Five Gators Freshmen Who Could Make an Immediate Impact

Photo: Kelby Collins; Credit: Alex Shepherd

Florida’s vastly reconstructed its roster since Billy Napier’s arrival in Gainesville.

Compiling a mixture of talent from the high school level and transfer market, the 2022 season saw several new faces contribute at a high level for the Gators at nearly every position. Running back Trevor Etienne, running back Montrell Johnson, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, offensive guard O’Cyrus Torrence and linebacker Shemar James stood out as talent to assume large roles for the unit.

It aided the UF squad to witness the success — albeit limited — it saw in Napier’s first campaign, and newly acquired pieces will be crucial yet again in 2023.

While several transfer additions will make immediate waves, there are a slew of freshmen that are expected to emerge quickly into high-volume roles.

Who are the five best candidates to assume those responsibilities?

WR Andy Jean

Of all the incoming freshmen, none have garnered quite the expectations as Miami (Fla.) pass catcher Andy Jean.

Highlighting an explosive wide receiver class brought in by former position coach Keary Colbert, Jean possesses the height, length, speed and route running prowess to serve as a high-floor, high-ceiling boundary weapon for Florida throughout his career.

Despite sitting as an underrated prospect in 2023, Jean impressed immensely during spring camp, garnering praise as a future star in orange and blue.

At his peak, Jean has the potential to emerge as a top receiving option for the Gators in 2023 and beyond. The exit of Xzavier Henderson post-spring aids that possibility for the young, but already polished, talent to see the field early and often.

The starting X-receiver spot is open for the taking entering the summer and fall practice regimens and Jean positions as a top option to assume that role.

S Jordan Castell

The safety spot is young and inexperienced following the departures of Trey Dean III and Rashad Torrence II to the NFL.

As a result, freshmen Jordan Castell and Bryce Thornton are projected to see early time in their Florida careers as backups in the third-level.

However, between the two, Castell is equipped with the bodily makeup, standing 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, and skillset to provide the immediate relief UF seeks.

Despite adding former Michigan safety RJ Moten to the mix, Castell will still vie for rotational reps with expected starters Miguel Mitchell and Kamari Wilson.

Possessing impeccable length and ball skills that allowed him to shine as one of the Sunshine State’s top secondary prospects in his senior year, the former West Orange standout has the intangibles to supplement Florida’s increasingly aggressive defensive attack. He’ll likely do so in a hybrid role — bouncing between free safety and strong safety — in an attempt to take advantage of his impressive range while simultaneously using his size to instill fear in opposing offenses attempting to work the ball underneath.

If the Gators defense is able to realize the immense turnaround it expects under new defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong in the upcoming year, Castell’s contributions will be a major asset to that endeavor.

EDGE Kelby Collins

Florida’s highest-rated acquisition from the class has the potential to serve in an uber-versatile and productive role as a freshman.

Like Castell, his potential role is not only due to his skillset, but because of the current state of the spot he’ll occupy.

It’s thin.

This past offseason, the Gators combined the defensive end and edge positions to expand outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson’s group to supplement the unit after 2022.

Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr.’s springtime departure further exasperated the issue for Florida heading into the upcoming year, effectively opening the spot for the taking for younger talent.

Currently, Princely Umanmielen is solidified into a role off the strongside edge. But, the other spot is a battle between the likes of Collins, Justus Boone, Jack Pyburn, walk-on Bryce Capers and fellow freshman TJ Searcy.

Collins appears to be a major suitor to take on a heavy workload there.

Standing at 6-foot-4, 277 pounds, Collins will align predominantly as a defensive end while possessing the height and background to occupy time on the interior in varying situations.

His versatility and flexibility in that regard aids the Gators at two spots of need, making his signing with the team that much greater in retrospect.

It makes his potential contributions, inside and out, of premier focus for Florida in 2023 before he settles into a solidified role in the future once more bodies are added at iDL.

WR Eugene Wilson III

Florida’s mission to equip the wide receiver room with speed in space starts and stops at Eugene Wilson III.

Despite his standing as a wildcard, being one of just four 2023 signees to not early enroll, the expectations for Wilson closely mirrors that of Jean’s.

The biggest difference is the availability for playing time at the position they occupy.

Jean sits comfortably at the open-for-the-taking X-receiver spot. Meanwhile, Wilson sits behind Pearsall — the team’s leading pass catcher from a season ago — at slot receiver.

As a result, Wilson will likely head to campus with a glass ceiling placed on him in his first year.

But, the quick-twitch, explosive skillset he keeps makes it hard for Florida to deny him time on the field. Wilson will accordingly operate in rotation with Pearsall, where he’ll receive the ball in a variety of ways, including jet sweeps and screen passes at or behind the line of scrimmage to allow his knack for playmaking to take over.

His emergence into the lineup may come more gradually than the others listed due to his late arrival, but the impact he will make on the offense as the year rolls on is likely immense.

CB Ja’Keem Jackson

You can’t talk about year one emergence’s without discussing the uber-talented Ja’Keem Jackson.

Despite his standing as one of the biggest pulls in the 2023 recruiting cycle by Florida, Jackson’s immediate impact in orange and blue will be limited in scope due to the crowded cornerback room he rests in.

Currently equipped with the likes of Jason Marshall Jr., Devin Moore, Jalen Kimber and others on the boundary, Jackson is expected to operate rotationally for the Gators in year one rather than the high-usage roles other will occupy.

While he’ll surely serve in a heightened capacity compared to the usual play rate of other freshmen nationwide — as he’s groomed for a starting position once Marshall exits from the program — it won’t come at the same volume as the others mentioned above.

His status as a luxury piece rather than a need for the team in that regard puts him beneath the other potential impact players on the list.

However, his skillset projects a positive long-term effect on success, landing him on the list of frosh that could contribute significantly while occupying a valuable role later in the year.

Secondary coach Corey Raymond shared his intentions to field Jackson early this spring, mimicking the reps Moore saw a season ago prior to his injury.

If Jackson’s light shines through, the Gators will be better for it on tape and on paper.

Post-2023, Jackson has the ability to shine as the most productive Gators signee from the 2023 class, possessing the speed, length, ball skills and man-to-man coverage talent needed to be Raymond’s next prep prospect turned top NFL Draft selection.

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