ThaWith fall camp right around the corner, Gator Country has started previewing the 2023 football season by breaking down each position on Florida’s roster.
Wide Receiver
The Gators have a total of nine scholarship receivers and six preferred walk-on’s heading into fall camp next week. Redshirt sophomore Kahleil Jackson recently received a full-time scholarship and will look to compete in a talented receiver room heading into the 2023 season.
Ricky Pearsall
The most valuable piece returning at the position this year for the Gators is senior wide receiver Ricky Pearsall. After posting a team-high 33 receptions for 661 yards and five touchdowns last season, Pearsall has more to prove heading into year two of the Billy Napier era.
“All the guys are just buying into the program he has set for us,” Pearsall said on Napier in year two. “Coach Napier is just a really respectable guy. Just having another year under him, he’s learning us as much as we’re still learning him.”
The 6-1, 192-pound receiver will likely play a bigger role for the Gators in his final season as the starting punt returner on special teams. Pearsall mentioned how it’s a nerve-wracking position to play but knows he’s the right guy for the job and will take it over.
The Arizona native also looks to be lining up on the outside this year instead of working the slot position after proving to be a significant vertical threat downfield last season.
I expect Pearsall to thrive in 2023 and significantly add to his 1,455 career receiving yards.
Caleb Douglas
It will be interesting to see just how much Douglas has grown as a receiver over the past year. The sophomore has great potential and I expect Douglas to make a big leap in 2023. In Florida’s 38-6 win over South Carolina last season, he led the unit with three catches for 53 yards.
Personally, I expect Douglas to be starting this season on the opposite side of Ricky Pearsall when Week 1 rolls around, but don’t count out Marcus Burke.
Marcus Burke
The Jacksonville, Florida native is a hidden gem for the Gators in my opinion. I believe Burke could be a high-impact player this season when given an opportunity.
The redshirt sophomore saw action in eight games last season and has 6 receptions for 103 yards in his career. Burke now weighs 199 pounds and has added significant muscle mass since arriving to Florida weighing 187 pounds.
Don’t be surprised if Burke starts after his performance in the spring.
“I love Marcus, right, and Marcus is a talented young man,” Napier said on Burke in the spring. “I mean, he is tall. He is long. He is fast. Marcus is learning how to be more consistent as a person. I’m proud of him and the progress that he has showed, right? He is a guy that’s always been one of the more talented guys, and I think he has grown up this offseason.”
Ja’Quavion Fraziars
The junior receiver from Dunnellon, Florida hasn’t had the most productive career as a Gator but has the chance to take a step forward this season.
Fraziars appeared in ten games as a sophomore finishing the year with five receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown. The 6-4, 218-pound receiver has 11 catches for 99 yards and three touchdowns in his career at Florida.
This wide receiver room has gotten deeper after the additions of three talented freshman in the 2023 cycle, so it will be interesting to see how Fraziars works into the rotation this season.
Andy Jean
The 2023 recruiting class was loaded with offensive talent for the Gators after landing three immediate-impact players at receiver. Former four-star prospect Andy Jean was the last player out of the three freshmen to commit in late July of last year.
At Miami Northwestern High School, Jean recorded 59 catches for 1,142 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final two seasons while averaging 58.4 yards per game as a senior.
The 6-1, 198-pound receiver is a player who already looks like a veteran in Gainesville and could start early on or be shifted around for the Gators in some form in his true freshman season. Jean has truly impressed the staff since he’s arrived on campus and continues to show out in practice.
“I thought Andy Jean, as a newcomer today, did a lot of really good things. A little wet ball drill out there today. That was beneficial. We’ve only had a couple opportunities to work in the rain. So good day. I look forward to watching that group,” Napier said on Jean when asked about the receivers in the spring.
Eugene Wilson lll
The former five-star and Top 5 receiver prospect was arguably the biggest weapon Florida landed in the 2023 recruiting cycle.
The 5-10, 180-pound freshman was a late enrollee but has already impressed the eyes of many after squatting 570 pounds and benching 315 pounds just a couple days ago. I hate to compare players, but I think Wilson and Kadarius Toney have a very similar skill set and will be used in similar ways.
In his senior season at Gaither High School, the Tampa native recorded 40 catches for 764 yards and 11 touchdowns. The true freshman is someone who I think will compete with Andy Jean early in the season for a huge role on offense.
Aidan Mizell
The Orlando Native and Gator legacy was a high-rising prospect out of high school with blazing vertical speed. Mizell was a former four-star prospect across all four major recruiting sites and recorded 47 receptions for 1,003 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior.
The 6-2, 167-pound freshman also has a very strong track background and has career-best times in the 400m at 46.99 and 100m at 10.65.
Mizell is a player who can ease into the rotation late in the season or even earlier depending on injuries. Either way, the Gators have added three potentially elite weapons in the receiver room.
Other players to look out for
On Scholarship: Kahleil Jackson, Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman
Walk-on: Alex Gonzalez, Taylor Spierto, Daniel Cross, Zak Sedaros, Jackson Wade, Brian Green Jr.