A lot has changed for Jordan Reed in a year.
As a freshman last fall, he was buried on Florida’s depth chart behind quarterbacks Tim Tebow and John Brantley. Fast forward 365 days, and he is expected to line up as UF’s starting tight end when the team opens its season against Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 4.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pound bruiser came to campus as a decorated quarterback with many of the same attributes that made Tebow successful.
Rivals.com gave him four stars as a high school prospect and named him the 10th best dual-threat quarterback in the country.
But it wasn’t enough.
Following a redshirt season, UF coaches presented Reed with the option of sticking to his natural position or making the switch to tight end.
After playing both positions for most of the spring, the choice became obvious and he notified the coaches of his decision.
“I was progressing faster at tight end than quarterback, so I thought that was a better fit for me,” Reed said. “I wanted to play faster because I knew I wasn’t going to play over [Brantley].”
The transition has been a smooth one, partly because Reed didn’t have to do much physically to prepare for the new position.
“I’ve always been a big dude,” he said.
And his athleticism has helped him with route-running and catching balls over linebackers and safeties.
The hardest part came when he was asked to get into a stance and block. Reed, who played quarterback his entire life up to that point, had never been asked to take on such a task.
“Blocking is pretty tough and learning the footwork,” he said. “It’s more of the technical part of blocking than the physical part.”
However, he still takes some snaps in practice — just not with the intention of throwing the ball.
Coaches have been using Reed as a quarterback in the wildcat package during goal line situations in an attempt to help fill the void Tebow left behind.
Reed said he expects to be utilized in those situations because he has the size and strength to gain tough yards.
He ran for just six yards on one carry in the spring game in April. But he still was unsure about his role in the offense at that point.
“He is very versatile, very multi-talented,” tight ends coach Brian White said. “We are going to use his skills. The ceiling is very high.”
Former Gators tight end Cornelius Ingram made the same transition from quarterback. He now plays for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, giving Reed a role model to look up to.
But the way Reed is used in the offense will likely resemble Aaron Hernandez more closely than Ingram. Hernandez filled a versatile role during his three seasons at Florida, and Reed said Hernandez provided him with pointers before he left UF for his NFL career.
“There’s a great tradition for tight ends here, so hopefully I fit in,” Reed said.
The Gators are hoping he does too.
Reed, who has been at the position for less than a year, will have some growing pains along the way, but coaches are amazed at how quickly he has adapted to the switch.
“He’s not totally ready, but he’ll be there,” White said. “He has come a long way from somebody that couldn’t even get into a stance to someone that’s looking like a [Southeastern Conference] tight end.”
