Keon Zipperer – Page 2 – Syndication Server

5 takeaways from Florida’s disappointing loss to No. 12 Tennessee

Florida almost completed an amazing comeback against Tennessee on Saturday, but too many mistakes cost the Gators in the end.

For the second time in 18 meetings, the Florida Gators have lost to the Tennessee Volunteers.

[autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s crew fell on Saturday, 38-33, but it was a close battle that got a bit out of hand late and then almost turned into the comeback of the decade. The Gators kept pace with the quick-moving Tennessee offense early, forcing a pair of fumbles in the first half. Hendon Hooker was unstoppable, though. He picked apart the Florida defense all night, putting up 349 passing yards, 112 rushing yards and three total touchdowns.

Florida’s Anthony Richardson did all he could to keep Florida in the game, but it was his costly turnover in the second half that halted the Gators’ momentum momentarily. A late score and successful onside kick gave UF a shot to pull off an amazing 13-point comeback in the final six minutes of the game, but Richardson couldn’t escape the sack that ended the game.

It’s a painful loss for Florida that brings the Gators to 0-2 in SEC play, but there were many silver linings to take away from the game.

WATCH: Florida’s TE Keon Zipperer battles for big touchdown vs. Vols

WOW! Keon Zipperer just ran over a pair of Tennessee Volunteers after the catch to score Florida’s first passing touchdown of the year.

Florida finished the first quarter down three points to Tennessee, but it didn’t long for the Gators to bounce back and take their first lead of the game.

[autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] found tight end [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] for a 44-yard touchdown that dazzled in a few ways. First, Richardson had to scamper around the pocket to even get the play off. The Volunteers were closing in on him and it takes some nerves to make the right read after dodging a sack. Zipperer was open, though, and Richardson found him for a 23-yard gain on the catch, but it was what happened after that set the college football world on fire.

Zipperer braced for the tackle from a pair of defenders, but he was the one still standing after the collision occurred. With a lane in front of him and the end zone in sight, Zipperer shed one more tackle and secured Florida’s first passing touchdown of the year.

Here’s a look at the play and the best reactions from social media.

2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Tight Ends

Florida’s tight end room has seen a complete overhaul since the end of last season. Here’s a look at the group heading into 2022.

Next up in Gators Wire’s position-by-position breakdown of the 2022 Florida Gators football roster is the tight end room.

Last year’s starter [autotag]Kemore Gamble[/autotag] was one of the many players that left the team via the transfer portal. While he suits up for the UCF Knights this season, the Gators will test out some new names at the position. Senior [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] is the returning player in the room with the most experience, but a trio of defensive players made the switch to tight end after two others went down with an injury in the spring.

Billy Napier added a pair of tight ends in the 2022 recruiting cycle too, so there’s plenty of depth on the team at this point. The big task for Napier will be to figure out which players deserve the most playing time. Most of these guys are relatively unproven, and Napier likes to run a lot of two-tight-end sets to engage the run game.

There seems to be a clear first and second team in place as the season draws near, but an injury or two could give some rotational pieces an opportunity to shine.

Here’s a look at the nine tight ends listed on the 2022 Florida Gators fall roster.

Here’s where Florida football stands in ESPN’s top 25 Future Power Rankings

You’re probably not going to like where ESPN ranks the Gators. We certainly didn’t.

Florida’s football program reached stratospheric heights during the first decade of the 21st century under head coach [autotag]Urban Meyer[/autotag], but since his departure, the team has taken a massive U-turn back into a level of mediocrity not seen since before [autotag]Steve Spurrier[/autotag]’s tenure. Exacerbating the issue is the coaching carousel that the Orange and Blue experienced in recent years, having burned through three new skippers before bringing on [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] to right the ship.

There is little question that the new administration has a steep hill to climb to get the Gators back to their previous level of success. Even though [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag]’s tenure saw three straight New Year’s Six bowl game appearances, it still came to a tumultuous close as the program imploded upon itself due to neglect, leaving things in shambles for the next coach to clean up.

With that in mind, ESPN senior writer Adam Rittenberg recently published his college football’s top 25 future power rankings and where he placed Florida may rustle a few jimmies among the Gator Nation. Take a look at his entry below.

