Feleipe Franks has developed most this season.
Asked about what area QB Feleipe Franks has improved the most in, Mullen was quick to answer, “One of the areas he’s grown the most is understanding the game plan from week to week because it changes. Even running the same play, we might want to run it a little bit differently from one week to the next. I think he’s grown and starting to understand that.”
Mullen also offered a glimpse into what Franks is still learning. “Like any quarterback ever, getting through multiple progressions standing in the pocket. That’s a process now. That is a long process of, not just going from one to two but going from one to two to three. And then, if you get really good, going from one to two, three, four, and five.”
Florida will be facing a very physical opponent this Saturday and one with a lot of speed. LSU and Florida have long debated which of them is the real “DBU” and Mullen commented specifically on their talented secondary when speaking of game preparations for the cross divisional rival.
“They have excellent guys that can play man coverage. One of the things for our guys coming in, our guys had a lot of good work in that again, so when you go through training camp, you have C.J. [Henderson] and Marco [Wilson] and you’re going against some great corners.”
Mullen added, “They’re going to give you some one on one match ups and you’re going to have to find a way to win some one on one match ups out there on the perimeter.”
It’s no secret that the Swamp has lost some of its luster over the past decade. With the often difficult to watch product that has graced Steve Spurrier-Florida Field, the fans have not been as eager to sell out the Swamp. With a renewed commitment to renovation from the athletic department and a rennaisance of what Gators football once was, the atmosphere is beginning to return to its once feared status.
Dan Mullen remembers what it was like from his days as an offensive coordinator in Gainesville and has worked passionately to reinvigorate the fan base. He feels that it begins with the student body.
“I expect it to look like that [what it looked like during his previous tenure]. I expect it to not be an open seat anywhere in the Swamp. I expect to see people on their feet. A great challenge, it should be fun for our student body. It’s a great challenge out there because I think if you look in college football, student bodies set the tempo and really set the atmosphere for everybody else out there.”
The Gators will host LSU at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville on Saturday, Oct. 6. The game will be broadcast live on CBS at 3:30 EST.
Payne is the #38 ranked player in the nation according to 247Sports as well as the #10 ranked center in the 2019 class.
Payne chose Florida over Florida State and Louisville and held twenty offers according to the 247 recruiting service.
Coach Mike White picks up his third commitment for the recruiting class, as he joins 5-Star PG Tre Mann and 3-Star Alex Klatsky. The Gators have one scholarship remaining for 2019.
Gainesville, FL –-In what is becoming a recurring theme, Florida finds itself on the receiving end of SEC Player of the Week honors. This time, Jachai Polite earned the Defensive Lineman of the Week and freshman, Evan McPherson has been named SEC Freshman of the Week.
Florida’s defense was dominant in Starkville this weekend, holding the Bulldogs to 202 total yards and just 43 in the second half. Polite was responsible for 2 of the Gators 6 total sacks. The junior DE leads the team with 4 sacks on the season.
Against the Bulldogs, Polite also had a pass breakup and three tackles. He and his defensive counterparts could be found in Miss State’s backfield all night and never allowed Nick Fitzgerald to get comfortable.
“He has the best close out of anybody on this team, anybody on our defense… he closes the best. He’s really quick on his feet, light, and he can run from any side of the field, he’s going to chase the ball.” Tedarrell Slaton had to say about his teammate.
McPherson continued his successful freshman campaign replacing phenom Eddy Piñeiro by hitting field goals of 39 and 21 yards. He is 8 of 9 on the season and perfect in point after attempts.
McPherson was superb in his kickoff responsibilities with four kickoffs for 250 yards. He averaged 62.5 yards per kick and added a touchback on the evening.
Talent has never been the issue at Florida. The Gators finally have a coaching staff in place who knows how to direct that talent and have it transfer into on the field success. The Gators are currently 4-1 overall with a 2-1 record in the SEC.
They face fifth ranked LSU in Gainesville at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6. The game will be televised on CBS.
The Florida Gators volleyball team cannot stop “sweeping” the floor against SEC opponents. The Gators picked up their fourth consecutive conference sweep and thirteenth victory of the season after beating the Alabama Crimson Tide in three sets.
Set 1
An Allie Monserez service run took the Gators from a one-point deficit (8-7) to a five-point lead (14-9). Florida quickly racked up nine more points to gain set-point advantage, but a 3-0 run by the Tide brought the score to 24-20. Then, Holly Carlton notched the kill to give the Gators a first set victory.
The Gators hit .222 and 13 kills in the frame, while holding Alabama to just .022. Carlton’s four kills led the set, with Taelor Kellum and Rachel Kramer posting three apiece.
