GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The most accurate passer for the Gators a season ago has plans to perhaps one day follow in his mom's footsteps.
Trent Whittemore recently earned his undergraduate degree and will enroll in a master's program in the College of Journalism and Communications this fall. If you are familiar with Whittemore's background, you know he is a local player who grew up in Gainesville and played at Buchholz High under his father, Bobcats head coach Mark Whittemore. And you likely have heard of his mother as well, former UF volleyball player Missy Whittemore, who has served as a longtime volleyball analyst for ESPN and the SEC Network.
"Potentially, I would like to call games or something of that nature," Whittemore told reporters this week. "Looking to get into that and maybe become one of y'all."
But first, the redshirt sophomore Whittemore has a chance to announce his presence on the field. He enters his fourth season in the program in a different role: veteran in the huddle.
Whittemore emerged as more of a factor last season, hauling in 19 receptions for 210 yards and a score. But his most notable contributions came when he turned from receiver into passer, rekindling memories for those who saw him play quarterback at Buchholz.
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Whittemore would have been perfect throwing the ball on trick plays if not for an incompletion in the Gasparilla Bowl loss to UCF. He completed three of his four attempts, two for touchdowns:
- A 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kemore Gamble against Tennessee, a pivotal score in the third quarter that gave the Gators a 24-14 lead on the way to beating the Vols by 24.
- He completed a 22-yard pass to quarterback Emory Jones at LSU on Florida's six-play, 59-yard drive for the first score in what turned into a wild 49-42 LSU victory.
- In Florida's 24-23 loss at Missouri – the final game for former head coach Dan Mullen – Whittemore tossed a 6-yard touchdown to Jones in overtime to put the Gators in front. However, the Tigers answered and converted a two-point conversion for a dramatic victory.
With
Anthony Richardson pegged as Florida's starting quarterback and a dynamic athlete, it remains to be seen if first-year Gators coach
Billy Napier will occasionally utilize Whittemore in the passing game.
You can bet Richardson will look his way in the passing game. A 6-foot-3, 206-pound target, Whittemore has known Richardson for several years, growing up as local rivals. The two former basketball standouts also envision battling on the new court outside Florida's $85 million Heavener Football Training Center that the team moved into Sunday.
"I'm sure [pickup games] will be intense," Whittemore said. "I don't know if Coach Napier will want them to be intense."
Napier can knock on his office windows overlooking the court if the games get too intense. He is more interested in the duo producing on the field, which is Whittemore's primary focus.
"I think for me, it's just improving my all-around game," Whittemore said. "I don't know if there was a super-specific focus, but it's just coming to work every day and continuing to improve as an overall receiver, whether that's route running, catching the football, or blocking. I'm someone who just wants to better myself and make a bigger contribution to the team every chance I get. That's how I view each year, as another chance to take a step forward and help the team out even more than I did previously."
Whittemore figures into the core group at receiver that includes
Justin Shorter (41 catches, 550 yards, 3 TD in 2021),
Xzavier Henderson (26-277-2) and newcomer
Ricky Pearsall (48-580-4), a transfer from Arizona State. Those four combined for 134 receptions, 1,618 yards and 10 scores last season.
Whittemore has played slot receiver and on the outside in his career, so where he lines up is not something he said he is losing sleep over as preseason camp marches toward the Sept. 3 season opener against Utah.
"I think Coach Napier is going to put everybody in the right spot to make optimal plays," Whittemore said. "I don't want to limit myself to any direct spot on the field. I just go wherever I'm placed that week as far as the game plan goes."
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