Tag: Florida Gators

Former Georgia DL commit picks Florida

Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive line commitment makes verbal pledge to Florida days after decommitting from UGA

Three-star defensive line recruit Stephon Shivers has committed to the Florida Gators a little more than a week after decommitting from the Georgia Bulldogs. Shivers committed to Florida over Vanderbilt.

Shivers, who is a member of the class of 2025, is the No. 489 recruit in the country, the No. 52 defensive lineman and the No. 16 prospect in Tennessee, per 247Sports. Shivers projects to play nose tackle at the next level and is a disruptive run defender.

Shivers originally committed to Georgia in March 2024. The huge three-star defensive lineman plays football for Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee. The 6-foot-5, 365-pound lineman was Georgia’s biggest defensive commitment (by size) in 2025 recruiting cycle.

Coach Kirby Smart and Georgia have 25 commitments in the 2025 cycle. Georgia has commitments from a pair of defensive linemen: three-star J.J. Hanne and five-star Elijah Griffin. UGA also has a two commitments from quality edge rushers: four-star Darren Ikinnagbon and five-star Isaiah Gibson. Georgia remains favored to land a commitment from five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry.

Georgia football has the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation and the second-best class in the SEC.

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Florida has the No. 28 recruiting class in the country. The Gators and coach Billy Napier have 15 commitments.

Tyrann Mathieu hints at how many years he plans on playing pro football

Tyrann Mathieu hinted at how many years he plans on playing pro football, at which point he’ll trade in his cleats and, hopefully, coach his LSU Tigers:

Tyrann Mathieu isn’t about to retire from pro football and hang up his cleats, but the New Orleans Saints does have a plan in mind for what’s next. He was as frustrated by his LSU Tigers’ loss to their longtime rival Florida Gators as any other fan on Saturday night, and that got Mathieu to drop some hints about his future.

In a couple of since-deleted tweets on Twitter, Mathieu said he “cannot wait to get to Baton Rouge & coach,” and that he’s eager to “trade in my cleats for turf shoes.” But he has some unfinished business with the Saints to deal with first. Mathieu added he wants to “play at least 2 more years” before making that transition.

Patience has worn thin with much-hyped LSU head coach Brian Kelly, who was seen arguing back and forth with players on the game’s broadcast. The proud program had lost four or more games in only seven seasons dating back to 2000, but Kelly has done that twice in his first three years on the job. He isn’t meeting high standards, and famous alumni (with ambitions of  coaching themselves) like Mathieu are taking notice.

Hopefully Mathieu’s retirement is still on schedule and a couple of years away. He’s been the most consistent playmaker in the Saints secondary since he came back to town, and they don’t have a long-term replacement lined up to take his spot. But when the time comes, Mathieu has clearly put in the work to continue on to the next stage in his football life.

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Will Florida QB DJ Lagway play vs. LSU?

Florida QB DJ Lagway could be set to make his return vs LSU this week. What should LSU fans expect?

LSU football is looking to get back on track this week with a win at Florida on Saturday, but that task could be made tougher with the potential return of Gators’ QB DJ Lagway.

Florida head coach Billy Napier updated Lagway’s status on Monday, saying he was expected to practice and Florida felt good about what it saw. Napier said that doesn’t mean Lagway is 100% and he remains day-to-day.

We’ll get a clearer picture when an official injury report is released on Wednesday, but I’d expect Lagway to be questionable.

The true freshman QB left Florida’s loss over Georgia with a hamstring injury and missed last week’s contest against Texas.

The UF offense is a different animal when Lagway is in there. He makes Florida one of the most explosive offenses. His 21.1% deep ball rate leads the SEC and his 27.9 yards on those throws is the best mark in the conference by a significant margin.

Lagway can move the ball with his legs too, though that ability may be in question given his injury.

Florida’s chances of pulling an upset are much better with Lagway in the lineup. UF’s other options don’t offer nearly the same upside.

ESPN inadvertently roasted Florida retaining Billy Napier during awful game against Texas

Yikes, Florida.

Florida coach Billy Napier earned a major vote of confidence from his school’s athletic director on Thursday.

The Gators then spent Saturday laying one of the ugliest eggs of the college football season against Texas, going down 35-0 at halftime.

After playing close with Georgia last week until a late collapse, the Gators spent Saturday afternoon getting bulldozed by the Longhorns.

