KYLE CURTIS: Billy Napier In A Tighter Position At The Tight End Position

Keon Zipperer is the only true tight end left on the depth chart after Gage Wilcox suffered a career ending injury.

By KYLE CURTIS

GatorBaitMedia.com Intern

In an offseason where 2021 starting tight end, Kemore Gamble transferred to UCF, the tight end position has received more blows during the spring.

Redshirt sophomore tight end Jonathan Odom (torn labrum) and redshirt freshman tight end Nick Elksnis (broken scapula) both will be sidelined for the remainder of spring camp due to injuries suffered in practices.

Both injuries were first reported by Jacob Rudner of 247Sports.

Odom took to Twitter after his surgery to repair his torn labrum.

“All went good,” Odom said. “Thanks to Dr. Farmer and UF health team!”

There is hope that both players will be ready for the start of the season. Elksnis' injury was confirmed through a source within the program.

Both players are expected to make an immediate impact for the Gators at the tight end position, especially with the departure of Gamble.

With the injuries in the Tight End/Receiver room, Napier and his army have had to have the next-man-up mentality. Keon Zipperer is the only true tight end left on the depth chart after Gage Wilcox suffered a career ending injury.

Dante Zanders, a redshirt senior defensive lineman, and Noah Keeter, a walk-on redshirt junior linebacker, have been taking snaps at the tight end position in the absence of Odom and Elksnis.

Zanders is not a stranger to the tight end position though.

A 3-star tight-end recruit, Zanders spent his first two seasons at Florida at the tight end position playing behind NFL star Kyle Pitts. Out of Boca Raton, Zanders is 6-5, 220 pounds with the physical capabilities to hold his own in spring camp.

Zipperer is the leader in the Tight End/Receiverroom and is poised for a big year with AR-15 running the show. Zipperer is coming off a season of 11 catches for 133 yards. He is one of the Gators that will have a big improvement along with impact.

Napier also favors the tight end position. Historically his offense has highlighted the tight end position. At Louisiana, he ran a set that consisted of one running back along with two tight ends. Having this kind of offense requires deeper personnel at tight end. In the past, Napier has leaned toward the run game, expecting a lot of downhill run blocking from the two tight ends.

A lot of similarities to the two tight end sets that Bill Belichick ran in the earlier years of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

Additionally, to add to the depth of the Tight End/Receiver Room, Napier was able to grab three key additions at the end of the recruiting cycle. Arlis Boardingham, Tony Livingston and Hayden Hansen will all be coming to campus over the summer.