Set 2
In a less comfortable set, the Tide was neck-and-neck with the Gators, leading 15-14, until Florida went on a 4-0 tear behind Thayer Hall and Kramer. Florida maintained a lead for the rest of the set. However, Alabama managed to pull within two at 22-20. A Kellum kill and a Hall ace sealed set two.
Florida hit worse, only posting .133, but created two more kill opportunities (15) than in the first set. Kellum (5) and Hall (4) were the kill leaders of the frame. Bama hit .086.
Set 3
UF hit a match-high .324 and 13 kills in set 3, but this set was the shakiest for the Gators. Florida was down 23-22 late, but “Hammer” Paige Hammons pounded back-to-back kills for set point.
Alabama sailed one over to tie it up again, but this time Kramer was the Gator with back-to-back points, scoring off a kill and a block.
Gator Notables:
Taelor Kellum led Florida with a career-high 12 kills… the same amount of digs Allie Gregory led the team with. Rachael Kramer’s six blocks led the entire match and Allie Monserez’s 18 assists led the Gators for the fourteenth consecutive match.
Florida continued its all-time shutout of Alabama, with a record of 45-0. 41 of those matches have ended in three sets. The last time the Tide even took a set from the Gators was October 3, 2008.
Up Next
The Gators (13-3, 4-0) head back to the Swamp for a Friday match against Texas A&M. Florida will be looking for its fifth straight sweep and tenth straight win overall.
Florida football re-enters the Associated Press media poll after a pair of victories on the road in hostile environments.
The Gators improved to 4-1 with a 13-6 victory at Mississippi State on Saturday.
Florida’s only loss this season came against 5-0 (and #13) Kentucky.
Florida faces #5 LSU in The Swamp this weekend. The Gators will celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the 2008 National Champions as well as induct Tim Tebow into the Ring of Honor.
Florida will also host SEC Nation at Plaza of the America’s on campus.
Starkville, MS – The emotions were high in Starkville as the Bulldogs played host to the Florida Gators and former head coach, Dan Mullen. Since Mullen accepted the job at Florida, this date has been circled by State fans everywhere. The week leading up to the maligned homecoming was filled with plenty of bulletin board material and fans could be seen throughout the stadium donning shirts that read, “Dan who?” The truth is undeniable. Mullen changed the landscape for Mississippi State’s football program and the fans will feel the sting of his departure for some time. It is safe to say that after Mullen’s new team left the field tonight, all of Starkville was reminded just who Dan is as the Gators held off the Bulldogs 13-6 for a hard fought road SEC victory. The effects of Mullen’s coaching acumen and culture of uncompromising standards and relentless effort are already making themselves apparent as the Gators won their second consecutive SEC road game. This one, though low scoring, appeared to be the most complete team performance yet for a team that has improved each week. With the win, Florida makes a loud statement. They are a team that is beginning to believe that they can compete with anyone, even on the road versus a top-25 opponent. The team has matched last season’s win total and Feleipe Franks looked confident and comfortable in command of the offense while facing one of the best defensive fronts he will see all year. The Gators defense, who entered Saturday leading the nation in takeaways, proved that they can win without relying on opponents mistakes. They tallied 6 sacks on the evening and never allowed Miss State’s offense to find a rhythm.
1st Quarter: Florida 0 Mississippi State 3 After forcing a three and out on their first series, they found themselves on their heels a bit during the next series. But they showed their resolve by stiffening and forcing MSU to settle for a field goal. A feat made more impressive by the fact that they did so without defensive back Trey Dean who was ejected for targeting on the punt before the drive began.
Passing Leaders
Florida
Franks: 22/31, 219 YD 1 INT
Toney: 1/1, 20 YD 1 TD
Mississippi State
Fitzgerald: 11/26, 98 YD
2nd Quarter: Florida 3 Mississippi State 3 Florida would respond to the Miss State score with a field goal of their own on their second possession. There were several procedural penalties by the Gators throughout the game that will need to be cleaned up moving forward but otherwise, the offense was methodical and efficient as they moved down field. This marked the first time, perhaps since the beating of Ole Miss in 2015 that Florida’s offense consistently sustained drives and you could see their confidence grow throughout the game. While there weren’t a lot of fireworks, this might have been the most satisfying offensive performance of the season.
