FOUR BITS: Heater, Brown, Dorsey, QB recruits

1 » With Eastern Carolina’s Skip Holtz looking like the top candidate for the USF Bulls head coaching gig, the Florida Gators 2010 coaching staff may be solidified after all. Assistant head coach and defense/defensive line coach Dan McCarney was thought to be in consideration for the job, but it appears like he was not even contacted. Jeremy Fowler of the Orlando Sentinel spoke with co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Chuck Heater, who also had other opportunities but turned them all down to continue working for head coach Urban Meyer. “I have a deep respect and relationship with Urban that goes back more than 20 years,” Heater said. “I’m joined at the hip with him. It’s personal for me.” Heater also indicated that he is impressed with new defensive coordinator George Edwards and believes that Florida will indeed see 3-4 fronts.

2 » Gators four-star running back commitment Mack Brown (Lithonia, GA) will be taking official visits to Florida (1/15), Florida State (1/22) and Tennessee (1/29) according to Brown’s high school head coach Corey Jarvis via Mark Wheeler of Rivals. Brown has been silent since Gators RB coach Kenny Carter left for the Louisville Cardinals. Also looking around is four-star defensive back Demar Dorsey (Lauderdale Lakes, FL), who will take official visits to the same schools: Tennessee (1/15), Florida State (1/22) and Florida (1/29). However, Dorsey recently upped his commitment level to “90 percent.”

3 » Two sources are reporting that Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback commit Andrew Hendrix (Cincinnati, OH) is seriously considering the Gators after visiting Gainesville, FL last weekend. Adam Gorney of Rivals has said that Florida is now considered the leader for Hendrix who is thinking things over with his parents while JC Shurburtt of ESPN says the decision is a “toss-up” between the two schools.

4 » The Gators have reached out to a number of the USC Trojans‘ commitments after it was learned that head coach Pete Carroll was stepping down. Along with five-star wide receiver Kyle Prater (Hillside, IL), Florida is also going after four-star QB Jesse Scroggins (Lakewood, CA). According to Shurburtt, the team is trying hard for him to take a visit across the country.