GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- They were supposed to call at 9:30 a.m. They were supposed to sign their letters, fax them to the football office and call Florida running backs coach Larry Fedora to confirm they were Gators.

	Florida defensive line coach Larry Fedora endured some tense moments Wednesday.

But as the minutes passed, Fedora's office phone didn't ring. Neither did his cell. He panicked. What if his three recruits changed their minds?

Finally, a call. It was Joey Florence, high school coach of standout defensive lineman Jarvis Moss. Florence had the worst of news. Moss had changed his mind. He wouldn't be a Gator.

"My stomach fell to my throat," Fedora said. "It was my worst nightmare."

Until, that is, Florence laid it on too thick and Fedora caught on that it was a joke. The two are longtime friends and Florence was pulling one of pranks.

"He knew how to work it," Fedora said. "He was digging at me. But then I realized it."

Minutes later, Fedora got in touch with his other two recruits -- Demetrius Webb and Marcus Thomas, who had both signed their letters and were in the process of faxing them. He took a deep breath -- all three of the players Fedora had spent months selling them on Florida football were Gators.

"It's the same thing every year," Fedora said. "I've never had one of these things go smoothly."

Wayne Drehs is a staff writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at wayne.drehs@espn3.com