Tag: Kamari Wilson

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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OPINION: More players will leave the Florida program. Don’t panic.

The roster overhaul in Gainesville isn’t over. Don’t panic. Here’s why that’s not as big a deal as Twitter will make you think it is.

Following the announcement of [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag]’s commitment to Miami and their loss to Georgia, the Gators hoped to put their heads down and stay out of the national spotlight before their upcoming game against Texas A&M.

That would not be the case.

Earlier this week, head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] announced the dismissal of [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]. from the Florida football team. Napier said it was for a “culmination of issues” and that the team would be better off without Cox going forward. Then, redshirt freshman [autotag]Kamari Wilcoxson[/autotag] (not to be confused with [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag], the five-star gem of Napier’s 2022 transition class) announced he would be entering the transfer portal.

When paired with the Georgia result and missing out on McClain, the optics surrounding the Florida program are not favorable. In reality, this was always going to happen.

Every program undergoes turnover when a new coach takes over. College football is unique because it’s the only sport where the head coach has complete control over every aspect of the program. Every single decision needs to be approved by the head coach. A meal isn’t served in the athlete dining hall without being signed off by the coach first.

Because of that, some players are going to be uneasy with the changes that a new coach brings in. And with the new one-time transfer and NIL rules, players have the option to find what works for them. That’s a good thing! When the program that those players committed to changes, and not by their choice, they should be able to find what works for them without punishment.

On the other side, Napier was hired to repair a Florida football program that was considered to be in disarray. Napier is going to have to make decisions that best represent his vision for what the Florida football program should be. Think of it as a controlled burn. It’s all part of the process that Napier told us was going to take time.

So don’t be shocked if you see a mass exodus of players enter the transfer portal. Napier has already said that they expect to be active in the portal this off-season, and that works both ways. I’m not going to panic when none of us know how bad the program actually was behind closed doors.

Only time will tell if these roster changes were the right decision. I’m more inclined to let it play out rather than make a declaration that the program is in shambles.

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OPINION: Billy Napier looks good at Florida… but can he land the best?

Missing out on Cormani McClain may hurt, but you should still trust in Billy Napier’s process.

There’s a tendency among college football fans to overreact to the slightest disappointment on the recruiting trail. Florida’s first-year coach Billy Napier has missed on a few big-name recruits in his short time at the helm, but it’s his latest miss that has even the most patient of fans wondering if the new man in charge is out of his depth.

In case you missed it, the No. 2 recruit in the class of 2023, cornerback [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag], committed to the University of Miami over Florida and Alabama on Thursday. It was a shocking development in a recruitment that seemed to favor Florida significantly. McClain had been to the Swamp over half a dozen times over the past two years and had several experts project him to land with UF.

This isn’t the first time Mario Cristobal and Miami have beat Napier and Co. for a high-priority target either. The Hurricanes were arguably the hottest team of the summer thanks to some incredible success on the recruiting trail, including the commitments of four-star quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag] and five-star offensive lineman [autotag]Francis Mauigoa[/autotag]. Both were priority targets for the Gators, and Napier even penned an open letter asking for patience following the Rashada announcement.

In fairness to Florida’s head coach and recruiting staff, the Gators have put together a top-10 class since then that’s composed mostly of four-star players. UF ranks No. 9 in the team recruiting rankings on both 247Sports and On3 and only fell below Miami after missing out on McClain.

But that begs the question of whether or not Florida will be able to achieve the kind of success it needs in the recruiting world to reach a College Football Playoff. A quick glance at the team rankings on either site says that Napier’s current class won’t be enough.

Florida is one of two teams in the top 13 without a five-star recruit under verbal commitment (the other being LSU at No. 7). A year ago, Oklahoma was the only program to finish in the top 13 without a five-star recruit. The Sooners haven’t been relevant this season since Week 4, and it’s easy to see a similar situation playing out in Gainesville over the next year.

