The NCAA post-spring transfer portal window officially opened on April 16th and will close on April 30th. Florida now has the opportunity to evaluate their team and make additions to their 2024 roster ahead of fall camp. It’s important to note that Florida currently sits at 85 scholarship players, which means athletes would have to leave the program in order for the Gators to add any scholarship players through the transfer portal.
Florida has already added Air Force tight end Caleb Rillos as a PWO, which makes the tight end unit less of a priority moving forward.
Gator Country provides you with four positions Florida should strengthen via the transfer portal.
Wide Receiver
Wide receiver is Florida’s biggest need to date. Eugene Wilson returns to Gainesville for his sophomore season as one of the more electrifying athletes in college football. The Gators also added Wisconsin WR Chimere Dike back in December, who is expected to play a significant role in 2024. The only other wide receiver on the roster that has eclipsed 150 snaps in a single season is former walk-on Kahleil Jackson.
Florida has talented depth, but it’s vastly unproven. Look for the Gators to add at least one if not two receivers to their roster post-spring.
Florida has already contacted Colorado State WR Justus Ross-Simmons.
Offensive Guard
Florida added two tackles via the transfer portal earlier in the cycle, establishing significant depth at the position heading into the 2024 season. I would like to see the same done at offensive guard. The Gators moved two former tackles to guard this offseason in Damieon George and Bryce Lovett, which made sense given the structure of Florida’s roster.
Rising sophomore Knijeah Harris is expected to start at left guard while redshirt sophomore Christian Williams is working with the second team.
While Damieon Geoge has plenty of collegiate experience, he hasn’t recorded a single snap at guard in a live game. He did play guard in practice throughout his time at Alabama and also during Florida’s 2023 spring camp.
Knijeah Harris has the most experience at guard, logging 171 snaps in his freshman campaign a year ago.
EDGE
Florida’s decision to move Kelby Collins to interior defensive line makes me comfortable with where Florida stands at defensive tackle heading into 2024. I think a depth piece at Jack or defensive end could benefit the Gators next season.
Linebacker
The Gators’ linebacker room is young but extremely talented. Grayson Howard’s addition was critical in the early cycle as he found experience in his freshman year and has three years of eligibility.
Returning linebackers Shemar James and Derek Wingo were limited throughout all of spring as they are both rehabbing offseason surgeries. Florida welcomed freshman Myles Graham to the program this spring, but he too was limited for most of spring camp following a procedure on his back.
With Mannie Nunnery’s departure, the door is open if Florida wants to add another body to the room. However, I don’t believe it makes much sense to add another young player with multiple years of experience given the youth that’s already in the room. If a starting caliber linebacker enters the portal, Florida should jump all over it.