Dave Waters of Gators Breakdown sent out a tweet earlier this week that pointed out that this time last year we were talking about DJ Douglas Asa Turner were getting a ton of camp buzz, while Trikweze Bridges was almost forgotten about.
As the season unfolded, Turner was injured against Miami and never seen again; Douglas played poorly and was relegated to the bench, while Bridges wound up being one of the most crucial pieces on Florida's defense.
A year ago, fall camp reports praised Asa Turner and DJ Douglas, but they had little impact. Trikweze Bridges, despite less hype, proved better. While we discuss current events, untold stories remain for these Gators.
— David Waters - Gators Breakdown (@GatorDave_SEC) August 13, 2025
So it's with that in mind, as camp starts to wind down, that we try to project candidates who haven't gotten a ton of camp buzz publicly, but could wind up being crucial pieces on offense by the end of the season.
Tank Hawkins
The speedster didn't see much action last year despite getting good reviews from camp. This year, he has seemingly been overshadowed by the newcomers Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III.
But in case one needs a reminder, Hawkins ran 10.37 seconds in the 100-meter dash as a junior in high school.
And given all the knicks and dings that the wide receiver room has taken, that is a chance Hawkins will be needed this year.
If nothing else, he has also been in the running to be a returner in 2025 and could absolutely break one off if kicked to.
Amir Jackson
Florida's offense under Billy Napier loves tight ends. And while we don't believe that it best utilizes the roster for the Gators, it does create opportunities in the tight end room.
Both Hayden Hansen and Tony Livingston are respectable tight ends in their own right, but the Gators have yet to unleash the pass-catching threat of Amir Jackson.
In case we forgot, he was a top-100 overall prospect out of high school and could morph into a perfect intermediate threat for DJ Lagway this season.
Devon Manuel
If you are looking for a complete wildcard name that no one has talked about outside of his legal issue this summer, look at the transfer from Arkansas from last year.
What gets forgotten about Manuel is that he was a solid tackle for the Razorbacks when he came to Florida and most assumed when he first came to town out of the transfer portal that he would be a starter.
That never happened, but if Austin Barber gets hurt or Bryce Lovett struggles this year, don't rule out Manuel having a key role for Florida in 2025.