Tag: Daejon Reynolds

Florida WR invited to 2023 NFL combine despite undecided future

Florida wide receiver Ricky Pearsall hasn’t officially declared for the NFL draft yet, but he has received an invitation to the 2023 combine.

It’s currently unknown whether Florida wide receiver [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] will use up his final year of college eligibility before turning pro, but there’s no question that the NFL draft is calling him.

On Monday, Pearsall posted a screenshot of his invitation to the 2023 NFL combine on Instagram with the caption, “thank you Lord,” according to 247Sports. While that post does not serve a confirmation of his departure, Florida fans should consider a reality where Pearsall doesn’t return for a second year in the Swamp.

He joined the team in spring through the transfer portal after moving on from Arizona State and served as the Gators’ starting slot receiver all year. He finished the season with 33 receptions, 661 yards and five touchdowns, while adding 113 more yards and a score on the ground. If Pearsall did return, he’d be the unquestioned leader in Florida’s 2023 wide receivers room.

Reporters questioned Pearsall on Dec. 17 about his future after Florida’s Las Vegas Bowl loss to Oregon State, and he was noncommittal at the time.

“There’s a lot of aspects that go into it,” Pearsall said. “But, you know, I’m still thinking about it, being patient with it.”

Losing Pearsall to the pros would be another major loss for the Gators after [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] declared for the draft and [autotag]Daejon Reynolds[/autotag] entered the transfer portal. It would leave [autotag]Xzavier Henderson[/autotag] as the team’s lone returning starter with [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] behind him, assuming his recovery goes as planned.

Florida’s bringing in a decent crop of freshmen receivers, but dipping into the transfer portal might be necessary if Pearsall leaves.

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Taking a look at Florida’s depth chart ahead of the Las Vegas Bowl

The Las Vegas Bowl is almost here and Florida is working with a different look roster after a busy start to the transfer season.

Florida’s depth chart for the Las Vegas Bowl looks a whole lot different from the opening-day roster, but that’s expected as players leave for the draft, enter the transfer portal and suffer injuries over the course of the year.

Starting with the offense, Florida is down players at every position but running back. [autotag]Jack Miller III[/autotag] is making his first start at quarterback with [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] headed to the NFL, and walk-on [autotag]Kyle Engel[/autotag] true will serve as the backup. True freshman [autotag]Max Brown[/autotag] is listed as the third-string option under center.

[autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] are the only available running backs on Saturday, but that duo has the bulk of Florida’s carries over the season so it shouldn’t be a problem.

[autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] is preparing for the draft, which means [autotag]Xavier Henderson[/autotag] is the new No. 1 out wide for the Gators. True freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] gets the No. 2 spot (and his second start) with [autotag]Daejon Reynolds[/autotag] in the transfer portal, and [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] is still in the slot. Despite losing some talent from the receivers room, Florida is in an okay spot heading into the bowl game.

At tight end, [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] is still dealing with an injury, meaning [autotag]Dante Zanders[/autotag] is the starter once again. [autotag]Jonathan Odom[/autotag] was productive as the team’s second tight end towards the end of the season and will get another shot to audition for next year against Oregon State.

Florida’s offensive line features a new face: Redshirt freshman [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag], who will get his first start at right guard with O’Cyrus Torrence headed to the pros. Left tackle [autotag]Richard Gouraige[/autotag] is also going to the NFL, but he could start in the bowl game and is officially listed as an “or” option along with [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag]. [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag] and [autotag]Kinglsey Eguakun[/autotag] remain at left guard and center, and [autotag]Michael Tarquin[/autotag] returns to the right tackle spot. Christian Williams could see an increase in snaps as the primary backup for either guard spot with [autotag]Richie Leonard[/autotag] injured.

Now on to the defense.

Florida’s defensive line looks the same as it was through the final few games of the season: [autotag]Gervon Dexter Sr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Princely Umanimielen[/autotag] at defensive end, [autotag]Desmond Watson [/autotag]at nose tackle and [autotag]Antwaun Powell-Ryland J[/autotag]r. at the JACK linebacker spot. The big change in the front seven comes at [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag]’s linebacker spot which now belongs to [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag]. [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] is the other starting linebacker, but expect [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] and [autotag]Scooby Williams[/autotag] to get some work in too.

In the secondary, [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] remain as Florida’s starting cornerbacks, and [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashad Torrence[/autotag] will get another run at their respective safety spots. [autotag]Jadarrius Perkins[/autotag] is stepping in for an injured [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] at the STAR, but that shouldn’t disrupt the defense too much.

