Florida Football: 3 freshmen who could start in 2021

When you’re a program like Florida football, you bring in elite talent each and every cycle. You don’t rebuild, you reload.

And that’s good news for Dan Mullen and the Gators because, well, there’s a lot of talent that took that next step to the NFL this offseason. Guys like Kyle Trask, Kyle Pitts, and Kadarius Toney, to name a few, were drafted a couple of months ago and that leaves the Gators looking for immediate replacements.

Plus, the defensive side of the ball needs to improve drastically if the Gators want to have a shot at the playoff again.

With an influx of talented freshmen coming in, which first-year guys could have the biggest impacts on the 2021 season?

These 2021 class signees could start for Florida football at some point this season.

It was tough to choose between Daejon Reynolds and Marcus Burke here, but I’m going to give the nod to the freshman receiver who enrolled early.

Reynolds was ranked the No. 287 recruit in the 2021 class as well as the 44th-best wide receiver, according to 247Sports. He enrolled early and got a good feel for the team this spring as well as learning the playbook in the process. He would be my pick as the one offensive freshman who has a best chance of starting at some point in 2021.

Although Florida does have a projected starting trio of Xzavier Henderson, Jacob Copeland, and Trent Whittemore, along with guys like Justin Shorter, Rick Wells, and Jordan Pouncey, Reynolds is a minor injury away from cracking that starting lineup.

While Reynolds may not be the most athletic receiver, he’s built to bully opposing defensive backs and runs crisp routes. He could impress this fall and make the two-deep to start the season.

Don’t be shocked if he lines up as a starter at some point this season.