Pending Waivers for Shorter, Pouncey Could Prove Pivotal for Florida Gators
The Florida Gators enter the 2020 season down four key contributors at wide receiver, all of which have graduated and found homes in the NFL.
While replacing a total of 139 receptions for 1,871 yards and 16 touchdowns and contributions from four players beyond the box score is no easy feat, the Gators had reason entering fall camp to feel comfortable in replacing those talents. The team enters the season with 10 scholarship wide receivers on the roster.
That is, until the first practice of the year kicked off and three veteran receivers were not in attendance. Sources indicated to Sports Illustrated - AllGators that seniors Trevon Grimes and Kadarius Toney, and redshirt sophomore Jacob Copeland along with defensive end Zachary Carter were not in attendance on Monday, for reasons unspecified.
Head coach Dan Mullen, without saying names, confirmed that players chose to miss practice and that the team will "see how that goes moving forward". He acknowledged that it would not be a surprise if some players, and perhaps even coaches, opted-out of the 2020 season amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
None of these four players have opted-out, at least publicly, and it's hard to believe all four of them will give up playing football this year should a season go on. Regardless, the current state of affairs knocks Florida down to seven scholarship receivers, and the going could get rougher.
According to Mullen, the NCAA has yet to clear recent wide receiver transfers Justin Shorter (Penn State) and Jordan Pouncey (Texas), as both have applied for immediate eligibility waivers.
"Not yet," Mullen responded when asked their status. "No, hopefully we get something back here soon from the NCAA, but like I always say with those, that's out of our hands with that timetable, how that works."
Shorter, a redshirt sophomore, is a big-bodied, former consensus five-star recruit who didn't live up to that hype during his first two seasons with the Nittany Lions, only accumulating 15 catches for 157 yards in 11 games. Receiving a fresh start at Florida, the 6-4, 220 lb. wideout has the makings of a dynamic boundary receiver with intriguing athleticism to pair with his length.
Pouncey, 6-1, 205 lbs., is a redshirt junior who was previously listed by Florida as a graduate transfer in its National Signing Day information packet, creating some confusion regarding his status but we'll go with the head coach. Should he secure the eligibility of a grad transfer or have a waiver cleared, Pouncey best profiles as a slot receiver for Florida, and while he has little production to his name (two career receptions for 19 yards), he has three years of college experience under his belt which could greatly benefit Florida should some veterans not play.
Neither Shorter nor Pouncey offer a history of game-wrecking, nor much meaningful game experience, but both have been in college programs for multiple years and that experience could be critical moving forward.
So, what if things come to the worst possible scenario: Multiple if not all three receiver holdouts turn into opt-outs, while one or both waivers get denied?
In that case, the Gators could be down five wide receivers, two of which are redshirt freshmen and another two are true freshmen, along with redshirt senior Rick Wells who has three career catches under his belt.
Not at all ideal for the nation's returning No. 16 passing offense. Mullen is confident in the team's ability to develop the young talents at any position on the roster, specifically receiver, but again, it would be no easy feat.
“Well, I think the great thing we do is we get a lot of reps at practice. The bad thing is we missed a lot of practice," Mullen said of the current receiver group. "The good thing is we get a lot of reps at practice and we’ve got the best receivers coach in the country in Billy Gonzales. Two years ago, we had the worst receiver group in the country, a year later with all the same guys and they were considered one of the best receiver groups in the country. Billy is going to get those guys coached up. We’ll get those reps."
Redshirt freshmen Trent Whittemore and Ja'Markis Weston have both received plenty of praise from fellow receivers, teammates and coaches alike, and 2020 signees Xzavier Henderson and Ja'Quavion Fraziars provide plenty of potential. The Gators certainly like what they have at the position, but an abundance of factors can and already are putting stress on the wide receiver corps.
On top of the holdouts and pending waivers, what would happen if one or multiple remaining receivers test positive or show symptoms of COVID-19 and have to quarantine while camp continues on?
Mullen is confident that the team will "figure it out" in regards to the holdouts, and perhaps he's right. Gonzales' track record speaks for itself. But uncertainty reigns supreme over the position at this time, and acknowledging the passing game success the Gators look to build upon from last season with quarterback Kyle Trask, the holdouts and pending waivers hold a firm grip over how Florida projects entering an SEC-only 2020 season.
"You still have uncertainty with eligibility with certain guys with the waiver, waiting on that. Billy is gonna get those guys coached up and with the way our practice sets up with the skill guys there are plenty of reps," said Mullen. "They’re going to have the opportunity to learn what to do and then we gotta put them in the best position to be successful.”