For comparison, the Georgias and Alabamas of the world have signed at least three five-star recruits in each of the past four recruiting cycles. That’s what it takes to be at the top of the SEC and all of college football.

So far, Napier hasn’t shown that he’s able to close like Kirby Smart and Nick Saban. Instead, he’s being outclassed, or perhaps outbid, by another first-year head coach at an in-state program that’s frankly produced worse results on the field through eight weeks.

So what’s the solution?

It’s far too early to think about a potential buyout. Napier doesn’t even have his guys on the field for the most part. He’s working with a flawed roster assembled by an apathetic recruiter and Todd Grantham. Napier deserves a shot at a full season with a team that’s fully bought into his culture and plan.

But it’s also wrong to ask the fanbase to sit idly by while a pattern that’s proven to lead to a large skill gap in the conference plays out. Florida has the resources and profile to attract the best names in the state, but it’s time for the Gators to close on one of them.

Florida is still in the race for a handful of undecided recruits in the top 50. Edge rusher [autotag]Qua Russaw[/autotag] might have the strongest connection with the school, but it could be tough to land both him and defensive lineman [autotag]James Smith[/autotag], who is expected to be a package deal with Russaw. [autotag]Desmond Ricks[/autotag] recently re-classified to the class of 2023 and is the second-highest-ranked cornerback behind McClain, but Alabama wants him too.

Landing all three would bring Florida back into the top-5 conversation, but it should only take one to keep Napier safe from a burning hot seat in year two. Some in Gator Nation may think that’s too easy of an out for him, but instant gratification can be misleading. Napier’s trying to change the entire program, and on-the-field talent only goes so far. Plus, let’s not forget that he and Corey Raymond worked to bring in five-star safety [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] in the 2022 cycle with just two months to get the job done.

Still, Dan Mullen proved that you can’t out-coach a talent gap in the SEC, and Napier knew the challenge he was taking on when he accepted the job. His message has remained steady, and most of the early returns have been good.

It’s just that good isn’t enough at the University of Florida. This program’s history demands greatness, and the fan base demands perfection. Napier won’t back down from that challenge, but he’s certainly hit a roadblock or two in his first year and the McClain decision emphasized that to the masses.

An old coach of mine used to hit us with a phrase popularized by the pastor Charles Swindoll during times of adversity: “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”

It’s time for Napier (and the Gator Collective) to react.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Florida announces Players of the Week for Tennessee game

Florida may have lost on Saturday, but there will still plenty of performances worth recognizing from the boys in Orange in Blue.

Despite the final score of Saturday’s game between Florida and Tennessee, there was a lot to like from the Gators.

On Monday, the team took a moment to recognize the top performers from the contest and revealed who the Players of the Week were. Three players on offense, defense and special teams (game-changers) were selected.

On offense, quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] and receivers [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] and [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] got the nod. Richardson provided 515 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in what was easily the best game of his collegiate career so far. Shorter led the way with seven receptions for 155 yards, and Pearsall also broke the century mark (103 yards) on five grabs.

Safety [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] and linebacker/STAR [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] earned the honors on defense. Miller played hurt after missing just one week with an ankle injury and totaled six tackles against Tennesse while forcing a fumble and recovering another. Torrence led the team in total tackles with 13 (11 solo), and he also broke up a pass. Burney finished second on the team with eight tackles (seven solo), including 2.5 tackles for a loss, a pair of sacks for nine yards and a forced fumble.

Punter [autotag]Jeremy Crawshaw[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Diwun Black[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] were all recognized for their efforts on special teams. Black made the big play of the night, snatching the ball out of the air on the onside kick to give Florida a last-second shot at the end zone. Crawshaw only delivered one punt on the night, but it landed inside the 20 and [autotag]Adam Mihalek[/autotag] missed his field goal, so it sort of had to be him. Wilson finished with five total tackles, including one on a kickoff return.

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2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Safeties

Three returning starters headline the safeties group at Florida in 2022, but there’s a good amount of young talent behind them to be excited about.