22. Florida Gators
2022 Future QB ranking: Not ranked
2022 Future offense ranking: Not ranked
2022 Future defense ranking: 21
2021 Future team ranking: 8

Scouting the Gators: Florida is the type of program that could surge in these rankings as soon as 2023. There’s always talent in Gainesville, and coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] looks like a smart hire for a program that hasn’t made the CFP and last won the SEC in 2008, the Gators’ most recent national championship. But an unexpected transition — no one pegged [autotag]Dan Mullen[/autotag] to be fired at this time last year — could lead to a down year or two, especially in the improving SEC East Division. The biggest immediate question is the offense and whether dual-threat quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] will provide a consistent spark. Richardson must show greater accuracy and fewer mistakes in the pass game, but he has sophomore eligibility and room to grow under Napier.

Florida also received some QB insurance in Ohio State transfer [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag]. Running back could become a multiyear strength. [autotag]Montrell Johnson[/autotag] followed Napier from Louisiana to Florida after a 12-touchdown season as a freshman in 2021. Johnson leads a sophomore group that includes [autotag]Nay’Quan Wright [/autotag]and [autotag]Demarkcus Bowman[/autotag]. Florida also added ESPN 300 recruit [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag]. Junior [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] leads a young wide receiver group with opportunities to shine. The Gators need sophomores [autotag]Trent Whittemore[/autotag] and [autotag]Xzavier Henderson[/autotag] to stay healthy, or someone else to emerge. They return two veteran tight ends in [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] and [autotag]Dante Zanders[/autotag] but need options for 2023 and 2024. Offensive line has some concerns, especially depth at tackle, but returns junior center [autotag]Kingsley Eguakun[/autotag] and some other interior pieces. Florida has a 2023 commitment from [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag], ESPN’s top-rated center in the class.

The defense has fewer immediate questions. Florida returns proven players such as safety [autotag]Trey Dean III[/autotag], end [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]. and tackle [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag]. Both Cox and Dexter could play multiple seasons and lead a line that needs others to emerge this fall, including sophomore end [autotag]Princely Umanmielen[/autotag]. Florida could become a back-to-front defense in Napier’s first few seasons, as the secondary returns Dean and sophomores [autotag]Rashad Torrence II[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre’Vez Johnson[/autotag] at safety, and talented young cornerbacks such as [autotag]Jason Marshall Jr[/autotag]., an ESPN top-50 recruit who appeared in every game as a true freshman. [autotag]Kamari Wilson[/autotag], ESPN’s top-rated safety and No. 18 overall recruit, headlined Napier’s first class. Seniors [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag] and [autotag]Amari Burney[/autotag] lead a linebacker group that will look to build long-term depth this season. [autotag]Derek Wingo[/autotag] has sophomore eligibility, and Florida added ESPN 300 linebacker [autotag]Shemar James[/autotag] in the 2022 recruiting class.

Despite just making the top 25 list by a few spots, the future is beginning to look bright again in Gainesville. Napier and Co. have done a great job on the recruiting front so far, and once the new regime has its plans for the future fully implemented, the Swamp should once again be a favorable destination for the best in the business.

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Florida continues to stand out for this 5-star cornerback

Florida and Alabama still sit in the best spot for five-star cornerback Cormani McClain out of Lakeland, Florida.

Five-star cornerback [autotag]Cormani McClain[/autotag] visited Florida for its spring game about a month ago now. Now the Gators are returning the favor. They sent cornerbacks coach [autotag]Corey Raymond[/autotag] to watch his spring game at Lake Gibson in Lakeland, Florida, this week. He told reporters afterward that Florida and Alabama continue to stand out to him.

McClain is ranked as the third overall prospect nationally and the best player at his position, according to the 247Sports composite. He only has three crystal ball picks entered on his profile, but they were all in the favor of Florida.

He’s arguably the Gators’ top target this cycle due to his ranking and his proximity to campus. He hails from a Florida-friendly area in Lakeland. Some current players on the roster that grew up there include tight end [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag], defensive end [autotag]Lloyd Summerall III[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Ventrell Miller[/autotag], wide receiver [autotag]Fenley Graham Jr[/autotag]. and running back [autotag]Demarkcus Bowman[/autotag].

