Florida football: Breaking down all 18 Gator receivers for the 2022 season

In our ongoing series, we are looking at every position group for Florida football. Previously we have taken a look at:rnrn Corners rnrn Safeties rnrn Inside Linebackers rnrn Outside Linebackers rnrn Defensive Line rnrn rn Florida football wide receivers rnThere are 18 wide receivers listed on the roster for Billy Napier and the Florida Gators. Obviously not all 18 guys are going to see the field this year, but with the departure of Jacob Copeland and Kemore Gamble, there is opportunity for guys to step up.rnrnWho might benefit from having Anthony Richardson at QB and who is in danger of being left behind? We take a look at all 18 guys that will call themselves Florida wide receivers.rnrn rnrn[nextslide teaser="%230%20Ja'Quavion%20Fraziars" /]rnrn rnrn rnrn rn Ja'Quavion Fraziars rnJa'Quavion Fraziars has seen the field consistently during his two seasons in Gainesville, though most of it has been on special teams.rnrnListed as a sophomore thanks to the bonus season due to Covid, the former 4-star, top 200 recruit in the class of 2020 is listed at 6-4, 212 pounds.rnrnHe is one of Florida's biggest receivers and has put on considerable weight since his listed high school weight of 195 pounds.rnrnWhen he has been on the field as a wide receiver, Fraziars has show a willingness to block that can be useful in the screen game.rnrnHe had two touchdown grabs last year. One was against Kentucky off a screen pass from seven yards away before diving into the endzone. The other was off a nice block-and-release for a wide open grab against Vanderbilt.rnrnOne would have to assume Fraziars is going to get a look this season given his size and versatility. Whether that translates to more targets and catches remains to be seen.rnrn rnrn[nextslide teaser="%231%20Ricky%20Pearsall" /]rnrn rnrn rnrn rn Ricky Pearsall rnThe former Arizona State wide receiver transferred to Florida in May and was drawing great reviews in the early days of training camp.rnrnThen he was hurt with a bone bruise in his foot.rnrnThe injury is not as severe as originally feared, but it does put a slight damper on what Gator fans were hoping for.rnrnListed at 6-1, 200 pounds, Pearsall had a productive season for the Sun Devils last year. He had 48 catches for 580 yards.rnrnThe former three-star prospect does have some speed and showcased that on a long catch-and-grab against UCLA last year.rnrnIs it SEC caliber speed? Probably not.rnrnAre Pac-12 defenses comparable to what he is about to face in the SEC? If we are being honest the answer is no.rnrnBut combined with his noted route running abilities, Pearsall should be a productive member if he can stay healthy.rnrn[nextslide teaser="%233%20Xzavier%20Henderson" /]rnrn rnrn rnrn rn Xzavier Henderson rnIf you are looking for legitimate SEC speed, Xzavier Henderson has it.rnrnListed at 6-3, 195 pounds, the former four-star, top 100 overall prospect in the class of 2020 was the state champ in the 400 meter dash in Florida in 2019.rnrnGiven the arm strength of Anthony Richardson compared to Emory Jones, Henderson might be the receiver that benefits the most from having Richardson at the helm. Jones consistently underthrew receivers and rarely hit guys in stride down the field.rnrnRichardson gives Henderson a much better chance to showcase his speed;.rnrnAfter two relatively quiet seasons in Gainesville, this year might be Henderson's chance to break out and provide Florida with a legit deep threat over the top.rnrn[nextslide teaser="%234%20Justin%20Shorter" /]rnrn rnrn rnrn rn Justin Shorter rnThe former Penn State man has quiet lived up the hype and the billing he had coming out of high school, but he is still a solid receiver Florida can count on.rnrnShorter was rated the number one overall wide receiver in the country in the high school class of 2018. After two years of minimal impact at Penn State he came to Florida in 2020.rnrnHe had another quiet year in 2020 before having his most productive season as a college player in 2021.rnrnShorter had 41 catches for 550 yards and three touchdowns last season.rnrnWith Jacob Copeland gone, Shorter is the man to step up this season and lead the wide receiver group. Given