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Florida redshirt sophomore running back announces transfer portal entry

Another player has announced their departure from the Florida football program.

The conclusion of Florida football’s 2022 regular season was expected to be followed by the departure of plenty of players as [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his staff continue to rebuild the Gators’ program. While it is difficult to see some of these young men leave Gainesville, it is usually a mutually beneficial parting.

On Friday afternoon, another member of this year’s squad added their name to the outbound list when fourth-year sophomore running back [autotag]Nay’Quan Wright[/autotag] announced that he will enter the NCAA transfer portal via his Twitter account. His declaration follows that of fellow backfield teammate [autotag]Lorenzo Lingard[/autotag], who made his intentions known on Thursday.

Also among the recent departures are redshirt freshman wide receiver [autotag]Daejon Reynolds[/autotag], who also entered the transfer portal, and [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag], who declared for the 2023 NFL draft — both of who made their announcements on Thursday as well.

Wright saw the most action during his second and third years in Gainesville in which he played in 11 and 12 games, respectively. His efforts peaked in 2021 when he ran 76 times for 326 yards and a touchdown while also catching a pass for another score as well. The 5-foot-9-inch, 202-pound back played in just seven games in 2022, carrying the ball 47 times for 190 yards for two touchdowns.

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Florida lacking receiver depth ahead of rivalry game against FSU

The Gators don’t have a ton of depth at the receiver spot this week after injuries have ravaged the position room over the past few weeks.

The Florida Gators are once again dealing with depth issues ahead of their final game of the 2022 regular season against Florida State.

After getting back starting wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] a week ago for the Vanderbilt game, No. 4 finds himself back on the injury report this week. He’s not the only starting receiver listed as “out” this week, either. The team’s No. 2, [autotag]Xavier Henderson[/autotag], won’t be playing against the Seminoles, and starting slot receiver [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] is “questionable” after missing most of last week’s game.

Pearsall suffered an upper-body injury against the Commodores, but Billy Napier expects him to be ready on Friday. [autotag]Ja’Quavion Fraziars[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Burke[/autotag] and [autotag]Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman[/autotag] won’t be available either.

In place of Shorter and Henderson will be redshirt freshman [autotag]Daejon Reynolds[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag]. Reynolds had a breakout game against Vanderbilt last week, leading the team with 165 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches. He dropped just one pass and made up for it two plays later with his second score.

Douglas got the start against South Carolina and hauled in three catches for 53 yards. He’s appeared in six games so far this season and has two touchdowns on the year.

Tight end [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] is still dealing with a lower-body injury that has him listed as questionable and down to the third-string spot on the depth chart. If he’s fully healthy, Zipperer could get some of his snaps back, but there doesn’t seem to be a ton of optimism that he’ll be ready to go. [autotag]Dante Zanders[/autotag] and [autotag]Jonathan Odom[/autotag] should be Florida’s two main tight ends this week. True freshman [autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] is also listed on the depth chart for the first time after dealing with an injury for most of the year.

Florida has fewer depth problems on the defensive side of things. Safety [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag] is listed as the starter this week, but he suffered an injury during the Vanderbilt game that could limit him. Florida’s other starting safety, [autotag]Trey Dean[/autotag], said that the team would be fine if either true freshman, [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] or [autotag]Miguel Mitchell[/autotag], had to step up in place of Torrence.

Finally, linebackers [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag] and [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] are expected to see the field a bit more often with [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] likely to miss the first half of the game after being disqualified for targeting against Vanderbilt.

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Depth Chart: Gators light at WR ahead of Week 11 matchup with South Carolina

The Gators might be thin at wide receiver this weekend when South Carolina comes to the Swamp.

The Florida Gators are still dealing with injuries, particularly at the wide receiver position, according to the Week 11 depth chart update released Wednesday evening.

The team’s leading receiver, [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag], is still listed as questionable after missing the Texas A&M game, and backup [autotag]Ja’Quavion Fraziars[/autotag] is out with an upper-body injury. Fraziars made his first-career start against the Aggies last week, so Florida will be down to it’s reserve options on Saturday.

Shorter is still listed as the starter, but freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] is set to make his first career start if he can’t go. Behind him and [autotag]Xavier Henderson[/autotag] will be Marcus Burke and [autotag]Daejon Reynolds[/autotag] with [autotag]Kahleil Jackson[/autotag] as another option. [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] is the starter in the slot.

