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Gators Postseason Transfer Tracker: Florida Makes First Addition

Your one-stop shop for the Gators' transfer portal movement following the 2022 season.

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Photo: Chris Thomas Jr.; Credit: Alex Shepherd

The newly-instituted NCAA transfer portal window first opened on December 5 after postseason bowl selections were made.

The Florida Gators began to prepare for a mass exodus of talent from the roster as a result, and that has come to fruition. 

Numerous UF players announced before the conclusion of the 2022 regular season that they have or will enter the portal imminently, with some having already graduated from the university and possessing immediate eligibility to transfer.

Additionally, edge rusher Brenton Cox Jr. was dismissed from the team in late October and proceeded to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft. He's been joined by wide receiver Justin Shorter and offensive lineman O'Cyrus Torrence in pledging to go pro this offseason.

Florida expects the attrition to continue as the offseason approaches. Head coach Billy Napier shared on November 16 that some players have informed him of their intentions to transfer but plan to finish the 2022 season with the team.

All Gators is tracking Florida's 2022 postseason transfer portal movement below, logging both scholarship additions and subtractions to the roster, notable walk-on departures and relevant portal recruiting updates.

DL Caleb Banks — announced transfer commitment to Florida on December 11

The Gators picked up their first transfer portal addition of the postseason/2023 offseason, as Louisville defensive lineman Caleb Banks announced on Sunday that he will transfer to Florida. He officially visited UF over the weekend and revealed his pledge shortly after leaving campus.

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Banks, 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, provides Florida with immediate defensive line depth for the 2023 season and beyond, with the potential to develop into a starter. After exiting high school as a consensus three-star, Banks flashed as a redshirt freshman with a sack, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble across just 38 defensive snaps in 2022.

He obtained scholarship offers from the likes of Oklahoma, Auburn, Tennessee and USC, among other programs, after entering the transfer portal earlier this month.

The Gators have placed an emphasis on rebuilding their defensive trenches entering the 2023 offseason as Banks has joined high school commits Kelby Collins, Kamran James, Will Norman and Gavin Hill as interior linemen in Florida's current recruiting class.

DT Chris Thomas Jr. — announced intention to enter transfer portal on December 7

Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Chris Thomas Jr. announced that he is entering the transfer portal on Wednesday, maintaining three seasons of eligibility to utilize at his next stop. 

Thomas, a class of 2021 product of Fort Myers (Fla.) Dunbar, appeared in just two games at UF following a productive high school career in which he tallied 57 tackles for loss across three seasons. 

He was removed from the team's roster on June 22 for undisclosed reasons but returned to the team in the early days of fall camp as a walk-on, All Gators has learned, meaning his transfer does not free up a spot on Florida's 2023 scholarship chart.

Florida's number of imminent transfers remains at 18 scholarship players as of Thomas' portal entry. 

OLB Lloyd Summerall III — announced intention to enter transfer portal on December 6

Fourth-year redshirt sophomore edge rusher Lloyd Summerall III is the 18th scholarship Florida player whose plans to enter the transfer portal this offseason are now public.

Primarily a special teams contributor during his time at Florida, Summerall saw his edge-rushing reps slightly increase in a rotation over the last two seasons but never took on a significant role. He finishes his 28-game UF career with 15 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.

Summerall is the fourth JACK edge rusher to depart from the team entering the offseason, following Brenton Cox Jr. (dismissed/NFL Draft), David Reese (transfer) and Chief Borders (transfer).

Typically a one-man position in Florida's base defense, the departures leave Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr., Jack Pyburn, TJ Searcy (class of 2023 commit) and Isaiah Nixon (class of 2023 commit) as the Gators' edge rushers of the future. Powell-Ryland Jr. replaced Cox as the team's starter in Week 10 and went on to finish the 2022 season with three sacks and six tackles for loss, both stats being career-highs.

DL Jalen Lee — reports surfaced of intention to enter transfer portal on December 5

Gators third-year sophomore defensive tackle Jalen Lee, who began the 2022 season as Florida's starting nose tackle, is entering the transfer portal according to Graham Hall of Swamp247.

Lee obtained his starting position this season following the departure of four defensive linemen from the 2021 roster and his three-tackle emergence against UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl a year ago. However, he lost the role and saw his snaps decrease in favor of sophomore Desmond Watson and true freshman Chris McClellan as the campaign persisted. 

Lee finishes his three-year stint with the Gators having posted 19 tackles, one sack, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble. 

17 scholarship Florida players and counting intend to transfer this offseason.

