Tag: Elijhah Badger

Analyzing PFF grades for Florida’s passing game against UCF

Florida’s passing game put up its best grades of the season against UCF in Week 6. Gators Wire takes a look at the numbers after the win.

Gators Wire returns (a bit later than usual in the week) with the post-game breakdown of Pro Football Focus grades.

Similar to the Mississippi State game, Florida’s offense thrived against UCF en route to a win. The passing game, in particular, was a strong point for the Gators, posting team grades of  85.5 on passing plays and 81.4 in the pass-blocking game.

The receivers didn’t perform as well as last week, dipping from 79.5 as a unit to 69.8, but there were still a few standout players to look at.

Quarterbacks

[autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] (81.6) and [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] (81.5) ranked 23rd and 24th, respectively, among FBS quarterbacks in Week 6 using PFF’s passing grade; however, Mertz once again received the lion’s share of the offensive snaps for Florida, outpacing Lagway in dropbacks, 25-6.

Mertz led all Gators on offense with a 78.1 overall grade, which differs from PFF’s passing grades, while Lagway was seventh out of 21 players with a 70.7 overall.

Each quarterback had one big-time throw, which PFF defines as “a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window.”

Mertz finished the day with 19 completions for 179 yards and a touchdown on 23 attempts. Lagway went 4-for-5 for 50 yards.

The passing breakdown yields some surprising results for Mertz. He was better on medium (91.3) and deep passes (71.7) than he was on throws behind the line of scrimmage (65.9) and within nine yards (63.2). The primary criticism of Mertz coming into the season focused on his inability to throw downfield, but he’s starting to look good in the intermediate range.

Lagway is still the bigger threat beyond 20 yards, though. The true freshman completed his lone deep pass for 37 yards, leading to an 87.4 passing grade on deep throws.

Receivers

Slot

Slot receiver [autotag]Chimere Dike[/autotag] continues to be the position room leader with Eugene Wilson III out. Dike led the receiving corps with an overall grade (of 74.8 and a receiving grade of 72.9. He caught four of his five targets for 88 yards, 22 of which came after the catch. With an average depth of target of 15.6 yards, Dike is a big reason why Mertz is thriving in the intermediate range.

Dike saw the field for 61 of 64 offensive snaps.

Right WR

Florida’s most targeted receiver in Week 6 was true freshman [autotag]Tank Hawkins[/autotag], and he reeled in seven of eight targets for 60 yards. Hawkins has stepped into Wilson’s role of collecting screen passes and running drag routes, and he’s done a nice job adding yards after the catch. More than 70% of his yards this week came after the catch. Hawkins’ overall grade (65.6) and receiving grade (66.3) took a slight hit because of a fumble.

Behind Hawkins were Taylor Spierto and Ja’Quavion Fraziars. Spierto hardly played, seeing the field for just one snap, and Fraziars’ use was also limited to 11 snaps. Hawkins is clearly the top option while Wilson is away, leading the way with 36 snaps.

Fraziars earned a 55.4 overall grade and a 55.8 receiving grade on just one failed target. Spierto earned a 58.3 and 59.6, respectively, in limited action.

Left WR

[autotag]Elijhah Badger[/autotag] is the primary receiver on the left side of Florida’s offense, and he earned a respectable 66.7 overall grade while finishing 0.2 points behind Hawkins with a 66.1 receiving grade.

Badger is the team’s deep threat, made evident by a 25-yard average depth of target. He hauled in three of four targets for 41 yards and a touchdown — the only passing touchdown of the day for Florida.

Marcus Burke saw six snaps (three passing plays) behind Badger, but he wasn’t targeted at all. Burke finished the day with a 57.1 overall grade and a 57.6 grade on passing plays.

Tight Ends

Florida deployed a trio of tight ends against UCF. [autotag]Hayden Hansen[/autotag] worked primarily on the right side (44 snaps) and [autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] was on the left (41). Scott Isacks III saw the field for three snaps and didn’t factor into the passing game at all.

Hansen was the more effective tight end in the passing game, finishing Week 6 with an overall grade of 58.8 and receiving a grade of 66.3, while reeling in both his targets for 13 yards. However, Hansen struggled as a pass blocker (36.2), hurting his overall grade.

Boardingham saw just one target, catching it for three yards. He was much stronger as a pass blocker (69.0), albeit over two snaps to Hansen’s six. The rest of Boardingham’s grades — an overall of 50.7 and a receiving grade of 52.1 — were well under the replacement-level threshold.

Running backs

[autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. was the only running back targeted by Florida quarterbacks against UCF, but it led to six receptions in as many opportunities for 24 yards. He finished the day with the second-highest overall grade (69.6) and receiving grade (67.9). His pass blocking (76.0) was also strong over three snaps.

Pass Blocking

As usual, we will go over the offensive line from left to right. Remember, we’re looking at pass-blocking grades only here.

Left Tackle

At left tackle is [autotag]Austin Barber[/autotag], who played all 64 snaps (35 passing snaps) for Florida. He earned a 72.4 overall grade (fifth-highest) and 70.0 pass-blocking grade, which was the second-lowest figure of any Florida lineman this week. Not great for an anchor left tackle. Barber allowed one pressure all evening, but it led to a quarterback hit, which explains the low(ish) grade.

Left Guard

At left guard, [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] and Bryce Lovett split the workload, 47 snaps to 17, respectively. Harris saw the field for 25 passing plays and Lovett came in for 10. Both were excellent against UCF’s paltry pass rush.