This stinky performance really did come off the heels of Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin writing a passionate defense of Napier’s standing with the program, which is a tough look for folks in Gainesville.

Somehow, it’s also not the worst moment in Florida athletics this week.

Goodness gracious, Gators. Florida is down bad right now, at no fault but to those in charge of stewarding the school’s two biggest athletic programs.

If this brutal ESPN graphic juxtaposition doesn’t sum this all up, we’re not sure what will.


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Todd Golden sexual harassment allegations: Everything we know about Florida’s men’s basketball coach so far

The allegations against Florida’s men’s basketball coach, explained

This post has been updated with new information

Florida men’s basketball coach Todd Golden is facing serious and disturbing allegations of sexual harassment and stalking towards Florida students, according to Title IX documents obtained by The Alligator, the school’s student newspaper.

There’s a lot going on here and much of it involves allegations of concerning behavior. Jack Meyer and Max Tucker of The Alligator report the school received a formal Title IX complaint against Golden, 39, on September 27.

Here’s a look at everything we know so far as the story develops.

What are the specific allegations against Golden?

Per Meyer and Tucker:

The formal Title IX complaint against Golden obtained by The Alligator includes allegations of sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and stalking. The complaint alleges that over a year, Golden specifically aimed these behaviors toward UF students.

The claims regarding sexual harassment, which could also include sexual exploitation, cited sending photos and videos of his genitalia while traveling for UF, unwanted sexual advances on Instagram, requesting sexual favors,  and various occasions of stalking.

The outlet further reports allegations that Golden used Instagram as a tool to stalk and harass women, including showing up to locations where he knew they were located as well as liking and unliking old photos in order to connect through direct messages.

The Alligator spoke with two alleged victims, both former UF students, who corroborated various patterns and actions allegedly used by Golden.

Again, per The Alligator:

The first woman, a former UF student, said that Golden stalked her in person, both in his car and on foot, and that this occurred “more than 10 times.” On one occasion, she said she posted her location on her Instagram story, and Golden messaged her shortly after saying that he was in the area “waiting for [her].”

She also said Golden sent unsolicited photos of his genitalia to her. On multiple occasions, the first woman said she received the photos while the team was traveling on the road. The nature of Golden’s alleged stalking became more assertive over time, she said.

What have Golden and Florida Athletics said about the allegations?

So far nothing, and it’s likely to stay that way now that a Title IX claim has been filed. A UF spokesperson told The Alligator the school is unable to confirm or comment on any Title IX inquiries in accordance with federal law.

However, ESPN reported the school is under no obligation to abstain from comment:

Title IX is regulated by the U.S. Department of Education. ESPN confirmed with federal education officials Friday that a school can disclose whether an employee has been accused of sexual harassment in a Title IX complaint if such disclosure is required under another federal or state law.

Florida’s state public records law would determine what the school has to release, and Michael Barfield, director of public access with the Florida Center of Government Accountability, wrote that he wasn’t aware of “any statutory exemption under Florida law that shields Title IX complaints as a public record.” Even if some information is exempt, he wrote, it would not allow officials to withhold the entire document.

Golden coached No. 21 Florida to wins over South Florida and Jacksonville this week to open the season 2-0.

Update: Golden posted a statement on Saturday afternoon

Who is Todd Golden?

The 39-year-old married father of two is a Phoenix, Arizona native who played collegiately at St. Mary’s before a short pro stint with Maccabi Haifa in Israel from 2008-10.

He returned to the college level as an assistant for Columbia in 2012 before joining Bruce Pearl’s Auburn program in a similar capacity from 2014-2016. Golden left the Tigers to join San Francisco as an associate head coach under Kyle Smith before taking over as head coach in 2019 when Smith left for Washington State.

At San Francisco, Golden went 57–36 and reached the NCAA Tournament in his third season. Following a first round loss in 2022, Golden was hired to replace Mike White at Florida.

Now in his third year with the Gators, Golden is 42–29 and received a two-year contract extension last March to keep him in Gainesville through 2029-30.

Haven’t there been a number of harassment claims against Florida coaches lately?

Sadly, yes. This is now the third major case of misconduct under Athletic Director Scott Stricklin in Gainesville.

