Florida’s tight end room didn’t get much buzz during the offseason, and understandably so. The Gators have a running back and wide receiver room that can stack up with anyone in the country, making those positions the focus of much of the conversation.
Florida also saw plenty of turnover at tight end. Hayden Hansen and Tony Livingston both entered the transfer portal after combining for a significant portion of the position’s production in 2025, leaving plenty of questions heading into 2026.
The Gators responded by bringing in six newcomers at the position, completely reshaping the room.
I admittedly wasn’t high on the unit myself. I ranked Florida’s tight ends as the worst position group on the team. I was worried that the Gators didn’t have a clear-cut No. 1 tight end and would rely too heavily on personnel packages to determine usage. The coaching staff didn’t seem particularly high on the group either, which only added to my concerns.
But after rewatching Florida’s 66-21 win over FAU in the season opener, the tight end room not only exceeded my expectations by a wide margin, but I’m now wondering if the unit could emerge as an unexpected strength relative to the rest of the SEC.
They were that good.
Let’s start with junior Amir Jackson.
Not known for his blocking, Jackson excelled as a run blocker against FAU, posting an 83.2 run-blocking grade, according to Pro Football Focus. That was the second-highest mark in the game.
And perhaps his best block of the game didn’t even come on a run play. On Florida’s first drive, Jackson perfectly sealed a lane for Vernell Brown III on a eight-yard screen.
Jackson finished with one catch for 14 yards across 25 snaps. We know what he’s capable of as a receiver given his speed and athleticism, but his success and effort as a blocker did not go unnoticed.
“If you watch Amir Jackson, the first thing when I came out of the game, I’m like, we got to find a way to make sure 7’s playing more,” offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner said. “That’s what the tape says, and the effort, the strain, and the ability, and he’s getting better and better every day, and embracing his role. He’s earned more, and so, which is a good problem for us.”
Junior Luke Harpring made one of the better catches of the game, hauling in an athletic 19-yard reception that showcased his soft hands and body control. He adjusted back to the ball and made the catch while essentially on the ground.
“It was an unbelievable catch. He actually played really fast – probably played the fastest he’s ever played,” Faulkner said on Harpring. “That’s a testament to Coach McKissack and the way that he coaches those guys in every detail. But Luke played really good. That catch was not an easy catch – not an easy throw. But he has elite ball skills for a guy at his position, and we’re excited about him. He’s doing a great job.”
Senior Lacota Dippre also positively impacted the game as both a run and pass blocker, which is his specialty.
Sophomore Micah Jones only played 10 snaps but graded as Florida’s highest-rated offensive player in Week 1. He also recorded the team’s third-highest run-blocking grade. Jones caught a six-yard touchdown pass.
“Really all of them played good. Is there room for improvement? Absolutely. And they’ll tell you the same thing. And they’re getting coached as hard as any position out there,” Faulkner said on the tight end room.
Florida ran 12 personnel on 43% of its snaps against FAU, according to Bud Davis. That’s even higher than Florida’s 38% usage rate in 2025, which could indicate the Gators feel pretty good about the direction their tight end room is heading.
Oh, and they were extremely efficient out of the personnel grouping. Florida posted a .63 success rate and 0.45 expected points added per play in 12 personnel against FAU.
Of course, this was against an FAU defense that was one of the worst in the country last year, and there’s still room for improvement and decisions to be made regarding playing time. But I don’t know how you can leave that game without feeling much better about the tight end unit. It was one of my biggest takeaways from the season opener. They have seemingly come a long way in a short time under coach Evan McKissack.