The 2020 season couldn’t have started much better for UF receiver Trent Whittemore. After redshirting the year prior, he was finally getting his first real taste of big-time college football as a regular member of the rotation.
He caught five passes for 56 yards over the first two games of the season. One of those grabs came on a terrific play over the middle of the field against South Carolina. Kyle Trask through a ball into traffic and a little bit high in his direction. He leaped high in the air, caught the ball between two defenders and held on upon contact. It was one of the best catches of the season.
Later in that game, he scored his first career touchdown in the back of the end zone while stumbling.
Whittemore’s confidence was high. He was catching passes from an eventual Heisman Trophy finalist in a somewhat low-pressure setting as a reserve. He scored a touchdown in his hometown. He got to learn from one of the best slot receivers in school history, Kadarius Toney. Life was good.
“It was unbelievable,” Whittemore said. “I was kind of in a bit of a backup role to [Toney], and it was just unbelievable to watch him every day in practice, in games. His poise, skill and just gain from his experience, as well as the other guys. It was just great to be in that rotation, to get experience for myself, catching balls from Kyle. I made a couple plays there early in the year. They were really just great for my confidence. It was a great experience just to be out there on the field, be in big games. I think that’s definitely something I can draw on in the years to come.”
Then came the Arkansas game that turned the entire mood of the season upside down for him. On the second drive of the game, he got popped hard by Jalen Catalon after a 13-yard catch-and-run. He suffered a fractured rib and a punctured lung.
That’s one of those injuries that just sounds agonizingly painful. You don’t really need a more in-depth explanation.
“It was extremely painful,” he said. “One of the most painful injuries I’ve had, and it was bothersome throughout the rest of the year, if we’re being honest. It was just annoying more than anything. It takes a while to heal completely. It’s always messing with you.
“Everything was tough for the first couple of weeks, and then when you come back to playing football, there’s unexpected falls on the ground, somebody jabs you in your ribs accidentally or whatever it is.”
He miraculously returned to action in less than a month, but he wasn’t able to rekindle his early-season magic. He caught two passes against Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl after being shut out against LSU and Alabama.
Whittemore said he is 100 percent healthy now and ready to contribute in a more significant way this season.
“I just give a huge shoutout to coach [Nick] Savage,” he said. “He really built me back up this summer in a way that eliminated a lot of that pain. And halfway through the summer, I felt completely back to myself, working out hard, nothing was limited. And then throughout fall camp, I’ve been full-go the whole time without pain. So, just a huge shoutout to the strength and training staff for that.”
Whittemore is primarily working in the slot this fall, and he’s battling Rick Wells for the starting job. Regardless of how that shakes out, you’re going to see a bunch from No. 14 this season. His 6-foot-4 frame, his toughness, his willingness to block and his athleticism will allow head coach Dan Mullen and receivers coach Billy Gonzales to move him around the field to create favorable matchups.
As is the case with all of the skill-position players, Whittemore is adjusting to playing with two dual-threat quarterbacks. With Trask, everything usually went according to script. He ran his route and either tried to catch the ball or block for the person who caught it.
Things will be a little more chaotic with Emory Jones and Anthony Richardson, in a good way. If nobody’s open or they’re under heavy pressure, they can scramble out of the pocket and throw on the run.
Backyard football will be in play at UF for the first time in a while. The receivers have to reacquaint themselves with how to play that style of football.
“They can scramble, they can run, they can make guys miss, extend plays,” Whittemore said. “So, you just always have it in the back of your mind, ‘OK, I’m going to run a route, and then he could always scramble on any given play.’ You just have to remember that, remember your scramble rules. And then also, just be willing to get on blocks. Sometimes, they’re going to pull it down, and they’re going to take off, and ‘Hey, it’s my job. I’m already 15 yards downfield. Let me find somebody and get on them and make their life easier.’”
The Gators have gotten outstanding play out of their slot receivers the past three seasons. Freddie Swain and Josh Hammond combined for 18 receiving touchdowns from 2018-19. Swain led the team with seven touchdowns in 2019. Last year, Toney finished just 16 yards shy of producing the 12th 1,000-yard season in program history.
After a bump in the road last season, Whittemore is ready to add his name to that list.
“Coach Mullen has an amazing offensive mind, and I enjoy playing slot,” he said. “I can pull things from [Toney], Freddie or Josh and, at the same time, put my own spin on it. It’s great to look back and take from what those guys did as well as add my own flavor to it. Coach Mullen allows every guy in the offense to do that.”