Tag: Florida football

MSU football offers Florida defensive back commit

A Florida defensive back commit has been offered by Michigan State

With Junior Adams joining the Michigan State football coaching staff, the Spartans have reevaluated their 2026 defensive back recruiting board. Devin Jackson was the recipient of the offer.

Jackson is a native of Orlando, Florida, and is committed to the University of Florida. He is a highly rated 3-star that is a 6-foot-2, 200 pound safety. He received an offer from Michigan State on Tuesday.

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Georgia transfer signee trolls Florida with commitment

UAB transfer safety trolls Florida with commitment day after signing with Georgia football

The Georgia Bulldogs have flipped a transfer commitment from the Florida Gators. UAB Blazers transfer safety Adrian Maddox originally committed to Florida, but later in the same day he flipped to UGA.

Maddox, who is a junior, has excellent size and game experience. Maddox is Georgia’s third transfer commitment at safety and he has already signed with the Bulldogs. He reportedly signed with Georgia on Jan. 6 before committing to Florida on Jan. 7. Georgia has expressed interest in Maddox for a while now.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound safety began his college football career with the Alabama State Hornets. Maddox is ranked as a three-star prospect in the transfer portal. He’s considered the No. 48 safety in the portal and the No. 553 prospect overall.

Maddox was unranked as a recruit and played high school football for Heritage High School in Conyers, Georgia.

Maddox immediately made an impact at Alabama State in 2022. As a freshman, he posted 32 tackles, one sack and two interceptions. In 2023, Maddox recorded 38 tackles, six pass deflections, two sacks and two forced fumbles with Alabama State. After 2023, Maddox transferred to UAB.

The lengthy safety earned immediate playing time with UAB. In 2024, he accumulated 44 tackles, seven pass deflections, two forced fumbles and one interception (returned 99 yards for a touchdown). UAB went just 3-9 and struggled defensively.

It is unclear what role Maddox will have with Georgia, but the Bulldogs will be replacing starting safeties Dan Jackson and Malaki Starks after the 2024 season. Maddox joins USC transfer safety Zion Branch and Miami transfer safety Jaden Harris in committing to the Bulldogs. Georgia appears to be having a competition for the starting safety spot opposite of KJ Bolden.

What Texas A&M is getting in former Florida EDGE T.J Searcy

Texas A&M has landed one of the top run defenders in the SEC

On Monday morning, Texas A&M landed a pair of defensive ends from the transfer portal in Samuel M’Pemba (Georgia) and T.J Searcy (Florida), making it three consecutive Edge additions since Friday after landing former Pitt/Colorado DE Dayon Hayes.

While M’Pemba will enter the 2025 season as a rotational player with upside, Searcy is already a polished SEC defender and one of the top run defenders in the SEC after two seasons at Florida, following Texas A&M DC Jay Bateman, who served as the Gators linebackers coach during the 2023 season.

Over two seasons, Searcy recorded 60 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles, and he is coming off his best season after producing 34 tackles and 20 solo tackles.

According to Pro Football Focus, Searcy earned an impressive 70.1 defensive grade and 69.5 run defense grade, credited with 14 defensive stops, nine hurries, and a low 6.7 missed tackle rate.

Searcy’s 332 snaps as an Edge rusher saw a player willing to take on blocks and use proper technique and footwork not to get caught up in the trash and find the ball carrier with ease. Credit to Austin American Statesman’s Texas A&M beat reporter Tony Catalina for the video below:

Whether Searcy is a starter or rotational Edge in 2025, Coach Mike Elko and Jay Bateman have gained a valuable defender who looks like a star in the making.

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Former Wisconsin wide receiver declares for 2025 NFL draft

Former Wisconsin wide receiver declares for 2025 NFL draft

Former Wisconsin Badgers and current Florida Gators wide receiver Chimere Dike declared for the 2025 NFL draft on Monday.

Dike, who played Wisconsin for four years from 2020-23, plans to make the jump to the pros after one year with the Florida Gators. The former Badger pass-catcher transferred to the SEC program in Dec. 2023. He joined former Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz, who had moved over the previous offseason.

