Tag: Trent Whittemore

Former Florida wide receiver stays in-state, transfers to UCF

Florida wide receiver Trent Whittemore is transferring to the University of Central Florida after four years with the program.

After four years with the Florida Gators, wide receiver [autotag]Trent Whittemore[/autotag] is transferring to the University of Central Florida to play for the Knights. He’ll have two years of eligibility remaining once he arrives in Orlando.

Whittemore is a hometown guy that played for Buchholz in high school before signing with Florida in 2019. He played several positions as a prep athlete but showed promise at receiver once reaching the collegiate level. Whittemore got chances to work at the slot in 2020 and 2021, but he never really found a spot in [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s offense once the new coaching staff took over.

He leaves Florida with 425 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns on 33 receptions through 29 games. Whittemore also threw two touchdowns and completed three of four passes for 41 yards in 2021.

At one point, Whittemore and his brother planned to reunite in the Swamp in 2022, but Creed — a three-star athlete in the class of 2023 — is now signed to Mississippi State and Trent is headed south to join UCF in its first Power Five season.

Florida has a bit of a receiver problem after losing several pass-catchers to the transfer portal and NFL draft. That problem could get even tougher if [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] opts to go pro, but he is still undecided at publishing time.

[autotag]Xavier Henderson[/autotag] is experienced out wide, but [autotag]Caleb Douglas[/autotag] might be the next best option if the Gators don’t add anyone through the transfer portal. The Gators do have a trio of incoming receivers that could fight for significant playing time as well.

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Florida WR Trent Whittemore announces transfer plans

Trent Whittemore announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Monday after receiving minimal playing time at Florida this season.

Florida wide receiver [autotag]Trent Whittemore[/autotag] announced his decision to enter the transfer portal on Monday on Twitter.

Whittemore won’t be able to officially enter the portal until Dec. 5, but it’s not unusual for players to leave the team early in anticipation of the move. It helps keep their bodies healthy, which is a smart move for someone like Whittemore who has seen his snaps decrease significantly from year-to-year.

A Gainesville native, Whittemore played for his father at Bucholz High School before signing with the Gators. He redshirted after playing in two games his freshman year and suffered a broken rib/punctured lung during his sophomore campaign (the 2020 season was shortened by COVID as well). Whittemore’s junior year finally saw him healthy and productive in the Gators’ offense, but the coaching change seemed to leave without a defined role on the team.

[autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] transferred to Florida and took over the slot position that Whittemore was expected to compete for. Whittemore’s 27 snaps played on the season pale in comparison to Pearsall’s 228, so it’s easy to understand the decision to transfer.

Another factor that may have contributed to the decision, or vice-versa, is Whittemore’s younger brother decommitting from UF. [autotag]Creed Whittemore[/autotag], who plays all over the field at Bucholz, backed off his pledge to the Gators following Florida’s loss to LSU in October.

Creed Whittemore ended up flipping his commitment to Mississippi State, so that could be a possible landing spot for his older brother.

Billy Napier said from day one that attrition was expected with this team, and we’re starting to see exactly that. Expect more familiar names to enter the portal in the next month or so.

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Gators lose commitment from local WR recruit following LSU loss

Florida has one of the best incoming receiver classes in the country under commitment, but one player just backed off their pledge.

Florida lost its first commitment of the 2023 cycle on Sunday. Three-star athlete [autotag]Creed Whittemore[/autotag], the brother UF wide receiver [autotag]Trent Whittemore[/autotag], backed off his verbal pledge via a post on Twitter.

Whittemore’s decommitment comes the day after Florida’s 45-35 loss to LSU. The loss probably didn’t help, but Whittemore’s been looking at options for a bit. He’s coming off an official visit to Mississippi State and holds offers from Penn State, Miami and UCF among others. It doesn’t seem like Florida has a shot to get him back with a deep wide receiver class already locked down. It’s possible that a crowded room contributed to Whittemore’s decision too.

