EDGE Jack Pyburn recorded two snaps at fullback when the Gators were at the goal line in their win vs. Kentucky.
Florida football dominated the Kentucky Wildcats last week with a commanding 48-20 victory, showcasing a potent combination of explosive offense and standout defensive play.
Gators head coach Billy Napier credited the team’s improvement on defense after the game.
“Yeah, I think we got good kids, man,” Napier noted. “I mean, that’s at the root of all that. I could talk about the technical part, but it comes down to a selfless group that was solution-oriented, didn’t point a finger.”
Napier continued, “Obviously (I’m) disappointed (with) how we played early in the year. The staff took ownership. We had really good leadership at the player level. There was collaboration there.”
“Again, it goes back to what I said in here after game one,” Napier said about the defense when they gave up 41 points against the Miami Hurricanes. “They were embarrassed. We were embarrassed. So we had a decision to make, and I think obviously, (I’m) just really proud of the players. At the core, they want to do it the right way.”
Napier talks about EDGE Jack Pyburn
Napier also highlighted standout performances that have helped drive the team’s improvement such as edge defender Jack Pyburn. Pyburn finished the night with eight total tackles, four of which were solo.
“Look, Jack (Pyburn) was lights out,” Napier said. “You know, I think it’s a factor. Pyburn, he’s made our team better.”
Pyburn not only played on defense against Kentucky, but he also got two snaps in at the fullback position.
“We got some guys that are very vocal, have character and have shown good leadership,” Napier said. “Pyburn is in that (group), and he has a future as a fullback if he can’t play on the edge.”
Other Gators who have switched to the other side of the ball
Pyburn isn’t the only player who’s played on both sides of the ball for the Gators.
“(He) played some tight end in the past,” Napier said of Hill’s recruitment. “I thought his senior tape was special. He played with a shoulder, tough as nails. Obviously, Coach Whittemore runs a great program over there. They made a great run in the playoff. He’s a Gator through and through. There’s just a different level of passion that he’s going to bring.”
Coming up for Florida
The Gators are off next week due to their bye week. The next matchup for Florida will be against the Georgia Bulldogs on Nov. 2 in Jacksonville. That game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on ABC.
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Here’s a look at Florida football’s tight ends room ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Florida’s tight end room has been a bit of a question mark in recent years, but Florida now has depth at the position thanks to recruiting and transfers.
The main stars of the position room should remain the same as last year. [autotag]Arlis Boardingham[/autotag] and [autotag]Hayden Hansen[/autotag] both excelled in different roles last season, so it shouldn’t be hard to get both on the field for significant snaps each game.
The tight end position is unique in that it requires pass-catching ability and blocking ability. Billy Napier loves to run the 12 formation, which usually requires multiple tight ends, making this a vital group to the offense.
Let’s take a look at every tight end on Florida’s roster heading into the regular season. Check out Gators Wire’s other position previews for the 2024 season below.
Boardingham had a breakout season at Florida last year and emerged as the team’s top pass-catching option at tight end. He was left off the All-SEC Freshman Team last year, but he’s earned a nod to the John Mackey Award Preseason Watchlist, which honors the best tight end in college.
The big question for the former four-star recruit is how much he can improve as a blocker this season. He played receiver in high school, but catching passes is only half the game at the college level. Improving on seven dropped passes is also on the wishlist.
Pro Football Focus gave Boardingham an offensive grade of 57.5 last year based on a 65.8 pass-play grade, 52.3 pass-blocking grade and a 41.7 run-blocking grade.
Starter: No. 89 Hayden Hansen (R-So.)
Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun
Stats:
Year
GP
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
Long
AVG/G
2023
12
12
150
12.5
2
38
12.5
Hansen gets the “starter” tag here for two reasons. Florida’s going to use him plenty when they run the ball or need better pass protection than Boardingham can provide, and Billy Napier likes to run a lot of sets with multiple tight ends. He’s going to be on the field often.
Pro Football Focus didn’t grade Hansen much higher than Boardingham as a run-blocker last season (45.5), but he’s a significantly better pass-blocker (70.5). Florida’s offensive line should improve this season, which might open Hansen up for a few more passes, but he’s best served as a de facto lineman whenever possible.
Injured: No. 9 Keon Zipperer (R-Sr.)
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
Stats:
Year
GP
REC
YDS
TD
Long
REC/G
AVG/C
AVG/G
2019
8
3
31
1
25
0.4
10.3
3.9
2020
12
11
145
2
39
0.9
13.2
12.1
2021
13
11
133
0
30
0.8
12.1
10.2
2022
8
13
177
1
44
1.6
13.6
22.1
Total
41
38
486
4
44
0.9
12.8
11.9
An ACL injury shut down [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] last year, and he’s still working his way back from it. He didn’t participate in spring camp and he appears somewhat limited in fall camp. He probably won’t be ready for the start of the season, but Zipperer could see the field in the second half.
Before the injury, Zipperer was the clear starter coming into the 2023 season. Now it’s about ending his college career on his own terms.
