UF’s passing game is going to have a very different look to it this fall, and that has very little to do with Billy Napier calling the shots now.
Five of the top-7 pass-catchers from the 2021 team are gone. The two players among the top-7 who return, Justin Shorter and Xzavier Henderson, plus Trent Whittemore, have combined for 130 catches in their careers. The other six scholarship wideouts have totaled 16 receptions in their careers.
That’s not exactly a great recipe for success given the continued uncertainty with the offensive line and Anthony Richardson’s inconsistencies at quarterback.
While the unit is light on game experience, receivers coach Keary Colbert likes the work ethic that he’s seen from them this spring.
“We’re just trying to get better every single day, and the guys have done that,” Colbert said. “They’ve really dedicated themselves to practicing hard and doing things the right way. It’s a new system for them. Just trying to perfect it and make their plays when they get the opportunity. I’ll say this: they’re supporting one another. They’re flying around, and I’m encouraged by that.
“Naturally, with time, the mistakes or the indecisions – guys will be able to play faster in the system the longer they’re in it. It’s new, so they have the right mentality to attack every single day and try to make their plays when they get the opportunity.”
Daejon Reynolds and Ja’Quavion Fraziars have had solid springs based off of the short viewing periods provided to the media, and Marcus Burke showed his big-play ability with a 61-yard catch against South Carolina as a freshman last year.
As is the case with pretty much the entire team, developing depth is going to be key. Injuries are going to happen throughout the season, so you can’t rely on just four or five players.
“I think we have a group of players that can play winning football,” Napier said. “There are a handful of players in that room that I think we could run out there and we can depend on them to do their job and play winning football for Florida. We need more, but I do think overall we have some guys who can execute and do their job. How many? I think that’s where we’re at, and I think that’s a reflection of the entire team.”
While the Gators didn’t add any early-enrollee freshmen or transfers at the position this spring, they did make a potentially huge decision by moving Fenley Graham over from safety.
One of the biggest issues with the position is that they don’t have a diversity of skillsets. All of the guys who project to be a part of the rotation this season are 6-foot-2 or taller. They have a bunch of bigger-bodied receivers who are best at out-muscling smaller defensive backs for those 50-50 balls down the field, such as Shorter and Henderson.
What they don’t have are the smaller, shiftier receivers that can either blow past defenders with their blazing speed or make them miss in the open field to create a big play. This receiving corps is probably the slowest one that UF has fielded since the Will Muschamp era.
That’s where Graham comes in. He’s only 5-foot-9 and 166 pounds, and the previous coaching staff recruited him entirely because of his ability to make people miss in the open field on punt returns.
Graham has worked with the slot receivers this spring, and the results have been a mixed bag. He definitely has the athleticism to help the Gators, but his route-running and catching haven’t exactly been crisp in the periods that the media have gotten to see.
Colbert said that Graham is working hard to make the transition work.
“He’s been doing pretty good, working hard, trying to get adjusted to the playbook, being a defensive player a year ago,” he said. “He’s trying to do all the little things right, working hard every day, and we’re excited to have him on this side of the ball.
“He’s an athlete, and a lot of these guys played both ways in high school or their entire life. Yes, he’s been in the defensive back room and backpedaling and stuff, but, when you’ve got natural good athletes like Fenley, they can transition over, and it’s like riding a bike. They get back into the groove of running routes, and he’s been doing a good job of adjusting.”
Another issue facing the position is trying to create more separation during their routes. They didn’t give Richardson and Emory Jones very many open targets to throw to last year.
Colbert said that he’s working on the receivers’ technique and physicality this spring.
“You’ve got to be detailed at the top of the route especially, and there’s little things we do to work on it,” he said. “It’s really about the urgency at the top of the route and the mindset of being physical, being technical with your feet and your hands. Those guys are doing a great job, and we’re working on those things daily. At the end of the day, we’re preparing ourselves to be the best players we can be individually and to make our plays when the ball comes.”
Shorter said that he’s enjoyed his time learning from Colbert, a former NFL receiver who spent the past six seasons working at USC.
“He’s a great, great, great dude,” Shorter said. “I was very, very happy when we had got him because, looking at his history, he has coached a lot of bigger wide receivers. So, just meeting with him for the first time, I was like, ‘Hey, I want you to coach me, and I’m going to be this huge sponge that soaks in everything.’ He’s a great guy. He cares about every single player, and he just coaches well. I feel like I’ve learned so much from him already.”
Though the Gators only have a couple of proven playmakers on the perimeter, Henderson believes that they’ll be just fine.
“I feel we’ve got a lot of talent,” Henderson said. “We’ve got a lot of speed, size. Guys like Justin Shorter who’s got speed, big size. We’ve got Marcus Burke, who’s going to take it over the top. We’ve got technicians, Trent Whittemore. We’ve got a lot of good guys in our receiver room. I feel like we were around here, and a lot of people are sleeping on us.”