The Florida Gators football team, of the Southeastern Conference, was the 2008 national champion. The Florida Gators are well-known to all sports fanatics and the stadium they play in, the Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is known as one of the hardest places for the competition to play. With Urban Meyer as the head coach and with Tim Tebow, a Heisman Winner, the team can definitely fight its way to the top next year and another championship win wouldn't be far out of reach. In 2008, the University of Florida Gators beat the Oklahoma Sooners at the Orange Bowl to capture their second championship in three years.
With the great leadership shown by Urban Meyer I believe that a win is in the cards for the school, especially if they start the season strong. They have an excellent coach and they have a lot of returning players as well as some guys who have signed up with the team that were specifically recruited. This coming fall, the Gators have the potential to win it all again with Tim Tebow throwing for them again.
Along with its returning stars, Florida has the nationally 10th ranked recruiting class to help secure its chances at another championship run. With star underclassman Percy Harvin going to the NFL draft, Coach Meyer landed five-star receiver Andre Debose from Sanford, Fl. Debose will have an immediate impact and the loss of Harvin won't be as painful. "He's as good as there is," Meyer said. "I think he's the best player in America. You watch him on film, for what we do, for our style of offense, for what we need right now with the departure of Percy Harvin... that's a crucial element. We're not going to change our offense."
Andre Debose isn't the only attention grabber the Gators roped in this year. They brought in the highest rated outside linebacker and 10th overall prospect with Jelani Jenkins of Olney, Md, who runs a 4.4 40 yard dash and also has a 4.0 grade point average which will help ensure he won't be academically ineligible. Jenkins will more than likely be a captain before long. They also brought in the nationally ranked 2nd best defensive tackle with Gary Brown from Greensboro, Fl, who accrued more than 40 sacks over his final two seasons at West Gadsden High. As if Florida hadn't beefed up their defense enough with these two, they got Jon Bostic from Wellington, Fl, the nationally ranked 5th best inside linebacker and the son of former Detroit Lions defensive back Jon Bostic Sr. However, with the return of star senior middle linebacker Brandon Spikes, Bostic likely won't get much playing time right away.
Despite losing a pair of commitments, receiver Nu'Keese Richardson and cornerback Marsalis Teague, to SEC East rival Tennessee, Florida is looking good. With a retention that shows all 11 starters on defense and seven starters on offense, including quarterback Tim Tebow and linebacker Brandon Spikes returning for their senior seasons, the Gators have the best chance at being National Champions in 2009.
Writer and editor, Freddie Brister, is a former high school football coach of 25 years. His love of the game of football is reflected in his words and memories of growing up in the South and playing football in the back yard with his brother, cousins and neighborhood friends. His biggest thrill is watching former high school players he has coached play at the college level. His favorite pastime is watching college football on tv and attending the games in person every chance he gets. Freddie Brister is a huge fan of the SEC and the Florida Gators. Check out his Florida Gators Belt or his Florida Gators Swimwear
