Spring Sleeper: Keep an Eye on Florida WR Trent Whittemore
With the coming of new seasons, comes the emergence of fresh faces.
In 2019, the Gators saw defensive back John Huggins emerge into a promising player with his performance in the spring. Playing meaningful time in the spring game and doing the most with his opportunity, Huggins was slated to have a breakout year for Florida.
However, the talent that was flashed during the spring was unable to be shown on the field after he was dismissed from the team just before the season due to off-the-field issues.
This year, that emergence is likely to come from redshirt freshman Trent Whittemore, and Florida looks for him to be making plays in the regular season this time around.
Given the overhaul of talent in the wide receiver room, after the 2019 season came to a close, the Gators spring consists of young players jockeying for a position to play in an essential role in the 2020 game plan.
With the void that was left by 48% of the Gators receiving yards embarking on their next chapter in their careers, Whittemore is in an excellent position to make a name for himself.
In the absence of Josh Hammond for quarterback Kyle Trask, Whittemore could fill the spot as Florida's "Mr. Reliable" receiving option for the 2020 campaign with a successful offseason added to his resumé.
Flashing during practice in the fall, Whittemore is a player to keep an eye on as the spring game quickly approaches. Standing at 6-3, 192 lbs., possessing great length—an evident trend of recent Gators wide receivers—and sticky hands for any ball that comes his way and accompanying that with a 34” vertical, Whittemore proves that he is an exceptional athlete.
Despite not having the game-breaking speed that his redshirt freshman counterparts Ja'Markis Weston or Dionte Marks have, Whittemore still has the motor to make big plays with the balls in his hands.
Playing his high school ball locally at Buchholz High School, Whittemore displayed his athleticism in a big way. On top of being a star in two sports—also playing basketball—Whittemore saw time at five positions, including quarterback, safety, cornerback, and wide receiver.
In doing so, he developed much more than the ability to play all over the field. In his time playing under his father at Buchholz, he gained valuable knowledge of the inner workings of multiple positions. After being recruited initially as a safety, Whittemore was asked to transition to the wide receiver position late in the process.
Accumulating 93 receptions for 1,374 yards and 17 touchdowns during his high school career, Whittemore has plenty of experience playing the position despite the late switch to the college level.
As an understudy of route running technician Van Jefferson, Whittemore displays similar traits with quick and precise routes that make him dangerous for opposing corners.
Combining that with his length and ability to come down with contested catches, Whittemore has a legitimate chance to step up Florida’s go-to possession receiver in 2020.
As he has adapted to the role of receiver very well during his redshirt season, veteran players from last year's team had nothing but good things to say about him.
Continuing to progress, his physical attributes, along with his growth on the field since arriving in Gainesville, has been impressive.
Look for Whittemore to emerge in a big way with his performance in the spring game on April 18th and going forward into the fall.
