When it comes to playing time, one player's setback is another player's opportunity.
With news of freshman wide receiver Andre Debose's season-ending hamstring surgery, there are suddenly a lot more snaps to go around.
Redshirt freshmen T.J. Lawrence and Frankie Hammond Jr., were thought to be the favorites to provide depth at the position, but Omarius Hines, also a redshirt freshman, has come on strong over the last week.
"He came out of nowhere. There was zero plan for him," Florida coach Urban Meyer said. "We have Thursday races on kickoffs where we actually race our kickoff team down the field. It's where some guys around here got noticed all the way back to Reggie Nelson and Dorian Munroe. (Hines) is fast, and he's a good guy. He'll see more and more opportunities."
Meyer noticed the 6-foot, 204 pound receiver just in time to work him into the gameplan for Charleston Southern on Saturday.
Hines responded by connecting with backup quarterback John Brantley for three catches and 31 yards in the second half against the Buccaneers. Only senior Riley Cooper and junior tight end Aaron Hernandez hauled in more passes than Hines, a surprising statistic considering that recently Hines seemed to be buried on the depth chart.
During spring practice, Hines said he hurt the thigh muscles in his legs, keeping him out for two to three months and leaving him behind Lawrence and Hammond, his roommates, in the rotation.
The three young receivers knew there would be playing time for at least one of them as the position was already thought to be the Gators' weakness, even with a healthy Debose. Now, the coaching staff is even more intent on developing some of the young wide receivers as viable options behind Cooper, Deonte Thompson, David Nelson and Brandon James.
"The wide receiver position is really short right now," Hines said. "We all need to step up and make plays."
And the wideout position could be thin for more than just this year. Other than Thompson, a sophomore, the three top receivers are all seniors.
That means Hines is not only working to see playing time in a backup role this season, he is also setting himself up for a year from now when Nelson, Cooper and James are all gone.
"I know someday it's going to be our turn to play," Hines said. "We're just trying to do what we can to help the team right now and learn while doing that, and then next year when it's our turn - just go ball."
