GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida Gators wide receivers coach
Billy Gonzales knows the challenge before him is daunting.
"The whole group I've got coming back, they scored four touchdowns [last season]," Gonzales said after the Gators' third spring practice Tuesday. "So, we've got a lot of work to go. I went through some statistics, and I think it was '08, '09, the last time I was here, the unit put up 39 touchdowns."
Senior
Brandon Powell led the Gators in touchdown receptions in 2017 with three, leaving only
Tyrie Cleveland (two),
Freddie Swain (one) and
Dre Massey (one) as receivers on the roster with a touchdown catch last season.
To get the Gators' receiving corps back to the standard he helped establish during his first stint at UF from 2005-2009, Gonzales is emphasizing fundamentals, physicality and competitiveness during spring camp.
One area Gonzales' approach manifests itself is in receiver blocking. The Gators have been notoriously poor in this area the past several years. While blocking might not make highlight reels, catch fans' attention or excite receivers, it is necessary to produce explosive plays. It requires selflessness – doing the dirty work so others can get the glory.
Gonzales' message to get his receivers to take blocking seriously is simple.
"The expectation level on my side on the perimeter is if you can't block, you can't play," he said. "They understand that. They're buying into it."
Gonzales said he showed his current receivers film of one-on-one blocking drills during his first stint so they could visualize his expectations for them. Then, on Tuesday, they got to try it themselves.
The Gators opened practice with a 'Circle of Life' drill, pitting a receiver one-on-one with a defensive back, with each straining to drive the other back.
Gonzales said that while he saw some good efforts during the drill, there are still some things he wants to see cleaned up for next time.
"I don't want guys fighting after the drills," he said. "Do the drills. [It's] four seconds. [It shows] just how tough you are. Nobody should be able to get beat in four seconds."
Gonzales, who is Florida's co-offensive coordinator along with offensive line coach
John Hevesy, also wants to see his receivers play more physical against press coverage and create more separation. While poor quarterback play has certainly played a factor in the Gators' offensive struggles, the receivers have too often not helped out young quarterbacks by being blanketed downfield.
"If you can't get off the line of scrimmage, you have no chance to play," Gonzales said. "You've got to be able to separate. There's a lot of technique work, being able to separate in and out of breaks. We're putting a high level of emphasis on being able to separate at the top ends of our routes."
On the pass catching side of things, Gonzales says being a successful receiver is all about having a competitive mindset on every play. He wants his receivers to ooze confidence when they line up on the line of scrimmage. When the ball's in the air, it's theirs, and no one can take it away from them.
"Watching film from last year and so far right now, we've got to develop an attitude of when someone comes up and plays me man-to-man, we should be foaming at the mouth ready to go and excited about that," Gonzales said. "I don't get that sense right now. I want to get that sense by the end of spring ball.
"What separates players out here is can they catch the ball, a contested ball. It's the contested catch when's someone's on top of you, and I don't want to hear 'hey coach, he's holding me'. Good players don't get held."
To further motivate his group, Gonzales hands out daily grades to players that are visible to everyone.
"Everybody sees each other's grades, and it's kind of your worth to the program," he said. "There's blocking sheets on it. We do it every day, and everybody sees each other's grade. It holds everybody accountable. We're a long way away from where we need to be right now."
Gonzales has been pleased with the way his players have responded thus far but wants to see continued growth throughout the spring. It's a matter of consistency, the lack of which has plagued the Gators' receiving corps since Gonzales departed in 2009.
If the Gators' wide receivers hone the finer points of the receiving craft, approach every play with a confident and competitive attitude, and practice consistently well, perhaps four touchdowns will become a game instead of a season once again.
