Florida Gators Wide Receivers: What Did We Learn at Fall Camp?

A preview of the Florida Gators wide receivers and depth chart at the conclusion of fall camp as attention turns to the Miami Hurricanes.

Florida Gators wide receivers Eugene Wilson III (3) and Chimere Dike (17) will be a big part of the offense in 2024. / Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK

With the Florida Gators 2024 fall camp concluded and attention turned to the season-opener against Miami, it’s time to take a look at the Gators’ depth chart.

Gators Illustrated gives its official prediction and a preview for each position. The quarterbacks and running backs were analyzed first, and up next are the receivers. 

Outside Receiver

Starters: Eugene Wilson III, Elijhah Badger

Backups: Kaheil Jackson, Aidan Mizell, Ja’Quavion Fraziars, Andy Jean, Tank Hawkins, TJ Abrams

Reserves (*denotes walk-on): Brian Green Jr.*, Zak Sedaros*, Jackson Wade*

Slot Receiver

Starter: Chimere Dike

Backups: Marcus Burke, Taylor Spierto

Reserves (*denotes walk-on): Jaden Edgecomb*, DeBraun Hampton*, David Schmidt*

Position Outlook

It’s nearly impossible to tell from the open media portions of fall camp where exactly each receiver lies on the depth chart, but previous on-field experiences and observations from the open portion of practices show where each receiver is working. 

To start, there’s no question about who’s the Gators’ best playmaker at the position. 

Sophomore Eugene Wilson III returns after a stellar-debut campaign that saw him lead Florida in touchdown receptions with eight scores and finish second on the team in both receptions (61) and yards (538). 

He did all of that without truly knowing his full role in the offense. 

“I’d say I was just out there running around, just following instructions but now just finding my role,” Wilson III said. 

With Ricky Pearsall off to the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the NFL Draft, Wilson III becomes the Gators’ top receiving target. He’ll be expected to carry over his performance from last season, in which Florida found many different ways to get him the ball. 

“Lining up, I feel the most dangerous every play,” he said. 

Alongside Wilson III on the outside, there’s competition brewing with what appears to be two-main contenders. 

Leading the way is incumbent starter Kahleil Jackson, who broke out last season with 21 catches for 251 yards and a touchdown while becoming a viable downfield catch target for quarterback Graham Mertz. 

For him, this offseason was about continuing his development. 

“I just bought into the program,” he said. “I did the work that was put on the table for me and I took it upon myself to do a little bit extra work, whether that was looking into the playbook, getting stronger, faster, doing my own stretching routines after practice and just keeping my body right. That's really the main focus, keeping my body right. Because as long as you're available, then that's that value.” 

Meanwhile, the Gators made a late addition to the room with former Arizona State wide receiver Elijhah Badger, who has the most collegiate success in the room. However, this fall has been a lot of learning and getting acclimated to the offense, which may knock him down in the depth chart in favor of Jackson. 

Still, his talent and success will put him on the field in some capacity in the receiving rotation. It was something his new teammates noticed fairly quickly. 

“He can make every single play,” said receiver Chimere Dike. “I think that he's a guy that works super hard, does the right things and just has playmaking ability. He has speed, great catching ability, feel for the game, obviously, experience as well. So I think he brings a lot."

In 2023, Badger recorded 65 catches for 713 yards and three touchdowns. His reception total would’ve tied Pearsall for the team-high, and his yardage would’ve been second. 

In 2022, he shined with 70 catches for 866 yards and seven scores. 

“He has a vertical threat to his game. And he's got play strength and he's got length; he's a 6-1 guy but he's got great, great length. So yeah, I like the look in his eyes. He's not scared to work,” said head coach Billy Napier.

That being said, considering Badger’s consistency, explosiveness and experience, if he’s able to quickly acclimate to being with Florida, it’s hard to not predict him to start at some point this season, even if he isn’t the starter against Miami. 

Nonetheless, the competition is making each better, and it’s rubbing off on the young players in the room. 

“I’ll start with me, so with me, you know, it’s like he’s pushing me everyday, and I’m pushing him everyday,” Jackson said. “So that’s making each one of us better. And then the younger guys looking up him, he’s doing stuff the right way.” 

Rounding out the outside group are redshirt freshmen Aidan Mizell and Andy Jean, veteran Ja’Quavion Fraziars and true freshmen Tank Hawkins and TJ Abrams, 

Mizell will have a frequent role after a strong offseason. However, Jean and Fraziars are currently dealing with injuries, which paves the way for the freshmen, especially Hawkins, to see the field. 

Meanwhile, the slot position seems to be a bit more in place as Dike was seen leading the group during the open portion of fall camp. 

The former Wisconsin Badger arrives in Gainesville with high expectations as a veteran in a youthful room. Not to mention, his camaraderie with Graham Mertz extends far past most of the room considering the two were teammates prior to Mertz’s transfer to Florida. 

To say the two have a connection would be an understatement. On the field, Dike put up career numbers in receptions (44), yards (653) and touchdowns (five) in Mertz’s final year at Wisconsin. Off the field, the two seem inseparable. 

“So we grew up, we kind of grew up together in college football,” Dike said. “So having him is amazing, not only on the field, but off the field as well. That's my brother, someone who does things the right way, and is a great member to the community as well. So I'm thankful that I get to play with him at least one more year.” 

Behind Dike is veteran Marcus Burke, who has shown flashes of potential but has yet to carve a consistent place in the rotation. There’s also opportunities for twitchy guys like Wilson III and Hawkins to move inside depending on the formation and availability of others. 

A big goal of this year’s offense is to create more explosive plays, which was virtually nonexistent last season. The Gators’ ranked 56th, 90th and 104th nationally in 20-plus-yard, 30-plus-yard and 40-plus-yard plays, respectively. 

Mertz didn’t fare much better himself with only 16 completions on passes that traveled at least 20 yards downfield. 

That being said, the revamped room should mean plenty of opportunities for explosive plays while also keeping the passing efficiency consistent with last season’s performance.