![Florida Gators wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (1) makes a one-handed catch for a first down during the first half against the Charlotte 49ers at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 23, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_5355,h_3012/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/213/01js6zfdg17j96q75ktr.jpg "Florida Gators wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (1) makes a one-handed catch for a first down during the first half against the Charlotte 49ers at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, September 23, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]")
The spring transfer portal is open for business, but so far the Florida Gators have stayed quiet in their pursuit to add to their 2025 roster. The Gators are linked to safety Zaquan Patterson out of Miami, but beyond that Billy Napier and crew don't seem too interested in making any further additions.
The spring portal is often littered with guys who simply got beat out in the spring, but if you dig enough, you will find some gems.
Here is who Florida has added the past five years from the spring transfer portal and how they panned out.
Spring transfer portal additions for Florida Football
2024
- Cormani McClain
- Elijhah Badger
- Jason Zandamela
- Alfonzo Allen
- Caleb Rillos
Last year was the most active the Gators have ever been in the spring portal since its inception. The Gators added five players out of the portal, all with varying levels of success.
The headliner was Badger, who emerged as a top weapon for DJ Lagway down the stretch. McClain saw minimal action despite his five-star pedigree, but there is still hope he will emerge as a starter in 2025.
Zandamela was a former top-rated prospect along the offensive line, and if Florida can develop him, he will wind up being a huge add. Allen and Rillos were depth pieces that weren't used in 2024.
2023
- RJ Moten
- Lyndell Hudson
There was hope that Moten would be able to fill in as a starting safety when he came over from Michigan. He started against Utah in the opener in 2023, was burned on the first play of the game for a 70-yard TD, and was relegated to being a rotational player for the remainder of his time in Gainesville.
Likewise, Hudson saw mostly rotational work in 2023 along the offensive line.
2022
- Ricky Pearsall
Probably the most successful spring transfer portal pickup the Gators have made, Pearsall came to Florida as a shifty wide receiver from Arizona State who had yet to fully break out.
Two years later in Gainesville he morphed into a first-round pick in the NFL Draft and will be a key cog for the San Francisco 49ers in 2025.
2021
- Jadarrius Perkins
After coming to Florida from Mississippi Gulf Coast, Perkins saw a good amount of snaps throughout the 2021 and 2022 campaigns and had 39 total tackles between those two seasons.
However, following the 2023 loss against Utah, Perkins stepped away from the team and eventually hit the transfer portal and wound up at Toledo.
2020
- Lorenzo Lingard
- Stewart Reese
Resse came over from Mississippi State and immediately had a starting role along the offensive line for both 2020 and 2021. He ended up starting in 22 games over his two seasons in Gainesville.
After transferring from Miami, Lingard was just never able to break through the running back rotation in three years in Gainesville. He had 26 total carries over three seasons before he transferred to Akron in 2023.