Florida's wide receiver room is in shambles heading into Saturday night's contest against Kentucky. With Eugene Wilson III listed as out, the Gators are also for sure going to be without Dallas Wilson, and Vernell Brown III and Aidan Mizell are listed as questionable after both sat out against Georgia.
As Billy Gonzales is forced to move down his depth chart, there is one player we have petitioned for in the past who might finally get thrust into action and who could be the X-factor for Florida on Saturday.
Tank Hawkins might get his big break
If you don't follow recruiting and don't pay close attention to receivers at the bottom of the depth chart, just know that Tank Hawkins is fast.
Like legit track speed fast.
When he was a junior in high school, he ran 10.37 seconds for the 100-meter dash, and there is a pathway where he could have been on Florida's track team rather than its football team.
But since he has arrived in Gainesville, we have seen very little of Hawkins on the field. Even those behind-the-scenes practice reports indicate he has done well at times, Hawkins has just 132 total snaps over the past two seasons, and has just 12 catches for 116 yards.
Yet there was one play last week against Georgia that highlights the hope Florida fans are going to need if Hawkins does get an extended run on Saturday. Right after Dallas Wilson had gone out, Hawkins was inserted and found himself wide open down the seam. It's one of the throws DJ Lagway would have liked back because if he had hit Hawkins, it would have been a touchdown.
Hawkins is on the smaller side at 5'9" and it's not like he was a can't miss prospect coming out of high school.
But if Billy Gonzales has any creativity to him, we would have to imagine that he has ways to get Hawkins open. And if everyone else is hurt on Saturday, Gonzales might not have a choice but to hope for a breakout performance from Hawkins.