Florida has a trio of incoming four-star receivers under verbal commitment. [autotag]Aidan Mizell[/autotag], an Orlando area speedster ranked in the top 100 on the 247Sports composite, leads the group. [autotag]Eugene Wilson III[/autotag] and [autotag]Andy Jean[/autotag] are the other four-star receivers coming to Gainesville next year. [autotag]Tyree Patterson[/autotag], who is rated as a three-star recruit but has had some monster games during his senior year, rounds out the group.

Losing Whittemore hurts the team, but Florida’s got plenty of talent to fall back on. Hopefully, the decommitment does create a domino effect for the Gators. UF is still ranked No. 8 in the 2023 cycle by On3 and 247Sports, but another decommitment could change that.

Whittemore is ranked No. 432 overall on the 247Sports composite and is No. 28 among athletes, but the site’s individual rankings are a bit more bullish on him. The Top247 has him at No. 171 nationally and No. 12 among athletes. He should get a decent amount of attention now that he’s opened things back up.

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Florida updates depth chart ahead of Week 2 matchup with Kentucky

Florida’s week two depth chart looks pretty similar to what Billy Napier submitted ahead of the Utah game, but there are a few key changes that could make a difference on Saturday.

Florida football released its Week 2 depth chart on Wednesday, and [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has made very few changes following an upset win over then No. 7 Utah.

Long snapper [autotag]Marco Ortiz[/autotag] joined the injury report this week and is one of five Gators out for Saturday’s contest against Kentucky. Replacing him is [autotag]Rocco Underwood[/autotag], and [autotag]Chase Whitfield[/autotag] is the backup. Other than that, Florida stayed relatively healthy through week one and returns all offensive and defensive starters for Week 2.

The one addition to the depth chart is running back [autotag]Lorenzo Lingard[/autotag] in the fourth-string spot behind [autotag]Nay’Quan Wright[/autotag], [autotag]Montrell Johnson Jr[/autotag]. and [autotag]Trevor Etienne[/autotag]. He didn’t receive a carry after being left off the Week 1 chart, but was back in the gym the night of the victory. This could be a sign that he’ll be in the mix this week against the Wildcats.

Another minor change worth noting is [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] has lone possession of the starting slot receiver spot. [autotag]Trent Whittemore[/autotag] previously received an “OR” designation, but Pearsall was Richardson’s favorite target in Week 1 and is the clear No. 1 there.

Cornerback [autotag]Jaydon Hill[/autotag] could be coming off the injury report in the next few weeks. Napier said he returned to practice and is expected to be back soon.

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2022 Florida Football Season Preview: Wide Receivers

Let’s take a look at Florida’s options at receiver for the 2022 season. Behind Justin Shorter and Xzavier Henderson, who else can we expect to contribute?

As we move through our position-by-position breakdown of the 2022 Florida Gators fall roster, one of the bigger question marks on offense is the wide receiver room.

Florida lost three of its top five pass catchers from last season during the offseason, leaving [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag] and [autotag]Xzavier Henderson[/autotag] as the presumed starting tandem out wide and [autotag]Trent Whittemore[/autotag] as the natural successor to [autotag]Rick Wells[/autotag] in the slot. Transfer [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] was brought in via the transfer portal and should be a valuable asset as well.

These are the four players expected to make an impact at the receiver position in 2022 for the Gators, but there’s always room for someone to break through with 18 players in the position room. The top of the depth chart here is pretty thin, so the backup spots are almost all up for grabs at this point.

Here’s a look at all the wide receivers listed on the 2022 Florida Gators’ fall roster.

See also:

2023 Florida Football Season Preview: Quarterbacks

2023 Florida Football Season Preview: Running backs

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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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 earns commitment from this former Arizona State wide receiver

Former Arizona State wide receiver Ricky Pearsall committed to Florida over Oregon on Saturday.

