This Florida football transfer faces a ‘prove-it’ year in 2021

While many five-star recruits live up to their expected level of play as soon as they step on the field for the first time in college, others never develop into the player their school hoped they would when they were signed. These prospects can differ in many ways, but there’s one thing they all have in common: an elite degree of talent.

You have to flash tremendous ability in high school to receive that honor, and that’s why you can never count a former five-star out, even one who has been disappointing.

There are a number of guys like that in college football this season, and one of those players is UF receiver Justin Shorter. The former five-star Penn State recruit had just 15 catches for 157 yards in two years with the Nittany Lions, and after transferring to Florida last season, he was still overshadowed in the passing game, though he finished with career-highs in receptions (25), yards (268) and touchdowns (three).

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He’s one of the former five-star recruits facing a “prove-it” season, according to 247Sports’ Chris Hummer.

247Sports Composite Rank: No. 8 in 2018 class

If there were ever going to be a breakout season for Shorter, it’d be this one. The former No. 1 overall receiver in the 2018 class will have every opportunity to make plays this year. With Kyle Pitts, Kadarius Toney and Trevon Grimes off to the NFL, Florida’s top three pass catchers depart, leaving Shorter and Jacob Copeland as the only receivers to earn 20-plus targets a year ago. Copeland projects as a steady WR1 for Florida. But it’s Shorter, with his elite physical tools and ability to stretch the field vertically, who has the potential to become a game-breaker.

He’ll need to take major steps to do so. Despite Shorter’s imposing size (6-foot-5, 225 pounds) he ranked just ninth on the team in average yards after catch, per PFF College, forcing just three missed tackles all year. Shorter also occasionally struggled with drops.

Yet there are signs of hope for Shorter. He ranked third on the team in average yards run per route behind Toney and Pitts, and Shorter is also an excellent run blocker, which will be huge with a quarterback like Emory Jones taking over under center. With a little more consistency and a bit more explosion in the open field, Shorter still has the potential to be a top-tier receiver in the SEC. One thing is for sure: He’s in an offense that will provide him every opportunity.

Shorter has a big-time chance to break out this season. As Hummer mentions, UF’s top-three pass-catchers from a year ago are gone, and Shorter should become a starter on the outside in 2021. Though coach Dan Mullen would certainly love to see more YAC from the big-bodied target, he did demonstrate some impressive ball skills this season.

This pass and catch from Kyle Trask and Justin Shorter was phenomenal pic.twitter.com/MO5tGU5OhL

— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) November 15, 2020

Alongside Copeland, he should be a favorite target of Emory Jones in 2021, and though Shorter hasn’t lived up to his five-star billing to this point, he has the potential to be a centerpiece in Florida’s offense.

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