When asked what he thought about Florida’s lack of playmakers on Nov. 5, coach Will Muschamp was as close to honest as could ever be expected: “It is what it is. We’re where we are.”
Translation: “We don’t have any.”
No unit deserves all the blame for Florida’s 118th-ranked passing offense, but the wide receivers are perhaps the biggest culprits.
Quarterback Jeff Driskel has been prone to poor decisions and inaccurate passes, and the offensive line has struggled to consistently build a pocket.
Regardless, the wideouts need to be more productive.
Quinton Dunbar is UF’s leading wide receiver with 24 catches and 252 yards.
That yardage total ties him for No. 402 in the NCAA with Rashad Lawrence of Northwestern, Cole Hubble of Texas San Antonio and Isaac Fruechte of Minnesota. Yeah…
Collectively, the players listed at wide receiver on Florida’s roster have 47 catches for 527 yards and six touchdowns. Combined, Dunbar, Frankie Hammond Jr., Andre Debose, Latroy Pittman, Raphael Andrades and Solomon Patton have averaged 52.7 yards per game. If one player had that average, he would rank 15th in the Southeastern Conference and No. 125 nationally.
To some extent, Florida’s system is to blame. The Gators rank No. 117 in the NCAA in pass attempts, as coach Will Muschamp has taken a ground-and-pound approach.
But even when the receivers get opportunities, they haven’t come through. UF pass catchers have dropped 18 catchable throws this season. Hammond leads the way with seven.
Some of those plays have been tougher than others, and you expect some drops.
But normally, those drops are balanced by explosive plays. Those have been nonexistent since Florida’s win against Tennessee on Sept. 15.
Maybe Florida needs to recruit better players. Stefon Diggs, a five-star prospect who was the No. 2 wideout and No. 8 overall player in the class of 2012, was essentially down to Maryland and Florida before opting to join the Terrapins. In his first season, he has 43 catches for 721 yards and six touchdowns despite missing the most recent game due to an ankle injury.
Five-star prospect Nelson Agholor, Rivals’ No. 3 wideout and No. 18 player in the class of 2012, was also considering Florida before choosing to become the fourth option at USC. In his freshman season, he has 16 catches for 291 yards and a touchdown, including a six-catch, 162-yard game against Oregon. His stats aren’t awe-inspiring, but he still has more receiving yards than any wideout on UF’s roster.
Maybe a new crop of recruits, led by four-star commits Ahmad Fulwood and Alvin Bailey, will turn things around. But last year’s four-star wideout recruit, Latroy Pittman, has only two catches for 6 yards.
The two four-star receivers brought in with the 2011 class, Javares McRoy and Ja’Juan Story, aren’t even on the roster anymore. McRoy transferred to Texas Tech shortly after his signing, and Story left for TCU in August.
In 2009, UF’s top wide receiver recruit was Andre Debose. Three years later, he still hasn’t made a consistent impact on the offense.
With Muschamp likely to call a run-heavy attack for the foreseeable future, luring prime wideout recruits will likely be a challenge. As it is, offensive coordinator Brent Pease said he doesn’t see a big-time receiver on Florida’s roster.
In a league with as much man-to-man defense as the SEC, Pease said playing wideout is simple: “You run a route; you get open.”
Unfortunately for the Gators, none of the wideouts on the current roster can do that.
Contact Greg Luca at gluca@alligator.org.
Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Quinton Dunbar celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Kentucky at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Sept. 22, 2012 in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Dunbar leads the Gators in receptions and yards.
