Florida Gators’ offensive lineman [autotag]Richard Gouaige[/autotag] has officially declared for the 2023 NFL Draft, according to a statement made on his Twitter account.
The 6-foot-5-inch, 271-pound senior was considered one of the cornerstones of the Florida offensive line this season. Along with Louisiana transfer [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag], Gouaige was vital in establishing the Gators’ rushing attack as one of the best in the nation. Torrence also declared for the 2023 NFL Draft and was named a Consensus First-Team All-American for the 2022 season.
Gouaige’s Twitter announcement came on the Monday after the Gators’ 30-3 Las Vegas Bowl loss to Oregon State, giving Florida a 6-7 record to end the season. While not made official before the bowl game, Gouaige was always expected to declare for the draft. So much so, that analyst Pat McAfee mentioned early on in the game that Gouaige was playing in the game despite his professional aspirations. Monday’s announcement can as more of a formality than a surprise.
Thank you GatorNation 🧡💙🐊 pic.twitter.com/wFkNgcU9Oy
— Richard Gouraige (@richardg813) December 19, 2022
Florida is expected to be active in the transfer portal this offseason, with over a dozen players having left the program via the portal since the end of the regular season. With Gouraige and Torrence heading to the draft, and three more in the portal (Joshua Braun, Yousef Mugharbil, Griffin McDowell), the offensive line is officially a position of need in the portal and in recruiting.
Early signing day is Wednesday, Dec. 21. The Florida Gators currently have the No. 11 class in 2023, with 19 of their 21 commitments coming from four-star prospects, according to 247Sports.
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