In the intense atmosphere of college football in the SEC, a simple flat or curl route can yield electric, game-altering plays. Sometimes all it takes is a hungry, young receiver with speed, intelligence and elite ball-tracking ability to get the ball in their hands with a hunger to change the game.
For Florida football, this is no exception. Prepped for their season opener against Long Island University on Saturday, the Gators’ receiving corps includes a handful of talented new players and returners who have been reliable and consistent.
J. Michael Sturdivant, redshirt senior
Sturdivant is a new face in Gainesville this season, bolstering UF’s receiving corps with four years of collegiate experience under his belt.
The fifth-year receiver spent two years at both the University of California and UCLA after playing four years of varsity football. Sturdivant has amassed 123 receptions, 1,667 yards and 13 touchdowns across three seasons.
In 2024, the fifth-year receiver played just seven games due to an undisclosed injury. Across those games, he racked up 22 receptions for 315 yards and two touchdowns. .
Sturdivant is set to play a huge role in Florida’s offense in 2025 due to his speed, precision and size.
“I think we'll move him around and try to create as many opportunities as we can for him,” Napier said. “I've been very impressed. I think he's mature, he’s big, he’s fast, and I think he's got good football intelligence.”
Dallas Wilson, freshman
Wilson, Florida’s most coveted freshman, joins Florida as a five-star recruit and the No. 2 receiver in the 2025 class. The receiver was good for 2,424 yards and 30 touchdowns on 130 receptions at Tampa Bay Tech high school and is expected to be one of Florida’s biggest weapons in 2025.
After flipping his commitment from Oregon at the end of 2024, Wilson continued to impress, setting an Orange & Blue Game record with 10 receptions for 195 yards and two touchdowns.
However, the freshman suffered a lower-leg injury during the Gators’ fall camp and is still waiting on a recovery time frame ahead of the season.
“Dallas, even with the lower foot injury, when he gets back, he’s gonna be a huge problem,” said redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Bryce Lovett.
Vernell Brown III, freshman
Brown is entering his first collegiate season, coming to UF as a five-star freshman and the No. 3 receiver in the 2025 class.
After dominating high school with 143 receptions for 2,488 yards and 18 touchdowns, Brown chose Florida over other prominent schools, including SEC rivals Georgia and Tennessee. The incoming freshman is set to make a splash in 2025 and hasn’t wasted any time getting acclimated to UF’s system, impressing Napier as an emerging player in the Gators’ fall camp.
“He’s very mature, aware, he’s in great condition,” Napier said. “He’s durable, he plays fast for a young player, and I think he’s decisive.”
Eugene Wilson III, redshirt sophomore
Wilson III joined UF as a five-star receiver in 2023. He immediately made an impact, finishing with the most touchdown receptions on the team with six as well as the second most receptions, yards and receiving yards per game, with 538 yards on 61 catches.
However, Wilson III struggled to stay on the field in 2024. The sophomore missed weeks 3 to 6 due to injury before undergoing a season-ending hip surgery and earning a redshirt. Despite the abrupt end to his season, Wilson III tallied 266 yards and a touchdown through just four games.
The Florida native also sustained a minor injury in UF’s fall camp, but is still expected to play a major role in Florida’s receiving game. Additionally, defensive players who have spent an offseason around and taken reps against Wilson have taken notice of his physicality and the improvements he has made since he first set foot in Gainesville.
“He’s gotten bigger, faster, quicker,” said senior defensive back Devin Moore.
Aidan Mizell, redshirt sophomore
Mizell, a Florida native, came to UF as a four-star recruit after graduating as the No. 11 receiver in the 2023 class.
After redshirting his freshman year, Mizell didn’t wait long to make an impact. He turned his first collegiate catch into a 41-yard touchdown reception and continued to produce through 11 games in 2024. At the end of his second season at Florida, Mizell tallied 202 yards and two touchdowns on 17 catches.
Geared for his third year at UF, Mizell is healthy and knows the quality of work he needs to put in this season. He is also aware that he is a part of a top receiver room in the country that is a competitive group.
“There’s no ego, no animosity between the group,” Mizell said. “We all just trying to be the best.”
Naeshaun Montgomery, freshman
Ranked the No. 12 receiver in the 2025 class, Montgomery enters his first collegiate season at Florida with an impressive resume. The freshman caught 25 passes for 537 yards and four touchdowns in his senior year of high school and is looking to carry that momentum into Gainesville.
Napier and the offensive personnel have harped on Montgomery’s impressive production during fall camp, explaining that he has become a much more consistent player over the offseason.
“Naeshaun, quick guy, he’s gonna be a big target for us this year,” Lovett said.
Hayden Hansen, redshirt junior
Now UF’s starting tight end, Hansen redshirted his freshman year before stepping into a larger role in 2023 and 2024.
The 6-foot-8 tight end has played in all of Florida’s games over the past two seasons, tallying 27 receptions for 357 yards through 25 games. Now, Hansen has taken on a leadership role and is set to pick up right where he left off in a system where he is surrounded by a stacked room of talented pass catchers.
The tight end even noted that he was working on his receiving game and saw an increased production at the start of fall camp.
“I was kind of working on using my length to get open,” Hansen said. “It was already showing up, I mean, I think I caught about five or six passes in the first half of team, which is a lot for the tight ends in this system.”
Amir Jackson, redshirt freshman
Jackson is entering his second season at Florida after using his redshirt year in 2024. Jackson is a large, physical player who entered UF as a four-star recruit. Although he is behind an experienced veteran tight end in Hansen, Jackson has the skillset and intangibles to make a name for himself.
Napier also made sure to repeatedly mention that Jackson “has had a good camp,” highlighting the tight end’s physicality.
“Amir, another guy who's gotten bigger and stronger, added muscle to that frame. He’s wiry, he has play strength,” Napier said. “He’s not scared to put his face in there … he’s earned our respect because of the toughness.”
Kahleil Jackson, redshirt senior
Kahleil enters his sixth year at Florida after suffering an ACL injury in 2024. The redshirt senior is a third-generation legacy and the son of legendary Gators receiver Willie Jackson.
Kahleil declined an offer to play at Jackson State and walked on to the team in 2020. He made strides in 2023 and played 11 games, logging 21 receptions for 251 yards and a touchdown. However, the redshirt senior played just one game in 2024 and tallied 13 receiving yards on one catch before sitting out the rest of the year with an ACL injury.
Kahleil underwent another knee injury during the offseason and his status is currently unknown.
Contact Curan Ahern at cahern@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @CuranAhern.
Curan is the men's tennis beat reporter and a second-year journalism sports & media major. He enjoys spending his free time with pets, at the beach and fishing.
