Gators Testing Offensive Skill Talent in Return Game

A six-deep group of running backs and wide receivers, consisting of veterans and rookies, are returning kicks and punts for Florida in fall camp.

Photo (left to right): Florida WRs Eugene Wilson III, Ricky Pearsall and Andy Jean; Credit: Zach Goodall

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Billy Napier was quick to make a change to Florida's kick-returning unit in 2022, inserting then-freshman running back Trevor Etienne opposite sophomore wide receiver Xzavier Henderson in the endzone halfway through Week 2. 

By that point, redshirt sophomore receiver Ja'Markis Weston had averaged a mere 18 yards per attempt across four kickoffs against Utah and Kentucky. He struggled to create plus-yardage on returns taken out of the endzone and once had to be advised by Henderson to accept a touchback rather than run the ball out.

Etienne's first attempt against the Wildcats — on a deep squib kick that slowed down at the 11-yard line — only resulted in a 10-yard pickup, but it looked different. 

His acceleration from the recovery point was ample and he immediately displayed wiggle, taking the coverage team inside before quickly shifting into the outside lane he had created toward the sideline. 

Etienne went on to total 24.8 yards per kick return across 17 attempts last year, two-tenths of a yard removed from the equivalent of a touchback. Fast forward to UF's 2023 fall training camp, and Etienne is "obviously" a key factor in the Gators' return game as a result, according to Napier.

The rest of Florida's kick and punt return group is a bit less certain, following Henderson's offseason transfer to Cincinnati. 

"We're in the process of working on that," Napier said on Friday.

Napier considers senior receiver Ricky Pearsall to be another obvious contributor, but that notion has been supported publicly only by offseason reporting. Pearsall took four punt returns for a total of 27 yards in a rotation with Henderson near the end of the 2022 season, not emerging quite like Etienne did on kick returns. 

As a whole, Florida reached just 8.1 yards per punt return in 2022, good for ninth in the SEC. Etienne's contributions boosted UF to No. 4 in the conference on kick returns, at 21.7 yards per attempt in total.

The Gators' lead returning pass-catcher is an enticing option for further opportunities on the receiving end of punts and kicks, and he expressed confidence that he is the man for the job in the days before fall training camp.

"Yesterday, we were returning punts and I was running down the field telling people, 'This is what I'm most excited for," Pearsall said on July 19, via Swamp247. "It's a little nerve-wracking but I'm going to be the guy to do it." 

But with Pearsall's importance to the offense seemingly in mind — and Etienne's, for that matter — the Gators are looking into all of their options. 

Interestingly, junior running back and projected starter Montrell Johnson Jr. has also been involved in the competition to return kicks and punts, per Napier. He has yet to attempt a kick or punt return in his college career. 

Neither, obviously, have freshmen wide receivers Eugene "Tre" Wilson III, Andy Jean and Aidan Mizell, but the trio of young pass-catchers have also entered the mix.

Each has been the subject of praise from coaches and teammates during their inaugural offseason in Gainesville, regarding their athleticism and ability to contribute early — albeit offensively, although the skills required to do so at receiver can be applied to returning kicks and punts.

Wilson, in particular, is likely to earn in-game opportunities similar to those Etienne received during his rookie season at Florida. In addition to his explosive nature as a pass-catcher, having produced 16.8 yards per catch in high school, he also returned a kickoff and two interceptions for touchdowns at the prep level.

"I don't think there's any question that Tre will also be a factor at some point," said Napier. 

Mizell also averaged 27.5 yards per attempt across four kick returns during his junior season of high school. Jean does not have any recorded return statistics, but was clocked running 22.5 miles per hour during Florida's winter offseason workouts according to Napier, making his special teams candidacy similarly intriguing. 

"I don’t even think he was running as fast as he could," Napier said about Jean at the time.

As Napier showcased in the second game of his Florida head coaching tenure, he is willing to experiment with the return game in a quick matter. Time will tell the frequency of each running back and wide receiver's trials as returners, but one thing is certain: Napier is looking for quick players to man those spots.

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