How Former Florida Gators Fared in the Final Week of NFL Preseason

As teams prepare to trim their rosters at the end of the NFL preseason, multiple former Florida Gators delivered strong performances in a last push to earn an NFL job.

Former Florida Gators wide receiver Van Jefferson (11) celebrates his touchdown with fellow former UF wide receiver Chimere Dike (17) against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

As teams prepare to trim their rosters at the end of the NFL preseason, multiple former Florida Gators delivered strong performances in a last push to earn an NFL job.

Florida Gators on SI takes a look at several former Gators that turned heads this weekend while fighting for a roster spot.

RB Montrell Johnson Jr., Eagles

While Johnson Jr. won’t be expected to take over for Saquon Barkley anytime soon, he has turned some heads during his first preseason with the Philadelphia Eagles, who signed him as an undrafted free agent.

Johnson Jr. has been the Eagles' leading rusher this preseason, totaling 77 yards and a touchdown on 21 attempts for an average of 3.67 yards per carry. During his final game against the New York Jets, Johnson showcased impressive vision and burst while scoring a 15-yard rushing touchdown.

MONTRELL JOHNSON SCORES A TD FOR THE EAGLES 🐊 pic.twitter.com/jUAG6shDnC

— Florida Gators 🐊🔥 (@gatorsszn) August 23, 2025

The Louisiana native fought through injuries during his final season at Florida, but still finished with 593 yards and six touchdowns. Through three seasons at Florida, Johnson Jr. totaled 2,251 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns while averaging 5.5 yards per carry.

LB Shemar James, Dallas Cowboys

After being selected by the Cowboys in the fifth round (152nd overall) James has impressed throughout the preseason. The former Gator finished the preseason with the second-most tackles (18) among all Cowboys' defenders.

During the Cowboys’ preseason finale against the Atlanta Falcons, James dropped into his hook-to-curl zone and snagged an interception in the middle of the field.

Another @DallasCowboys 5th-round pick making an impact 👀

Shemar James gets the INT!

Watch on @NFLNetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Sy1LYAZpGf

— NFL (@NFL) August 23, 2025

During his final season at Florida, James served as a team captain while totaling 64 tackles, two sacks and four tackles-for-loss.

WR Van Jefferson, Tennessee Titans

The next stop of Jefferson’s quietly productive NFL career has landed him with the Tennessee Titans. After just three preseason games, Jefferson has already made some impressive plays and seems like he could emerge as a reliable target for rookie quarterback Cam Ward. 

The Gators product wrapped up the preseason with the most receiving yards among all Titans players while tying for the team lead in receiving touchdowns. During Tennessee’s final preseason game, Jefferson stopped on a dime after catching a speed out and took it 65 yards for a touchdown. According to PFF, Jefferson was Tennessee’s highest-graded player that game.

Van Jefferson takes it 65 Yards to the house! 🔥@Titans pic.twitter.com/pdTrviwi1g

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) August 23, 2025

Through two seasons at Florida, Jefferson caught 84 passes for 1,160 yards and 12 touchdowns.