Florida Football: 5 players who improved their stock in 2019 spring game

After a record-setting spring game which saw 95 points scored, intuition begs for only offensive players to receive recognition. That would, however, cheapen a standout performance from a breakout player this spring for the Gators.

If the name John Huggins isn’t familiar to most Gator fans, it’s because he didn’t see the field much during his freshman season in 2018. When discussing the experience of last season, Huggins admits he struggled watching his teammates from the sideline.

Stay positive, grind, learn – all actions Huggins took instead of losing hope.

His dedication – and a position change from safety to nickel – led to an impressive showing during spring practices and during the Orange and Blue game. In fact, Huggins produced one of the few highlight-worthy defensive plays when he undercut a Freddie Swain out-route, picked off the pass and took the turnover unabated to the endzone for a pick-six.

Huggins’ jump in performance only benefits a secondary that struggled with depth last season, and allows Amari Burney to shift down from nickel to his more natural position at linebacker.

Wide receiver Freddie Swain says that Huggins is already “making more plays and he’s becoming a great player.” If Huggins can pair a better knowledge of the defensive schemes with his elite athleticism, expect to hear John Huggins’ name called many more times in the fall.