Eugene Wilson III led the Gators with six touchdown receptions as a freshman. (Photo: Maddie Washburn/UAA Communications)
Gators Position Preview: Receiver/Tight End
Friday, August 16, 2024 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Gators practiced for the 13th time in preseason camp on Friday morning and have their second scrimmage on Saturday.
Florida enters its third season under head coach Billy Napier with a much-revamped roster from the one he inherited in 2022. The competition to catch passes from quarterback Graham Mertz is stout heading toward the Aug. 31 season opener at home against Miami.
Napier and receivers coach Billy Gonzales are busy evaluating their options at receiver, a position group Napier spoke about Monday following the team's first scrimmage.
"That group as a whole, ton of competition," Napier said. "You talk about a big week and a competitive camp. That's one of the positions where there's a ton of roles here that are going to be taking place over the next couple of weeks."
Meanwhile, more is known about the tight ends, with two key contributors from a season ago – Arlis Boardingham and Hayden Hansen – leading the way.
As camp winds down, we continue our "Gators Position Preview" series and look closely at the receivers and tight ends.
RECEIVER: Sophomore Eugene Wilson III is the most dangerous player on the team when he has the ball. Wilson arrived a season ago and immediately became a go-to option, catching 61 passes and a team-high six touchdowns. Wilson has good hands and is adept at making tacklers miss with his quick cuts and speed bursts. The most significant loss among this group is Ricky Pearsall, who hauled 65 receptions for 965 yards in his final season. Pearsall spent two seasons at Florida after transferring from Arizona State. The Gators hope another Arizona State transfer, two-time All-Pac-12 honorable mention wideout Elijhah Badger, can make a similar impact. Badger has 135 catches for more than 1,500 yards in the past two seasons and is competing with several others for a significant role. Badger and transfer Chimere Dike, a former teammate of Mertz's with Wisconsin, provide experience and proven production in an FBS program. In 2022, Mertz's final season at Wisconsin, Dike finished with 47 receptions for 689 yards and six touchdowns. Kahleil Jackson returns on the outside and continues to carve out a meaningful role after joining the team initially as a walk-on. Jackson caught 21 passes for 251 yards and a score last season. The competition runs deep, with young players searching for a breakout season. Redshirt freshmen Andy Jean and Aidan Mizell are in the mix for more playing time, and they are competing with true freshmen Tank Hawkins and TJ Abrams for a place in the regular rotation. Hawkins and Mizell are the fastest guys on the team based on summer speed training, each eclipsing 23 mph. Meanwhile, upperclassmen Ja'Quavion Fraziars and Marcus Burke have delivered plays over the years and remain part of the group, and another former walk-on, Taylor Spierto, is always full-speed ahead when on the field. There are a lot of questions behind projected starters Wilson, Dike and Jackson, but there is also ample competition in search of those answers.
Hayden Hansen, above, and Arlis Boardingham for a talented young tandem at tight end. (Photo: Mallory Peak/UAA Communications)
TIGHT END: Florida is well-equipped with Boardingham and Hansen, who have different skill sets, and that mesh nicely when the Gators go to 12 personnel (one RB, two WRs, two TEs). A former wideout, Boardingham caught 26 passes and four touchdowns last season. Hansen is more of a blocking tight end with 12 receptions and two scores. They both have said they worked on developing their all-around games in the offseason, Boardingham picking up blocking tips from Hansen and Hansen quizzing Boardingham about receiver techniques. Newcomers Amir Jackson, a true freshman from Portal, Ga., ranked fifth overall at his position in the 2024 signing class by On3 and ESPN, and graduate transfer Caleb Rillos joined the mix. Rillos was mainly a blocking tight end at Air Force who played receiver and starred in basketball in high school in Colorado. A good athlete, he has been slowed by injury in camp. A pair of familiar faces return in Tony Livingston and Keon Zipperer. Livingston mainly played on special teams a season ago, while Zipperer, who has 38 career receptions for 486 yards and four touchdowns, has dropped down the depth chart. Zipperer missed all of last season due to injury. If season started today: As Napier mentioned, the competition remains intense as the Gators prepare for their second scrimmage. Spots are up for grabs. The guess is that Wilson, Dike and Jackson would start in a three-receiver set, and Badger, Jean and Mizell would be the first group off the bench. Hawkins is right there, too, if not already in the second group. Hansen started nine games in 2023 at tight end, with Boardingham starting two in four-receiver sets. Look for a similar approach this season, depending on what formation the Gators line up in to open on offense.
Speculation: Badger and Hawkins offer intrigue in what they could provide in the passing game. The Gators know what they have in Wilson, Jackson and Dike, but Badger and Hawkins can add something they need: playmaking ability down the field. And, of course, Mizell's speed can't be overlooked. He and Jean were newcomer favorites last year among the crowd closely following recruiting, but they combined for only eight receptions. If one or both have a breakout season in 2024, that will only help the Gators.
Quote of Note: "I think their biggest thing is they're playing fast, they're trusting it. You see it translate. 'How do I get open? I'm not just running lines on the paper. How do I get open? How do I win?' I think that's what you're seeing in the receiver room right now." — QB Graham Mertz on development of young receivers
