Nov 16, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier prior to the game against the LSU Tigers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Florida Football Roster Check

Daniela Ortiz January 23, 2025 College Football, Feature Sports News, Football, NCAA, SEC 361 Views

The college football transfer portal — the NCAA’s version of free agency — closed Dec. 28.

Who did Florida target? Who’s still on the roster? Here’s a breakdown of the Gators’ moves this past month:

Players Added

The Gators added five players via the winter portal. The most recent was Harrison Bailey, a senior quarterback from Louisville.

The Gators had some depth issues at the position this past season, and after freshman Deshawn Purdie withdrew his transfer only days after his initial commitment, Florida needed another signal caller. The team found its answer in Bailey, who was solid in his limited minutes for the Cardinals.

Other players added through the portal include UMass edge rusher Kofi Asare, UCLA wide receiver Michael Sturdivant, Southern Miss cornerback Michael Caraway Jr. and Michigan punter Tommy Doman.

Players Leaving

Thirteen Gators on scholarship entered the transfer portal.

Sophomore cornerback Ja’Keem Jackson was the top-rated prospect in Florida’s 2023 recruiting class, with the Gators looking to play him in a more significant role in 2024.  However, an undisclosed injury against Samford in Week 2 knocked Jackson out for the rest of the year, leading both parties to agree to move on.

He entered the portal Dec. 3 and chose the LSU Tigers on Dec. 13.

LSU poached another Gator in the form of junior edge Jack Pyburn. He only made two starts for Florida in 2024 after suffering a season-ending ACL tear the previous year. He officially committed to LSU on Dec. 17.

Florida also lost junior defensive end Justus Boone, who committed to Arkansas on Dec. 21 with one season of college eligibility left. A preseason knee injury derailed what would’ve been Boone’s red-shirt sophomore season in 2023, and he played limited minutes in 2024.

Other transfers include tight ends Arlis Boardingham (Bowling Green) and Gavin Hill (Florida A&M), offensive linemen Christian Williams (Liberty) and Mike Williams (Towson), wide receivers Marcus Burke (UCF) and Andy Jean (Pittsburgh), defensive linemen Kelby Collins (Alabama), Quincy Ivory (Jackson State) and T.J. Searcy (Texas A&M) and linebacker Deuce Spurlock II (Liberty).

Postseason Activity

The Gators also have a couple of players participating in the upcoming All-Star games.

Senior cornerback and Florida native Jason Marshall Jr., who started and ended his career with the Gators, was named a member of the West team in the 100th East-West Shrine Bowl in AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys, at 8 p.m. ET Jan. 30 on the NFL Network. Joining him on Team West is senior offensive lineman Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson.

Meanwhile, senior running back Montrell Johnson Jr. joined the East team. Johnson Jr. ended with more than 3,000 rushing yards in his career after transferring to Florida from Louisiana.

Over at the Senior Bowl at University of South Alabama, Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Ala., (Feb. 1, 2:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network), UF is represented by linebacker Shemar James and punter Jeremy Crawshaw.

Looking Ahead

While it’s still far too early to call the shots, there’s seemingly plenty of optimism surrounding the Gators’ chances heading into next season.

Ten media outlets listed the Gators in their top-25 lists, with Sporting News ranking them as high as 11th.

Once again, the Gators’ main concern is their tough 2025 schedule. However, if Florida could eke out an 8-5 record in 2024, who’s to say the team couldn’t emerge as a genuine playoff contender in 2025?

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