ESPN Names Florida's 'Area of Concern' Ahead of 2025 College Football Season
The Florida Gators are coming off a very up-and-down season in 2024. Finishing with an 8-5 record and a Gasparilla Bowl victory, head coach Billy Napier and Florida are looking to come back stronger in 2025, with hopes of a College Football Playoff berth.
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Quarterback DJ Lagway is entering his second year with the Gators after an impressive freshman season. He went 6-1 as a starter, filling in for an injured Graham Mertz, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Lagway's top two targets from a year ago are both gone after graduating, which has caused college football experts to question Florida's wide receiver group. Earlier this week, ESPN released its area of concern for Top 25 teams going into the season, naming the Gators' wideouts as their main concern.
Oct 19, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators wide receiver Eugene Wilson III (3) gestures with Florida Gators offensive lineman Knijeah Harris (77) and Florida Gators offensive lineman Austin Barber (58) after a first down against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images© Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
"One of the reasons Florida is expected to improve in 2025 is because of the talent that quarterback DJ Lagway brings," ESPN's Harry Lyles Jr. said. "But the Gators' top receivers from last season, Elijhah Badger and Chimere Dike, left for the NFL."
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Badger led the Gators with 806 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2024. He also topped Florida's receiving corps with 20.7 yards per catch. This was Badger's only season in Gainesville after transferring from the Arizona State Sun Devils. As for Dike, he moved to Florida last year from the Wisconsin Badgers and had a team-high 42 receptions for 783 yards and two scores.
"Eugene Wilson III is back, but also coming off season-ending hip surgery," Lyles continued. "It will be up to Vernell Brown III, Dallas Wilson, Naeshaun Montgomery and J. Michael Sturdivant (UCLA transfer) to help establish themselves."
Wilson played just four games last year due to injury, but promises to be the lead wideout for Lagway in 2025. Brown, Wilson and Montgomery are freshmen joining Napier's squad this year. Wilson and Brown were the No. 2 and 3 receivers in the country, respectively, by On3 and Rivals.
Sturdivant was one of the top transfer receivers in the nation this offseason after spending the past two years with the Bruins. He combined for 912 yards and six touchdowns in two seasons at UCLA.
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With this core of imposing wide receivers, it should be interesting to see how productive they are in Lagway's first year as a full-time starter.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
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