“I also want to take a moment to thank the University of Wisconsin, especially Coach [Paul] Chryst, Coach [Luke] Fickell, Coach [Alvis] Whitted, and Coach [Mike] Brown,” Dike wrote on X. “You gave a kid from Waukesha, Wisconsin the chance to live out his dream, and for that, I will be forever grateful… Having said that I will be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-1 wide receiver finished his Wisconsin career with 44 games played over four seasons, 97 receptions, 1,478 yards and nine touchdowns, in addition 14 carries, 99 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.

Dike’s impact on Wisconsin’s program was immediate — as a true freshman, he started six of seven games and logged 12 catches for 189 yards and a touchdown. He appeared in at least 11 games over the next three seasons as one of Wisconsin’s go-to options on the outside.

The veteran then logged a career-best 783 receiving yards for the Gators in 2024 in addition to serving as the team’s primary punt returner. He was second on the team in catches (36) and touchdown receptions (2).

He joins Kansas offensive lineman Logan Brown and Michigan State linebacker Jordan Turner as former Badgers to announce their 2025 NFL draft decisions in December.

Texas A&M gains a commitment from Florida transfer defensive end

Former Florida defensive end TJ Searcy is headed to Texas A&M for the 2025 season

Boom! Two days before Christmas, Texas A&M landed two defensive line commits from the transfer portal, starting with former Georgia Edge Samuel M’Pemba and ending with former Florida defensive end TJ Searcy, who brings in a wealthy amount of SEC production.

Texas A&M’s defensive line needed added depth and run-stopping ability after defensive end Nic Scourton and Shemar Stewart, coupled with defensive tackle Shemar Turner, declared for the NFL Draft.

Searcy, who produced 60 tackles, 2-5 sacks, and eight tackles for loss in two seasons with the Gators, looks like one of the program’s best portal pickups. According to Pro Football Focus, Searcy earned a 70.1 defensive grade and a 69.5 run defensive grade, which is good news for Coach Mike Elko and DC Jay Bateman.

Standing at 6-5 and 262 pounds, Searcy possesses the size and athleticism to become a threat as a pass rusher but will be utilized as an edge defender against outside-zone running teams.

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Florida turning a 4th-and-1 fumble into an untouched TD run is peak bowl season

Just like Billy Napier drew it up.

Florida rolled to a 33-8 victory over Tulane in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Friday afternoon, finishing 8-5 while holding a struggling Green Wave offense — missing quarterback Darian Mensah — to 194 yards.

Despite the defensive dominance, the Gators struggled to find the end zone for most of the game and led just 6-0 at the half. But in the fourth quarter, coach Billy Napier’s team scored a touchdown in unlikely fashion after a fourth-and-one fumble turned into six points.

Napier called a quarterback sneak with big true freshman DJ Lagway, but Lagway fumbled the snap, seemingly dooming the team to a turnover on downs.

However, a heads-up play from running back KD Daniels saved the drive as Daniels quickly recovered the fumble and, in the confusion, ran past the entire Tulane defense for a 27-yard touchdown.

While there is some merit to the criticism that bowl season has become largely meaningless between opt-outs and the expanded College Football Playoff, there is one thing these de facto exhibition games are still good for: complete, off-the-wall chaos.

Thank you for coming through for us, Florida.

What’s at stake in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl between Florida and Tulane?

The 2024 Gasparilla Bowl will pit Florida against Tulane.

The Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl will kick off on Friday in Tampa, pitting Florida and Tulane against each other for a trophy treasure trove of pirate booty.

The 7-5 Gators will try to close the season, a highly uneven one for coach Billy Napier, on a high note.

Napier did enough to stick around in Gainesville for another year, but a bowl game win against Tulane would give his athletic department just a bit more confidence that he’s the guy to return Florida to national prominence.

While all teams are playing for pride in these bowl games, at least Florida has the chance to do so in front of a friendly Tampa crowd.

As for 9-4 Tulane, coach Jon Sumrall recently earned a major contract extension with the Green Wave after a season where his school was ranked for multiple weeks. Winning the bowl game is a cherry on top for Sumrall.

Tulane being able to close the 2024 season by sticking it to an SEC team in its home state would have to feel great for Sumrall’s group going into 2025. Even if it loses, this team has a lot to be proud of for how the season went.

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USC loses two commits to SEC schools

USC has successfully flipped some offensive linemen from other schools, but the Trojans have not been able to retain other prospects who flipped elsewhere.