Harris finished the day with an 85.1 pass-blocking grade and Lovett earned an 81.1; however, both struggled overall with offensive grades of 62.1 and 48.7, respectively. Still, they were two of the team’s top four pass blockers in Week 6.

Center

[autotag]Jake Slaughter[/autotag] plays every snap at center for Florida, and he’s one of the best pass-blocking linemen in the country. A 79.3 pass-blocking grade is solid, but it’s well below his 84.0 average this year. Similar to Barber, a pressure that led to a hit is the only blemish on his chart and likely the cause of the slight dip.

Right Guard

Starting right guard [autotag]Damieon George Jr[/autotag]. has the only ugly performance of any Florida lineman this week, posting a 47.1 pass-blocking grade. Only tight end Hayden Hansen finished with a lower grade. He’s responsible for three of the line’s five allowed quarterback pressures and is on the hook for all three of the team’s QB hurries.

There have been games where George was one of the strongest pass-blockers on the team, but he’s starting to trend down again. Poor pass blocking was a major reason Florida moved him into the interior over the offseason.

The good news is that [autotag]Kamryn Waites[/autotag] saw the field for 10 passing plays (to George’s 25) and put up a strong 81.1 grade as a pass blocker.

Right Tackle

[autotag]Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson[/autotag] played all of Florida’s offensive snaps at right tackle, and he also led the team with an 85.4 pass-blocking grade. After starting the season with a 55.1 off the bench, Crenshaw-Dickson has consistently posted grades of 80-plus, falling short by 0.1 points just once (against Mississippi State).

Understanding PFF grades

The grading scale ranges from minus-2 to plus-2 with increments of 0.5, and players are given a grade on every play they are on the field for. A zero grade means a player did his job, while the two ends of the scale represent extreme success or failure — think red zone interception at the end of a game or a game-winning touchdown pass when applying it to quarterbacks.

There’s a level of subjectivity to it, but each grade is reviewed at least once. Once all plus-minus grades are in, the numbers are converted to a 0-100 scale to easily compare players. There are some loosely defined tiers within the system — 90-100 is elite, 85-89 is Pro Bowl level for NFL players, 70 to 84 is a starter and 60-69 is a backup. Anything 59 and below is considered a replaceable talent.

Since we’re looking at college athletes with a system designed for the pros, we will consider anything above 65.0 as a solid performance.

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‘We played well at all three levels’: Billy Napier credits Florida’s defense in win vs. UCF

The Gators defense had five sacks, an interception and allowed just 13 points in their win vs. UCF.

Florida football (3-2) earned a big victory over the UCF Knights (3-2) in Week 6, winning 24-13. The Gators didn’t trail once in the game in what was a fantastic showing on both offense and defense.

Coming into the game, there were some uncertainties surrounding the Gators’ defensive unit and their inability to stop the run. Going up against a rush-heavy team like UCF was a recipe for disaster but, the defense held their ground and didn’t let the Knights get anything going on offense.

The Gators’ defense gave up just 274 total yards (165 passing and 108 rushing), had seven tackles-for-loss that included five sacks. Florida also managed to get an interception.

“I think that we played with better gap integrity,” head coach Billy Napier said about the Gators’ defense. “And I think we got after it up front. I thought we tackled… We played well at all three levels.”

The Gators’ offense started off strong in their opening drive. They put together a 15-play, 75-yard drive that lasted over seven minutes and resulted in a 13-yard touchdown pass thrown by Graham Mertz to senior receiver Elijhah Badger that gave Florida an early 7-0 lead.

Early in the second quarter, UCF attempted to go for it on fourth down on their own 43-yard line, but the Gators’ defense stuffed it up and took over with great field position.

Freshman quarterback DJ Lagway manned the ensuing drive for the Gators and threw a 37-yard strike to receiver Chimere Dike that set Florida up on the goal line. Ja’Kobi Jackson would rush it in for the touchdown that gave the Gators a 14-3 lead.

A 3-yard touchdown run by Montrell Johnson Jr. capped off what felt like a flawless first half for the Gators. Florida took a commanding 24-3 lead into halftime.

Both of Florida’s quarterbacks played well. Mertz ended up going 19-for-23 with 179 yards passing and a touchdown. Lagway was 4-for-4 for 50 yards through the air.

Florida’s defense in the first half played just as well as the offense. They limited UCF to just 119 total yards and forced two punts and two turnovers-on-downs while allowing three points.

The Gators didn’t get as much going offensively in the second half as they did in the first, but the defense continued to cause havoc in the Knights’ backfield. They managed to not let go of their lead and played with 100 percent effort on defense throughout the entire 60 minutes.

Sophomore defensive back Bryce Thornton intercepted Knights quarterback KJ Jefferson to ultimately seal the victory for Florida.

The Gators have won back-to-back games and look to make it a third-straight victory next week. The only problem is that they have a tough road matchup ahead.

Up next for the Gators

Florida travels on the road to Knoxville to play the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday, Oct. 12. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Billy Napier’s hot seat starting to burn as Florida football loses to Texas A&M

Gators lose big at home in the Swamp vs. Texas A&M, fall to 1-3 and 0-1 in SEC play.

Florida football (1-2) takes a brutal loss against the Texas A&M Aggies (2-1) as they lose, 33-20, in the Swamp. The hot seat is starting to sizzle for head coach Billy Napier just three games into the schedule.