OL Yousef Mugharbil — announced intention to enter transfer portal on December 5

Florida redshirt freshman offensive lineman Yousef Mugharbil announced that he will enter the transfer portal on Monday with three years of eligibility remaining.

Mugharbil, a welcomed addition to Florida's offensive line in the class of 2021, failed to appear in a game in his two-year Gators career after a scooter accident derailed his true freshman campaign last year. He held offers from North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and Penn State, among others, in high school.

OLB Chief Borders — announced intention to enter transfer portal on December 5

Gators edge rusher and fan-favorite on social media, redshirt freshman Chief Borders announced on Monday that he will enter the transfer portal after two seasons at Florida.

Borders carved out a special teams role for the Gators in 2022 and tallied two tackles across his 12 appearances this year, earning 233 snaps across the return, coverage, kicking and blocking units. The Chicago, Ill. native and Franklin (Ga.) Heard County product saw the field in 16 games during his UF career and maintains three seasons of college eligibility.

Borders becomes the 15th scholarship Florida player to announce their transfer portal entry this postseason. 

OLB David Reese — announced intention to enter transfer portal on December 4

Fifth-year redshirt junior edge rusher David Reese announced on Sunday night that he will enter the transfer portal, making him the 14th member of Florida's roster to announce that he will do so. 

After redshirting his freshman season and being sidelined for the entirety of the following campaign due to an injury, Reese possesses an additional two seasons of college eligibility to utilize at his next stop.

A season-ending injury in 2020 limited Reese to just seven appearances across his first four years at UF as he proceeded to not field a role in 2021. He finally became a full-time contributor in 2022 under head coach Billy Napier, appearing in 12 games in a key special teams role and in a rotation along the defensive front. Reese finished his Gators career with nine tackles. 

DB Corey Collier Jr. — announced intention to enter transfer portal on December 4 

Redshirt freshman defensive back Corey Collier Jr. is the latest Florida player to announce they will enter the transfer portal this offseason. An underclassman, he will officially be eligible to enter the portal on Monday, December 5. 

The high school teammate and fellow class of 2020 Gators signee Jason Marshall Jr., Collier appeared in five games during his two-year stint at UF primarily in a special teams role. He recorded the first tackle of his college career this season when Florida hosted Eastern Washington in Week 5.

So far, 13 members of Florida's 2022 roster have announced their intentions to transfer this offseason.

Safety Donovan McMillon — announced intention to enter transfer portal on December 2

The bevy of portal entries continues for the Florida Gators as safety Donovan McMillon announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 5th. He is the 12th UF player to announce his decision to depart from the program this year.

Coming out of Peters Township High School, McMillon was considered a promising pledge for the future of Florida's secondary in the 2021 cycle due to his physically imposing frame and functional athleticism as a coverage man with the ball skills to create takeaways. 

He served as a reserve safety for most of his career, seeing sparing appearances throughout the 2022 season and a more considerable role in the final week of the season due to an injury to Rashad Torrence II. However, despite his lack of time on defense, the McMurray, Penn., native found a niche as a special teams ace for Florida, serving as a bright spot on the unit throughout his two seasons in Gainesville. 

The sophomore safety logged 30 tackles and one tackle for loss in 25 games.

RB Nay'Quan Wright — announced intention to enter transfer portal on December 2

On Friday, fourth-year redshirt sophomore running back Nay'Quan Wright became Florida's 11th player to announce their plans to transfer this offseason.

Wright, a member of Florida's 2019 recruiting class, appeared in 29 games offensively during his UF career and tallied 167 carries for 688 yards and three touchdowns, adding 29 receptions for 332 yards and another score in the passing game. He opened the 2022 season as UF's starting running back but saw his reps decrease in favor of breakout stars Montrell Johnson Jr. and Trevor Etienne. 

RB Lorenzo Lingard — announced intention to enter transfer portal on December 1

Fifth-year redshirt junior Gators running back Lorenzo Lingard thanked the University of Florida for "everything" in social media posts on Thursday, indicating that he is the 10th UF player with plans to enter the transfer portal this offseason.

Lingard confirmed his plan to transfer as a graduate student with Jacob Rudner of 247Sports shortly after sharing his thanks on social media. 

The Orange City, Fla. native spent three seasons at Florida following his transfer from Miami prior to the 2020 season. He sat out for the majority of the 2019 campaign while recovering from a knee injury that required surgery, suffered the year prior while Lingard was a true freshman. 

In a limited rotational role, Lingard produced 26 carries for 150 yards and a touchdown during his three seasons with the Gators, adding three receptions for 31 yards in that stretch.

