Fenley Graham Has Been a ‘Joy to Have’ Says Gators WR Coach Keary Colbert
Photo: Finley Graham; Credit: Florida Communications
It's been noted that Fenley Graham's transition to the wide receiver position has gone smoothly, and when speaking with reporters last week receivers coach Keary Colbert provided an update on his transition, noting Graham's transition happened quickly and actually started as a joke before getting serious.
"When I first got here, he was in the defensive backs room, but he would jokingly tell me that he played offense in high school and that ‘I can return,’" Colbert said. "So the next thing I know — a couple weeks later, our maybe a month — we actually started talking about making the move.
"He’s been a joy to have in the room and I’m excited for what he’s been doing, for sure.”
Graham's quick transition from the defensive back position to WR is something that could greatly benefit the room at Florida. While the team does have bigger receivers who can run, they don't have a guy that's quite as quick and shifty as Graham.
Now, they'll be able to utilize him as more of a playmaker just on the offensive side of the football.
“He’s an athlete and a lot of these guys played both ways in high school or their entire life," Colbert noted. Graham played both receiver and CB at Lakeland (Fla) in high school, able to utilize his athleticism on both sides of the ball.
This isn't foreign to him, and it's basically like riding a bike, Colbert added.
"Yes, he’s been in the defensive back room and backpedaling and stuff, but when you’ve got natural good athletes like Fenley, they can transition over and it’s like riding a bike. They get back into the groove of running routes and he’s been doing a good job go adjusting.”
Florida isn't just utilizing Graham as a player who can catch some passes, the team is also giving him an opportunity to return kicks, something the previous staff failed to do during his first two years on campus. Still, Graham remains locked in and focused at receiver, impressing his coach as the days move forward.
“He’s been doing pretty good, working hard, trying to get adjusted to the playbook, being a defensive player a year ago," Colbert said. "He’s trying to do all the little things right, working hard every day, and we’re excited to have him on this side of the ball.”
The Florida WR group will be intriguing to watch moving forward. It's a group that, Colbert says is dedicated to playing hard and doing the right things. Now, they have to simply get used to the new offense and system so they'll be able to play freely on Saturdays.
"It’s a new system for them — just trying to perfect it and make their plays when they get the opportunity. I’ll say this: They’re supporting one another, they’re flying around and I’m encouraged by that."
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