Per ESPN:

Stricklin forced women’s basketball coach Cam Newbauer to resign in 2021 amid allegations he verbally, physically and mentally abused players and staff members.

Less than a year later, Stricklin fired women’s soccer coach Tony Amato amid an investigation into the coach’s comments and behavior regarding players’ eating habits and body shapes.

The Gators’ men’s basketball team is scheduled to play next on Monday at home against Grambling.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available

Nick Saban weighs in on Florida Gators’ controversial decision to retain coach Billy Napier

Nick Saban sounds off on the Florida Gators’ controversial decision to retain head coach Billy Napier.

The University of Florida made a controversial decision this week when the school announced that head football coach Billy Napier would return for a fourth season in 2025 to lead the Gators.

Napier is in his third year in “The Swamp” and has compiled an overall record of 15-18 as Florida Gators coach. The Gators are 4-4 this year, but they’ve faced arguably the single toughest schedule for any Power Four team in all of college football.

On Saturday’s Week 11 edition of ESPN’s “College GameDay,” former Alabama football coach Nick Saban offered some words of support for his former assistant coach.

Speaking live from Baton Rouge where Saban and the “GameDay” crew are stationed for tonight’s massive Alabama vs. LSU showdown, Saban backed Florida’s decision to retain Napier:

“Here’s the thing that I really appreciate, that somebody out there in Florida’s administration recognized the fact that Billy Napier has done a heck of a job coaching this team. They’ve had a lot of adversity, a lot of injuries, a lot to overcome. But yet every game, they start out and they play great in the first half, which tells me that they’ve done a great job of preparing their team with the players that they have. The quarterback situation is going to be tough to overcome, but I think he’s built a good nucleus and most importantly… a culture that can win. And if I was a recruit, I would recognize that and say, ‘This is a place I’m going to consider.'”

Napier was a member of Saban’s staff at Alabama from 2013-16 when he was the Crimson Tide’s wide receivers coach. In December 2017, Napier became head coach at the University of Louisiana and would compile a 40-12 record in four seasons in Lafayette before accepting the Florida job.

Napier’s Gators are in Austin Saturday to face the No. 5 Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Media, fans question Florida’s decision to keep Billy Napier

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier, who is 0-3 against Georgia, is staying.

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier is staying despite being on the hot seat. Napier is 15-18 through three seasons with the Gators including 0-3 versus the Georgia Bulldogs.

Florida has battled injuries all season, but is probably not going to make a bowl game after a 4-4 start to the season. Napier’s return would give Florida continuity heading into 2025, but does it simply prolong the inevitable? Napier will have a bunch of pressure again next season.

Florida released a statement saying that Napier will continue as head coach, but did not add any dates, so there is not a 100% chance he will return in 2025.

“We’re led to believe Napier will be back as coach next season, but, within Stricklin’s five-paragraph word salad, he makes no mention of 2025 or next season,” said Blake Toppmeyer of USA TODAY. “This registers as a tepid endorsement from an athletics director under fire for a coach who will remain on the scalding-hot seat. Napier will stay there until the day he’s fired or wins enough to turn down the heat. And winning remains a problem for Napier.”

Napier could be the first coach to be saved due to the Name, Image and Likeness era. With donors getting worn about from constant requests for NIL money, schools may be less willing to pay the lofty buyouts owed to head coaches.

Schools know they have to raise more money to pay for players now, so maybe it is better spent on players and not a head coach’s buyout. In Napier’s case, Florida would have to pay him $26.7 million.

More fans, media weighed in via social media

“I want to thank Kirby Smart and Georgia for giving Florida just enough hope to retain Billy Napier. The rest of the SEC is grateful for you service,” said one fan via social media.

“I don’t hate this at all,” said Yahoo Sports analyst Caroline Fenton via social media. “That was a beat up team that had Georgia on the ropes into the 4th. But Napier got hired to win, not almost win. I agree that now isn’t the time to fire him, but if he doesn’t start winning soon then that time will come.”

Florida was tied 20-20 with Georgia in the fourth quarter, but that should not be a moral victory for the Gators.

“Do you know how hard it is to be that bad in Gainesville? One of the worst eras in Gator football history,” said CBS Sports analyst Jake Winderman. Georgia is in its golden era and has won seven of the last eight games against Florida while the Gators are happy with likely missing out on bowl games in consecutive seasons.

