The 2024 regular season for Florida Football is now over, but the next month will be crucial for shaping the roster for the 2025 season. The winter transfer portal opens next Monday and runs until December 28.
In the past two seasons, Florida has taken a more cautious approach to the portal, but this time the Gators plan to be more aggressive in addressing key areas.
Here are the three position groups Florida is most likely to focus on during this portal cycle:
Wide Receiver
Elijhah Badger had 789 receiving yards, Chimere Dike had 687 yards, and Eugene Wilson was the only other player to surpass 300 yards.
With Badger and Dike departing after just one season in Gainesville, Florida faces the same situation as last year, needing to add a couple of wide receivers from the portal.
On paper, the Gators return Wilson, Aidan Mizell, Tank Hawkins, and Marcus Burke, along with TJ Abrams and Kahleil Jackson. However, this group still raises questions and would benefit from adding a few experienced players from the portal.
Safety
Florida was active in the transfer portal for this position group last season, but many of those players will graduate after this year.
The Gators return Jordan Castell, Gregory Smith, and Bryce Thornton as key safeties, but, like wide receiver, this is another position that could see improvements through the portal in 2025.
Defensive Tackle
Cam Jackson, Desmond Watson, and Joey Slackman are all gone, and Caleb Banks could enter the draft, leaving significant gaps in this unit.
Three of those four players arrived at Florida through the portal, and although the Gators have Michai Boireau and D’Antre Robinson waiting in the wings, this position will need to be replenished heading into 2025.
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