Quinton Dunbar does not feel threatened by Loucheiz Purifoy practicing at wide receiver during spring practice.
The junior, who led Florida with four touchdown catches last season, views the arrangement as an opportunity.
“I don’t take it personally,” Dunbar said. “I feel like it’s an opportunity to get better and an opportunity to push myself. I feel like I can beat out anyone. I take it as a challenge, I can’t speak for anyone else.”
With Purifoy returning to cornerback after Saturday, Dunbar will be the lone standout among Florida’s top five returning wideouts.
Dunbar enjoyed a banner year in 2012. He set career-best numbers with 36 catches, 383 yards and four touchdowns. Still, Dunbar tied for 25th in the Southeastern Conference in catches and ranked 35th in receiving yards.
UF’s returning wideouts combined for 44 catches, 426 yards and four touchdowns in 2012. Take away Dunbar’s statistics, and the numbers drop to eight catches for 43 yards and zero scores.
Dunbar believes that the development of junior quarterback Jeff Driskel as well as a second year in offensive coordinator Brent Pease’s scheme will be beneficial to the receiving corps.
“A year into the system helps all of us knowing that we’ve already been through the system one year and all we’re doing is continuing to grow,” Dunbar said.
Dunbar has proven especially productive after a year under the former Boise State offensive coordinator.
Pease said Dunbar has stood out among other wideouts in spring practice.
“I am really proud of that kid,” Pease said. “He has come along so far attitude-wise, accountability, his work ethic on the field. It’s really starting to show up. He makes a big play yesterday. He just does things right. He can play a bunch of positions now. So proud of him and I think it’s going to carry over to reach the goals that he’s setting for himself.”
Driskel said Dunbar and Florida’s other receivers have all been motivated to overcome a disappointing effort in 2012.
“It was obvious that we needed better receiver play this year and they’ve done a great job so far,” Driskel said.
“I’m really proud of those guys. Obviously we have a long way to go but they’ve really stepped up in the first couple practices we’ve had.”
UF hopes to minimize penalties: Florida’s offense struggled to avoid penalties during Brent Pease’s first year as offensive coordinator.
Given the amount of formations and shifts players were asked to learn in the system Pease implemented, the coaching staff tolerated some miscues that plagued a unit that struggled to move the ball with consistency.
There will be less tolerance for mistakes next season.
“We’ve got to find consistency,” Pease said.
“We did that at times last year, but probably not as much as we could have after self-scouting ourselves.”
Pease counted 45 penalties called on Florida’s offense last season, 19 of which were false starts.
Cutting down penalties — Pease said he hopes to see the Gators reduce their total by half — should help improve an offense that ranked 78th in scoring offense and 104th in total offense last season.
“You’re still going to have some (penalties) because that’s just how kids are,” Pease said.
“But you’ve got to do a good job of navigating around it, dealing with some things, (and) understanding how to get yourself out of it and keep kids in rhythm.”
Contact Joe Morgan at joemorgan@alligator.org and Phil Heilman at pheilman@alligator.org.
Wide receiver Quinton Dunbar (1) catches the game-tying touchdown during Florida’s 27-20 win against Louisiana on Nov. 10 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
