Monday was the deadline for players to declare for the 2023 NFL draft, and 247Sports wasted little time declaring the Florida Gators as one of the primary losers of the cycle.
Losing quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] was “potentially unavoidable,” but that doesn’t even consider the losses of First Team All-American right guard [autotag]O’Cyrus Torrence[/autotag], starting left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] and leading receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag]. Gouraige and Torrence anchored an elite line for the Gators in 2022, and Shorter was a consistent threat and veteran presence on the team.
Richardson’s departure hurts the most, though. He had several years of college eligibility left, and most scouts agree he could have used another year to hone his talents. Still, money talks, and Florida’s recent NIL struggles suggest that they couldn’t compete with the numbers linked to a potential first-round pick.
On defense, Florida is losing another underclassman that could have benefitted from one more year in the SEC, defensive lineman [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. Much like Richardson, there’s a lack of consistency on tape for Dexter and it will hurt him in the draft process. Replacing an explosive talent like him isn’t easy either. A former five-star recruit, Dexter leaves Florida with the feeling of what could have been.
The other major loss on defense is linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag], who is often described as the heart and soul of the team. Losing him in 2021 was disastrous for Florida and the team looked lost without him on the field against USF this season. Someone is going to have to step up and take over Miller’s role in 2023.
The Gators are also losing both starting safeties to the draft, [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag] and [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag]. With [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] transferring to Missouri, Florida will need to replace three starting defensive backs next year.
Billy Napier will work with the pieces he has, and it’s hard to blame college players for taking their shot at the pros, but it’s undeniable that Florida is in a much worse spot than it was just a few months ago, at least from a depth standpoint. The transfer portal will have to provide some answers here, but Napier might let his first recruiting class get some early playing time as well.
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