McClain told Swamp247 that he’s focused on taking only official visits now and has set one to Georgia for June 24. He said he plans on taking one to Florida in early June and Alabama. However, he doesn’t believe he’ll make a decision until after his senior season.

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Florida checking in on these 3 Texas-based tight end targets

Florida sent tight ends coach William Peagler to Texas to check in on three tight ends targets this week.

Florida football quickly scrambled and put together a board of potential tight end prospects after a couple of its players suffered injuries during spring practice. The injuries left the Gators with only one healthy scholarship player in [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag].

Head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and tight ends coach [autotag]William Peagler[/autotag] are targeting three from the state of Texas: three-star Clemson commit [autotag]Reid Mikeska[/autotag], four-star Stanford commit [autotag]Jaden Platt[/autotag] and three-star [autotag]Lafayette Kaiuway[/autotag]. Peagler flew out to Texas to visit the trio, according to Swamp247.

So far this cycle, Florida has only hosted Mikeska out of the three. The Gators got him to the Swamp on April 2 where he got to check out spring practices under Napier. However, he committed to the Tigers on April 13. Peagler stopped by Mikeska’s practice on Wednesday.

Peagler is set to visit Platt and Kaiuway on Thursday.

The Gators running backs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag] extended an offer to Platt back toward the end of March. He has still been communicating with Peagler despite his commitment to the Cardinals. Platt hasn’t visited the Swamp but expressed his interest in doing so after he received the offer. He said his commitment to Stanford is solid but hasn’t shut down his recruitment yet.

Peagler will also visit Kaiuway in Arlington, Texas. Florida also extended an offer to him late in March. He hasn’t visited Florida, either but wants to see Peagler and Napier in Gainesville.

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Billy Napier reiterates Florida will be active in transfer portal this spring

Florida head coach Billy Napier reiterated that the program will be aggressive in the NCAA transfer portal.

Head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has said multiple times this spring that Florida will be active in the NCAA transfer portal because of their lack of roster depth. He mentioned it again when he went on the College Football Daily podcast on Tuesday.

The Gators and Napier will likely target tight ends, offensive and defensive linemen and secondary players in the portal. Tight end is the most pressing need for Florida since it only has one healthy scholarship player ([autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag]) at the position after a bevy of injuries during spring practices. It also wouldn’t hurt for the program to grab another playmaker at wide receiver.

He said that the Gators are specifically looking for players in the portal who can immediately contribute. Napier added that their roster is thin and that they are about to put five walk-ons on scholarship just to get to the 85-man scholarship limit.

“When you’re in transition, this is an avenue you have to explore and be aggressive in making your team better,” Napier said. “There are certain positions where no question we need an impact player, receiver in particular would be one, a guy that can impact our team.

“But I do think every position, there is no position where we have substantial depth. I think we can put a pretty good first group out there but we need to continue to improve the quality depth of our football team. We’re not going to turn down any good player. We have spots. We have room.”

Look for Florida to grab a handful of transfers before the start of fall camp.

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Florida hosting this top-100 wide receiver for its Orange and Blue game

Florida is set to host four-star wide receiver Tyler Williams for the second time this month during its spring game.

Many fans, media members and I were skeptical about whether Florida head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s decision to move the spring game to Thursday from Saturday would pay off. From a recruiting standpoint, his strategy has been a success. The Gators are set to host three five-stars and 16 four-stars. One of those four stars is top 100 wide receiver [autotag]Tyler Williams[/autotag], according to Gators Online.

He hails from nearby Lakeland, Florida, and most recently visited the Swamp on April 2. He mentioned after his visit two weeks ago that he wants to come back in the future and now has that date locked in.

Lakeland has always been a Gators-friendly area. They have several players who are from the area like [autotag]Gervon Dexter[/autotag], [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag], [autotag]Demarkcus Bowman[/autotag] and [autotag]Fenley Graham[/autotag]. Williams plays for Lakeland High School where Zipperer, Bowman and Graham played and says he spends a lot of time with them when they come back home.