Earlier this week, another unfortunate series of events emerged for USC football recruiting. On Monday, USC saw two of its commits in the 2025 class flip their pledges to SEC schools. First, four-star linebacker Ty Jackson spurned the Trojans in favor of Florida.

A native of Loxahatchee, Florida, Jackson is currently the No. 135 overall player in the class of 2025 On3 Consensus rankings. He is also the No. 15 linebacker, and the No. 20 player in the state of Florida.

Next, three-star linebacker Duane Morris changed his commitment from USC to Tennessee.

Hailing from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, On3 Consensus ranks Morris as the No. 524 player in the 2025 class. It also has him as the No. 43 running back and the No. 18 player in the state of Tennessee.

Following the loss of Jackson and Morris, USC’s 2025 recruiting class sits at No. 14 in the On3 team rankings. Three Big Ten schools are currently ahead of the Trojans: Ohio State at No. 3, Oregon at No. 7, and Michigan at No. 8.

College football’s early signing day is December 4, which is just one week away.

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Fans roasted Lane Kiffin after Florida beat Ole Miss to essentially end its playoff hopes

So, do Florida fans still want to hire Lane Kiffin to replace Billy Napier or…?

Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss team took down then-No. 3 Georgia earlier in November, had a bye week and returned from the break with a stunning 24-17 loss to unranked Florida.

This loss almost certainly ended Ole Miss’ shot at the College Football Playoff, and understandably, fans were furious with Kiffin and his squad. But, of course, Florida and general college football fans had so many jokes.

The Gators earned their sixth win of the season by limiting Ole Miss’ offense — which entered Week 13 ranked No. 2 in FBS play with an average of 539.6 yards per game — from converting third downs and forcing three turnovers. The final turnovers, though, were the real daggers and helped secure Florida’s victory.

College Football Playoff picture: Indiana’s hopes stay alive despite Ohio State loss because Ole Miss can’t have nice things

With 1:32 left in the fourth quarter, Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, playing aggressively and desperately, threw an end-zone interception into triple coverage. But Florida called game with a second interception against Dart with 17 seconds left after Ole Miss got the ball back.

Florida has looked relatively better through the season, but amid calls to fire head coach Billy Napier, some fans wanted the Gators to hire Kiffin as a replacement.

Well, after Saturday’s game, not only are Florida fans (probably) walking that hire suggestion back, but college football fans in general also roasted Kiffin and his team’s implosion.

Florida fans probably no longer want to hire Lane Kiffin to replace Billy Napier after the Gators’ win

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Stock Up, Stock Down: Tigers get bitten in the Swamp

LSU’s offensive line struggled and the Tigers fell flat in the fourth quarter as LSU dropped one on the road

Last weekend, the LSU Tigers were embarrassed at home by the Alabama Crimson Tide. I was curious how the Tigers would respond this week as they hit the road to take on the Florida Gators.

The Gators entered the game with a losing record and have been trying to find who their starting quarterback will be. With the questions Florida faced, I thought LSU would come out with a spirited performance and take care of business. I was wrong.

Tonight, we witnessed the LSU offensive line give up seven sacks to the Gators’ defense. [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] never got going and the offense only got into the endzone once as Florida won this one 27-16.

Stock Down: Offensive Line

[Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
The vaunted LSU offensive line gave up SEVEN sacks to the Florida Gators in the Swamp. The Tigers offense has been struggling as it is and this only compounded the problem.

Stock Down: Bad rebound after losing to Bama

Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

LSU got embarrassed on their home turf by Alabama last weekend so Tiger fans were looking for a good response from this team and coaching staff. Needless to say, they did not get what they asked for.

Stock Down: Garrett Nussmeier

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Nussmeier has not been playing at his highest level for the past three games. He struggled again tonight going 27-for-47 for 260 yards and only one touchdown. He could never get in a rhythm.

Stock Down: No 10-win season

[Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
With the Tigers’ loss to Florida, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] will not win 10 games for the eighth season in a row. This loss also killed the hopes of LSU playing for the conference championship.

Stock Down: 4th quarter disaster

[Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]
Going into the fourth quarter, the game was tied at 13. The Gators would go on to outscore LSU 14-3 in the final quarter to pull away with a 27-16 victory.

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