Backups/Reserves: No. 87 Gavin Hill (R-Fr.) and No. 86 Tony Livingston (So.)
Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun
Behind Boardingham and Hansen are two second-year players, sophomore [autotag]Tony Livingston[/autotag] and redshirt freshman [autotag]Gavin Hill[/autotag].
Livington played 114 snaps as a freshman last season after taking a gray shirt in 2022. However, the vast majority of those snaps came on special teams. Of the 26 offensive snaps Livingston took, he lined up in the slot just four times.
Coming out of high school, many expected Livingston to move from tight ends to the offensive line. He’s still in the TE room for now, but expect him to back up Hansen more than Boardingham.
Hill is a former defensive lineman who switched to the tight ends room in spring camp. There’s a learning curve to get over, but Hill could be another inline option at the position for Billy Napier’s offense.
Impact Freshman: No. 7 Amir Jackson (Fr.)
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The only scholarship freshman on the roster is former four-star recruit [autotag]Amir Jackson[/autotag] out of Georgia. He might be the second-best pass-catching option on the depth chart, and Napier isn’t afraid to play freshmen who are earning their spots.
Expect Jackson to get snaps this season, even if he ends up redshirting. He’s the future at the position for Florida, and it would be nice to see him in games that DJ Lagway gets significant snaps in.
Walk-Ons: No. 81 Dawson Johnson, No. 82 Caleb Rillos (Sr.) and No. 85 Scott Isacks III (R-So.)
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
[autotag]Caleb Rillos[/autotag] spent four years at Air Force, appearing in all 26 games (18 starts) for the Falcons over the past two seasons. He reeled in eight catches for 97 yards in 2023 and scored his only touchdown in 2022.
Rillos might be 6-foot-5-inches and 252 pounds, but he says he’s more of a receiving tight end than a blocker. Of course, he improved his blocking greatly in the triple-option offense that Air Force runs. If there’s a walk-on in Florida’s tight ends room that will see the field relatively often, it’s Rillos.
[autotag]Scott Isacks[/autotag] is the only returning walk-on in Florida’s tight ends room. He appeared in seven games for the Gators last season, mostly as a member of the return unit on special teams. Hopefully, he can notch his first career catch in Year 3 with UF.
Freshman [autotag]Dawson Johnson[/autotag] is the final tight end on the roster. He joined the program this summer as a preferred walk-on, so he’s not expected to contribute much outside of practice. Still, this is a 6-foot-3, 225 pounds athlete will a family full of Division I athletes. One of Johnson’s brothers plays for Ohio, and the other two are college lacrosse players.
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These four guys are making a switch this season in hopes of boosting themselves and their team.
The upcoming college football season will be bringing many changes for the Florida Gators both on the field and off. Following their third-straight losing season, there are plenty of adjustments that need to be made.
Among those are four members of the team’s 2024 roster who will be taking on new roles in the new year. In fact, it is not uncommon for a member of the Florida football roster to shift spots ahead of an upcoming season.
Below is a look at four student-athletes who have made a switch on the field in hopes of boosting their stock among their gridiron peers, as well as improving the program as a whole.
Napier is flipping another defender to the offensive side of the ball this coming season, according to reports.
When it comes to college football, student-athletes will do anything to get more time on the playing field. Even if it requires them to switch positions… or even the side of the ball they play on.
It is not uncommon for a member of the Florida football roster to shift spots ahead of an upcoming season. This year, former edge defender [autotag]Gavin Hill[/autotag], a redshirt freshman from the nearby Buchholz High Bobcats, has made his decision to change horses midstream to the tight end position.
According to Swamp247, Hill has already started working out with the corps, which includes fellow scholarship players senior Keon Zipperer, sophomores Arlis Boardingham, Hayden Hansen and Tony Livingston, and true freshman Amir Jackson.
The change is not a drastic one for the Gainesville local, who was a two-way player for the Bobcats, though he spent the majority of his time at defensive end during his tenure; he did log 10 catches for 84 yards and two touchdowns in seven varsity games as a freshman.
The switch to tight end follows a trend of head coach Billy Napier’s when it comes to converting defensive players to the position. He has clearly had an eye on the young man’s talents since early on.
“(He) played some tight end in the past,” Napier said of Hill’s recruitment. “I thought his senior tape was special. He played with a shoulder, tough as nails. Obviously, Coach Whittemore runs a great program over there. They made a great run in the playoff. He’s a Gator through and through. There’s just a different level of passion that he’s going to bring.”
Assistant coach Russ Callaway, who was in charge of the tight end room in 2023, returns in the same role in a full-time capacity.
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Half of Florida’s 2023 recruiting class wound up in the On3 top 300 after the final update was released on Tuesday.
The Florida Gators already signed the bulk of its 2023 recruiting class, and the haul is looking even better than expected after On3 provided its last update to its independent rankings, the On300.
Ten of Florida’s signees cracked the top 300 and five players made it into the top 100.
