Imagine what it must be like to be Stephen Alli.
A few months ago, he was a soon-to-be high school senior &ndash a basketball prospect with just a single season of organized football under his belt.
Now, he's the Gators' least experienced scholarship football player.
When Urban Meyer saw Alli at the Friday Night Lights football camp in June, he was wowed by the 6-foot-6 receiver's raw athletic ability. So much so that he offered him a scholarship on the spot.
Alli was supposed to be the latest commitment of the 2010 recruiting class, and plans were in the works for him to enroll at UF this spring.
But after reviewing his high school transcript, advisors discovered that he had already passed the 16 core courses required for eligibility and that he had earned enough credits to graduate.
When the coaching staff learned the 18-year-old native of Toronto was eligible to enroll in college this fall, they jumped at the chance to start his career with the Gators.
The freshman enrolled so late that he doesn't even have a roommate.
Alli's situation is unique, but he isn't the first high school football player to make the jump to college a year early.
Former Evangel Christian (Shreveport, La.) quarterback John David Booty left after his junior year of high school to enroll at USC in 2003, and former Louisville defensive tackle Amobi Okoye enrolled in college when he was just 16 because a placement test allowed him to skip fifth and sixth grade.
Alli left Toronto and enrolled at Proctor (N.H.) Academy in 2008 to improve his college basketball stock. He had offers from Baylor, Harvard and Penn.
He played just one year of American high school football at Proctor &ndash mostly for fun.
But when he caught seven touchdown passes on just 13 catches last year, he brought in football offers from Stanford, Connecticut and Harvard.
"He's only played one year of football, but he's here because we think he's good enough," UF wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales said.
Alli grew up with the Canadian version of the sport &ndash one that includes just three downs, different field dimensions and receivers constantly in motion before the snap.
"It's like learning a new language," Alli said. "It's a different environment than I have ever experienced. My biggest challenge right now is just learning how to play. It's a lot different than high school."
At this point, Alli is probably more prepared to play in the O'Connell Center than Florida Field. A redshirt season is almost a forgone conclusion.
Alli's a project, but he's one that could pay big dividends for the Gators in the future.
"Normally when you get a tall, rangy athlete like that he's not an explosive guy, but (Alli's) athletic. He's got great quicks," Gonzales said.
Alli arrived in Gainesville on Aug. 4, and suited up for his first practice with the Gators two days later.
"He's walking around right now like he's on Mars," Meyer said.
