Gators WR Van Jefferson Accepts Senior Bowl Invite

Jefferson will join three other Florida seniors at the annual prospect all-star game.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Florida Gators wide receiver Van Jefferson just got a little bump up in his pursuit of an NFL career.

Jefferson has accepted an invitation to the 2020 Senior Bowl, making him the fourth Gator to do so in this senior class. He will join running back Lamical Perine, and defensive ends Jonathan Greenard and Jabari Zuniga in Mobile for the all-star game.

The 6-2, 197 lb. wideout had previously committed to the East-West Shrine Bowl in St. Petersburg, FL, with fellow receivers Freddie Swain and Josh Hammond. However, the Senior Bowl is considered a step up from the Shrine Bowl and produces more NFL Draft picks on a yearly basis.

Jefferson joins USC's Michael Pittman Jr., Baylor's Denzel Mims, Vanderbilt's Kalija Lipscomb, Texas' Collin Johnson and Devin Dunervay, Liberty's Antonio Gandy-Golden, South Carolina's Bryan Edwards, Notre Dame's Chase Claypool, and Arizona State's Brandon Aiyuk as receivers from across the nation to accept an invite.

He finished his second and final season at Florida with 43 receptions, tallying 528 yards and six touchdowns. It's tough to stand out consistently in Florida's spread out passing attack, but Jefferson has been a consistent possession receiver for quarterbacks Kyle Trask and Feleipe Franks over the past two seasons, specializing in nifty route running technique to separate from defensive backs in the absence of elite speed.

The 2020 NFL Draft's wide receiver class is arguably the deepest and most talented ever, so it's important for prospects like Jefferson to take advantage of opportunities to network and show teams his skill-set along the way. The Senior Bowl provides that, as all 32 NFL teams will attend each day of practice, the game, and will hold meetings with each player.


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Zach Goodall
ZACH GOODALL

Zach Goodall is the publisher of AllGators.com on FanNation-Sports Illustrated, serving as a beat reporter covering football, recruiting, and occasionally other sports since 2019.  Before moving to Gainesville, Zach spent four years covering the Jacksonville Jaguars for SB Nation (2015-18) and Locked On Podcast Network (2017-19), originally launching his sports journalism career as a junior in high school. He also covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for FanNation-Sports Illustrated (2020-22). In addition to writing and reporting, Zach is a sports photographer and videographer who primarily shoots football and basketball games, practices and related events. When time permits in the 24/7 media realm, Zach enjoys road trips, concerts, golf and microbreweries.