Look: Florida Gators Release Depth Chart for Week 1 vs. Utah
Just three days prior to the Gators' season-opening contest against the Utah Utes in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Florida released its first official depth chart of the 2023 campaign.
You can find the three-deep depth chart below.
The Florida Gators depth chart vs. the Utah Utes in week one of the 2023 season.
While a significant portion appears as expected, a few surprises were included at skill positions in the inaugural release of the Gators depth chart for week one.
Notably, former walk-on pass catcher Kahleil Jackson — who was granted a scholarship this offseason — is slotted into a starting wide receiver position opposite Caleb Douglas with Ricky Pearsall working out of his usual slot spot. He was thought to be competing with redshirt sophomore Marcus Burke, true freshman Andy Jean, junior Ja’Quavion Fraziars and others throughout fall camp.
Running back Montrell Johnson Jr. praised Jackson’s skill set when he spoke to the media on July 30, one day before the team began the fall camp regimen.
“The best player?” Johnson pondered. “Some people [are] going to hate me for this, but I think the best player on the team right now is Kahleil Jackson.”
He’s lived up to the billing, at least to an extent, during the fall practice period to be rewarded accordingly as the starting Z-receiver to begin the year.
Standout true freshman Eugene Wilson III will back Pearsall up in the slot as a high-volume rotational piece in the Florida offense.
Then, at tight end, the Gators named grayshirt freshman Tony Livingston as the starter. Livingston’s been a frequent talking point for Florida throughout the spring and fall as he’s caught up to speed quickly since re-taking the football field after a one-year hiatus from action.
He’ll control the H role — geared toward modern-day pass-catching tight ends — while redshirt senior Dante Zanders remains in his starting Y tight-end position from a year ago.
Zanders was left off the injury report despite dealing with an undisclosed injury. He was previously labeled day-to-day.
Defensively, the Gators have yet to decide who will operate as the team's linebacker next to Shemar James as Scooby Williams, Teradja Mitchell and Derek Wingo were placed with "OR" designations to assume starting duties.
In the backend, safety Jordan Castell got the starting nod after an impressive first offseason in Gainesville, in which he showed dynamic playmaking ability as a one-high coverage man and working downhill against the run. Veteran Michigan transfer RJ Moten will back him up.
Florida is set to kickoff against Utah at 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. MT inside Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday.
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