Gator Profile: Mullen Looking to Take Advantage of Kadarius Toney’s Versatility

Sophomore Gator football player Kadarius Toney will be eager to bring focus to his skillset this season, rather than his off-the-field antics.

Background Information

Toney attended Blount High School in Alabama where he played as a quarterback. In his senior season, he passed for 2,894 yards and 32 touchdowns. Additionally, he added 894 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. These numbers led to several honors, including the 2016 Class 6A Back of the Year.

In 2015, Toney passed for 3,604 yards and 37 touchdowns. Surprisingly, he tallied a similar amount to his senior season, rushing for 896 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was recognized to the AL.com Coastal Alabama First Team.

2017

Toney had an up-and-down season in his first year in Gainesville, as he battled through several injuries. Listed as a wide receiver, Toney played in several positions, including as a wildcat quarterback. He totaled 287 all-purpose yards off of 14 receptions for 121 yards, 15 rushes for 152 yards, a 15-yard kickoff return and 50 yards passing from two attempts.

https://twitter.com/GatorsUnis/status/1019698487905144832

The Upcoming Season

Several fans thought the prospect of Toney playing at quarterback in Dan Mullen’s system would be a great combination. However, Mullen put these ideas to rest in an interview several months ago.

“I don’t know how much we’ll get into that in spring [using him at QB]. That would be something, a package maybe for him in the fall, but within the base system I want him learning how to be a wide receiver too,” Mullen said.

With the current quarterback situation, Mullen could go back on his word and experiment with Toney in natural position. No matter the position, if Toney can stay healthy and stay out of trouble, his dynamism will aid the Gator offense.