Florida Gators Fall Camp Practice Report No. 2, Newcomer Makes Debut
The Florida Gators on Thursday continued fall camp with its second practice. Media were allowed to attend for a short portion of that practice.
Gators Illustrated was in attendance and spent the time viewing the defensive line, offensive line, quarterbacks and receivers.
Here are the main takeaways.
New Arrival Makes His Debut
It seemed as if the Gators had finalized its 2024 roster ahead of fall camp, but one late arrival made his practice debut less than an hour after announcing he had joined the roster.
JUCO defensive lineman Tavorise Brown (Palm Bay, Fla.), who committed to Florida as a preferred walk-on Thursday afternoon, was seen working with his new position group immediately after his announcement.
Prior to spending his freshman year at Hutchinson Community College (Ks), Brown (6-foot-7, 290 pounds) recorded 33 total tackles, five tackles-for-loss and eight sacks his senior year with Palm Bay (Fla.) Heritage.
Due to Florida’s scholarship limit this year, Brown joined the Gators as a preferred-walk-on but will have an opportunity to earn a scholarship next season when the new updated scholarship counts for collegiate programs go into effect.
Scholarship limits for FBS football programs increase from 85 to 105 beginning in the 2025-2026 athletics season.
Injury Report
Gators Illustrated noted two players wearing black non-contact jerseys on Wednesday with freshman safety Greg Smith III and freshman offensive lineman Fletcher Westphal. On Thursday, one of those shed his non-contact jersey for a regular practice uniform, but one more joined the injured group.
Smith III was full-go on Thursday and participated in tackling drills with the rest of the defensive backs, while Westphal was seen in a non-contact jersey while working with the offensive line for the second day in a row.
Meanwhile, interior defensive lineman Jamari Lyons was seen working on a stationary bike in the indoor facility away from his position group.
Gators Illustrated’s Clip of the Day
Once again, quarterbacks and receivers spent time working on deep passes. On Wednesday, a throw by Graham Mertz to Aidan Mizell stole the show. On Thursday, it was a pass by DJ Lagway to walk-on Alex Gonzalez.
Upcoming Practice/Media Schedule
All times are tentative, and the practice viewing periods range anywhere from 10-to-15 minutes long.
Friday, Aug. 2:
- 7:04 p.m.: Practice viewing
Saturday, Aug. 3:
- 12:30 p.m.: Billy Napier press availability
Monday, Aug. 5:
- 3:04 p.m.: Practice viewing period
- 4:45 p.m.: Post-practice press availability (players, TBA)