Tag: Player profile

Kicker Chris Howard will compete to replace Evan McPherson in 2021

Kicker Chris Howard has only seen limited action during his UF career, but he could be Florida’s primary kicker in 2021.

Name: Chris Howard

Number: 71

Position: Placekicker

Class: Redshirt Junior

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 207 lbs

Hometown: Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

High School: Ponte Vedra

Twitter: @Chris_Howard17

2020 statistics:

FG% FG LNG XPM XPA PTS
100 2-2 32 7 7 13

Overview:

Rated as a five-star player and the No. 23 kicker in the 2017 class by Kohl’s Kicking, Howard turned a successful career at Ponte Vedra High School into a preferred walk-on offer from the Gators. He joined the roster in 2017, playing behind starter Eddy Piñeiro, and he redshirted the season.

He didn’t appear in a game as a redshirt freshman in 2018, though he did appear on the SEC Academic Honor Roll. He saw his first game action the following season in 2019, when he appeared in three games. He was 4 for 4 on extra-point attempts, and he averaged 55 yards on three kickoffs.

He only played in two games in 2020 as a redshirt junior, but he saw significant action in one of them as Florida’s top kicker when Evan McPherson was unavailable against Missouri. He made all five of his extra-point attempts in that game and also drilled two field goals. Howard also attempted a kickoff and converted on an extra point in UF’s win over Arkansas.

With McPherson heading to the NFL, Howard will be one of several kickers competing for the top spot in 2021, alongside Mississippi State transfer Jace Christmann and 2021 recruit Adam Mihalek, who the Gators added as a preferred walk-on.

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2021 NFL Draft profile: Wisconsin CB Rachad Wildgoose

When Wisconsin cornerback Rachad Wildgoose left the team’s Week 3 game against Northwestern with what appeared to be an injury,

When Wisconsin cornerback Rachad Wildgoose left the team’s Week 3 game against Northwestern with what appeared to be an injury, I didn’t forecast it as his last snap as a Wisconsin Badger.

But once the news came back that the injury was season-ending, the junior cornerback ended up declaring for the NFL Draft.

Not much has been made of his NFL prospects with so little film on tape from this season. But if I had any power in an NFL Draft room, I’d give Wildgoose a long, hard look in the later rounds.

Here is our complete 2021 NFL Draft profile for former Wisconsin cornerback Rachad Wildgoose:

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Lewis tries his hand at the draft after disappointing two years at Florida

Scottie Lewis heads to the NBA to try and play after two seasons of college in which he didn’t exactly live up to his five-star billing.

Name: Scottie Lewis

Number: 23

Position: Guard

Class: Sophomore

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 189 lbs

Hometown: Hazlet, N.J.

High School: Ranney School

Twitter: @Scottie23L

2020 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST PTS
21 44.5 3.1 1.5 7.9

Overview:

Lewis committed to the Gators as a five-star recruit and the No. 7 overall player in the country (according to the 247Sports Composite), making him the highest-rated recruit coach Mike White has ever signed at Florida. Naturally, expectations were high early on for Lewis.

His freshman year was a bit up-and-down. Though he averaged just 8.5 points, he scored in double figures 10 times and scored at least 15 points six times. He really shined on the defensive end, though, becoming the first guard in program history to lead the team in blocks, totaling 36. His season-high in scoring (19) came in the final game against Kentucky in the final game of the season before the season was canceled.

Lewis made headlines off the court during the COVID-19 pandemic for his leadership during the summer’s unrest, speaking at a protest by players in Downtown Gainesville voicing their support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

When the Gators returned to the court this fall, it was with Lewis in a preeminent role. But after starting the first eight games, he only started one more the rest of the way. His scoring average decreased to 7.9, and though he averaged 3.1 rebounds, his blocks dropped to just 22.

Following a disappointment of a sophomore season in which he was expected to take a major leap forward, Lewis decided to cut his losses and declare for the draft with an agent, ending his college eligibility. Though he’s a talented player that could develop into something special with the right coaching, his career at UF didn’t live up to the hype.