The wide receiver room isn’t the only position group to deal with injuries. Starting left guard [autotag]Ethan White[/autotag] was added to the injury report and is listed as questionable with an upper-body injury. White is still listed as the starter, but that decision will be made as kickoff approaches.

Freshman kicker [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag], who has exclusively served as Florida’s kickoff man this season, is out for a second straight week after missing the Texas A&M game. [autotag]Travis Freeman [/autotag]will back up [autotag]Adam Mihalek[/autotag] for all kicking duties.

At linebacker, [autotag]Diwun Black[/autotag] is back on the depth chart and off the injury report. He’s listed as a third-team option behind [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] and [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag].

Tight end Keon Zipperer will miss a second-straight game, and that’s all for the depth chart update this week. [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag], [autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Elksnis[/autotag] are all out as well.

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5 major takeaways from Florida’s blowout win over Eastern Washington

Florida got out to an early lead against Eastern Washington and never looked back. Here’s what we learned about the Gators from the victory.

The Florida Gators dominated the Eastern Washington Eagles on Sunday,  52-17.

A blowout win is expected whenever Florida gets the chance to host an FCS squad, but last year’s debacle against Samford proved that these games can’t always be taken for granted. The defense didn’t look hot through the first few drives of this game, but the offense seized the momentum early and the rest of the team fell in line.

Eastern Washington managed to score a pair of touchdowns once the second team came in, but this was a Florida win all the way. It’s hard to learn anything from a contest with a skill gap as big as this one, but the second team coming helps us assess Florida’s depth at certain positions. With that in mind, this week’s takeaways will focus on the freshmen, backups and reserves that impressed the most.

Florida needed a big win after facing three top-20 opponents through the first four weeks of the season, and this should help boost the team’s confidence heading into another conference matchup.

Florida Gators make SI’s list of top wide receiver hauls in 2021 class

Although none of Florida’s four commits at the position made the SI99, the program still slotted in at No. 2 on the website’s rankings.

Sports Illustrated’s All-American staff released their top-five wide receiver groups in the 2021 class on September 2, with the Florida Gators earning recognition.

Before we dive in, a quick note: Star rankings are courtesy of the 247Sports Composite.

Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide, who feature two wideouts in the SI99 – a comprehensive ranking of the publication’s top-99 players in the cycle – led the way.

Orlando four-star slot receiver Christian Leary and IMG Academy five-star Jacorey Brooks, who checked in at No. 42 and 46 on the SI99, respectively, are the Tide’s top-two players at the position in the cycle; Valrico’s Agiye Hall, another four-star, was also mentioned.

Although none of Florida’s four commits at the position made the SI99, the program still slotted in at No. 2 on the website’s rankings.

Ocala four-star Trevonte Rucker, who pledged to the Gators on February 11, is the school’s highest-rated wide receiver in the class, with a trio of fellow four-stars, Loganville, Georgia’s Daejon Reynolds, Jacksonville’s Marcus Burke, and Seffner’s Charles Montgomery, who might also see some snaps at running back in Gainesville, following closely behind.

“Rucker is a prospect we’ve tracked since he was a freshman, and while he currently plays quarterback, we project a similar role to current Gator Kadarius Toney in Dan Mullen’s offense,” SI began of their Florida breakdown.

“Montgomery is another versatile prospect who can play running back, as well as H-receiver for Florida. Reynolds is a thick-bodied receiver with impressive ball skills and body control, plus he can develop into a solid blocker, something Mullen asks of his receivers.

“However, the most intriguing player amongst this group is Burke. At 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, Burke possesses length and long speed to become a vertical threat for the Gators as an X-receiver.”

The Michigan Wolverines, who, as of September 2, do not have a firm start date for their upcoming season, were No. 3 on SI’s list.

Jim Harbaugh’s program possesses four wideout pledges in the cycle, and two of them made the SI99, headlined by Fresno, California four-star Xavier Worthy, who does most of his damage out of the slot. The other Wolverine to make the cut, Santa Ana, California’s Cristian Dixon, also a four-star, holds the unique distinction of occupying the No. 99 spot on the SI rankings.

Clayton, Ohio’s Markus Allen and East Lansing, Michigan’s Andrel Anthony, both three-stars, are Michigan’s two other commits for offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Josh Gattis, who joined the program in 2019 following a one-year stint on Saban’s staff.

The Clemson Tigers, featuring three wideouts in the SI99, and Oregon Ducks, who hold a commitment from one receiver on the list, rounded out the list.

