If one were looking for an early warning sign that perhaps there was trouble in paradise at Florida during the Billy Napier Era, Caleb Douglas might be a good place to start. The former three-star wide receiver was one of Napier’s first offers and commitments, and it seemed like Napier had potentially found a diamond in the rough. But then, after two years, dampened in part by injuries, Douglas transferred after the 2023 season to Texas Tech.
That gamble paid off for Douglas as he was selected in the third round of the NFL Draft by Miami on Friday night.
Former Gator Caleb Douglas gets drafted in the third round
Douglas flashed a few times his freshman year and had ten catches for 175 yards and two touchdowns. His strongest outing was his three catches for 53 yards against South Carolina.
Heading into 2023, it felt like Douglas would be a candidate to get used more and potentially break out and he opened the season with four catches for 42 yards to open the season against Utah. But for whatever reason, Napier and crew just never seemed interested in making Douglas a focal point of the offense, and he was targeted a total of ten times over Florida's next four games. Douglas broke his leg against Kentucky after a 34-yard reception, and he missed the rest of the year.
Once healthy, Douglas saw the writing on the wall with Napier’s offense, and he opted to transfer to Texas Tech.
Once in Lubbock, Douglas thrived and had back-to-back seasons of over 50 catches and over 800 yards. He was a key cog in the offense for the Red Raiders, who made the playoffs this past season after winning the Big 12 title.
Douglas went No. 75 overall to Miami, which was higher than he was projected. But Douglas ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and when mixed with his massive catch radius, it made him a worthy gamble for Miami to go up and get.
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