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Locke heads to Louisville after three productive seasons in Gainesville

Locke has been arguably Florida’s most consistent scorer over the last three years, but he’s now heading elsewhere for his final season.

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Name: Noah Locke

Number: 10

Position: Guard

Class: Junior

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 203 lbs

Hometown: Baltimore

High School: McDonogh School

Twitter: @_NoahLocke

2020 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST PTS
25 42.5 2.4 0.7 10.6

Overview:

Originally a four-star recruit and the No. 15 shooting guard in the class of 2018, Noah Locke joined the Gators over offers from big-time programs like Michigan and Ohio State. As a freshman in 2018-19, he finished second on the team in scoring with 9.4 points per game and averaged 2.3 three-pointers, fifth-best in the SEC. He started 26 of 36 games that season and scored a season-high 27 points against Texas A&M.

He assumed a starting role once again as a sophomore (for 29 of 31 games, albeit), and his numbers only increased. He averaged 10.6 points and 2.5 rebounds, and his 48.1% mark from downtown was the best for any SEC player with 50+ makes since 1996. He also notched his first (and only) career double-double in a win over Long Beach State.

As a junior in 2020-21, Locke almost entirely replicated his stat line from the previous season. He had the same points (10.6), assists (0.7) and steals (0.6) averages, and his rebounding dropped to just 2.4 while his field-goal percentage dropped by just 0.4 percentage points. Despite his consistency as a shooter, he didn’t run the point much and rarely facilitated the offense.

Apparently in search of a bigger role, he entered the transfer portal this offseason. He announced that he would be joining Louisville, where he will hope he’s more productive under coach Chris Mack.

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Phlandrous Fleming Jr. hopes to bring his dominating play to major college basketball

Fleming was a dominant player in the Big South. Now, he joins the big-time and hopes his talent will translate to the SEC.

Name: Phlandrous Fleming Jr.

Number: TBA

Position: Guard

Class: Senior

Height: 6’4″

Weight: 210 lbs

Hometown: Athens, Ga.

High School: Cedar Shoals

Previous School: Charleston Southern

2020 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST PTS
18 39.5 7.4 2.3 20.1

Overview:

Originally a nearly unknown recruit out of Athens, Georgia, Fleming quickly made a name for himself as a freshman at Charleston Southern. He averaged 10.6 points (second-best among Big South freshman) and was named to the conference’s All-Freshmen Team for his efforts. His role increased as a sophomore, and he started 11 of the 22 games he appeared in for the Bucs. He averaged 12.5 points per game, second on the team, and he also averaged 5.5 boards.

He became a full-time starter his junior year, starting 31 of 32 games and taking home First Team All-Big South honors while also being named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. He led the league with 8.7 rebounds per game, and he also notched 47 blocks and 40 steals. Though his defensive play got the most attention, he also boosted his scoring average to 17.7 points.

His senior year in 2020-21 was his best yet. He averaged 20.1 points and 7.4 rebounds while racking up his second conference Defensive Player of the Year award in a row. He also added 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. Following a disappointing season for CSU, he announced that he would transfer for his final season of eligibility. Though Florida wasn’t initially high on his radar, he eventually announced his decision to join the Gators’ program, where he will compete to start next year.

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Hoops transfer CJ Felder should provide an immediate impact for Florida

The Gators added a talented scoring forward and rim protector in CJ Felder, who was one of the best players on a bad Boston College team.

Name: CJ Felder

Number: TBA

Position: Forward

Class: Junior

Height: 6’7″

Weight: 230 lbs

Hometown: Sumter, S.C.

