Gators TE Arlis Boardingham Tabbed SEC Co-Freshman of the Week

It was a coming-out party in The Swamp for the Van Nuys, Calif., native.

Redshirt freshman tight end Arlis Boardingham has earned SEC Co-Freshman of the Week honors following his breakout performance against the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday afternoon.

He accounted for seven receptions, 99 yards and two touchdowns on the afternoon to elevate offense en route to a 38-14 Gators victory.

🏈 WK6 | SEC Football Player of the Week

CO-FRESHMAN: Arlis Boardingham@GatorsFB x #SECFB pic.twitter.com/mEkz1FofdI
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) October 9, 2023

After dealing with injury a season ago, Boardingham has emerged as the Gators starting H tight end in the last three games, a position designed to "usually extend out of the formation, create mismatches," said position coach Russ Callaway this offseason.

While he was utilized sparingly to begin the year, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound tight end took advantage of the opportunity he saw in Week 6 against Vanderbilt, a performance that marked his on-field arrival after undergoing the position change from wideout to tight end when he embarked on the collegiate level.

"He had a little bit of an injury last year that set back his development because all this tight end stuff was new, but we do think that this guy has a future," head coach Billy Napier said on Monday. "And it's good to see some of that. This guy, he's a good run-after-catch player. And I think he's a guy that's capable of running a full route tree. He can play inside and outside. Smart enough to handle it. I think he's learning the fundamentals of the position.

"For a freshman to be able to do what he did the other day, I think, is impressive."

He's accumulated 13 receptions for 150 yards and three trips to the end zone in the 2023 campaign.

The Gators have yearned for a viable pass-catching tight end to utilize out of 12 personnel since Billy Napier arrived in Gainesville in Dec. 2021. Bringing in four players at the position since he took over, UF saw him emerge as a legitimate option through the air for the first time on Saturday, with Boardingham showcasing his skillset as a mismatch weapon for the offense moving forward.

The redshirt freshman's outing led the offense to sustain its most balanced and efficient showing to date.

Florida will likely cling to Boardingham to supplement the team's rushing attack as a top choice for quarterback Graham Mertz, who found similar success through the air when targeting current Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson at Wisconsin, to kickstart the sputtering unit.

His first opportunity to compound his newfound production will come on the road against South Carolina in Week 7.

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