Florida football: Second-year players who’ll become stars in 2023
![Florida Gators wide receiver Caleb Douglas (12) celebrates a touchdown during the second half against the Eastern Washington Eagles at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Sunday, October 2, 2022. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs Eastern Washington Eagles](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F617eb987d50ef283873ac84c940b28ee1aa1d97d1815572435e0c1200dbea471.jpg "Florida Gators wide receiver Caleb Douglas (12) celebrates a touchdown during the second half against the Eastern Washington Eagles at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Sunday, October 2, 2022. [Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun]Ncaa Football Florida Gators Vs Eastern Washington Eagles")
Billy Napier’s first season as Florida football coach didn’t exactly go over as planned.
The Gators finished the year just 6-7 and Anthony Richardson had an interesting campaign before deciding to head off to the NFL draft before the bowl game.
It’s safe to say that Florida has a ton of work to do in order to climb out of the mediocre ranks of the SEC and Napier has a handful of second-year players from the 2022 class who could help get the Gators back to the top in 2023.
Here’s which second-year players I think could become stars next season.
Former top-100 recruit Chris McClellan is a pretty safe pick to be a breakout star next season with the Gators. He had a strong freshman season and Gervon Dexter is headed off to the NFL so that may open the door for McClellan to start in 2023 and beyond.
Replacing 55 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, and 2.0 sacks won’t be easy, but I think McClellan is ready to take that next step as a player.
As a freshman, he made some noise, finishing with 23 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. He flashed some brilliance on the defensive line and I think another offseason will prepare him for a monster season with the Gators. He already looked to be on the verge in 2022 and I think 2023 is his year.