Receiving Leaders
Florida
Stephens: 1 REC, 20 YD 1 TD
Hammond: 3 REC, 47 YD
Grimes: 4 REC, 34
Jefferson: 4 REC, 29 YD
Mississippi State
Mitchell: 3 REC, 35 YD
Thomas: 2 REC, 21 YD
3rd Quarter: Florida 7 Mississippi State 0 Florida received the ball to begin the second half and the adjustments made were apparent. Dan Mullen shifted to a series of short perimeter passes and Miss State could find no answer.
Though QB Feleipe Franks was picked off on the first possession of the half, it was because of a tipped ball. The defense came out with their ears pinned back and ready to attack. After forcing a quick three and out, Florida’s offense was given another chance. This time, they couldn’t be stopped. Once down in the redzone, Mullen pulled a trick out of his bag that resulted in the only touchdown of the game. Franks took the snap and rolled to his right before turning back toward the left side of the field where he found WR Kadarius Toney behind the line of scrimmage. Toney caught the pass and looked up field where he launched a beautifully placed pass into the arms of TE Moral Stephens for a 20 yard touchdown. The damage was done and the fans in Starkville knew the tide had turned. The Gators could smell blood in the water and the defense oppressed every attempt made by State. At one point, the Gators had outgained MSU 189 to 32 in the second half.
Rushing Leaders
Florida
Perine: 10 CAR, 55 YD 5.5 AVG
Pierce: 4 CAR, 30 YD 7.5 AVG
Scarlett: 10 CAR, 21 YD 2.1 AVG
Mississippi State
Hill: 9 CAR, 41 YD 4.6 AVG
Fitzgerald: 20 CAR, 32 YD 1.6 AVG
Williams: 3 CAR, 31 YD 10.3 AVG
4th Quarter: Florida 3 Mississippi State 0 The fourth quarter would see another Evan McPherson field goal that extended the Gators lead to seven. Florida would continue to stifle the Bulldogs at every turn but even still, Miss State had a chance at the very end that was aided by a defensive holding penalty and a facemask on consecutive plays. After crossing into Gators territory, Nick Fitzgerald and company could go no further. The Bulldogs whiffed on three consecutive pass attempts to bring up fourth and ten. Donovan Stiner broke free on a safety blitz and Fitzgerald watched as Stiner sped toward him to level a vicious blow. With the sack, Miss State lost ten yards and the game. Florida sent the offense back on the field and assumed the victory formation before taking a knee to end the game. The win was hard fought and much deserved by the Gators and Dan Mullen. Florida asserted themselves as a team that is capable of getting the job done this season and showed they will fight for their coach. They will get to come home for next week’s game but they must continue their improvement as they will face a tough LSU Tigers team.
Team Stats
1st Downs
Florida 20
Mississippi State 15
Total Plays
Florida 66
Mississippi State 58
Time of Possession
Florida 33:47
Mississippi State 26:13
Passing Yards
Florida 239
Mississippi State 98
Rushing Yards
Florida 118
Mississippi State 104
Penalties-Yards
Florida 11-90
Mississippi State 2-15
Total Yards
Florida 357
Mississippi State 202
Turnovers
Florida 1
Mississippi State 0
East Standings Conference-Overall
Georgia 3-0 5-0
Kentucky 3-0 5-0
Florida 2-1 4-1
South Carolina 1-2 2-2
Mizzou 0-1 3-1
Vandy 0-1 3-2
Tennessee 0-2 2-3
Up Next
Florida takes on LSU at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. Broadcast information will be shared in the game preview later this week. Be sure to follow the action on the ChompTalk.com Facebook and Twitter accounts too!
Saturday’s game in Starkville has many intriguing storylines. Forgoing the obvious one for a moment, let’s take a look at the others. The teams will be coming at each other from polar opposite sides of the emotional spectrum after last week’s results.
The Gators went on the road for the first time this season and blasted Tennessee in front of a very hostile crowd. On the flipside, Mississippi State came tumbling back down to earth after being humbled by a better than anticipated Kentucky team.
The latter sets up another set of wrinkles in this week’s story. Both teams will come into the game with 3-1 records with both schools losing to Kentucky. That team from the Bluegrass State may have laid the blueprint for defeating the Bulldogs in the process.
Beyond these points, there’s an awkward familiarity involved in this game. It isn’t often that two teams will face each other while breaking in first year head coaches. Even less common that a team would find themselves in that very situation two weeks in a row. Those odds are made even more astronomical when you have one of those coaches facing his former team.
Florida head coach Dan Mullen knows the Bulldogs roster very well. He recruited most of them and spent the last nine years creating the type of program that they have become. Because of this, he has a slight edge in knowing how to prepare for each players’ skill set.
