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Five new Gators to watch this spring

With less than a month until Florida starts spring practice, GatorsTerritory takes a look at five new Gators to keep your eye on in spring practices.

1. WR Jordan Pouncey

The former Texas Longhorn and younger cousin of Florida greats, Maurkice and Mike Pouncey, is the first new Gator on our watch list for 2020.

With four star receivers from the 2019 season moving on, Florida’s offense will be hungry for new faces to fill those spots. Dan Mullen’s offensive scheme is all about spreading the ball around to as many receivers as possible, so expect Pouncey to become a household name. He’ll join the ranks of Trevon Grimes, Kadarius Toney and Jacob Copeland as well as a few names that redshirted last season.

Pouncey did not factor much into the Texas offense, but during his senior season of high school, the former 3-star recruit recorded 31 catches for 431 yards. He also carried 86 times for 768 yards and 12 touchdowns, making him a versatile weapon for Florida’s offense.

2. RB Lorenzo Lingard

Next up on our list is a second transfer student, running back Lorenzo Lingard.

The former 5-star recruit is coming to Gainesville from Miami. Lingard saw a season ending injury in 2018 that affected his stock in 2019. Lingard could be the guy to turn the fire Lamical Perine started in 2019 into a full-blown blaze in 2020.

Florida’s run game got off to a slow start last year but finished relatively strong, and Lingard could take it to the next level. The explosive running back put up 1,039 total rushing yards in high school and finished with 16 touchdowns and averaged about 129.9 rushing yards per game. That kind of power in the backfield coupled with Mullen’s impressive passing game could bump Florida up to a new level of competition.

The only drawback? Florida will need to file a waiver with the NCAA to make him immediately eligible for 2020.

3. DB Ethan Pouncey

The first freshman rookie on our list is the younger brother of receiver Jordan Pouncey. The 4-star cornerback out of Winter Park, Fla. will be looking to add even more fame to the Pouncey name at the University of Florida.

Pouncey proved in high school that he can outsmart offenses and find a way to get the ball into his hands. In his junior year he recorded eight interceptions for 151 yards.

Look for him to be a driving force in Florida’s secondary during his time as a Gator.

4. LB Antwaun Powell

Four-star recruit Antwaun Powell signed with the Gators in December and enrolled in classes in January. The outside linebacker hails from Chesapeake, Va. and will be someone that can wear many hats in Todd Grantham’s defense. He is a much-needed pass rusher after the departure of Jonathan Greenard and Jabari Zuniga.

In high school, he averaged about 5.5 tackles per game and recorded 33 total. He also found his way to the quarterback five times and put up six yards for loss.

5. OT Joshua Braun

Four-star offensive tackle Joshua Braun out of Live Oak, Fla. could be one of the pieces of Florida’s offensive line that was missing in 2019. Offensive line coach John Hevesy never found the line’s sweet spot last year, but pickups like Braun could be just what he needs to craft a cohesive line.

In high school, he recorded 14 pancake blocks and 17 total tackles.


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