Manny Diaz’ Miami Hurricanes, Dave Aranda’s Baylor Bears, and Mark Stoops’ Kentucky Wildcats earned honorable mention.

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The Athletic complimentary of the Florida Gators’ latest work on football recruiting trail

Florida’s upcoming class now stands at 24 members. Marshall, the lone five-star, is the highest-rated of the group, followed by Tyreak Sapp.

Releasing his latest “This week in recruiting” article on August 12 (subscription required), The Athletic’s Ari Wasserman praised the recent work of head coach Dan Mullen and the rest of his Florida Gators coaching staff on the recruiting trail.

“This week, Mullen enjoyed perhaps his best two days on the recruiting trail as Florida’s head coach,” he began.

“Mullen went into South Florida and landed teammates from Miami (Fla.) Palmetto who both rank in the top-100 nationally: (five-star cornerback Jason Marshall) and four-star safety Corey Collier, the No. 83 overall player. Florida’s class jumped to No. 6 nationally with the two commitments.

“We could make this a discussion about how Miami, which is recruiting quite well this season, missed on two local players who could have vaulted its class into the top-three in the nation. Remember, the Hurricanes have two five-star prospects from Miami committed, including defensive tackle Leonard Taylor, who also plays at Palmetto. The Hurricanes had a chance to do something truly remarkable.

“But you have to give credit to Florida for recruiting these two Palmetto stars. Even though they are much closer to Miami’s campus, they are still in-state prospects for the Gators.”

Florida’s upcoming class now stands at 24 members. Marshall, the lone five-star, is the highest-rated of the group, followed by Collier and Fort Lauderdale four-star defensive end Tyreak Sapp.

A name to watch to join this group is Bradenton four-star defensive end Tunmise Adeleye, who decommitted from Ryan Day’s Ohio State Buckeyes on August 11.

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Playing his first three seasons at Katy (Texas) High School, Tunmise plans to suit up for IMG Academy, one of the nation’s premier talent-producing programs, as a senior.

Florida first extended him an offer on January 29, 2019 and have twice secured his presence on campus, first on February 1 for a Junior Day and again on March 7 for an unofficial visit.

Defensive line coach David Turner and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham have been leading the charge on his recruitment.

On the offensive side of the football, Ocala wide receiver Trevonte Rucker and Loganville, Georgia quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and wideout Daejon Reynolds lead the way, with another receiver, Jacksonville’s Marcus Burke, not far behind.

As Wasserman mentioned, this collection of pledges now ranks No. 6 in America, per the 247Sports Composite, trailing only Ohio State, Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide, Dabo Swinney’s Clemson Tigers, Mario Cristobal’s Oregon Ducks, and Jeremy Pruitt’s Tennessee Volunteers.

Ed Orgeron’s LSU Tigers, Clay Helton’s USC Trojans, and Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines round out the top-10.

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Gators football drops to No. 8 in latest ESPN 2021 class rankings

ESPN unveiled their latest 2021 recruiting class rankings on July 23, and for the second-straight update, the Gators fell down the list.

ESPN unveiled their latest 2021 recruiting class rankings on July 23 (subscription required), and for the second-straight update, the Florida Gators fell down the list.

While the July 6 rankings saw the Gators drop two spots, the latest assessment was only a one-spot fall, resulting in the program slotting in at No. 8.

The Ohio State Buckeyes occupied the top spot, followed by the Alabama Crimson Tide, who moved up 11 spots, the largest jump of any program to make the network’s top-25.

Mack Brown’s North Carolina Tar Heels, Jeremy Pruitt’s Tennessee Volunteers, and Ed Orgeron’s LSU Tigers, the reigning College Football Playoff national champions, completed the top-five.

“Dan Mullen’s third consecutive top-10 class in Gainesville is a near lock coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons and top-10 Associated Press Poll finishes, as well as the hiring of ace recruiter (tight ends coach) Tim Brewster,” ESPN began in their breakdown.

“Brewster immediately addressed the need at tight end with ESPN 300s Gage Wilcox and Nick Elksnis. There are two quarterbacks in the class in ESPN 300 Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and four-star Texan Jalen Kitna.

“A pair of ESPN 300 wide receivers are in the fold in Trevonte Rucker from an hour’s drive away and Georgia playmaker Daejon Reynolds. A third ESPN 300 wide receiver is Marcus Burke from Jacksonville powerhouse Trinity Christian.

