News and Notes: Florida Gators Spring Practice No. 9

The Florida Gators returned to practice on Saturday following their first of three scrimmages of the spring schedule on Thursday.

Below, you can find AllGators' takeaways from the media viewing portion of practice.

Nay’Quan Wright Returns

After suffering a significant ankle injury in the Gators regular season finale against Florida State in 2021, Nay’Quan Wright returned to the practice field on Saturday in an orange no-contact jersey.

#Gators running back NayQuan Wright — who suffered a significant injury against FSU in the regular season finale — is out at practice going through pass protection drills. @SI_AllGators pic.twitter.com/K2hbSyNbab
— Brandon Carroll (@itsbcarroll) April 2, 2022

During the portion of practice open to the media, Wright participated in pass protection drills with instruction from new running backs coach Jabbar Juluke.

Following his injury, the future of the Florida running back room was up in the air as a breadth of youth and inexperience filled the corps.

As a result, the new staff elected to bring in Louisiana-Lafayette rising sophomore Montrell Johnson into the mix as a transfer to pair with Demarkcus Bowman and Lorenzo Lingard.

However, with Wright’s return — even in limited capacity — the Gators receive a vital piece to the puzzle to bolster the offense Billy Napier will attempt to operate in next season.

Presenting intrigue as a slippery yet stout back at 5’9”, 196 pounds in 2021, Wright produced 504 yards and two touchdowns on 90 total touches as the third running back in rotation.

Heading into his redshirt junior season with the Gators in 2022, Wright will need to grow acclimated to life after his ankle injury. His elusiveness in the open field and burst he has shown in the past will be areas for the coaching staff to evaluate as he returns to full participation.

However, his expedited return is a promising sign for a Florida’s ball carrier group that has excelled in spring practice thus far.

Trent Whittemore Building Back Up to Full Strength

One of the most significant storylines of the spring to this point has been the wide receivers group and the relative lack of the depth the unit presents.

As a result, when Trent Whittemore — who is likely to play in rotation alongside Justin Shorter and Xzavier Henderson at the moment — entered practice Saturday having ditched the no-contact jersey, eyebrows raised.

The reason for the Gainesville native’s limited participation to this point is unknown.

However, he worked through drills with the wideouts, including this crossing route he caught from quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Anthony Richardson to Trent Whittemore on a crosser. Looks like Whit has ditched the no-contact jersey. #Gators pic.twitter.com/owoUPfy3Ei
— Brandon Carroll (@itsbcarroll) April 2, 2022

Whittemore will operate in a unfamiliar role for a unit that will utilize more 12 personnel (two tight end sets) on offense. As he returns to full-go, he’s in a position to fully begin learning the scheme in the crucial spring implementation period.

Gators legends back in The Swamp

Since Napier arrived as the Gators head coach, a large portion of former athletes have been returning to the program for the first time in a long time.

The initiative to incorporate the likes of players that have come before the current squad resulted in the likes of Kaiir Elam, Jarrad Davisand Danny Wuerffel standing on the sidelines for the practice period.

Elam, who spent the last three season with the Gators, is eyeing a possible first round selection in the upcoming NFL Draft. Following the practice session, Elam began warming up for an individual workout.

Meanwhile, Davis returned to Gainesville during the NFL offseason to get a glimpse at the new-look Florida team. He returned to the Detroit Lions — where he was drafted in the first round in 2017 — this offseason following a one-year stint with the New York Jets in 2021.

The move allows him to rejoin fellow former Gators linebacker Alex Anzalone.

The former Heisman-winning Gators quarterback in Wuerffel has frequently spent time with the new staff and their efforts to return Florida to a national championship level.

He spent considerable time speaking to Napier following the practice session and was made available for media following his lengthy discussion.

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