Florida head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] said during spring football that the wide receiver room lacked depth. On Saturday, he landed a talented player from the NCAA transfer portal for his unit that will provide some star power and depth. Former Arizona State wide receiver [autotag]Ricky Pearsall[/autotag] announced his commitment to the Gators via Twitter.

Pearsall chose Florida over Oregon. He recently took an official visit to the Swamp from April 29 to May 1, during which he relished his time with Napier and wide receiver coach [autotag]Keary Colbert[/autotag]. Pearsall also told Swamp247 that he was able to spend some time around quarterback [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag].

He was the Sun Devils’ leading receiver last year when he recorded 48 receptions, 580 yards and four touchdowns as a third-year sophomore. Before he entered the portal, the Arizona State coaching staff was expecting a big year from its former three-star wideout.

Pearsall should immediately become one of Florida’s top four receivers along with [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag], [autotag]Xzavier Henderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Trent Whittemore[/autotag].

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Florida soars up 247Sports team recruiting rankings after landing two pledges

Florida soared up the 247Sports team recruiting rankings after landing two commits from four-stars Knijeah Harris and Creed Whittemore.

Florida football and head coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] had quite a great Saturday. They landed two commits from four-star offensive tackle [autotag]Knijeah Harris[/autotag] and four-star athlete [autotag]Creed Whittemore[/autotag], the younger brother of current receiver [autotag]Trent Whittemore[/autotag]. UF entered Saturday at No. 53 in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings but emerged at No. 34 after the commitments.

They currently hold four verbal commitments in their 2023 recruiting class from Harris, Whittemore as well as four-star athlete [autotag]Aaron Gates[/autotag] and three-star wide receiver [autotag]Tyree Patterson[/autotag]. Florida currently sits just behind the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Gators fans shouldn’t panic at their team ranking just yet because it is still just May and realize their team only has four pledges. Looking at all the teams ahead of Florida, the Crimson Tide is the only program to hold fewer commits with three while LSU, Clemson and Oklahoma have four, too.

If fans want to make judgments about the Gators’ class, they should look at the average recruits’ ranking, which sits at 88.82. That number currently ranks 16th best out of all the programs ahead of them.

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Billy Napier not concerned about quarterback inconsistency so far

Florida head coach Billy Napier doesn’t seem too overly concerned about the quarterbacks inconsistency so far this spring.

The way Florida has conducted spring practices has been a breath of fresh air as the team has allowed the media to observe portions of practices after not allowing any access over the past couple of seasons. One concern the media has developed about Florida is the inconsistency at quarterback.

The media has observed quarterbacks [autotag]Anthony Richardson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jack Miller[/autotag] make some brilliant plays but have also watched them miss some easy throws and reads so far this spring. They asked Napier about his level of concern with his quarterbacks after the team’s second scrimmage this spring and he didn’t seem overly concerned and pointed to other positions around the quarterbacks.

“Overall, I didn’t think it was bad,” Napier said of the passing game in the second scrimmage. “Sometimes we evaluate the quarterback and if the ball’s moving and we’re scoring we think the quarterback’s doing great. But in reality a lot of times, quarterback play is dependent on the players around him.”

This makes sense considering the question marks about the Gators receiving corps. They can rely on [autotag]Justin Shorter[/autotag], [autotag]Trent Whittemore[/autotag] and [autotag]Xzavier Henderson[/autotag] but need other receivers to emerge.

Napier said they need other wideouts to step up, so they can have reliable depth. He added that this applies to the rest of the team, too.

“I think the team as a whole lacks depth,” he said. “We need more players as a whole that do their job consistently and play winning football. The receiver position is much like every position on the team. We have a good group of ones and a couple twos we can put in the game, but after that we have to prove more.”

However, the running back group has been a bright spot for the Gators and Napier. Louisana transfer [autotag]Montrell Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Lorenzo Lingard[/autotag] have had a strong spring. The offensive line is now starting to win up front more than they did earlier this spring.

Life should become much easier for the quarterback if Florida can find some more playmakers at receiver.

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