High School: Sumter

Previous School: Boston College

2020 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST PTS
19 45.9 5.9 0.9 9.7

Overview:

A three-star recruit in the 2019 recruiting class out of Sumter, S.C., Felder chose Boston College over offers from major programs closer to home like Auburn, Clemson and Georgia Tech. He was an immediate impact player for the Eagles as a freshman in 2019-20, starting 18 of the 31 games he appeared in. He averaged 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds, and he came close to a double-double in a game against Syracuse, scoring nine points with nine boards.

He saw a much bigger role this past season with Boston College, starting all but two of the 19 games the team played. He boosted his scoring average to 9.7 points, and his rebounding average increased to 5.9. He managed his first career double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds in a game against Wake Forest, and in an early-season matchup against Florida, he scored 11 points but was held to just one rebound. Despite his size, he also demonstrated his presence as an elite rim defender with 2.2 blocks per game.

After a 4-16 season in which the Eagles finished last in the ACC, Felder announced that he would be entering the transfer portal on March 21. On April 2, he announced his commitment to the Gators. He returns closer to home, where he will help replace the production of Omar Payne, who transferred to Illinois.

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Keyontae Johnson’s scary collapse interrupted a brilliant career

Johnson was on track to have one of the top seasons of any player in the country this year before his health scare jeopardized his career.

Name: Keyontae Johnson

Number: 11

Position: Forward

Class: Junior

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 229 lbs

Hometown: Norfolk, Va.

High School: Oak Hill Academy

Twitter: @Keyontae

2020 statistics:

GP FG% REB AST PTS
4 64.1 4.5 1.3 16

Overview:

Johnson was a four-star recruit in the 2018 recruiting class, and he saw immediate action as a freshman. He played in 36 games (starting 20 of them), totaling four double-doubles on the year (including three in postseason play. He finished the year averaging 8.1 points and 6.4 rebounds, and he entered his sophomore season with high expectations.

Johnson lived up to those expectations in 2019-20, and then some. He led the team in scoring with 14 points per game and he also averaged 7.1 rebounds. He had eight double-doubles (which, conveniently, doubled his total from the prior year). Johnson finished second on the team in rebounding and first in steals with 38. For his efforts, he was named to the coaches First Team All-SEC and the AP Second Team All-SEC.

The season was canceled before Florida’s first SEC Tournament game due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Johnson entered his junior year as the preseason SEC Player of the Year. Through the first four games, he appeared to be on track, scoring double figures in three of them with a high of 24 against Boston College.

However, early in UF’s fourth game against FSU, Johnson collapsed and had to be taken off the court and to a hospital, where he was listed in critical but stable condition. He has since started to recover, and he closed out the season in a new role as “Coach Key” on the sidelines. Florida hasn’t made his diagnosis public, but it did say its experts don’t believe the collapse to have been related to his previous diagnosis with COVID-19.

Now, his future is a bit in question. If he is medically cleared to play in 2021-22 and chooses to return to Florida, he will be surrounded by a lot of new faces after a mass transfer exodus. But if he comes back to the court, it will be huge for UF next season.

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Gators add a big-time scorer via transfer portal in Brandon McKissic

Brandon McKissic joins the Gators as a graduate transfer after a stellar final season at Missouri-Kansas City.

Name: Brandon McKissic

Number: TBA

Position: Guard

Class: Graduate

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 195 lbs

Hometown: Ferguson, Mo.

High School: St. Louis University

Previous School: Missouri-Kansas City

2020-21 statistics:

GP MIN FG% 3P% FT% REB AST BLK STL PF TO PTS
18 34 50.8 42.9 66.7 3.7 3.3 0.1 1.5 2.8 3 17.2

Overview:

A Ferguson, Mo., native, McKissic wasn’t a highly recruited player despite being a standout at St. Louis University High School. He was unranked on the 247Sports Composite, and he decided to stay relatively close to home and play college basketball at Missouri-Kansas City.

His freshman season with the Roos, he started 20 games and appeared in 31, averaging 7.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists. The rebound and assist numbers stayed relatively similar in his sophomore year, but he started 28 games and boost his scoring average to 10.5 points as he started 28 games.

