Tag: Ja’Quavion Fraziars

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: Shorter returns from injury, Henderson out

The Gators are getting one starting receiver back this weekend but are losing another to injury. Check out the team’s depth chart ahead of the matchup with Vanderbilt.

The Florida Gators are getting back their top receiver, [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag], this week, but they’ll also be down their No. 2 at the position with [autotag]Xavier Henderson[/autotag] making his way to the injury list.

Shorter has missed the past two weeks with an injury, but he’s now expected to return to his starting role with [autotag]Marcus Burke[/autotag] at the other wide receiver spot. True freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag], who made his first career start for Florida against South Carolina and currently has the fifth-most receiving yards of any pass catcher on the roster, is listed behind Shorter as a second-string option. He was thrust into a starting role when Shorter and [autotag]Ja’Quavion Fraziars[/autotag] hit the injury report, but it appears that Burke will get a shot this week.

Henderson has served as Florida’s punt returner for most of the year, so slot receiver Ricky Pearsall will step in to fill that role while he is out.

[autotag]Ja’Markis Weston[/autotag] is making is debut on the depth chart this week as a third-string option at receiver behind Pearsall and [autotag]Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman[/autotag].

Tight end [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] is also off the injury report, but he’ll serve as the team’s third-string option, presumably to ease him back into playing time. [autotag]Dante Zanders[/autotag] is the listed starter with [autotag]Jonathon Odom[/autotag] behind him. Odom scored his first career touchdown last weekend.

Kicker [autotag]Trey Smack[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Devin Moore[/autotag] also remain on the injury report. Smack has been sidelined for two weeks now and was seen warming up before the South Carolina game but he wasn’t able to go. Moore’ season is over following surgery and the team hopes to get him back for offseason workouts.

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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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Florida’s top receiver out against Texas A&M due to injury

The Gators will be a little shorthanded at wide receiver for Saturday’s game.

It has been a tough week for Florida football’s leading wide receiver [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag], who was limited in practice due to a lingering hamstring issue. Just prior to game time, it appears that the decision to sit him in the road matchup with the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station, Texas, was made by the team according to Swamp247’s Jacob Rudner.

While Shorter joined his teammates on the field for warmups, it was clear that he was not set to play given that he was not wearing cleats — a typical indicator as to whether a player will be active for the game or not. Sophomore [autotag]Ja’Quavion Fraziars[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] are the most likely replacements for the redshirt junior as both are listed as backups on the Gators’ depth chart.

So far this season, the former transfer from Penn State has amassed a team-high 471 yards on 21 catches for two touchdowns — including an epic 75-yard bomb from [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] on the first play on offense against the Eastern Washington Eagles in Week 5.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Gators dodge bullet with transfer wide receiver’s foot injury

The Gators caught a break — or lack thereof — as Pearsall’s injury is not nearly as bad as it could have been.

For a moment on Wednesday, the Gator Nation held its collective breath after learning wide receiver [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] went down with a foot injury during practice. The initial reports indicated the transfer from Arizona State was tentatively out indefinitely, dredging up the worst of fears from the Florida fan base.

However, a new day brought good news from the training room. Pearsall was officially diagnosed with two bone bruises on his metatarsal with no structural damage noted in his imaging scans. The prognosis is bright for the 6-foot-1-inch, 200-pound pass-catcher, who can resume practice once his discomfort level has receded. For the time being, he is listed day-to-day.

The incoming junior is expected to play a major role in the receiver room for Florida, which returns eight scholarship players, including former transfer [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag], who is also expected to make some waves during his junior campaign. Sophomores [autotag]Xzavier Henderson[/autotag], [autotag]Trent Whittemore[/autotag] and [autotag]Ja’Quavion Fraziars[/autotag] have also earned compliments on their progress this summer.

At his previous stop at ASU, Pearsall played in all 13 games for the Sun Devils in 2021, leading the team with 580 yards on 48 receptions and four touchdowns receiving. The Tempe native also rushed six times for 44 yards and a touchdown on the ground, exceeding his overall numbers during his first two collegiate seasons.

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Ja’Quavion Fraziars is a worthy successor to the Gators’ receiving core

The Gators have a lot to figure out on offense in 2021, and Fraziars could be a significant part of the final pass catching depth chart.

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Name: Ja’Quavion Fraziars

Number: 0

Position: Wide Receiver

Class: Sophomore

Height: 6’3.5″

Hometown: Dunnellon, Fl.

High School: Dunnellon High School

2020 statistics:

REC YDS TD LNG AVG
1 4 0 4 4

Overview:

Fraziars played his freshman season with the Gators in 2020, stuffed deep in the depth chart behind the group of pass-catchers that enabled the high-flying Florida offense. He saw action in seven games but only got one touch in that time. However, his limited playing time in 2020 is hardly indicative of disinterest on the team’s part.

As a recruit, there was never much doubt that Fraziars would be a Gator. They were the first team to offer on him in late 2017 and were considered frontrunners from that time onward. Even after landing a commitment from him, the team was warding off competitors and brought Fraziars to Gainesville for three additional visits before his signing.

The Gators’ offense was gutted by the 2021 NFL draft, leaving plenty of opportunities for an up-and-coming talent to plant their flag. Fraziars isn’t first in line for a starting job, but if he earns one, it will be on his merit as a downfield bully.

“Fraziars has got great ball skills, fabulous hands,” said Florida head coach Dan Mullen during the team’s Spring practice in March. “Big, physical guy, can use his body, really physical blocker and unbelievable ball skills.”

That sentiment was echoed by a Sports Illustrated scouting report from late 2019, which emphasized over and over his vertical ability and length. They also point out the need to improve his route technique, as his tree features few crisp breaks off the vertical step. Even if his development falters, though, he can still find a niche role in Mullen’s offense as a blocker and red zone threat.

On the whole, there’s reason to be excited for Fraziars’ future with the team. With the Gators’ offense largely in flux, he’ll be given an opportunity to grab a spot for himself in the pecking order before the roster’s power vacuum is completely filled.

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