Tag: Arlis Boardingham

Depth Chart: Florida dealing with injuries ahead of Texas A&M game

We know Florida will have to make up for the loss of Brenton Cox Jr. this week, but that wasn’t the only change made to the depth chart ahead of Texas A&M.

There were a number of notable changes on the weekly update to Florida’s depth chart, most of which had to do with injuries and departures from the team.

Following the departure of JACK linebacker [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]., [autotag]Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr[/autotag]. is now listed as the starter with [autotag]Lloyd Summerall III[/autotag] and David Reese behind him. Summerall should be the No. 2, but he is coming off an injury.

Nickelback Kamar Wilcoxson’s third-string spot at the STAR position was left blank this week.

Wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] might be the most notable addition to the injury report. Florida’s leading receiver is listed as questionable for Saturday’s contest with a lower-body injury. Shorter ranks in the top 10 for receiving yards among SEC players and has hauled in a pair of touchdown passes this year.

Expect sophomore [autotag]Ja’Quavion Fraziars[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] to receive an increased workload if Shorter can’t go.

Tight end [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] is also dealing with an injury and won’t play on Saturdays. An Instagram post that was later deleted sparked some fear that he’d be out for the rest of the year, but Billy Napier said there’s still hope for him to return this year.

“Keon, I don’t know where that got blown out of — that’s wild,” Napier said with a smile. “Keon’ got a little bit of a knee (injury). Nothing long-term there. It’s very much to be determined based off his rehab and recovery right now. We don’t expect him to be available this weekend, but long-term no issue there.”

Inside linebacker [autotag]Scooby Williams[/autotag] is questionable to play as well, but the corps of [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] and [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] should hold up with true freshman [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] and sophomore [autotag]Derek Wing[/autotag]o behind them.

Linebacker [autotag]Diwun Black[/autotag], tight ends [autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Elksnis[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Devin Moore [/autotag]were all listed as out once again. Napier provided an update on Moore following a shoulder surgery that will keep him out for the rest of the season.

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Billy Napier makes big changes to Florida’s depth chart ahead of Week 5

Trey Dean won’t play against Eastern Washington after popping up on the Gators’ injury report this week. Here’s who will start in his place.

The Florida Gators will be without safety [autotag]Trey Dean[/autotag] this week, according to the Week 5 depth chart put out by the team Wednesday evening.

Dean is listed on the injury report as “out” with a lower-body injury, and freshman [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] is in his place with [autotag]Donovan McMillon[/autotag] listed as the “OR” option. Both are expected to play against Eastern Washington, and that’s far from the only change on the depth chart.

[autotag]Justus Boone[/autotag] is listed ahead of [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] at the defensive end spot alongside [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]., and cornerback [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] is in the starting spot opposite of [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. The defense will certainly look different on Sunday, and the shakeup couldn’t come at a better time.

Many fans were critical of Dean’s performance against Tennessee. He blew a few coverages that proved costly, but the truth is that the Volunteers carved up the defense in its entirety.

The front seven already has seen some movement with [autotag]Desmond Watson[/autotag] moving ahead of [autotag]Jalen Lee[/autotag] on the depth chart, and [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] is now firmly back in the starting 11 after dealing with his own lower-body injury over the past few weeks.

[autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag], [autotag]Marco Ortiz[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] remain on the injury report, but Miller is now listed as “questionable,” which means he should return in the next few weeks. Offensive tackle [autotag]David Conner[/autotag] and tight end [autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] are no longer on listed on the injury report, but they aren’t on the two-deep either.

Keep in mind that Florida’s opponent this week is an FCS school. If there’s a week to rest some guys, this is it. Expect Napier to try to get some game action out of his reserves if the Gators can run the score up early.

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Four players ruled out for Florida football’s season opener vs Utah

Four players have been ruled out for the Florida Gators home opener against Utah.

Florida football released its Week 1 depth chart for their season opener against the Utah Utes, with four players officially ruled as out for the game.

Tight end [autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] (upper body), cornerback [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] (lower body), quarterback [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] (upper body – thumb surgery) and offensive tackle [autotag]David Conner[/autotag] (upper body – thumb surgery) will not suit up on Saturday night for the Orange and Blue.

Wide receiver [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. did not appear on the injury section of the depth chart, giving optimism that the highly touted transfer and the former five-star recruit will be available for Billy Napier’s first game as Florida’s head coach. Both players were battling injuries during camp with Pearsall dodging a bullet after initially being ruled out indefinitely.

Notably, Pearsall was given the No. 1 jersey this summer. The No. 1 jersey is given to a player that has earned the privilege to wear it. The fact that a transfer wide receiver was given the number before playing in an official game goes to show how highly Napier believes Pearsall to be. Former Gators Percy Harvin and Kadarius Toney both have worn No. 1.

Marshall Jr. is primed to make a leap in his second year on campus. The former Palmetto Panther played in 12 games as a true freshman and is listed as CB1 on the Week 1 depth chart. Marshall has the potential to reach “elite Florida cornerback” status in his second year, following in the footsteps of Gators defenders to emerge on the scene in their second year. Former players Vernon Hargreaves III, Teez Tabor, Quincy Wilson, and the Buffalo Bills’ 2021 first-round pick [autotag]Kaiir Elam[/autotag] all solidified themselves as top-tier college defensive backs in their sophomore seasons.

