Florida Gators receiver Antonio Callaway at spring practice- 1024x682
Florida Gators receiver Antonio Callaway at spring practice- GatorCountry photo taken by David Bowie

As summer drags on, college football season slowly inches closer and closer. In late June, there are a lot more questions than answers about how any team’s season will shake out. In this series, Gator Country will highlight the biggest questions for every Florida Gators position group and the affects the answers will have on this season.

So far, we’ve touched on quarterback, running back and offensive line. We will now move into the pass catchers, starting with wide receiver.

Wide Receiver

The Gators are stacked at wide receiver this season, as it has become one of the deepest positions on the team. It’s been said over and over that if Florida’s receivers only had the right quarterback to put up throws for them, they have the talent to carry the offense. That is yet to be determined, but Feleipe Franks or Malik Zaire stand to be better options than those of the last few years. With that, even the deepest of positions still have some underlying questions.

  1. Which young guys will step up behind Antonio Callaway and Tyrie Cleveland?

Callaway and Cleveland are the headliners in this receiving corps, with Callaway entering his junior season after leading Florida in receiving yards each of the last two years and Cleveland looking to breakout as a sophomore.

Callaway has carried the load as Florida’s top target since he arrived, leading to teams locking down on him with all available resources. The emergence of Cleveland last season helped a little bit, but he really didn’t do a whole lot until late in the season due to a hamstring injury holding him back.

This season, there are no excuses. Cleveland’s athleticism and big-play making ability should take a great deal of pressure away from Callaway’s side of the field and open up the offense more. While Cleveland struggled to get comfortable in the offense while battling the injury as a freshman, he still managed to put up 298 receiving yards and two touchdowns on just 14 receptions, averaging 21.3 yards per play.

The Gators also return senior Brandon Powell, redshirt junior Dre Massey, a pair of sophomores in Freddie Swain and Josh Hammond and redshirt freshman Rick Wells, along with the additions of true freshmen Daquon Green and James Robinson. We already know where Powell stands as the veteran of this group, and Massey is a question on his own, so this is aimed more towards the last five names on that list.

Swain and Hammond look to make a bigger impact in their sophomore seasons, as both saw action in all 13 games last season and recorded a combined 22 receptions. Both proved to have potential for the future and had their respective times to shine as freshmen.

Hammond put up 110 of his 177 receiving yards of 2016 in just two games against UMass and North Texas, and while Swain had just eight receptions on the season, two of them were for touchdowns against Kentucky and Tennessee.

Hammond had the advantage of competing in the spring while Swain was forced to sit out with a shoulder injury. He had just one reception on the very first drive in a rather bland performance by the offense in the spring game, but it was the longest of the night on a 46-yard pass down the sideline from Franks.

The way Hammond and Swain continue to develop will play a big role in Florida’s passing game this season. Behind them, Wells could be a pleasant surprise in his redshirt freshman season, depending on how quickly he is able to rehab from his leg injury and get back into the mix of things.

He is currently listed as a player not expected to be ready to go at the start of fall camp, but he will be reevaluated before then. How much time he gets in fall camp will be a big factor for him, because he was unable to catch up after a hamstring injury sidelined him during that time last year.

Wells is a guy who could make a difference, and while he hasn’t had a chance to prove it in a game yet, he proved to be a reliable receiver in practices before his most recent injury. He was even named the MVP in one of Florida’s scrimmages leading up to the bowl game.

Behind the returners, things get even more interesting with two talented freshmen coming into the picture. Robinson was a huge get in the 2017 class as one of the most highly touted wide receivers in the country. Assuming his academic requirements are handled, Robinson is in line to make immediate impact.

At 6-4, 205 pounds, he makes for a huge target for Florida’s passers and will be especially valuable in the red zone.

Green, the second four-star wideout in the class, will likely take a redshirt year due to the depth in this positon group. He is a very capable receiver and has the skill to be a contributor, but unlike Robinson, he doesn’t bring a dimension the Gators are missing that would separate him as a candidate for early playing time.

These are obviously just projections and only time will tell, but having too many young, talented options at a position is a pretty good problem to have.

  1. What impact will Massey’s return make?

The addition of the junior college transfer was one of the most popular storylines for Florida football leading up to the 2016 season. Then, of course, he tore his ACL on the opening kickoff of the season.

With Massey forced to miss his first season on campus, the anticipation reset for what he could bring to the Gators once he finally got on the field for more than one half of play. Barring any further injuries or issues, the wait should be over on September 1.

With a lot of hard work put into the rehab process, Massey put his recovery ahead of schedule and said he was running close to full speed in January, just four months after the injury. He was held to non-contact drills for precautionary measures during the spring, so there is a lot more to be seen on his progress once fall camp starts.

If he is anywhere near where he was going into last season, he will be a weapon for the Gators. His speed and explosiveness could have been the missing piece to Florida’s offense a year ago. Now, the Gators come into 2017 with more on-paper talent and experience on offense, making Massey’s return even more exciting.

Last year, head coach Jim McElwain and wide receivers coach Kerry Dixon raved about the plays Massey would add to the playbook, as he can run, pass, catch and even kick the ball. The possibility of more innovative, dynamic offensive play calls should be music to any Florida fan’s ears.

Up Next: Tight Ends

Bailiegh Carlton
A lifelong sports fan, Bailiegh Carlton knew from a young age that she wanted to work in sports in some capacity. Before transferring to the University of Florida to study journalism, she played softball at Gulf Coast State College. She then interned for Gator Country for three years as she worked toward her degree. After graduation, Bailiegh decided to explore other opportunities in the world of sports, but all roads led her right back here. In her time away, she and her husband welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world. When she isn't working, she can almost always be found snuggled up with sweet baby Ridley, Cody and her four fur babies.