Joe Houston Details Punt Return Competition

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- While the Florida Gators return two of its three specialists in kicker Trey Smack and long snapper Rocco Underwood and have found a suitable punter in transfer Tommy Doman, the program enters 2025 with questions regarding the punt return position as Chimere Dike departs from the program.

Special teams coordinator Joe Houston on Saturday named 11 players who are currently working at the position during the early portion of spring camp.

"(Eugene) Wilson, Tank Hawkins, Jadan Baugh, Ja’Kobi Jackson, J. Michael Sturdivant, Aidan Mizell, Vernell Brown III, Duke Clark, Dallas Wilson, Naeshaun Montgomery, DeBraun Hampton will all get reps at that position, they are gonna compete for it and the best guy is going to be the starter," he said.

In 2024, Florida found consistent success at the position as Dike was third in the SEC among returners with at least 10 returns with an average of 13.4 yards per return. However, the potential for a seamless transition is there with the group currently working there.

Wilson III, Hawkins and Mizell are among the fastest players on the team with Wilson III standing out due to his ability to make plays in space. Baugh and Jackson also boast in-game experience at the kick return spot in 2024.

Four of the players working at the spot are newcomers in transfer J. Michael Sturdivant, who does not have any in-game returning experience but boasts tremendous speed after reaching 23 miles per hour in offseason workouts, alongside freshmen Duke Clark, Vernell Brown III and Dallas Wilson.

Clark is coming off a strong senior season at Tampa (Fla.) Plant in the return game with two punt return touchdowns and one kickoff return score while having 13 touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball.

Former five-star receiver Dallas Wilson has turned heads in spring camp with tremendous size and speed. He could also impact the Florida Gators as a freshman on special teams as he is one of 11 players working at the punt return spot. | Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrated

Additionally, Brown III shined in high school at Orlando (Fla.) Jones with four return touchdowns as a junior, three of which came on punt returns.

“So he’s got what I can’t coach, alright and that’s speed," Houston said. "There are a lot of guys too that are just. They’re fast, right. And like anytime you are just trying to get creative to get your best athlete the ball in the open field and in that position, you are almost guaranteed to get it."

The outlier of the group, DeBraun Hampton, may be a surprise due to his walk-on status, but his experience at both return spots in high school stand out. Over the course of his junior and senior seasons at Willis (Tx.) averaged 19.4 yards per punt return (seven returns) and 28.6 yards per kick return (12 returns) and a touchdown.

As a result of the overall speed in the group he's training, Houston isn't ruling out a possible two-man rotation if that ends up being the best scenario.

"Guys like Vernell Brown, Tre, Tank, they’ve got that world class speed, so, we’re gonna try to get creative in how we do it, maybe we go a two-returner set to get two returners back there, but yeah, we’re looking forward to all of those guys," he said.

Although Houston made it clear the best out of the group would play, he also made it clear that there's a balance between choosing the best players for certain special teams roles while making sure their workloads aren't too heavy with their traditional position roles.

Houston detailed the process for choosing players to work out at special teams spots, saying it's a combination of him approaching a player and a player asking for a chance to work at the spot. Additionally, he collaborates with head coach Billy Napier and the various position coaches to make sure players aren't overworked while being in the rotation at the various position groups.

"If you are not a specialist, you’re not coming to Florida to play in the kicking game," Houston said. "So those guys, it’s mutual. I’m demanding of them, and they come to me like, 'Coach, I want to be on the field, I want to be developed,' because it’s so competitive on our roster for playing time, and we have a lot of depth on this roster."

Though the media is invited to cover a portion of Florida's spring practices, the team only goes through on-air position drills during the open period. Additionally, Florida's spring game traditionally does non-contact special teams. So, while Houston has the 11 players he wants working for the punt return spot, it's unlikely the true contenders will be evident until fall camp.

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