Again, this is On3’s independent rankings, which is used to reach the more commonly cited On3 consensus or 247Sports composite rankings. Those are aggregate scores that use different formulas depending on the site and are used more often because they help eliminate any one service’s individual bias.
Several of Florida’s signees participated in All-Star games and boosted their stock with good performances against some of the top players in the class. The two most notable were cornerback [autotag]Ja’Keem Jackson[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Kelby Collins[/autotag], who each moved up over 50 spots to break into the top 50.
Here’s a look at where each Florida signee from the class of 2023 finished in the On300 rankings.
With early signing day in the books, we now have a better idea of which members of Florida’s recruiting class of 2023 will early enroll.
Florida head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] went over a lot in his post-early signing day press conference, but one of the major points discussed was just how many of the 20 signees will enroll early. According to Napier, the bulk of the class should arrive in the spring.
Of Florida’s 20 signees, Napier expects 18 to be in Gainesville for spring practices. Rather than listing each name that plans to early enroll, it’s easier to list those who won’t: wide receiver [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Gavin Hill[/autotag].
Adding 18 players to the roster a few months early could be huge for Billy Napier and Co. The Gators are replacing a ton of talent after many draft departures, dismissals and transfers. Getting the new Napier-recruited talent on campus early means more time to teach them the playbook, system, etc. More practice time means a better shot at finding early snaps, too.
“The other thing that’s going to help is you’re going to have 20 players that start in January,” said Napier during his early signing day presser, “and I think that translates to more reps and more teaching and more opportunity to get orientated to the university and just life in general in college. But I do think that there will be a number of this group (that compete for early playing time). They’re going to have to earn it.”
It can’t be overstated how important it was for Florida to bring in a group of recruits that were willing to enroll early, and Napier did an exceptional job making sure everything went according to plan.
In case you’re looking for a full list of early enrollees, here’s a list of the players that should be coming to Gainesville in the spring:
Here’s what Billy Napier had to say about each player that signed with Florida during the early signing period.
Florida got 20 commits to sign during the 2023 early signing period, and [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] had a lot to say about the class following all the action.
Napier spoke to the press Wednesday afternoon/evening after an hour-long delay that allowed quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag]’s name to be added to the list of signees. Florida’s head coach spoke in-depth about each player in the class and Gators Wire has compiled a list of everything that he said.
Coach Napier also tackled general questions about recruiting in-state, the role NIL plays, adding more players through the transfer portal and which member of the class of 2023 will early enroll.
The TL;DR is that Napier’s team feels very confident about each player that was added to the program on Wednesday, and there was a strong emphasis on what kind of home each player came from. Napier firmly believes that being raised by a quality family helps create quality student-athletes.
Here’s a full transcript of everything Napier said on Wednesday.
Florida is set to sign most of its 2023 recruiting class on the first day of the early signing period and Gators Wire is keeping track of it all.
The calendar might still read 2022, but the reality is that many of the top recruits in the class of 2023 are signing early and Dec. 21 marks the start of the early signing period. Florida is expected to bring in a strong class in Billy Napier’s first full cycle as head coach, but nothing is ever set in stone until the pen hits the paper.
The February signing date could bring in more names, but the core of the class is signing early and Gators Wire is keeping track of every move the team makes. There usually are some surprises, and Florida is in the hunt for several uncommitted targets set to make their decisions through Friday when the period comes to a close.
Each of Florida’s commitments below is listed in order of expected ceremony start time. As players sign their national letters of intent, the list will update to reflect Florida’s most recent additions.
The Gators will get this blue-chip defensive lineman on campus next week for his official visit.
College football recruiting is back in high gear now that the no-contact period has ended, kicking off a tidal wave of official visits and offers. [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and Co. have wasted no time getting back to the grind having hosted several players on visits while also reaching out to some of the top prep prospects in their own hometowns.
On Tuesday, four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Gavin Hill[/autotag] out of Gainesville (Florida) Buchholz set his official visit date on campus for Dec. 9, according to Swamp247. The local student-athlete earned an offer from the Gators back in June and wasted little time giving his verbal commitment after just a few weeks of deliberation.
Having the advantage of living locally, Hill was able to attend every home game in the Swamp during the 2022 season. He is expected to sign his letter of intent this month but is not projected to be an early enrollee.
Hill is ranked No. 301 overall and No. 43 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 290 and 38, respectively. Prior to his commitment, the high school senior had one crystal ball prediction from 247Sports while On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine gave the Gators a 94% chance of landing him.
Take a look at how Florida’s top recruits fared this past week on the high school gridiron.
Week one of college football was plenty exciting, but there was still high school football action as well, and Florida’s commits put up some highlights.
Two players were on a bye, four-star receiver [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] and four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag]. The latter has had an interesting high school journey that took another turn over the weekend.
A good chunk of the class was in attendance for Florida’s upset win over the Utah Utes on Saturday as well. Seeing the Swamp over capacity and experiencing Billy Napier’s first game day as the head coach of the Gators sat well with them.
Here’s a look at what Florida’s recruiting class of 2023 did over the weekend.
