Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The reverberations were felt immediately in the Swamp when Urban Meyer took charge of the Gators and overturned the culture.

Soon, they spread across the land.

Following a 9-3 record and 34-7 thumping of Florida State in 2005, Meyer and his staff steamrolled opponents on the recruiting trail to assemble arguably the greatest single class in school history. More than a decade later, the names stir images of Orange & Blue confetti: Tebow, Harvin, Spikes, Johnson, Cunningham, Gilbert, Cooper, Hurt, James and Co.


No one doubted Meyer's ability to land top talent at a school like Florida by the end National Signing Day.

"You always look for momentum,'' Meyer told reporters. "The win over FSU, and then with Tim Tebow saying he was going to be a Gator ... that knocked 10 to 14 in the boat right after that."

The top-ranked quarterback and Florida's "Mr. Football" as a senior for Nease High in Jacksonville, Tim Tebow chose the Gators over Mike Shula and Alabama, causing a ripple effect that would impact the Southeastern Conference and national championship picture for the next four years. Toss in Percy Harvin, considered the nation's top prospect at a skill position, and Brandon Spikes, a beast of a linebacker out of North Carolina, and the star power of the 2006 class burned bright.
  In the first episode of our "Trail To Glendale" podcast miniseries on Florida's march to the 2006 BCS National Title with a victory over Ohio State in the Arizona desert, Gator Tales host Adam Schick talked to those involved about Meyer's impact in revamping the program's culture in Year 1.

On the second episode of our six-part miniseries, Schick discovers how the 2006 team took shape and the critical additions of future stars like Tebow, Harvin and Spikes.

"First Class" features interviews with Meyer, offensive coordinator Dan Mullen, co-defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, quarterback Chris Leak, linebackers Brandon Siler and Spikes, running Brandon James, receiver David Nelson, former UF athletic director Jeremy Foley and "The Voice of the Gators" Mick Hubert.

We hope you enjoy it.

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