Florida football: Arlis Boardingham primed to breakout this fall with Gators

Florida football is in need of some new faces to break out and shine this fall in order for the Gators to exceed the somber expectations around the program.

We know about their pair of running backs and freshman wideouts, but Florida could be getting a boost from a new guy at tight end.

Arlis Boardingham, a redshirt freshman from Van Nuys, California, is poised to be one of Graham Mertz’s best pass-catching options and make his name known this fall.

So far in camp, he’s been showing what he can do, and soon the rest of the SEC will know as well.

Florida football: Rising fast

Billy Napier has talked a lot about the youth in the tight end room and the need for young guys to step up in order for the group to be effective.

The leader of the room is going to be Keon Zipperer, one of three upperclassmen at that position. But you need depth in college football, and it seems like Boardingham is more than prepared to provide that depth.

Arlis was a 4-star recruit in the class of 2022 but only saw action in the Gators’ bowl game against Oregon State, where he didn’t make any catches.

Boardingham is looking to see meaningful snaps in every game this year and has certainly looked the part so far in camp.

The Gators’ offense is going to be relatively compact this year. What I mean by that is it will be ground-heavy, and won’t feature much downfield passing.

Having Arlis, who stands at 6’3”-245, will make that short, quick passing game even easier for Mertz. He’ll also be a reliable red-zone target to finish off drives.

I should have included it in my bold prediction piece, but I expect Arlis to not only emerge as the Gators’ best tight end but to also make his name known as one of the biggest threats at TE in the conference.

It will be that kind of year for him.