Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Gators won six games last season with a quarterback that was the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL Draft. That's the go-to stat for Anthony Richardson's critics and it's fair game. Richardson had issues at times with accuracy, for sure, but it's also fair to point out there were some issues with his collective group of receivers.
 
What if Richardson had been throwing to, say, Kyle Pitts, Kadarius Toney and Trevon Grimes, like Kyle Trask did in 2020? 
 
Graham Mertz or whoever is playing quarterback for the Gators may not have two first-round choices (like Trask had with Pitts and Toney) in his arsenal, but the collection of pass-catching targets – particularly the wideouts – looks very promising this season. And with the exception of the best of the bunch, this is a very young group that has a chance to set a standard and get future players excited about playing in Coach Billy Napier's offense. 

And while the wide receiver room appears to be more stocked with skill and experience, understand that Napier is a huge proponent of tight end involvement (even two-tight end involvement), both in blocking and pass-catching. Someone in the tight end room -- possibly someone on the mend from an injury -- will emerge.


IN THE MIX

Pos.	Player	Ht. / Wt.	Class	Hometown (previous school)
WR	Ricky Pearsall Caleb Douglas Ja'Quavion Fraziars Eugene Wilson III Andy Jean Marcus Burke Aidan Mizell Kahleil Jackson	6-1 / 193 6-3 / 204 6-3.5 / 218 5-10 / 180 6-1 / 191 6-4 / 199 6-1.5 / 166 6-3 / 220	Sr So Sr Fr Fr R-So Fr R-So	Chandler, Ariz. (Arizona State) Missouri City, Texas Dunnellon, Fla. Tampa, Fla. Miami Jacksonville, Fla. Orlando Hawthorrne, Fla.
TE	Arlis Boardingham Jonathan Odom Dante Zanders Hayden Hansen Tony Livingston Keon Zipperer	6-3 / 248 6-5.25 / 251 6-5 / 256 6-6.25 / 262 6-5 / 242 6-1 / 227	R-Fr Jr R-Sr R-Fr Fr Sr	Van Nuys, Calif. Tampa, Fla. Boca Raton, Fla. Weatherford, Texas Tampa Lakeland, Fla.

BEST PLAYER
 

In his first season after transferring to UF from Arizona State, Ricky Pearsall caught 33 passes for 661 yards – just over 20 yards per – and five touchdowns. He was spectacular in the Gators' 45-38 shootout loss at Florida State, hauling in five balls for 148 yards and touchdowns of 52 and 43 yards. Obviously, the Florida staff hopes that late-season trajectory is something the 6-foot-1, 193-pounder carries over into his senior season. 
 
This is a tough, savvy kid who plays faster than his straight-line speed, is a very good route-runner and has no problem ducking his body over the middle. Pearsall has very good hands and is productive after the catch because of his speed, but also because of his vision and ability to set up blockers. The latter is one of the reasons he's been tabbed as the team's punt returner.
 
Pearsall should put up better numbers than in 2022 because he's a year better and year into the system, but also because he'll team up on the outside with some better players (faster ones with big-play potential) that will need to be honored and occupy attention.


BREAKOUT GUY  As a true freshman, Caleb Douglas did not play in four of the first five games and caught just one pass over the first eight. That one reception was notable, though, as in a 62-yard touchdown strike against Eastern Washington. Douglas went on to catch 10 passes for 175 yards, including a 12-yard score in the second half of UF's road win at Texas A&M. He had to be patient last season and, to his credit, eventually worked his way not just into the rotation but into a couple starts late. This year, Douglas very well could be the No. 2 option behind Pearsall, though a couple '23 new guys (read on) could have a say in that. The 6-3, 202-pound Texan, though, certainly will be a factor in the passing game, as Douglas will have a size advantage on just about every defensive back he lines up against, which could make him a prime red-zone target. He's rangy, goes up and gets the ball and, while not a burner, is plenty fast enough to make plays. 


FRESH(MAN) FACE OF NOTE 
 

Five months ago, the answer to this question may have been Andy Jean. It may still be Jean, who had some nice moments during spring workouts. But the splashiest rookie pass-catcher of training camp has been Eugene Wilson III, who was a top-10 prospect in the state for his class and caught 40 passes for 764 yards and 11 touchdowns during his senior season at Tampa Gaither. Wilson is only 5-10, but is quick and shifty and translates to a playmaker. Example: In one preseason scrimmage, Wilson came in motion, took a swing pass, made two defenders miss and sped 59 yards for a touchdown. He may not be an over-the-top kind of threat (yet), like Jean, but Wilson should be heard from early (and hopefully often, the Gators hope). 


ETC. 

To reiterate, Wilson's spot in the aforementioned category could just as well been occupied by Jean, the Miami prospect who averaged 21.5 yards per reception at Northwestern High and chose the Gators over the likes of Alabama, Georgia and Michigan. He's not the only big and fast freshman, either, as Aidan Mizell checks in at 6-2 and 167 pounds. Maybe a little lean (he's been banged up a bit in camp), but Jean will fill out and give the Gators a trio of talented young options on the outside. Ja'Quavion Fraziars has 11 receptions for 99 yards and three TDs for his career and will try to hold off the youngsters as long as he can. Redshirt sophomore Kahleil Jackson was promoted from walk-on to scholarship player in the spring. He scored one of the team's two touchdowns in the Orange & Blue Game, but is more notable for being the third generation of the Jackson (as in Willie, then Willie Jr.) legacy. Sophomore Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman (7 catches, 138 yards in '22) is working his way back from injury and talented redshirt sophomore Marcus Burke (6 catches, 103 yards last two seasons) needs to find consistency to crack the rotation. 
 
On the tight end front, the two most proven guys, Keon Zipperer and Dante Zanders, both have been sidelined with injuries, with Zanders (10 catches, 75 yards) expected back potentially for the opener. The availability of Zipperer (13 catches, 177 yards, 1 TD), who suffered a knee injury in the spring, likely will extend well into season. In the interim, redshirt freshman Arlis Boardingham and junior Jonathan Odom (7 catches, 69 yards, 2 TD) will hold down the spot. Odom was cleared late in camp after suffering a serious knee injury in the Las Vegas Bowl. If Napier has his way, both will play a bunch. And don't rule out a cameo appearance from redshirt freshman Hayden Hansen, who goes 6-6, 261 pounds and very much looks the part or 6-5, 242-pound true freshman Tony Livingston. That's a lot of tight end candidates, sure, but did we mention Napier likes tight ends?


"QUOTE" 

"Being an older guy, I want to embrace the young guys, put them kind of under my wing and make sure they're on the same page. At the end of the day we're only as strong as our weakest link. So bringing those young and talented guys along and continuing to help in this process of advancing Coach Napier's program, that's the biggest thing."  – Gators veteran receiver Ricky Pearsall 


BOTTOM LINE 

This could very well be one of the most improved areas of the team (maybe the most improved on offense), with the coaching staff (and Mertz, presumably) putting a lot on the plates of that trio of true freshmen. It's been a while, though, since UF brought in a youthful core of wideouts with this kind of talent. And it might fair to say it's been three years (since that 2020 unit Trask had at his disposal) the Gators have been this gifted with playmakers at the position.


IN CASE YOU MISSED ... 
* Unit Breakdown: Backfield