Gator Sports Round-Up

Gator Football Trophy Watchlist

The Football Writers Association of America named Gervon Dexter Sr., O’Cyrus Torrence to the Outland Trophy Watch-List and Kingsley Eguakun to the Rimington Trophy Watchlist.

Torrence also collected a Preseason All-American by Phil Steele from Sporting News and Walter Camp. He earned All-SEC honors by Athlon, Phil Steele and the media at SEC Media Days. Torrence joined the Gators during the spring semester transferring from Louisiana as a Junior. In 2021 Torrence also was named First Team All-Sun Belt.

Sporting News and Walter Camp named Dexter Sr. as a Preseason All-American. He was also named All-SEC by Phil Steele and the media at SEC Media Days. In the 2021 season, Dexter started nine of the 13 games at DL having a record season with two games with nine tackles vs. Alabama and UCF.

The game is won in the trenches. 😤

.@GervonDexter and @78_KingBo earn a spot on the @outlandtrophy Watch List, awarded to the nation's best interior lineman.

🔗 https://t.co/WbM3kOdA8n#GoGators | #UFuture pic.twitter.com/e9XxDeZJpq

— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) July 26, 2022

Kingsley Eguakun was named to the Rimington Trophy Watchlist, the award which is given to the nation’s best center in college football. The Gators have one winner of the award in Maurkice Pouncey in 2009. In the 2021 season, Eguakun started all 13 games at center and led an OL that only allowed for 14 sacks in the season. The Gators averaged 5.5 yards per carry to rank first in the SEC and fourth in the country for rushing yards with Eguakun leading the line.

Gymnastics Transfer

In other Gator sports news Rachel Baumann, the younger sister of Gator All-American Alyssa Baumann, transferred to Florida and joins the 2023 gymnastics roster. She is the second transfer from Georgia to join the Gator squad as she joins Georgia teammate Victoria Nguyen. Baumann competed for the Bulldogs during her four-year career at UGA. She arrives at UF to compete for the gymnastics squad as a super senior. Baumann said she is happy to be pursuing her graduate degree in Information Systems and Operations Management at the University of Florida.

Another Baumann for 2⃣0⃣2⃣3⃣ 🐊🤸‍♀️ roster!@rachelbaumann_ joins 🐊🤸‍♀️ for her Super Senior Season!

Rachel – welcome to the #Gators!

🔗 https://t.co/FxslQcBCEM#GoGators 🐊 pic.twitter.com/IC8S20Z4FX

— Gators Gymnastics (@GatorsGym) July 25, 2022

“The Gators are extremely excited to welcome Rachel to our family! It makes it all the more special that she has chosen to finish off her gymnastics career as a Gator,” said gymnastics head coach Jenny Rowland. “We look forward to her veteran experience and competitive “Baumann” spirit and don’t doubt that she is going to look great wearing orange and blue in the O’Dome!”

Volleyball Assitant Coach: A flashback in Gator sports!

Caroline Knop, a Florida Alumna returns to UF after three seasons as Assistant Coach at the College of Charleston. The two-time All-American and well-known gator will return to the squad as a Volunteer Assitant Coach.

In Charleston, her team had the program’s fifth-highest season total in service aces (195). Knop had a legendary career at UF as a two-time All-American and All-SEC honoree. Averaging 4.42 digs per set during her time at UF put her second overall in gator volleyball records.

Knop was a legendary gator for the volleyball squad. Some may remember her from her NCAA Championship tear in 2017. In her senior season, she started all 32 matches in UF’s run to the NCAA final, eventually losing to Nebraska.