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Gators 2025 Spring Positional Outlook: Wide Receivers

Gators Illustrated is reviewing, and previewing, each position on Florida's roster during the 2025 offseason. Up next are the wide receivers.

Cam Parker

Florida wide receiver Eugene Wilson III headlines the Gators' wide receiver unit in 2025.
Florida wide receiver Eugene Wilson III headlines the Gators' wide receiver unit in 2025. / Kyle Lander / Gators Illustrated
In this story:

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- As a new season approaches, the Florida Gators will look to breakout in head coach Billy Napier's fourth year after a strong finish to the 2024 campaign.

Familiar faces return, but the Gators saw usual roster attrition in the offseason with 19 total departures from last season, 13 of which were on scholarship, via the NCAA Transfer Portal and more from exhausting their collegiate eligibilities.

As a result, the Gators added 31 total players with a 26-signee high school class and a five-signee transfer portal class.

Gators Illustrated is breaking down each position on Florida's roster as the team approaches spring training camp with a review of each unit's 2024 performances and an outlook on the 2025 season and will revisit each position group with a final depth chart prediction during fall camp.

Next are the wide receivers, where the Gators have plenty of unproven talent after losing its top two targets from 2024.

2024 Season in Review: Florida's Wide Receivers

Once again, Florida saw its best success out of its receivers from a transfer portal acquisition with two veteran newcomers leading the way.

Former Arizona State receiver Elijhah Badger (806 yards, four touchdowns) and Chimere Dike (783 yards, two touchdowns) solidified themselves as staples of consistency in their lone season with Florida while being reliable targets for freshman quarterback DJ Lagway.

Badger broke out in the second game of the season against Samford as a deep-threat for Lagway, and the duo combined for two scores in crucial late-season wins against LSU and Ole Miss.

Dike proved to be one of Florida's more reliable route runners and catchers with a team-high 42 receptions and always seemed to make a play right when the Gators needed it the most. Highlights include a season-high 96-yard effort in the bowl win over Tulane and the game-tying touchdown against Tennessee.

However, Florida's receiver depth failed to find consistency. The Gators lost outside receiver Kahleil Jackson to a season-ending knee injury after the first game, and star receiver Eugene Wilson III only played in four games due to multiple ailments, including a hip injury that eventually ended his season.

The Gators did get flashes of potential from Aidan Mizell, who caught touchdowns against Samford and Georgia and had another against Mississippi State called back due to a questionable penalty, and freshman Tank Hawkins. However, Florida's most consistent success came from Badger and Dike, and now with both gone, the Gators will need multiple players to step up in 2025.

Out and In

Scholarship players only

  • Out: Elijhah Badger (Graduation), Marcus Burke (Transfer), Chimere Dike (Graduation), Ja'Quavion Fraziars (Graduation), Andy Jean (Transfer)
  • In: Vernell Brown III (Freshman), Naeshaun Montgomery (Freshman), J. Michael Sturdivant (Transfer), Muizz Tounkara (Freshman), Dallas Wilson (Freshman)

Into 2025

Florida heads into the 2025 season with one of the younger receiver rooms in recent memory after seeing the departures of Badger and Dike along with the aforementioned injuries to Wilson III and Jackson.


Meanwhile, Wilson III appears ready to take on the role as Florida's feature receiver after injuries held him back last season. The question will be how Florida uses him. Primarily a gadget guy in 2023, Florida teased his usage as a natural receiver out of the slot who can run routes down the field, but his season-ending hip injury forced Florida to delay those plans.

Now healthy and with a full offseason to work with DJ Lagway, Wilson III could be one of the SEC's top receivers next season.

That being said, of the returning receivers who played most of last season, Mizell seems to be best poised for a breakout after his flashes of brilliance of tremendous speed and a presence as a deep-threat receiver.

Despite having both and 2023 starter Kahleil Jackson back, the Gators still had a void in true multi-year experience.

Filling that need, Florida, once again, turned to the NCAA Transfer Portal and landed on UCLA veteran J. Michael Sturdivant. After a 60-catch, 700-yard season at Cal, Sturdivant experienced drops in production over his next two seasons.

However, he did show flashes of brilliance, and the Gators have a history of getting the most out of its transfer receivers, leaving hope that Sturdivant can follow nicely in the footsteps of Pearsall, Badger and Dike.

Meanwhile, the Gators built a strong core behind the veterans with a four-man recruiting class of five-stars Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III alongside four-star Naeshaun Montgomery and three-star Muizz Tounkara.

Wilson (6-3, 195 pounds) has the best possibility to start right away due to Florida's inexperience and new faces on the outside, while Brown III is expected to be a consistent contributor out of the slot position, a spot where Florida also returns two sophomores in Tank Hawkins and TJ Abrams.

With DJ Lagway back leading the offense, the bulk of the offensive line returning to protect him and a strong balance of returning core pieces looking to take a bigger step and young natural talent ready to make an instant impact, there's no reason why Florida's receivers can't have a strong year in 2025.

Way Too Early Depth Chart Projection 

Outside: Aidan Mizell (R-So.), J. Michael Sturdivant (R-Sr.)

Outside backups: Kahleil Jackson (R-Sr.), Dallas Wilson (Fr.), Naeshaun Montgomery (Fr.), Muizz Tounkara (Fr.)

Slot: Eugene Wilson III (R-So)

Slot backups: Tank Hawkins (So.), TJ Abrams (So.), Vernell Brown III (Fr.)

Reserves: Taylor Spierto (R-Sr.)*, Jaden Edgecomb (R-So.)*, Jackson Wade (R-So.)*, David Schmidt (R-Fr.)*, DeBraun Hampton (R-Fr.)*

*Indicates walk-on status

Position Outlooks

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Cam Parker
CAM PARKER

Cam Parker is a contributing writer at AllGators.com of FanNation-Sports Illustrated and is a recent graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in journalism. He also covers and broadcasts Alachua County high school sports with The Prep Zone and Mainstreet Daily News. When he isn't writing, he enjoys listening to '70s music such as The Band or Lynyrd Skynyrd, binge-watching shows and playing with his cat, Chester.

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