The bad news is that slight edge is a double edged blade. Just as Mullen knows the intricacies of Mississippi State’s roster, the players know Mullen’s scheme. It is a safe bet that both sides will be taking advantage of such knowledge.
The fans in Starkville have been quite open about their bitterness, like the crazy ex who just can’t let things go. They’ve denied knowledge of his existence, claimed that he played no part in their newfound success, and even announced that they would be honoring Jackie Sherrill as the school’s all time winningest coach during the game on Saturday night.
For context, Sherill spent 12 years as the Bulldogs head coach and amassed a 75-75-2 record. In just 9 years, Mullen won 69 games at MSU. The emotions will be high, I suspect on both sides of Davis Wade Stadium. The Bulldogs, seeking to fulfill some form of retribution for their perceived slight. The Gators will be looking to defend their new coach and show their loyalty with another SEC victory.
At a glance:
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Starkville, MS
Enrollment: 18,312
2018 record: 3-1 (0-1)
Head coach: Joe Moorhead
With the myriad of stories and taglines meant to hype this game up out of the way, let’s take a look at the X’s and O’s. This may be the best defensive line that Florida will face all season. Not only are they big, strong, and physical, but they are deep too.
Florida will need the best performance of the year from their offensive line and it will need to be a complete game. They took a massive step forward last week against Tennessee but the talent level of their opponent will also take a giant step up this week as well.
The Gators must impose their will in the trenches and get the running game involved early and often. This is the key to exposing the soft spots in the Bulldogs defense. Once they are forced to respect the run, they will have to let off of the blitz. When that happens, Feleipe Franks, Freddie Swain, Van Jefferson, and Trevon Grimes will be able to really attack a mediocre secondary.
On the defensive side of things, Florida is really putting it together. The Gators lead the nation in takeaways with 14. They must continue to maintain gap integrity and tackling fundamentals. UF Defensive Coordinator Todd Grantham will have to have a perfect balance of pressure and containment against one of the more talented dual threat quarterbacks in the nation, Nick Fitzgerald.
A side by side positional comparison shows that this Bulldogs offense is far from unstoppable. In fact, Florida’s positional leaders come out on top in nearly every category.
QB:
Nick Fitzgerald: 41/80 542 YD 4 TD 2 INT
Feleipe Franks: 50/95 742 YD 12 TD 2 INT
RB:
Kylin Hill: 36 CAR 307 YD 3 TD
Dameon Pierce: 21 CAR 225 YD 2 TD
WR:
Osirus Mitchell: 9 REC 184 YD 2 TD
Freddie Swain: 8 REC 193 YD 3 TD
While Hill has been impressive with the ball in his hands, averaging 8.5 YPC, Pierce has averaged 10.7 YPC. The Gators have outpaced Miss State in scoring offense as well, averaging 41 PPG to MSU’s 39.25 PPG. Scoring defense goes to Miss State at 13.5 PPG to 16 PPG but Florida has also played two SEC opponents.
Bottom line, this is a very important game for Florida. It is a winnable game as well, provided the team continues its upward trajectory. A win in Starkville would be a statement and cause the rest of the college football world to take notice of Dan Mullen and the Gators.
Florida will face Mississippi State live from Davis Wade Stadium at 6:00 p.m. EST. You can watch the game live on ESPN and be sure to follow along with the live game thread on the ChompTalk.com Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The Gators have four seniors on the 2018-2019 men’s basketball team, with one being a walk-on, that leaves Florida with only 3 scholarships for the 2019 recruiting class, barring there are no transfers or early entrants into the NBA Draft.
In August, 5-star point guard Tre Mann made a pledge to head coach Mike White and staff, followed in early September by 6’3 point guard Alex Klatsky. Klatsky committed to UF as a preferred walk-on, despite scholarship offers from Seton Hall, Eastern Kentucky, and Niagara. This leaves the Gators with 2 open scholarships remaining for the 2019 class.
The following list details several highly sought after targets of the Florida coaching staff.
Point Guards:
With two lead guard commits and two already on the squad, the Gators will be four-deep at the point guard spot next year with Mike Okauru, Andrew Nembhard, Mann, and Klatsky. Therefore it is safe to say Mike White doesn’t need more point guards.
Wings:
Lester Quinones, (6’5, SG, 4-star) recently announced that he would spend his senior season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fl. Quinones, originally from New York, has taken an unofficial visit to Florida, but with nearly 30 power five offers it clear Quinones is wide open. LSU, St. John’s, Georgetown, and Kentucky all recently visited him at IMG.
