Florida’s 3 biggest WR questions heading into the offseason
By Andrew Olson
Published:
After an up-and-down 2015 season on offense, the Gators receiving corps faces some big questions moving forward.
Here are the three biggest:
1. Will Demarcus Robinson stick around with uncertainty at QB?: Robinson’s junior season at Florida had its ups and downs, to put it mildly. In Weeks 5 and 6, Robinson hauled in 14 receptions for a combined 177 yards, but in Week 7, Florida was forced to switch to backup QB Treon Harris due to Will Grier’s suspension. With Harris at quarterback (seven games), Robinson managed a total of 13 receptions for a total of only 175 yards. Nine of those 13 receptions came in Week 10 against Vanderbilt, when Robinson had a season-high 106 receiving yards. One reason Robinson’s second-half numbers are low is due to his suspension in Week 13 against Florida State).
Despite Robinson’s rocky season, his film will show a pass-catcher capable of being a possession receiver in a typical NFL offense. With the uncertainty at quarterback for Florida, it seems even less likely that Robinson risks finding himself in head coach Jim McElwain’s doghouse again while he could be collecting a paycheck playing on Sundays.
2. How can the team get the ball to Antonio Callaway more?: By yardage (603), Callaway was the Gators’ top receiver. By number of receptions (30), the freshman playmaker was only Florida’s No. 3 receiver. When the ball is in Callaway’s hands, good things happens for the Gators – as evidenced by his four receiving scores and two punt returns for touchdowns.
Callaway has been compared to Gator great Percy Harvin multiple times this season. One way the 2006-2008 Gators fed the ball to Harvin was by lining him up in the backfield for designed carries. With Callaway’s speed and ability to make people miss, it’s something for McElwain and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier to at least consider.
The more conventional way to get the wideout more touches is to target Callaway for more short-yardage receptions and let him try to get yards after the catch. The only problem is that Florida currently lacks a high-completion, quick-release (eligible) quarterback to operate a short passing game.
3. Who is the team’s next option in 2016?: Aside from Robinson and WR Brandon Powell (28 catches, 364 yards, 3 TD), the veteran receivers McElwain inherited have yet to consistently produce at Florida. There’s a decent chance Florida’s next big contributor at receiver will be a true freshman a la Callaway.
Of UF’s 10 early enrollees, three are wide receivers: four-star Freddie Swain, four-star Joshua Hammond (brother of former Gators WR Frankie Hammond Jr.) and three-star Dre Massey. The early enrollees will have the chance to develop a connection with the Florida quarterbacks during spring practice.
Another name to watch could be C.J. Worton, who made a dazzling touchdown reception in the SEC Championship Game despite not playing in Weeks 5-13.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaign of Fred Taylor.