The Florida Gators kick off their season against the No. 8 ranked Utah Utes Saturday on ESPN. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EDT.

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2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Tight Ends

Florida’s tight end room has seen a complete overhaul since the end of last season. Here’s a look at the group heading into 2022.

Next up in Gators Wire’s position-by-position breakdown of the 2022 Florida Gators football roster is the tight end room.

Last year’s starter [autotag]Kemore Gamble[/autotag] was one of the many players that left the team via the transfer portal. While he suits up for the UCF Knights this season, the Gators will test out some new names at the position. Senior [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] is the returning player in the room with the most experience, but a trio of defensive players made the switch to tight end after two others went down with an injury in the spring.

Billy Napier added a pair of tight ends in the 2022 recruiting cycle too, so there’s plenty of depth on the team at this point. The big task for Napier will be to figure out which players deserve the most playing time. Most of these guys are relatively unproven, and Napier likes to run a lot of two-tight-end sets to engage the run game.

There seems to be a clear first and second team in place as the season draws near, but an injury or two could give some rotational pieces an opportunity to shine.

Here’s a look at the nine tight ends listed on the 2022 Florida Gators fall roster.

See also:

2023 Florida Football Season Preview: Quarterbacks

2023 Florida Football Season Preview: Running Backs

2023 Florida Football Season Preview: Wide Receivers

2023 Florida Football Season Preview: Offensive Line

Gators running thin at TE in spring practices due to injuries

Tight ends Jonathan Odom and Nick Elksnis will miss spring practices as they recover from injuries.

Billy Napier thought he had plenty of tight end depth coming into the spring, but it turns out that the Florida Gators aren’t quite as loaded at the position as originally thought.

Redshirt freshman Nick Elksnis and sophomore Jonathan Odom are out for the rest of the spring, according to a report from 247Sports. Elksnis is dealing with a broken shoulder blade and Odom has a torn labrum. Both players could feasibly return to action before the season, but missing spring practices will hurt when it comes to learning the new scheme.

Senior Keon Zipperer is the presumed starter after appearing in all 13 of Florida’s games last season, but he only brought in 11 passes on the year. Zipperer is healthy and currently the only scholarship tight end at practices. Redshirt freshman Gage Wilcox was missing from practices last week, which means the next man up is senior Dante Zanders who recently switched back to tight end from defensive end.

Zanders actually was recruited as a three-star tight end out of high school, so the position isn’t foreign to him by any means. Walk-on junior linebacker Noah Keeter has also worked with the group in recent weeks.

Florida did sign three players in the 2022 class that should add some depth once they get on campus over the summer. Four-star [autotag]Tony Livingston[/autotag] was originally listed as an offensive tackle, but Napier said the team would be utilizing him at tight end. Four-star athlete [autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] is a tight-end/receiver hybrid that has the size to play early in the SEC, and three-star [autotag]Hayden Hansen[/autotag] rounds out the group.

Injuries won’t keep Elksnis and Odom out forever, but the Gators are stretched pretty thin right now at tight end. Napier’s even decided to take a look at some of the recruits in the class of 2023 after initially planning on going without a tight end commit in the cycle.

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Coach Billy Napier breaks down the addition of tight end Arlis Boardingham

The Gators got themselves a stud at the end of the 2022 class recruiting period.

It may have taken Florida longer to put the finishing touches on its 2022 signing class than most schools, but it’s finally wrapped up. Gators coach Billy Napier concluded his first recruiting class with four-star athlete Arlis Boardingham who selected UF over Oregon. Last Friday when he met with media, Napier explained why he coveted the West Coast prospect.

“Arlis is a unique athlete,” he said. “If you watch the tape closely, he’s really playing receiver, playing inside ‘backer and outside ‘backer. He was 6-3 and quarter, 235 on the visit and really has some growth potential.”

The Gators project him to be a tight end where they loaded up this cycle with other tight ends like Tony Livingston and Hayden Hansen. Napier signed three players at this position because he likes to utilize 12 personnel on offense.

He also believes Boardingham is a potential mismatch for defenses. Napier pointed out his ability on the track. He ran an 11.4 in the 100-meter dash as a junior and thinks he can better that mark this spring.

Either way, Napier and his staff are high on Boardingham’s potential.

“He can run the full route tree as a receiver if you watch the tape,” Napier said. “He has some play strength and physicality on defense, so my experience would say those equate to a mismatch-type of player that we’ll be able to use him a lot of different ways on offense. He’s a very intelligent kid.”

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Billy Napier’s efforts out west pay off for Florida football

Florida’s 2022 recruiting class features players from all over the country, including two from the West Coast.

Florida’s new head coach Billy Napier traveled all over the country to put together his 2022 recruiting class in just two months.

While plenty of time was spent on the areas closest to Florida, Napier made sure to get out west and talk to some of the top undecided talents on the other side of the country. Those efforts appear to have paid off for Florida as Napier added Van Nuys, California athlete Arlis Boardingham to the class a week after national signing day.