his size at 6-4, 223 pounds, a productive year will certainly place him on NFL draft boards.rnrn[nextslide teaser="%238%20Daejon%20Reynolds" /]rnrn rnrn rnrn rn Daejon Reynolds rnThere isn't much to say about Daejon Reynolds or reason to be excited just yet.rnrnListed at 6-2, 204 pounds, Reynolds has some decent size for the SEC but is overshadowed at the moment by bigger receivers.rnrnHe is a former four-star, top 300 prospect in the class of 2021 who was noted for his overall athleticism but seemed to lack top end speed and consistency catching the ball.rnrnReynolds certainly could be a special teams candidate this season as he continues to progress.rnrn rnrn[nextslide teaser="%2314%20Trent%20Whittemore" /]rnrn rnrn rnrn rn rn rn rn Trent Whittemore rnIn a wide receiver room filled with former four-star, top 200 guys, Trent Whittemore has defied the odds just to be in the conversation of Florida's receiver rotation.rnrnListed as the 794th overall prospect in 2019, Whittermore had 19 catches last year for 210 yards, the third highest among returning Florida recievers.rnrnWhittermore also had touchdown throws against LSU and against Missouri last season.rnrnHe doesn't have the top end speed to be a consistent down the field threat, but at 6-3, 206 pounds and fairly decent hands he can be a reliable blocker and target coming out of the slot.rnrn rnrn[nextslide teaser="%2322%20Kahleil%20Jackson" /]rnrn rnrn rnrn rn rn rn Kahleil Jackson rnAfter being listed as an athlete on Florida's roster the past two years, Kahleil Jackson is officially listed as a wide receiver for the 2022 season.rnrnJackson is a converted high school QB that had 66 touchdown passes in his high school career.rnrnHe has undergone a massive bulk up in Gainesville. Jackson was listed at 6-3, 185 pounds during his freshman year in 2020. He is now listed at 214 pounds, making him Florida's third heaviest WR out of the 18.rnrnJackson has only seen the field twice in his two years at Florida. But he comes from a bloodline of former Gators that make him an intriguing prospect.rnrnHis grandfather, Willie Jackson Sr., was one of the first African-American players on scholarship for Florida. His father, Willie Jackson Jr., played for Florida in the 90s.rnrn rnrn[nextslide teaser="%2382%20Ja'Markis%20Weston" /]rnrn rnrn rnrn rn Ja'Markis Weston rnJa'Markis Weston is a former three-star prospect out of Clewiston, FL.rnrnListed at 6-3, 212 pounds, Weston has seen game action in 17 games, mostly on special teams.rnrnHe has seen some time at receiver and caught a touchdown last year against Samford.rnrnWeston is certainly higher up the totem pole compared to others and if injuries take hold might be a guy that Florida looks to. He will probably be fighting it out with Fraizers and Jackson to be Florida's 5th wide receiver.rnrnHe has the size to be an SEC receiver it's just a matter if he has the speed and hands to put it all together.rnrn[nextslide teaser="%2386%20Jordan%20Pouncey" /]rnrn rnrn rnrn rnrn rn Jordan Pouncey rnTo give you an idea of just how long Jordan Pouncey has been playing college football, when he announced his commitment to the University of Texas on February 1, 2017, Barack Obama had only been out of office for 11 days.rnrnThanks to the bonus Covid year, Pouncey will be entering his 6th season as a college football player. He spent three years in Austin, Texas where he didn't do much. the former three-star recruit opted to come home in 2020.rnrnPouncey is related to former Gator greats Maurkice and Mike Pouncey. He is second cousins with them.rnrnMostly a special teams player last season, Pouncey did get to start against Florida State. However, he has only caught one pass during his two seasons in Gainesville.rnrnIt's hard to see Pouncey being anything more than a special teams guy again this season. But by coming back for a 6th season it is obvious he loves being a Gator and can be a good influence in the locker room for the younger guys.rnrn[nextslide teaser="%2388%20Marcus%20Burke" /]rnrn rn Marcus Burke rnThe final wide receiver on scholarship for the Gators is former four-star recruit Marcus Burke.rnrnListed at 6-4, 183 pounds, Burke appeared in three games last year as a true freshman. He made his