The Florida football program is just over two weeks away from the start of spring practice as the Gators hit the field for the first time on March 6th. Florida will practice every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday (with spring break off) leading up to their annual Orange and Blue Spring game on April 12th at 1:00 p.m.
Gator Country begins previewing spring camp by breaking down Florida’s wide receiver room.
While the spring portal window could change things, the Gators have 11 scholarship receivers entering spring camp. Florida has a younger wide receiver group in 2025 compared to last season after losing seniors Elijhah Badger and Chimere Dike. The Gators welcomed four freshmen in the 2025 high school recruiting class and returned two rising sophomores.
R-So. Eugene Wilson III
Florida’s star play maker Eugene Wilson III returns for his third season in Gainesville after playing in four games last season and redshirting due to a season ending hip injury. In 10 games as a true freshman in 2023, Wilson III caught 61 passes for 538 yards and six touchdowns, ranking inside the top 30 in receptions per game in college football. The 5’10, 183-pound receiver also landed multiple Freshman All-American selections.
In 2024, Wilson III caught 19 passes for 266 yards and one score across four games, highlighted by his 85-yard jet sweep catch vs Samford in week two.
Pro Football Focus lists Wilson III as the 10th best returning wide receiver in college football entering 2025. Wilson III was mostly utilized underneath with Graham Mertz at quarterback, holding an average depth of target of just 2.8 in 2023 and 6.0 in 2024. While the effort to get Wilson III the ball quickly isn’t going anywhere, the hope is that with DJ Lagway at quarterback the Gators can capitalize on Wilson III’s skillset.
Two things need to happen for Wilson III to be one of college football’s best in 2025. First, he needs to stay healthy. He’s dealt with a number of different injuries in his two years at UF that have forced him to miss 11 games during that span. The best ability is availability. Second, he needs to provide more versatility as an outside receiver and show the ability to win over top. I’m well aware that this falls on the play calling just as much as it does Wilson III’s ability. Wilson III has caught just one pass 20 air yards in his career. However, the Gators did make an effort to throw Wilson the deep ball last season, targeting him three times in four games over 20 air yards after not targeting him a single time in 2023 on deep passes.
Regardless, Wilson III is an electric play maker with home run potential whenever the ball is in his hands.
Sr. J.Michael Sturdivant
The Gators opted to replace their senior receivers with mostly talented true freshmen, but they did add one veteran transfer in UCLA’s J. Michael Sturdivant, who ranks as Florida’s highest rated transfer according to ESPN and 247Sports.
As a true freshman in 2022, Sturdivant recorded 65 catches for 755 yards and seven touchdowns, earning a Freshman All-American selection with Cal. In two years with UCLA, Sturdivant combined for 58 catches for 912 yards and six touchdowns.
The Gators wanted a bigger bodied down the field threat in the portal to replace Elijhah Badger’s skillset. That’s exactly what Sturdivant brings to the table, with even more upside due to his athletic ability. Before the 2024 season, Phil Steele ranked Sturdivant as the 16th-best receiver for the 2025 NFL Draft.
The 6’3, 205-pound receiver is my dark horse candidate to lead Florida in receiving yards in 2025. His straight-line speed paired with his ability to make contested catches pairs well with a gunslinger quarterback in DJ Lagway.
R-So. Aidan Mizell
Aidan Mizell’s third season at UF could serve as a ‘make it or break it’ year as Florida has multiple underclassman that will be pushing for playing time in 2025. After playing in two games and redshirting in 2023, Mizell played in 11 games in 2024 including three starts, hauling in 17 catches for 202 yards and two touchdowns.
Both of Mizell’s touchdowns last season came from freshman QB DJ Lagway. The first was a beautiful 41-yard snag vs Samford and the second was a 43 yard catch vs Georgia where Mizell displayed his straight-line speed.
Perhaps Mizell’s best game last year came against Mississippi State, where the second-year pass catcher caught a season high five catches for 36 yards. What his stat line doesn’t show is one of the best plays we saw from an individual player last season, a 65 yard catch and run touchdown that was wrongfully called back on an illegal blindside block penalty. Mizell turned a five-yard hitch into a long touchdown, making 4-5 defenders miss in the process.
Mizell isn’t just a guy that can beat you over the top, he is also a true play maker with the ball in his hands. The 6’2, 186-pound receiver averaged 7.5 yards after the catch on passes behind the line of scrimmage last season.
The Orlando, Florida native steadily improved from year one to year two and will really benefit from having a full season with DJ Lagway as his quarterback.
Fr. Dallas Wilson
After plenty of drama in his recruitment, Florida landed four-star Dallas Wilson in the 2025 recruiting class. Wilson has enrolled at UF for the spring semester, which is crucial for his chances at early playing time next season.
In his senior season at Tampa Bay Tech, Wilson caught 41 passes for 677 yards and 9 TDs on 16.5 yards per reception across 11 games. As a junior, Wilson hauled in 49 catches for 872 yards and 9 TDs, helping Tampa Bay Tech reach regional finals of Florida’s 3M playoffs.
Wilson has big-play potential standing at 6’3, 205 pounds and could be in line for early playing time.
Fr. Vernell Brown III
Vernell Brown III ranks as the 5th best WR in 2025 class, slightly ahead of Dallas Wilson’s No.8 spot. The 5’11, 170-pound receiver is a dynamic play maker with his ability to generate chunk plays in run after the catch scenarios. Brown III can create a ton of separation underneath his with explosiveness off the line of scrimmage. Brown III and Wilson will be difficult to keep off the field next season. Brown III could see time on special teams as well given his speed and ability to make defenders miss.
So. Tank Hawkins
Speed, speed, and more speed. Are you noticing a trend? As a true freshman in 2024, speedy WR Tank Hawkins hauled in 10 catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. This is a big offseason for Hawkins as it will be difficult to see the field much in 2025 with all the competition. The 5’10, 175-pound receiver has the potential to be elite in run after the catch scenarios but averaged just 4.6 yards in limited opportunities last season. Hawkins needs to work on taking what the defense is giving him instead of looking for the home run play if he wants to improve those numbers.
Fr. Naeshaun Montgomery
Naeshaun Montgomery could be one of the more underrated players in not only Florida’s 2025 recruiting class, but the entire class. Montgomery is more of a ‘finesse’ receiver, as described by teammate Vernell Brown III. But don’t get it twisted, Montgomery has enough speed to beat you over the top, as seen in the Under Armour All-America camp. Montgomery understands how to track the football and create space with leverage. He may not be as flashy as Brown III, but he can make defenders miss in open space. Montgomery is a guy Florida believes can play early on in his career.
Sr. Kahleil Jackson
Senior receiver Kahleil Jackson is coming off an ACL injury suffered early in the 2024 season, which will likely make him limited throughout spring camp. His best season came in 2023, where Jackson caught 21 passes for 251 yards and one touchdown. Florida trusts Jackson a lot on the football field but coming off an ACL injury paired with the younger competition will make it hard for Jackson to carve out a significant role in 2025.
Florida also has sophomore TJ Abrams, freshman Muizz Tounkara, and senior Taylor Spierto.
PROJECTED DEPTH CHART
WR (X): J. Michael Sturdivant, Dallas Wilson, Muizz Tounkara
WR (Y): Eugene Wilson, Vernell Brown III, OR Tank Hawkins OR TJ Abrams
WR (Z): Aidan Mizell, Kahleil Jackson, OR Naeshaun Montgomery, Taylor Spierto