Florida Gators: True Freshmen To Watch in 2020
Every February (and now December) college football teams sign a new class of football players to join their program. It’s exciting to dream about what a prospect can become in the future but come September, some of those freshman will redshirt and wait for their opportunity to shine, while a few will be given the chance to make an immediate impact this season. In this series we will take a team by team look at the true freshman who could be given the opportunity to make a name for themselves in 2020. Today we will look at a few of the Florida Gators true freshmen to watch in 2020.
Gervon Dexter – DT
The Gators will be replacing defensive tackle Adam Shuler who had 6 TFL as a senior last year. Despite the loss of Shuler, the Gators do return Kyree Campbell and Tadarrell Slaton who were productive players up front in 2019. There is not much proven depth behind those two at defensive tackle so a few players will need to emerge. Elijah Conliffe and Marlon Dunlap have been in the program several years but have battled injuries and failed to make their mark. Jaelin Humphries redshirted last year but will be in the competition for playing time this year. Dexter arrives as a highly touted recruit and has the talent to leapfrog other players on the depth chart and become a contributor early.
Gervon Dexter was a superstar at Lake Wales High School in Florida. He has an elite combination of size and quickness on the interior of the defensive line. He has a quick first step and can put offensive linemen on their heels quickly setting them up to run past them or to power through them. Dexter also has the strength to hold up at the point of attack and defend the run. He will be a constant force in the offensive backfield throughout his college career. Dexter has work to do with his technique but is a physically impressive player who has the tools to dominate on the defensive line right away. There’s no way Florida can keep a talent like Dexter off the field this year, when he plays we expect he will impress.
Xzavier Henderson – WR
Florida lost a lot of production at wide receiver from last year. Van Jefferson, Freddie Swain, Tyrie Cleveland, and Josh Hammond all produced in 2019 but none of them will be back in 2020. The Gators do return TE Kyle Pitts (#1 TE in our rankings) and WRs Trevon Grimes and Jacob Copeland, all of whom produced at varying levels in 2019. There is still a need for a new group of receivers to emerge and provide depth beyond the top two and the do it all tight end. Florida will be searching for depth this fall and young players will have the opportunity to earn playing time if they can perform. Justin Shorter transferred in from Penn State and Florida signed three receivers in the 2020 recruiting class. We expect Xzavier Henderson to emerge from this group and become a contributor as soon as 2020.
Xzavier Henderson was standout at Columbus High School in Miami, Florida. Henderson is a tall receiver with good speed and acceleration. He can pull away from defensive backs or out-leap them for the ball. He does need to add some weight but should do that in a college strength and conditioning program. He is a good route runner for a young player and understands how to put pressure on defensive backs to create separation. Henderson has good hands and does a good job if high pointing the football and making the catch. He is a high potential wide receiver but is also advanced enough to play right away. Henderson will capitalize on the lack of depth in the receiver room in 2020 and carve out a role for himself with his strong play.
Jahari Rogers – CB
CJ Henderson starred for the Gators at cornerback in 2019 but will be playing on Sundays in 2020. We expect Kair Elam to step into the starting lineup and perform well at one corner. Marco Wilson was a quality starter at the other corner spot in 2019 and will continue in that role in 2020. Jaydon Hill can provide depth at cornerback but there is not a lot of proven depth beyond that at the position. Florida signed five corners in the 2020 recruiting class to address that lack of depth. A few of those players will be called upon to provide depth right away. Jahari Rogers enrolled early and got some time with the team this winter which should help springboard him up the depth chart.
Jahari Rogers had 14 PBU as a senior at Arlington High School in Texas. Rogers has the height and frame needed to be an outside cornerback in the SEC. He has good long speed and short area burst and agility which make him an asset in man coverage. Rogers has fluid hips and has all the tools to be a a quality college cornerback. He played a lot of offense in high school and is still a bit raw at corner but has the ability to excel there. Rogers enrolled early, which was important to give him a chance to get up to speed at the position. Although spring practices were cut short, he was able to participate in the winter and begin the acclimation process. Florida will need depth at cornerback and Rogers has the skills to be a good one, he should start to show that in 2020.
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