Eighteen former Florida football players will have the chance to impress NFL scouts this morning at UF’s annual pro day.
Defensive lineman Taven Bryan and wide receiver Antonio Callaway headline the 2018 group of Gators looking to boost their draft stock.
The 6-foot-4, 291-pound Bryan — a projected first-round pick according to NFL.com — played in all 11 games for Florida a season ago, finishing in the top five among the team’s leaders in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks and quarterback hurries. His four sacks tied for the second most on the team last year behind defensive lineman CeCe Jefferson (4.5), and he also forced a team-high 22 yards lost off his sacks.
Callaway, on the other hand, was suspended the entire 2017 season for his alleged involvement in a credit card scam along with eight of his teammates. Before missing his junior year, he led Florida in receiving yards as a freshman and sophomore. His 1,399 receiving yards in that span were nearly twice as much as the next closest receiver.
Brandon Powell — another pro day participant — was second behind Callaway with a combined 777 receiving yards in 2015 and 2016. Powell added a career-high 406 receiving yards as a senior in 2017.
Senior Duke Dawson is one of six defensive backs taking part in pro day. Dawson grabbed four interceptions (tied for a team-high) in 2017, including one he returned for a touchdown against Michigan on Sept. 2. He recorded pick-sixes on three of his six total career interceptions.
Marcell Harris and Nick Washington, two of the other five defensive backs participating in drills today, both dealt with season-ending injuries in 2017. Harris tore his right Achilles tendon last summer, forcing him to miss the entire year. However, he racked up a team-high 73 tackles and recorded two interceptions in 2016.
Washington injured his shoulder against LSU on Oct. 7, and missed the remainder of the season. He started five games at safety and was on pace to set a career high in tackles before getting hurt.
Special teams standouts Eddy Pineiro and Johnny Townsend will also participate.
Pineiro was a two-year starter for the Gators and led the nation in field goal percentage in 2017, hitting 17 of 18 attempts. A fan favorite, Pineiro made 38 of 43 total field goals during his time in Gainesville, including a 5-for-5 mark on kicks 50 yards or longer.
Townsend, a punter, affected all three phases of the game for Florida. He led the nation in yards per punt in 2016 and 2017, averaging 47.9 and 47.5 yards, respectively.
Other members of UF's 2017 roster participating in pro day are quarterback Malik Zaire, running back Mark Thompson, tight end DeAndre Goolsby, offensive linemen Antonio Riles and Ricardo Benalcazar and defensive backs Joseph Putu and Garrett Stephens.
Quarterback Austin Appleby and running back Mark Herndon, who last played for UF in 2016, as well as former NFL defensive back Matt Elam, who last played for UF in 2012, will also take part in drills.
While the event isn’t open to the public, former Florida wide receiver Chris Doering will be providing coverage of the event for the SEC Network. Pro day is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. and will end in the early afternoon.
An article from FloridaGators.com contributed to this report.
Follow Andrew Huang on Twitter @AndrewJHuang and contact him at ahuang@alligator.org.
Safety Marcell Harris is one of 18 former Florida football players participating in UF's pro day this morning.
