It’s gameday in Gainesville. The Gators take on the Eastern Washington Eagles in the Swamp at Noon. Gator Country provides you with ten players to look out for in this week five clash.
1- KAMARI WILSON
I suspect the true freshman safety to make his first start in his Gator career on Sunday afternoon. The five star has been in the rotation this year for Patrick Toney’s defense, totaling nine tackles on the season. Trey Dean is out with a lower body injury, opening the door for Wilson to make a significant impact. The Gators safety unit is led by veterans that have disappointed this year. I’m looking to see what the young Gator safeties can bring to the table against Eastern Washington.
2- GUNNER TALKINGTON
Gunner Talkington doesn’t just have a cool name, he’s also a good quarterback. The fifth-year senior has connected on 61.3% of his passes for 636 yards, ten touchdowns, and three interceptions through three games this season. EWU is going to let Talkington sling it around on Sunday afternoon.
3- JUSTUS BOONE
The redshirt freshman is set to make his first start in a Gator uniform on Sunday. He’s taken the defensive end spot on the depth chart from Princely Umanmielen. You can expect these two to rotate often as the game goes, but the staff is looking for a spark at this position. Gators have struggled getting to the QB in recent weeks, Boone is looking to change that. In the rotation at DE, Boone has totaled six tackles and one sack through four games. Boone has displayed a quick burst off the line of scrimmage in limited playing time.
4- MICAH SMITH
Smith leads the backfield for the Eagles through three games. He’s got 24 carries for 162 yards and two touchdowns this season. The Gators have struggled to stop the run this season; EWU will try to get Smith going on Sunday.
5- JAYDON HILL
Hill is making his first appearance for the Gators since 2020. Hill suffered a torn ACL in fall camp in 2021, causing him to miss the entire season. Hill hasn’t appeared in the first four games this season due to a setback with his injury. Hill could still be a major factor this season for Patrick Toney’s defense. My eyes will be locked on Jaydon Hill on Sunday; I’m looking to see how his knee holds up. Burst, quickness, and fluid movement are things to lookout for. I imagine they won’t overwork Hill in this game, but I do expect to see a decent number of snaps so the staff can properly evaluate him.
6- FREDDIE ROBERSON
The junior receiver has big play potential for the Eagles. He has 11 catches for 214 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 19.5 yards per catch this season. Roberson was really productive last season as well, grabbing 49 balls for 776 yards and six touchdowns. I expect Gunner Talkington to take shots down the field when Roberson’s on the field.
7- ANTHONY RICHARDSON
The Gators’ quarterback is coming off his best performance of the season last week against Tennessee. Richardson gathered more than 500 yards of offense in the Gators’ loss. I don’t think Richardson will be asked to do quite that much against Eastern Washington, but I’m looking for back-to-back fearless and confident performances from the Gators’ QB.
8- EFTON CHISM
Chism has been the most targeted receiver this season for the Eagles. He has 15 catches for 125 yards and three touchdowns through three games. He’s not quite the explosive playmaker that Roberson is, but he found the endzone nine times last season. Jaydon Hill will have his hands full in his first game back from injury.
9- DONOVAN MCMILLON
The Gators’ safety has appeared in all four games this season, primarily in a special teams role. The freshman has a chance to make his first significant impact for Patrick Toney’s defense. I’m excited to see McMillon and Wilson on the field at the same time on Sunday. This is the future of the safety room and they both have loads of talent.
10- MITCHELL JOHNSON
The sixth-year defensive end leads the Eagles in sacks this season with two. Johnson has 17 tackles this year with eight of them being solo.
Four of my five players to watch for the Gators are on defense. The Gators need to play a sound game defensively, there’s no other way around it. There’s going to be new faces flying around that should have Gators’ fans excited.