Winners, losers from Georgia’s win over Florida

Who were Georgia football’s best, worst performers against Florida?

The Georgia Bulldogs did not play their best in a competitive 34-20 win over the Florida Gators. A few Bulldogs make timely plays in the fourth quarter to help Georgia pull away late.

Georgia did enough to win, but showed inconsistency that has defined the 2024 season thus far. The Bulldogs have been dominant for stretches, but rarely for extended periods of time.

Georgia’s up-and-down start to the season still has been enough for the Dawgs to be the No. 2 team in the country and the top team in the SEC standings.

Who are the top winners and losers from Georgia’s win over Florida?

Winner: Georgia tight end Ben Yurosek

Georgia tight end Ben Yurosek, a Stanford transfer, played his best game of the season against Florida. Yurosek had two catches for 39 yards and finished with the most receiving yards of any Georgia tight end.

Loser: Georgia quarterback Carson Beck

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck threw three interceptions in the win over Florida. Beck helped Georgia rack up 455 total yards and 309 passing yards, but his costly mistakes helped keep Florida in the game when the Gators should have been overmatched after being down to their third-string quarterback.

Winner: Georgia defensive end Chaz Chambliss

Georgia defensive end Chaz Chambliss showed great effort as a pass rusher. His refusal to give up helped him finish with six tackles and two sacks against Florida. Chambliss was named as the SEC co-defensive player of the week for his performance.

Loser: Georgia’s running back depth

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union

Georgia running back Trevor Etienne has a rib injury and missed much of the action against Florida. His rib issue sounds like a pain tolerance issue. Etienne did not play in the second half against his former team.

Georgia is already without Branson Robinson (knee) and Roderick Robinson (toe).

Winner: Georgia linebacker CJ Allen

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker CJ Allen is having a great sophomore season. Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union

CJ Allen’s interception effectively ended the game against Florida. Allen recorded eight tackles and now has 41 total tackles this season, which is second-most on the team. Allen looks line the top Dawg in Georgia’s inside linebacker room.

“It was a big play,” said Kirby Smart on Allen’s interception. “I thought the guy was wide open, and they had a nice play called, a little bootleg action.”

Allen’s fourth quarter interception is the first of his career. “CJ Allen made a freaky, unbelievable play to jump up and snag it, and that was probably the biggest change in the game,” added Smart.

Report: Notre Dame to host Florida 2025 commit this weekend

Flip season is heating up for the Irish

While Notre Dame football does have the No. 14 overall class according to the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings, it is still looking to add a few more prospects to current class of 23 players.

There are multiple players that the Irish have focused in on as flip candidates, and other name emerged on Monday morning, Florida Gators defensive line commit [autotag]Jalen Wiggins[/autotag].

The 6-foot, 5-inch and 255-pound prospect made his decision to stay in-state in mid-January, but had yet to see South Bend before making a decision. According to Chad Simmons of On3, Wiggins will be taking an official visit to see Notre Dame host Florida State his weekend.

This would be a big flip if it does happen, as he is ranked as the nation’s No. 126 overall prospect according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. It’s never easy convincing a Sunshine State prospect to head North, but if Notre Dame does, it is going to be an impressive statement.

Could Irish DC Al Golden take head coaching job in the near future?
Sep 7, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish Defensive Coordinator Al Golden watches warnups before the game against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

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Top photos from Georgia’s 34-20 win vs Florida

Best photos, moments from Georgia football’s 34-20 win over Florida

The Georgia Bulldogs moved to 7-1 with a 34-20 victory over the Florida Gators. Georgia needed a pair of late fourth quarter touchdowns to break a 20-20 tie.

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck threw three more interceptions as Georgia’s turnover concerns continue to mount. Beck finished the day 25 of 40 for 304 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

The game turned when Florida quarterback DJ Lagway left the game in the second quarter due to a hamstring injury. The Gators were forced to play their third-string quarterback in Aidan Warner.

Florida’s offense looked nowhere near as threatening with Warner under center. Georgia’s defense held Florida to just 13 total first downs and limited the Gators to converting just three of 16 third downs.

Next up for Georgia is a road trip to No. 12 Ole Miss. Florida, who dropped to 4-4, has to play at No. 5 Texas.

Here are the best photos from Georgia’s 34-20 win over Florida.