The offense couldn’t find any rhythm while the defense was torched through the air and on the ground by the Aggies’ offense in the Gators’ SEC opener.

“Two out of three weeks here, we have not played good enough football in many parts of our team at all,” Napier said.

Backup quarterback Marcel Reed started for the Aggies after their starter, Conner Weigman, was sidelined due to an injury.

And you would not think Reed was a backup after the way he played in the game.

Reed finished the game throwing for 178 yards and two touchdowns; he also had 13 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown. Texas A&M running back Le’Veon Moss had 18 carries for 110 yards.

The Gators defense just couldn’t stop the run. A mix of missed tackles and poor angles resulted in the Aggies having 310 rushing yards.

Flipping it over to Florida’s offense, there wasn’t a whole lot going right with them as penalties and mishaps proved costly.

Florida quarterbacks Graham Mertz and DJ Lagway were taking turns alternating on each drive throughout the game and while teams have had success utilizing the dual quarterback approach in the past, it’s hard for the players to get in any sort of rhythm.

“We ultimately made a commitment to rotate the players,” Napier said. “A certain progression, a certain way regardless of the outcome. Basically, to keep those guys in a good frame of mind.”

Mertz threw for 195 yards and a touchdown while Lagway had 54 yards through the air and a touchdown pass as well.

But both quarterbacks threw interceptions. Mertz gave up a pick-six while Lagway threw two interceptions.

Mertz was able to throw a touchdown to Elijhah Badger on the first drive of the third quarter, extending the Gators’ scoring streak to 451 consecutive games.

Lagway had a touchdown throw to Chimere Dike late in the third quarter but at that point, the Texas A&M lead was too much to come back from.

Dike had a really nice game for the Gators. The senior transfer from Wisconsin had six catches for 91 yards and a touchdown.

The Gators start out conference play 0-1 and are just 1-2 in their first three games in the Swamp. Not an ideal way to start the season because this was supposed to be the more manageable part of the schedule before the gauntlet arrives mid-season.

But apparently, that gauntlet started in Week 1.

Up next for the Gators

Florida will play their first road game of the season as they travel up to Starkville to play against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday, Sept. 21. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.

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Analyzing PFF offensive grades for Florida in Week 2 win over Samford

DJ Lagway was the star on Saturday against Samford, but he wasn’t the only player to help the offense click, according to Pro Football Focus.

Florida’s bounce-back win over Samford has Gator Nation buzzing again, but just how good was the Orange and Blue in its annual FCS matchup?

To answer that question, we turn to Pro Football Focus’ weekly grades for another in-depth analysis of Florida’s performance.

Of course, the big news in Week 2 was that [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] started at quarterback, and the true freshman dazzled by putting up over 450 yards passing and three touchdowns. But there’s more to offense than quarterback play.

Let’s take a look at how Florida graded out against Samford.

Understanding PFF grades

The grading scale ranges from -2 to +2 with increments of 0.5, and players are given a grade on every play they are on the field for. A zero grade means a player did his job, while the two ends of the scale represent extreme success or failure — think red zone interception at the end of a game or a game-winning touchdown pass when applying it to quarterbacks.

There’s a level of subjectivity to it, but each grade is reviewed at least once. Once all plus-minus grades are in, the numbers are converted to a 0-100 scale to easily compare players. Some have defined tiers within the system — 90-100 is elite, 85-89 is Pro Bowl level for NFL players, 70 to 84 is a starter and 60-69 is a backup. Anything 59 and below is considered a replaceable talent.

Last week we considered anything above 65.0 as a “solid performance,” but we’re moving the threshold up to 70.0 this week since most Power Four teams are expected to crush an FCS opponent.

Overall Breakdown

Florida’s overall grade of 91.5 against Samford is excellent, but a 76.8 offensive grade means the defense was the better unit in Week 2.

Still, Pro Football Focus graded Florida’s passing game at 90.5, thanks to a strong (90.7) performance from the offensive line in pass-blocking situations. There’s no doubt that DJ Lagway was protected and excelled, but it came at the expense of a typically stout run game in the Swamp.

Florida’s grade on run plays this week was 60.1, which is below our “solid performance” threshold. A paltry performance from the line (59.8 as run blockers) might be the answer, but a closer look reveals some mistakes from the running backs room, too.

https://twitter.com/DavidRosenbergg/status/1833663047266677207

Top/bottom performers

Six Gators finished the week with grades above 70.0, but only four played more than 12 snaps — wide receiver Eugene Wilson III (82.2), quarterback DJ Lagway (80.7), wide receiver Elijhah Badger (75.1) and center Jake Slaughter (70.8).

Only a handful of players finished with a grade lower than 60.0, creating a cause for concern at a few key positions on offense. Left guard Knijheah Harris (56.6) is on that list, as is his backup Bryce Lovett (56.0).

Kamryn Waites (55.9) improved but still struggled at right tackle as a backup, and the team’s top pass-catching tight end coming into the season, Arlis Boardingham, is at the very bottom of things with a 55.0 grade.

Quarterbacks

With Graham Mertz sidelined, Florida turned to [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] for the start. He shined brighter than anyone could have imagined, putting up a 90.1 passing grade, but his overall grade (80.7) dipped a little because of a poor day as a runner (47.7).