“I catch up with all of them for the most part,” Williams said. “I see them a lot when they come back home. They come work out with us and lift. I can call them if I need to talk about something or ask any questions. I get advice about my game and stuff like that. Even with the recruiting process, they give me pointers and stuff to look at.”

For Florida, wide receivers coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag] and Napier have led the charge for Williams.

He also holds some other offers from Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, LSU, Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma and USC.

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Injuries are forcing Florida football to get creative this spring

Florida has been forced to be creative and shuffle its personnel around after suffering injuries at several different positions.

Coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s offensive formations at Louisiana frequently featured tight ends. He is having difficulty implementing that philosophy with the Gators because of the injuries that piled up at the position.

Napier said that he feared that redshirt freshman Gage Wilcox has suffered a ‘career-ending injury’ during practice earlier this spring on Thursday. Florida was already thin at the position after it was reported that sophomore [autotag]Jonathan Odoms[/autotag] and redshirt freshman [autotag]Nick Elksnis[/autotag] will miss the rest of spring ball due to injuries. Senior [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] is currently the lone active scholarship tight end on the roster.

The amount of injuries that the Gators have suffered at tight end and other positions this spring has forced Napier and staff to be creative.

In order to mitigate depth issues, Florida has drastically shuffled its personnel. It moved senior defensive end [autotag]Dante Zanders[/autotag] back to tight end, which he last played in 2019. The coaching staff also switched redshirt junior [autotag]Noah Keeter[/autotag] to the position from linebacker. Finally, defensive tackle [autotag]Griffin McDowell[/autotag] has caught some passes this week to help out the unit.

Napier said Florida is also struggling with depth at inside linebacker, safety and offensive line and only have enough bodies for a third team behind the starters and backups.

“We’re thin,” he said Thursday after the Gators wrapped up their first spring scrimmage. “When you have three guys get injured — scholarship players at a position that’s already a little thin — that throws a wrench in your plans.”

Florida added five midyear transfers in January and could potentially make that double-digits, according to Napier.

“I think we live in a new era, right?” he said about the transfer portal. “There’s certainly a new way of operating in college football,” he said. “You can anticipate us being very aggressive in the portal this spring. We need players. That window of time is coming. We anticipate doing a lot of business and we’re looking forward to it.”

Napier and the Gators are also planning to present five walk-ons with scholarships for the spring semester.

It’s all hands on deck for Florida right now as it continues to battle injuries.

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Florida’s TE room just got tighter after ‘potentially career-ending’ injury

Terrible news for Gators fans and Gage Wilcox. We hope the best for the young man.

The tight end position has been an area where Florida football is running thin this spring and things just took a turn for the worst on Thursday. Head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] announced that redshirt freshman [autotag]Gage Wilcox[/autotag] suffered what he called a “potentially career-ending” injury during an early practice, joining redshirt freshman tight end [autotag]Nick Elksnis[/autotag] and sophomore tight end [autotag]Jonathan Odom[/autotag] in the medical tent.

According to Swamp247, Wilcox had missed practice over the past four sessions but could not be ascertained exactly when the injury occurred. When asked about the event, Napier offered, “It’s very unfortunate. That’s part of the game though.”

It is also still unclear exactly what the nature of the injury was.

The absence of Wilcox, Elksnis and Odom leaves only [autotag]Keon Zipperer[/autotag] as the lone active scholarship tight end on the roster this spring. However, the recent squeeze at the position has Napier and his staff trying out senior defensive end [autotag]Dante Zanders[/autotag] and walk-on junior linebacker [autotag]Noah Keeter[/autotag] as possible replacements.

The former was recruited as a three-star at the position out of high school and appeared there a total of 15 times in his freshman years. The latter was a two-way player in high school, with tight end being his role on the offensive side of the ball. So at the very least, there is some experience behind that shallow depth.

You can count on the Gators taking a serious look at the transfer portal in the coming weeks to help fill this gaping void. In Napier’s own words: “When you have three guys that get injured at a position that was already thin, it throws a little wrench in your plan.”

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