The Gators relied on a ton of freshmen in 2023, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. Safeties Jordan Castell and Bryce Thornton combined for nearly one thousand snaps while edges Kelby Collins and TJ Searcy played a prominent role in the two-deep.
With the young talent getting a year older and Florida hammering several positions of need in the transfer portal, the Gators didn’t need or have to rely on their freshmen nearly as much in 2024, even with a laundry list of injuries.
In 2023, 22.8% of Florida’s defensive snaps were recorded by true freshmen; that number plummeted to 8.2% this season. Additionally, 14.7% of total snaps in 2023 came from true freshman; you guessed it, that number dropped to 8.8% in 2024.
The Gators signed 22 freshmen in the 2024 class including two transfers. Florida had a mixed bag in terms of production, impact, and success stories in year one. Let’s break it down.
Jadan Baugh and DJ Lagway
Let’s start with the success stories. Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway and running back Jadan Baugh saw plenty of run during their rookie campaigns. The duo become the first pair of freshmen in program history to start alongside each other at their respective positions.
Both Lagway and Baugh were getting playing time before injuries bumped them to starters on Florida’s depth chart.
Lagway completed 59.2% of his passes for 1,610 yards, 11 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. The rookie also battled a hamstring injury the second half of the season, which limited his ability to move outside of the pocket. Still, Lagway had the best deep ball in the country, completing 18 of 30 passes over 20 air yards for 702 yards and five touchdowns, a deep ball grade of 97.3, according to Pro Football Focus. The 6’3, 239 poud quarterback led the SEC in 35+ yards throws and explosive pass play percentage. Lagway did struggle at times hitting the underneath routes but showed unlimited potential in year. He looked the part of a future superstar quarterback in the SEC.
Baugh took over as Florida’s starting running back after Montrell Johnson and Treyaun Webb suffered injuries. Baugh rushed for 603 yards on 5.1 yards per carry, finding the end zone seven times during his freshman campaign. Baugh was difficult to bring to the ground, breaking 31% of tackle attempts which ranked 4th in the SEC among running backs. His yards after contact average of 2.79 ranked 9th in the SEC. While the 227-pound back isn’t the fastest in the open field, he’s quick off the line of scrimmage and can shoot through the gaps with the best of them.
The future of Lagway and Baugh should excite everyone in Gator Nation.
LB Myles Graham
Myles Graham had the third most snaps among freshman with 157, and the most on the Gators’ defense. Graham might not have had the playing time to be labeled a success story in year one, but he played admirably in limited opportunities. The 6’1, 228-pound linebacker graded as Florida’s 7th best defender in 2024, totaling 28 tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack. Graham only missed 12% of his tackle attempts, a promising number for a true freshman. Graham graded as Florida’s 4th best run defender, according to PFF. Where Graham struggled analytically was in coverage, allowing five receptions for 56 yards and one touchdown on seven targets.
Graham seemed to be around the ball on every play when he was in the game, as highlighted by his 28 tackles in just 157 snaps. He recorded a tackle on 17.8% of his defensive snaps; that’s the highest percentage, in the Gators’ linebacker room.
Keep in mind that Graham suffered a back injury that kept him out almost all of spring camp, which took away practice reps from the freshman. His playing time picked up in the second half of the year as he logged 20+ snaps against LSU and Texas. Florida’s linebacker room was crowded in 2024 and likely will be again next year, but Graham is a guy that will push for a more significant role next season.
Edge LJ McCray
LJ McCray had the 4th most snaps among freshman and 2nd most on defense, logging 148 snaps. McCray struggled to see the field due to Florida’s depth at defensive end, but I think you could make the argument he deserved to see the field a little bit more. McCray totaled one sack, seven pressures, and 1 QB hit in 65 pressure snaps (opportunities to get to the quarterback). His win rate on true pass sets was 19.0%, the highest among Gator edge rushers.
McCray is a freak of nature standing at 6’6, 264 pounds.
DL D’Antre Robinson and Michai Boireau
D’Antre Robinson and Michai Boireau played a little more than most expected due to Jamari Lyons season ending injury, logging a combined 260 snaps at almost an even split. Boireau showed promise at times throughout the course of the season, using his 6’5, 351-pound frame to simply overpower his opponents and make stops in run defense. Napier has spoken highly on Boireau, and he could see an expanded role next season.
LB Aaron Chiles
Aaron Chiles, much like Graham, was around the ball often when he was in the game. Chiles recorded 21 tackles and one sack across 113 snaps, a tackle percentage of 17.6, the second highest in the Gators’ linebacker room. Chiles also posted a respectable missed tackle percentage of 11.8. Chiles didn’t grade nearly as high as Graham but is one of the best athletes on the team standing at 6’3, 234 pounds.
WR Tank Hawkins
Tank Hawkins’ playing time was a bit confusing this season. It looked as if Hawkins was going to play a significant role moving forward after logging the start and 36 snaps against UCF, but he managed to record just 88 snaps on the season and only played in seven games. The 5’10, 176-pound receiver hauled in 10 receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown while adding three carries for 11 yards in the run game. 12 of Hawkins 15 targets this season were below 10 yards down field including five behind the line of scrimmage.
Safety Greg Smith III
Safety Greg Smith III was the last freshmen to log 80+ snaps this season, and most of that came in Florida’s final regular season game against Florida State, where he found 49 snaps. Smith III redshirted after only playing in four games. We don’t have a lot of tape on Smith III, but he looked the part against the Seminoles. He’s an intriguing prospect standing at 6’2, 213 pounds. Smith III is a guy that could play a lot in Florida’s bowl game due to the injuries in the secondary.
Florida still has a bowl game to play, and that is usually where you can see some younger players you didn’t see a lot of in the regular season, whether that be due to opt outs or Florida’s staff evaluating what they have for next season.