The good outweighs the bad here by a significant margin. Lagway only scrambled twice, finishing the day with 16 rushing yards on five total carries. He made up for the lack of production on the ground with four big-time throws, which PFF defines as “a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window.”

Lagway performed the best when running the play-action (92.8 compared to 65.0 on non-PA plays), and he was near perfect on deep passes (96.2). Two of Lagway’s three touchdown passes came on deep balls. Surprisingly, Lagway struggled to connect on deep balls to the center of the field (48.9), but he was excellent outside the hash marks (94.6 left, 96.8 right).

There are some questions about Lagway’s ability to hit his second and third targets in the progression, but that’s common for any first-year quarterback in college.

Third-stringer [autotag]Aidan Warner[/autotag] also got to play a few snaps and looked solid, albeit against an FCS opponent. Nothing too flashy. Warner’s 73.6 passing grade is just above our threshold over a small sample size of four dropbacks.

Receivers

It took a little while for [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] to get into his flow, but he ended the day with 141 yards and a touchdown. He hauled in six receptions on eight targets, leading the team in both categories, and his 81.7 receiving grade is also a team-high this week.

Wilson’s best work came on balls thrown to him behind the line scrimmage (94.6), but he did well in the 10 to 19-yard range as well (74.2). Coming into the season, the hope was that Wilson would emerge as a do-it-all kind of receiver, similar to Ricky Pearsall a year ago.

It’s going to take a bit more development for Wilson to thrive in all areas, but he’s still dangerous in the screen game. Wilson’s 85-yard touchdown came on a dump-off during a Jets sweep play.

Florida’s No. 2 receiver, [autotag]Elijhah Badger[/autotag], was the second-most targets player in Week 2. He caught three of the four passes thrown his way to the tune of 123 yards, including a big 77-yarder in the first quarter, and earned a 74.4 receiving grade.

Badger is being used as a deep threat, but he showed promise all over the field — 86.2 on short passes, 74.8 on medium and 82.3 on deep. With Kahleil Jackson out for the rest of the season, Badger is going to continue getting targets, especially if he keeps up this level of play against SEC teams.

[autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] was also targeted four times, but his two catches yielded a sour 56.7 receiving grade. The routes aren’t crisp and he’s not much of a threat beyond 10 yards. Florida hasn’t had a true threat at tight end since Kyle Pitts left. There was hope that Boardingham would build on a strong freshman performance, but it’s been rough so far.

Two freshmen receivers stood out this week — [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag] (74.5) and [autotag]Tank Hawkins[/autotag] (67.4). Both scored their first touchdowns on balls from Lagway. Mizell has elite speed and Lagway found him as he got a step on the defender. That’s a connection Gators fans could be seeing for the next three years.

Rounding out the receivers, [autotag]Chimere Dike[/autotag] had another tough week. He was targeted just once, a long ball for 44 yards, and ended the game with a 63.1 receiving grade over 23 snaps. Dike was expected to make some noise based on his familiarity with Graham Mertz. Maybe Week 3 will yield different results.

Running Backs

It wasn’t a banner day for the running backs room at all. No one finished with a rushing grade higher than 67.5, and starter [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. struggled to a 59.1 over 16 snaps.

Johnson hasn’t graded out below 60.0 since Week 3 of last season against Tennessee, so there is little cause for concern. It’s also important to remember that this week’s offensive plan was very clearly centered around Lagway, and Johnson still found the end zone twice. Expect a much-needed bounce-back against Texas A&M from Johnson.

[autotag]Treyaun Webb[/autotag] played six snaps and carried the ball four times for 12 yards. His 66.1 rushing grade is acceptable over such a small sample and, perhaps more importantly, Webb took care of the ball.

True freshman Jadan Baugh looked really good on his drive, rushing for 31 yards on four carries, but a fumble in the red zone landed him on the bench and near the bottom of the offense with a 60.3 rushing grade. The turnover dropped Baugh’s fumble grade to 16.1 and is the main reason he isn’t higher on the list.

[autotag]KD Daniels[/autotag] also played a series, running the ball three times for 10 yards. His 60.9 rushing grade is barely higher than Baugh’s, but it’s still good for the freshman to get on the field early.

Rounding out the group is Ja’Kobi Jackson, who made the most of his two snaps. He rushed for 18 yards on two carries and earned the highest rushing grade of any Florida running back (67.5). There were murmurs about Jackson coming out of camp. Look for him to see more snaps moving forward.

Offensive Line

Pass Blocking

Florida’s offensive line performed very well on pass-blocking plays, as mentioned in the overall breakdown.

Eleven different linemen got to play, so let’s take this by position.

At left tackle, starter Austin Barber has a surprisingly low pass-blocking grade of 66.6, but he only played 15 of 31 snaps. Devon Manuel shined as Barber’s backup with an 84.5, and Fletcher Westphal was solid (77.8) over four snaps.

Knijeah Harris struggled again this week. His 68.4 pass-blocking grade was the second lowest on the team behind Barber, and he earned a lowly 46.4 in true passing sets. His backup, Bryce Lovett, performed much better (81.5) over 12 snaps. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Lovett take over a larger share of the snap count moving forward.

Center Jake Slaughter is the one constant on Florida’s offensive line. His 82.5 pass-blocking grade is excellent, and he played 27 snaps.

At right guard, Damieon George Jr. delivered another strong pass-blocking performance (84.5), making him Florida’s best pass blocker through two weeks. Roderick Kearney is listed as his backup, but he spent some time at center too. Kearney earned a 76.4 pass-blocking grade over five snaps.

