Arlis Boardingham posts a career game against Vanderbilt

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The buzz surrounding Arlis Boardingham when he signed with the Florida Gators was warranted. For starters, the Gators haven’t had great success recruiting the state of California, so even getting the signature was a win. But standing at 6-3 and 240 with a wingspan nearing seven feet, Boardingham was an intriguing prospect.

Along the way, we forgot that he was that, a prospect. A young man 2,418 miles from home learning how to live on his own, while adjusting to a new position, and a whole new life.

“Last year we were really high on him, and he got hurt. You remember he had the shoulder, had to go through that entire process to get back. He’s a kid who hasn’t played tight end, so he’s a receiver and linebacker. He’s a track athlete,” Billy Napier said after the game. “So all the things that we’re asking him to do are completely new. I mean, this guy hasn’t played in the C area, he hasn’t played in the wing. There’s a ton to learn in there. He’s a smart kid, but it’s almost like playing quarterback to some degree. There’s a mental part that I can’t tell you — it’s challenging. You can’t overlook that.”

In the spring and the fall, it was easy for us in the media to get excited about Boardingham. He brings athleticism and a different level of talent that the room just doesn’t have. He consistently made plays in the passing game but there is more to playing tight end, as Napier pointed out, than just catching passes. It kept him off the field for the season opener. He hauled in single passes against McNeese and Tennessee. Then two and his first career touchdown against Charlotte.

Arlis Boardingham has his breakout game

Boardingham still had the Kentucky game on his mind. He caught two passes but it would have been three. Boardingham had a pass in his hands before getting hit by Kentucky Deone Walker. The ball popped out of his hands and into a defender’s waiting arms.

“That was my first collegiate drop too,” he said after the game. “So I mean, it was all the details, just the small things in preparation. So I mean, I just went back to last week and had better preparation than I did before.”

The Kentucky game left Florida embarrassed. The product they put on the field wasn’t the standard fans expect but even worse, not to the standard they hold themselves. It led to a good week of practice and with Jonathan Odom missing the game, a bigger opportunity for Boardingham.

The redshirt freshman hauled in seven passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns. He became the first Florida tight end to haul in two touchdown passes in a single game since Kemore Gamble scored twice in a 2021 win over Samford.

The process to get comfortable has taken time but Boardingham says he feels like a tight end now. His head coach feels like he got this one right.

“It’s turned out to be a good evaluation,” Napier said. “We’re combing the entire country in terms of players that are left over that are available. He was one of those. Look, we took a chance on the guy and brought him in. Phenomenal family. Just really good people. It’s turned out well. I’m hopeful we’ll get more of that out of him in the future.”