Florida Gators 2022 Positional Outlook: Wide Receiver
Billy Napier's first offseason in charge of Florida Gators football is sure to be a busy and exciting one.
With roster reconstruction already underway via recruiting and the transfer portal, the next step in preparing for his first season as Florida's head coach will focus on identifying and developing talent already on the roster, and determining how to use it best in 2022.
In order to best preview the Gators' upcoming spring camp and the season to come, AllGators is taking a look at each position on the roster to recognize the strengths and weaknesses at each spot, as well as put together early projections of individual depth charts.
RELATED: Gators 2022 positional outlooks
Continuing on the offensive side of the ball, we take a look at the wide receiver position.
Gators 2022 wide receiver outlook
If there's one position group on the Gators with a big question mark on the front it's at wide receiver. Jacob Copeland has left the team via the transfer portal, transferring to Maryland, and Rick Wells is officially a college graduate, running out of eligibility.
The team added a couple of receivers in this year's cycle in Caleb Douglas, who is listed at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds. He is not likely to crack the starting lineup in Year 1, but will certainly compete for playing time down the road, considering the depth chart as of today.
Another player the Gators added is Arlis Boardingham, who projects as a tight end, but could be used as a tight end. Neither are currently enrolled but will be added during the summer and entering the fall.
Perhaps one saving grace for Florida heading into this year is that at least one of its top receivers, Justin Shorter, opted to return to the university to finish out his final year of eligibility. Between him and Trent Whittemore, those two receivers make up the most experience with Xzavier Henderson not too far behind.
While at Florida, Shorter has done well in his two seasons, with last year being his best as a go-to target. He has caught 66 passes for 818 yards and six touchdowns in two years. Last season, Shorter caught 41 passes for 550 yards and three scores.
Whittemore, a redshirt junior, has dealt with injuries over the past two years, but has shown a lot of potential in the slot as a big target for the quarterback. Last year, Whittemore started in eight of his ten appearances, catching 19 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown.
Though he hasn't necessarily done much on offense, he remains one of the team's most intriguing players who are likely to get a good run this season as the team ramps up its competition.
As for Henderson, a redshirt sophomore, he would go on to appear in 12 games last year starting three.
He was also the team's primary punt returner. Henderson showed off his speed on offense, hauling in 26 passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns, but his yards per catch average was down from 16.4 his freshman year to 10.7 last season.
Beyond those three, the Gators have a bunch of inexperience at the position. One of the more intriguing players is redshirt freshman Marcus Burke, who is listed at 6-foot-4, 183 pounds and presents blazing speed on the outside at wideout.
Burke could end up being one of the better receivers on the Florida roster when it's all said and done. In 2021, he caught just two passes, one being a 61-yard strike that showcased the type of big-play ability you want to see out of a player his caliber.
Another up-and-coming player is rising junior receiver Ja'Quavion Fraziars, who has shown some ability in the past. He's listed at 6-foot-3, 212 pounds. Though he's only caught six passes in his career, Fraziars was able to haul in two touchdowns last season on just five receptions.
Other scholarship players on the roster include Jordan Pouncey, Daejon Reynolds and Ja'Markis Weston.
Early 2022 depth chart projection
Starters: Justin Shorter, Trent Whittemore, Xzavier Henderson
Key backups: Marcus Burke, Ja'Quavion Fraziars
Reserves: Jordan Pouncey, Daejon Reynolds, Ja'Markis Weston, Caleb Douglass, Arlis Boardingham*
*Role undetermined
Florida will likely toy around with its ideal rotation to start the season, but it should be expected that a combination of Shorter, Whittemore and Henderson will see the field the most out of them all. Both Shorter and Whittemore are a bit more experienced, while Henderson has shown flashes of potential in the past.
If Florida uses '12' personnel primarily, that would mean just two receivers are on the field at the same time. If they go based on their blocking ability, it would make sense for Whittemore and Shorter to be on the field ahead of Henderson. In '11' personnel, three receivers will be on the field at the same time with Whittemore likely manning the slot.
Two players that could see their stocks rise during spring practices are Burke and Fraziars. Both players have shown well in practices up to this point of their careers and should start seeing repetitions in the rotation early as Napier continues to build his offense.
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