Right tackle was the biggest concern for Florida’s offensive line a week ago, so the Gators decided to start Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson this week. He performed well, earning an 82.2 pass-blocking grade over 17 snaps.

The bigger story might be Kamryn Waites’ improvement from Week 1, albeit against FCS edge rushers. Waites put up a goose egg last week as a pass blocker, but finished Week 2 with a 74.9.

A 56.9 in true pass sets is still somewhat concerning, however.

Caden Jones rounds out the pass blocker grades with a solid 75.7 over four snaps.

Run Blocking

It wasn’t a great day for the offensive line as run blockers.

Slaughter led the way with a 65.8 grade, followed by Barber and George in the low 60s. None of the other offensive linemen on the roster graded out higher than 60.2, though.

Barber was solid (71.6) on designed gap runs, and Slaughter was the go-to on zone runs (69.3).

The revolving door and overall lack of emphasis may be to blame for a poor day overall by Florida’s rushing attack, but that’s not something the Gators can afford in any other game.

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Three takeaways from Florida’s embarrassing loss to Miami

Things went from bad to worse quickly for the Florida Gators against the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday. Year 3 of the Billy Napier era begins with a loss.

This year was supposed to be different, but Florida’s 41-17 loss against Miami on Saturday has morale at an all-time low in Gainesville.

[autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag].’s 71-yard touchdown in the second quarter was the only bright spot of the contest and was the last time Florida came within a score of its in-state rival.

The defense struggled after repeating several of the same mistakes we saw from them a year ago, and a [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag]-led offense appeared unable to manufacture anything positive until he got hurt.

Mertz’s injury might have brought the only silver lining of the day, though. No one expected the [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] era to begin so early, but the true freshman led the Gators to its only score of the second half.

Too many missed opportunities in the first half

Things got ugly fast after halftime, but Florida wasn’t that far from holding a lead through the first 30 minutes of action.

A pair of roughing-the-passer penalties accelerated/extended Miami drives and directly led to a pair of touchdowns. The first came from Justus Boone on a third-down play that would have forced a punt from the Hurricanes. Instead, Miami quarterback Cam Ward found Cam McCormick to break a 0-0 tie.

The other roughing the passer penalty came in the second quarter on a DJ Douglas blitz that he couldn’t slow down on. Granted, that was on first down, so it didn’t directly lead to a touchdown, but it certainly accelerated Miami’s path to a two-score lead.

On offense, Graham Mertz struggled to connect on deep passes, completing just one of seven attempts from beyond 15 yards. Two notable overthrows in the direction of [autotag]Elijhah Badger[/autotag] stand out, in particular. If Mertz is healthy enough to return, he’ll need to refine his connection with the Arizona State transfer. The concepts aren’t the problem; it’s execution.

The defense is already banged up

Despite allowing Miami to put up over 500 yards of total offense, this Florida defense looks better than last year’s, or at least more talented. However, injuries are already an issue, both in the trenches and in the secondary.

[autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag], who has enough talent to be a shutdown cornerback in the SEC, left the game in the first half and didn’t return. Cam Ward targeted his backup, [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag], who doesn’t appear ready to be an every-down player quite yet.

[autotag]Asa Turner[/autotag] also went down with what looked like a non-contact injury to his lower body. Turner grabbed his hamstring walking off the field, but replays of the injury show a clear jerk in his knee. An ACL injury would devastate Florida’s secondary, and remove a veteran leader from the position room.

Those two injuries help explain Miami’s 385 passing yards and three scores through the air.

There’s also the front seven to worry about, although it seems to be the defensive line that struggled more than the edge guys and linebackers. [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] reeled in a tipped pass for an interception at a crucial moment before things got out of hand, and [autotag]Grayson Howard[/autotag] had a nice wrap-up tackle in a one-on-one situation. Miami didn’t put up crazy rushing numbers, either — 148 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries.

Florida’s pass rush was non-existent, however. Ward and his receivers had all the time in the world to break coverage, and Florida’s lone sack ([autotag]Tyreak Sapp[/autotag]) came because Ward held the ball too long. The Gators face too tough of a schedule to win without getting penetration up front. And they certainly can’t afford to commit penalties when the pass rush does work.

Miami’s offense ran up and down Steve Spurrier Field at will on Saturday. Imagine what Georgia, Tennessee and Texas are going to do away from Gainesville if this kind of play keeps up from Florida.

Hover over the panic button, but don’t press it

A three-score loss after two straight losing seasons is typically enough for an SEC fan base to turn on its coach and athletic director. Half of Gator Nation is already there, but the other half is still hoping that this was just the Week 1 jitters.

Florida’s in for a long season if things don’t change, but the Mertz injury might have forced Billy Napier’s hand in the best way. DJ Lagway is the future of this program, and getting him on the field now against the toughest schedule he’ll see as a Gator is a good thing.

Lagway only attempted six passes over three drives, one of which was an interception, but there’s no denying the tone shift that came when stepped on the field. Lagway looks like an SEC quarterback, even if he makes the mistakes a true freshman should. He leads the drive with intent, and he’s a legitimate dual threat, unlike Mertz.

Former Florida wide receiver [autotag]Jacob Copeland[/autotag] commented on social media that Lagway showed shades of [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] in his first appearance in the Orange and Blue after seeing Lagway rip a 16-yard run. If Lagway gets significant playing time moving forward, this is a completely different Florida offense.

