GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Senior receiver Freddie Swain is finding his footing in Dan Mullen’s offense. He steps onto the field with poise and gets the job done when his number is called.
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“Freddie’s a special talent and does a great job of getting open,” said quarterback Kyle Trask. “There’s a good connection between me and him and I know when he’s got a good matchup and going to get open. And I know I can trust him with the ball.”
It’s been the year of the receivers at the University of Florida, and Swain is an influential part of that equation. With such a stacked rotation, there really isn’t a single receiver who’s getting a majority of the catches. Mullen has found a way to share opportunities between eight different guys, giving each a chance to shine.
And Swain doesn’t seem to mind, none of the receivers do.
Their frame of mind is it doesn’t matter who’s catching the ball or scoring the touchdown as long as someone is getting the job done. That’s an outlook worthy of respect, especially for seniors like Swain, who are looking to get noticed by NFL scouts.
He started his career at Florida as an outside receiver. Last year, Mullen moved him to the slot where he’s had his best season yet.
“He’s made a lot of plays at that position for us,” said Mullen. “This year he’s made a lot of big and explosive plays. Pretty pleased with what he’s done.”
Each week, the duo alternates on who gets the starting job, with fellow senior Josh Hammond receiving significant playing time at the position as well.
“He didn’t really care who had it,” said Hammond. “Me and Freddie didn’t really care so we we’re like, we’ll just switch it every week and just roll with that.”
That kind of sacrifice has given Swain a reputation as a leader on the team, being compared to players like linebackers David Reese and Jonathan Greenard. Younger players respect his ability to share the responsibility and let other guys get their catches in as well.
“Coaching their younger guys, you know, getting them ready to roll,” said redshirt junior tight end Lucas Krull. “That leadership that you really see really takes us to that next level.”
Even sharing the slot position with Hammond, he’s done plenty to get his name out there.
He had his best game of the season against Auburn. He caught six receptions for 146 yards and one touchdown in the Gators underdog victory over the Tigers. Two minutes into the game, he caught his second longest catch as a Gator for a 64-yard touchdown to hand Florida an early lead.
Right now, he’s sitting at a career high 29 receptions for 430 yards and five touchdowns on the season. He also has eight punt returns for 38 yards and three kickoff returns for 39 yards. In 2018, he excelled on special teams. He returned 23 punts for 224 yards and an 85-yard touchdown return against Colorado State.
Swain is all business. He isn’t a showy guy and knows he’s there to get a job done. He isn’t the guy you’ll see out partying all the time, he stays focused on his game. When there’s a reason to celebrate, he will. But his main objective is becoming a better player and showing up for his team when they need him most.
"Tonight is the night to have fun,” he said after the big win against Auburn. “Tomorrow we lock in and get treatment and focus on the next week."
