Florida football: Top five performers against Florida State

4. Freddie Swain

Regardless of how he would perform against the Seminoles on Saturday night, 2019 was already the best season of Freddie Swain’s collegiate career.

Prior to the 2019 season, Swain had collected only 30 receptions in his first three years for a total of 476 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. A remnant of former Florida head coach Jim McElwain’s first true recruiting class, the senior from Ocala is arguably Florida’s most underrated playmaker.

In 10 of the prior 11 games he appeared in, Swain showcased his talents to fans and potential NFL scouts by hauling in 30 receptions for 432 yards and five touchdowns. He has also been one of Florida’s best blockers at the receiver position in 2019, despite weighing in at just under 200 pounds.

Playing in his 19th and final game inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Swain had a memorable performance for his home swan song.

On the game’s first drive, Swain caught three passes for 32 yards. This included a 19-yard touchdown on a tunnel-screen route commonly called upon by head coach Dan Mullen.

Two Florida drives later, Swain would cap off an 85-yard drive with his second touchdown of the evening. Catching a pass from quarterback Kyle Trask four yards behind the line of scrimmage, Swain used his quickness to break past two Florida State defenders near the 23-yard line to scamper near the endzone. From there, he showed off Florida’s improved strength and conditioning program by bulldozing past safety Akeem Dent to deliver the Gators a 20-7 lead.

Swain finished Saturday night’s game with 62 receiving yards off five catches. This marked the fourth time in his Florida career that he finished a game with at least four catches. It was also the first time that Swain recorded multiple receiving touchdowns in a single collegiate game, acting as the cherry on top of what has been a nearly perfect senior season.