That’s not to say Graham Mertz shouldn’t return if he’s healthy enough, but rather to suggest a complete lean into a two-quarterback system. It’s worked for Florida in the past (Leak-Tebow). Why not try it again?

It would be malpractice not to mention Montrell Johnson Jr. again in this section. He ran for 106 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries after missing most of fall camp with a knee injury that required minor surgery. His 71-yarder provided the bulk of those yards, but he was effective throughout the game. Florida needs to lean on him more moving forward if he can handle the workload.

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Florida Football 2024 Position Preview: Receivers

Competition is running wild in Florida’s wide receivers room heading into 2024. Behind the top three, which other receivers will step up?

Next up in Gators Wire’s annual position preview series are the wide receivers, and the 18-man position room might be one of the most interesting at the University of Florida heading into 2024.

The big question is which pass catcher will step into first-round pick Ricky Pearsall‘s shoes as the top option for Graham Mertz. Billy Napier brought in two transfers to fill out the top of the depth chart, but it’s sophomore Eugene Wilson III who has played the most snaps under Napier.

There’s also plenty of room for competition when it comes to the second and third strings. Several young players are looking to get on the field and find their role on the team.

Here’s a look at each of the receivers on Florida’s roster.

Top option: No. 3 Eugene Wilson III (So.)

Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun
Year GP REC YDS AVG TD Long AVG/G
2023 10 61 583 8.8 6 30 53.8

Wilson is Florida’s top returning receiver on the depth chart and should receive the most targets of anyone in the position room. He broke out in the second half of the season, ending 2023 with a team-high 6.1 receptions per game.

He split time between the slot (200 snaps) and lining up out wide last season (235 snaps). Wilson is a do-everything kind of player and Billy Napier will draw up a few plays to exploit his skill set. There’s quickness and speed here. Wilson has a chance to be one of the SEC’s best, but he’ll have to beat most teams’ top defensive back now that he’s WR1.

Second option: No. 6 Elijhah Badger (R-Sr.)

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
Year GP REC YDS AVG TD Long AVG/G
2020* 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0.0
2021* 11 7 61 8.7 0 22 5.5
2022* 12 70 866 12.4 7 9 72.2
2023* 11 65 713 11.0 3 17 64.8
Total 35 142 1,640 11.5 10 22 46.9
* = while at ASU
[autotag]Elijhah Badger[/autotag] transferred from Arizona State during the offseason, and he’s quickly moved to the top of Florida’s depth chart. Similar to Wilson, Badger can line up both inside and outside, giving Napier plenty of versatility on offense.
Expect Badger to set up out wide most of the time. Florida needs a deep threat to keep the defense honest on most snaps, and Badger’s been putting together highlight plays.

“He is explosive, he is athletic, he can run after the catch, he has a vertical threat to his game and he’s got play strength and he’s got length,” Napier said. “He’s a 6-1 guy but he’s got great great length.”

Starting Slot: No. 17 Chimere Dike (Sr.)

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
Year GP REC YDS AVG TD Long AVG/G
2020* 7 12 189 15.8 1 0 27.0
2021* 13 19 272 14.3 1 9 20.9
2022* 13 47 689 14.7 6 12 62.6
2023* 11 19 328 17.3 1 30 29.8
Total 44 97 1,478 15.2 9 30

* = while at Wisconsin

Rounding out that group of starting receivers is Wisconsin transfer [autotag]Chimere Dike[/autotag]. Mertz already has a connection with Dike from their time together as Badgers, but now both are in the prime of their college careers.

Dike’s most productive year with Wisconsin came with Mertz at quarterback in 2022, and it’s easy to see why he followed his former teammate after regressing in production last season. There’s a level of familiarity between the two that’s hard to recreate.

“The good thing about football is even in different offenses, a lot of the concepts have carryover, a lot of similar routes are ran. So, there’ll be a new concept (Florida’s) running that it feels exactly like one that we’ve ran on 100 times before, so I’m definitely fortunate to have that. Obviously, he’s continued to get better as a player and I’m excited to be here and be able to work.”

Second String: No. 11 Aidan Mizell (R-Fr.), No. 14 Andy Jean (R-Fr.) and No. 22 Kahleil Jackson (R-Jr.)

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

Here’s where the competition begins, according to Napier.

The second and third-string units inside the receivers room should be fluid throughout the season. Napier likes to play guys who are earning snaps, and he’s repeated several times through fall camp that this is one of the most competitive position groups in Gainesville.

Redshirt freshmen [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] and [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag] are the two breakout candidates here. Neither played much last season. Jean only appeared in four games — catching six passes for 97 yards — as injuries kept him sidelined. The good news is he was able to redshirt and retain a year of eligibility.

The same goes for Mizell, who appeared in just two games last season. Mizell missed much of his senior year of high school with an injury, so he was always likely to redshirt last season. A true speedster, Mizell has a chance to become a serious deep threat for Florida. He can burn most cornerbacks and planned to run track at the university at one point.

Then there’s redshirt junior [autotag]Kahleil Jackson[/autotag], who reeled in 21 receptions for 251 yards. A former walk-on who was added to the scholarship roster in 2022, Jackson made several highlight-worthy plays last season for Florida. It’s hard to tell if the young guys will pass him by, especially with transfers moving ahead of him on the depth chart, but Jackson should be a frequent face on the offense early on in the year.

