Billy Napier: 'We'll See' About Week 1 for Florida TE Dante Zanders
Photo: Florida TE Dante Zanders; Credit: Alex Shepherd
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Billy Napier's utilization of 12-personnel within his offense makes the depth of Florida's tight end room of critical importance.
But the Gators' tight end room has struggled to maintain full health under Napier's direction. Since his Dec. 2021 arrival, the position has been hampered by various injuries to numerous contributors, including season-enders for Gage Wilcox, Nick Elksnis, Keon Zipperer and Jonathan Odom a year ago.
Redshirt senior and projected starter Dante Zanders was the latest to go down, although to a lesser extent than the aforementioned tight ends, as he suffered an undisclosed injury during Florida's fall camp that has held him out of practices since Aug. 8.
As Florida prepares for its 2023 season opener at Utah on Aug. 31, Napier had some good news to share regarding Zanders' status on Friday.
"We do anticipate getting Zanders back," Napier said on Friday. "He'll be able to participate today and tomorrow, so we'll see where he's at relative to being ready for the game."
Zanders produced single-season career-highs of 10 receptions for 75 yards in 2022. He served primarily as an extension of Florida's offensive line throughout the year, offering key blocking in the run game, which resulted in his seven starts.
In the event that he won't be able to suit up for Week 1, Odom — a junior who has returned to full practice participation from a torn ACL in the Dec. 2022 Las Vegas Bowl — redshirt freshmen Arlis Boardingham and Hayden Hansen, and true freshman Tony Livingston will be expected to form Florida's tight end rotation.
RELATED: Projecting Florida's 2023 tight end depth chart
As for the injured tight ends of 2022, Wilcox's injury was deemed career-ending by Napier, Elksnis has transferred to South Carolina, and Zipperer remains sidelined from an injury suffered during spring training camp.
Napier made a point of Boardingham, Hansen and Livingston's youth on Friday, indicating that if they are to take the field in a meaningful role, they will naturally need time to adjust to the speed and physicality of the game.
"Really no experience," Napier noted. "That's one of the positions on our team where we're going to have young players playing."
That being said, Napier has been complimentary of each freshman throughout the fall, calling them "talented."
"We've got really good young players in that room. I'm very pleased with the progress that they've made," Napier stated. "Now, new game plan. There's a lot of information relative to that. The variables change.
"So, we'll have some growing pains there, but I do think that that group, their attitude, their approach to practice, meetings, walk-throughs has been really good. They've really gotten a lot better."
Florida is expected to release an injury report for Week 1 on Monday, before traveling to Salt Lake City, Utah on Wednesday.
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