“Arlis is a unique athlete,” Napier said at his Friday press conference. “If you watch the tape closely, he’s really playing receiver, inside backer and outside backer. He was 6-foot-3-and-a-quarter, 235 pounds on the visit and really has some grow potential.

“He can go run the full route tree as a receiver, and he has some play strength and physicality on defense. I think my experience would say that equate to a mismatch type of player.”

As Napier rattled off more positives about Boardingham, including an 11.4-second 100-meter time as a junior, it became obvious why the coach was willing to pursue someone on the other side of the country so intensely.  Boardingham has a chance to make a difference on this roster, and Napier wasn’t willing to let him slip away to Oregon over proximity.

The same can be said about Napier’s other west coast signee, Andrew Savaiinaea. The three-star defensive lineman out of Washington held offers from Cal, Oregon and Kentucky before Florida got into the mix. At 6-foot-3-inches tall and 259 pounds, Savaiinaea has the kind of size needed to make it in the Southeastern Conference.

Napier considers Boardingham and Savaiinaea to both be high-character players with a ton of upside.

It’s not easy to put together a class of 18 recruits, especially when a coach is given just two months to evaluate, recruit and sign them. Florida may have had to go out of its comfort zone a bit, but the returns appear to be well worth the effort.

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Final commitment helps Gators’ 2022 class rise in the rankings

Arlis Boardingham’s pledge bumped the Gators up from 19th to 16th in the final recruiting rankings.

Florida capped off the 2022 recruiting class on a high note with one final addition on Wednesday, as four-star Van Nuys (California) Birmingham athlete Arlis Boardingham, who didn’t announce a decision on national signing day, pledged to the Gators over Oregon.

The Ducks made a late push for Boardingham, who is listed as an athlete but projects as a tight end at the college level. They had him on campus the weekend before signing day, but UF was considered his leader and that visit wasn’t able to sway him.

Now, Florida has seen one last rise in the recruiting rankings from 247Sports. It ranked 19th after national signing day, but it’s now up to No. 16 following Boardingham’s commitment. That ranks in the middle of the pack of the SEC at seventh in the league.

Though this isn’t exactly where Florida wants to be, it’s impressive nonetheless. This class was already struggling before coach Dan Mullen was fired, and when he left, it tumbled all the way to No. 76. It took a lot of work to salvage this class, and that should give fans optimism as Billy Napier enters his first full recruiting cycle in 2023.

Florida’s class finishes with 18 signees, three of which are already enrolled on campus including top recruit Kamari Wilson. The safety from IMG Academy is the No. 44 player in the nation.

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Gators add final touch to 2022 recruiting class with this 4-star athlete

Add one more name to the list! Florida’s recruiting class of 2022 just got bigger.

National signing day may be in the rearview mirror, but it’s not too late to add to the class of 2022.

Billy Napier did just that on Wednesday by earning the commitment of four-star athlete Arlis Boardingham. It came down to the wire between Florida and Oregon. After visiting both schools late in the cycle, the Van Nuys, California athlete decided to delay his announcement until a week after national signing day.

The big moment came just after 6:30 p.m. EST on CBS Sports HQ. Boardingham teased both schools before placing the orange cap on his head and giving a celebratory chomp.

“It was a tough decision,” Boardingham said, according to 247Sports. “That’s why I couldn’t decide last week when the signing period started up. I wanted to give myself a few extra days but late last week, probably around Thursday is when I felt good about it.”

Despite being across the country from his high school, Boardingham said he felt more comfortable at Florida than anywhere else. Wide receivers coach Keary Colbert and tight ends coach William Peagler were his main contacts at the university along with head coach Napier.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 220-pounder played on both sides of the ball as a senior and could do the same at the college level. He’s most likely to contribute on offense at tight end, but he can also play defensive end and linebacker.

Boardingham is the No. 31 athlete in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite. Florida’s 2022 recruiting class jumped up to No. 16 overall and No. 7 in the Southeastern Conference by adding him.

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Final Florida recruiting target set to announce college decision on Wednesday

Athlete Arlis Boardingham will choose between Florida and Oregon next week.

National signing day is in the books for the Gators, but coach Billy Napier isn’t quite done yet. There was one uncommitted target who didn’t announce a decision on Wednesday: Van Nuys (California) Birmingham athlete Arlis Boardingham.

The west coast player has been one of Florida’s priority players over the last couple of months, and his mother, Kim Boardingham, told 247Sports Blake Alderman that her son has come to a decision and will announce it on Wednesday.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 220-pound player is the No. 490 player in the 2022 class and No. 31 athlete, per the 247Sports Composite. Though considered an athlete, he is being recruited by Florida as a tight end with the versatility to line up on the outside and as an H-back, as well.

Florida got in on Boardingham’s recruitment fairly late, offering him on Dec. 22, but it is currently considered the favorite to land him. However, Oregon also made a late push, offering him on Jan. 2 and getting him on campus the final weekend before signing day for an official visit.

The Gators will hope to get Boardingham and see one last boost for their 2022 class, which currently ranks 19th in the nation and ninth in the SEC.

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