Rounding out the defense in Gators Wire’s position-by-position breakdown of the 2022 Florida football roster are the safeties.

Florida’s scheme calls for five defensive backs and utilizes the nickelback position, which they call the STAR. Fortunately, the Gators return starters at all three positions in 2022. [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag] are back to man the safety spots, and [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] is at the STAR.

Behind them are a group of relatively young and inexperienced players, some of which could take a huge step over the season if they see enough snaps. At the top of that list might be [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag], the surprise five-star signing that Billy Napier pulled off during the early signing period last year.

This should be one of the stronger position groups on the team this year given the returning experience in the room. Here is a look at all 13 safeties on the 2022 Florida football fall roster.

See also:

2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Quarterbacks

2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Running Backs

2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Wide Receivers

2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Tight Ends

2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Offensive Line

2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Defensive Line

2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Outside Linebackers

2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Linebacker

2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Cornerbacks

4-star DL recruit still favoring Florida despite opening up to other options

The Gators are still in the mix for one of the top defensive linemen in the 2023 recruiting class.

Florida football is coming off its hottest stretch on the 2023 recruiting trail and there is still some headroom for more heat to build. After roping in a few commits and handing out several offers at the end of July, the Gators remain vigilant when it comes to wooing the top prep prospects in the country.

Among those still pondering the potential of a future in the Swamp is four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag] out of the prominent IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The 6-foot-5-inch, 290-pound trench warrior had the Orange and Blue in his top five targeted programs heading into summer. However, he has subsequently added some schools into the mix, including Deion Sanders’ Jackson State Tigers, which has complicated the process for the top contenders.

“I still have four OVs to use,” he told 247Sports. “I’m definitely trying to go to the Tennessee–Alabama game. I have that set up right now. (IMG) doesn’t have a game that weekend right now, but our schedule can get mixed around. So, as of right now, I’ll be at Tennessee-Alabama. I’m definitely trying to make a Jackson State game, too.

“Kentucky is also now on my list. I definitely want to go see what they are talking about.”

Before opening the process up, Norman had the Texas A&M Aggies, Penn State Nittany Lions, LSU Tigers and Michigan Wolverines in his top five in addition to the Gators. Along with Jackson State, the Kentucky Wildcats and Tennessee Volunteers appear to be contenders for the rising senior’s talents as well.

As far as what Gainesville has to offer the big defensive lineman, he expressed his comfort with the familiarity that an in-state destination has to offer.

“It’s a comfortable place for me. I go to IMG. So, with us being in their backyard, it’s always good to keep guys like me home. That’s their big message. They got my brother ([autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag]) last year. They want to keep guys like us home. They are always recruiting me hard.”

Norman is ranked No. 143 overall and No. 21 at his position in his class nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 156 and 18, respectively. He holds one crystal ball prediction from 247Sports for Florida and On3’s recruiting prediction machine gives the Gators a 63.3% chance of signing him.

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Nation’s top CB recruit earns new player comparison from Gators coach

Florida cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond wants to coach five-star Cormani McClain, and he’s already comparing the recruit to one of his former players.

When cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] left the LSU Tigers to coach under [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] at the University of Florida, many assumed the nation’s top defensive backs would follow him. That assumption came true with five-star safety [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] in the 2022 cycle, and Raymond seems locked in on landing the highest-rated defensive player in the upcoming 2023 class, five-star cornerback [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag].

McClain had the Gators near the top of his list before the coaching changes took place, but bringing in one of the most respected coaches in all of college football hasn’t hurt UF one bit. Raymond’s track record speaks for itself. At LSU, he sent 14 players to the NFL Draft, including four first-rounders — Derek Stingely Jr. in the most recent draft, Jamal Adams and Tre’Davious White in 2017 and Eric Reid in 2013. Let’s not forget about Tyrann Mathieu, either, who has more than made a name for himself in the pros.

