GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- After losing several senior receivers at the end of the 2019 season, it was imperative the Gators haul in some new faces to take over this powerful offense.
Back in December, Florida signed 4-star receiver Ja’Quavion Fraziars. He was Florida’s only high school signee at the receiver position during the early signing period, however, Texas transfer Jordan Pouncey also announced he would be coming to Florida in early December.
Having only one signee and one transfer had some worried but head coach Dan Mullen wasn’t sweating it.
“It's not about quantity to me, it's about quality,” he said. “It's about getting the right guys in this program and not just, ‘hey, we're just going to fill a spot to fill a spot.’”
On Wednesday, Mullen was happy to welcome two new receivers to the team. Two new playmakers that Mullen says falls into that ‘right guy’ category.
Xzavier Henderson is a 4-star recruit out of Miami, and who happens to be the younger brother of former Gators cornerback CJ Henderson-who chose to bypass his senior season and declare for the NFL draft.
“He's bigger than his brother,” said Mullen. “You know, and he's still in high school. He hasn't been through the program developing yet. He's an elite track guy, so I think he's got the potential.”
Justin Shorter, Florida’s second receiver signee on national signing day, is a transfer from Penn State. The former 5-star recruit will bring size and speed to the Gators.
“He's a mismatch at the outside,” said Mullen. “Got great speed, good hands, good route runner, can be a mismatch. I love that part of him, watching him on film, both from high school and at Penn State."
Being able to create those mismatches at the receiver position is something Mullen seems to be looking for when recruiting new players. Fraziars, Henderson and Shorter all stand at 6’4 and Pouncey at 6’2.
“A lot of it is creating match-ups,” said Mullen. “You have a height advantage. You're looking for what are the things -- what physical traits maybe create match-up problems for defense.”
“They all have great ball skills, and all are pretty fast, have speed to take top off of coverages,” he added.
With these new additions, Florida’s receiving corps has the potential to be just as stacked as it was last year. With returners like Trevon Grimes, Jacob Copeland and Kadarius Toney topping the depth chart, Florida should have nothing to worry about.
These new receivers will likely all see playtime at some point in 2020, as both transfers are seeking immediate eligibility. If Mullen continues to spread out his offense like he did this past year, they all have a shot at making plays for the Gators.
“There are some familiar faces coming back, obviously, at the top of the depth chart,” said Mullen. “As we like to roll receivers through, I think there will be a lot more names that are household names at the end of the season.”
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