The list of Gators declaring for the NFL Draft continues to grow.
On Monday, coach Jim McElwain said running back Kelvin Taylor, wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and defensive lineman Alex McCalister will all forgo their senior seasons and turn pro.
Taylor and Robinson will both play in the Citrus Bowl against Michigan, McElwain said, while McCalister will not play while he continues to recover from a foot injury he suffered on Nov. 14 against South Carolina.
It was reported that McCalister was dismissed from the team, but the UF coach did not confirm that report, although he didn’t explicitly deny it, either.
Robinson, however, disputed the coach’s statement that the wide receiver had decided to enter the draft later on Monday afternoon, tweeting out “I had no idea!” and later “I never told anyone I was entering the draft, what is this???” with a picture of the story of the three players’ plans to declare.
Robinson led the team with 47 receptions this year while recording 505 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
If Robinson does declare for the draft, he will be the fourth Gator to do so, joining Taylor, McCalister and defensive back Vernon Hargreaves.
Taylor has 985 yards and 13 touchdowns on 248 carries this season, putting him 15 yards short of becoming just the second UF player to rush for 1,000 yards since 2004.
McCalister had 6.5 sacks on the year in just nine games, giving him a share of the team lead with senior Jonathan Bullard.
Linebacker Jarrad Davis and defensive lineman Caleb Brantley have already announced they will return, while safeties Keanu Neal and Marcus Maye haven’t announced their decisions.
In regards to Taylor and Robinson’s draft stock, McElwain said the choice to leave or stay isn’t just based on whether they’re ready to leave, but also who is leaving around them in their position groups around the country.
He also said he hopes both players utilize the school’s resources to prepare for the draft.
“It's one of those deals, when you look at it, I think you have to look sometimes too at how maybe each position is stacked in a given year to kind of see where you're at,” McElwain said. “I hope they work out here (in Gainesville). Sometimes they go waste some money some places. They can get a lot of work done right here.”
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UF's Kelvin Taylor rushes during Florida's 27-2 loss to Florida State on Nov. 28, 2015, at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