McKissic only started 21 of 28 games his junior year, but he still managed to lead the team in scoring averaging 11 points per game. His best season by far, though, came his senior year.

He averaged 17.2 points per game while still managing to shoot above 50% for the second year in a row. Additionally, he managed career-high averages in rebounding (3.7), assists (3.3) and steals (1.5). With all players being granted an additional year of eligibility due to COVID-19, McKissic decided to try his hand at big-time college basketball and announced he would be transferring as a graduate. He officially committed to Florida on April 2.

UF has to replace a lot of production next season, but additions like McKissic should help. He will likely be a Day 1 starter at guard.

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Talented Penn State scorer Myreon Jones could take Gators’ offense to the next level

UF landed a talented scorer from Penn State this offseason via the transfer portal, which should offset some of its losses this offseason.

Name: Myreon Jones

Number: TBA

Position: Guard

Class: Junior

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 180 lbs.

Hometown: Suwannee, Ga.

High School: Lincoln Academy

Previous School: Penn State

Twitter: @MyreonJones21

2020-21 statistics:

GP MIN FG% 3P% FT% REB AST BLK STL PF TO PTS
25 30.3 39.4 39.5 77.3 2.7 2 0.1 1.3 1.4 1.2 15.3

Overview:

Jones wasn’t a big-time recruit coming out of the Lincoln Academy in Suwannee, Georgia. As a three-star recruit, his only major college basketball offers came from Penn State and Memphis. He chose to play for the Nittany Lions. He averaged just over 10 minutes per game in 30 games as a freshman, though he averaged just four points a game.

He became a starter as a sophomore in 2019-20 (starting all but one contest), and he boosted his scoring average to 13.3 while averaging three assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals. He was given an All-Big Ten honorable mention for his efforts.

Jones was once again very productive offensively, averaging a career-best 15.3 points, but his shooting percentage dropped from over 44% to just 39.4%. After a losing season for the Nittany Lions, he decided to transfer for his final season of eligibility.

He was one of the top transfers available on the market, and he announced on Twitter last week he planned to join the Gators. After losing six players this offseason between the transfer portal and the draft, Florida will likely start Jones at one of the guard spots. Being a senior, he may have to be a leader on his new squad sooner rather than later.

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Trey Dean III returns for senior year with a chance to be a leader in the secondary

Safety Trey Dean III saw his playing time dwindle in 2020, but the Gators will likely need him to start in the secondary in 2021.

Name: Trey Dean III

Number: 13

Position: Safety

Class: Junior

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 200 lbs

Hometown: Hampton, Ga.

High School: Dutchtown

Twitter: @__TD3

2020 statistics:

Solo Ast Tot Loss Sk Int Yds Avg TD PD FR
22 12 34 1 1 1 19 19 0 0 1

Overview:

Dean was originally a four-star recruit in the 2018 recruiting class, and he was one of Dan Mullen‘s first commits after he was hired at Florida. Dean saw action almost immediately as a true freshman. He started the year working backup duty and playing on special teams, but after starting cornerback Marco Wilson went down with a season-ending ACL injury, he started nine of the final 10 games at cornerback, though he mostly played safety in high school.

He finished the season with 26 tackles, a pick and six passes defended. With Wilson back in 2019, Dean started just six games as a sophomore (though he played in all 13). He saw action mostly at cornerback and the STAR position, totaling 26 tackles (3.5 for loss), two sacks, a pick and a forced fumble.

He saw perhaps the smallest role of his entire career as a junior in 2020. Though he appeared in 11 games after moving primarily to safety, he started just one game all season in the SEC Championship against Alabama. He notched a career-high in tackles with 34 and forced another fumble, but he only had one interception (also against the Crimson Tide) and he didn’t break up any passes. Back for his senior year, Dean will likely begin the 2021 season as a starter at safety with a chance to be one of the leaders of a young secondary outside of Kaiir Elam.

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