Six Florida Gators Named to 2023 Senior Bowl Watch List

Could the Gators be represented at the Senior Bowl for the fourth year in a row?

Photo: Richard Gouraige; Credit: Zach Goodall

Florida Gators wide receiver Justin Shorter, offensive tackle Richard Gouraige, guard O’Cyrus Torrence, outside linebacker Brenton Cox Jr., inside linebacker Ventrell Miller and safety Trey Dean III were all named to the 2023 Senior Bowl watch list on Wednesday.

The Senior Bowl invites roughly 100 seniors/graduated players per year to Mobile, Ala. to compete in practice and an all-star game run by NFL coaching staff and front office personnel, offering prospects a final chance to showcase their skills in pads in front of pro decision-makers as they aspire to reach the next level. 

Should any of the six players on the watch list officially earn an invite to the Senior Bowl, it will make the fourth year in a row that Florida will be represented in the annual all-star game.

Shorter, a fifth-year redshirt junior, was Florida's second-leading receiver in 2021 with 41 receptions for 550 yards and three touchdowns. He is expected to start for a second consecutive season, although his snap counts will be interesting to monitor considering the team's expected increase in 12-personnel usage as well as Ricky Pearsall's addition to the receiver room.

Gouraige and Torrence's inclusion comes as little surprise — the former has been one of Florida's top-performing starting linemen over the last two and a half seasons, while Torrence was named to the Associated Press Preseason All-American second team earlier this week, following his offseason transfer from Louisiana.

Cox, Miller and Dean round out Florida's members of the Senior Bowl watch list, splitting the group evenly into three offensive and three defensive players. Cox had a breakout year for Florida in 2021 despite playing through the recovery of a Jones fracture, posting 8.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. 

Miller and Dean were named to the 2022 Senior Bowl watch list a year ago, although both players elected to return to UF this season as super seniors, with Miller entering his sixth campaign at Florida after missing the majority of 2021 with an injury.

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