Reserves: No. 0 Ja’Quavion Fraziars (Sr.), No. 30 Taylor Spierto (R-Jr.) and Marcus Burke (R-Jr.)

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

Next up are the reserves, who are likely to fit into that third-string role with some flexibility to move both ways on the depth chart.

[autotag]Ja’Quavion Fraziars[/autotag] and [autotag]Marcus Burke[/autotag] are the two tallest receivers on the team. The Gators have more speed than size at receiver, so both can earn snaps out wide if they prove useful.

Fraziars has hauled in 15 receptions for 143 yards and three touchdowns over four years at Florida, and Burke is at 12 catches for 201 yards over three seasons. A good year for both would be doubling that production, but that’s far from guaranteed.

Then, there’s Taylor Spierto, another walk-on who earned a scholarship last year. He’s most a special teams guy, but he did catch two balls for 17 yards last year.

These three are the rare remnants from the Dan Mullen era in the position room, but they wouldn’t be in Gainesville if they weren’t bought in on Napier. Hopefully, he’ll give them chances to shine, knowing that all three are likely to move on after this season.

Freshmen: No. 4 TJ Abrams (Fr.) and No. 10 Tank Hawkins

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

[autotag]TJ Abrams[/autotag] and [autotag]Tank Hawkins[/autotag] are both true freshmen, but they could end up ahead of the three reserves on the depth chart by season’s end.

Hawkins is the one standing out early. He scored twice during Florida’s first scrimmage and he has verified track speed.

“(Hawkins) got here in January. He’s had a great offseason,” Napier said. “He’s definitely playing faster. His skill level is improving. He’s getting comfortable. Like we’ve talked about before, we kind of have those top three and then you got this group that’s competing. He’s in that group.”

Abrams has a “running back build”, according to Napier, but he’s firmly in the group of receivers competing for a spot in the rotation this year.

In truth, both of these guys probably belong above the reserves on our list, but age over beauty and all that, right?

Walk-Ons

Believe it or not, Florida has seven walk-on receivers on its roster this season.

The oldest of the bunch are redshirt sophomores Alex Gonzalez and Zak Sedaros. Gonzalez joined the team as a preferred walk-on in the summer of 2022 after an in-state prep career at Lehigh Senior near Fort Myers. Sedaros also joined the Gators in the summer of 2022, but without the “preferred” tag. He is also a member of the track and field team at Florida.

Next up are the redshirt freshmen, Jaden Edgecomb, Brian Green Jr. and Jackson Wade. Both Green and Wade joined the program as preferred walk-ons last summer and redshirted after making zero appearances. Wade played high school ball at North Paulding in Georgia, and Green comes from Orange Park near the Jacksonville area.

Edgecomb was selected by Billy Napier for the Louis Oliver Outstanding non-Scholarship Player Award from the Black Student-Athlete Community.

There isn’t much hope for playing time for the four listed above, but the final two walk-ons in Florida’s receiver room are all new to the program so there’s very little chance they see the field this season.

David Schmidt is a local kid from Newberry High. He was an all-state receiver his junior year and a special teams MVP in 2023. The reason for so many walk-ons is to provide depth at multiple positions during practice. Schmidt fills that role nicely.

DeBraun Hampton played high school ball with [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag], so there’s always a chance he blossoms over the next few years.

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CBS Sports explains why you should pick Florida in College Football 25

Brad Crawford prefers to the Florida Gators on College Football 25 with a true freshman under center.

EA Sports College Football 25 was released on Monday to those who ordered the deluxe version of the game or have an EA Play membership, giving the world an early view of the highly-anticipated video game.

The sports media has pounced on the topic since its 4 p.m. ET release and many have already expressed their excitement after playing the first update to the game in over a decade. CBS Sports had its staff try out all 134 teams featured in EA Sports’ latest offering, with Brad Crawford drawing the Southeastern Conference.

That includes the Florida Gators — a program that he decided to mix things up under center to see what the squad can do on offense.

“We’re not downing [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] here, but go ahead and rip the band-aid off in Gainesville with a freshman starter at quarterback and see what you can get out of five-star [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag],” Crawford said. “Throw it to wideout [autotag]Eugene Wilson[/autotag], who might be the SEC’s best-kept secret.

According to the in-game ratings, Mertz is valued at 84 while Lagway gets an 80 rating in his true freshman year. Wilson earns an 86 rating, but do not sleep on incoming transfer [autotag]Elijhah Badger[/autotag], who earned an 85 rating.

Running back [autotag]Montrell Johnson[/autotag] and offensive lineman [autotag]Jake Slaughter[/autotag] hold the best rating on the offensive side of the ball at 87.

Player ratings for Gators’ roster in EA Sports College Football 25

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Does Football Power Index get Florida Gators 2024 projection correct?

The FPI rankings appear to have Florida football’s 2024 outlook correct, according to the eye test.

ESPN recently released its Football Power Index — a power rating that tracks each team’s strength relative to an average Football Bowl Subdivision school — for all 134 FBS teams in 2024. In the data, programs are rated on offense, defense and special teams.

Among those listed are the Florida Gators, who landed at No. 20 overall despite a projected .500 regular-season record. However, the strength of schedule facing [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. is among the most formidable in the nation which earned the Orange and Blue the highest ranking for a 6-6 projection.

