Spring practice is rolling along for Florida Football as Billy Napier and crew is trying to figure out who they can depend on for the 2025 campaign.
There are some players on the roster who are well established, and we know what to expect from them. There are some others who have the potential to be stars but also have the potential to be bench warmers by the end of the season.
With that in mind, here are the five biggest boom or bust players for the Gators ahead of the 2025 season.
Aidan Mizell
Mizell came to Florida with speed, accolades, and pedigree. Yet, two years into his Gator career, he has yet to establish himself as a mainstay in the rotation.
He has shown flashes of what he can do, and one could argue one of the reasons Florida didn't go harder in the transfer portal for a second wide receiver is that they believe Mizell will have a huge year in 2025. He has all the tools to bust out and have 500+ yards in 2025.
But we haven't been able to get past the fact that Mizell was losing out on snaps to Marcus Burke by the end of the season. If that was a ploy to keep Burke happy, it didn't work, and it meant Florida was prioritizing snaps to a guy whose best option in the transfer portal was 4-8 UCF.
J.Michael Sturdivant
The lone receiver Florida did grab out of the transfer portal is the definition of boom or bust heading into 2025. Even more so than Mizell, Sturdivant has had some massive flashes during his time in college, and based on his highlights alone, one would assume he was a 1,000-yard receiver in 2024.
He caught 315 yards in 2024 and had one of the worst yards per route run in the country in 2024.
It's not like his QB was Aidan Warner, as Ethan Garbers had over 2,700 yards with a 64% completion rate.
Already in camp, he has had some flashes and looks like a guy when paired with Lagway, who has a ceiling of 1,000 yards.
Boom or bust, indeed.
LJ McCray
For all the hype train that has surrounded DJ Lagway, Florida's other five-star from the class of 2024 never quite got the same headlines last year. He took 181 snaps last year with minimal impact.
He still has all the tools to emerge, and given the departures of some other members along the defensive line, he will get more than his fair share of chances to be a wrecking ball in 2025.
Cormani McClain
Speaking of former five-stars, McClain continues to be in the picture and continues to have his name pop up as someone getting extended reps during spring camp.
McClain has yet to live up to his five-star billing in two years of college football. After a not-so-great year in Colorado, McClain transferred to Florida, where he saw some action but not a ton.
The biggest thing with McClain is that he's up to 182 pounds and looks like an actual SEC defensive back.
Amir Jackson
Jackson was a top 100 overall prospect in the class of 2024 who redshirted last season. Given how much Florida likes to field their tight ends, combined with the departure of Arlis Boardingham, there should be opportunities for Jackson to make an impact.
Jackson had a better star rating than Kyle Pitts coming out of high school. Whether or not he emerges this year to become the Pitts remains to be seen.