Two potential breakout players for Florida switch to single digits
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A pair of potential breakout players for Florida on offense have switched to single digits. The only two Gators with new jersey numbers ahead of the 2023 season are wide receiver Caleb Douglas and tight end Arlis Boardingham.
Douglas is now wearing No. 4 instead of 12, while Boardingham has No. 8 after wearing 81. Douglas started two games last season, catching 10 passes for 175 yards with two touchdowns in eight games played.
Gators Online reported that Douglas was one of five Gators who boosted their stock in the spring, and On3’s Matt Zenitz also mentioned Douglas in his insider intel report from Florida’s spring practices.
“Another wide receiver who has emerged and stood out this spring has been sophomore Caleb Douglas. The 6-foot-3 Douglas, a Class of 2022 four-star recruit who made two starts last season, went up to make some grabs down the field in the Gators’ previous scrimmages.”
With the departures of starting receivers Justin Shorter (fifth-round draft pick) and Xzavier Henderson (transfer to Cincinnati), Douglas is expected to start for the Gators and become more of a focal point of the passing game.
Another breakout offensive candidate is Boardingham, who made his collegiate debut in the Las Vegas Bowl. With starting tight end Keon Zipperer out for the season and Jonathan Odom coming off knee surgery, the Gators need Boardingham to step up at the position.
“With Arlis, he’s extremely gifted,” UF tight ends coach Russ Callaway said. “He’s a unique player that can do a lot of different things. He can run block, he can pass block, he can run routes, he can catch the ball, he can make plays with the ball in his hand. The big thing with Arlis, and I was telling somebody earlier, is he’s in a position and a role now that we want to be a junior or senior, but in reality he’s a redshirt freshman. It’s our job as coaches to move him along as fast as we can.
“The most improvement, though, has been in the meeting room. Just from a maturity standpoint on the field, he has taken more of a leadership role at a young age. But I think that speaks to the type of person that he is and the type of competitor that he is. So, I would say really more from that standpoint, I’ve seen his growth. And just the second year. The first year you’re spinning. Second year, he’s able to kind of make the calls in the run game, know the nuances in the pass game.”
Gators in single digits
No. 0 — Sharif Denson, CB, 5-11, 181, Fr.
No. 0 — Ja’Quavion Fraziars, WR, 6-3.5, 218, Jr.
No. 1 — Ricky Pearsall, WR, 6-1, 192, Sr.
No. 2 — Ja’Keem Jackson, CB, 6-0.5, 181, Fr.
No. 2 — Montrell Johnson Jr., RB, 5-11.25, 217, Jr.
No. 3 — Jason Marshall Jr., CB, 6-1, 203, Jr.
No. 4 — Caleb Douglas, WR, 6-3, 202, So.
No. 5 — Kamari Wilson, S, 6-0, 210, So.
No. 6 — Shemar James, ILB, 6-1.25, 230, So.
No. 6 — Andy Jean, WR, 6-1, 198, Fr.
No. 7 — Trevor Etienne, RB, 5-9, 213, So.
No. 7 — Chris McClellan, DL, 6-3, 325, So.
No. 8 — Jalen Kimber, CB, 6-0, 185, R-Jr.
No. 8 — Arlis Boardingham, TE, 6-3, 245, R-Fr.
No. 9 — Will Norman, DL, 6-4, 293, Fr.
No. 9 — Keon Zipperer, TE, 6-1, 227, Sr.
![Florida Gators defensive lineman Jamari Lyons (95) participates in a drill during spring football practice at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, April 1, 2023. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun] Ncaa Football Florida Gators Spring Football Practice](https://on3static.com/cdn-cgi/image/height=215,width=393,quality=90,fit=cover,gravity=0.5x0.5/uploads/dev/assets/cms/2024/08/12084525/Untitled-design-89-2.png)