first career catch against South Carolina when he ran a skinny post down the middle and made a fairly decent catch in traffic for a 61 yards.rnrnGiven his length, his catch radius was his biggest strength coming out of high school. It was noted that Burke didn't have any verified times but his on field speed was solid.rnrnPerhaps the one concern for Burke is that he really hasn't put on any weight compared to his listed weight of 180 pounds from high school. Of the wide receivers on scholarship, he is the lightest. This may hamper his ability to see the field a ton this season because he can't really be relied on for blocking situations.rnrnBurke is a former top 200 prospect though and while he may not see the field much this year, it will still be interesting to track his progress as he will probably need to step up next year.rnrn rnrn[nextslide teaser="The%20walk-ons" /]rnrn rnrn rnrn rn Caleb Douglas rnCaleb Douglas is a true freshman out of Texas.rnrnHe was a three-star recruit credited with 984 yards for his high school team.rnrnListed at 6-3, 191 pounds it is doubtful that Douglas sees much of the field this season.rnrnDouglas does have experience in high school as a quarterback as well, so he could be a candidate for a trick play or two down the line.rn rn Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman rnThe journey Thai Chiaokhiao-Bowman has taken to get on campus in Gainesville has been quiet the long one.rnrnBowman was a lightly regarded prospect out of Minnesota in 2020, ranked as the 225th overall high school receiver.rnrnHe opted for a year of prep school in 2021 and was then enrolled at Independence Community College (the same one from Last Chance U).rnrnChiaokhiao-Bowman never actually played a down from ICC, but was still considered the 10th best JUCO WR before he enrolled at Florida in June.rnrnListed at 6-0, 191 pounds it's doubtful he see much playing time this season.rnrn rn Alex Gonzalez rnAlex Gonzalez is a walk-on at Florida that will probably need to be a modern day Rudy in order to see any playing time.rnrnA zero-star prospect listed at 5-10, 188 pounds, Gonzalez was also looked at by Minnesota and Wisconsin before he opted to come to Florida.rnrnGonzalez did run track in high school, but his times were not anything special. He had a PR in the 100 meter dash of 11.46.rnrn rn Taylor Spierto rnTaylor Spierto is a walk-on out of Tennessee that was a zero-star prospect in the class of 2021.rnrnListed at 5-11, 205 pounds, there is very little known about Spierto.rnrnEven Florida's website has zero information about his high school career.rnrnSpierto is probably a special team guy at best for Florida.rnrn rn Daniel Cross rnDaniel Cross has been with Florida since 2018 and has appeared once on the field (2018 vs Idaho).rnrnListed at 6-0, 178 pounds, the ceiling for Cross isn't particularly high.rnrnLike most walk-ons, Cross was a zero-star prospect out of Orlando.rnrnTo his credit he has been named to the SEC Academic Honor-Roll three times.rnrn rn Justin Curtis rnAmong the walk-ons for Florida, Justin Curtis might have one of the better chances to see the field.rnrnWhile listed on the smaller end at 5-11, 189 pounds, Curtis did play for FCS level Stetson University for the past four years and was the 2nd leading receiver at Stetson in 2019.rnrnCurtis is a former QB for Lakewood Ranch High, where he ran mostly a triple-option scheme. He also played baseball.rnrnCurtis could certainly make it as a special teams guy.rnrn rn Zak Sedaros rnZak Sedaros at least has legit track speed and is a member of the Gators' track and field team.rnrnListed at 5-11, 180 pounds, Sedaros ran a slightly wind-aided time (2.1) of 10.45 in the 100 meter dash as a senior at Viera High in 2021.rnrnHis freshman year with Florida track was a slight step backwards, as he failed to match his personal bests from high school.rnrnGiven Sedaros was a zero-star football prospect, it is unlikely he gets any playing time. But his verified track speed at least makes him an intriguing option among the walk-ons.

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Florida football: All 18 wide receivers for 2022

Florida football wide receivers

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