Harlond Beverly, (6’4, SG 4-star) originally from Detroit, Beverly now attends Montverde Academy and is a top 115 guy nationally. Picked up an offer from the Gators over the summer, but a commitment seems far from likely. Xavier, Baylor, and Michigan State are likely his top 3 with Depaul being a team making a strong push for Beverly recently.
Matthew Hurt, (6’9, SF, 5-star) has blue blood written all over him, sadly Florida isn’t one of them. On the bright side, there is another 5-star wing the Gators have a legit shot at getting.
Scottie Lewis, (6’6, SF, 5-star) attends the same school as Gator commit Alex Klatsky, Ranney School in New Jersey and is down to two programs UF and Kentucky. UK already has 2 small forward commits for 2019 in Dontaie Allen and Khalil Whitney, so Gator fans have a reason to be excited.
Christian Brown, (6’7, SF, 4-star) the top 25 prospect has recently cut his list down to 7, Seton Hall, NC State, South Carolina, Clemson, Georgia, Florida, and UNLV. Being from Columbia, SC, Frank Martin’s Carolina squad, and Clemson are likely at the top of Brown’s list.
Antavion Collum, (6’7 SF, 3-star) recently announced a top 7 of UNLV, Missouri, Florida State, Ole Miss, Louisville, Florida, and Georgetown, but went ahead and pulled the trigger on Ole Miss Tuesday, September 25.
Chris Ledlum, (6’6, SF, 4-star) has shot up the national recruiting rankings this past summer by pulling in 34 Division 1 offers. The 4-star wing recently had an in-home visit with Mike White and also with Patrick Ewing of Georgetown the day before. Other schools high on Ledlum include Seton Hall, Pitt, Harvard, Yale, and Notre Dame.
CJ Walker, (6’8 SF 5-star) from Orlando Christian Prep, has narrowed his list down to Arizona, LSU, Oregon, Miami, and Florida. The fast-rising 5-star has already taken official visits to Miami and then Oregon this past weekend. A visit to UF was scheduled for the weekend of October 6 but then pushed it back due to SAT testing. Walker will be in Gainesville October 12-14.
Donta Scott, (6’7, SF, 3-star) has 12 offers to date, and is not a high priority for the Gators. Scott, who is a native to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has taken official visits to Maryland, Seton Hall, Temple, and has visits planned in October with South Carolina and La Salle. The top 150 prospect is no longer considering UF.
Seth Lundy, (6’5, SF 4-star) trimmed his list down to 4 schools, eliminating the Gators from consideration. His top four consists of Marquette, Louisville, Virginia Tech, and Penn State.
Post:
Omar Payne, (6’9 C 4-star) a Florida native, has narrowed his list down to 5. FSU, LSU, Louisville, Ohio State, and UF. The top-45 recruit has visited or has visits scheduled for all of them and it appears that Mike White and staff are leading the way for his recruitment at the moment. Payne will most likely make a decision before the first signing period in November.
Chandler Lawson, (6’8, PF, 4-star) has taken official visits to Kansas, Ole Miss, and has a visit to Georgia Tech planned for October 5.
Moulaye Sissoko, (6’10, C, 3-star) has a lengthy list of offers and interest but doesn’t appear to be close to making a decision soon. The big man from Mali holds an offer from the Gators but is not the number one post priority.
Jason Jitoboh, (6’9, C, 3-star) has official visits scheduled with Florida for October 5, and that will be followed up with a visit to Illinois the following week, and then a trip to Louisville in November on the 8th.
Balša Koprivica, (7’ C, 4-star) is attending Montverde Academy for his senior year and will most likely be a spring commit, as Koprivica has nearly 20 high major offers and is still wide open in his recruitment.
University of Florida commit Jaydon Hill will miss the remainder of his senior season after suffering a torn ACL. The four-star cornerback was planning to visit Gainesville for Florida’s game against Colorado State but was unable to make it due to the injury sustained the night before.
Hill recently underwent surgery to repair the ligament and has begun his rehab. Typically, this type of injury has about a nine month rehabilitation period. Hill is planning to sign with the Gators in December and become an early enrollee, meaning that he is only about three months away from being in the care of Florida’s medical and rehabilitation staff.
The Bob Jones High School star will be taking his official visit to Florida on October 6th to watch the Gators take on the LSU Tigers. Hill is one of three defensive back commitments for the Gators 2019 class. It is possible that the Gators attempt to add a fourth defensive back in this cycle to counter some of the depth issues within the position group.
Hill is the #16 CB in the 2019 recruiting class according to 247Sports.com.
Stay tuned with Chomp Talk for all the latest on the University of Florida’s atheltic programs.
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