Cardinal Gibbons DE Khris Bogle gets help from Chucky to make Signing Day commitment

A friend of Khris Bogle’s rummaged beneath the table where each Cardinal Gibbons athlete sat to sign their National Letter of Intent on Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale. Clearly, a prop was getting put in position for the four-star defensive end’s college announcement and in Florida it could only mean one thing.

Bogle, who began the day committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide, placed three hats on the table from Alabama, the Florida Gators and the Miami Hurricanes, then thanked Nick Saban.

“But after a long thought and consideration,” Bogle said inside the gymnasium at Cardinal Gibbons High School, “I’ll be sending my talents to the University of Florida.”

The senior then placed a blue Gators hat atop his head and pulled a Chucky doll out from beneath the table.

For the second straight year, one of Broward County’s top defensive ends is heading to Gainesville and decided to mark the occasion with the now-infamous prop from “Child’s Play.”

“It’s just more energy. Andrew Chatfield brought it out, so I guess I had to bring it out with me,” Bogle said after making his college choice. “We’re bringing it back.”

On National Signing Day last year, Plantation American Heritage four-star defensive end Andrew Chatfield committed to the Gators with a Chucky doll on his lap. This year, Bogle followed suit to make his final college choice.

The Chucky doll has been a fixture for Florida football since 2013 when former defensive lineman Dominique Easley, who considered the move about the murderous doll to be a comedy, started carrying a replica around. When Easley sustained a season-ending injury, he handed the doll off to former defensive end Dante Fowler Jr., starting a tradition for Gators defensive linemen.

Florida officially announced Bogle’s signing about an hour after the All-American orally committed to the Gators.

Bogle could be a fitting next in line, even though Florida envisions the defensive lineman moving to outside linebacker at the next level.

He entered Wednesday as the top unsigned player in South Florida and finishes the 2019 recruiting cycle as Broward’s top prospect overall in the 247Sports.com composite rankings. The 6-foot-4, 212-pound end played a key role in guiding the Chiefs to their first state championship this season. Injuries kept Bogle off the field for the first six games, but he returned to finish the season with 54 total tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, two fumble recoveries, two passes defended and a blocked kick in nine games. In Cardinal Gibbons’ 48-10 win against Citra North Marion in the Class 5A championship game in the fall, Bogle logged six tackles, two tackles for loss and a half sack.

He was already one of the most coveted recruits in the country, and his senior year established him as one of the best. Alabama pushed hard for the end and managed to secure an oral commitment from him at the All-American Bowl last month.

His commitment became tenuous since as the Crimson Tide’s coaching staff has turned over. Defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi left to become the defensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns, and defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski and running backs coach Joe Pannunzio, Bogle’s two main recruiters in Tuscaloosa, are both reportedly on their way out. The turnover opened the door for the Gators and Miami to make a late push to flip the elite in-state prospect.

The past two weekends, Bogle took official visits with Florida and the Hurricanes. He spent this past weekend in Coral Gables for his second official visit with Miami, which was allowed because a new NCAA rule gives players the opportunity to take a second official visit to the same school if there’s a coaching change. Bogle previously visited the Hurricanes in the fall when Mark Richt was still coach.

“I took my official visits to both schools at the end and it was a 50-50 chance between the schools at the end,” Bogle said. “I just prayed.”

His trip to North Central Florida the weekend before left the strongest impression, though. Bogle said he spent Tuesday night praying on his decision, crying as he agonized to make a final choice. When he went to sleep, he was pretty sure he would pick the Gators. Wednesday, Bogle called Florida coach Dan Mullen to inform him he would be picking the Gators.

Bogle is the first player from his county to commit to Florida in the Class of 2019 and the third from the Miami metropolitan area, joining the Carol City duo of four-star running back Nay’quan Wright and four-star tackle Wardrick Wilson.

“I just believe in Coach Mullen and what we have to get better at Florida now,” Bogle said. “When I went up there for my official visit, I enjoyed the experience and I just believe in him.”

This story was originally published February 6, 2019 at 8:41 AM.