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Hitman Hearns solid on UF pledge

On Thursday, Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln linebacker James Hearns verbally committed to Florida and gave the Gators their fourth Class of 2013 pledge. (read more)

Muschamp targets JUCO OL prospect

For most prospects, National Signing Day is about, well, signing. But for San Mateo (Calif.) offensive lineman Fehoko Fanaika, that was the day he picked up a scholarship offer instead of signing a scholarship agreement. (read more)

Gators down ‘Dores in 73-65 thriller

For the second straight game, the Gators looked like they were ready to roll over their opponent early in the first half. But just like Thursday night against the Gamecocks, a sloppy end to the first half and slow start to the second allowed the Commodores to cut a 10-point deficit down to three, at 37-34 heading into the half.

Just like Thursday night, Florida (19-4, 7-1 SEC) used a burst of energy midway through the second half to take down Vanderbilt (16-7, 5-3 SEC) 73-65 and extend its home winning streak to 19 games.

“I thought we were teetering to start the second half,” coach Billy Donovan said. “I just encouraged those guys to keep battling and fighting, and I thought we did that.” (read more)

UF makes moves in FSU’s backyard

Over the past year, the Florida Gators have made Lincoln High School in Tallahassee – once a Florida State stronghold – a priority on the recruiting trail. In just the past week, UF has seen the fruits of their labor pay off in its in-state rivals backyard.

On Wednesday, Florida signed wide receiver Raphael Andrades (pronounced An-DRAW-des) as a part of the Class of 2012. A day later, the Gators got a commitment from linebacker James Hearns for the Class of 2013.

And yet, UF might not be done pulling players from one of the top talent-producing programs in the state of Florida. (read more)

Gators bullpen boasts top stoppers

When the game’s on the line, their cleats are usually the ones crunching the mound’s clay. These guys perform when pressure is at its peak, and the top-ranked Florida baseball team is confidence its relievers will stay composed under pressure.

With three seasoned closers this season in senior Greg Larson and juniors Austin Maddox and Steven “Paco” Rodriguez, the Gators’ tail end of the game is looking sharp.

Already, Maddox and Rodriguez have been named to the Watch List for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, annually given to the best relief pitcher in NCAA Division I. (read more)

Rhonda Faehn: ‘Not our best night’

The No. 3 Florida gymnastics team (6-1, 2-1 SEC) dropped its first meet of the season Friday night in the Coleman Coliseum in front of a massive crowd of 12,457. No. 6 Alabama (6-0, 3-0 SEC), the defending national champs, earned nation’s second-highest total of the season with a 197.725 to defeat the Gators’ score of 196.90.

“It’s going to be a great learning experience for them,” said Florida coach Rhonda Faehn. “We walk away tonight with a really solid road score. We obviously have things we are going to work on when we get back home and that’s fine because we have nowhere to go but up.”

The Gators were on the uneven bars for their opening rotation, posting a 49.225. Sophomore Mackenzie Caquatto continues to make strides after an injury, winning the event for the second consecutive week. Caquatto posted a 9.90 to earn her eighth bar title of her career. Sophomore Alaina Johnson tied for second on the event with Crimson Tide’s Ashley Priess and Ashley Sledge at 9.875. (read more)

Gators get their QB in Mornhinweg

For the Florida Gators, landing a quarterback in the Class of 2012 was a priority. When offensive coordinator Brent Pease officially assumed his duties in Gainesville on Jan. 13, targeting a signal-caller was one of the first items on his agenda. Pease and coach Will Muschamp quickly settled on Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph's Prep prospect Skyler Mornhinweg. The rest, as the cliche' says, is history. (read more)

No need to panic about UF women’s hoops just yet

If the events of Thursday offered any type of lesson, it would be this: Don’t panic just yet.

Prior to Thursday’s game, many Florida’s women’s basketball fans had given up on this season. After the loss to Arkansas, the team sat in an uncomfortable 3-5 position in the conference, with people jumping ship by the barrel-full.

However, after a closer look, the ship may not be on the verge of sinking. (read more)

TG: Florida ready for tough SEC stretch

Florida is still fighting to stay in the Southeastern Conference race, trailing league leader Kentucky by a game and a half. The Wildcats have posted a perfect 8-0 mark through the first half of conference play, and the Gators will get a chance to snap that streak on Tuesday when they travel to Rupp Arena.

After ripping off six straight conference wins, Florida is coming up on a nine-game close to the SEC slate that includes two games each against Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

“Tomorrow puts us at the halfway point; we’ll have eight games under our belt,” coach Billy Donovan said. “There’s no question the stretch that we have coming up is going to be very demanding, very tough. Playing against a lot of good teams.” (read more)

Potential position changes for spring

Florida filled a number of its needs with its recent 2012 signing class, but there are still holes on the offensive side of the ball that will need to be addressed moving forward.

While the Gators shored up the defensive line, there are still holes on the defensive side of the ball heading into spring practice because many of Florida’s 17 of Florida’s 23-man won’t arrive until this summer.

To account for some of the holes in the depth chart, Will Muschamp said Wednesday that his staff is looking at potential position changes for spring football practice.

“We're in discussions right now with guys that we may look at at some different spots in the spring, but we're going to do that regardless,” he said. “We've got to find out what they can do and where they'll fit and help our football team. We're still in discussions. We haven't made any concrete decisions.” (read more)