Raymond sees McClain as the next potential name on that list, and perhaps the first to come at UF.

“Coach C-Ray, me and him got a great relationship. I think it’s there,” McClain said to Gators Online. “He produced a lot of great athletes. I look up to coach C-Ray as one of those guys that you know is going to get you to the league and the things you need to get there…

“He compared me to the most recent LSU DB, Stingley.”

The duo may get a chance to reunite as soon as the end of the month for Florida’s Friday Night Lights camp and recruiting cookout. Nothing is finalized yet, but McClain is expected to turn up over the weekend.

When it comes to making a decision, he plans to do so in December and will choose whoever he feels can develop him the best. That could mean that Raymond is the deciding factor when it comes down to it.

McClain is ranked No. 2 overall on the On3 consensus and is No. 1 in the state of Florida and among cornerbacks in the class of 2023.

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Nation’s top cornerback recruit planning return date to the Swamp

Florida is staying close with the top cornerback of 2023, Cormani McClain. He’s looking at the end of July to return to the Swamp.

The top defensive back in the class of 2023 is still considering Florida, but it looks like five-star cornerback [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] will make a decision closer to the end of the year rather than the end of summer date he teased back in spring. He now plans to take official visits over the season and decide around December, according to Swamp247.

McClain also is likely to attend Florida’s upcoming Friday Night Lights camp on July 29, but he said that the trip is not official just yet. Speaking of visits that are official, McClain made his way down to Miami in June for his first of five OVs. Alabama will get the second one on October 5 when the Crimson Tide hosts Texas A&M, and Florida and Georgia should get one as well.

The Gators have kept close with McClain, especially cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag]. It was Raymond who helped Billy Napier reel in [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] last cycle and his reputation as an elite defensive backs coach is a big plus for McClain.

“Coach C-Ray, me and him have a great relationship,” McClain said to 247Sports. “I think it’s there. He produced a lot of great athletes. I look to Coach C-Ray as one of those guys that I know is going to get your to the league and the things you need to get there.”

The 247Sports composite ranks McClain No. 3 overall and No. 1 among cornerbacks in the class of 2023. He’s also the top-ranked player in the state of Florida out of Lakeland High.

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Top-ranked 2024 running back to attend Gators’ recruiting weekend

Top-10 overall player in the 2024 class Jerrick Gibson is scheduled to visit Gainesville this month along with his IMG Academy teammates.

Arguably [autotag]Billy Napier'[/autotag]s biggest target in the 2024 class will be in Gainesville at the end of the month for a massive recruiting weekend.

[autotag]Jerrick Gibson[/autotag], the No. 1 running back in the 2024 class, is scheduled to be a part of Florida’s Friday Night Lights recruiting event on July 29. Friday Night Lights is an annual recruiting event where recruits get one-on-one work with Florida coaches and staff underneath the lights of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Gibson, a Gainesville native, should also be in attendance at the Gators’ cookout scheduled for July 30. He is expected to be joined by IMG Academy teammates [autotag]Desmond Ricks[/autotag], [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag], and [autotag]Will Norman[/autotag]. IMG Academy, a private boarding school and training facility in Bradenton, has become a priority for Napier and his staff, landing only Florida’s second ever player from the academy in Napier’s transition cycle when five-star safety [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag] early-enrolled in January.

Gibson previously committed to the Gators at last year’s Friday Night Lights under [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag]’s staff but reopened his commitment in February of this year. The 5-foot-10.5-inch, 190-pound back made his first visit with Napier on March 5, making this his second trip back to his hometown to meet with the new head ball coach.

According to the On3 consensus ranking, Gibson is listed as the No. 9 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class and holds offers from programs such as Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Notre Dame, USC, Texas, Texas A&M, Oregon, Miami, Tennessee, and many others.

It’s safe to say that this top-10 overall player, IMG Academy standout and Gainesville native is near the top, if not at the top, of Billy Napier’s 2024 recruiting board.

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