The Oklahoman’s Justin Martinez took a look at the Southeastern Conference’s status in the FPI rankings, in which Florida sits at No. 11 among its league peers. Much of the reason for the Gators’ strong strength of schedule is the brutal gauntlet that the SEC has to offer.

So do the numbers pass the eye test? Martinez thinks so, verifying the projections as accurate.

“Quarterback [autotag]Graham Mertz[/autotag] should be solid in his second season with Florida, and Arizona State transfer [autotag]Elijhah Badger[/autotag] will form a good receiver duo with [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag],” Martinez begins.

“The Gators should also improve defensively with numerous returners and transfer pickups such as South Carolina linebacker [autotag]Grayson Howard[/autotag] and Washington safety [autotag]Asa Turner[/autotag]. But Florida’s tough schedule will prevent it from cracking the top 10 of the standings.”

The SEC rankings are headed by the Georgia Bulldogs in the top spot, followed by the Texas Longhorns, Alabama Crimson Tide, Oklahoma Sooners, Tennessee Volunteers, Missouri Tigers, LSU Tigers, Texas A&M Aggies, Ole Miss Rebels and Auburn Tigers to round out the top 10.

Florida’s 2024 season opener

The Gators open up the 2024 schedule against the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 31 in Gainesville, Florida. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

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Where The Athletic ranks Florida football among in-state FBS programs

Florida finds itself in the middle of the pack among in-state FBS competition ahead of the 2024 season.

The Sunshine State has long been one of the epicenters of college football but in recent years, the in-state programs have not been quite as impressive as in years past.

Nonetheless, Florida boasts a robust rotation of seven Football Bowl Subdivision schools traditionally headlined by the Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles and Miami Hurricanes. However, the collegiate gridiron landscape is in constant flux and this triumvirate of teams does not have the stranglehold it once held over the rest of the state.

The Athletic’s Manny Navarro took a look at the seven Florida FBS programs and ranked them from best to worst ahead of the 2024 campaign. FSU came out on top, while Miami is right on its tail followed by the UCF Knights.

In fourth lands the Gators, who have posted three-straight losing seasons and missed out on a bowl game last winter for the first time since 2017.

“Billy Napier faces an incredibly tough schedule, and his program is reeling after five consecutive losses to end the 2023 campaign,” Navarro notes.

“The Gators lost eight quality players via the portal: running back [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] (Georgia), left guard [autotag]Richie Leonard IV[/autotag] (Florida State), right guard [autotag]Micah Mazzccua[/autotag] (Nebraska), edge rusher [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] (Ole Miss), outside linebacker [autotag]Scooby Williams[/autotag] (Texas A&M), cornerback [autotag]Jalen Kimber[/autotag] (Penn State) and safeties [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] (Texas A&M) and [autotag]Miguel Mitchell[/autotag] (Arkansas).

“Florida, though, did add the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year in defensive lineman [autotag]Joey Slackman[/autotag], a quality veteran safety in [autotag]Asa Turner[/autotag] from Washington and beefed up at receiver with Arizona State’s [autotag]Elijhah Badger[/autotag],” he continued.

“Getting back to a bowl game is going to come down to whether or not the offensive and defensive lines have improved. Right now, it’s fair to be skeptical.”

Navarro lists the passing game and experience in the secondary as the Gators’ strengths while pointing to the run defense and the pass rush coaching as their Achilles heels. He also noted four key games on Florida’s schedule: vs Miami, at the Tennessee Volunteers, vs the Georgia Bulldogs, at the Texas Longhorns, at FSU.

Florida’s 2024 season opener

Florida opens up its 2024 regular-season schedule in the Swamp against the Hurricanes on Aug. 31. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

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Where Florida football ranks among SEC schools in 2024 transfer portal

The Gators had a solid transfer portal showing this offseason but their conference peers were also very busy.

The NCAA transfer portal has become a significant part of college football roster building over the past few years and this current offseason has been no exception. Ostensibly a de facto free agency system, players are now able to seek greener pastures if they are unhappy with their current environments.

Brandon Marcello of 247Sports recently ranked the Southeastern Conference from top to bottom based on his publication’s data for transfer students, with the Florida Gators landing at No. 10 out of 16 member schools.

The Orange and Blue saw 24 departures worth an 87.81 average player rating while bringing in 15 at an 89.27 average — good enough for a plus-1.46 net gain.

“Things were actually pretty good in the portal for Florida despite all the negativity around the program and [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag], and the departures of two starting offensive linemen, elite edge pass rusher [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag] (Ole Miss) and running back [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag] (Georgia),” Marcello begins.

“Yes, that’s quite the mouthful to swallow, but perhaps the Gators actually improved the roster via the portal this offseason? Six of the 15 additions are blue chips, though USC offensive tackle [autotag]Jason Zandamela[/autotag] is likely a year away from development. Colorado transfer [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] will grab headlines, and if he can come close to the hype out of high school he’ll be worth the risk.”

Marcello is particularly optimistic about what a particular pair of players bring to the team this season.

“The players we love in the haul include Arizona State receiver [autotag]Elijhah Badger[/autotag], who caught 135 passes for more than 1,500 yards over the last two seasons, and Penn defensive lineman [autotag]Joey Slackman[/autotag], the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year. Slackman recorded 12 tackles for loss as a tackle last season.”

Florida’s 2024 season opener

Florida opens up its 2024 regular-season schedule in the Swamp against the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 31. Kickoff time is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.