Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a meeting prior to the season, Gators receivers coach Billy Gonzales broached the subject of the starting lineup with a pair of veterans.

Those can be tricky.

Good thing for Gonzales that in this particular conversation, neither Josh Hammond nor Freddie Swain pulled a T.O. (Terrell Owens) or A.B. (Antonio Brown). In the history of the game, receivers have proven to be some of the most difficult personalities to manage.

But for the Gators, not only are the receivers their deepest position group, they are perhaps the team's closest unit.

"This is probably the most unselfish group of guys I've been around my entire life from high school, even college,'' Hammond said. "I think everybody knows that we're a talented group within our room and everybody knows that at any given moment anybody can make the play to kind of get a flow going and get things rolling."

As for that meeting, Hammond and Swain, both seniors, made it easy on Gonzales. If he was having trouble in naming the starter at slot receiver, they could do it for him.

"He didn't really care who had it,'' Hammond said. "Me and Freddie didn't really care, so we were like, we'll just switch it every week and just roll with that."

They did. Both have rolled.

Hammond started the season opener, and in every game since other than when the Gators opened with two tight ends in the Towson game – Hammond was scheduled to start that day – they have rotated. Swain is set to start Saturday when the No. 10 Gators (7-2, 4-2) host Vanderbilt (2-6, 1-4) at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
 
Swain is coming off one of his best games of the season, catching a career-high eight passes for 91 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Georgia. Swain had a career-best game the last time the Gators were home, their 24-13 win over Auburn on Oct. 5. He hauled in six catches for a career-high 146 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Kyle Trask on Florida's opening drive.

The play gave the Gators a lead they never relinquished and set an early tone in front of a sellout crowd.

"I think Freddie's a special talent and does a great job of getting open,'' Trask said. "There's a good connection between me and him and I know when he's got a good matchup and going to get open."

Meanwhile, Hammond shined in the season-opening victory over Miami with a career-high 93 yards receiving. He added a 76-yard touchdown run in the comeback victory at Kentucky.

Their team-first attitude earned both players a captaincy, a role they fulfill during the coin flip prior to each game alongside senior linebacker David Reese II.

UF head coach Dan Mullen spends a lot of time managing roles and expectations, but when it comes to Hammond and Swain, he trusts them to figure it out.

"One question I can't answer for you is how many games either one of them have started," Mullen said. "I would have no idea. You know what, I've never had them ask me or tell me or even ask if they could or not. It just shows their character and their leadership and shows their understanding of what's important within the team and what they need to do to help the team win."

With a roster loaded at the position, the receivers police themselves.

Fifth-year senior Van Jefferson and junior Trevon Grimes start at the other receiver spots, and sophomore tight end Kyle Pitts, who can also line up on the outside, has emerged as the team's leading pass catcher in 2019 (39 receptions, 469 yards, four touchdowns). The versatility and unselfishness show up in the numbers.

Florida is one of just seven FBS schools to feature three receivers with at least 25 catches, 350 yards and four touchdowns (Pitts, Swain and Jefferson). Add senior Tyrie Cleveland, junior Kadarius Toney and sophomore Jacob Copeland to the mix, and you would be hard-pressed to find a more talented and deeper receiving corps in the country.

That could be a headache for Mullen. Instead, it's the opposite.

"Look, they know they're going to get the opportunity to get the ball,'' Mullen said. "There's a lot of places where just one guy touches the ball. I'm sure those programs tell everybody, 'You're the one guy.' Then the kid shows up and they're not the one guy. You've got to wait a couple of years to be the one guy. I think guys look at our program and say, 'Hey, you're going to play, you're going to have the opportunity, multiple guys to go get experience. Multiple guys carrying the ball, catching the ball. We're going to spread it around to whoever is there.' It makes it a lot of fun to play in an offense like that where you know you're getting touches.

"That, I think, is pretty special. I think a lot of people are taking note."

Hammond credited Mullen with establishing that mentality, one that took on new meaning a season ago when in his first season, Mullen added transfers Jefferson from Ole Miss and Grimes from Ohio State. Both players immediately found a home and have produced the last two seasons as the Gators climbed from mediocrity back into the top 10.

Mullen's honesty in his offensive approach earned the players' respect.

"There's only so much he can do to try to get the ball to everybody within the game plan," Hammond said. "He kind of let us know things might not go our way every game, things might not sway your way every game, but when it does, be ready to make the play when your number's called and I think we've done a good job of that within our room."

While Toney has only three catches because he missed six games with a shoulder injury before returning last week against Georgia, seven of Florida's top eight receivers have at least a dozen catches. Six have 15 more. Five have 20-plus receptions, and Swain, Jefferson and Pitts each have 29 or more.

They also play special teams, with Cleveland and Jefferson shining as gunners on the punt team at different points the last two seasons.

As his career winds down, Hammond said he will cherish the connections he made within the group. Besides being unselfish on the field, they are close off it.

In today's look-at-me world, there's something to be said for that mindset.

"The biggest thing for us is we don't really care who makes the play, we just want the play to be made,'' Hammond said. "We're like brothers."

He and Swain have proven that with the arrangement they worked out.

"He gets senior day," said Hammond, a South Florida native. "I got Miami though."