WR Daejon Reynolds — announced intention to enter transfer portal on November 30

Gators wide receiver Daejon Reynolds announced on Wednesday that he will enter the transfer portal, becoming the ninth Florida player with known intentions to transfer this offseason.

Reynolds, a redshirt freshman, will maintain three years of eligibility at his next stop.

The Springfield, Ill. native and Grayson (Ga.) High School product emerged as a contributor in Florida's passing offense this season as the Gators' wide receiver room experienced injuries. He peaked with 165 yards and two touchdowns against Vanderbilt in Week 12 and finished the campaign with 11 receptions for 244 yards and the two scores.

CB Avery Helm — announced intention to enter transfer portal on November 28

All Gators reported on November 28 that Helm, a third-year sophomore and former UF starting cornerback, intends to enter the transfer portal once the window opens. He's the eighth Florida player to emerge as portal-bound since the beginning of the 2022 season.

Helm finished his three-year Florida career with 31 total tackles and four defended passes across 22 appearances and 13 starts. Pro Football Focus credits Helm for allowing just 46 percent of his 63 career targets in coverage to be caught.

LB Diwun Black — announced intention to enter transfer portal on November 16

Black, a fourth-year junior linebacker, was removed from Florida's roster in Week 12 and will enter the portal on December 5. A fan-favorite, Black transferred to UF before the 2021 season from the junior college level after previously committing to the Gators as a high school recruit in the class of 2019.

Black appeared in seven games with the Gators, totaling seven tackles and one tackle for loss during his two seasons with UF. He also recovered an onside kick amid Florida's comeback attempt against Tennessee in Week 4.

TE Griffin McDowell — entered transfer portal on November 16

A graduate student, McDowell was the sixth Florida player to announce they will enter the transfer portal and he has already done so. That being said, McDowell remained with the team through the conclusion of the regular season.

The fifth-year redshirt junior appeared in 40 games during his UF career, primarily on special teams although he spent positional time across the offensive and defensive lines as well as at tight end this year.

TE Nick Elksnis — announced intention to enter transfer portal on November 15

Elksnis, a redshirt freshman tight end, will enter the transfer portal on December 5. He was removed from UF's injury report, where he had been listed as out since Week 6 with an upper-body injury, in Week 12 as he is no longer with the program.

A former Penn State commitment who flipped to Florida in the class of 2021, Elksnis did not post a reception across his eight career appearances with the Gators. 

WR Trent Whittemore — entered transfer portal on November 14

A local recruit from Gainesville (Fla.) Buchholz, Whittemore left the team and entered the portal before Florida traveled to take on Vanderbilt in Week 12. Whittemore graduated from UF over the summer, allowing him to survey his transfer options immediately.

Whittemore showed promise as a possession receiver across the 2020-21 seasons, compiling 29 receptions for 338 yards and two touchdowns. He also completed three-of-four passes for 41 yards and two touchdowns in that stretch. However, injuries limited Whittemore to just 17 games in that span, and he only caught four passes for 87 yards in six games this season.

Whittemore's younger brother Creed, a fellow Buchholz product and former 2023 commit to Florida, flipped his pledge to Mississippi State in October. 

DB Kamar Wilcoxson — announced intention to enter transfer portal on November 3

Wilcoxson was the third Florida player to announce he would enter the portal during the season. He left the team prior to the Gators' matchup with Texas A&M.

Wilcoxson signed with the Gators as a late addition to their 2020 recruiting class at the age of 17 after reclassifying from the class of 2021. Although he earned playing time as a true freshman and even recorded a takeaway, Wilcoxson suffered a season-ending knee injury during the 2021 preseason and could not re-emerge in UF's secondary this year.

LS Marco Ortiz — entered transfer portal on October 26

Ortiz, Florida's Week 1 starting long snapper, entered the portal just before the Gators' matchup with Georgia. He has remained with the team while inactive due to an upper-body injury he suffered in the season-opener against Utah. 

Redshirt freshman Rocco Underwood performed well in Ortiz's absence throughout the campaign. Barring a class of 2023 commitment at the position, Ortiz's departure will decrease Florida's scholarship count at long snapper to one (Underwood).

Ortiz spent five years at UF and appeared in 16 games, starting 14.

OL Josh Braun — announced intention to enter transfer portal on October 18

Braun was the first member of Florida's roster to leave the team during the 2022 season, announcing his intention to transfer just before completing his classes to earn his degree. He has begun to visit other programs and made his way to Florida State on November 15.

The Live Oak (Fla.) Suwannee product flipped his class of 2020 commitment from Georgia to Florida just prior to the early signing period. Braun would go on to spend over two seasons with the Gators, appearing in 26 games with seven starts in 2021.

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