Florida Football Spring Practice: Young Receivers Ready

The Florida Gators Football team continued Spring practice Tuesday after a week off.

The media was allowed a 13-minute viewing period to see what’s new in practice.

What We Saw

Frehsman Stephon Shivers was previously seen in a black non-contact jersey. However, today he was putting in the work and getting reps in block shedding drills. Shivers is one of the biggest players on the team and will likely have a role of the run game at some point in his tenure at Florida.

#Gators freshman defensive lineman @stephonshivers1 getting reps shedding blocks@ESPNGainesville pic.twitter.com/y2ReMkObnv

— Nick Abreu (@NickAbreu13) March 25, 2025

Tramell Jones and Naeshaun Montgomery, first year players that we saw putting in work towards hopefully a connection that can continue to build throughout the season.

We saw the young duo in sync, a good sign for the long term success of this Gators team.

https://twitter.com/NickAbreu13/status/1904644932217823569

What We Heard

When asked about the new receivers, receivers coach Billy Gonzalez described them as being a very “tight group.” He said the players push each other, they compete with one another and “work their butts off.” He said they are very positive and push one another to succeed. That’s not easy to say coming from a group of new guys. Chemistry can be hard to find, but with a young squad with a drive, it seems chemistry and hard work is no issue for them.

J. Michael Sturdivant was another topic of conversation. Gonzalez said that he takes on a leadership role for the team and has the ability to lead his team. He has the most experience of the group and will make a big impact even though he just transferred in from UCLA.

“He’s got great speed” said Gonzalez. “He’s getting really good at running routes, it’s all about learning the system.”

Gonzalez also commented on Sturdivant being physical with his 6-foot-3, 215 pound frame. Gonzalez says he’s not the type of player to pull the parachute, he’s the kind of player to go into into full force with all of his being.

What’s Next

The Gators are set to host pro day on Thursday. Participating players include Graham Mertz, Elijhah Badger, Chimere Dike, Jason Marshall Jr., Montrell Johnson Jr. and other players hoping to get drafted to an NFL team in April. They will go through measurements, on-field drills, weight room workouts and position workouts in front of NFL front office personnel.

The Gators play the Orange and Blue game on April 12.