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Billy Napier: Florida WR Marcus Burke ‘Has Grown Up This Offseason’

Third-year Gators wide receiver could be breakout candidate for 2023

All Gators Staff

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Photo: Marcus Burke; Credit: Alex Shepherd 

As Florida football retools several positional units, the wide receiver position has commanded considerable attention since the end of the 2022 season. 

Now that spring football has come and gone, there appears to be more clarity — or at least candidates — to help the unit take the next step to coincide with the return of Billy Gonzales as their coach. 

During Florida's April 13 spring scrimmage, Marcus Burke looked like he was 'next up' after an up-and-down redshirt freshman season last fall. 

Head coach Billy Napier admitted steps have been taken both on and off the field during his time around the Jacksonville native that put him in a position to make plays in spring camp and push for playing time this season. 

"He is a guy that's always been one of the more talented guys, and I think he has grown up this offseason in particular," Napier said after the spring game. "He has taken some steps forward just in terms of being dependable, being accountable, being a guy that not only the staff can respect, but also his teammates, his consistency." 

Injuries and somewhat typical high school to college transitions limited the 6-foot-4 athlete's role thus far in his Gator career. It's not just the head coach who sees the turnaround on the field or the true work behind it. 

The 16-yard touchdown to break the ice on Thursday came via quarterback Jack Miller III. 

"Me and Burke have put a lot of time together," Miller said. "Especially over this offseason. He is always a guy that stays after with me and kind of catches a lot of balls, so you saw his other catch tonight too. Burke is a weapon. He is the real deal. 

"That was a guy we were talking about earlier. We said, 'we're going to get one tonight,' and we ended up getting one so it's pretty cool. During the walk-through he was like, 'I need one tonight,' and I said, 'I got you.' Got it."

The score was routine but as Miller recounted, the down-the-field grab over a defender more correctly encapsulates the speedster's potential. Few on the roster are faster than Burke.

"I love Marcus, right, and Marcus is a talented young man. I mean, he is tall. He is long. He is fast," Napier said. "Marcus is learning how to be more consistent as a person. I'm proud of him and the progress that he has shown, right?

"He has been banged up here a little bit at times, but for him to be healthy and be out there and make a few plays, I think that's going to help his growth. And our team needs — we're better when Marcus Burke is playing his best football."

Napier caught himself before the reaction to Burke's play-making and/or progress was too one-sided, but he did admit to the third-year wideout creating more of an opportunity to increase his role within the roster. 

"He has made some progress, but he is not there yet," Napier said, "and he has an opportunity here in the next couple of months to continue to earn opportunities to play." 

Two years in, Burke has just six catches for 103 yards. 

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