“ESPN 300 in-state athlete Charles Montgomery could play on either side of the football. ESPN 300 Chief Borders is a versatile jumbo athlete who projects as an outside linebacker. A talented secondary group is made up of ESPN 300 and Tennessee flip Kamar Wilcoxson, LSU flip Dakota Mitchell, and four-star safety Donovan McMillon.

“ESPN 300 defensive end Tyreak Sapp will likely move to defensive tackle long-term. Four-star defensive end Justus Boone was a high-ceiling win out of the Palmetto State.”

The largest reason for Florida’s drop was four-star Baltimore, Maryland cornerback Clinton Burton, Jr.’s flip to the Boston College Eagles on July 17. Burton, Jr. was the second-highest rated commit in the cycle for the program, garnering a rating of 85 from ESPN, trailing only Sapp’s 86.

To make up for this loss, the Gators secured McMillon’s pledge the day after Burton, Jr.’s departure, and added Burke two days after that.

Overall, seven Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools made ESPN’s cut, representing over one-quarter of the list. Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs are No. 13, followed by Jimbo Fisher’s Texas A&M Aggies at No. 18, and Gus Malzahn’s Auburn Tigers at No. 22.

Other notables include Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines at No. 10, Manny Diaz’ Miami Hurricanes at No. 11, Kirk Ferentz’ Iowa Hawkeyes at No. 21, and Mike Norvell’s Florida State Seminoles at No. 23.

This No. 8 rating from ESPN is two spots higher than 247Sports’ view of Florida’s collection of prospects, which pegs the program at No. 10 nationally.

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18 Florida Gators commits named to Sports Illustrated’s All-American watch list

Featuring recruits in the 2021 class from all 50 United States, Sports Illustrated released their first annual All-American watch list.

Featuring recruits in the 2021 class from all 50 United States, Sports Illustrated released their first annual All-American watch list on July 15.

John Garcia, Jr., SI’s Director of Recruiting, spearheaded this project and AllGators’ Demetrius Harvey composed the initial list of the 18 Florida Gators commits to make the cut.

A total of 1,000 prospects earned this preseason recognition, with more than 700 of them having already announced their collegiate destination.

10 of the future Gators to receive this honor project to contribute on the offensive side of the football in Gainesville, led by Ocala four-star wide receiver Trevonte Rucker.

The No. 33 wideout in the class, per the 247Sports Composite, Rucker stands just under six feet and tips the scales at a reported 157 pounds. He will need to add some muscle to withstand the physicality of the Southeastern Conference, but strength and conditioning coach Nick Savage should have little trouble accomplishing that.

Each of the other two other receiver commits, Seffner’s Charles Montgomery and Loganville, Georgia’s Daejon Reynolds, both fellow four-stars, made the cut, as well. While listed as a wideout in this exercise, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound Montgomery will likely line up in the backfield and see some carries at the collegiate level, too.

Both quarterback pledges, four-star Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and Burleson, Texas three-star Jalen Kitna, also earned the nod from SI.

Set to play his senior season at Grayson High School, where he will be teammates with Reynolds, Del Rio-Wilson has been steadily rising in the recruiting ranks after a strong showing at the Elite 11 Finals in Nashville, Tennessee from June 29-to-July 1.

Other offensive commits to receive this recognition were Tampa four-star tight end Gage Wilcox, and four three-stars, Jacksonville tight end Nick Elksnis, and Orlando’s Javonte Gardner, Stone Mountain, Georgia’s George Jackson, and Lynn Haven’s Adrein Strickland, all offensive tackle prospects.

On the defensive side of the football, Fort Lauderdale four-star defensive end Tyreak Sapp, Florida’s highest-rated player in the class, led the charge. He was joined by future linemates Justus Boone, another four-star from Sumter, South Carolina, and Fort Myers three-star Christopher Thomas.

Carrollton, Georgia four-star Chief Borders was the lone linebacker pledge to make the list, with the other four future defensive Gators, Baltimore, Maryland’s Clinton Burton, Jr. and Bradenton’s Kamar Wilcoxson, both four-stars, and Winter Park’s Dakota Mitchell and Tampa’s Jordan Young, each three-stars, all residing in the secondary.

This means all 18 of Florida’s current high school commits made the list, with the two other players in the cycle, four-star outside linebacker Diwun Black and three-star guard Deyavie Hammond, both being junior college transfers.

247Sports ranks the program’s 2021 class as the ninth-best in the nation, while ESPN is slightly higher on the group, pegging them at No. 7.

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